Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Earth-199999

Fury leaned back in his chair, running a hand across his head, thinking over the new piece of information he'd just gotten, and had noted down in a paper.

Yes, he was using pages here, and had encouraged Maria to do the exact same thing, because there was some information he did not want to be put on devices, this being such information.

If it got out there, it'd not be good for either side.

"What's the plan?" Maria asked Fury, who turned to look at her with his one eye.

"The plan, Agent Hill, is old-school", Fury said in reply, confusing her. "You think this is an Avengers level threat?"

"Considering what we know, I'd say most likely", Maria gave her opinion on the situation, Fury nodding, considering her words.

"Not wrong, Agent Hill, but this is not really what the Avengers were created for. For this, we need….something else."

Maria was interested to hear just what.

"Where is this 'something else'?"

"It's not just one, agent. And they're all being called as we speak."

A smirk crossed Maria's face as she stood up from her chair, walking off to wear her coat. "Are you expecting me to babysit this entire lot?"

"I think I got one in mind, but he might need your help", Fury confessed, picking up his gun, Maria wincing at the expectation.

"Of course, there is one guy I'll have to keep my eye on", Fury sighed, thinking about that man. "Let's just say he really doesn't like me."

"You two go back then?" Maria asked, putting her coat on, then picking up her gun.

"Way back, Agent Hill, and he hates me", Fury shrugged.

"Typical then?" Maria quipped, Fury just turning away, causing her to smirk.

"We've three hours. Let's get everything ready."

And they needed to do this.

After serving in the army, where he'd met one Colonel Trautman (one of the best men he knew), Fury had joined SHIELD. He had started as just any other field agent. A cut above the rest, sure, a bit more intelligent, but without the experience that made him who he is today.

One of his earliest missions had been to disguise himself in a cover identity- a white man-hating black shopkeeper. In that identity, he had joined up with a cop who had a knack for finding himself in trouble. Fury had pretended to be a mostly helpless civilian their entire time together, but the two of them had managed to get themselves out of every cinch they found themselves in, and stopped a very big thief, who happened to be doing what he was doing for revenge against the cop, or at least he'd made people think it was for revenge, it was just about money, at the end.

It'd been close calls, Fury now wondered if he'd leaned into that part too much, since he'd let himself get shot in the foot just to maintain his cover. And he did know the school was never in danger, or he'd have stopped the bad guys earlier.

Fury remembered, the first time he'd met the cop had been in Harlem of all places, the same place Luke Cage stayed in nowadays.

The cop could have made a great SHIELD Agent…had he not been pissed on finding out who Fury really was, since he realized that Fury could have gotten them both out of trouble way easier had he acted like a SHIELD Agent and not a civilian.

For that reason, he'd refused.

And he'd been even more pissed when many years later, his grown-up son had joined SHIELD.

In the meantime, Fury had moved up in the organization though.

Finding out about alien life when he'd met Carol and Walter (whose seemingly accidental death had been baffling to Fury…until he'd found out the truth during this very adventure!) had been something else, beyond what he'd expected, especially when they'd faced both the Kree and the Skrulls, alongside these two and Maria Rambeau (SWORD was coming along well recently).

Carol and Walter had become strong allies, but they had a job to keep Earth safe from these two factions, so they couldn't always be relied upon, in their own words, however, they'd inspired him to form a team.

Doing his research after that incident, Fury had realized this wasn't the first time Earth had contact with alien-life. This time was just a bit more large-scale than all other times before.

The world itself was bigger than he'd thought. Captain America had been the world's greatest superhero, the super-soldier with abilities beyond any normal man or woman.

But he wasn't the only one with abilities.

Mutants! People born with the X-Gene, which gave them extraordinary powers as they grew up.

The powers could be anything, from being able to enlarge your tongue beyond normal…to being able to control every single mind on Earth!

The thought had been terrifying to Fury. Like humans, these Mutants could be both good and bad.

He'd nothing to fear from the good ones, but the bad ones…..well, what he'd found out about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the death of JFK, had been enough.

Magneto, the man who could control all metal. A man who'd suffered, and become no different from those who'd made him suffer.

People had been trying to experiment on and use Mutants for a long time, since Shaw during World War II, and then Stryker due to his son, who'd even made a small team briefly, which the Wolverine had been part of.

The same Wolverine who'd also sometimes helped out Captain America and his Howling Commandos, and had a knack for surviving things no one else could.

Wolverine had also been in the Vietnam War, which was a long time later, alongside his brother Victor Creed aka Sabretooth.

That wasn't all. As Fury had researched him, he'd found Wolverine and Sabretooth went way back, even before World War II.

He'd found blurry pictures of them in World War I, and even during the American Civil War!

Back then, without knowing them in person, Fury could tell, whatever their mutation was, it helped them live a long ass time, without looking older than men in their late 20s.

Of course, these weren't the only immortals, as Fury had heard whispers of another group of immortals, having secretly helped develop the world, whispering ideas at the right time.

Fury had no idea who they were, or if they were even Mutants.

The first iteration of the X-Men had been formed during the Cuban Missile Crisis, something instigated by Sebastian Shaw's Hellfire Club (which, based on some information, Fury had a feeling might still be around in a different form, in fact, from what he knew, one of their founders Peggy Carter had come into conflict with the Hellfire Club during her last days in the S.S.R. after the Zero Matter incident and Chief Jack Thompson being killed) and outside of a small period of time when they'd disbanded during the Vietnam War, they'd been going strong. Secretive, but always helping people out without revealing themselves.

But it wasn't just this.

The supernatural was real too! That had scared Fury even more than aliens and Mutants. Ghosts, Vampires, Werewolves- all real!

And there was a being known as the Dhampir, the Daywalker.

A half-man, half-Vampire, with all of their strengths and none of their weaknesses, other than a thirst for blood, which he satisfied with a serum.

Alongside his mentor Whistler, and their frequent associate Jamal Afari, as well as other allies made such as Karen Jenson, Blade used to fight and kill any Vampires that came his way, having stopped the likes of Deacon Frost, Jared Nomak, and Eli Damaskinos.

Fury decided Blade and his allies had the Vampires handled, and their journeys did bring them across other supernatural creatures too.

The former Director also remembered having read of a serial killer back in the 70s. In Halloween of 1963, a 6-year-old boy named Michael Myers had randomly snapped and murdered his older sister Judith Myers.

He had been sent to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, but after years of trying to reach him, his doctor Sam Loomis had given up.

His notes on Michael Myers were chilling.

"I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this... six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and... the blackest eyes - the Devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil."

Exactly 15 years later, Michael Myers had escaped, and started stalking a girl named Laurie Strode on Halloween of 1978.

He'd killed a total of four people that night. And a cop had died while they'd been trying to bring him in.

None of which would be seen as much today, but it was his durability that concerned Fury.

Apparently, he'd survived being shot 6 times and falling off the balcony.

He had been arrested later that same night, and was institutionalized at Smith's Grove even today, all these decades later.

Part of Fury wondered if Michael was a supernatural entity of evil, especially considering what he was capable of, and what Loomis had said about him.

Yes, in the grand scheme of things, Michael Myers was small fry, but Fury couldn't shake off this feeling about him.

Of course, there was also larger fish than even Vampires.

Such as a man whose face could turn into a flaming skull, and he rode a flaming bike, punishing evil-doers. And apparently, he wasn't the person who could do something like this.

Fury had decided it was in their best interests to not get in this person's way.

There was also a secret organization, one that had existed for centuries, by the name of The Hand, led by 5 leaders known as the 'Fingers'.

Fury didn't know much about it, they always slipped under the radar. Apparently one of the Fingers had been in conflict with Wakanda's Black Panther, as well as arms dealer Ulysses Klaue.

And that was the extent of his knowledge about the Hand.

Most people still thought Wakanda was a poor country.

Fury had known for a long time that it had left America far behind.

He didn't know too much about the Hand or the Fingers, but in trying to look into it, the name of some city known as K'un-Lun had popped up from time to time.

Fury had no idea what this city was, or where it was.

There was also some group called the Chaste which apparently fought them, but the Chaste were as secretive as their archenemies, so Fury did not know much about them either.

There was also some group known as Masters of the Mystic Arts, who could do some powerful magic. Most people, even high up in the government, knew nothing about them.

Fury wasn't most people.

Of course, he only knew very little. He didn't even know where they were located.

While the Mutants and the supernatural had existed for a long time, clearly, the public was mostly unaware of all this, as well as aliens.

For a few decades, America's greatest defenders had been soldiers such as John Rambo, and John Matrix (his daughter had been a damn good SHIELD Agent back when the organization was still running officially, now, she was freelance), as well as organizations like FBI, CIA, SHIELD itself, and the IMF. Or the secret Heroes like Ant-Man and Wasp.

John Matrix was a unique case. The Super Soldier Serum wasn't the only thing Erskine had developed back in his day; it had just been what he had to develop after his original plan was discarded.

A diet and exercise routine was what he had come up with at first. One who followed this plan regularly could develop into a natural super soldier, of the peak human kind. However, the government had wanted a super soldier immediately, since the routine and diet would have taken a lifetime, hence the eventual development of the better version of the Super Soldier Serum, without the side-effects of the prototype version that Schmidt had been injected with.

This diet/exercise plan had been forgotten by the army, but had been passed to his family.

John Matrix was the grandson of Erskine, born in East Germany, where Erskine's family had shifted not long after World War II was over.

Matrix's parents had run an organic food business, and thus, Matrix had followed this diet/exercise plan, turning into a natural super soldier, and had later immigrated to the United States, joining the army, who'd been quite shocked by the feats that he had been capable of pulling. However, running a few tests on him with his consent had come up with nothing, for what he had done was natural, and it did not change the inner workings of his body in any discernible way.

During one mission, Matrix had come across Red Guardian, who'd been on a mission of his own.

They had fought.

Neither had won.

Red Guardian claimed he was the victor.

Matrix hadn't claimed anything.

Now, Matrix was retired, but still as strong as ever.

The man had always been a walking solution, but no one had ever recognized it, because no one had thought to ask about his diet and routine, only if he was enhanced or not.

Fury was one of the few who'd found out of Erskine's regimen, and he knew even if he told others, no one would care, because everyone wanted shortcuts.

On the other hand, regarding the IMF, Fury had met Jim Phelps, the real one, not the traitorous double, once. The man had some very good advice; Fury had to admit.

He'd slowly ascended the ranks himself, until Alexander Pierce had made him Director of SHIELD due to his actions in Bogotá.

The Mutants had been mostly under the radar after the Cuban Missile Crisis and its aftermath, even those who performed heroics, such as Brent Willard, the actor who'd played Wonder Man in the 1980 movie of the same name, with the fact that he was a Mutant not having been discovered by anyone except Fury in spite of him being such a famous star of the 'Wonder Man' franchise and more.

Probably because all of that was before the age of the Internet, and he was an old, retired man now, so the public didn't care about him as much as they did then.

The Mutants had then become a bigger issue in the early 2000s, when Magneto had tried to turn all world leaders into Mutants, and had even done the same to Senator Kelly, who'd died shortly after.

However, the X-Men, now joined by a resurfaced Wolverine, had thwarted him.

But this wasn't enough to redeem Mutants in the eyes of the public.

Or Stryker, who'd made the captured Magneto tell him where the school was, and then attacked it after taking Professor Charles Xavier and Cyclops hostage.

The X-Men and Magneto alongside Mystique had in fact joined forces to defeat Stryker this time, and save everyone they could.

It had gone well for a while, until Stryker's son had started using his powers to make Xavier attack all Mutants psychically.

Magneto had stopped that…and then Mystique, in Stryker's form, had made Stryker's son use his powers to make Xavier attack all humans instead!

Fury remembered the pain to this day, the feeling of his head turning inside out, and splitting open.

Fortunately, they had been saved, but Jean Grey had to sacrifice herself to stop the flood that threatened to kill them all, and the flood did finally end Stryker once and for all.

The X-Men had approached the President after that, to assure him they were not a threat.

And that was when Fury had decided enough was enough, reaching out to Professor Xavier, assuring him that the school would never be attacked again, though he hoped the X-Men would help against the likes of Magneto next time such an issue happened.

Charles had agreed.

However, it was too late to do anything about the Mutant cure, which had caused so much controversy.

Not to mention, Magneto had struck again, while Jean Grey had been revealed to be alive. However, she wasn't herself anymore.

Something had taken over her.

Something dark.

She'd killed her own lover, Cyclops, and then when the good Professor had tried to talk her down, he'd lost his life too.

Fury hadn't known him long, but he had grieved.

Yes, he did feel for people. And he had grieved for a whole month.

Once more, the X-Men had fought the Brotherhood, Magneto had lost his powers, and Wolverine himself had to kill Jean, to stop her. He'd left the X-Men not long after, and Fury had made sure no one ever set sight on the school again.

Between 9/11, the "fire sale" incident, and the Mutants, America and the world at large was more fearful than ever, something compounded by 26/11 in India. Not to mention, the creation of Homeland in the USA after 9/11, just adding to the extra security that slowly stepped upon people's freedom.

And then that economic crash in 2008 (something people were already fearful of due to the "fire sale" incident), which had led to the Leverage team coming together, in order to take on the rich scumbags who stepped on others to gain their power and wealth, especially in the wake of the suffering caused to the middle and lower classes due to the economy crashing.

SHIELD knew about them, as did the IMF.

And neither cared enough to do anything about them, because there was an unspoken agreement, that the five of them were doing good. Which was why they'd kept the Leverage team off the radar of the rest of the government.

On the other hand, after the Alcatraz Island Incident, the talk of Mutants had slowly died down, for someone else had taken attention.

Iron Man!

The first hero of a new age, one he himself was looking forward to. Arrogant he was, but Stark had a good heart underneath.

Then there was Hulk. There had never been a second Captain America, but a lot of people had tried to make a super-soldier in the decades after World War II, to varying levels of success.

Such as Isaiah Bradley (poor man, for what he'd been through). While Russia had their Red Guardian, someone Agent Romanoff had known very well before Agent Barton had convinced her to turn over a new leaf.

Even Winter Soldier, whom Fury had heard whispers of, was someone he'd figured out was some sort of super-soldier.

And he was the most dangerous one. No one who'd encountered him had lived to tell the tale.

Except Agent Romanoff. Who'd turned out to be his ex-girlfriend.

And of course, JFK wasn't even Magneto. It was the Winter Soldier. They'd suspected it was him before. Now they knew. Magneto had been trying to save JFK due to him being a Mutant, but had failed, and been blamed.

Fury also wondered if the Winter Soldier had killed Stark's parents, not that he had solid confirmation on it.

Or anything else the Winter Soldier had done.

That was Hydra's knowledge, not theirs.

Of course, now the Winter Soldier was back to normal, becoming Bucky Barnes again, but he'd been one of the biggest threats to the world for decades.

And now, the culmination of all these attempts to recreate the Super-Soldier Serum was the Hulk. A powerful being of anger and strength, who the military had made the mistake of harassing way too many times.

But this wasn't the biggest escalation, no.

Beings they'd read about, and called 'Gods' in Mythology, they were real too, as they'd found out the day Thor and his hammer Mjolnir had fallen to Earth.

Not all legends were accurate, but they got a few things right.

The Destroyer had struck too, but Thor had defeated it, and they'd gotten their hands on it.

And it was after that, when Captain America had finally been found.

Then Loki had attacked.

Inspired by Carol and Walter, the Avengers had been formed to defend the world from threats no one hero could fight alone, and they had.

The Chitauri led by Loki had been a close call, but at least that had been dealt with, by the six of them. Though if Tony was to believed (and Fury had a feeling Tony was right), there was something bigger out there, and it was coming.

Of course, Fury hadn't bet all his cards on them. There were others he'd reached out to, such as the Mutant known as Gambit, who'd been an ally for a while.

Gambit had died defending people from the Chitauri, and very few had known of his sacrifice.

It was around this time that Fury had also decided to reach out to the Wolverine, who was ready to join the world once more, after a certain mess with Yashida which ended with Wolverine losing some of the Adamantium (specifically, the portion on the claws) that had been bonded into him due to Weapon X, and Mariko Yashida becoming the CEO of Yashida Industries.

And of course, with the Avengers around, other countries wanted their own teams too.

Canada had been the first, forming Alpha Flight. And Wolverine had an…..incident with its members.

Fury bailing him out was what had led to them properly becoming allies.

The United Kingdom was working on its own team too. For a long time in fact. Decades. They'd even formed their own agency for it, which now went by the name of MI-13, after having had various other names over the years.

Plus, there was some hidden land near Antarctica according to recent reports, which housed prehistorical creatures of all things!

Yes, those still existed.

And that was without mentioning the Power Broker, a broker who'd been around for decades in Madripoor. Fury had a feeling it wasn't just one person, but an identity passed from one person to another.

With the rise of Heroes, obviously, the Power Broker was now investing in powers like the bastard he or she was. Wolverine was familiar with them, having been to Madripoor a few times.

They weren't even the only broker out there. There had been this broker named Max Mitsopolis, whom the fake Phelps had made a deal with, but Hunt had butted in, exposing the faker.

Max had carried on with her brokering, and had been succeeded by her daughter Alanna Mitsopolis aka the White Widow after her passing.

Of course, in the meantime, Wolverine had ended up making a few allies too. Such as Beatrix Kiddo aka the Bride, who'd once been an assassin in the organization of one Bill. In fact, Bill's organization, known as the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, was the only reason Fury had any information about the Hand, as Bill's organization had fought the Hand a few times.

After having been betrayed by the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad due to wanting to leave them, and being left for dead, the Bride had killed them all after waking up from a coma, including Bill, and then reunited with the daughter she had with him, raising B.B.

There was also the son of the now dead Gambit. The son had adopted the same name, and been part of the Thieves Guild and…..even worse.

Until he'd tried to turn over a new leaf, especially after finding out of his father's sacrifice.

Things had escalated when they had found out that Hydra had been alive and growing under SHIELD's nose for decades, with Alexander Pierce of all people being their leader! Fury knew he should have looked deeper into those goddamn Helicarriers before Captain Rogers' warnings.

Even he had been caught off-guard this time. How could he have missed this?

SHIELD had fallen, leaving the Avengers without their support, even though it had unofficially been put back up with the secretly alive Coulson later on, and Coulson's team had taken down the traitor Garrett alongside his Project Centipede, whose biggest success so far was Mike Peterson aka Deathlok.

Fury had briefly teamed up with Wolverine to take out some Hydra cells in London, after which, an Adamantium coating had been put back onto Wolverine's claws.

And then there was the time when some weird biomass had started spreading in Missouri, killing many people, before abruptly dissipating, and none of them had any idea where it came from, even now.

Then, the Multiverse had opened up, and now, there were things out there so dangerous that even their entire Universe together might not be enough.

First, Eliot Spencer had fallen into a different world, and his team, alongside Ethan Hunt (damn good agent that man was) had gone to retrieve him. Fury had read up on the woman who'd captured Eliot after receiving reports.

Amanda Waller, leader of an organization called ARGUS, which was like SHIELD.

Reading up on her, Fury had felt fear for the first time in a long time.

For she was who he could have become had he given up the compassion and kindness that he did have buried somewhere, deep down.

People like her…could never be allowed to have power.

Then, entry into their world had started.

Starting with a watermelon of all things. Sure, there were people like Superman out there, powerful and good, but not everyone with such power could be a good person. Speaking of, Superman and the speedster known as Impulse had been good help, not to mention, very powerful help, against both- the watermelon and the unnatural storms. That was also the first time the Avengers had created breach technology of their own to travel worlds, albeit a prototype which only worked for Superman's and Impulse's Earth.

Then Captain America had fallen into a different world, and around the same time, Blade had too, based on the information he had.

A galaxy that was having a long war, with Steve having taken out a traitor on the side which he'd joined. While Blade had joined some terrorist organization without realizing what they were, then ditched them after he did realize the truth.

Plus, he'd taken a weapon known as the Darksaber.

The Fantastic Four had been created during that time, Reed Richards being the one to perfect Tony Stark's breach technology to travel through any Universe, while the X-Men had popped up again.

Some weird monstrous creature had come to their world, but John Rambo had blown it up.

And then, he'd also gone to the land of the natives, to take down an alien hunter, also from a different Universe, most likely, and taken it down, after a hard fight.

Then there were also those droids, who'd killed a bunch of teenagers. Agent Barton had gone to deal with them, ending up in a different Universe and teaming up with its resident Heroes, before helping them out one other time.

That was when Doctor Doom had taken over Latveria in a single night, then infiltrated Stark's tower for his armor's schematics, to add to his own work.

Iron Man, War Machine and the Fantastic Four (with some of whom, he'd history) had tried to fight him, but goddamn diplomatic immunity!

Fury had heard of Victor von Doom before, when he'd created some sort of force-field to protect the Romani people from the cruel ruler of Latveria. It had been enough to impress even the Empire State University in America.

Of course, after his little accident, he was nowhere to be found….until taking over Latveria in a single night.

Agent Romanoff had briefly ended up in the world of the Superman they'd met, for just a little while, and connected with one more world.

Around that time, the Inhumans had risen. Skye from Coulson's team was one of them too. Then there was the mess with her mother.

And of course, even the Inhumans weren't new, based on all the information they had, considering a rogue Kree faction had done experiments to create Inhumans for a long time, until finding success on Earth, meaning the Kree had come to Earth long before the incident with Carol and Walter.

At the same time as the Inhumans mess, there was Ultron, which was when so many Heroes had come around to stop it. The Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four had teamed up too, fighting Ultron himself.

Thor had seemingly died, then come back more powerful than ever, while Heroes all over the world had stopped Ultron's nukes.

Which had given Steve the idea of an 'Avengers Unlimited'.

Fury couldn't argue with that.

He'd thought to call Carol and Walter during the Chitauri, and then Ultron, but the Heroes had prevailed just in time.

But it wasn't just the Universe and Multiverse that had suddenly gotten bigger.

The streets had too.

Starting with the vigilante known as Daredevil, who'd taken down Wilson Fisk. He'd been followed by more, such as the White Tiger, and the superhuman PI known as Jessica Jones, as well as Moon Knight.

Then the much more violent Punisher also, recently.

Unfortunately, the Monolith had taken Jemma Simmons away, to God knew where! Yet another horror the world hadn't been prepared for.

And the IMF hadn't fared much better, with Hunley of the CIA deciding they were an outdated relic of the Cold War (rich coming from the CIA of all places), convincing the Chairman to disband the whole organization, because of which, Ethan Hunt was in the wind.

He was out there, trying to catch the Syndicate all by himself.

They were real alright, Fury knew that much. Unfortunately, he didn't have much information on them either, considering he lacked the resources he once had.

After that, Magneto had decided to make a return, his powers back somehow, turning so many people into Mutants by activating their X-Gene, basically an escalation of what he'd tried back when Wolverine had first joined the X-Men.

Once more- the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four had teamed up, and Magneto had been stopped when Forge himself had turned against Magneto, and shut it all down.

People had still been turned though, and he'd reached out to Logan when one kid's mutation had made him vaporize his whole town.

Logan had suffered a lot, and Fury hated to add to it, but there was no damn choice.

Also, Magneto and his Brotherhood, alongside many other Mutants….now lived on a living island! And….Magneto reached out to Captain America for peace, as long as Krakoa was recognized as an independent country.

Meanwhile, the Avengers Compound had been attacked by unknown assailants, who'd stolen a sample of the breach technology, it seemed, in spite of Agent Barton brutally defeating most of them, tapping into something he hadn't since his early days in SHIELD, which Fury remembered well. He'd have made Agent Romanoff blush back then.

They still didn't know who these people who'd attacked the Compound were, other than some EKO Scorpion, but if they knew to target the Compound for breach technology, these people were trouble.

However, it was after this where they'd faced the worst- the Secret Invasion!

So many of their own, replaced by those shape-shifting aliens who'd finally managed to capture Carol and Walter, taking them out of the equation.

The SHRA had been passed, America had become a dystopia, people were rounded up just for having powers, and the Skrulls had engineered all of it while posing as the pro-SHRA Heroes….it was the worst of times!

Not to mention, he'd found out of Ava Starr aka Ghost, another victim of Hydra posing as SHIELD.

Yet, they'd discovered the truth, exposed the Skrulls, and defeated them all.

People had been lost, sadly, but they'd won, and the Avengers had new members. Even with the truth of the Skrulls out, some people believed that Tony, Rhodes and Sharon had been bad, while others believed the SHRA was right.

Oh well, groupthink wasn't known to be effective.

Of course, during the Rebellion, one branch of the SHRA Taskforce stationed at Queens, its members had been led to an abandoned Stark warehouse, and slaughtered brutally.

They still did not know who'd done it, but whoever it was….Fury knew this person was bad news.

And now….Incursions? Universes colliding with both of them getting destroyed?

Motherfu….this was next level!

He wasn't sure what the smart guys had decided, or if they were still deciding on it, but it damn better well work. Hyperion was the sole survivor of an Incursion, and he was as good as their best hitters.

But he had lost everyone he cared about.

Fury did not want this Universe to have something like that happen to it.

And of course, now they also knew about Mr. Sinister, someone obsessed with creating the perfect Mutant. In fact, he'd secretly been the backer of William Stryker for Weapon X and Weapon XI.

Even Weapon XI becoming Deadpool, that was all him. And now, Cyclops and Jean Grey were back to life because of this….monster!

However, now, they'd something worse- Cooler!

One alien with so much power that Thor, Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Mar-Vell, Hercules, Superman, Martian Manhunter (guy had similar powers to Superman alongside psychic abilities, intangibility and shape-shifting, from what he knew) and Hyperion together had struggled to beat him.

Chicago wouldn't even be standing right now had Thor not transported them all to a different planet. Something that powerful….Fury actually shuddered.

And there was always the risk that there were more like him where he came from. Maybe even beings more powerful than him.

How would they deal with all this?

Fury did not know, for once, what to do about Incursions, or powerful beings.

But what he was doing right now, this was something he could do, to keep their world safe.

And he was damn well going to do it.

Earth-120703, New York City

'Pieces' by Red plays

Peter Parker aka Spider-Man hung from a gargoyle, during the night, his suit drenched by the rain, his head lowered as he looked around the area, seeing no threats for now. Time to swing away from this area, then, see if there was somewhere else where he could help perhaps.

Gwen's head hit the ground just as Peter caught her, killing her accidentally.

"You think just being angry makes you like me?" Frank Castle aka the Punisher asked Spider-Man, putting a hand to his chest. "Learn to focus it…..on the scumbags out there!"

Peter slammed a rapist into the wall in rage.

Peter smashed a trafficker into a pole, electrocuting him.

Peter webbed Harry Osborn's feet, pulling him closer, then kicked him away.

"Peter…."

"Peter's dead."

"You're going to pay."

Peter flipped to avoid Harry's glider, which impaled him instead.

"I…am…..sorry…."

"What…what am I?" Spider-Man looked at his hands in horror, while Frank turned to face him.

"You are the one who wanted my help. Well, this is what it looks like!" Frank snapped at him, as he and Spider-Man glared at each other.

"I…I didn't want…..I didn't want to be this…" Spider-Man fell to his knees, muffled sobbing coming from inside the mask, and even Punisher looked stricken, realizing his blunder.

He should never have tried to mentor Spider-Man at all. Spider-Man was not like him. And now…..he'd made the poor boy become an angry young man by trying to help him mold his anger and grief.

Too ashamed for any words, Frank walked off into the night.

Peter grabbed his head, gritting his teeth, trying to think of what to do, violent impulses storming his mind.

Spider-Man had hung a rapist upside down, the rapist cowering as Spider-Man reached his hand out….

Peter webbed up a Parademon and slammed it down, before letting out an angry roar and leaping up.

"I got rageful….I got bitter."

Aragorn assured Peter. "It is not too late, still, to find what made you the Man you were before."

Peter shook his head, shaking all the thoughts out of his mind. After his talk with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, Spider-Man had tried to be a bit better. The relapses of brutality had stopped, fortunately.

But…..there was nothing. Nothing left.

Just emptiness.

Love was gone.

'Tourniquet' by Evanescence plays

Gwen turned to Peter in the class to inquire about his concussion.

Peter and Gwen talked in the hallway.

Gwen hugged Peter, trying to comfort him after Uncle Ben's death.

Peter webbed Gwen and pulled her to himself, the two kissing.

Gwen cleaned up Peter after he'd been beaten by Lizard.

Peter watched the funeral of George Stacy from a distance.

"He made you promise, didn't he?"

"Yeah but those are the best kind."

Peter and Gwen kissed at their graduation.

"I break up with you."

"Sometimes….sometimes more."

Peter and Gwen kissed in the closet.

Gwen saw the webs by Spider-Man that said- 'I Love You'.

"You're my path. And you're always gonna be my path."

Peter and Gwen kissed each other once more, getting back together.

"Peter….."

Gwen fell.

Everything was gone.

After hearing the words of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, he had tried to hope, be the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man again.

At least he wasn't the Scary Neighborhood Spider-Man, he thought glumly. He was just the Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Stretching out his hand, Spider-Man fired a web, and swung away to a different area, just…going through the motions.

After about another hour of patrolling, Peter swung back into his messy apartment, switching on the light and taking his mask off, noting the crack in the window, that hadn't been fixed.

Then again, he was a bit behind on rent too.

Closing the cracked window, Peter took off his suit, looking at himself in the mirror.

Though the spider-bite had made him muscular, he looked…paler than usual.

Wearing his pajamas, and putting on a shirt, Peter took his phone out of his suit, seeing a voicemail from Aunt May.

His finger hovered over it for a few seconds…..and he swiped it away.

Sighing, he threw himself down on the bed, using his web shooter to shut off the light, after which, his hand dropped, and the web-shooter fell to the ground.

His eyes closed.

'You were my path…."

Earth-199999, Bowie, Arizona

Rambo Theme plays

Rambo had just returned to his ranch, and got off the horse, smiling on seeing who was standing in front of him.

Getting off the horse, Rambo started leading it back to its place, while Eliot walked up next to him, arms folded. "Hey."

"How you doin'?" Rambo simply asked as he finished with his horse, and put down some food for the horse to eat, after which, the two started walking together.

"Doing fine, the usual", Eliot shrugged, Rambo nodding, the two reaching his ranch.

"Same here, meaning doing nothing", Rambo replied, causing both of them to chuckle, as they now stood near his door, sitting down. "What brings you here?"

"Actually, was gonna come anyways, but then someone decided to ask me to call you for something", Eliot revealed, getting Rambo's attention.

"Another mission?" Eliot nodded. "Do you trust this man?"

"Most of the government is not trustworthy. This guy used to be the Director of SHIELD until Hydra showed its ugly mug", Eliot explained to his biological father. "Now, he runs things even more covertly than before, with way less than he had."

Rambo raised an eyebrow. "Guessing its important if he wants me to come in."

"Can't say it's not", Eliot sighed. "Anyways, he is less untrustworthy than most others in his position, and from what I know, he helped end the Skrull Invasion."

Rambo got up. "That does earn him a few points from me."

"So, you're coming?" Eliot inquired.

Rambo nodded. "Yeah, how bad could it be?"

"Well," Eliot stood up. "Have you ever been to a different Universe?"

Rambo did a double take.

"What?"

"…Yeah."

Earth-120703, New York City

A man with glasses, wearing a lab coat, sat on a chair in a lab, lightning cracking outside, visible through the glass on the ceiling, rainwater trickling down, the man looking at a pod before him, papers in his hands, that he looked down at, going through them quickly again.

"All of this is accurate", he muttered, scattering the papers here and there, before standing up, walking towards the pod, and looking down at the dead body inside of that pod.

A body he'd recovered, and preserved, for it'd have been nothing but a skeleton by now had he not intervened like the gentleman he was. The gentleman he could have been for her…..if not for that dratted Spider-Man, and Harry Osborn, his former boss!

Oh well, OsCorp had fallen through after the mess with Harry as Green Goblin, stocks had plummeted, and he'd used his own piled up resources to take as much technology as he wanted. They'd money to stay afloat for a while, but without the technology…..they'd just have flailed forever.

Which they had….until Stark Industries had acquired them, integrating the fallen company into their departments, and were now close to finishing up creation of their building in New York City itself.

It had all begun when the CEO, Tony Stark, had become a victim of the weapons he'd carelessly let fall into anyone's hands, and been abducted to make a missile for his captors….only to make an Iron Man suit and escape instead, after which, he'd shut down the weapons division, and started investing in other things, for the betterment of the world.

But this…they would not get, he'd have all of this technology.

Not OsCorp.

Not Stark.

Only him.

And now, here he was, finally using the technology to do something he'd wanted to do for a long time now.

He lifted up a vial that contained some blood. It hadn't been easy acquiring it, but he had.

Attaching the vial to a tube connected to the pod, the man injected the blood into the body, before caressing the face of the body lovingly. The body had started to decompose, but it did not matter to him, for it would be perfect again.

"You were wonderful, ever since the day I first saw you, you were always so wonderful…" he muttered to himself, leaning his face closer to the body. "And now…..you will be wonderful again. We will be wonderful again. It's just you and me now. Just you and me. We can be beautiful. We can be wonderful, oh my love."

He walked off, and returned with a vial that had black goo inside it.

Black goo that seemed to be moving, sticking to the insides of the glass.

Nearing the vial to the dead person, the man opened it up, and the black goo leapt at the body, starting to spread over their arms, and then legs, slowly covering their entire body, only their face visible for a little while.

Suddenly, the person's eyes opened, and they gasped.

Their skin started to repair, alongside the rest of their body, color filling them as their life and health returned to them.

"Yes…YES!"

Same time

Peter shot up in his bed, suddenly awake, looking down at his hands, seeing there was no blood.

He gasped, then ran a hand across his face.

Same time

The eyes of the revived person were wide, as they looked up into the rainy night sky, just as the goo completely covered their face also.

And then- the creature shrieked.

"At long last!" The man knelt before this creature. "You are reborn as wonderful. And now….you can make Spider-Man pay for his blunder with you!"

Earth-199999, Upstate California

Commando- Soundtrack Main Theme plays

John Matrix was carrying a large log on his shoulder, the chainsaw he'd used to cut the whole tree in his other hand, the man walking out of the forest nearby, looking around cautiously, which he was prone to do.

Seeing no threat, Matrix carried the tree near his house, and putting it down, walked off, getting his ax, which he then lifted up, bringing it down on the log to cut it into parts.

He was like that for a while, continuing to chop the log, acting completely natural, as if there was no one attempting to sneak up on him from behind, which he noticed in the reflection of his ax.

Only when the person was about to grab him did he drop his ax and lifted his grown-up daughter, Jenny Matrix, with a laugh, causing her to laugh too over being in this absurd yet endearing situation.

"Come on, dad, put me down!" Jenny begged, almost in tears from her laughter, causing Matrix to put her down, both chuckling.

"I'm a trained SHIELD Agent, you're old, I'm grown-up, and I still can't sneak up on you", Jenny quipped, causing Matrix to tap her shoulder with a little chuckle.

Jenny had wished her father then never left her as a kid, up to the time she'd been kidnapped by Arius and Bennett.

Then when she'd grown up, things had changed, and she'd joined SHIELD herself, which had strained the relationship between father and daughter for a while, until Matrix had realized she wasn't the little girl who needed his protection anymore.

However, Jenny totally got where her dad was coming from, and made sure that she spent as much time with him as possible whenever she was not on mission. In his old age, he did need her too.

They made it work.

"You can never one-up your old man", Matrix simply shrugged, smiling, as he picked his ax back up to chop his tree.

"Nope, no can do", Jenny shrugged, then hugged her dad from behind, kissing his muscle, because his face was way too high for her. "It's so good to see you, dad. Been a while."

"Yeah, last time was a year ago", Matrix noted as Jenny let him go. "How are you doing with SHIELD gone?"

"The usual, freelance and all, perfectly legal" Jenny added before Matrix could question her more about it. "Actually, I came here because my ex-boss needed some extra help."

Dropping his ax, Matrix turned around to look at his daughter. "And that means…..me?"

"You know how good you're at this, dad", Jenny pointed out to him. "We could use your help."

It didn't take much to convince Matrix, as he gave his daughter a nod. "Last time I was out there, you needed me. And this time also, its for the same reason."

"Thank you, dad." Jenny hugged Matrix, her father gladly hugging her back. "And this time, I got your back."

"Oh I know you do. What's the mission?"

"Well…..we're going to another world!"

"What the fuck?"

Earth-8259, Tower of Fate

Kent Nelson aka Doctor Fate was hovering in the air, in a meditative pose, his cape hovering behind him while the Helmet of Nabu glowed brightly, his head contorting as his meditation continued.

Sephiroth descended upon Aerith.

A Demonic Tide wiped out the Warriors of Light.

Sephiroth and Master Xehanort stood side-by-side, Kingdom Hearts over them.

People all over the Multiverse screamed, as forcible collisions happened.

Meteor descended down towards a mashed, messy world.

The Whispers of Fate floated around.

Fate tilted his head, realizing what was going on.

Getting down on the ground, he stood upright, the cape fluttering behind.

An ankh appeared, as he started walking forwards.

"The time has come."

Earth-21, Washington DC, White House

The President was walking to his office, hearing the protests outside of people who didn't want aliens on the planet. After the revelation of Superman being an alien, there was part of the population that still loved him, including everyone at Metropolis, since he'd endeared himself to that entire group, and it'd taken them way less time than others to warm up to Superman in spite of the reveal of him being an alien.

But then there were many in the population all over the USA and the world who were just as scared of him.

Even he himself had mixed feelings about the entire thing, though he was willing to give Superman the benefit of the doubt, as the Hero had done them no harm till now, and helped save the world too.

"Mr. President!"

"Yes?" He turned to face his assistant, running to him in high heels.

Stopping, she took one off, adjusting her foot, while telling him. "He's here, sir. Waiting at the edge of the approved airspace for your signal."

The President looked at his two aides. "Excuse me, gentlemen."

The two walked off, as the President moved forth, with his assistant moving after him in her adjusted heels. "Give him the green-light, then hold my calls for the rest of the-"

One heel came off, making her fall.

"-afternoon."

That was when Superman flew in, catching her easily.

"You…you caught me?" She asked, smiling.

"We all fall down from time to time, miss", Clark told her gently.

With that, he put her down, and she nodded, before walking away, while the President began speaking to the Kryptonian. "My staff and I thank you for signaling arrival, per the terms of our agreement, Superman."

"On behalf of those from beyond who've no advocate, Mr. President, I'm always available, Mr. President", Superman assured him.

The President poured himself a drink. "Care for a drink?"

"No, thank you, sir. I never drink when I'm on duty", Clark said, turning away.

"You know…" The President trailed off. "I just can't bring myself to if you aren't. How odd is that?" He put his glass down.

"Moderation is always a good practice", Clark told him. "My organization received your message and I got here as fast as I could."

"What is "Watchtower" anyway?" The President inquired.

"With all due respect, my superhearing just caught several crises in the surrounding states that could all use my immediate attention", Clark explained why he hadn't arrived instantly, while avoiding the question.

"All business, no politics, I like it." The President was impressed. "I assume you've heard about the meteor strike in Russia?" He took out an envelope, holding it out to Clark. "Russia threw out some kind of scrambling field after the impact. Man-made. One of our recon drones grabbed this before the field went up."

"What are they trying to hide?" Clark asked, taking the envelope, and finding a bunch of pictures, which made his eyes widen in shock.

"Not "what" Superman. Who."

It was some giant being, dressed up in a strange manner, bald with markings on his head, one eye covered.

Clark knew what he was, but not anything else.

"This is something called a "Monitor", sir", Clark revealed to the President.

"A "Monitor" for what?" The President inquired.

"You'll know as soon as I do", Clark said to the President with a sigh.

"Should I be worried?"

"Mr. President…." Clark trailed off, remembering the destruction of Earth-22, and the death of its Chloe Sullivan, as well as the power of Cooler. "We should all be worried."

LexCorp

Lex sat in a circle, with Zemo, Malcolm, Zoom, Savage, Adrian and Talia all around him, Lex showing them the readings that he'd gotten from Otis.

"The same as the ship that crashed in Smallville months ago", Lex told the rest of the team. "This is something worth investigating, I'll need to go to Russia."

"Don't you mean 'we'?" Zemo asked, raising an eyebrow, causing Lex to shrug.

"Yeah, you're right, all of us." Lex's expression turned serious. "Because from what I know, this can affect all of us, even if we don't share the same world, because first, a ship comes from an alternate reality, and then this, it's not just a coincidence."

"In this line of work, there are rarely coincidences", Malcolm agreed, standing up. "Should we all go together?"

"I don't think all of us being seen in public would be a good thing", Lex pointed out. "It can look suspicious." He turned to Zemo. "Only you shall accompany me, posing as-"

"Your bodyguard."

Lex nodded.

"And the rest of us?" Adrian inquired.

"Suit up, and breach yourselves there", Lex told them what he'd in mind. "When we manage to get an audience, all of us would need to stand together."

"You know, we keep saying we need to expand and do more, but after this incident, we might just need to follow through on it", Savage pointed out, gritting his teeth. "Twice, our recruitments have failed even, first with Megatron, and then Doctor Doom." He glared at Zemo as he said that.

"Man conquered a whole country overnight, and fought some of the superheroes, thought he'd be a good fit."

"Mistakes have been made by all of us, but now we have a better idea of what to do", Lex assured all of them. "I do believe negotiation is a good tactic, but if it does not work-"

"A more brute solution is required", Zoom replied, crackling with lightning.

"Not just brute force, but strategy also", Talia pointed out. "From what all of you have said, even with Zoom, I don't think we could have really done much to this Megatron or Doctor Doom, am I right?"

Except Adrian, who hadn't been there, the rest shared looks, cringing, having to acknowledge her point.

In fact, it was after these two failures that Adrian and Talia had been recruited, and no one had been recruited after them.

They'd taken a look at Earth-192, and hoped to recruit that Lex Luthor, Lex even admitting that this man was his equal, but he'd disappeared to somewhere along with Darkseid due to the Anti-Life Equation.

No matter what Universe, Darkseid had some connection to Luthors and Superman, Lex mused bitterly.

The Joker was…..too insane!

There was Zemo of Earth-8096, but he had been part of Hydra, who were an offshoot of the Nazis (their Zemo had been very disgusted by this version), and even without that, the Avengers had taken precautions to ensure that Prison 42 could not be entered via breach technology, so that was a no-go too.

The Norman Osborn of that Earth would be a good candidate but that man…what he'd done to his own son had disgusted Lex and Malcolm to their core, Lex reminded of the abuse that Lionel had heaped upon him, making him the man he was now, while Malcolm, though he'd been annoyed by his son many times, he'd loved Tommy, and was depressed to this day over having indirectly killed him.

A man who did that to his own son wasn't someone they'd recruit, and neither would Zemo, or Talia, who'd issues with her own father too.

Adrian, Zoom and Savage had less limits, but they weren't told about this, and were outvoted pretty much.

Sephiroth and Master Xehanort seemed like the meetings would end pretty much the same way as Megatron and Doctor Doom. In fact, in Sephiroth's case, they'd a feeling none of them would be walking out alive. However, there was something about Master Xehanort that had intrigued them while using their Multiversal tech to research him, and Lex had decided alongside Zemo to look into that more soon.

Sensui Shinobu….Lex reasoned they'd remind him too much of the Black Black Club that he despised, alongside the rest of humanity. If they approached him…it'd probably end the same way as those humans he'd caught defiling Demons.

Orochimaru was….a freak! Just by looking at him, everyone decided to never even look in his direction ever again.

Robotnik, any version…too egotistical!

Meaning so far, no good options, but they'd keep looking to find someone worthy, and make their group as large as the Avengers and Justice Leagues.

The Justice League of Earth-1 had saved their world from General Zod, but the destruction of Metropolis was great, and they feared this would be even worse.

"Indeed. But for now…..let's go to Russia."

"Maybe get more backup against these Heroes, huh? I am not sure this little group is going to be a match for them."

All of them looked up, surprised to see a man in a suit walking out of a breach, a beautiful woman in professional clothes next to him, a smirk on her face.

"Now who're you?" Zemo asked, taking out his gun, but the man didn't seem like he cared.

The woman, to their shock, pulled out an empty chair, and sat down on it, before putting a paper on the table.

"No chivalry in this group, I'd to pull my own chair", she muttered, sounding really offended, before looking at Talia. "And you're still with them?"

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Lex asked the two as he stood up.

"Just some people you haven't gotten to yet while researching candidates, but we've gotten to you, mate, name's Crowley", the man said with a little smile. "You can call me…ruler of fake Hell!"

They shared looks of surprise, Malcolm asking. "Fake Hell?"

"You were so focused on your specific sets of Heroes, you didn't look beyond it too much", the woman replied with a shrug. "Lilah Morgan, by the way. Head of Special Resources, Wolfram and Hart."

"Which is….." Savage trailed off.

"Law firm. Had some troubled times, but we got a new benefactor." Lilah pointed at Crowley, who took his own seat. "With his resources as new king of fake Hell, we managed to stay afloat, and can even expand."

"Can someone explain what this fake Hell is?" Prometheus asked, causing Crowley to lean back in his chair, relaxed, putting his feet up, to their shock.

"Basically, I imagine you saw that guy called Lucifer causing a mess on your Earth, right?" Crowley inquired to the Earth-1 people, and got nods.

"Yes, he defeated the so-called Heroes, recruited some Urban Legends", Malcolm told them what he knew. "And I believe he was defeated."

"Here is the deal- he was a fake Devil, you see? Someone created by a bloody faker pretending to be God, but he was still powerful, and he ruled our Hell." The group of villains listened in shock. "I in fact teamed up with the old benefactors of her firm", he gestured to Lilah, who waved cheekily, "to take the fight to him, but he killed them all. So, I'd to ally with the army of so-called Heroes to finally end him, after which, Hell's throne was free for me."

Lex leaned forwards, looking into Crowley's eyes. "So, you rule Hell. Or fake Hell. Give me a reason to trust you."

"I am not destructive, like the fake Devil was. I just want to survive, be on top and all. I'm also a Crossroads Demons. Because of deals made with me, many humans have reached the best of their potential…..even though I take their lives one day, down the line."

That shocked them even more, before Zemo asked. "So, you make people popular for their lives?"

"They make the deals, they have the power to do it, no one coerces them." Crowley shrugged, acting completely innocent. "Yet, they reach the peak of their potential, for many years, and become famous. Isn't that what you all think humans should be?"

Lex started saying. "But on their own-"

"You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Daddy issues? You and many others, mate. I got mommy issues myself", Crowley said, smirking. "But those without money like yours, they do not reach their dreams so easily."

"He does have a point, yes", Zemo nodded, causing Lex to turn to him in surprise.

"Anyways, most of all, I want to survive, like I said before, and as we know, another Universe accosted by these Monitors didn't, which is why, this alliance is going to be useful for all of us", Crowley finally summed up why he was here.

"This isn't a crossroads deal either." Lilah made a signature on her paper, before passing it over to Lex, who took it from her, reading through it, raising an eyebrow.

"You're not making this up, are you?" Lex inquired, looking between Crowley and Lilah.

"You want proof, Lex?" Lilah snapped her fingers, and four breaches opened on cue, to the surprise of the villain group. "Here it is."

Out of one breach came a small group of Orcs from Middle-earth, all growling, having their crudely made weapons on them, while from the other group came out some Droids, not speaking anything.

Then, from the next one came Polgara Demons, retractable skewers extending from both arms, and from the last one, well, the group couldn't see what it was, they just heard a lot of loud barking.

And even felt chills run down their spines just from hearing it.

"Now these two", Crowley gestured to the Orcs and Droids, "they just ended up in my corner of the Universe, so with some magic, we made them compliant to us."

"And that lot, they're one of the many who can work for us", Lilah said while gesturing to the Polgara Demons, before Crowley gestured to the invisible Hellhounds.

"They….work for me, and you can't see them." He chuckled. "Once you sign that paper, we are allies, you've nothing to fear from us."

"I say the suggestion is sound", Talia decided, the others sharing looks amongst themselves. "We haven't had new members after me and Prometheus, and we're outgunned by our enemies. This…helps level the playing field."

"I can rip them all apart."

"Oh I know very well you can do it, that's why you lost an arm." Zoom glared at Lilah and sped right at her, but as he was about to grab her throat, some invisible force sent him toppling over the table, making it fall down, though Lex lifted up the paper to avoid it being torn or damaged.

Zoom groaned, picking himself up, while Lilah showed a bracelet she'd on her wrist. "A little charm. We come prepared."

"I'm impressed", Savage had to say, liking her and Crowley more now. "You two researched and prepared extensively before approaching us, with resources even."

"And if you are unsure because I'm a Crossroads Demon and the ruler of fake Hell, and she is from a Demonic law firm….you do have that guy in your team." Crowley gestured to Zoom, who scoffed, while Crowley then pointed at Savage. "And him too."

Savage bowed with a smile, taking it as a compliment.

"I'd say we'd fit right in."

Zemo, who'd usually be against this, couldn't deny it this time. While Crowley was a Demon, he was a dealmaker, and while Lilah's law firm was Demonic, it was a law firm.

And it was clear- they did want to survive themselves.

These armies of creatures, were under their control.

Unlike with Savage, this was a quantity that could be reasoned with and controlled.

"I agree", he finally spoke, nodding at Crowley and Lilah. "We can do some great work together."

"I'm in as well", Prometheus finally said.

Taking out a pen, Lex walked to the wall, and put the paper on it, before signing it, after which, he walked back to the rest, handing the paper to Lilah.

"We're in business. Welcome aboard, Partners."

Earth-199999, New York City

John McClane returned home, holding a cup of coffee in his hands, before locking it up. It'd been a few years since he'd retired from the police force.

He'd a decent relationship with his daughter again, less so with his son, who'd ended up joining that dumbass organization SHIELD, and was now doing freelance ever since it had fallen.

Closing the door, he turned around, only to see an Asian woman sitting at his chair, her feet crossed.

"How the hell did you get in here?" McClane asked, about to do something, only for the woman to raise her hands.

"I'm not here to do anything to you."

McClane narrowed his eyes. "Hey, haven't we met before? You were kicking all over-"

"No, I am not. I am Zhen, an agent-"

"-of SHIELD?" McClane asked, raising an eyebrow while he put his coffee down. "If you are, you can fuck off of here, thank you very much."

"No, not SHIELD. I can't even tell you my organization's name", Zhen explained, confusing McClane.

"Of course, our government, always secretive. What's the deal with you coming here?"

"Well, someone needed your help." Zhen held out a phone to McClane. While unsure, McClane did take it from her.

"Who is this someone?"

"You've met him before."

"Who?"

"I just did this because I owed him a favor", Zhen shrugged, walking past McClane as she brushed against his shoulder. "And I was in the area. Talk to him yourself."

Opening the door, she walked out, closing it behind her.

McClane looked at the phone, seeing a number was programmed in, and dialed it.

"Hello?"

"John, good to hear your voice after so long."

"Motherfu-"

Earth-7, Forgotten Capital

Cloud was falling through some sort of White Space, the Whispers circling him, hitting him again and again.

Putting his arms in the front to defend himself, Cloud looked up to see Sephiroth standing before him, reality rippling behind him, courtesy of the Whispers.

"Behold…..the true nature of reality."

Everything went white, and when the brightness faded, Cloud saw many visions in front of him.

In one, he could see a version of himself dressed a bit differently fighting a version of Sephiroth with a wing sprouting out of his back.

"When the boundaries of fate are breached….new worlds are born."

Another vision showed Zack standing before the Shinra soldiers, ready to fight them all for the life of Cloud.

It went white again, and Cloud was falling upside down, Whispers circling him once more.

"The Multiverse encompasses a multitude of worlds, ever unfolding."

Cloud turned to face Sephiroth, who continued talking. "Some quickly perish….." He saw a vision of Earth-22's destruction. "While others endure….." Earth-21's Heroes were preparing. "Yet even the most resilient worlds, are doomed to fade." A vision of the Monitors appeared, Cloud's eyes widening, as he next saw a vision of Khorne the Blood God forcibly causing an Incursion to merge Planetos with Mallus to form Azel'Tor, followed by Jon Snow, Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sekiro, Druss, Fury Axtar, the Night's Watch and Yautja battling 10,000 Norscans, after which he saw Earth-904913 Iron Man getting badly beaten up by Renekton, the Butcher of the Sands, and finally, various worlds fighting off Norscans and Daemons.

Sephiroth wanted the worlds damaged….not destroyed.

Or he'd have just called a Supernova to do the work for him. However, that wasn't what he intended.

And that was why- he needed to succeed before those Monitors!

And before the End Times!

Cloud turned to see Sephiroth to his side again. "Nevertheless, their loss is not to be mourned. For it is not death, but a homecoming that awaits them."

As it all tore apart over them, Sephiroth continued talking. "And in the Multiverse's embrace, all life is as one."

Cloud then saw more visions, of Sephiroth, himself, and his friends.

"All born are bound to her. Should this world be unmade, so too shall her children."

Cloud then heard Aerith's words ringing through his mind.

"He'd tell you that he only cares about the Multiverse. That he'd do everything in his power to protect and preserve it." He could see visions of Aerith. "But this isn't the way its supposed to be. There are others he wants to stop, but he needs to be stopped just as much as them."

Cloud gasped, seeing the Whispers making the rip worse, as everything shook, with Sephiroth falling into it alongside him.

"Listen to the Planet, Cloud." Sephiroth raised one hand to his ear. "To her ecstatic cries- her rapture."

"Screaming. Its screaming!" Cloud grasped his head, hearing screaming from this world. Screaming that would soon spread to other ones.

Sephiroth was disappointed. "Oh Cloud. I thought you might finally understand."

Everything was bright as they kept falling, and Cloud saw visions once more, including of when Sephiroth had offered him, Sora and Riku to join him.

"Cloud, Sora, Riku, lend me your strength. Let us defy destiny…together."

The vision changed to when Sephiroth was whispering to Cloud.

"Seven seconds till the end. Time enough for you, perhaps. And them." Sephiroth looked at the groaning Sora and Riku. "I know what they will do, as they've things to do already. But what will you do with it? Let's see."

"Let go of the past, Cloud. For the future is bright", Sephiroth began telling the man who thought himself a former SOLDIER First Class. "We are to bear witness to the reunion of all."

"The reunion….." Cloud muttered.

Whispers appeared, forming another rift. More visions.

Of the clones.

Including himself.

"Re..un…..ion."

Gasping, Cloud returned to his senses. "Leave me out of it."

"How very stubborn of you." A Whisper circled them. "Perhaps you need….a little push."

The Whispers formed another rip, Sephiroth standing in front of it and chuckling.

Brandishing his sword, Cloud charged and swung at Sephiroth, who faded into more whispers, to Cloud's horror.

"I give you…..my blessing."

And thus, Cloud went through it, knowing he needed to fight harder to prevail against Sephiroth and his machinations.

Earth-199999

Fury and Maria stood together, seeing a car stop, as out of it stepped Eliot and Rambo, Eliot walking up to them, shaking their hands.

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Eliot Spencer, heard a lot about what you can do. I'm former Director of SHIELD, Nick Fury, this is Agent Maria Hill." Fury then leveled his gaze on Rambo. "Captain Rambo, honored to meet you. Heard a lot about your service, there are many things this country cannot pay you back for. I was in the army too, for a time, became a Colonel, met Colonel Trautman too. One of the best men I've met, and I know that you are one as well."

Rambo simply nodded, considering he wasn't a man of many words.

"You two the ones who'll run this show?"

"Not just run it, we're coming with you", Maria revealed to the old soldier, causing him to smirk.

"Then I will work with you." Rambo turned back to Eliot. "What is the mission?"

"We shall tell you soon", Fury said, which was when another car stopped, out of it walking Jenny and John Matrix.

"Director", Jenny said with a nod.

"Not anymore, just call me Fury", Fury assured Jenny, before looking up at Matrix. "Colonel Matrix, honored to meet you." They shook hands, Fury almost wincing due to Matrix's grip, but not showing it on his face, after which Matrix and Maria shook hands as well.

"You two as well", Matrix replied.

"Captain Rambo, Eliot. Meet Colonel John Matrix, and his daughter, former SHIELD Agent Jenny Matrix."

"You're Rambo?" Matrix asked Rambo, walking up to him, until the two were a few feet from each other, both former army-men sizing each other up. "Heard a lot about you."

"Yes. I was a Green Beret, Colonel."

Matrix shrugged. "I eat Green Berets for breakfast."

Eliot blinked, and Jenny chuckled.

Rambo did not move his gaze away from the larger man.

"Not this kind of Green Beret."

The two were now glaring at each other.

Then, Matrix laughed.

And Rambo chuckled too.

Matrix held out his arm, and Rambo grasped it, the two trying to push each other's arms slightly.

Matrix pushed Rambo's arm down, clearly the stronger one, then both pulled their hands back.

"Gonna be fun working with you", Matrix quipped, turning to Fury and Maria.

"You too."

"And you are…..Eliot Spencer!" Jenny said to Eliot in awe, holding out her hand to him. "Heard a lot about you."

"Bad things I imagine." Eliot winced, even as he and Jenny shook hands.

"Good things too", Jenny assured him. "Like what you do nowadays, we all wish secretly we could do that."

"Good to know", Eliot shrugged. "I guess you know because of the worldwide teams that came about?"

"Yes. And besides, doing bad things doesn't make you a bad person", Jenny pointed out to Eliot.

While he didn't reply, his face showed how much he appreciated hearing that.

"Good to meet you too, Jenny Matrix."

That was when they realized- they hadn't let each other's hands drop.

Rambo and Matrix had been looking at the entire meeting, and at this moment, both coughed at the same time.

Eliot and Jenny dropped hands, acting like this had not happened at all.

Rambo's and Matrix's gazes didn't leave them.

At least until the next car stopped, and out of it walked McClane, walking over to Fury.

"You bastard, you've some nerve calling me!" McClane threw a punch. Fury made no move to block.

His head turned the other way, and then, he turned back to McClane with a smirk, while brushing his jacket.

"Feel better?"

"Not even close."

"Who is this?" Matrix asked, confused.

"John McClane, former NYPD", Maria explained to those not in the know. "Has a knack for getting in trouble, then getting out of it, and solving the entire problem while he is at it."

"Imagine John Wayne if he was real", Jenny added, causing McClane to do a double take.

"You called me John Wayne?" He sounded flattered, and smirked a bit.

"Yes."

"Thanks. John Mc-"

"I know who you are."

"You SHIELD?"

"Former."

"Oh!"

"Look, you hate me, and that is fair, but your son chose to join SHIELD on his own-"

"Don't talk about him!" McClane raised a finger. "Just….let's not talk about him, please."

Fury nodded. "This time, I'm not going to act like a civilian just to see how you handle things."

The Expendables Main Theme plays

"Yeah, little early for that, don't you think?" McClane turned to Rambo and Matrix, suddenly feeling small in front of their size. Especially that of their muscles. "And who are you two? The big guns?"

"You've no idea how accurate that is", Matrix commented, holding out his hand. "John Matrix."

"John McClane." He then shook hands with Rambo.

"John Rambo."

McClane blinked, the three staring at each other.

"All three of us are Johns?" McClane asked the other two Johns.

"Looks like it", Rambo shrugged.

"Now that is a coincidence…or him!" Matrix gestured to Fury. "Then again, all three of us beat up bad guys in….."

"The 80s, when I was younger", Rambo said in reply.

"Me too. It was like the peak of our time", McClane had to say, Matrix nodding.

"Yep. Still, I guess even with age, we're not…."

"Expendable", Rambo finished for him, Matrix nodding at that.

Eliot quipped to Jenny. "If this a warm-up act, I wonder who is gonna throw the first punch."

"Well, McClane already did, just not at the other two", Jenny shrugged.

"And I don't think I will, I mean- you see their sizes?" McClane gestured to the other two Johns, chuckling. "Its like…..I don't know, punching the Burj Khalifa."

"Try climbing it", Eliot muttered, and McClane did a double take.

"You did that?"

"Nope, but I know someone who did. Then ran back down too."

"You are kidding!" Matrix of all people said.

"No, he is not", Jenny shook her head.

Rambo rubbed his head. "Looks like people still have a knack for taking these kinds of risks nowadays."

"Good to see people are keeping it going, if escalating", McClane said, slightly cringing his eyebrow. "I'll stick to ducts, thank you."

"The two of us are big…for big guns. Lots of guns", Matrix added while gesturing to Rambo and himself.

"Man, the two of you are almost alike, except personality, then there's plain old me- a cop who just gets into trouble too much", McClane commented while gesturing to himself, but Rambo shook his head.

"Don't sell yourself short, you clearly are more capable than you think", Rambo assured him.

"He is. The kinds of things he finds himself in the middle of- anyone else would be dead. He gets out of these situations, and takes the bad guys down", Fury said, praising McClane, not that it did much to ease McClane's ire towards Fury, ire that he had for good reason.

"Look, we were all brought together for this mission, because all of us have skills, and that includes you too", Jenny told McClane. "Maybe you think you're just a lonely old man, but everyone here knows you are more."

McClane looked at her, then Eliot, then Rambo and Matrix, and even Fury and Maria.

Everyone agreed with Jenny's sentiment.

"Welcome aboard, John", Matrix quipped to McClane.

"Well......." McClane trailed off. "I did hit a helicopter by throwing a car at it once, so......."

Everyone blinked, impressed, with Rambo saying. "Think you'll fit right in."

McClane turned to look at Fury, pointing at him. "I don't trust you, and I never will, but I trust the other guys you've recruited, so tell me- what's this mission?"

"We're going to another world."

"WHAT?!"

"My reaction exactly when I first heard it", Matrix told McClane gently.

"Things have really changed from back in our time", Rambo commented, McClane nodding.

"No shit! Here I thought our President looking like an asshole once fought was strange."

Eliot and Jenny just chuckled at the comments of the three veteran Heroes of the 80s, which included their fathers, while Maria whispered to Fury. "I can see why they need a babysitter. You need help with McClane?"

"A lot of help."

"And Eliot-"

"Well, even he can't handle these three at once."

"Let us get to the point." Rambo walked up to Fury and Maria again. "Why are we going to this other world?"

"Since everybody is here, I shall tell you all the mission now."

With that, Fury walked to a bag, and carried it, dropping it between them all, before kneeling and opening it up.

It was time.

Universe-84, Conton City, Time Patrol Headquarters

Future Trunks looked here and there, noting everyone else were patrolling right now, to see if there was any timeline in flux where correction was needed. Suddenly, he sensed great power near him.

Not quite ki….it was something else!

Turning around, he saw an ankh appear, and when it faded, Doctor Fate of Earth-8259 was there, Future Trunks looking at him in surprise.

"Who are you?" Future Trunks inquired, preparing to fight back against Doctor Fate if he proved to be a threat, only for Doctor Fate to raise one hand to indicate he was not a threat.

"I am Nabu of the Lords of Order, Trunks of the Time Patrol", Doctor Fate introduced himself to the warrior. "I come from a different world."

"Right", Future Trunks realized. "A visitor. We've seen various of those, across timelines. Some of our residents have gone to other Universes themselves."

"Indeed. I come here for your aid is needed, Warrior of Time", Doctor Fate explained to Future Trunks, who didn't quite get him this time.

"Aid for what?" Future Trunks inquired.

"There is a warrior, who once fought for good, before he found out who he truly is, and thus, he became an evil man", Fate explained, pacing around Future Trunks, who did not let his gaze leave the strange visitor. "And now, what he plans shall destroy every single timeline of every single Universe if it is successful."

Future Trunks' eyes widened. "Who is he and what is it he is planning?"

"His name….is Sephiroth!" Doctor Fate declared, a projection of him briefly appearing before Future Trunks, who looked at what Sephiroth looked like. A tall and handsome man, with long silver hair that reached his feet, a seven foot long sword in his hand, while his eyes….were insane, and evil.

Just like Frieza, and Cell, and everyone else he'd fought.

Yet…..he was capable of destroying all timelines of the Multiverse?

"How…..will he do this?"

"He plans to forcibly merge every world into a messy new one", Doctor Fate explained. "Once that happens, the worlds shall lose all their individual timelines, becoming nothing but a poor mash, that he plans to damage with his Meteor, and once the Lifestream comes to heal the world, he shall absorb it and become a God forever, while this new mashed up world, it will not survive for long because there is a reason so many different worlds are at different points in time."

"Why mash it all up just so all of it dies on its own?" Future Trunks asked, finding Sephiroth's motivation…..nonsensical, to be honest.

"Because it is only a merged Earth, and its equivalents, that shall die out because of being such a poor mess", Doctor Fate told Future Trunks. "But there are other worlds in the Universes, that shall join without this drawback, and Sephiroth's plans go beyond just being a God."

"…Do I even wanna know?" Future Trunks inquired.

"If he is stopped, no you do not", Doctor Fate assured him, before Future Trunks pointed at him.

"How do I know to trust you?"

"How did Goku's friends know to trust you when you first showed yourself to them as a Super Saiyan after killing Frieza and King Cold?"

"….fair point", Future Trunks admitted, deciding to help out. "I should call the others-"

"That is not needed for now", Doctor Fate said, raising one hand again, to Future Trunks' confusion.

"If Sephiroth is as bad as you say, we need everyone we can get-"

"And there are people that shall be part of this, Trunks", Doctor Fate said, turning around, while his cape fluttered behind him. "But not the rest of the Time Patrol. At least not for now."

Future Trunks sighed. "I ask again- why should I trust you and your plan?"

"You can travel through time, yes, but it is I, who can foresee potential futures. Not every single detail, and the clarity can vary, but I have a good idea of what needs to be done. I assure you, I mean you no harm, and I wish to save the timelines as much as you do, and also stop the Whispers."

"What are these Whispers now?" Future Trunks asked.

"They were once Agents of Order, operating under the principle of maintaining a singular, destined path. But they took it to the extreme, and were let go, though they escaped being destroyed. And now….they tried to preserve a certain timeline in the world that Sephiroth originates from."

"…..What happened?" Future Trunks knew it was bad.

"When they were defeated once, it started opening up multiple timelines due to every single different decision that was made", Doctor Fate explained to Future Trunks. "And now, the timelines have grown too much to be contained in that Universe. If the Whispers are not stopped, the timelines will grow too much, and damage everything."

"Can you stop them?" Future Trunks inquired.

"It is time for me to", Doctor Fate replied in the affirmative. Future Trunks had a feeling that Doctor Fate wasn't saying everything.

But he decided he was needed either way.

"Let's go."

Earth-21, Metropolis, Watchtower

"So here's what we know", Chloe was telling Clark and Tess, with Lois in the corner. "My doppelganger arrived here as the last survivor from the other Earth."

"Her ship's been moved from S.T.A.R. Labs to the Beta Site for safekeeping, considering recent events", Tess added.

"Correct."

"And the other Earth is….." Lois trailed off.

"Destroyed." Clark took off his glasses and rubbed his head. "An entire planet, maybe even an entire Universe, destroyed by whatever these Monitors are." He sighed. "First, the Incursions, and now this."

"Incursions…." Tess shuddered. "Anytime, a different Universe can collide with ours and both are gone. What are we going to do about it?"

"….Tony, Bruce and the other geniuses of their world are working on it", Clark told her. "I think some of you should talk to them about it too, can never have too many smart guys for this sort of thing."

The rest nodded, Chloe noting. "We got Incursions on one side, these Monitors on another."

"It's hard to believe that just one of those guys would pack enough punch to destroy our Earth", Tess said grimly.

Chloe added. "The memories we transplanted from the other Chloe into my nogging never took root." Clark put an arm around her. "Even now, I only get fleeting glimpses. But mostly of the same things, over and over."

She remembered the death of the other Universe's Lois, and the doom-filled skies, a chill running down her spine.

A whole Universe and its people….just gone!

And the things that did it were still out there, coming for their world, or a world they knew.

"They had ships…or machines…..and lots of them. They filled the sky in my vision, the one where Lois-"

"The other Lois!" Lois hurriedly corrected Chloe. She knew what her cousin meant, but she didn't like hearing it. That she was dead. A version of her was dead! Her whole Universe was dead! And these Monitors were coming for their Universe next! Meaning she and the rest could actually die!

From that or an Incursion!

The Multiverse had its merits, like making new friends and allies, but right now…it was beginning to seem like a situation suckier than the Darkseid and VRA Mess.

Which was an understatement in itself.

"What crimes have these Universes committed to merit such annihilation?" Clark asked no one in particular, grieving over the death of the other Chloe, wondering how his counterpart on that Earth had fared, if he'd tried to atone, or not. Either way, he did not get a chance now, did he? And then there was Hyperion, all alone, having lost his entire Universe.

Clark had lost his planet, but he had not known of his loss until he was older.

Hyperion had many loved ones he'd now lost, forever.

Why?

"Don't know about Incursions, but for the other thing, if you plan to ask our fallen Monitor, I suggest you get a move on", Tess urged Clark. "Lex just fueled his shiny new private jet. He is about to point it towards Moscow as we speak."

"Of course he is", Clark groaned. "But…..after Cooler, I think we need to be more careful."

"What'd you mean, Smallville?" Lois inquired.

"Well, we'd me, J'onn, Hulk who gets stronger with his anger, Thor who is a Norse God of Thunder, Hercules the Greek God of Strength, and both of them once arm-wrestled and knocked a planet out of orbit." Jaws dropped at that. "Mar-Vell and Ms. Marvel, who had comparable power to me and Thor, though much weaker, and could absorb and discharge a lot of energy. And finally, Hyperion, who is a lot like me, with less restraint. All of us together only barely survived Cooler, if Hyperion hadn't ended it, it'd have gone on longer." His face made it clear just how terrified the prospect made him.

Not for himself, but his loved ones, and the world.

"These Monitors destroyed a whole Universe, probably more, they could be above even Cooler's ballpark", Clark pointed out his reasoning. That was a terrifying thought. "I think this time, we're gonna need backup."

"Who are you thinking of?" Chloe asked him.

Clark looked ahead. "Everyone."

Earth-7, Forgotten Capital, Beagle Timeline

Aerith Gainsborough was on her knees now, praying, trying to summon the counter to what Sephiroth planned to do.

Cloud was staggering towards her, the Whispers flying around him.

"To keep the others safe", Aerith said in her prayers. "They mean…so much to me."

Cloud was getting closer now.

"So please…tell me how to do that. I'm begging you."

Cloud continued walking closer.

Unseen to the two, an ankh appeared in the corner, and when it faded, Doctor Fate was there, Future Trunks by his side.

As Cloud got closer to Aerith, he raised his sword, even as the Whispers continued swarming around him.

Future Trunks was about to brandish his sword to fight him, but Doctor Fate raised a hand.

"Not yet."

With that, he raised his hands, an ankh appearing behind him now, his entire body glowing as he hovered in the air, beginning to chant.

"By the stillness before the first breath…
By the law that shaped the endless wheel…"

The Whispers suddenly twitched, as if violently trying to scream, though no sound came out, while Cloud ignored them, struggling with himself.

"By Ananke, whose chains outlast time itself…
I speak the silence that unmakes your voice."

Golden-blue sigils spiralled around the Whispers.

"Threads unraveled, purpose undone—
Return to the void that bore you."

Zack Fair ran through the white space, trying to get somewhere, when a breach appeared before him, and he ended up going through it.

"Lex Silex Ananke."

Thin, radiant chain-glyphs snapped themselves into place, wrapping around the forms of the Whispers like bands of light

"Let Fate be mute to you…"

The swirling forms of the Whispers began to lose cohesion, as if the very air itself refused to support their existence.

"…and you to Fate."

And then, the Whispers dissolved into white dust, that flowed into Fate's hands, just as Cloud let out a scream and lowered his sword, stopping himself from hurting Aerith, who opened her eyes, seeing Cloud standing before her.

Behind her, up above, Sephiroth was descending, Masamune aimed at Aerith, and he was going to stab her.

At that very moment, a breach opened to the side and out of it leapt Zack Fair.

And another breach opened from another side, out of it leaping a different Cloud Strife.

The two of them air-rushed at Sephiroth, Buster Sword and Fusion Sword held out.

CLANG!

Zack and the other Cloud blocked Sephiroth, stopping him in midair, as he looked at both of them.

For once, even he was surprised, especially when he saw the other Cloud.

"You…."

"Not so fast, Sephiroth", Zack said to him, after which Sephiroth leapt back, landing on the ground, with Zack and the other Cloud landing on either side of Aerith, Cloud looking at the two in shock.

"What…?"

"Hey Cloud." Zack waved at his friend, before seeing the other Cloud. "And…other Cloud."

"Zack?" The other Cloud was confused himself. "Another me?"

Aerith stood up, surprised to see Zack and the other Cloud herself, just as Tifa, Barrett, Vincent Valentine, Yuffie, Nanaki and Cait Sith rushed in, stopping in confusion on seeing the new arrivals.

Aerith turned to face Sephiroth, while Doctor Fate and Future Trunks walked to the side of AVALANCHE, Doctor Fate facing Sephiroth himself.

"You have tried to alter the flow of Fate", Doctor Fate declared to the former SOLDIER First Class. "But it is not so easily altered, Sephiroth, your manipulations have not gone unnoticed."

Sephiroth seemed to be unbothered, and just pointed the Masamune at the group, both AVALANCHE and the newcomers.

"You believe that you have stopped me today, but have you, truly?" Sephiroth inquired, Cloud grasping his head as he staggered back, while Sephiroth pointed the Masamune at everyone. "For I still have what I want, and my plans…go beyond what your feeble minds can comprehend."

"I know exactly what you plan, Sephiroth", Doctor Fate declared. "And you will be stopped."

Sephiroth chuckled. "Do you think I plan for this to end here? Nothing so pedestrian as that, Nabu."

For a moment, even Doctor Fate paused, Sephiroth smirking.

"You are not the only one who keeps his eyes everywhere." He raised his hands to either side. "The worlds will have a reunion."

"Re…..un….ion!" Cloud gasped, stumbling back, as Zack was by his side.

"Hey, Cloud! You okay?"

Tifa and Aerith supported him too.

"Cloud!"

"Cloud!"

"The one who opposes me…..doesn't even know himself. Cloud does not know what happened before", Sephiroth shrugged. "He believes he is better than he is." He looked at Cloud, who still had his head in his grip. "All you are, Cloud…..is just a puppet!"

"I am not." The other Cloud stepped in the way, raising the Fusion Sword. "Or do you want to test that?'

"You will never be free of your darkness", Sephiroth said, then turned to Cloud. "And you…will never be free of those strings." He gestured to himself. "And I will…never be a memory."

"SHUT UP!" Future Trunks suddenly powered up into a Super Saiyan, and brandishing his sword, charged at Sephiroth, who blocked the swing, the two glaring at each other.

"You're an anomaly who needs to be taken down", Future Trunks told him. "The timelines are not yours to break."

"The Time Patrol….will be destroyed, as will your timeline", Sephiroth said to Future Trunks, the two continuing to drag their swords against each other. "All that suffering….yet I shall give you more despair, Trunks."

Future Trunks roared, and with a spin, swung again, Sephiroth blocking, before they clashed thrice, and as Future Trunks swung down at Sephiroth, the other Cloud and Zack leapt at him too.

However, Sephiroth faded into mist, disappearing from the area, Zack and the other Cloud landing on the ground, as Future Trunks grunted in anger, his hair turning to normal, after which he landed on the ground himself, sighing.

"He is worse than Thawne", Nabu grumbled to himself, before turning to the rest, Cloud staring between Zack and the other Cloud, now going down on his knees even as Tifa and Aerith tried to support him.

"What's happening to him?" Barrett asked no one in particular about Cloud, before looking at Doctor Fate, Zack, Future Trunks and the other Cloud. "Who are you lot?" He looked at the other Cloud. "Especially you?"

Nanaki suddenly remembered something and asked the other Cloud. "Do you know Sora?"

"Yes, why?" Strife inquired, causing Nanaki to look at Barrett.

"He is the other Cloud that Sora kid had mentioned", Barrett realized, confusing Strife, even as Cloud looked up, sight torn between Zack and Strife, Zack trying to reach out to him.

"Hey man, I-"

"AAAAAARRRGHH!" Cloud's mind broke the sight before him.

"Zack…."

"Cloud!" Aerith tried to support him, but it wasn't working, as his mind thought to something else, a memory he had no idea why he had.

"Shut up. The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing. Aerith is gone. Aerith will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry... or get angry...What about us... what are WE supposed to do? What about my pain? My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!"

But why? What had happened?

Cloud screamed in despair as Zack passed away after giving him the Buster Sword.

And he was here? What was going on exactly?

"You'll be okay", Tifa tried to reassure him, and he remembered how he'd doubted her scar, yet…..

Cloud carried Tifa away after having stabbed Sephiroth, gently putting her to the side.

He was alright….right?

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGHH!"

Cloud crumpled to the ground, eyes shut, the sword clattering near him, everyone else too stunned to say anything.

"What….happened?" Strife finally asked.

"He is a different Cloud from you, a doppelganger", Fate explained to Strife, and it seemed to click for him.

"And Sephiroth….." Strife turned to where Sephiroth had been. "He felt….familiar."

"He is the Sephiroth they know, and he fused with the one you know."

Strife's jaw dropped.

Then everyone else followed.

"FUCK!" Barrett cursed.

"Zack…." Aerith looked at Zack, who just gave her a nod and waved.

"Hey."

They shared a little smile.

But there were more important things to deal with right now.

Like the unconscious blonde important to the both of them.

"We need to help Cloud", Tifa said to no one in particular. "Only after that can anything be done."

"And you shall help him, Tifa Lockhart", Fate assured her, his cape fluttering. "Let us go out, for the Tiny Bronco awaits."

"Who are you and how do you know so many things?" Yuffie asked the Lord of Order, when Nanaki tilted his head, sensing something from within Fate, as did Aerith, much more strongly in her case.

"Do you have a…..connection to the Lifestream?" Nanaki asked Fate, who nodded.

"Are your powers….joined with it?" Aerith inquired, feeling his great power which reminded her of the Lifestream.

"We tap on the stabilized structure, the energy flowing through cycles of life and death", Fate explained, while Zack gently lifted up Cloud, putting the man across his shoulder, handing over the fallen Buster Sword to Strife, who took it, even though his face remained puzzled. "The more balanced the Lifestream, the more potent Order is." His voice turned grim. "Chaos feeds on the raw potential of life itself, and the more unstable life energy in existence, the stronger Chaos is. And right now- Sephiroth has become one with Chaos, a Lord of Chaos without being chosen."

While the Heroes did not understand all of what Fate was saying, they got the implications.

And those horrified them.

Fate looked at the unconscious Cloud once more. "He needs to return to us. And it can be done. To the Tiny Bronco."

An ankh appeared, and then disappeared with all of them.

Cid Highwind was in the Tiny Bronco, when suddenly, an ankh appeared in front of him.

"The fu-"

And then Fate was there with AVALANCHE, Future Trunks, Zack and Strike, Zack gently putting Cloud down, while Cid stared between him and Strife.

"What's going on?"

"Long story."

"Who're the new people."

"Another long story."

"First…..we must help Cloud", Tifa said, kneeling near him, and none disagreed.

"We're going to find the real Mary Jane Watson," she said.

"It's been a long hard journey," she said.

"And I think you're finally entitled to some happiness," she said.

"I'm going to ruin your whole damn life," she said…okay, Madame Web might not have said that, but she might as well have!

As he plunged through another tear through reality, Peter Parker aka Spider-Man of Earth-92131 flailed in a hopeless attempt to steady himself, the wind breezed past his masked face in a way that web swinging never did as he looked across the vast blue sky, clouds dotting his surroundings like balls of fluff.

And a young man in in a blue, yellow and black suit flying right towards him before coming to a sudden halt before he collided into the falling wallcrawler.

Peter would have called out, pleaded, begged for help.

Only to fall through another wormhole that sent him to God knows where. Leaving a very confused flying teenager to stare at the space in front of him.

"…was that guy wearing spandex?"

Murphy's law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

In Peter's life, he's come to find that there's another way to phrase the age-old adage. Parker luck. When things look like they're about to turn in his favour, they do a 360, and plummet, into a vat of acid lined with dynamite while ninjas throw sharp knives at him before a cosmic magic God steps on him.

An exaggeration? Just take a look at his life.

Case in point. Through another portal, Peter found himself hurled across a concrete ground, his body rolling on impact, bouncing across the surface until he came to a painful stop on his back.

"Owie."

That was the back. Something snapped, Spidey believed as he winced, pushing his body upward to sit up, only to find a man with a very familiar haircut with a beer in hand glaring down at him.

Blinking behind his lenses, Peter tried to open his mouth, only for a portal to open beneath him and drop him down to God knows where.

"Hmm." Staring down at where Spider-Man had laid, or at least someone wearing a Spider-Man suit, certainly didn't smell like him, Logan merely took a swig of his beer and moved on. "Damn bug."

Peter flew across more dimensions than he thought possible. He lost count how many, the webhead was pretty sure he turned into paint at one point. Hell, he lost count long he's been falling!

Hurled through another portal, Spider-Man felt his body spin in the air, before crashing into the side of a glass window of a building.

Or, should he say glass orb?

With his face smushed against the window, through his lenses, Peter could make out an anthropomorphic rabbit and duck wearing black suits with yellow and orange accents, respectively, staring back at him.

The spider, rabbit, and duck could only stare at each, blinking, before another portal dragged the wallcrawler back to his descent into interdimensional Hell.

"Well, there's something you don't see every day." The duck stated.

The rabbit nodded in agreement. "I think this is the moment we call Tech."

"WHAT HAVE I EVER DONE TO DESERVE-hey, is that Japan?" Peter wondered as he looked around his surroundings before yelping as a hard big and sturdy looking building came closer. He tried to webswing out of the way, only for another portal to appear before impact.

A tall, lean man wearing a dark blue zip-up jacket with a high collar, with matching slim-fit black pants and black dress boots, snow-white hair and a black blindfold looked up. Having watched the whole scene of the man appearing from a portal and disappearing into another, he cupped his chin and hummed. "Now, that was just odd. Hmm, should I tell the higher-ups, or find some kikufuku?"

He thought hard.

For about a second.

"Kikufuku!" Satoru Gojo cheered as he started skipping towards Kikusuya.

Maybe he'll tell the second years about it later.

Welcome to Nueva York (Earth-928) | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Original Score) plays

Peter was flying through another dimension, when he sensed something, and turned to see someone flying right after him.

Before he could say a thing, the guy grabbed him, and seemed to use a device to open another portal, through which they both went.

Peter now found himself floating in the middle of some high-tech red "tunnel", that was the best word he could come up with in a second. When he'd recover his wits, he'd be able to describe this pathway in more scientific terms. It turned blue after that.

The other man was floating ahead of him, and soon, they were on some sort of pad, though Peter fell upon it.

Groaning, Peter wanted to stand up, but the ground was the comfiest thing he felt in who knows how long. He looked at the man who rescued him, possibly another Spider-Man. Of course, it was the most unspider-like Spider-Man Peter met in his brief experience. "Thanks for the help, I'd give you a five-star rating, but this landing really killed the "satisfaction" section."

"You're alive, and still sane, or close enough. I'll take that as a win." The other Spider-Man said gruffly.

Shrugging, then wincing, Peter conceded to the point. "Fair." He then took another look at his saviour as he felt the ground beneath them move up, or, should he say down? The suit didn't seem exactly spider-like, especially with the skull-like symbol on the chest. And wow, someone liked the gym with those muscles. "So, what kind of Spider-Man are you? Cyberpunk? Brooding avenger? Sci-Fi geek?"

"And let me guess, you're the Spider-Man who talks to inanimate objects."

"…"

"…"

"…maybe."

"So that's a yes."

"Bruce talked, didn't he?"

"Oh my God, you even named it." The skull symbolled Spider groaned, rubbing his face through his mask.

"Well, it didn't seem fair if I vent all my problems to the guy and don't even know his name." Peter reasoned as he slowly, carefully, pushed himself to sit up. The way the walls were moving, they were definitely moving on an elevator. But why did it feel like he was upside down? "Speaking of names, what do I call you? Skull Spider? Spider-Blue? The Brood Crawler?"

"My name is Miguel, and I'm Spider-Man." "Miguel" stated before pulling the injured and sore wallcrawler to his feet, the hero groaning as he felt his back, ribs, legs, and headache.

That did surprise him. "Huh, most of the Spideys I meet are Peter Parker."

"Trust me, there's a lot of Peters here."

"And where is here exactly?"

That was when his eyes fell upon a high-tech city unlike anything he'd ever seen in his life, and it was...upside down?

They were upside down on this elevator!

"WHOA!" He managed to let out, just as the elevator stopped, and the doors opened before them.

Daniel Pemberton - Spider Society | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Original Score) plays

Miguel walked out, Peter following him, finding himself in a lobby filled with...

"...so many Spider-people!" Peter said in awe, looking at the area, filled with so many versions of him, or others who were Spider-Men.

That was when a Spider-Man in a very old-looking suit, a bracelet on his wrist, landed on Peter's side, Peter turning.

"I am Spider-Man! Emissary from Hell!" He declared, Peter gulping before turning to Miguel, who didn't even break stride.

"That's just Supaidāman, its how he greets people", Miguel told Peter, who then turned and waved at Supaidāman.

"Hi, nice to meet you."

He followed Miguel again, now passing two arguing Spiders, one wearing some sort of white mask with goggles, and a yellow and black suit, the black portion having webbing on it, with what looked like a vest that said 'A'. The other one wore a maroon suit with some black at various spots, and yellow eye-holes, a spider symbol on his forehead.

What Peter really noted was that both sounded exactly alike. And that was what they were arguing about.

Black Spider was saying, hanging upside down. "You know, if I weren't me, I'd probably off myself by now. But hey… still got the voice, so that's something."

Agent Spider was exasperated. "Dude, chill the fuck out! We both have the same voice, stop pointing it out every five seconds."

Black Spider mocked. "Oh, come on… it's hilarious. Every time you speak, I hear myself yelling at myself."

Agent Spider face-palmed. "That's because you are! Seriously, our voices ARE the same! But we're very different as people!"

Black Spider was deadpan as he shrugged. "Says the guy who looks exactly like me but somehow still thinks he's moral."

Agent Spider grumbled. "Yeah, yeah… I'm moral, you're… whatever you are. Can we not?"

Peter followed Miguel again, briefly gesturing at Agent Spider. "Why does he look like he is one bad day away from joining SHIELD?"

Miguel's voice was flat. "He's filed under 'Close enough'."

Peter started. "And the other guy-"

"Not all Spiders are Heroes", Miguel said. "But we can try to change that."

They passed a woman with long hair, wearing a red suit with yellow gloves and boots, a mask over her eyes, as she greeted Miguel. "Miguel."

"Jess", Miguel greeted Jessica Drew back, as another Spider-Man landed before them, his suit a mix of dark red, black and blue, with the spider-symbol.

He pointed at Peter. "Who the heck are you? You look like me from before!"

Peter, already not in the best mood, in spite of seeing these new Spider-Men, pointed back and started. "Listen-"

"How dare you point at me?" The other one said, pointing at Peter.

"You were pointing first", Peter said as he pointed at the other one.

"It is rude to point", the other said, pointing at Peter again.

"You're being rude", Peter said, again pointing at the other one.

As they started arguing, nearby, another Jess Drew, this one black, commented to one more Spider-Man, this one having an even older-looking suit. "Here we go again."

"…Yeah.

"You're pointing at me right now!"

"No, I'm just pointing near you, it's different-"

"Look at your finger right now!"

"You're not even listening-"

"You're accusing me of pointing, while you're pointing at me-"

Miguel stepped between them. "Stop this!"

They stopped instantly, Miguel turning to the one in the dark red, black and blue suit. "I know you're annoyed by your experiences, but so is he. Lighten up."

"Right, sorry."

Miguel turned to Peter. "You too."

"Yeah, sorry."

They continued to walk, Peter asking. "What is this place?"

There was admiration in Miguel's voice as he said. "This was all inspired by you." He turned to Peter. "Or a version of you at least." Gesturing to all the Spider-people around them, Miguel declared. "Meet...the Spider-Society!"

Earth-1, Central City, S.T.A.R. Labs

Cisco lowered his extrapolator, then turned to Barry and Caitlin behind him. "It was Lois of Earth-21, you remember when I met her to get Iris back?"

"I remember."

"Well, their Earth needs help."

"How big is the threat?"

"Big enough to the point they need a lot of people."

"Oh boy", Caitlin muttered, Barry looking between Cisco and her.

"Guess its time to call whoever in the League is available currently. And anyone else we know."

Earth-199999, New York Upstate, Avengers Compound

Steve put his IDIOT device away, looking at the other Avengers, his expression quite grim, Tony breaking the silence. "Where's the fight, Cap?"

"Probably Russia, on his Earth", Steve told him, causing the rest to share a few looks.

"Well, that's gonna be new for us, I think", Rhodes commented to everyone else.

"Not for me, though Russia on a different Earth….yeah", Natasha noted, arms folded.

"What are we fighting, Captain?" Thor inquired.

"A being who might have destroyed a Universe", Steve told the rest of them, causing Hyperion to clutch his fists.

"Are these people responsible for the Incursions?" He asked, almost growling.

"No, they're not, they're different", Steve explained to him. "We have Incursions on one end, and this group on another."

"Guess we're doomed either way", Banner said darkly, Clint shaking his head.

"Not so fast."

"Well, when are we going?" Carol inquired.

"Let's take an hour, get ready, and go."

Earth-92, Sunnydale

Buffy looked at the Scoobies, Dawn starting. "Angel's team too?"

"Yes, whoever can come", Buffy sighed. "From what we were told, well, I think this is worse than the fake Lucifer."

"Which is….a terrifying prospect on its own", Giles had to admit.

"Anyways, mates, it is time then", Spike noted. "I did meet a few of the folks we'll meet before, good fellas there." There was appreciation in his voice.

"You seem….fond of them", Tara noted.

"You can say that", Spike muttered, before walking off.

"Its different from our usual sort of problems, but all of us together should help", Willow said, everyone agreeing to that.

"And I'll stay here to count the money", Anya added, then got looks. "And keep an eye on the Vamp kids, got it."

"I shall remain for the same", Giles agreed.

Earth-205

Dean lowered the extrapolator, sharing a look with Sam.

"Well, this is a new kind of mess, Sammy."

"I know, Dean."

"Not even our kind of it."

"Yeah, but could affect us."

"Good point. We should go then?"

"I think so."

"…Well, at least we're meeting people."

Middle-earth, Gondor, Minas Tirith

Aragorn looked to Arwen and Faramir, his expression saying everything that needed to be said.

"You need to go, Estel?" Arwen inquired, and Aragorn nodded.

"I do", he told her. "But I shall return soon, for this Kingdom needs me." He put his hand to her face. "As do you."

"Come back soon."

He nodded, looking between Faramir and Arwen. "I know the two of you shall handle the affairs of our kingdom while I am gone."

Faramir nodded. "You have nothing to fear, Your Highness."

Aragorn smiled, sharing a nod with him, then a kiss with Arwen for about a minute, after which, they parted, and walked off, lifting the extrapolator again.

"I shall ask some of our Fellowship to accompany me, for the darkness we shall battle is great."

Arwen and Faramir shared a concerned look on hearing that, wondering what darkness could be worse than Sauron.

And considering what had been seen, felt and heard, about worlds beyond their own, they realized there could be a lot of things worse than Sauron.

Universe-208, Coruscant

Rex, Fives, Hardcase, Kix and Jesse were all grumbling about Ahsoka's trial, which was when a breach opened before them. They prepared to fire, but relaxed when they saw who had walked out of there.

Steve Rogers, wearing the Clone uniform, carrying the blaster alongside his shield, a smile on his face.

For a minute, the 501st couldn't even speak, seeing the volunteer who'd joined them, and bled for them, after so long.

Finally, Steve broke the silence.

"Captain Rex."

"Captain Rogers."

Steve prepared to do a salute.

He never got the chance.

Fives and Hardcase tackled him in a hug instead, and if he was not a Super Soldier, he'd be on the ground by now.

"Rookie, its been a while!" Fives said, tapping Steve's back while Hardcase punched his shoulder, only to get a look, which made him slightly afraid.

Until Steve chuckled, and Hardcase realized Steve was just messing with him.

"Got me there, you!" Hardcase said while pointing at him, Steve shaking his head, as he then nodded at them.

"Good to see you both too." He looked at the rest of them, walking towards everyone. "Good to see all of you." He patted Kix and Jesse on the shoulders, then shared hugs with them as well, glad to meet the 501st again.

"Wore our uniform too, quite flattering", Rex joked, making Steve chuckle as the Captains looked at each other.

"Yes, I never forgot", Steve told them. "This uniform and the blaster, it's a reminder, of everything we went through together."

"It's we who should never forget", Kix replied to him. "All that you did for us, when you'd no reason to…..we will never forget, Steve."

Steve nodded, appreciating it, before looking at Rex. "I came because….I wish to ask some help too."

Rex didn't even hesitate.

"What are we dealing with?"

"This is a good time, right?" Steve inquired.

"It is not", Fives said, causing Steve to look at him. "But, as much as we wish to…..we cannot change anything here. So…..let's go where we can do something."

Steve nodded, having a feeling he'd soon hear what it was that had the 501st angry.

Earth-21, Metropolis, Watchtower

Clark, Ollie, Lois, Bart, Tess and Chloe watched as breaches opened all around them, with various people arriving. The first to come were some of the Avengers- Tony, Thor, Natasha, Clint, Banner, Wanda, Pietro, Carol, Sam and Hyperion.

The rest had been left back on Earth-199999, so as to deal with any threats that popped up while they were away, with Rhodes in-charge, and even T'Challa had agreed to remotely check in from time to time.

Out of the other breach came some of the Earth-1 Justice League- Oliver, Barry, Clark, Bruce, Diana, Vic, Helena, Sara and Mari. The rest of the League were busy with things in their respective cities too.

Then, from the next one came Sam and Dean, while from the other one stepped out Buffy, Willow, Tara, Spike and Dawn, with Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Fred, Gunn and Faith coming out of the next one.

After that, Steve came in with the 501st from the next breach, and from the last breach came Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf.

"Well," Earth-21 Clark said, folding his arms and walking amongst everyone. "I think everyone who was going to meet us here has come."

"Nice to meet everyone", Chloe quipped, everyone looking amongst each other, as she did a wave.

The ones from Earth-199999 noticed Gandalf.

"Magneto?" Tony asked in confusion. "When did you become Old Father Time?"

"Dad?" Wanda and Pietro went together.

Gandalf was confused. "I am not a Mag-Nee-Toe, whatever that means."

The Avengers shared strange looks, Wanda and Pietro especially shocked.

"You look….just like our father", Wanda confessed to him, puzzling Gandalf.

"That is…..quite strange, young one", Gandalf commented, looking between her and Pietro.

"Why do all of you look alike?" Gimli then asked the Clones, causing them to share uncomfortable looks, Gimli realizing now he shouldn't have asked that question.

"Long story", Steve simply said for everyone, knowing the Clones wouldn't wanna talk about that to so many new people.

This was gonna be weird.

A few minutes later

Finally, everyone had started talking amongst themselves, with introductions and reunions happening with everyone.

"Strider, its so nice to see you again", Barry said, shaking his hand, Aragorn smiling at him, while sharing a nod with Oliver, Bruce and Sara.

"Barry, there is something I need to speak to you about", Aragorn revealed, getting the attention of Barry, as well as Oliver and Sara.

"Strider is one of the many names I have, it is the name given to the Ranger, but it is not the name that was given to me", Aragorn confessed, confusing Barry a bit.

"What does that mean, exactly?" Barry inquired, not getting it.

"It is it like how Barry is Flash and I am Green Arrow?" Oliver asked, and Aragorn nodded.

"So….that's a superhero identity or something?" Barry asked.

"Perhaps, it was a name given to me, but it is not my true name", Aragorn finally said, to their shock. "I did not tell then, for I was not ready to be who I truly am then."

"Which is….?" Sara trailed off.

"Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, King of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor."

Jaws were dropped.

Yes, even Bruce's.

"Wait what?" Barry said. "You're a-"

"King, aye. As I said, I was not ready to be one before", Aragorn admitted to his friend. "But I am one now."

"So, should we congratulate you then?" Sara asked. "I guess we should, right?"

"Congrats", Oliver said himself, and a smile appeared on Bruce's face.

"You have my thanks", Aragorn said to all of them, then looked at Barry. "I apologize for not telling you before, Barry. But you know now."

Barry sighed, rubbing his face. "I mean, we kind of lie to people about who we are every day too, so its not a big deal." He chuckled. "So, I'm friends with an actual King then. Wow!"

"Yes, you are, my friend", Aragorn told Barry, patting his shoulder. "And your Earth can count the Reunited Kingdom as an ally from this day forth."

"The Justice League is your ally too", Bruce told Aragorn in reply.

"Well, met a King, became friends with him, that's one to cross off the bucket list", Sara quipped, making Oliver chuckle.

"So, King Aragorn-"

"You can call me Aragorn, for I am not your King, and we are friends", Aragorn assured Barry, who stopped himself, then smiled and nodded.

"Thanks."

Aragorn turned to see Legolas and Gimli looking around in awe, the latter saying. "This structure, it is unlike any I have seen before. That too from the inside." In New York of Earth-120703, they had not entered any building, so they did not know what it looked like, but now, they did.

"And this is not your first time being in a place like this, is it, Aragorn?" Legolas asked the former Ranger turned King.

"It is not, for Barry's S.T.A.R. Labs was similar, though not as big as this structure, that they call the Watchtower", Aragorn informed the two of them.

"So, that's a Dwarf and an Elf?" Barry asked Aragorn in a whisper, which Legolas heard, looking at him, causing Barry to gulp.

"Aye."

"Whoa!" Sara had to say. "I can't believe my eyes now."

"Me neither", Oliver admitted.

"This is the 501st", Steve introduced the 501st infantry to the Avengers. "501st, meet the Avengers. My team."

"Captain Rex, at your service, Avengers!" Rex did a salute, that was perfectly copied by the 501st as well.

In spite of himself, Tony felt compelled to return the salute, as he remembered how Steve had been when he had returned from Universe-208.

"A very honorable lot this 501st was", Thor informed the other Avengers, a smile on his face. "They truly were Captain's friends."

"No, not friends." Steve shook his head, exchanging glances with the 501st. "Brothers."

The 501st broke into smiles, Natasha adding. "He told me about you." Running a hand across her hair, she added. "You all were….people he truly cared about."

"He saved us so many times….."

"Natasha."

"Natasha", Hardcase finished. "I am not sure we would have survived without him."

"Oh don't sell yourself short, you did the same for me many times", Steve said, punching Hardcase's shoulder lightly, making him wince.

"That was payback, wasn't it?"

"It was."

"He even stood up to the traitor for us", Kix added with a grunt in his voice, Steve wincing on thinking of Krell.

"That…sounds like a really long story", Clint decided on seeing Steve's face. "Anyways, I'm Clint, and-"

"Hawkeye, Iron Man, Black Widow, and Thor, whom we met before", Fives listed everyone out, before turning to Banner. "Are you the one who turns into Hulk?"

"I am." Banner nodded.

"From how he described you, thought you'd be…."

"Shorter?"

"…Yes."

"I had a few….changes", Banner confessed to Fives.

"Fives remembered everyone Captain told us about from his description", Rex admitted to the Avengers, before looking at Carol, Wanda, Pietro and Hyperion. "I do not believe he mentioned all of you though."

"We're new", Carol immediately told him. "Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel."

"Wanda Maximoff."

"Pietro Maximoff."

Rex realized they were siblings, and before he could turn to Hyperion, Thor told him. "That is Hyperion, also very new."

Captain Rex gave a nod, as Steve gestured to the rest of the 501st. "For everyone who doesn't know, these are Fives, Hardcase, Kix and Jesse. And…..we are all the 501st."

"Nice to meet you lot", Tony had to say. "I can see why Cap likes all of you so much." Tony winked at Steve. "Great taste in friends, Rogers. I mean, it's a given, since you're friends with me and all, but-"

"Thank you, Tony", Steve simply said, while looking between the Avengers and 501st. "Always did want all of you to meet, and now you have." A smile crossed his face.

"We are glad to meet them too", Natasha assured Steve, Rex nodding.

"Have to say, their uniform suits you, Cap", Carol admitted, almost looking she wanted to check him out, which she would if not for the redhead standing nearby.

Earth-21 Superman had just shaken hands with Earth-1 Clark. "Oliver didn't mention you before, so I guess-"

"Kind of recent", Clark admitted as they dropped hands. "Just began a few months ago. Still, trying to do my best." He smiled at Superman. "Not the first time I've met another Kryptonian, even from another Universe, but the first time I've met another one of myself."

"I've met another me", Superman muttered, wincing. "Wasn't the best experience then."

"That bad?" Clark asked, and Superman nodded.

"That bad."

"Will try to avoid those kinds of Variants then", Clark shrugged, causing Superman to chuckle.

"Now I know why people sometimes don't take me seriously", Superman had to say, confusing Clark. "They think I'm too good to be true or something."

"Me too, actually", Clark commented. "Anyways, I guess you've been doing this longer, so, any advice?"

"I've been Superman for only about a year, but…I have been doing this longer", Superman revealed, getting Clark's interest.

"How?"

"When I first came to Earth, I wasn't alone, you can say. A shower of green, red and blue meteor rocks came down from my exploded planet", Superman began to explain to Clark. "And these, obviously, had harmful effects on me, but they granted other people superpowers."

"Really?" Clark asked, Superman nodding.

"Yes, and not all of them were, let's say, in their best minds."

Clark cringed. "I think I know what you mean."

"Yeah, so had to deal with them a lot, every week you can say", Superman said with a sigh.

"Until suiting up, I only dealt with drunk drivers, muggers, thieves and robbers", Clark said with a shrug. "Nothing that could be constituted as a 'super' threat, I guess."

"Yeah, in fact, I met most of my team before I suited up too", Superman said, surprising Clark even more. "Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow over there, a few others. Fought many too, before I became Superman."

"Such as?"

"Zod, twice, or three times counting that time in the Phantom Zone. Brainiac. Doomsday. Darkseid."

Clark blinked.

"I just suited up, and I've only fought General Zod."

Superman had to ask. "I hope he is not going to cause trouble anymore."

"Not from the Phantom Zone for sure", Clark said. "Its my team's second mission, actually. Here we thought the Dominator Invasion was bad, but this one was…..way worse."

"Prevented such threats myself a few times", Superman noted.

"Brainiac and Darkseid. Heard the names from Green Lantern", Clark then told Superman.

"If you ever meet them, be careful, they are going to be very dangerous, as is Doomsday", Superman warned Clark, his face making it clear just how dire the situation would be if Earth-1 Clark had to face any of these. "Also, were you best friends with Lex Luthor?"

"The billionaire CEO?" Clark asked, confused. "No. He did raise some questions about me and the rest of the League recently though, due to Zod's Invasion, but then stopped after a while, even praising me a bit. Why?"

"He and I were best friends…until my secret and his own paranoia drove us apart", Superman explained, shocking his Variant even more now. "Now, he spends every waking moment thinking of how to bring all of us down. He hides it well, but I know what he is thinking."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Guess I should keep my eyes open for my Earth's Lex too, in that case, even if he praised me a bit."

"Would be a good thing." Superman remembered something. "You said I'm not the first Kryptonian from another Universe you've met, who is the other one?"

"Someone called Supergirl, name's Kara Danvers", Clark revealed, causing Superman's eyes to widen in recognition. "You know her?"

"I met her a few months ago", Superman told Clark. "She was under the influence of Red Kryptonite?"

"There's more than one?"

"Yes. Red makes us lose our inhibitions."

"…I think I can do without it."

Superman nodded. "Took her down, then talked with her. I guess you and I were gonna meet sometime then."

Clark had to agree. "Yes, and now, from her description, I can see you're the other Superman she met. You've one of her too?"

"I do, but she lives in the future nowadays." Clark blinked. "Yeah, it's a thing."

Clark sighed, running a hand over his head, Superman knowing what he was thinking, so he put a hand on his Variant's chest. "I hope you find a version of her in your Universe too. I am sure she exists."

Clark gave his Variant a smile. "Thank you."

Superman nodded, Clark noticing Lois and Chloe talking amongst themselves. "That's your Lois, huh?"

"Yep."

"Mine is great too."

"The best."

They shared a smile, before Superman asked. "Is Pa….?"

Clark looked down sadly. "Ma and Pa both passed away years ago."

Superman was stricken. He'd lost Pa, but to lose both…..the poor guy.

"I am so sorry." Superman said, nothing but empathy in his voice, but Clark waved him off.

"Lost Pa myself, 6 years ago. All those powers, and couldn't do anything, it was my own fault." On seeing Clark's look, he added. "I'll tell you later. I can't imagine anything happening to Ma as well…."

Clark could understand that, and decided to change the topic. "Considering you're more experienced, any advice you've for me? While I will always do this, people are raising questions and doubts after the Zod incident."

"That happened to us too, first due to Darkseid influencing the darkness in people, and now because I revealed myself to be an alien, so opinions are mixed, but I always keep doing what I do", Superman told Clark. "And you know that's really it. It's what we do."

Clark smiled, then nodded. "Yes, what we do."

Superman looked around at the Watchtower. "Invited some other guys too. One will be here later, he'll probably meet us in Russia. The other lot….they'll meet us in Russia too."

"Any reason for that?"

"Well….they can't fit in here."

Legolas was staring out of the Watchtower's window, seeing the big city before him. Even Minas Tirith seemed like nothing in front of this.

Yet…..it was not a city he liked. He liked the forest for its trees, the free air that could be breathed in, the calling of the sea that could be heard.

And here…..the air was foul, the sea could not be heard, and there was little in the way of green.

"City too big for you?" Legolas turned to see Ollie.

"I admit it is."

"Elves are new to me too." Ollie held out his hand. "Name's Oliver Queen."

Legolas grasped his hand. "Legolas, Son of Thranduil, of the Woodland Realm."

"…..Do I wanna visit that place?" Ollie asked while they dropped hands, causing Legolas to smirk.

"Perhaps."

"So, you're Oliver Queen, huh?" Oliver asked, walking up to Ollie alongside Clint, after the two had just caught up. "I am Oliver Queen too, of my Earth."

"…..Eh, you look like a sourpuss", Ollie quipped, causing Oliver to give him a mock glare.

"And you look like you don't take anything seriously", Oliver said in reply, Clint snickering.

"I mean, we both went through the same thing, right? Rich jerk, then a year shipwrecked on an island-"

"Five."

"Wait what?"

"Five years away from home."

Ollie blinked. "Well….I'll be damned."

"Variant rivalry. How new…well, it is new, didn't see it before", Clint commented himself, causing the two to snicker at him.

"Nice to meet you, pal." Ollie held out his hand, that Oliver shook.

"You too."

"Also, that China White woman said I'm a wannabe you. I'd let you know- you're the wannabe!"

"Really?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow. "Wanna bet?"

"And you…..are an Elf?" Clint asked Legolas, who gave a nod in response.

"Aye."

"Well, I work with an Asgardian and an Olympian, so…" Clint shrugged.

"And I work with an Amazon nowadays", Oliver added himself.

"Me too, actually", Ollie had to say. "New addition, but pretty good." He looked at Legolas. "Still, a true fantasy world with Elves, Dwarves and Wizards, it's like those books come to life."

"What books?" Legolas inquired.

"We'll show you later, pal", Clint said, tapping Legolas' shoulder, causing him to smirk. "So, you're an archer, huh?"

"I am", Legolas simply said in reply.

"Wanna see who is better at this?" Clint asked, also looking at the two Green Arrows.

"Took the words right outta my mouth", Ollie said himself, letting out a chuckle, before turning to Oliver. "Come on, you gotta say yes, or you're a loser and the wannabe like I said."

Oliver grumbled, then sighed. "Fine."

They all turned to Legolas, who had a smile on his face.

"I shall join this game myself."

While he knew the city or this world were not pleasant to him, meeting archers like himself….that pleased him quite a bit.

"Wanna have a run after this is done, amigo?" Bart asked Barry and Pietro with a grin, Barry and Pietro sharing a look.

"Sure."

"Totally."

"It's weird, we're both Allens, but with different names and all", Bart had to say.

"One guy did think my name is 'Bart' at first", Barry told the Earth-21 speedster. "Which, well, it's short for 'Bartholomew', so you can see why that is."

"Well, I don't exactly know much about myself", Bart admitted, to their shock. "Just woke up one day with super-speed and no memory. But I did remember 3 names beyond my own."

"Which would be?" Barry asked.

"Jay Garrick, Wally West, and…Barry Allen!"

Barry's eyes widened, and even Pietro was shocked. "Didn't see that coming."

"Okay, that is…..freaky!" Barry had to say. "And I know a Jay Garrick and a Wally West too."

"Really, amigo?" Bart asked in shock, Barry nodding.

"Jay Garrick is a speedster from Earth-3, he is the Flash there, while Wally West is my adoptive dad's son, but….he is not a speedster", Barry told Bart, who processed the information.

"Well, there is a Jay Garrick here too who used to be the Flash, met him a while ago. And Wally West…..maybe another version of him is a Flash?" Bart suggested, and Barry decided he couldn't deny that.

"Could be", Barry sighed. "Hey, so you get your powers from the Speed Force too, right?"

"Yeah, I'd say so, even had the Speed Force's version of Death after me for a while", Bart revealed, to the horror of Barry and Pietro, who'd clearly cursed in Sokovian.

"What was that like? Why did it even come after you?" Barry asked in shock.

"Ran too fast once due to being captured by a trap by an enemy, and once that happened, it was after me since then", Bart said, shuddering at the memory again. "But around last year, Superman and the Avengers helped me get rid of it. It's no longer around."

Barry sighed in relief, Bart adding. "Besides, the guy with the claw was way worse."

"What guy?" Barry inquired.

"Some guy in a blue suit with blue lightning", Bart started explaining to Barry and Pietro. "Voice was freaky like a Demon, and had some weird clawed hand in place of one arm. When he grabbed me with it, it drained a lot of my speed, I thought I was gonna die. Took a while to recover and get back to my usual level."

"…Whoa!" Barry muttered, thinking of Bart's description, which reminded him too much of Zoom. But Zoom never had a claw that could absorb speed.

He'd lost an arm, Barry remembered.

And…he was dead, right?

Right?

"I do not have powers from this Speed Force", Pietro told the two. "It's from this thing called a Mind Stone."

"How'd that happen, amigo?" Bart inquired.

"…Experimentation."

"Sorry."

"It is alright", Pietro assured him. "My sister has more powers than I, though. And we found out the experimentation just unlocked our powers."

"So, you always had powers?" Barry asked.

"We are Mutants, and Mutants have a dormant X-Gene, which we did, because our father, whom we met many months ago, is one of the most powerful Mutants ever, controlling all metal and this 'electric-mag-'"

"Electromagnetic Spectrum", Barry helpfully supplied, even as he imagined the level of power the father of Pietro and Wanda would have.

It was too much.

"Yes, that. He revealed we are Mutants, and the experiment just activated the X-Gene we always had."

"Guess that's why it's without the Speed Force for you then, eh?" Bart noted, Pietro nodding. "Still, got to see who is fastest, right my guys?"

"Yeah."

"Totally."

Oliver briefly looked at Gunn, who did a double take at him.

"Man, you look like you've seen a ghost", Gunn had to say, Oliver shaking his head.

"Multiverse is so weird", he muttered.

"Really? You know someone who looked like me?"

"Yeah."

"How was he?"

"An assassin who wanted to kill a kid for being a witness", Oliver revealed, causing Gunn's jaw to drop.

"He is dead, right?"

"Killed him myself."

"Would have ripped him apart if he was still alive", Gunn immediately told Oliver, causing him to tap Gunn's shoulder.

"Sounds like you're alright."

Chloe briefly glanced at Dean, whispering to Superman and Lois. "The resemblance to Jason really is….something."

"Had the same thought myself, but he is much better than Jason", Superman assured them. "In fact, he is the kind of guy who'd not like Jason one bit."

"Our kind of guy then", Lois said with folded arms, Superman nodding. "Cool."

Chloe looked at Spike as well. "And he looks just like…."

"Brainiac, yes", Superman told her. "Except he is a Vampire."

"Which is a shock in itself", Chloe had to say. "And he can stand in the sun?"

"Apparently Willow and Tara did a spell to help him with that."

"Right."

"And he….looks so much like A.C., but more….." Chloe trailed off, looking at Hyperion.

"He lost everyone", Lois noted, sadness in her voice. "We can only imagine what it's like."

Superman nodded, not disagreeing with her on that. They could only imagine.

"Batman and Wonder Woman look so different though, it's not even funny!" Lois commented there. "Even you do! As well as Oliver."

"Same names, very different looks", Chloe commented.

"Guess that's the Multiverse", Superman sighed.

Steve couldn't believe what he'd just heard from the Clones.

"What?" He asked. "The Jedi Council is just…"

"Throwing her to fend for herself", Rex scoffed, bitterness in his voice as he thought about it, shaking his head. "After everything, and now-"

Steve ran a hand over his face. "I can't even imagine what that's like, being blamed due to circumstantial evidence at best."

"She couldn't have done it, we know Ahsoka never would!" Fives said passionately. "She is someone who has bled for us, done her best to make sure all of us get out of any bad situation alive, just like General Skywalker, her Master."

"But they don't see that, they just see this", Hardcase said, sadly. "I thought the Jedi Order was better than this."

"Seems like we might have overestimated some people", Kix said, and though his face was covered, Steve could tell that he was wincing.

"Its really just…..we wish we could do something, but we are not sure what", Jesse muttered, sounding very frustrated about it. "General Skywalker is trying his best again, like he always does, for any of us."

"I am so sorry", Steve said, voiced laced with sympathy and sadness. "I wish I could do more."

"Always wanting to do more for people, huh?" Rex asked, impressed by his fellow Captain, like usual. "It is so unfair, after everything that has happened. We just…behaved like our enemies, in a manner of speaking."

"If we said it over there, some people won't like it", Fives had to say. "But I know you will understand, Steve."

Steve gave a nod. He understood too well. "Things are simpler for soldiers. Follow orders, do your duty. But outside of war, sometimes even during war, things get really complicated." He made an observation. "Perfect soldiers follow orders and do their duty, but good men go beyond that."

The Clones were impressed once more, and remembered Dogma's fanaticism, until it'd broken him once the truth of Krell had been revealed.

"We missed ya!" Hardcase punched Steve's shoulder again, causing him to chuckle.

"She was part of us, she grew up with us, did so much for us, and now...they throw her away!" Fives said, scoffing.

The great Jedi Council, it seemed.

"I'm sorry", Steve said again. "Seems like whenever something is too complicated to understand, people always go after the easiest target. The framed, and the innocent." His mind went to Bucky, who was still blamed for Winter Soldier's crimes, as well as the case with Banner seemingly bombing the building, and some people still believing Tony, Rhodes and Sharon were at fault after the Skrulls had already been exposed.

"Just what I was thinking", Rex said with a sigh.

"But, to take our mind off of it, how have you been, Steve?" Fives asked, tapping his friend's shoulder, then discreetly gestured to Natasha. "How is she?"

"What?" Steve asked, causing the 501st to chuckle.

"I was by your side the whole time, Steve. I know you very well", Fives pointed out, which Steve could not deny. "How is she?"

"…Good for me."

"We're happy for you", Rex assured him.

"Thank you."

Bruce stared at Natasha for a few seconds, before looking away, as Natasha noticed.

"What's the matter?" She inquired, Bruce turning to look at her. "Do you know me?"

"Someone who looked like you", Bruce admitted, looking up. "I used to know her once."

"What happened?" Natasha asked, Bruce gesturing to himself.

"This did."

"You made the first of this armor as a captive, lad?" Gimli asked Tony while looking at his armor up and down. "The craftsmanship is something even a Dwarf could not accomplish."

"Eh, give yourself credit, if you knew this tech, I'm sure you could do it, though not as good as me, that's for sure", Tony assured the Dwarf with a wink. "But yeah, first one was in a cave with scraps."

"Scraps? But wouldn't a cave have everything you could need?" Gimli inquired, not quite getting what Tony was saying this time.

"Right. It's not like a Dwarf cave", Tony corrected Gimli. "But anyways, what's this Mithril exactly?"

"It can be beaten like copper, and polished like glass, Master Stark", Gimli started explaining the metal passionately. "We can make of it a metal, light, yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty is like that of common silver, but the beauty of Mithril does not tarnish or grow dim."

Tony couldn't believe it. He gestured to his suit. "Buddy, I think the metal I used for this is a lot like your Mithril."

"Is that true, Master Stark?" Gimli asked, Tony nodding.

"This thing is called Titanium", Tony began telling the Dwarf. "Strong as steel but much lighter, can't corrode and all, very silvery-white. As you can see, I made this armor out of it."

"Quite fascinating, Master Stark", Gimli had to say. "Not quite alike, but Titanium seems very close to Mithril."

"It is, it'd be cool if you could lend me some Mithril for another suit", Tony commented, and Gimli's eyes lit up.

"Your craftsmanship is as impressive as a Dwarf's, if not more, we would be honored, Master Stark", Gimli gladly told him.

"Thanks Axe-Calibur." Gimli did a double-take on hearing the name.

"What did you call me?"

"Uhh….Angry Santa?"

Tony got a glare which suddenly made him think Gimli's ax might bypass his suit.

"You seem quite different this time, Spike", Gandalf told the Vampire, who was letting the light of the sun come on his face via window, due to Willow's and Tara's protection spell, albeit it had a time limit of about 7 hours.

Spike turned to face Gandalf, seeing Aragorn and Oliver walking up to them too. Noticing Aragorn, he said. "Had one huge glow-up there, eh lad?"

"He is a King", Oliver shrugged.

"BLIMEY!"

"My reaction was the same", Oliver assured Spike.

"But Gandalf speaks true, you do seem different", Aragorn had to say. His manner of speaking was the same, but something was different.

"Well, after last time, I listened to what you had to say", Spike admitted to Gandalf and Aragorn. "Seeing a bunch of super-polite sods, and me being the one foul git amongst them….it was what I needed, it seems."

"Needed to do what?" Gandalf asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My soul." Spike raised a hand. "I fought for it, and it was returned to me." He pointed at his head. "And now everything I did, it's somewhere in here. Trying to have its way, but I'm not letting it."

A smile came on Aragorn's face as he patted Spike's shoulder. "You may have done evil acts before, but you battled to regain your soul. That is something few would do; hence, I do not consider you evil, Spike."

"Even then, it seems you were trying to change who you were", Gandalf added. "For you helped keep the Hobbits safe without hesitation."

Spike just gave a nod, smiling a little. "Thanks mates."

"Good to have you with us", Oliver told the Ensouled Vampire.

"Look Batman, I'm a huge fan!" Dean was saying to Bruce, who just stood stoically, watching the Hunter ramble, Sam looking very embarrassed and apologetic right next to him. "I even wonder if there's an Earth where I'm you, you know!" He briefly glanced at Wonder Woman too. "And you're even…better on the eyes in person."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Is that it?"

"Sorry about him", Sam said to the both of them, trying to contain his own awe at being amongst the Justice League and the Avengers. If not for Dean being embarrassingly excited, he'd have failed. "He is just a huge fan."

Dean looked at Sam. "And you're too, Sammy."

"Yeah….but I don't wanna make them think I'm crazy", Sam told Dean, wincing a bit.

"Come on! We got Batman and Wonder Woman!" Dean said excitedly, turning back to them. "And Flash, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Ms. Marvel!"

"We're fiction in other realities", Vic muttered, causing the Winchesters to look at him, recognizing that voice. "Now…are we a fictional world, or do writers get dreams of other realities which they write as stories?"

"Cass, that you?" Dean asked, causing Vic to look up at the two brothers.

"Who is this Cass?"

Sam and Dean shared a look, before turning back to him, the former saying. "An Angel of the Lord, you sound exactly like him."

Even though he wore his no-face, the brothers could tell they'd surprised the Question for once.

"Fascinating, so did the Lord create me in an Angel's image?" Vic now wondered, Helena cringing next to him.

She mouthed to the Winchesters- 'He is like that.'

They both nodded, with Dean adding to Vic. "Also, our world was created by a fake god, he was probably a big fan of some of you, so he made you all fiction over here. Even those guys like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Chucky and all, they're horror movies in our world."

"Alright, very….different world then", Helena commented, Dean nodding.

"Who was this fake god?" Vic asked. "And how do you know he was fake?"

"He was something called an Imp, we don't know what that is", Sam admitted. "He also wasn't omnipotent, and the Angel called Cass, whom you sound like, kicked his ass, which wouldn't be possible if he was actually God."

"Right, so a pretender." Taking out a pad, they saw Vic write something down on it.

"What are you doing?" Bruce asked Vic.

"Something to be filed for later."

"Urgggh, no offense, but your dad sounds like a big sexist jerk", Cordelia was saying to Carol, not that the others around them were opposed to her point of view either. "Typical 'girls can't do this or that' ragebaiting nonsense."

"Yep, met a few guys like that", Buffy told Carol. "One hunter, and one guy, who wasn't a misogynist in the common sense, but did get insecure because I was stronger than him and all."

"Think he was a closeted one", Carol commented, Buffy nodding.

"Yeah, but he'd issues is all, so I hope he got better", Buffy simple said hopefully.

"I mean, my boyfriend was born in the 18th century, and he is more open-minded than a lot of people born nowadays", Cordelia told the rest.

"Same for mine, and he is from the 19th century", Buffy added.

"Guess some guys just can't take it", Sara commented, shrugging. "Still, at least nowadays we got all the good ones around us."

"Lucky us", Lois noted, turning to Carol. "Just happy my dad wasn't like yours. He taught me fighting and all, plus, didn't interfere too much in how I wanted to live my life."

"Wish mine was half as good as yours", Carol sighed.

"You and me both", Buffy said to Carol.

"Me three. Add my mom too", Cordelia scoffed.

"My mom as well. Though she is trying now. Dad's not perfect, but he is good", Sara said with a smile.

"One time I'd to fight him was over him." Lois gestured to Superman. "Dad eventually gave in because I didn't fight like that over anyone."

"I know him on our Earth", Sara said, gesturing to Clark. "And a you as well."

"Really? How is she?"

"Blonde."

"…Seriously?"

"Yep. Anyways, from what I know of him, you were right to fight over him." Sara then turned to Buffy. "You know, maybe we should spar once this is over."

"To see how your former assassin skills are against a Slayer?" Sara nodded. "Cool. Not the first assassin I've fought."

"You aren't the first super-strong person I've fought either", Sara shrugged, then turned to Cordelia. "And you glow?"

"Do more than that, recently at least", Cordelia told the women. "Created a spear out of it a while ago."

"Still, think glowing's my shtick", Carol quipped, making the women chuckle.

"Yeah, just not glowing divinely. Only I'm that fabulous."

"You're Oliver Queen?" Steve asked, shaking hands with Oliver. "Clint has mentioned you to me."

"Yep, that's me", Oliver said in reply. "Very good, to meet you, Cap."

Steve nodded, while Superman and Clark walked up to them, Superman gesturing to Clark. "Cap, meet me from Earth-1."

"Hello, Superman", Steve gladly greeted Clark too, shaking hands with him.

"Captain."

"Looks like your two Earths are aligning in a way", Steve noted to Superman, Clark and Oliver. "Same people, same teams and all."

"Yeah, never thought our Earth would get like this", Oliver admitted to them. "But I'm glad now it did. Seemed to start after the Singularity."

"Yes, even our Earth and team got bigger after that Singularity", Steve had to say.

Oliver gestured to Aragorn. "Meanwhile, this is Aragorn, King of a Reunited Kingdom, that right?"

"Aye." Aragorn walked up to meet Steve, Superman and Clark. "I am Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, King of the Reunited Kingdom."

"I'm…Superman", Superman simply said, not used to talking to a medieval person, which would explain the 'Son of' thing.

"Me too", Clark added, Aragorn looking between them both.

"The two of you are the same person, but….in different worlds?" Aragorn asked, and they nodded in the affirmative. "Quite strange, I must say."

"Well, there's still not much we know about how different worlds work", Superman pointed out to Aragorn.

"If you do not, I fear we do not know much either", Aragorn admitted, looking to be in thought. "However, I am glad that the pathways between worlds weakening led to all of us meeting each other."

"Me too, at least we'll all stand together against big threats", Steve said himself, glad about it, gesturing to Rex, who'd just come. "Meet Captain Rex of the 501st."

Rex gave a nod, smiling behind his mask. "Good to meet all of you. My first time out of the galaxy and all."

"Galaxy?" Clark asked.

"Rex and everyone else in their Universe are from a galaxy far, far away", Steve explained to them. "They have no Earth in their world."

That made them all shocked, which was when Angel arrived. "Alright, that's new even for me. I'm Angel, by the way."

"Ahsoka has mentioned you and your friends", Rex revealed, to Angel's surprise. "Yes, we come from the same Universe."

"…Oh!" Angel realized. "Didn't get much of a chance to talk with her, she is Dawn's friend, mainly. Just know her from the shiny lightsabers she wields."

"She does", Rex said, voice heavy, Steve grasping his shoulder. "But it will be our honor to fight with all of you."

"Aye, I feel honored", Aragorn admitted. "I just wish Sora, Donald and Goofy are here too, to help us in this battle if our enemy is as dangerous as believed."

"Wait, you know Sora?" Superman asked Aragorn, who gave a nod. "How?"

"He and his friends aided us in defeating our Great Enemy", Aragorn revealed, shocking Superman and Oliver. "We are forever indebted to him. Do you know him as well?"

"We do", Oliver said to him. "Helped us out beat a very….well, strange Demon, even before I'd met you."

Aragorn gave a nod. "Seems all of us are being brought together, slowly."

"Yeah, and I'm glad about it I'd say, so many bad guys making messes all over", Angel said with a sigh, the rest agreeing.

"If Optimus was here, this would feel….even more complete", Superman had to say, thinking of his friend.

"Who is Optimus?" Clark asked.

"Leader of the Autobots from Cybertron, not from our Universe, have called him too", Superman told all of them.

"Some of us have known each other, and some of us have just met", Steve began to say to them. "But now, all of us have been brought together, and its time for us to fight as one."

"Aye, from different worlds we may be, but we all hold everything on our good worlds dear", Aragorn declared himself. "And by all of that, I bid we will stand against the evil!"

Rex agreed. "Yes. Our galaxy or this one, when we stand as brothers, we can overcome anything in our way."

Oliver smiled. "And together, we will make sure the people are protected from anything, with all of our teams working with each other."

"There will be bad things, of course, but there is also us", Angel had to say. "Champions. Fighting the good fight."

"And keeping hope alive so that everyone who looks up never feels despair", Superman finally finished, Clark nodding.

"Happy to be brought together", Clark simply said.

"You're a computer expert and you can do magic?" Chloe was asking Willow, who sat in front of her with Tara.

"Yes, but it's been a while since I was into computers", Willow admitted. "Still good at it, but haven't kept up with it as much as I kept up with magic."

"And our world is a decade ahead", Chloe pointed out. "So, wanna get with the program and all?"

"I think so, yes", Willow commented, looking at Tara. "Still, I love magic."

Tara held Willow's hand. "Being a bit of both is what makes you who you are, Willow." The two shared a smile, Chloe thinking of Ollie and herself.

"I've actually sort of come into contact with magic directly once", Chloe told the two, getting their attention. "Well, there's Zatanna on our team but I mean even more direct."

"You've a Zatanna here?" Tara inquired.

"Yeah, why?"

"We met a Zatanna, from Earth-1", Willow revealed, Chloe nodding.

"Considering Earth-1 is quite like our Earth, I can see why", Chloe had to say. "Anyways, there was this Helmet of Nabu which turned its user into a being called Doctor Fate. The previous one got killed, and later, my husband was abducted during a mess."

The two Witches looked at Chloe in sympathy as she added. "I wore the Helmet to find him, saw many things in the future." She gestured around them. "Didn't reach this far though."

"Would you wear it again?" Willow asked, just out of curiosity, Chloe opening her mouth to speak before stopping.

"…..Would depend on the situation", she finally said. "But for now, happy with my computers, just like you two are happy with magic."

"Yeah, guess we're where we want to be", Tara decided.

"We know the Norse as well", Diana was saying to Thor. "Though our island does not think too highly of them."

Thor told her. "The Wonder Woman on this Earth said differently."

"This Earth has a me as well?" Diana asked, Thor nodding.

"Yes, Wonder Woman. Though she became Wonder Woman when I met her, and she looks like one of my oldest friends", Thor admitted to Diana.

"I would like to meet her. Both the other me and your friend", Diana finally admitted.

"I thought we're not thought highly about in your world?" Thor said in jest, making her smirk.

"I do not agree with everything my fellow sisters say, as much as I love them all", Diana told Thor what she meant. "Besides, our cultures could be different. I am new to Man's World, and they find me strange too."

"I have some experience there too", Thor told Diana, who turned to face him. "As a Norse God, worshipping by the Vikings, how Midgard is now, was a surprise to me. Sometimes, they still do surprise."

Diana was glad to find someone who related. "Yes, they surprise me too. First, in the Great War, and now as well. The world is bigger than last time I came here."

"Aye, Midgard has grown a lot too", Thor said to her. "We may not know each other too well, but I am glad to fight by your side, Diana Prince."

"As am I by your side, Thor Odinson", Diana declared. "Let us show our enemies the great power we wield for the people, and not against them."

Thor nodded, already liking her.

Gandalf was listening to the 501st. "Ah, so Obi-Wan is from the same world as you are."

"We mainly work with General Skywalker, who was taught by General Kenobi", Rex told Gandalf. "But General Kenobi is a good man, always caring for his people, just like General Skywalker."

"I met him, and I can agree to that, we might not have succeeded in our own Quest without his aid", Gandalf admitted to the 501st, thinking of what Maul could have done to Frodo and Sam had Obi-Wan Kenobi not been with them.

"Generals Skywalker and Kenobi…..they always surprise us!" Fives quipped, then gestured to Steve in the distance. "As does he."

Gandalf smiled. "I believe we have a few more surprises coming our way."

For some reason, the Clones found themselves reminded of Yoda, Obi-Wan and especially Plo Koon, when talking to Gandalf.

"A fascinating Totem", Wesley said to Mari, looking at the Totem she held up. "With the powers of the entire animal kingdom?"

"Yes, and it's getting stronger too", Mari said to him, Wesley looking up at her.

"A powerful ancient artefact if there ever was one", Wesley commented. "We've many in our world, though not seen one like this before."

"First time for everything", Mari shrugged. "And there are others too."

Wesley was intrigued. "The magic and artefacts of your world interest me quite a bit, Mari."

"Well, thank you."

"They what?!" Dawn was trying to make sure she'd heard properly. "After everything, they're doing THAT to Ahsoka? Why?!"

"Because it's convenient", Fives said with a scoff. "Because they're too lazy to find out who actually did it, so she is the one being blamed."

"And your Jedi Order…." Dawn trailed off. "Ahsoka spoke highly of it every time, why did they do that to her?"

"I wish we knew", Hardcase said sadly. "I did not think they would do something like this, but….looks like I was wrong."

"Is there anything I can do?" Dawn asked.

"I'm afraid not." She turned to see Rex arriving, having finished speaking with Aragorn, Steve, Angel, Superman, Clark and Oliver. "But the sentiment is appreciated, I'm sure by Ahsoka as well."

"I just wish I could do something for her", Dawn muttered. "After this is over, I'll be calling her. And maybe telling off the idiots at the Council as well."

Kix had to chuckle. "I can see why you're friends."

"Why?" Dawn asked.

"You're just like her", Jesse said to her.

"Yes, quite nice to meet you", Rex said himself, Dawn managing to smile.

"An island of Amazons?" Carol asked Diana, who nodded. "Wow! That's a place I'd have loved to be in, back in the day, when they kept telling me I can't do it because I'm a girl."

"The men who told you that were foolish", Diana simply said to Carol.

"Not just men, some women too", Carol noted sadly. "And these kinds of men act like a woman saying this makes it okay, but its only because those women had this mentality beaten into them all their life, before."

"This was one of the reasons we did not like Man's World", Diana told Carol, looking ahead. "Yet, there are times when even we have been similar."

"Really?"

"Yes, believing men cannot do anything either", Diana said with a sigh. "Yet, now working with the Justice League, I know the world needs both of us."

"Took the words right out of my mouth", Carol agreed to that.

Dawn was sitting, thinking of Ahsoka, when she heard someone say. "You seem troubled, young one."

Looking up, she saw it was Legolas. Her eyes lingered on his face for a few more seconds than it was polite.

He was super-hot!

"Thinking of a friend who is not having a good time", Dawn confessed to him. "And, well, I'm the youngest here, kind of feel alone in this large group. Not rational, but, outside of my sister and friends, its all-"

Legolas sat by her side. "I understand you, young one. But I believe you can forge more bonds of friendship if you try."

Dawn looked up at him, Gimli sitting on her other side. "Aye. Pointy-ear here and I are friends fighting side-by-side, and we were not like that."

"How were you then?" Dawn asked.

"My father and I imprisoned his father." Dawn looked at Legolas with wide eyes, then turned to Gimli, then back to Legolas. "I also told his father he seems like a Goblin-Mutant."

Gimli rolled his eyes. "You are one to talk, huh pointy-ear?" Legolas smirked, and Gimli's face ended up having a smirk too.

"Yet, as you can see, we are friends now", Legolas pointed out to her.

"Well…..there are worse ways to start a friendship", Dawn finally said, the Elf and Dwarf smirking.

She was sitting between an Elf and a Dwarf who'd gone from enemies to friends, and were giving her, an ancient ball of energy, advice.

What was her life now?

"You look and sound so different from my Oliver", Tess had to say to Oliver, surprised. "But…."

"I'm still kind of like him?" Oliver asked, briefly glancing at Ollie at a distance.

"In some ways." Tess could see the vestiges of the man she once loved. Maybe if he'd been as mature then as he was now, things could have been different.

"Do you mean that in a good way or a bad way?" Oliver inquired, making Tess smirk.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon", Tess shrugged. "You do seem more…."

"Intense?" She nodded. "I get that a lot."

"Must be a reason for it", Tess noted, Oliver shrugging.

"Was in what most would say is Hell for five years", Oliver admitted to her. "I guess it showed me who I really was. Only started seeing the brighter side recently."

"You were lost for 5 years?" Tess asked in shock, Oliver nodding. "It was just one year for Ollie here. That's when we met too."

"He did mention the one-year part", Oliver admitted. "Guess that's why he is chipper than me."

Tess chuckled. "Eh, some people prefer intense."

"Thank you."

"And….seeing the brighter side recently, yeah, I can relate there", Tess told Oliver. "Before meeting Superman and the rest, I never thought I'd have this." She gestured around them. "Here I thought blackmail and manipulation would be all there is."

"I mean…depending on who you do it to, it can be used for good", Oliver pointed out, Tess' eyes lighting up.

"Right?" Tess agreed there. "I mean, it's not something I want to do, but sometimes-"

"There is no other choice", Oliver told her. "That's one of the many things I've learnt in this life."

Tess nodded. "Guess you and I are more alike than we thought."

Oliver shrugged. "Color me surprised. But….I do believe we're trying to be better."

"And I got to do more", Tess sighed.

"Me too."

Their gazes lingered on each other a few seconds longer than they realized.

"Wait, so you've died?" Dean asked, Sara nodding. "Two times, you were thought dead, and then you actually died?"

"Yep."

"And now you're back?"

"Yep."

"Oh, welcome to the club!" Dean held out his hand. "I died too, got….tortured in Hell." He winced briefly. "Then got brought back by Castiel, an Angel of the Lord."

"The guy you said Question sounds like?" Sara asked, just to be sure, and Dean nodded. "Right." She shook his hand. "Very nice to see there are others in this club, literally."

They dropped hands, Dean commenting. "I guess you've more of an understanding of this type of thing than others."

"I will say…I don't remember too much, just…being stuck", Sara admitted to Dean. "Like, I kept calling out to my loved ones, and they never heard me. Then I was brought back, and suddenly I wasn't stuck anymore."

Dean sighed, wincing, Sara asking. "What, it was worse than this?"

"It was." Dean sat down. "Torture in Hell and all…" He shook his head. He wasn't one to open up like this, but Sara had similar experience to his, if less severe, he felt…..safe, talking to her. "Then after 30 Hell Years, I couldn't take it anymore."

"What did you do?" Sara asked, Dean looking up at her.

"I took up the role of the torturer." There was shame in Dean's voice. "And now, sometimes, whenever I remember, I just…don't wanna feel a damn thing."

Sara didn't realize it, and neither did Dean, but her hand had grasped his.

"I know the feeling." Dean looked at Sara, surprised. "It wasn't literal Hell, but it felt like it at times. Oliver and I were ship-wrecked after acting like fools. He washed up on the island, I washed up on a ship called Amazo. It'd many prisoners. And the men there, they were going to….." Sara shook her head, Dean looking at her sadly, knowing what she meant. "Then their leader, this guy called Ivo, stopped them….and convinced me to work for him. And I did…torturing the other prisoners, who hated my guts eventually. And part of me did it because I didn't want any of that to be done to me. Maybe another part….kind of liked it."

She looked into Dean's eyes. "Wasn't the only time either. Eventually, after a big mess, I was found by this League of Assassins, it was the daughter of their leader, Nyssa al Ghul. They helped me find the killer inside of me, and Nyssa and I….well, we had a thing going on."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "So…..you're into-"

"I swing both ways", Sara told Dean, who nodded.

"Right."

"Still….I think that wasn't the best way to realize it", Sara admitted to Dean. "Looking back….I think I was only with her because she'd saved me, and I felt like I'd be hurt if I didn't respond to her advances."

She knew it was just how Nyssa was raised, and she was a better person now, but that relationship…it was Florence Nightingale Syndrome, and it was utterly toxic.

Not to mention, Nyssa was ready to hurt her family just to get her back.

It was not a love-story, just a toxic relationship that was bad for them both, which was obvious in hindsight, considering the conditions it was born in.

"It wasn't Hell…but it was the same, in many ways", Dean told Sara. "You still wonder how you keep going after all that, don't you?"

Sara nodded, not denying it. "Yeah, and all I can think is I need to do more to make it all up."

"You and me both", Dean sighed. "Plus, Sammy and I need each other to do this."

They shared a smile, suddenly feeling like they'd someone else who was very similar.

"As a scientist in a magic team, how do you do your thing exactly?" Chloe asked Fred, really curious about her situation.

"I help with a bit of both", Fred shrugged. "It's not too hard to understand, fortunately."

"I've worn a magic helmet, still think it's too hard", Chloe commented, Fred sighing.

"Guess the magicks in our worlds are different", Fred decided. "Anyways, I think I'll be staying here to help you out."

"Always nice to have more hands", Chloe said gladly, shaking hands with Fred.

"I'd say I'm shocked, but I'm an alien, and work with an Amazon as well as a Martian", Clark was saying to Thor. "So, a Norse God, less of a surprise now."

"And you're not the first Superman I know", Thor pointed out him, gesturing to Superman nearby. "Quite pleased to make your acquaintance though." Thor was sure they'd be friends soon, just like he and Earth-21 Superman were.

"Me too", Clark sighed, then looked at Thor once more. "How do you deal with it?"

"What?"

"Being the strongest who they look to when they fail?" Clark inquired honestly, Thor simply pointing to his hammer.

"By letting myself be reliable, friend", Thor assured him. "This Earth's Superman too."

"Why does your shield have America's symbol on it?" Diana asked Steve out of curiosity.

"Oh that." Steve said, "When the Second World War broke out, some scientists of our country made a serum that would increase the physical and mental stats of anyone injected with it to early superhuman levels. I was a skinny, weak and sick kid from Brooklyn. But I was selected for it. Dr. Erskine, who was the scientist behind it, said I was selected because of the goodness of my heart."

"Seeing you being friendly with Superman before, I would say he made a wise choice." Diana assured him and he nodded in appreciation.

"I was given the serum and he told me to always be not a perfect soldier but a good man." Steve said. "Then my country made me into Captain America to fight for them. And I did. I fought Hydra and Nazis."

"I myself fought in the First World War." Diana told him as he looked at her. "I thought it was Ares the God of War who was behind it. But at the end, I realized he did not control the wills of Men. They could be evil and despicable if they tried. And they could be kind, gentle and even protectors of the innocent if they tried."

"It's up to us which part we choose to act on." Steve told her, "The good or the bad. I choose to act on what I think is the good. And I hope I'm doing it right."

"Trust me, you are." Diana said, "Though I have to ask- how are you still alive?"

"Well, when I stopped Hydra's leader the Red Skull, the plane in which we had fought was going to crash on New York with several dangerous weapons which would lead to destruction." Steve said, "So I steered it into the ocean to save the people. And I got frozen in ice for decades until SHIELD thawed me out in 2011."

Diana seemed shocked on hearing that almost disbelieving.

"Something wrong, ma'am?" Steve asked kindly.

"No. It is nothing." Diana assured him, but it was something. Up until the name and the World Wars, she had thought it was just a coincidence. But Steve Rogers had done exactly what Steve Trevor had all those years ago when he had shot the gas to ignite it in the plane and destroy both himself and it all to prevent the gas' distribution. And Steve Rogers had done the same thing for the people.

"Thank you." Diana said, confusing him, "For everything you have done for your country and world."

With that, she walked off, Steve watching after her.

"Alright, so you just raise your hands, and you can fly?" Sam was asking Mari, who nodded.

"As long as I've the spirit of the eagle with this Totem, yes", Mari said in reply, causing Sam to blink.

"No need for wings like these?" Sam asked, gesturing to them.

"No, not really."

"Damn!" Sam ran a hand across his head. "I know some people with magic, but this I really am not getting."

"Well, that's why they call it magic", Mari quipped with a smirk.

"Spike was telling me you flew him a few months ago", Faith noted to Mari, who nodded.

"Yeah, we were looking for a kidnapped kid, and found him", Mari simply told Faith. "Like I said, the Totem helps me connect with the spirit of any animal."

"B said us Slayers are connected with the spirits of the previous ones too, which I think is right, get dreams about 'em sometimes", Faith noted. "Like that?"

"Different, but I can see the similarities", Mari confessed.

"Vampires, huh?" Banner noted to Angel and Spike. "Well, you're not my first, since we worked with Blade and all."

"Blade, fun guy", Spike had to say. "With that sodding shiny sword, the Darksaber thing!"

"It's a really good sword, isn't it?" Banner asked them both, and they nodded.

"Very", Angel agreed, then asked. "This….Hulk is…..what exactly?"

"A separate personality in me, I'd say, which can take physical form when I'm angry or excited", Banner explained to them. "Didn't have the best relations, but we're working on it."

"I wonder if us and our Vampire side is like that", Angel mused to the both of them, Spike shrugging.

"What? I don't know sodding bollocks about this!"

"Look…." Hyperion turned to Superman. "I wasn't the clearest last time- wasn't judging you, was just saying I'm not comfortable with what you did, but I can see why you did."

Hyperion did not reply.

"So, I'm sorry about that."

After a moment, Hyperion nodded.

Superman nodded back.

"Wait…so you're magic because you're a Mutant?" Willow was asking Wanda, trying to wrap her head around it, as was Tara.

"I think….yeah." Wanda briefly waved her red magic in front of the two Witches, Gandalf walking up to them.

"Quite fascinating, young one."

Wanda looked at him in shock again, considering how much like her father he looked.

"You know, you look just like what we'd imagine a Wizard to be", Tara had to say to Gandalf. "The look, and the staff, and-"

"I thank you for your kind words, Tara Maclay", Gandalf said gladly, sensing she was quite the kind soul, just from how she spoke, before turning back to Wanda. "I believe the power you wield is greater than what even you know, Wanda Maximoff."

Alright, he wasn't her dad, but Gandalf was acting just like her dad….just without some of the strictness and regrets, probably because he was an all-powerful old Wizard, and not a guy who'd suffered due to his powers and religion, and then made others suffer for years.

"You know about it?" Wanda inquired, but Gandalf shook his head.

"Not yet, young one, but I believe you shall use it wisely", Gandalf spoke, a smile on his face.

"I mean…..our brands are different, but if you need help, I can teach you", Willow suggested to Wanda, then gestured to Tara. "Both of us could."

"Yeah, we could", Tara agreed as well.

"That'd be much appreciated", Wanda admitted.

"Hey man, you're so different from our Batman in looks!" Ollie quipped to Bruce, punching his shoulder, and got a look. "…..Right. And I called Oliver a sourpuss!"

"I can't believe you're a version of Oliver Queen", Barry commented to Ollie. "I mean you're so…"

"Cheerful? Funny? Charming? Yep! All things your Oliver ain't!" Ollie quipped.

Tess passed by. "Eh, talked to him once and prefer him to you."

"Hey!" Ollie called out, mock-offended.

"Alright, plan is made", Superman told everyone present. "Some of us will be going right now, others will come via breach."

"This Earth's Justice League, except Green Arrow and Flash, are on standby for now", Steve added. "But if they're needed…"

"It will be time for all of us to gather", Aragorn finished.

"But for now, part of the missions begins", Rex declared to all.

Same time

Lex and Zemo were just about to get into the former's private jet, when a blur flew over them, causing them to look up.

"Superman!" Otis cried out, having been carrying their luggage.

"But why fly specifically over us?" Lex wondered.

"A power-play, that's what it must be", Zemo said with a shrug.

"Perhaps its less a power-play, and more a reminder."

Lex and Zemo turned to see Superman and Clark, both dressed as reporters, to their surprise, since they'd just seen Earth-21 Superman fly by.

Not just that, Sam and Dean stood by the reporters too.

"A reminder…..of what?" Lex finally managed to say.

"I'm just putting words in his mouth here", Superman said, adjusting his glasses. "But Superman may just want you both to behave."

"Jason?" Lex asked Dean in shock.

"I'm not Jason, just mad that asshole has my fabulous face", Dean told Lex with a snarl. "Name's Dean. And shove it."

That was when the plane started taking off.

Lex and Zemo sat in front of the four, scowling, as Zemo looked at the Winchesters. "Who are these two? The cameramen?"

"Bodyguards, asshole", Dean snarled, earning a glare from Zemo.

"Really? How did you get rich enough to hire those?" Lex asked, amused.

The plane flew off.

"Have a rich friend", Superman shrugged, though Lex had a feeling this wasn't the truth he was saying.

"Hi Lex Luthor." Clark put his hand forth. "Name's Henry Walker. Nice to meet you."

Lex scoffed, not shaking his hand, and turned to Superman. "Nice trick you pulled, having someone fly in your place."

"Just for show, Lex, just for show", Superman simply said in reply, Zemo scoffing.

"That is what you do, show everyone your power, make them reliant on you", Zemo started saying, looking between both. "Perhaps you even are perfect. But there is always a bit of green in the blue of your eyes." Smirking, Zemo sat back, turning to Lex, the two aware of what the 'green' he mentioned was, which Superman and Clark knew well too.

"We never meant any harm", Clark tried to reason with the two. "I just want to help, that's all. Nothing else."

Superman grasped his arm. Unlike himself, his Earth-1 Variant had not dealt with unreasonable ones regarding this kind of thing in person before.

"Maybe you do. But people will try to have powers like those." Zemo leaned forwards. "And there can never be another like you, can there?"

Superman and Clark had no answer to that, Lex adding. "You think you're Heroes, but all I've seen you do, Clark, is lie and manipulate, and ruin relationships because you didn't think we could make the world a better place together."

"And in response, instead of actually proving him wrong, you decided to prove him right", Sam pointed out, earning a glare from Lex. "Well played, I guess, in being a total self-awareness lacking idiot."

"I am a genius." Lex leaned closer. "You cannot think to match me, know the difference next time before you talk."

"I mean, we do know you're just a bunch of insecure assholes who're mad at people like these for actually being better in every way", Dean said, a shit-eating grin on his face which infuriated Lex even more.

For a minute, it was silent, other than Lex glaring angrily at Dean.

"I've my eye on you, Lex", Superman told him with a sneer. "I remember what happened at S.T.A.R. Labs."

"Even if I was involved, you've no way of proving it", Lex reminded what he'd said then.

"Doesn't matter." Dean leaned forwards towards Lex. "I'll make sure no one finds your body."

Lex and Dean glared at each other for a bit.

"Turkish Delight?"

Everyone looked down, seeing Zemo offering it to the Heroes, surprising them.

After a few seconds, Dean took a piece. "I'll have some, thanks." He tasted it, and mumbled gladly. "Hmmm….good shit here." He turned to Sam. "Sammy?" He finished swallowing.

After some seconds of hesitation, Sam looked at Dean a second time, then took his own piece, tasting it, and enjoyed it.

"Wow!" He said after swallowing.

"You may be a bad guy, but that's some damn good Turkish Delight!" Dean complimented Zemo at that.

"Thank you."

"Divided by being good and bad, united by Turkish Delight!" Dean quipped, Lex hoping the journey ended soon so he wouldn't have to listen to Dean and Sam anymore.

Zemo offered the Delight to him.

Lex took it.

Superman and Clark shared an amused look.

This was going to be a…well, some kind of journey.

Outside, Supergirl was flying off. "Supergirl to Watchtower. The show is done."

Keyblade Graveyard

Master Xehanort had his Keyblade out, about to prepare for the arrival of the Warriors of Light, when he sensed something.

A great darkness.

He turned around, seeing Sephiroth appearing before him, and immediately pointed his Keyblade at the former SOLDIER First Class.

"There will be no need for that, Xehanort", Sephiroth told the Keyblade Master.

"And why is that, do tell?" Master Xehanort inquired.

"For I have an offer that can tilt the scales in your favor", Sephiroth revealed, his smirk matching that of Master Xehanort.

Then, Master Xehanort lowered the Gazing Eye.

"I am listening."

Earth-8096, Avengers Mansion

Captain America sat alone in his room, staring at his shield propped against the wall. The shouting from people protesting against the Avengers couldn't be heard, but he could feel them. The whole mansion's mood has been grim since the moment Iron Patriot sent that footage. Iron Man was quick to reveal the whole footage. It helped. The problem was though that the New Avengers had the media on their side. Truth wasn't enough, despite the evidence on their side, Iron Patriot and his cronies wormed their way into hearts and minds of the American people.

Public perception is a dangerous thing. The New Avengers used it masterfully. Whether they won the fight or intentionally lost against them, the Justice League, and the Squadron, it didn't matter. Thanks to their publicity when the Avengers went missing after fighting the power mimicking android, Iron Patriot's team became known and admired. They were the heroes who saved New York.

They charmed their way into people's hearts, now anything the President's team says, it's believed. No matter how false.

The old soldier rubbed his eyes in frustration. Supervillains, invading aliens, world-ending machines, Gods, other universes, and now their biggest problem is the very people they're protecting believing the lies and manipulations of the government's new attack dogs. This isn't what he fought for when enlisted in the super soldier program. No one back in the day fought for a country like this.

Honestly, it made carrying the shield harder when the country he tries to represent and honour betrayed everything that it was meant to stand for.

Cap's thoughts were interrupted by Iron Man knocking on his open door, armour still on. "Got off the phone with Pepper. Easy defamation case. We have the optics on our side. This can blow over and we can go back to hating those lying, name-stealing, armour-copying-"

"This isn't just about optics." Cap spoke up, standing from his bed. He took his shield in hand and stared into his reflection. "Iron Patriot played the whole thing. He wants us out of the picture, not just removed, disgraced. Written off. Tarnish our reputation to the point what we say is irrelevant."

"So, save to say he's not just Howard's yes man?"

"No. If anything," Cap looked Iron Man in the eye, "the President is being played."

The Armoured Avenger narrowed his eyes as he started walking down the hall, Cap joining him. The co-leaders of the Avengers were grim as the younger man revealed. "As if we didn't have enough problems. JARVIS just informed me about one of the containers in our sub-levels."

"Something tells me I won't like this."

"The Destroyer is gone."

The captain sighed. "I knew it."

"Although, based on what little the scanners picked up. It was God magic." Iron Man shrugged, however, surprising Cap with his casualness. "Thought Loki for a minute, or even Ares. Turns out it was Odinforce magic."

That made Cap pause. "So, it was Thor?"

"Or Odin himself." The duo made it down the stairs, spotting Hawkeye reclined on the coach, mask off, hands behind his head, and in no mood to talk. "Makes you wonder what the big guy is going through."

"He wouldn't have left if it wasn't important. Thor's world has always been more…"

"Godly?" Iron Man supplied.

"Complicated." Cap corrected. They walked towards the fireplace, the archer barely glancing at them when they entered the elevator. "Now there's the X-Men to worry about."

"You mean how their telepathic teacher hasn't been sending messages from the future ever since the fiery space chicken nearly killed us all?" The Iron Man summed up in most exaggerated way possible. "Wonder if it has anything with the New Assholes being around."

And he wasn't wrong. "You know I'm starting to miss how simple things use to be."

Brow raised questionably, Iron Man wondered, "When were things simple?"

"I think I was still small and skinny back then." Before the war. Before the serum.

Things were falling apart now. They need to a new plan.

That's when it struck the veteran from World War II. Perhaps…

It was time for THE plan.

One hour later

The Avengers gathered around the meeting room. All seated, besides Captain America.

"I know how you're all feeling, believe me, I do."

"Puts it into perspective what you went through after the Skrulls." Wasp grumbled. Stupid Iron Patriot and his stupid goons and stupid President Howard for bringing them all together in the first place.

Ms. Marvel crossed her arms and grunted. "Cap had to rebuild his rep. These guys showed edited footage. We showed them what actually happened, and they still think those New Assholes are right."

"Those mushroom zombies were gross, but at least they didn't try to frame us for alien attacks." Hawkeye muttered aloud, before shivering. "Actually, no, the fungus plague is worse."

"The ants would agree with you." Ant-Man matched Hawkeye's shiver. When they landed on that other Earth, he shrunk and called for a flying ant. Only to find they were zombified like the people.

"I'm making a cure." Yellowjacket did take samples of the cordyceps virus infecting that Earth. Only with all that's been going, it wasn't his most important project.

"Can they fix my nightmares?" Yellowjacket opened his mouth, but instead just rolled his eyes at Ant-Man. Even he can't fix everything. "Not even a sleep spell in that book of yours?"

The Scarlet Witch shrugged. "I'm still trying to figure out the specifics of this Chaos magic thing."

"If we can circle back." Cap's voice silenced any other conversations. He took a deep breath and shared a look with an uneasy Iron Man. Iron Man argued against his idea. A lot. It took an hour before he agreed. "With recent events, and the escalation of hostility with the New Avengers-"

"Can we get to the point where we smash them?" Hulk growled as he stood from his seat and smacked his fist into the holotable, cracks spread through the surface but survived. No one wanted to take down the President's faction of Avengers more than the Green Goliath. Specifically, one member above all.

"It's not about smashing them anymore." Those words made the Avengers hold their tongues and listened. Cap looked at each member in the eye, from archer, to half-Kree, witch, king, and android, telling them without words the gravity of the situation, and the weight of what he was about to say.

"I'm initiating Fallout Protocol."

The reactions by the oldest Avengers were the strongest. Newer members like Scarlet Witch, Ant-Man, War Machine, and Falcon looked at the soldier in confusion, especially at the dropped jaws and narrowed eyes of the rest.

"Fallout?!" Hawkeye couldn't believe the words. "But Cap, that's-"

"I know."

"That was meant as a worse case scenario."

Cap nodded at Yellowjacket. "I know."

An erratic Wasp stared at the Man out of Time with wide eyes. "I don't mean to call you crazy, Cap, but are you crazy?!"

Falcon raised his hand to gain attention. "Umm, what are we missing?"

"I'm gonna take a guess and say Fallout is bad." Scarlet Witch guessed.

Black Panther stood from his chair and stared straight into the super soldier's eyes. The King of Wakanda did not speak for several moments, until, "Do you truly believe this is the wisest course of action?"

Shaking his head, the First Avenger replied honestly. "Wisest? No. Is it the only course of action? I doubt it. Is it the only way to figure out what's going on? Maybe not. However, what I believe is that since the moment we met them, Iron Patriot and the New Avengers have been goading us into a silent war, a war they're winning. Not through armies or guns, but by using people as weapons. Their opinions, perception of events. They have manipulated the population into forgetting everything we have achieved so far in defence of this world and bought their muddled version of events. President Howard created them when the government lost faith in us after the Phoenix Five. They've only escalated things since then. Lines will be drawn, and people will get hurt. We cannot fight this with brute force." Walking away from the table, the captain looked across their base. His home ever since he woke up from the ice into a strange new world. "That's why, as extreme as it is, Fallout is the one way we can win this war. But I understand if you're hesitant about the risks, and I don't blame you. Know that if you refuse, you will not be judged, my respect for you will not decline. The choice, is yours."

No one spoke. The Avengers who knew the specifics of the protocol contemplated the costs. Those who did not know exchanged nervous glances among each other. The severe reaction by the team told them enough.

Now, they had a decision to make.

Director Hill walked into the empty dock warehouse. Regular clothes hid her uniform, and her weapons. She didn't like this. However, she had no choice. Things were getting tense, and if they went as bad as she believed they could, then they might have a repeat of the Phoenix Five crisis.

Eyeing the room left and right, Hill kept her senses alert as she walked through the maze of pallets and storage containers. The darkness of night, illuminated only by the old, flickering bulbs above her, making it difficult to find the right container. The SHIELD Director didn't need to walk for long when she heard a click right behind her.

"I came alone." Hill said coolly, as she turned and faced the Black Widow. "As I was told."

"Surprised the Director of SHIELD would take such a risk." Black Widow quipped. A noise above them made Hill tilt her head up, and found Quake looking down at her.

"If you could spare me the threats. We all know why we're here." The former marine didn't have time for intimidation tactics, and Mockingbird suddenly landed behind her, staff swinging idly, though she had a neutral face, which Widow noted.

Black Widow kept her gauntlets raised, until movement behind Hill made her lower her weapon. Hill and Mockingbird followed her eyesight and found Nick Fury emerging from the shadows. Eye patch, trenchcoat, and goatee, all the same since she last saw him.

"I thought Europe had problems. Seems I was missing out." Fury spoke to his former number two as Quake landed beside him. His voice lacked warmth or familiarity. This was business, and superpowered business was often the messiest. "Things must have gotten bad if you dragged us away from the fight against HYDRA."

"The Squadron were bad. We had to accept help from Iron Patriot and his Avengers to construct a whole prison for them."

A brow raised by Fury. "You don't mean President Howard's Avengers?"

"Not what my sources say." Hill said matter-of-factly. "Iron Patriot and Citizen V run the show; Howard just smiles of the camera while patting them on the back. I can't confirm, but I believe that it was them who were behind the Super-Adaptoid that sent the Avengers away." Widow and Quake shared surprised glances, but Fury's face remained impassive.

"Seems like the number two team wants out of the shadows."

"And it's only getting-" Hill was stopped when she, Fury, Widow, Quake and Mockingbird stumbled when the Earth shook and a large explosion in the distance went off.

"What the hell?"

Ignoring the blonde agent, Fury whipped his head to the new Director. "Hill."

"I left my comms behind, like you said." He grunted in acceptance. Her location had to remain secret, as did theirs. Fury jerked his head towards a container, the women followed as he unlocked the door and walked in, a single light bulb revealing a board with pictures attached by tacs and string connecting to several prominent figures in Europe and beyond. Hill looked at them all. Including the one at the centre, depicting the Red Skull, who'd escaped the Hydro-Base once more during the Phoenix Five mess, or specifically, before it, when Magneto had come to free Bishop and some others.

Fury pulled open a laptop on a desk, satellite imaging settled on New York, before zooming closer, to find the source. It took only seconds, but when they discovered the cause, none of them, not even Fury could contain their shock.

"Oh my God."

Avengers Mansion was gone. All that was left was a flaming crater.

Earth-199999, New York City

Peter Parker had never done something like this before.

It wasn't as though he didn't play the occasional small 'trick' on his aunt and uncle or some of his classmates; Ben and May might disapprove of bullies and make it clear that Peter should never become one, but Uncle Ben was always up for teaching Peter a few pranks and jokes so long as he never used them against other boys first.

Still, there was a difference between sticking a few spring-loaded snakes in Flash Thompson's locker and sneaking out of the house to go downtown like this. He'd made sure to finish his homework the night before and confirmed that his aunt and uncle didn't need him for anything today, so he wasn't skiving off, but when he'd told them he was just going to the library for a while, catching a bus all the way downtown for something like this…

Peter knew that it was risky going this far into the city on his own, but he'd come this way often enough with Uncle Ben and Aunt May that he knew the route well enough, and he should be fine so long as he didn't talk to any strangers. He stayed in his seat on the bus for the whole trip, not even looking at a book or listening to music so that he could keep all his attention on the stops until he reached his destination. He was waiting by the door as soon as he realized he was approaching his stop, and once he was on the bus he practically made a beeline for the plaque under the bridge.

The view of the tower from the bridge itself might be more dramatic, but it wasn't the same now that the building was mostly empty, but this plaque remained significant.

BATTLE OF NEW YORK MEMORIAL

ON THIS SITE IN 2012
DURING THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK
THE AVENGERS FIRST ASSEMBLED
STEVE ROGERS
TONY STARK
THOR ODINSON
BRUCE BANNER
NATASHA ROMANOFF
CLINT BARTON

It was a distinctive plaque in its way, but at the same time Peter couldn't shake the idea that there should have been more of an effort made to commemorate the significance of this moment. After all, this was the place where the world's first true team of superheroes had come together to defend the planet from a real alien invasion; they should have been given a massive statue or something…

And now, the team was even bigger than before, after the mess with some killer robot and its nukes, and then those aliens having impersonated some of them to cause a fight, with that powerful alien attacking Chicago being the latest threat the Avengers had stopped.

"It's something, isn't it?"

Peter practically jumped at the sudden question, looking around for the source of the voice until his eyes fell on a dark-haired girl that was now standing alongside him, looking up at the plaque with a wistful smile of her own before she looked at Peter.

"You're here because you're a fan, right?" she asked, indicating the plaque as she smiled politely at him, her dark hair pulled tightly back so that her thin face was clearly visible. "I mean, I know we can't all live this close to it-"

"You live here?" Peter looked at the girl with new amazement, looking up to take in all the buildings around them.

"Right there, actually," the girl answered his question as she raised her arm. Following her finger, Peter realised that she was pointing at the upper level of one of the buildings a short distance away; at that range she could easily see Avengers Tower any time she wanted.

"Wow…" Peter said, looking from the building to the girl with a grin. "You were that close… you must have seen them leave for so many missions…"

"You think that's cool?" the girl grinned at him. "Hawkeye actually saved me during the Battle of New York."

"He did?" Peter looked at the girl with even greater admiration; he appreciated that the battle itself had been horrible, but being that involved in basically the greatest moment in recent history…?

"Well…" the girl's smile faltered slightly as she looked down. "I mean, he did shoot down the alien… hover-sled thing that was heading towards our floor, but he was all the way over there, so he probably didn't even know I was specifically in danger…"

"Hey, getting saved by an Avenger's still cool!" Peter grinned reassuringly at her, suddenly finding himself wanting to share his own 'close encounter'. "I mean, Iron Man saved me at the Stark Expo-"

"The Expo?" the girl interrupted, looking curiously at him for a moment before she nodded. "Oh yeah, that was when that… Hammer guy hired a terrorist to create his drones and they nearly killed Tony Stark a couple of years before the Battle, right?"

"Yeah," Peter nodded with an approving grin. "I was at the Expo the night it happened and one of the drones landed in front of me while I was wearing an Iron Man mask… keep in mind I wasn't even ten yet when that happened."

"Whoa…" the girl looked at him with a new sense of awe.

"Yeah, I was just looking back at the drone- I'm not sure what I was thinking of that stopped me just running away- and then Iron Man's right behind me blasting it to bits, and he just told me 'Nice work, kid' before flying off to deal with the rest."

"Wow…" the girl grinned at him, before she adopted a more teasing grin. "Still, anyone can be a hero in a fancy suit like that; Hawkeye does lots of cool stuff and all he's got is his arrows."

"Yeah, but Mr. Stark made that suit pretty much by himself; you can't say that's not cool-"

"Hey, I respect the suit, I'm just saying I like the guy who can do all that with something simpler… trick arrows aside, anyway."

"…Yeah, Hawkeye was cool too," Peter nodded, turning back to the plaque with a sigh. "Still, they've got some interesting ones on the team now, right?"

"Yeah… I never said the new ones weren't cool, but it's just… the original 6 have something about them…."

"They do", Peter agreed. "I admire Mr. Stark for how smart he is. But I really like Captain America. He is not smart in that sense, but wow, listening to him really makes me wanna impress him….even with those PSAs."

"Yeah…..those", the girl said in understanding.

"The street guys are cool too, especially Daredevil, man, he is-"

"Oh yeah, he is so awesome", the girl agreed before she looked at him more curiously. "So… do you want to come over for a bit?"

"Over?" Peter repeated, quickly realizing what she meant as he looked over at the previously-indicated building with a grin. "You're sure?"

"It's a bit quiet right now, and if you don't have anywhere to be soon… well, I can help cover the cost of getting you home later if you don't have anywhere you need to be," the girl said with a slight shrug. "I mean, I didn't have anything planned, and I've liked talking with you…"

"Yeah," Peter nodded at her with a cautious smile of his own. "I… I like talking to you too."

Even at this young age, Peter knew that he should be cautious around strangers, but there was something about this girl… her honest smile, her eager talkativeness, the way she was such an honest Avengers fan who'd really thought about her choice of favourite…

He wasn't sure what they'd talk about at her house, but when he'd spent so long with just Ned Leeds and Gwen Stacy for real company (even the people in most of his clubs were just acquaintances who didn't really get him), was it so bad to want to try and make another friend?

"…My name's Peter, by the way," he said as he began to walk after the girl. "Peter Parker."

"Peter Parker?" the girl repeated, looking back at him with a grin as she held out her hand. "Kate Bishop; nice to meet you."

Despite Peter's private concerns about what the two of them would talk about, once they started talking on the way to the Bishop penthouse, it was as though they had known each other for years. They might both be Avengers fans, but Peter was just as fascinated to learn about Kate's opinion of their personal qualities as Kate was to hear about Peter's views on the science of some of the heroes' achievements. When the topic turned to questions such as other alien life apart from the Chitauri, the Skrulls, that thing that had attacked Chicago, or what exactly life was like on Asgard, each of them could just enjoy the other's opinions on the topic, and even allowed them to build on the other's theories with their own speculation.

Peter almost didn't realize how long he'd been there until his cellphone rang and he heard Aunt May yelling at him about making her and Uncle Ben worry, until Kate cut in to explain that Peter had been safe with her, introducing herself in a manner that let Peter imply she was an older friend he just hadn't mentioned before.

Granted, Peter had to endure a bit of teasing from his uncle when he got home about all the time he'd spent at "a girl's house", but Peter had just responded with a couple of teasing comments of his own and Ben had left it alone.

He'd almost expected that one afternoon together would be it, but the next weekend Kate would call his number to ask if he'd like to hang out with her on another quiet afternoon, and Peter would barely remember to ask Ben and May for permission before he said yes. His new friend lived too far away for Peter to just drop in after school during the week, particularly when he'd need to do his homework, but it was a rare weekend when he wouldn't find the time to drop by her house or Kate would ask to meet him somewhere in the city.

Visits to his flat from her would be less regular, but that wouldn't be anything to do with Kate. For reasons he'd be unable to properly define to himself, inviting her into his life to that extent would made Peter feel… not uncomfortable, exactly, but as though he was crossing some kind of line he couldn't explain properly. The closest she'd come to visiting his place would be when they could only hang out on short notice, due to last-minute cancellations or something, and she'd actually sent a driver down to pick him up so they could meet in a park or something for an hour or so.

He wouldn't exactly start neglecting Ned and Gwen or his other after-school clubs just to visit Kate, but he'd always try to make her part of his weekly routine, and it'd seem like Kate was doing what she could to include him in her life as well. He'd know that she was a lot richer than he was, but he'd never try to take advantage of that, and would be fairly sure Kate wasn't hold his own family's financial status against him when she'd send a driver down to pick him up…

It would be the strangest, most unexpected friendship Peter would make, but despite their contrasting backgrounds, he'd really enjoy his time with Kate, and he'd like to think that she reciprocated the sentiment. Ned and Gwen would always be there for him at school, and Peter would enjoy talking with some of the other people in his clubs, but there'd be something about Kate that'd make it easy for him to open up with her…

After nearly over a month of friendship, everything would soon change when Peter's class would go on a certain trip.

Asgard

The serenity of the Fields of Frigga was unmatched within all of Asgard. A sprawling woodland where the Wolf Gods of Asgard roamed, the birds roost without fear, and the magic of the Realm flowed into the very air and roots. Tended by the Goddess of Motherhood and Home, until her passing, the Fields maintained their beauty by the will of the All-Father.

It was within these woods that Loki had remained since the return of the God of Mischief to Asgard. Reclined upon the ground, the grass his pillow and the wind his blanket.

The adopted Prince raised his hand; a dagger flashed in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, that dagger elongated to a sword. Releasing his grip, the sword disappeared in a green shimmer.

Feeling eyes on him from a distance, Loki closed his eyes for moment and opened them to reveal shining green irises. Further away, an eagle landed on the top of a tree, its own eyes flashing green as he stared down at a figure on a hill overlooking the forest. Hogun the Grim watched from afar. Monitoring the adopted Son of Odin per the All-Father's orders.

Sighing in annoyance, Loki flicked his wrist. At his silent command, the trees tilted and moved, blocking the keen eyesight of the Vanir warrior.

Every day he had an unwanted visitor, and every day he made their duty redundant by blocking their view. Ever since his return from the other universe and aiding against the other Loki, the God of Mischief had remained in Asgard, with no small threat and spell from the All-Father to ensure he did so. He had been confined to Asgard, but he refused to remain in a city that hated him or a father that lied to him.

Again.

Thus, Loki remained in the one place he always felt welcome. In the heart of Frigga's own forest, where she would teach him the ways of magic, and recall stories to her of young godhood on Vanaheim. Stories she told to him, Thor, and…Balder.

The memories of his younger brother came like a wave upon his mind. The joy, the pain, the grief, it drove him mad. There was never a shadow with Balder, only light. He was laughter, kindness. Balder the Beloved, Loki had jokingly called him once. It stuck because it was true.

He remembered that day when they saw the body fall. It was not just Thor who had raged against the culprit. Loki remembered the incantations he had uttered. The dark magicks he had channelled. He defiled nature as he struck revenge against those who had murdered his brother. A thousand years he was gone, and a thousand years Loki had not realised the piece that was missing in his heart. Balder could make peace between anyone, including Thor at his unruliest and Loki at his worst.

To think that someone like that, someone like their mother, was able to rein in both of them…Loki wondered had Balder been with them, would he join with the Jotuns? Would he trick Thor? Try to destroy Jotunheim? Could he have been spared the torture by the Other?

That last thought made the God of Mischief freeze.

No. No, he cannot and will not remember what happened on Sanctury. Hands began to shake before the Trickster clenched them into fists, and green fires erupted from his knuckles. Breathing in, the Jotun-turned-Asgardian exhaled, unclenching his fists and extinguishing the flames.

This was Frigga's place. Where her warmth still lived within the roots and the trees. He wouldn't disturb it. Not when his happiest memories existed within these woods. When things were simpler.

Happy.

Innocent.

Deep within the adopted Odinson was one fact even he cannot lie about.

He missed his family.

A sound of thunder and a gust of wind broke the serenity of the Fields. Loki's hands pushed against the ground, his body shooting upward until he was standing on his feet. The sky turned grey as clouds circled above.

"Thor?" Loki wondered, but no. this was not Thor's power. Not even Odin's. This was different.

And it terrified him.

A lightning bolt larger than he'd ever seen descended from the skies above Asgard, striking the very ground before Loki. The flash of light blinded the Trickster, making him cover his eyes until he felt the light and heat fade away. Slowly lowering his limb, Loki saw the woods were once again bathed in daylight, the skies blue and shining. Creatures howled and chirped without worry. What kind of power was that?

Loki finally gazed towards the place where the lightning struck.

And felt the breath leave his lungs.

Clad in armour and a pristine white cape, the Asgardian pushed himself from his hands and knees until he made it back to his feet. And then did he realize who stood before him.

"Loki?"

"Balder." Loki whispered. His brother.

Balder looked around the Realm in disbelief, confusion, shock, happiness, collided in a mesh of emotion that struggled to contain itself. That was when the first tears began to fall. He looked to his older brother and wept. He covered his mouth to hold back a choke and reached out.

He did not need to. Loki closed the distance in quick steps and engulfed Balder with his arms. The God of Light gripped the God of Mischief tightly and wailed. Loki did not flinch at the strength, merely tighten his own grip as Balder's legs failed him, bringing them both to the ground onto their knees.

"I have you, brother." Loki promised as Balder buried his face into the Odinson's shoulder. "And I'm not letting go."

"You're real. It's all…real." Balder mumbled into the fabric of Loki's robes, staining them with his tears. For so many years as a slave, he never dreamed he would see his home again as a free God. Despair and pain, hopelessness and grief were all he had. Now he's here.

"You're home now, little brother." Loki told him with a quiver in his voice as his own tears dropped into Balder's brown locks. "You're home."