The End of Freedom?
The heroes were about to depart to their home. The founders of Justice Avenger Legion gathered up, as they were about to say farewell to the Guardians of the Galaxy who were now about to depart Earth with Yondu.
“So... how did you guys become heroes?”, Superman asked.
“I am quite curious about that too, Superman. I had only known You, Diana and Steve as those who were worthy of Mjolnir, but I’ve never expected to see so many worthy of my hammer”, Thor commented.
“I do agree. We need to know each other better if we are to fight against Supermaniac together”, Captain America suggested. Steve motioned Tony to introduce himself first, as they were the ones who came up with the concept of the Justice Avenger Legion.
“I am Iron Man, Tony Stark. I was once just a billionarie of a company creating weapons, but I changed when I saw the weapons created by my company were used to hurt people. I realized that when I was hit by one of the weapons. I was taken hostages by some terrorists, but a good man named Yinsen sacrificed himself to save me. Since then, I decided to use my creations only for the sake of innocent people and justice, and that’s how I became Iron Man”, Tony explained. Steve was the one to talk next.
“I am Steve Rogers, Captain America. I was once thin and vulnerable, but I couldn’t back down from fighting against Hitler and Nazis, which became Hydra and Red Skull afterwards. I wouldn’t had been able to fight if it were not for the Super Solder Serum given to me by Abraham Erskine, who chose me to be the first Super Soldier. I was frozen in Antarctica after I stopped Red Skull from bombing the United States, but Nick Fury brought me back. Since then, I joined the Avengers and fought justice. I am still grateful to doctor Erskine for choosing me to be Captain America”, Steve concluded.
“So you are both sort of chosen ones. I am Liu Kang. I was chosen by Lord Raiden and Lord Fujin alongside my brother, Kung Lao, to fight against an evil conquerer from a realm called Outworld, Shao Kahn, and his servant, Shang Tsung. We trained to fight against the conquerer to defend all realms from the conquerer, but our powers were never enough. It all changed when we fused with our divine mentors, who made us gods to finish the conquerer, allowing a fair ruler to take over Shao Kahn. It is my duty to serve and protect Earthrealm, with all of you”, Liu Kang introduced himself.
“My name is Shinji Ikari, and Liu Kang is my mentor. I became a pilot of a giant called Evangelion, which actually had my mother’s soul inside. Before I became a pilot, I was just a coward. The 14th one sucked me inside of a shadow portal, where I met the wizard Shazam of the world of Supermaniac, who gave me power of the Apostles and sent me back. Then, Kano and his Black Dragon invaded my home to steal EVA technology. I fought against him and won. That’s why I decided to use the technology of NERV to save the world, instead of keeping it to ourselves”, Shinji added. However, this introduction was met by dismay of some heroes, who refused to see the third child as a coward.
“There is no way you are a coward, kid. You just thought so because you had no power to fight for the people. When you gained the power by becoming the pilot, you realized your inner potential of being a hero, just like all of us. Not everybody is like Superman who is all powerful since the beginning. You were destined to be a hero, like all of us”, Captain America commented.
“I do agree with Steve. You had committed various acts of virtue since Kano’s defeat. Your organization cured Jane Foster’s cancer, and saved my beloved. I am truly grateful to you and your service. I, Thor Odinson, will be in your debt. Maybe you could be worthy of Mjolnir too”, Thor added.
“You also helped me restore the Lin Kuei back to human after Sektor’s cyber initiative, and my brother, Bi-Han. You should be more proud of yourself”, Sub Zero told the third child.
“And I should say even who are all powerful has to go through a lot to become a hero. You all know me as Superman, but my name is Clark Kent, and I am proud to be human. It was quite surprising and hurtful to hear of another version of me who became a deceased maniac and committed despicable acts in his Lois’ name. Now that I thought about it, the teaching of my parents was the great factor in making me the hero I am now. They taught me to use my powers to defend those who could not fight for themselves, and not to use the power to hurt people. I lost my father before I became Superman, and this taught me the feeling of powerlessness, but I will never stop fighting for hope, freedom, and justice, unlike my other self”, Superman added.
“Clark said he is proud to be human. It is the same for me, even though I look like more machine than man. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. I used to be a library clerk, until my planet, Cybertron, fell into the Decepticon dictatorship of my former brother, Megatron, leading me to become a Prime, the wielder of a relic called Matrix of Leadership. Megatron was once a rebel who fought against a corrupt council, but he became worse than them in the end. Megatron waged war on all those who opposed him. He eventually killed our home planet with a substance called Dark Energon, which was toxic to all Cybertronians, except them. I will not let the same tragedy to be repeated on Earth, and we will do it together”, Optimus Prime declared.
“We are all human, regardless of our race. I am Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, leader of the XMEN. Before heroes like Superman, my kinds, Mutants, who were mutated from humans, were met with suspicion and fear from humanity, but we knew assuring people that we are not here to hurt them was what mutants had to do. That is why professor X, my mentor, formed the XMEN, my family, to fight for justice. Sometimes, we had a human enemy, then mutant enemies like Magneto who just wanted to prove mutants superior to humans for the sake of protection of mutantkind. However, the number of human enemy had decreased greatly thanks to our effort. This proves we are right to protect humanity, as well as all innocent lives, and our families”, Cyclops said proudly.
“I am so happy to have mentors like all of you, like Batman. I am Richard Grayson, Nightwing. I was formerly Batman’s sidekick Robin, before I decided to start my own carrier. I became unhinged when Batman died... like the time Joker tortured my brother Jason to death, who were later brought back to life by the Lazarus Pits. I was mad... I wanted to kill Batman’s killers... the Court of Owls who killed Jim Gordon. With my team, I exterminated the Court and imprisoned Talon in a ice prison thanks to Supergirl. Then I saw Galatea come to make peace with us. I was so mad, and I decided to kill her, but it was my new friend I was about to kill, who shielded the other Kara. I was about to kill the hero who helped my team, but he forgave me and even took pleasure in joining my team. I swore that I will never let anger take the better of my judgement... and turn me into something like Supermaniac”, Nightwing vowed.
“I am amazed to see a world blessed with many heroes... because mine had none, until I became one, Green Guardian. My name is Armin Arlert. My world has three walls to defend ourselves from man-eating titans, which attacked your cities. I was once a bullied kid without courage, but I changed thanks to the ring. You know I saw the other Hal’s memories... I was afraid, but seeing the Regime torment so many innocent people and heroes, Kara... Cassie, my fear changed to hatred. I wanted to kill the Regime, and this helped me to find my courage, and the rest is history. Also, today, I learned from Raiden my ancestors were evil people who joined Shinnok in his first attempt, and I’m glad I was able to redeem the past with you. I learned that Tyrants are useless, and I will fight to bring all of them down for the people, freedom, hope, and justice”, Green Guardian declared.
“Well then, let me tell you about something. I had been bullied too, and I had my friend, Bucky, help me, like your friends. Also, you didn’t just save your home from the Regime, but the entire universe, and all of us. I am so proud of you”, Steve told Armin, who nodded.
“So I have something in common with Captain America?! That is so cool, and I am really happy about your compliments, Captain. And I realized I had a similarity with Optimus too, not just both of us being Green Lanterns, but also that I used to be a bookworm too”, Green Guardian said in realization.
“Steve is fine, and we are all equals”, Captain America replied.
“I am honored to share a trait with a hero who had courage to fight against tyrants alone. Even I had my Autobots with me. You will surely become the best of your world, who gives everyone hope when they look up to the sky”, Optimus told his new lantern comrade.
“I now know my other self was a despicable coward, but if there was something he did right, it was choosing you to be his successor”, Hal spoke to Green Guardian, who returned a smile.
“Make sure that your world is comfortable, kid! Because we might visit your planet someday!”, Star Lord ordered the blonde lantern, in joking tone.
“Wow... you all have remarkable feats and fought the worst of enemies. I doubt that I am in your league. I am Harry Potter, and I come from a world with obsolete sorcery and technologies. My enemy was just a pathetic fool who had been defeated by Wonder Woman who saved baby me, but my world cheered me instead, so they could hide the existence of heroes. Since then, I struggled against the fool, Voldemort, whom you could take down with ease. I only defeated him with your help, and I am weak and afraid compared to everyone else. I don’t know whether I belong in this legion anymore”, Steelbane sighed.
“Being a hero has nothing to do with your strength. What matters most is that you fight and you have a good heart. You proved your heroism by fighting with us, and we do not judge ourselves by our strength”, Superman told Harry.
“And I just saved you because I wanted to. I am Diana of Themyscira, Wonder Woman, and I am so disgusted at the heinous acts of my counterpart. I came to man’s world to help people with my skills, power, and love. I am so glad to see a baby I saved, grown up to be a hero who fights with us. I promise to everyone I will never become like that pretender”, Wonder Woman said. Then Captain America put his hand before everyone, and motioned the nine founders, Iron Man, Thor, and Wonder Woman to form a circle.
“I am truly glad we had founded this legion. We won’t back down from any threats, even Supermaniac, and will do whatever it takes to stop them, together. With all of us, no evil will be able to suppress us. We will keep fighting until the end”, Captain America declared. Then, everyone else put their hands in front of them, their hands forming a circle, as they had finally become a team.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, Supermaniac and Wonder Whore awaited Dark Raven to find an alternative. They were becoming impatient, until their demoness servant brought them a news.
“Lord Superman, I had found the alternative”, Dark Raven answered. Wonder Whore smirked in delight, as she imagined her beloved killing Green Guardian and herself slaughtering his soldier friends, and collecting their heads as trophies.
“Tell us immediately! Because I am now impatient!”, Supermaniac growled.
“The alternative lies in a dimension called Utopian Parallel, which exists outside of time and the multiverse. I can open a portal toward the Utopian Parallel from the Phantom Zone. However, we will need this girl to open a portal to the Earth you seek to enter”, Dark Raven reported as she made an image of a Latino girl appear in front of her master.
“Who is this little girl? She looks so pathetic”, Wonder Whore asked Dark Raven.
“Her name is America Chavez. She has the power to open portals between dimensions”, Dark Raven answered. Supermanic looked at the image of so called America Chavez with contempt.
“Such great power wasted on a disobedient child... I cannot allow this. Her powers will be mine, and I will use it to bring peace to the whole multiverse. Soon all these ungrateful and incompetent ‘heroes’ will fall against us, and I will be the one to crush them all, because I am the true hero”, Supermaniac smirked.
“We need to subdue the so called Utopian Parallel as soon as possible! They will never expect us to come so soon, and they will all fall by our hands!”, Wonder Whore roared with delight.
“Indeed. Diana, Bruce! Ready my entire army! We will capture this America Chavez, and we will destroy all those who stands in our way! This time, the Regime will prevail, and the insurgency will truly die!”, Supermaniac declared as his minions went to gather their army.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Justice Avenger Legion had already parted their ways, as the Titans, except for Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs who went home with their family, were now in their tower. However, they were never in a mood to have a party like they used to. The last time they defeated the court, they actually had a funeral for Jim Gordon. Even though they had achieve victory, the fear of Supermaniac wrecked them all. The terrified faces of Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs, as they embraced each other with their parents, had been burned to Raven’s eyes. Raven could see Starfire and Barbara Gordon holding onto Nightwing, as despair consumed them. Wally was hugging a terrified Artemis Crook, himself also horrified. Jason and Tim had held Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain tightly, all of them unable to sleep. Cassie Sandsmark cried into the embrace from Superboy and Miss Martian, all of them in dread. Raven could feel their dread, as she noticed her new friend walk toward her with a look of regret.
“I’m sorry, Raven. If I hadn’t told everyone about the Regime this soon, maybe everyone could still celebrate our victory against Shinnok”, Green Guardian told her.
“You did what you had to. We don’t know when this Supermaniac will come, and it’s better to prepare as soon as possible”, Raven replied.
“That doesn’t justify scaring everyone else... I was supposed to fight for hope, but now I brought dread to everyone...”, Green Guardian said with shame.
“There are times we cannot see any hope, but what matters most is how we overcome our despair. You didn’t do anything wrong. I think I am going to meditate, so I could wash my fear away”, Raven replied as she left and entered her room. Raven begun to levitate herself inside a magic circle, and begun her meditation. Rachel never thought she would see another horrifying vision, because the accidental death of their new teammate by their leader had been prevented, but this time, she saw something, even worse.
The vision begun with the image of New York in ruins. Crows were everywhere, as they smelled dead bodies. The dead bodies of the Avengers were discovered first. Captain America had been sliced in half with his own Vibranium shield, as Thor had his head in half by Stormbreaker. Iron Man was a headless corpse as his brains were splattered on the street below. The rest of the Avengers, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Wanda Maximoff, Quicksilver, Doctor Strange, and even Hulk were all ripped in half, as crows feasted upon their guts.
The next to show up was the dead bodies of the Justice League. All of them mutilated. Then the corpses of the Autobots, some of them having holes in their spark chamber, smaller ones all ripped in half, had appeared. Then she saw Evangelion units sliced in half in vertical line, as well as Liu Kang’s combatants all torn apart. The XMEN shared the same fate as the dead heroes, most of them ripped in half, even Colossus. Then the dead bodies of the Fantastic Four, Guardians of the Galaxy, lanterns except for Yellow and Orange, the soldiers, the sorcerers, including students from Hogwarts, then her Titan friends’ dead bodies, all of them mutilated in gruesome ways, the last being their newest lantern whose head had been impaled on the flag of the One Earth Regime. Rachel noticed a female fighting against the one responsible for these deaths, Supermaniac himself. The next moment, Rachel heard her own voice as she was punched away by Supermaniac, as her magic did nothing on the Kryptonian Tyrant, who had brainwashed both Kara Zor-El, Lois Lane, and her son, making them stand by his side, as herself in the vision groaned in pain.
“Where are the rest of the so called heroes, Raven? My Raven is far more superior to you, as I was to my alternate incompetent self. These disobedient children shackles me no longer!”, Supermaniac declared as he punched Raven in the face several times, before tossing her away like rubbish. The Red Gem on Raven’s head were shattered into pieces as a result. Then the mad Kryptonian stomped on Raven, and smirked, holding corrupted Mjolnir and Gungnir which had purple veins in his hand.
“My Reign spreads across the multiverse. Now it is the end of all Freedom, and so, Chaos”, Supermaniac smirked with evil eyes. Raven could not take this anymore, and screamed.
“STOP!”, However, Supermaniac completely ignored Raven, and resumed his sinister speech.
“It is done. The time for your disobedience and incompetence had passed”, Raven had no choice. She knew her world was already doomed, but it was better to end it by her father’s, Trigon’s hand, rather than letting this mad Kryptonian end it. Raven used her spell on her broken Gem, to release Trigon to the world, but Supermaniac used his freeze breath to stop Raven from chanting her spell.
“Years wasted in foolish resistance. Now is the dawn of my rule, my justice, my peace”, Supermaniac made his eyes glow red to finish Rachel off, as he grabbed Raven by the neck, choking her.
“Now bare witness, as your incompetent heroes turn into my competent heroes, as your meaningless life ends”, Supermaniac smirked as he pointed at his new zombie cyborgs made of the dead heroes, all of them kneeling before Supermaniac. Supermanaic wasted no time blasting Rachel’s eyes with heat vision, and melted her brain, killing her. The next moment, Raven saw multiple visions of heroes being slain by Supermaniac, Wonder Whore, and their Skull Ships. The last thing she saw was her new blonde lantern friend getting killed by Supermaniac as the tyrant’s hand tore into his chest, and a star-shaped portal opening, leading the Regime to their world, as a latino girl fell from the portal to their world.
“NOOOOOOO!”, Rachel screamed in terror, as she awoke from her horrifying vision. Immediately, the door on her room opened, revealing everyone else outside.
“What is it, friend Raven? Did you have another nightmare?”, Starfire asked, with a fearful voice.
“You could had stayed with us. There is nothing to be ashemed of for fearing Supermaniac”, Beast Boy added, himself not being able to hide his own horror.
“Be honest with us, Rachel. We need to support each other”, Nightwing told Rachel.
“I had a vision... It’s Supermaniac!”, Raven screamed as she cried, completely upset.
“What is wrong with you? What did Supermaniac do?”, Donna asked, with worry.
“Supermaniac... he... he killed everyone. He came through a star shaped portal which dropped off a latino girl... Armin was the first to die, by getting his chest impaled by Supermaniac... then everyone died, me being the last”, Raven kept sobbing. Cassie Sandsmark went pale from even more dread. They all went pale, until Armin spoke.
“Raven, you told me you had a vision of me getting killed by a spear, and the event almost happened. Therefore I came to a conclusion. Your vision isn’t just a nightmare, but an event which will happen in the future, and you somehow send the memory of the events back to the past, when you die”, the blonde lantern explained. Everyone else were completely stunned by immense horror, until Nightwing finally managed to speak.
“Then we need to close the star shaped portal which will lead Supermaniac to us. We may not be strong enough to fight them, but we can at least prevent his entrance. Maybe the latino girl will be the one to open the portal. You need to take control of her mind to close the portal”, Nightwing told Raven.
“Dick... are you telling Rachel to do mind control?”, Billy Batson asked. However, Dick knew it was a necessary evil.
“I don’t want to, Billy, but we have no choice. It is a necessary evil, and we have to do so for the sake of the survival of this universe”, Nightwing replied grimly.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Regime were finally readying their troops. The Skull Ships, the zombie heroes, the yellow lantern army. Supermanic, Wonder Whore, and Black Oracle stood before them, with a twisted determined gaze.
“A month ago, Diana suffered a humiliating defeat by the one who dared to succeed the criminal Hal Jordan. He even destroyed the dimensional transporter, the device for bringing peace to the whole multiverse, but now, we had found an alternative”, Supermaniac told his minions.
“This pathetic girl, America Chavez, has the power to open portals between dimensions. She is in the so called Utopian Parallel, which we are going to conquer today”, Wonder Whore added with a devilish smirk.
“We will take her powers and use it to bring peace to all universes. No disobedient children will be able to stand against us. If they kill one of the troops, even more Skull Ships will rain fire upon them!”, Supermaniac roared, and resumed his evil speech.
“We will crush them all, and absolute peace will prevail, under my command!”, Supermaniac declared, as Wonder Whore roared.
“Hail Kal-El! Hail the One Earth Regime!”, the minions repeated after Wonder Whore, as they entered the Phantom Zone, to conquer the Utopian Parallel, and collect America Chavez.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the Utopian Parallel, America Chavez was sitting with her two mothers, until they felt the ground shake like an Earthquake. They looked up to the sky and saw many Skull shaped vessels and flying monsters in yellow light, and a man with a distorted S on his chest, accompanied by a brown-skinned demon and an Amazon with a murderous gaze. Then, America heard the most horrifying speech in her entire life.
“Subjects of Utopian Parallel! I am Superman, the bringer of absolute peace and order! Surrender America Chavez to ME, or DIE!”