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Mao Mao Sheriff of Pure Hearts (They/Them)

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New York City, New York
Three Years Ago

Issue #3.02
𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡 & 𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔


Steve nervously tapped his foot as he sat at a small cafe table out near the street. He brushed his hand through his hair and readjusted his jacket. He hadn’t entirely adjusted to the real world, and he wasn’t entirely sure if Diana would show up. Rogers had to swallow his pride and ask some kid at the local library to look some things up on the “internet.” Part of Steve thought that he had arranged a meeting with the wrong Diana Prince. His friend certainly had to be dead by now, right?

Diana was a few blocks away from a cafe where someone wanted to meet her in person. She didn’t know if the stranger was friend or foe but their message caught her attention. Originally, she wasn’t going to read it at all until their email name appeared: lostvintage lunchbox1942@gmail.com. It felt unusally familiar and she decided to read their message. That was why she decided to meet them. She tried to figure out who sent the message but none of the usual suspects made sense. Expect for one person, but he died over the Arctic Ocean seventy-four years ago.

Etta Candy tried to warn her of the possible deception but Diana ensured that she was going to be fine. Now, she was floating above the cafe and the crowd of customers started to get excited while some of them pulled out their phones to take pictures. Diana scanned the area and didn’t see anything suspicious at first. She slowly made her way down to meet her adoring fans. A woman made her way towards Wonder Woman and asked her to sign their white phone case.

She always knew how to make an entrance. Steve slowly rose to his feet and began approaching the crowd, his hands shoved in his pockets. He pushed his way through the fringes of the crowd to get near Diana with his head slightly inclined towards the ground. Once near the front, Steve pulled out a small trading card. Displayed on the front of the card was a realistic drawing of three World War II heroes: Captain America, Wonder Woman, and Captain Marvel. He extended the card out towards Diana next to a woman who had asked for a phone case to be signed.

While she was signing the phone case, Diana saw that someone had a trading card with them awaiting her signature. She handed the phone case and grabbed the card without looking at the owner. With a closer look, she realized that this particular card was extremely rare and only sold during the war. She recalled how excited the artist was on that day since he was going to be drawing the heroes. It was one of the times that she spent time with all three of her friends while the whole world was at war. Diana didn’t want to sign on the unique card and handed it back to its owner.

When Diana finally looked at its owner, she was caught off guard by the striking similarities to Captain America. She collected herself and told him, “I… I am amazed that you have this trading card. If I don’t mind asking you, where did you buy it?”

Steve gave a small smile and shrugged. ”The artist made sure we got a copy.” Without saying a word further, he made his way back towards his seat at the cafe as he shoved his hands back into his pockets.

Diana froze when she heard his answer and saw him going back to his seat. She didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t until a concerned child asking if she was alright that she had to do something. Diana turned towards the child and answered with a smile, “Yeah, I just thought that I saw a ghost. Don’t worry about me. Do you have anything for me to sign?”

The child grabbed Wonder Woman’s hand and started dragging her towards one of the outdoor table. Fortunately, her parents’ table was nearby the man with the trading card. While she was getting a closer look at him, the child pulled out a small Wonder Woman notebook and asked if she could sign it. Diana grabbed the notebook and saw cute drawings of her in the pages; however, there was a blank page. She looked at the kid and whispered, “Could I ask you something?”

After she was doing signing the notebook, the child hugged Wonder Woman and went back to her parents animated about meeting her hero. While she was walking away, the notebook paper found its way onto the man’s table. It told him to meet her in an allyway just a few blocks away from the cafe. She looked at the man for the last time and flew away as the crowd cheered in excitement.

Cap gave a small nod as he locked eyes with Diane and read the note. He slipped it into his pocket, took one last sip of his coffee, and left a few bucks on the table underneath the mug as he stood up to make his way to the alley. He checked over his shoulder as he slipped in between the two buildings and approached a familiar figure in the shadows.

“I don’t how you know about the card or where you got it, but you aren’t him. You can’t be him.” Diana looked straight at the man and placed her right hand onto the hilt of her sword. “So, I will give you a chance to explain yourself. What are you?”

Steve raised his hands defensively. ”I’m a kid from Brooklyn who’s been on ice for a… well, a few years. I wouldn’t appreciate surviving a dip in the arctic just to get run through by an old friend now.”

“You aren’t the first person to claim to be Captain America or the man under the mask… and you won’t be the last.” Diana looked away for a moment in sadness and then approached him. She still kept her hand on the hilt for protection while taking a closer look at him. He looked so much like him, but she sadly dealt with illusion of him before. Then, she thought of something that the real Captain America would have known.

“I haven’t asked this question in a long time, but I will only ask once. Where did we meet and what were your first words to me?”

Steve shook his head, staring down at the ground for a moment before giving a curt nod. [color=00aeef]”Occupied France, helping with the resistance movement there. If I remember correctly, Trevor had us meet at a printing press there. I’m pretty sure I accidentaly said, ‘Hi Steve, I’m Diana.’ After we talked business, I asked you to sign a lunchbox.” Rogers lowered his hands and slipped them into his jeans. ”Do you believe me now, Diana?”

“And you made me laugh…” Diana mumbled to herself after he was done and then took a few steps back. It can’t really be him. In an instant, Diana pulled out her lasso of truth and threw it towards the man. The lasso wrapped around his upper chest.

“Identify yourself.” Diana ordered him and the lasso started glowing. “The Lasso of Hestia compels you.”

Steve grunted at the slightly uncomfortable bind he found himself in. ”Your friend, Steve Rogers… but most knew me as Captain America.”

Her hands were trembling while she freed her friend of the lasso. Diana didn’t know how to react to the return of Steven Rogers. Instead of words, she ran towards him and hugged him as tight as possible (without hurting him). She lived for seventy-four years to witness the world changed while everybody she knew either died or disappeared. But for the first time in decades, she didn’t feel alone any more.

𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥


”Hey, Diana. Mind if we have a little chat?” Steve’s arms were folded, and his lips were stretched into a frown as his brow was slightly furrowed. He had seen the footage from Trasnia, in between talking heads on the television going over how Wonder Woman was a disgrace to everything heroes stand for. But here he was, watching the same woman he had punched Nazis with tending to a garden and enjoying the countryside in rural Ohio. Steve just gave a small nod after taking a deep breath. ”It’s about the Committee. And Trasnia.”

“I know.” Diana looked away from the roses and stared at Rogers. “Why else are you here.”

Of all people she didn’t want to see, Steven Rogers was one of them. Diana knew that he was disappointed in her for Trasnia. She knew that he wasn’t the only one disappointed by Wonder Woman. Even though it was a sunny day, Diana invited her friend inside the house and offered to make drinks. She made her way to the house and realized how the living room was a mess. Diana made her way inside and tried to clear up the table for her guest.

“I am sorry about the mess. These past few days have been... chaotic.” Diana said to her friend while grabbing the blanket and shoving it into a closet. Then, she rushed towards the kitchen to make tea. It was when she tired to figure out why her friend was here. All she knew was that Trasnia was in his mind; however, she didn’t know why he wanted to talk about the committee unless its connected to her harsh actions. Diana took a quick glance at Rogers and headed back to finish the tea.

Cap gave a nod as he looked around the living room. ”It’s a nice little place you have here. I always considered the countryside, but I get called in to the office too often.” He gave a hesitant smile as he slowly sat down on the couch to wait for Diana and the drinks. ”Yeah, I know what you mean by chaotic. I just got beaten up by a werewolf in London.”

Sounds better than having the whole world slowly turning against you Diana thought at Roger’s answers and then went silence for a moment. She wished that she was dealing with villians like The Fiddler instead of political bullshit. She dreamed of living a simple life once more. But Diana knew that dream was impossible after Trasnia. Thankfully, the tea was done and she poured it into cups. She grabbed the cups and headed to the living room.

“I hope you like tea.” Diana gave a soft smile at Rogers before setting his cup down in front of him. She took a seat on the chair next to Rogers and set her cup down on the table. There was another moment of awkward silence where Diana waited until Rogers said something.

Cap gave a nod, picking up the cup and taking a sip. ”I’m a fan. Hadn’t tried any until I was off ice.” He tapped the rim of his cup nervously before taking a deep breath. ”I saw the footage, and what they’re saying. I think they’re taking things a bit too far… but I will admit it looks bad, Diana.” Steve set the cup down on the table. ”You cut off someone’s arm and decapitated people. It’s just… our powers are meant to protect and defend. I’ve seen you fight. You don’t need that. You could have taken some of them down with a single punch. Trust me, it’s much less of a mess. How do you think I keep my uniform so damn clean?” Steve flashed a reassuring smile.

Diana laughed and then looked down at her cup. “I wish that things could be resolved with one punch again. But the world changed while you were... frozen. And I lived to see it changed several times. It was both amazing and frightening at the same thing. Now, the world’s changing once more. And it will still change until the end.”

Cap gave a nod. ”One thing hasn’t changed: those people out there still believe in us. They believe in you. They believed in us when we were shooting and stabbing Nazis because they couldn’t see what was happening.” Steve grabbed his cup to take another sip of tea as he quickly organized his thoughts. ”I think the problem now is that everyone is scared. They want to blame a single thing… or person… rather than blame the times. The Nazis and HYDRA weren’t just one person. Nothing is ever one person. They wouldn’t need us if it was.”

“They have been waiting for this, you know?” Diana turned to Rogers and said in a serious tone, “They always wanted to control heroes like me for decades and do you know why? It’s because I will never submit to anyone but the people. I have been doing that for years and the governments hated it especially in America. They always wanted me on their side since the Second World War. Become their puppet against ‘communism’ and fight in the name of ‘freedom’ just like Captain Atom.”

”Or become their weapon against Nazis like Captain America?” Steve slowly rose to his feet and took a sip to begin pacing.

“But you truly never were their weapon.” Diana answered and also took a sip. “You followed your heart even if it went against orders from command. Atom, on the other hand, never challenged them and it turned him into a yes-man. Even now, you are listening to your heart.”

Rogers nodded. ”I know. And you’re not wrong that they want to control you. And it’s why I want to help you take a stand.” Steve nodded after stating his intention and finished his cup so he could set it down on the table.

Diana was taken aback by Roger’s response and offer of help. She was at a lost of words and looked at him confused. ”You want to help me? I... I thought that you wanted to remain hidden from the world?”

Steve gave a small chuckle. ”Doing my job is easier if I stay in the shadows… but it’s about time I’ve been honest to the world. I’ve seen those people using my name daily to talk about how I would condemn what you’re doing, or that I would support certain politician, or that I support drone strikes in the Middle East. It’s time I reclaim my identity.” Steve’s expression was stern, his usual optimism.

“Well... thank you for your support.” Diana said to her friend and stood up while grabbing the cup. “But, I know that this is bigger than me. Whatever the Committee announces will have a ripple effect on the world. We have to fight for this new generation of heroes for their freedom to decide. To create their own destinies. To not be used for fame, fortune, and power. To claim their identities and standby them without fear of outside intervention.”

Diana took another sip of her cup and continued. “Even known I doubt that our words would matter in the end, it’s better to stand your ground and resist than go against everything I stand for. You taught me that once, Rogers. Now, you have to share your wisdom with the entire world. I just hope that they are willing to listen.”


Steve gave a small smile and nodded. ”I don’t know if they need just my wisdom, or even if they need our words. What they need are our actions. We need to keep saving the world and doing the right thing. And the next generation will follow our lead... like I followed yours.”

Diana smiled back and walked towards her sword, which was on the ground next to her gear. She grabbed it and said coldly towards it, “I always carried this sword around with me for the purpose of showing strength. But, it has brought nothing but pain and sorrow.”

That was when she dropped it to the ground and proudly declared, “No more. I am already strong without it.”

”Yeah. You might want to lose the shield too, it’s kind of my thing.” Steve gave a small chuckle.

Diana laughed and was going to say something back until her phone rang again. She was too afraid to pick it up, but not anymore. The phone had a dozen missed calls and unseen text messages from various people including Candy. Diana unlocked her and tapped on the latest text message by Candy. It only said, “Check the news. Now.”

With the concered text, Diana grabbed the remote from the table and changed the channel. CNN was airing a short speech by Senator Swanwick and Senator Finch. According to the news anchor, they were expected to request Wonder Woman’s presence in the Capitol. It was quicker than expected but their decision was influenced by Trasnia. Now, it cut to a room with the two sentaors. Senator Swanwick was the first one to start off the speech.

“A few weeks ago, my fellow senators and I came together to announce the special committee’s formation. In that speech, we warned Wonder Woman that she will have to answer for actions. Now with her recent bruality in the town of Trasnia, we have to confront her and demand answers. Wonder Woman, it is time.”

Then, Senator Finch continued the speech. “We urgent her to come to the hill of the people to see and hear those that suffered. To know what she stands for. How far will she take her power? Or does she act by our will or by her own?"

Steve sighed, folding his arms and glaring at the screen before turning his sights to Diana. ”Looks like it's time for you to stand for all of us heroes trying to do what’s right.” He took a second to reach into his pocket and pull out his phone, to receive a few notifications himself. ”Shit, Fury needs me back at the Triskellion. If you need to get to DC quickly, I can give you a ride.”

“Give me a few to get ready and I will join you.” Diana turned to Rogers and turned off the television. She grabbed her gear and headed towards the bathroom. Three minutes later, she came out wearing her ironic armor along with a red cloth draped across her form, secured at her left shoulder by a golden clasp. And a blue cloth wrapped around her hips with it hanging on the left leg.

She approached Rogers and said with determination, “I am ready.”


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Mao Mao Sheriff of Pure Hearts (They/Them)

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New York City, New York
Present Day

Issue #5.02
𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡 & 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟

New York City. It was the first American city that Diana visited with Steve after the first World War. At first, she wasn't impressed and thought it was uninspiring compared to Europe and their cities. Steve explained how New Yorkers were the ones that caught his attention more than the fancy skyscrapers. He noted how they were the ones that made the city extraordinary. Of course, she didn't understand what he meant at first; however, she realized his words as the city grew into what it was today. Its people overcame struggles throughout a century and became stronger as a result. And now, it was under attack once more by a swarm capable of turning a person into a savage killer.

Wonder Woman made her way to Central Park, ground zero of Stryfe's attack, to investigate the scene. She noticed plenty of dead bodies scattered throughout the park while a few of the infected were still around. Some of them started fighting against each other while others roamed around looking for their next prey. Suddenly, a young man with blood around his mouth hopped on top of a car's hood and screamed at the top of his lungs. His eyes were heavily damaged due to claw marks while his hands were covered in blood. Then, he leapt off of the hood and starting charging towards Diana without hesitation. Before defending herself, she tried to warm the man but there wasn't a response. That was when she waited for the moment to strike.

The crazed man tried to grab Wonder Woman but failed miserably because she responded by sending him to the ground with enough force to be knocked out cold. None of this made sense to Diana. She tried to piece together how Stryfe was able to produce these bugs. It wasn't possible that a single man was able to mass produce those bugs and create the art sculptures. That was when she thought of Aladdin. To her, it made sense since he talked about planning something big for the world. However, during their last encounter, he didn't give any hints about the attack nor seemed done with her. There were enough possibilities and reasons for Aladdin to be behind the attack but none of them were reliable.

For now, she considered him to be a contributor to the attack.

After turning away from the unconscious man, Diana saw the art piece in the distance and ran towards it because she thought nobody else was in the area. Until a thug with an assault rifle caught her out in the open and opened fire. She blocked the bullets with her bracelets and quickly pulled out her shield as more men arrived to assist. With no cover in sight, she was stuck with only her shield and bracelets to protect her for bullets. One of the men went around her and got a clear view of her.

But he didn’t get enough time to make a good, solid shot.

The sky cracked with a loud ‘thwoom’ as something breached the sound barrier. As the man turned he soon found his gun removed from his hand. In a split second he was flying through the air. It was enough of a spectacle to draw the attention of a few more of the thugs present, though they knew they needed to keep the pressure up on Diana. If they broke their fire she would have just enough amount of time to rethink tactically and bring them down.

As the thug hit the ground a loud, but a clear voice called out to the group of armed thugs.

“Hey! You guys know its rude to shoot armor-piercing bullets at girls, right?”

The gunfire stopped. For a second. Before they immediately began firing at this new target that was levitating above them with their hands pressed on her waist and what seemed to be a confident posture.

Diana thought that she was a goner until the arrival of the mysterious girl bearing an "S" on her shirt. It was remarkable how fast she took care of the armed man, but they kept firing their weapons. Until she called them out. The silence gave Diana enough time to get herself in position and a quick rest. The thugs turned their attention towards the stranger and opened fire. She didn't even flinch as the bullets clashed against her body. Diana was astonished at the sight of the girl standing in the air with no care. Meanwhile, as the thugs contemplated their approach against the two of them, one of them began to slowly walk backwards from the group while reloading. The man's choice gave Diana an opening. She raised her shield and charged towards him with determination. He was too late to respond and immediately felt the consequences with a shield-bash.

Diana knocked the thug's gun out of hands and sent him to the ground. The others turned around and saw her near them, opening firing at her once more. She put her shield up to block the bullets and tried to reach for her sword, but she remembered the vow to never use it unless in emergencies. It was going to be interesting fighting without it, but she still had the lasso to use. Diana took another look at the stranger as she seemed to use her amazing speed to push the fight further, disarming a few of the thugs and throwing one of them into another one.

“Get her!” One of the men growled as they scrambled to their feet.

“Which one?!”

The blonde girl seemed to chuckle at their worries before quickly grabbing the one giving the orders by his collar and throwing him into the air.

As Diana pushed forward she contemplated how many more she needed to take down. As far as she could tell, the new girl was diverting just enough attention to help her quickly take the group down one-by-one. There were only three men left now. First, she dealt with the first one by using the same shield method but ending it with a kick to his face. For the second, she flipped over him and simply delivered a swift kick to the right side of his hip. As she did so, the final guy threw his weapon aside and pulled out a sharp knife out of his pocket. He aimed the blade at Wonder Woman and challenged her to combat. Before she could respond to his request for combat, he vanished in a matter of seconds as something grabbed hold of him and sent him across the street.

It didn't take much time for Diana to shuffle the now unconscious group of men to a few adjacent light-posts and restrain them.

“I mean, I warned them.” The blonde remarked as she remained levitating in the air, eyeing the structures around them as if she was looking for something.

After rounding up the group, Diana finally had time to breathe and realize how similar the stranger's powers were to hers. The teen's strength, flight, and speed were genuinely remarkable and unmatched by anything in the world except for Wonder Woman. It made her question if she was another God or a rare metahuman. So with that question in mind, Diana started to hover over the ground and made her way towards the stranger to examine up close. Once she was close to her, Diana took a moment to study her outfit. It looked simple albeit oddly charming, especially with the strange red "S" standing out for the blue. Then, she stared at the teenager and asked her a simple question.

"Who are you?"

As is snapping the girl out of a trance, Diana’s question seemed to catch her off-guard.

“Oh, uh, gosh. Well, I—” There was a slight pause as the blonde's eyes widened as she met eye contact with Diana. “—holy crap, you’re Wonder Woman.”

Diana couldn't help smiling at her genuine reaction to meeting her in person. It was always good to be reminded that some people still liked her. Especially when there were some people hellbent in destroying her reputation and ruining her life at the same time.

The girl cleared her throat. “Sorry. Kara. My name is Kara. Though the people over in Metropolis call me Supergirl, not that I’ve never really decided on a name or anything. Big fan.”

Supergirl. Diana liked the name because it went well with the "S" on her outfit. Though, this was the first time that she heard about her in Metropolis. It was when she noted to herself to study her activities and other possible new heroes. Hopefully, she would get some time to research after the mess with the committee was done.

Diana extended her hand out to Kara and responded, "Nice to meet you, Supergirl. I'm assuming that you are here to deal with this crisis upon us?"

Kara extended her hand in kind, grasping Diana's own.

“Well, I’m not here for the scenery.” Kara uttered as she released her grip, as her pupils seemed to change as she looked back in the direction she was looking in before Diana had started their conversation. “I’m noticing a lot of activity all over Manhattan, we’ve got to take down these towers before the entire city goes insane. They seem to be the source.”

"Of course but we can't do it by ourselves." Diana let go of Supergirl's hand and turned her attention towards the city's skyline and the swarm. "There has to be other heroes either coming or already here. We need to find them and work together as a group to help out non-infected, take down the towers, and capture Stryfe and his goons."

“Can’t disagree with that. While you deal with this tower in Central Park, I’ll try to do damage control. If that's okay. You're the expert, but there's a lot of people who need my help and I'm not a girl who likes sitting on her thumbs.”

"Fair enough." Diana said with a smile and started heading towards the art piece. She stopped for a moment and turned towards the newcomer. "Actually, I want to give you some advice since I sense you're new to being a hero. Avoid the negativity that people might give you because they might be mentally damaged for this mess and don't mean it. Think about your actions because it might influence what people think about you. I learned that the hard way recently. And if you're feeling like the world's on your shoulder, just calm down and breathe. It helps me out a whole lot."


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𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗨𝗦 𝗙𝗔𝗥𝗢

Faro


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H A W K E Y E &
B L A C K W I D O W


C L I N T O N B A R T O N N A T A L I A R O M A N O V A
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Donec dignissim vestibulum nulla, ut commodo ex consectetur a. Nullam a diam pellentesque, mattis erat sed, aliquam eros. In id sapien diam. Nulla facilisi. Integer ut dignissim lorem. Etiam fermentum ex non lorem varius facilisis. Nunc pharetra tellus sit amet ipsum auctor dictum. Maecenas ac quam a.
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mass effect: kingslayer ✶
↪ The Citadel Security Services is the law enforcement for the Citadel with the responsibility of protecting millions aboard the space station. Hundreds signed up in the hopes of securing a spot, but applicants are scrutinized and have to be sponsored by their ambassador. Even then, they have to deal with the training and boot camp regardless of background. And after all of that, the rookies are sent out to gain some experience in the peaceful Presidium before being thrown to the wolves in one of the many wards. It has always been like that since its foundation. Until 2183.

On that year, the Council stripped Saren Arterius of his Spectre status thanks to the evidence provided by Officer Vakarian and the Systems Alliance commander known as John Shepard. They also decided to make Shepard the first Human Spectre and gave him the task of killing Saren with several possible leads. Afterwards, the Council knew for a fact that Saren still had contracts in the Citadel and contracted Executor Venari Pallin for a private meeting to discuss the matter. It was made clear that Saren will use his resources within the Citadel and C-Sec to undermine the Human Spectre's task. Executor Pallin didn't like the thought, but knew that a secret task force was needed to eliminate the rouge Spectre's contracts and friends in the Citadel.

It was then that Operation Kingslayer was created with the goal of ensuring Saren's presence in the Citadel was completely cut; however, there was a big problem. C-Sec was mostly under Saren's influence with the expectation of the Executor himself and a few loyal officers, but it wasn't going to be enough. It was when that he got the idea of using the new arrivals that shown potential and some outsiders to place them in the task force.

A month after Spectre Saren was declared a rogue agent by the Council, Executor Pallin plans on meeting the newly formed task force after receiving information regarding Saren's inside contract.
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New York City, New York
Present Day

Issue #5.03
𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡

"Weird timing, but alright."

Yeah, that sounded better in my head. Diana thought about her comment while Supergirl vanished. The newcomer still impressed the old-timer with her abilities. She wondered if there was finally someone able to match her physically. Maybe it was Supergirl. And that got her thinking once more. Diana re-examined the teen's powers and fighting style. For one, she wasn't another God because she seemed too human. Perhaps she's got a rare gene that granted her powers, making her a unique metahuman. Regardless, Diana needed to keep an eye on her to see what other powers she had hidden.

When Diana arrived at the art sculpture, she found a small control panel nearby. It didn't appear when the sculpture was filmed live. The screen revealed that the swarm of locusts were actually small robots, which bury themselves in victims' necks. Unfortunately, it wasn't the master control to all of them. Just to the ones within Central Park and the surrounding area. Diana threw down the panel and crushed it underneath her feet. Then, she made her way to the sculpture and tied it up with her lasso. All it took was a hard enough pull for the art piece to come crashing down.

When the sculpture broke, the robotic bugs began to malfunction since they weren't getting any more orders. Diana didn't know if it harmed the victims, but it seemed that some of them were still breathing. And with the threat neutralized, Central Park seemed secured. Yet, it wasn't. Within the main swarm of robotic locusts, a decent sized group made their way towards her and Central Park. Diana grabbed her shield and waited for the bugs to come directly towards her. However, all of them were seen heading towards different parts of the area. None of them were concerned with her. For now.

Diana saw one of the robotic bugs heading for a deceased infected teenager near her. It entered the victim's neck and spent a second pulling out the deactivated bots with its tiny teeth. The active bot discarded the original one since it was useless. Now with nothing inside, it re-entered his neck and somehow revived the dead victim. Suddenly, more dead infected victims rose from the ground after the bugs entered their necks. All of them started running away from the park. Initially, she planned on stopping them until she heard a frightening shriek behind her.

The scream came from the male infected that Diana fought with earlier. It didn't make sense to her since she knocked him out. What she didn't know was that the nearby towers connected to the deactivated bots from the Central Park tower. It caused them to reboot every single bot that was connected to the original tower regardless if its victim was dead or alive. Nobody knew about the containment plan expect for Stryfe and his men that protected the towers. Meanwhile back in Central Park, Diana started to notice more infected victims rising from the ground; but, they were running towards her.

Diana panicked and float above the infected to avoid them. Then, the remaining bots were also heading her way. She turned towards them and pulled out her lasso, which was intended to be used as a whip. It took a few swings against the bots before realizing it was ineffective. With the bots getting close, Diana had no options but to curl up in a ball while protecting the back of his neck. She heard rattling as the bots hit against her armor. Next, they clashed with her hands trying to bury themselves into her neck; but, her hands were blocking their only entrance. She found their weakness.

Yet, the bots weren't contented.

Some of them landed on her hands and started biting them. Diana was trying her hardest to not let go while more bots joined in the chewing. With no escape plan, she was stuck until Supergirl came back or someone else helped her.


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Dakota, Michigan
Present

Issue #1.00
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥

"I'm sorry, but he died on the way."

That was what the doctor told James Pierce after his surgery. The news left him feeling numb. He had thought that he was going to break down and start crying loudly. Just like in those sappy movies that Cole always watched. Then again, Pierce wasn't normal, unlike his lover. Cole never deserved to be gunned down in broad daylight. He worked hard to achieve a bachelor's degree in English while working. And his friends and family loved and cared about him. In fact, his entire family was at the hospital, grief-stricken over the news. Yet, they still took their time to visit Pierce.

He felt like he didn't deserve vistiors.

Only forty-eight hours since he woke up that the authorities planned on releasing footage of the shooting. Pierce was glued to the small screen waiting for something significant to be revealed. After a lengthy press conference, the footage was shown briefly of Pierce and Cole walking together in the downtown area. He remembered how Cole was so excited to be outside. Then, the murder appeared behind them with a pistol hidden behind him. That was when the fucker's face was shown. Just before he fired several shots at them. Before he killed... Without thinking, Pierce grabbed his phone and took a picture of that scumbag.

Then, he got out of the hospital and started getting undressed. Both the doctor and nurses protested the decision, but nobody was going to prevent him from leaving. Pierce left the hospital without trouble and immediately dialed a number.

<"Hey, I need a favor.">

<"Pierce? Is that you?">

<"Yes, it's me. Look, I need you to look up someone from me. Can you do that?">

<"I thought you were getting married to that fellow down south?">

<"I'm not in the mood, David. I will send you a picture of someone. And you will search for everything about him, got it?">

<"Sounds serious. Let me see how you are doing over there. I heard-">

<"David.">

<"-it's a great place to start a family. After all, it was rated number-">

<"... David?">

<"I didn't know... I'm sorry, James. I.. I will get on it now.">

<"Thanks.">

The call ended with silence for Pierce. David was a good person, but he didn't know when to shut up and listen. On the bright side, it meant that he was going to get his info quicker than usual. But, he had to wait back at home. Pierce spent fifteen minutes walking home alone with his thoughts. Of course, he was trying to make sense of Cole's death. Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be you, Cole? I should have died instead. Nobody would have missed me. Hell, my family never cared. But I will be there for your family, and I will kill your murder. That's a promise.

After walking for an extra few minutes, Pierce looked up and saw the home that Cole wanted to live in. It cost a fortune, but it was worth every cent. A front yard with the white picket fence and the perfect backyard for birthday parties and BBQs during holidays. Better than a cramped apartment. Now, it was a haunting reminder of the future that Pierce will never have. He unlocked the front door and slowly entered the house. The quietness felt out of place. Cole never was the one to enjoy the calm, always planning some kind of party or gathering. And he was good at it.

Pierce sat down on the couch and pulled out his phone. The lock screen was a photo of him and Cole at a friend's dinner party. He already missed him. Once the phone was unlocked, Pierce checked on new messages for friends that were filled with heartfelt condolences. He tried to read every single one of them. But then, David called. Pierce knew that he had found something on the killer and answered without hesitation. He heard some laughter coming from David. Next, he announced much needed good news.

<"Found the fucker.">
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Diana was stuck with no means of escape or help while the bugs were biting her hands. Even know the bitings were intensifying, she was about to stand her ground until she saw lighting coming out of nowhere. Was it Zeus? Diana expected for the God to appear above her, but another teenager greeted her instead. He managed to take out all of the robotic bugs with ease. "So, uh, never thought I’d meet you like this. I’d imagine an autograph session, not an apocalypse. My name’s Static. You got a plan to take down that Stryfe chump, Wonder Woman?"

Static. Another metahuman with the ability to summon lighting. Diana took a quick look at his outfit and saw the little lighting symbol on his shirt. It wasn't like Supergirl's "S," but it was good enough. Then, she checked on her hands and saw the bite marks. She was amazed at the fact the bots had enough strength to leave marks. However, they didn't prevent her from using them. Diana looked back at Static and replied to his introduction. "I honestly don't know, Static. At the moment, nobody has any idea where Stryfe could be. But, let's deal with the infected below and then we can talk. There's something everyone should know about the tower."

Below them were still infected trying to grab their legs. Diana was going to deal with them by using her lasso, but she had an idea. "Static, can you use your powers to deal with the infected without killing them?"
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K A D R I C K S H E L T O N
Thirty-three | Male | 5'5" | AB
General Information

NAME
Kadrick Shelton

PSEUDONYM
Kingslayer

APPEARANCE
Standing at 5'5" and weighting only two hundred pounds...

OCCUPATION
Shelton was a prominent war reporter with ten years of experience under his belt from reporting in several war zones. He got his start in the disgraced Metrochicago with reporting on the Chicago Revolt of 2052 from Midwest News Network. A year after the report, CNN invited him to join the broadcast as a wartime reporter with a decent paycheck to connect. Of course, Shelton accepted the offer and spent five years as the war correspondent while traveling around the world. He has reported on the Third Balkan War, the Isles Revolt, Fall of the EU, and countless other wars and revolts.

But, the one that earned him the nickname of "Kingslayer" was his report on the Mexican Gas Crisis. On 2059, he exposed that both Mexican and American corporations were working with the cartel-run government to gather oil resources for themselves since the world was running out of it. After publishing the story, the National Palace in Mexico City was stormed by angry citizens with weapons. Shortly after, the corpses of President Jonathan Pareja and his family were brought outside to be displayed while the palace was burning in the background. Thus, the Second Mexican Revolution began. And Shelton felt responsible for it.

After leaving behind CNN, Shelton went into freelancing and planned on a living a quiet life in New York City.

Psychological Profile

Extraordinary | Freethinking | Incorruptible | Anxious | Flamboyant | Difficult

VIRTUE
Beneficence...

VICE
Doubt...

PERSONAL GOALS
Other than trying to hide from his past, Shelton hoped of maintaining his new job as a freelance writer while reporting the truth. He also wanted an end to the restless nights over the event...

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY
WIP...

FEARS
Ever since the first assassination attempt on his life, Shelton hasn't been able to get a good night's rest and has to keep an eye open. It is also the reason why people always see him with a weapon in his possession because he isn't afraid to fight back. But, he is afraid of being surrounded by crowds of people with no option to escape or hide. But, he is more afraid of his secrets being revealed to the whole world. At that point, he would rather be dead than live after all of his secrets have been found. Anarchists are hatred by the entire world especially the corporations. Shelton doesn't doubt one second that a few governments and corporations would want his head after learning of his secrets.

LIKES
History
Marijuana
Video games
Journalism
Writing
Reading

DISLIKES
Authorities
Alcohol
Bullshit
Corruption
Propaganda

QUIRKS
Multilingual, collects stickers and patches, and loves to customize his outfit and helmet.

Background Information

”Character Quote”
WIP...

Operative Information

[R O L E N A M E]


ROLE DESCRIPTION
(Explain your role in the sense of how you came into it. Why are you able to do fulfill it? What applications did it serve in your everyday life? What applications may it have in future operations? Keep your Virtue and Vice in mind when choosing a role.)


POSSESSIONS
(Are there any objects of value that you brought along with you from your previous life into your new life?)


SKILLS
(Feel free to list a few and elaborate a bit. I am not looking for any professional badasses. Remember that to a certain extent, you were just another everyday city-dweller before Gage picked you up. Don’t let me limit you too much, though. Feel free to ask me if you are unsure about something.)


FLAWS
(Aim for three or so. Equal or greater to your number of skills. Try to make them relevant and not just arbitrary things that could never come up. Creating a character with flaws that come out is part of the fun.)


SECRET COUNT
(Here you list the number of SECRETS your character has received throughout the roleplay.


NOTES
WIP
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New York City, New York
Present Day

Issue #5.04
𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡 & 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗖

Diana was stuck with no means of escape or help while the bugs were biting her hands. Even know the bitings were intensifying, she was about to stand her ground until she saw lighting coming out of nowhere. Was it Zeus? Diana expected for the God to appear above her, but another teenager greeted her instead. He managed to take out all of the robotic bugs with ease. "So, uh, never thought I’d meet you like this. I’d imagine an autograph session, not an apocalypse. My name’s Static. You got a plan to take down that Stryfe chump, Wonder Woman?"

Static. Another metahuman with the ability to summon lightning. Diana took a quick look at his outfit and saw the little lighting symbol on his shirt. It wasn't like Supergirl's "S," but it was good enough. Then, she checked on her hands and saw the bite marks. She was amazed at the fact the bots had enough strength to leave marks. However, they didn't prevent her from using them. Diana looked back at Static and replied to his introduction. "I honestly don't know, Static. At the moment, nobody has any idea where Stryfe could be. But, let's deal with the infected below and then we can talk. There's something everyone should know about the tower."

Below them were still infected trying to grab their legs. Diana was going to deal with them by using her lasso, but she had an idea. "Static, can you use your powers to deal with the infected without killing them?"

The infected? Virgil's mind was still recovering from the utter surprise of meeting Wonder Woman, looking downwards to see what she meant. Oh, those infected. The horde within Central Park was moving slowly towards the both of them at the pace of slugs. Concentrating on them specifically. Odd. A floating woman and a teen with funky lightning powers wasn't exactly inconspicuous but why go towards difficult prey when there were plenty of civilians, still unrescued, on the ground? Did Stryfe program the drones to specifically go after metahumans? The sight of a limping infected man with his right eye missing broke him out of his reverie.

No time for theorizing. They were both lucky that the horde weren't wielding any firearms. They were futilely attempting their best to attack him and Wonder Woman such as piggybacking each other, doing an impression of an Olympics high-jumper or crawling onto trees or the hood of cars. Their screams of anger created an ear-bursting cacophony, frustrated that they couldn't break the laws of gravity. He replied back to Wonder Woman's question.

" Kill them? I'm not an electric chair, Wonder Woman." Virgil flashed a confident smile. " I've got a bunch of tricks to deal with these fools." He still had the juice. The problem was finding metal though. Central Park seemed almost entirely devoid of the substance that had birthed cities, seeing only buildings of wood and roads of grass instead. Virgil spotted several benches several yards away to his right, made out of old corrugated iron. He signed. It looked like he had to improvise. He reached his hand out towards it, ripping them out of the ground with a sharp shriek. He sent them flying out towards the horde, not at speeds that would break bones, but enough that it wouldn't tickle either. The horde relented but still pushed on, regardless of how many chairs he sent their way. A twist of his hand and the frames split into metal noodles. One by one, they looped around the feet and ankles of the horde, puncturing the dirt, and stapling them against the ground. His muscles burned with the effort as he continued to cuff and restrain each member of the horde individually.

" Mind giving me a little hand here?"

"Of course." Diana answered and made her way towards one of the infected tied up by the bench. It was admittedly impressive that Static was able to do that. Again, she noted mentally that further studying on the new heroes was severely needed. Getting back on the problem, Diana carefully punched an older infected man in the face. It wasn't hard enough to kill but enough to leave a headache. The man fell to the ground while she watched to make sure that he wasn't getting up. After a few more seconds, she made her way to the other infected and took care of them. With them knocked out, Diana began focusing on the other infected in the area while making sure to give Static a small break. He was a person, after all. She, on the other hand, got the attention of a small group of infected and made them follow her to a trap. Diana pulled out her lasso and tied all of them at once. Then, she spun fast enough to make them dizzy and vulnerable to a surprise sweep. All of them fell to the ground, unconscious. Then, she levitated high enough from the ground and saw Static nearby.

"How are things on your end?" Diana asked.

All Wonder Woman got from Virgil was a tired huff. “ I could use some lunch now…” Pretzels weren’t a good source of fuel, especially when he’d been hovering non-stop for the last few hours or so. Virgil restrained another infected against the trunk of an oak tree, gagging his mouth with a metal bar. He began to slowly float downwards, the clearing full of angry infected that were pulling against their bindings. Now, where was that last on-

BANG

The bullet whistled past his shoulder, zipping just an inch away from his head, before he hid behind a tree trunk. One of the infected had picked up a pistol from a dead cop and was firing it sideways, sprays of dirt and chips of wood marking each impact.

“ No, no, that’s cheating.” Virgil lifted out his arm and pulled on the pistol, ripping it from the grip. The infected person growled and reached down to grab it. If it wasn’t for a manhole slamming into her head at 40 miles per hour. Knocked out like a light, the infected dropped unconscious like a puddle.

Static. 1. New York. 0.

Then, the cramps hit him. He’d had to be careful wasting that much electricity next time. Virgil stumbled down and began riffing through the infected pockets for phones. Whilst charging himself back up, Virgil looked up towards Wonder Woman. She didn’t look worse for wear despite being munched on by death-bots for several minutes. Guess being bulletproof helped in that regard.

“ So, you said something about towers? What’s that gotta do with Stryfe’s plan?” He shouted out.

Diana didn't know where to begin with those towers. There were a lot more than expected and heavily guarded with Stryfe’s men, but the towers themselves were weak. After a moment of thinking it over, Diana made her way towards Static and watched while he was draining peoples' phones. She landed on the ground and started answering his question, "I have underestimated their defenses and Stryfe himself. Destroying the towers seemed to have been for nothing based on what I saw. A decent-sized group of those bots headed towards this area, but most of them didn't go after me. Instead, they went towards every single body and bury themselves into the back of their neck; yet, most of them left me alone and headed towards different parts of the city. Then out of nowhere, the remaining swarm attacked me and tried to bury themselves into my neck also. Thankfully, they failed. As for Stryfe..."

She looked away and stared at one of the infected. Then, an idea appeared. "We might be able to cause some sort of malfunction to those bots if all of the towers are destroyed at once. I don't know if it would help us find Stryfe, but the most important thing is saving both New York City and Star City. Even if it means we don't find him."

Virgil shuddered at the thought. The thought of a bloodthirsty Wonder Woman was something that the world wasn’t ready for. If the infection had spread to Dakota, he didn’t even want to know what would happen if Stryfe’s drones touched Bang Babies. His muscles relaxed further as he drained another phone, this time a WayneMobile Model S.

“ Sounds like a plan.” Virgil tossed a flip-phone over his back. “ The problem is how are we going to find the towers? It’s not like Stryfe was kind enough to give us a map…….”

His voice trailed off as he stared at one of the drones embedded on a woman’s neck. If the towers controlled the drones. He kneeled down and pressed his hand against its shell. Since they weren’t all connected to the towers through giant extension cords, the next best thing were radio waves. New York turned into a city of voidless black and glowing blue as he focused on the faint signals that the bots were sputtering out. Concentrating. Following. It was a trail of breadcrumbs all leading to several locations spread throughout New York.

“ I think I can see where the towers are.” Virgil muttered in concentration, turning his head slowly towards the right. “ There’s one to the south. Over there. I think they call it...Wall Street?”

"How did you..." Diana was about to ask but stopped herself. Maybe she could ask him later. For now, they needed to stop the towers. One was on Wall Street. She took a deep breath and said with determination, "I will go and deal with the tower while you do damage control. Now that I know what to expect, I can handle them on my own. Also, if you encounter any other heroes, bring up what I told you about the towers' defenses. Be careful out there, Static."

And with that, Diana took off and headed towards the second tower in Wall Street.

“ Yeah. You too. Not that you really need it…”

Virgil watched Wonder Woman disappear over the distance like a red and gold rocket until she became nothing more than a dot on the horizon. An anguished scream of rage caught his attention as a man with his neck glued to the ground by a bench leg squirmed. Oddly enough, it reminded him of a pre-schooler having an awful tantrum.

“ KILL…” He reached out towards Static, eye twitching madly “ YOU!”

Virgil rolled his eyes before walking over towards the man and picking his cell-phone out of his pocket “ Like I haven’t heard that before."
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𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁: 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿


In 2183, evidence of Saren Arterius' contribution to the attack on the human colony of Eden Prime was brought forward by Commander Shepard. His Spectre status was revoked and became a wanted man on Citadel Space. But, it wasn't enough. C-Sec found out that an old contact of Saren's managed to intercept all of Shepard's reports. Further digging revealed that eight additional contacts were still working for the rogue Spectre. The realization that there was a leak within the Council terrified the councilors. That made them desperate.

In a classified location, the councilors met up with Venari Pallin, executor of C-Sec, to initialize Operation Kingslayer. It became clear that Saren was using his resources within the Citadel and C-Sec to undermine them and Shepard. The goal of Kingslayer was to ensure that both Saren's presence in the space station and the nine contacts' lives were terminated. However, it needed a lead contact. That was when Elliot Emerson, a former CIA agent, was suggested.
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Issue #4.05
𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡

Placed on the intersection of Broad and Wall Street, Stryfe's hired help surrounded the second tower. There were six of them with automatic weapons and a clear view of the skies. Wonder Woman knew that facing them head-on was suicide. So, she came with an effective plan. While the hero was getting ready, one of the men noticed that the screen to the tower randomly started flashing. He ran towards it and tried to find out its problem. But, it kicked him out of the main program and only displayed a message:

𝚈𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚔!
𝙶𝚘𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚖! 𝙱𝚆𝙰 𝙷𝙰 𝙷𝙰!

𝚃𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗!
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚕𝚎, 𝚂𝚙𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛-𝙼𝚊𝚗, 𝙽𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚟 𝙰𝚕𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚝 𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚂𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝙶𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗!
𝚈𝙴𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂𝚂!

"Oh shit, we have been hacked!" The guy shouted for the others to hear while he was trying to regain control. After a moment of typing and clicking, he was able to remove the message and resume operations. He turned towards one of the masked men and asked, "Should we call it in?"

"No, headquarters would have noticed at the same time you did. Those freaks will be dealt with soon enough."

Another man walked over towards the two of them and asked about what the message said. The first dude responded, "The mutants are trying to gather up as much manpower at the Madison. It will be useless anyway because-"

Then suddenly, the screen changed to an internal timer and started counting down. Naturally, the guards were beginning to question the purpose behind the timer. Things got serious when one of the dudes realized that it was a bomb. There was a moment of silence before one of them tried to dismiss the claim. A young man took off his mask, concerned with the idea that he was going to die. "H-he can't be crazy enough to kill himself and us... right?"

"Weren't you there for one of his speeches?"

Another moment of pure quietness passed before the man dropped his mask and weapon to the street. He looked around to get an idea of where he was and declared, "Fuck getting paid. I want to live another day."

The others looked at each other and did the same thing, running away from the site. Wonder Woman was quite surprised that those thugs were smart enough to leave than stay. She approached the tower and processed to punch it repeatedly. It took at least thirty seconds before it broke into pieces. Of course, the infected citizens fell to the ground while the robotic bugs started charging at her. Yet, she noticed that another group of heroes was planning on meeting at the Square Garden. Stryfe wasn't going to avoid this opportunity to remove part of the threat.

Without hesitation, Wonder Woman took off and started flying towards The Garden. It only took her about forty seconds to enter inside, but she noticed that Stryfe was inside a suit. He was saying something, but she didn't care and rushed towards him. Before anyone could react, Wonder Woman delivered a single punch that sent him flying towards the stands. There were a lot of broken seats, but it gave her enough time to analyze the situation. She noticed the hero was standing, but there were powerless to defeat Stryfe.

Wonder Woman turned towards the heroes and pointed at one of the injured. "Hurry! Get out! I'll take care of this... Stry-!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Stryfe reappeared and fired a blast from his gauntlet that hit her. Wonder Woman didn't have enough time to recover since he grabbed her head with one hand and punched her chest with the other. He threw her up in the air and sent her flying outside. Once outside, he caught up to Wonder Woman and punched hard enough towards the Empire State Building. She didn't have enough time to regain control and crashed into the famous skyscraper. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone inside at the time. Wonder Woman struggled to get up and saw Stryfe carefully landing nearby.

"Wonder Woman. Goddess of our world." Stryfe looked down at the hero with pure disgust. "Pretending you can live without conflict."

"Tell me how to stop this." Wonder Woman shouted at him.

"Or what? Kill me? This suit was designed to copy any mutant's abilities, including yours." Stryfe pointed at Wonder Woman and then got ready to fight again. "Let me show you how it feels to be beaten with your power."

Wonder Woman stood up and got into her fighting stance. "Bring it."

And with that, the fight began between the hero and villain inside the skyscraper. Wonder Woman delivered the first punch before being thrown outside, leaving behind a decent size hole in the process. Stryfe fired another blast from his gauntlet, but she dodged it and punched him down a few floors. He responded with an uppercut that sent her flying up a couple of floors also. It lasted for four minutes with both sides tired and exhausted, but Stryfe had the advantage as the building started losing balance.

The fighting resulted in heavy damage to the Empire State Building, leaving behind massive holes on the higher levels. Now, it was about to collapse. Wonder Woman immediately tried to stop it from happening, but Stryfe grabbed and dragged her outside. He brought her high enough to witness the iconic skyscraper collapsing thanks to her god-like strength. "Look at what you did, Wonder Woman. Your abnormal abilities brought so much death and destruction. Now, you have not only destroyed one of America's iconic symbols... Do you see those buildings down there?"

Wonder Woman tried to free herself, but Stryfe took the struggling as an answer. "According to my men, hundreds of people fled there when the attack began. They thought that they were saved until you came along. Now, all of them are going to die."

The upper half of the Empire State Building began breaking apart and eventually falling downward. Both of them saw some of the debris hitting the other buildings before smoke covered the entire area. Wonder Woman cried out and tried to free herself again. Stryfe turned towards the skyscraper, and the realization was hitting him. Even if the heroes managed to destroy every tower, it was already too late. The destruction of the Empire State Building was worse than his original backup plan. He had won.

Stryfe pointed at the partially collapse Empire State Building and yelled at Wonder Woman, "This is what happens when people like you aren't kept in line! Your kind brings nothing but death and destruction! I know that people will realize that soon enough. Just like I did, Wonder Woman. Our world's first hero... You aren't a hero! You are a murder!"

"I didn't kill them! You did!" Wonder Woman elbowed him and managed to free herself.

Stryfe laughed and tapped on his suit. "Didn't you forget? I told you that this suit mimics your abilities. So, while I have killed my fair share of people, this is your fault. And when will the world realize you are the most dangerous person in the world? Thankfully, it started with your performance in Transia. And now in this city, there will be no way that-"

Before he could finish, Wonder Woman punched his helmet so hard that it left behind an impression and sent him flying. She reached for his lasso and flew towards him at lighting speed before catching him. He tried to prevent her from taking off his helmet, but Wonder Woman grabbed his hand and crushed it. She processed to tie the lasso around his neck and started pulling on it as it glowed. Stryfe tried to get it off of him, but it was impossible.

"Where is your base of operation?" Wonder Woman asked emotionless.

"I-I will not tell you!" Stryfe resisted the lasso's heat.

"Where. Is. It." Wonder Woman angrily demanded while grabbing the right side of his face and began squeezing. She planned on ripping it off if he refused to compel. Thankfully, that was enough reason for him to answer truthfully.

"Four Freedoms Plaza!" Stryfe cried out the answer and began to feel relieved. But, he then noticed how Wonder Woman was looking for the building before getting ready to strike. That was when he knew that he was going to die. There wasn't any need to challenge or dare her. She was already angry enough to possibly kill him without thinking. Wonder Woman wasn't in the mood to hear his pleas for mercy or give his reason for killing thousands. She stared at him, and coldly replied:

"Thank you."

Wonder Woman sent Stryfe falling towards the plaza with her powerful punch. She didn't know how to react. Should she cry loud enough for the heavens to hear? Should she take all of angry out on Stryfe and pummel him to death? Or should she just run away and hide from the world again? The smoke was still covering the entire area, but she knew that finding survivors was low. But she could avenge them. Wonder Woman already made her decision and raced down towards the plaza to confront Stryfe for the last time.
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𝗪 𝗼 𝗻 𝗱 𝗲 𝗿 𝗪 𝗼 𝗺 𝗮 𝗻

D I A N A P R I N C E V E T E R A N
V I G I L A N T E U N K N O W N I N D E P E N D E N T
C O N T I N U I N G C O N C E P T:


"I can't sleep anymore. Food has no taste. Alcohol has no favor.
Every time that I close my eyes, I hear souls crying out to me.
I'm already a dead man, waiting for someone to finish me off."

A long time ago, the world used to be simple for everyone. It wasn't perfect, but there was a sense of comfort. Then, she appeared in trenches and led the charge against German forces. She was the one that abruptly changed everything we had learned about ourselves. The one that made everybody, even her allies, terrified. The one that forever changed the history of humanity. The world's first superhero, Wonder Woman. You know the rest. Fought in the Second World War with other superheroes, labeled as a Communist sympathizer during the Cold War, married and watched her lover die in his sleep, and retired.

However, the world kept on going without her until September eleven. Wonder Woman appeared out of the horizon and started helping the firefighters during the search. It was when she vowed to protect humanity once more and be there for them. Yet, she barely knew how much the world changed in thirty years. She didn't realize that until it was too late. Until Transia. In the town of Velinsky, Wonder Woman was tricked by resistance leader, Yuri Petrovich, and his mysterious partner, Aladdin. A fake suit of iron was more than enough for the legendary hero to be consumed by vengeance.

Thanks to Aladdin's powers, he filmed every second and released it to the entire planet. Everybody watched the brutality of Wonder Woman coming out on that day. Meanwhile, in the hill of the people, senators gathered around and smiled at this new evidence that finally will contain the rouge hero. She came to realize, with help from her old friend Steve Rogers, that with great power came responsibility. It was when she vowed to do better while standing up to the committee. That was until Stryfe began his attack.

Just like Aladdin, he managed to play Wonder Woman into destroying the Empire State Building. And in an instant, she went back to her own self. She killed dozens of hired men and would have murdered Stryfe if it wasn't for Captain America's intervention. Before his death, however, he managed to falsely claim that she was the co-collaborator of Metahuman Supremacy Front. It resulted in an ongoing investigation for the American government into the matter. Additionally, with the public slowly turning against her, Diana fell into a depressed state.

Even know her old friend helped a little, Wonder Woman still was a broken woman with no answers. In order to get them, she needed to find former associates before it's too late.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

Season 1 marked a turning point for Wonder Woman. For the first time in a long time, she found herself fighting against the American government and possibly the world. And with that, she will have to meet some associates from the past and reunite with old friends and foes. I'm also planning on focusing on the politics and business side of this world. There will be actions and drama as always. It just feels right that I would expand upon this new world.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

I have plans for all of the supporting cast that I used last season. However, I plan on bringing some former members of the JSA and the rest of the former Rocket Reds. Not to forget Captain Atom, General Eiling, and Bambina Arbogast.

S E A S O N O N E S Y N O P S I S:

Refer to the concept section for the summary.

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𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗞
✹ 𝗘 𝗔 𝗥 𝗧 𝗛 - 𝟭 𝟵 𝟵 𝟯 𝟳 𝟲 ✹ 𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗧 𝗡 𝗘 𝗥 𝗦 ✹
✹ 𝗩 𝗘 𝗡 𝗢 𝗠 & 𝗘 𝗗 𝗗 𝗜 𝗘 𝗕 𝗥 𝗢 𝗖 𝗞 ✹



Character Differences
I have always wanted to write Venom because they are one of my favorite characters. I want to focus on their relationship and how it works despite a deadly world war taking place. Yet, I also want to take the time to focus on Eddie and Venom separately. Both of them were at rock bottom until they met each other. Since that fateful day, the duo had been helping each other moving forward with their lives. Together until death.

Brief World Background
On this version of Earth, Superman and his Justice League breached the White House to kill President Luthor after the Flash's murder. However, the Avengers were waiting for them and both sides fought. Superman managed to kill Luthor and escaped with ease. But, thanks to both Batman and Wonder Woman, the Avengers were spared death. Together, they planned on assault the Watchtower and defeat Superman; but, he had other plans. He fired the cannon upon Avengers Headquarters in New York, leaving behind a massive crater. Thus, Annihilation began.

Annihilation was the ongoing world war between the Justice Lords and the Avengers. There were no options for neutrality. Either you joined one side or get killed by the Justice Leagues. Several fronts were created throughout the world. The East Coast of the United States and Western Europe remained hot zones for clashes between both sides. Most of New York City was destroyed shortly after Avengers HQ to make a point. Metropolis became a police state thanks to Superman. Gothman was filled with criminals after Batman was crippled. Everyone across the world had been affected by the war. And with no end in sight, all hopes of peace dissolved.

Brief Character Background
At the start of Annihilation, the newly reformed Justice Lords responded to a distress signal on the Planet with No Name. The team destroyed most of the symbiotes, leaving only a few alive to conduct experiments on. Both Mr. Terrific and the Atom found that the surviving creature can bond with humans to make the perfect soldier. So that was when testing started, but it only lasted for a year. Most of the subjects either resisted the symbiote or were overwhelmed. They had planned on killing it until the Avengers caught them off guard with an attack on the facility. It managed to escape during the conflict and met up with Eddie Brock, a struggling independent journalist.

At the time, he decided to investigate the Justice Lord to confirm the rumor that JL was kidnapping homeless people for their experiments. It was luck that he found himself in the middle of a battle between superpowered people. If it wasn't for the symbiote, then Eddie would have died on that night. Instead, he discovered that the creature bonded with him to escape. Both of them decide to team up in order to avoid the Justice Lord's forces. And that got the Avenger's attention. Captain America met up with them to convince them to join the fight. Realizing that the Justice Lord will never stop chasing them, Eddie and the symbiote joined the resistance. When asked for their alias, the symbiote chose Venom as their name with Eddie liking it.

It had been almost three years since Venom joined the fight. Their skills were impressive enough to earn a spot in the Secret Avengers, a covert side group. However, it only lasted a year before it was disbanded due to the destruction of the Bat Cave. They had been working behind the scenes with former members since then. Meanwhile, both Eddie and Venom became close friends.

Then, they suddenly disappeared with a trace.


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𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧 𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗡
✦ 𝗘 𝗔 𝗥 𝗧 𝗛 - 𝟭 𝟵 𝟵 𝟵 𝟴 𝟴 ✦ 𝗡 𝗢 𝗠 𝗔 𝗗 ✦
✦ 𝗟 𝗔 𝗦 𝗧 𝗚 𝗨 𝗔 𝗥 𝗗 𝗜 𝗔 𝗡 𝗢 𝗙 𝗧 𝗛 𝗘 𝗚 𝗔 𝗟 𝗔 𝗫 𝗬 ✦



Character Differences
Firstly, the ending of Guardians of the Galaxy happens differently meaning that Groot never sacrificed himself. Secondary, the Guardians never visited Sovereign thus never meeting with Ego and Mantis. It meant that Rocket Raccoon never got confronted by Yondu. He was never taught that it was alright to express feelings, and having empathy was a good thing. Sure, he was still protective of them but afraid of openly expressing it. After the Decimation, Rocket mourned for his friends in the privacy of the Milano. Yet, he was stonecold and emotionless in public. He remained a broken man that lost all of his friends, and I wanted to write it out.

My primary sources of inspiration are the MCU movies (Guardians Vol 1, Infinity War, and Endgame) while using bits of my interpretations on the aftermath of Decimation.

Brief World Background
This version of Earth was one of the fourteen million six-hundred and five futures that Doctor Strange saw on Titan. That future depicted Thanos killing Iron Man and Spider-Man with help from the Infinity Stones. While the others fought bravely, it wasn't enough to stop him from retreating the Time Stone. Then, he snapped his universe to achieve perfect balance. Almost all of the Guardians of the Galaxy were the victims, leaving Strange and Rocket the survivors on Titan. The event was called Decimation on Earth, where half of all life vanished into dust. The surviving Avengers and the survivors for Titan grouped up to retrieve the stones from Thanos. Unfortunately, he destroyed them after using them to construct his dream world.

With no hope of reversing the Decimation, the surviving heroes returned back to a chaotic Earth. There was a global economic collapse along with widespread panic and confusion. The Avengers tried their best to restore order all over the world but failed. Then, they tried the states and had the same results. It was when the original five decided to disband the group for good. Thor was already gone after killing Thanos. Captain America went on to become a major source of healing and recovering for America. Black Widow became head of an organization that dealt with orphans caused by the event. Hulk managed to merge with Banner's intelligence while maintaining his strength and became a professor. And rumors surfaced that Hawkeye became a trained assassin, killing mob families and gangs across the planet. While Doctor Strange isolated himself inside his Sanctum Sanctorum in New York City.

Only two years passed since the event and things were still pretty bad.

Brief Character Background
Rocket Raccoon was the result of genetically enhanced experimentations and cybernetic enhancements. But the scientists on Halfworld never expected him to fight back. The raccoon managed to successfully escape the labs and went on board a shuttle. He tried to live out an honest life, but the years of abuse and genetic rewriting made a living one difficult. That was when he found some comfort in bounty hunting. In a matter of months, he became one of the most ruthless hunters in the galaxy. It caused him to meet up with Groot and eventually allowed him to tag along.

And then, there was the "legendary" outlaw known as Star-Lord. He had something that a client wanted back: a strange-looking orb. Yet, there was already a target on his back. Rocket and Groot tried to capture him, but Nova Corp surrounded them and placed them inside a supermax prison. That was where they met with Drax and formed a plan to escape in order to sell the orb. Until the Collector revealed that it stored the Power Stone, one of seven Infinity Stones. After some convincing, Rocket joined forces with Groot, Drax, Gamora, and Peter Quill to give the stone to Nova Corp. Surprisingly, things didn't go south while they exchanged the orb for their reward.

Then, Ronan the Accuser invaded Xandar with his army to retreat the stone. Of course, it was an easy fight with help from the full might of Nova Corp. It was only after the battle that Quill realized that he saw potential in this group. With some persuasion and credits, he got everyone on board to work together as The Guardians of the Galaxy. It remained like that for years until they received a distress signal from Xandar. They arrived on the planet and instead saw a wasteland. The once-mighty Nove Corp was unable to defend the Power Stone and its world. Gamora immediately knew who was behind the attack and went straight for Knowhere.

Thanos waited for them to arrive at the Collector's Museum before revealing himself. And with the stones of Power, Space, and Reality, he was able to overwhelm the Guardians and took Gamora without breaking a sweat. The other Guardians didn't know where to start their search until they discovered a weak signal near the planet of Titan. Instead of finding Gamora and Thanos, they found Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Spider-Man onboard one of Thano's spaceship. Together, they crash-landed on Titan and waited for Thanos to appear. He did and tried to justify his actions, saying how his work will bring "balance to the universe."

Of course, they attacked Thano in the hopes of stopping him. Once the dust cleared, however, it was clear that Thanos was the champion. He managed to kill Spider-Man and Iron Man while seriously injuring Strange, Drax, and Groot. He secured the Time Stone and vanished to retrieve the final stone. While the others were recovering and treating to the wounded, Thanos snapped his fingers with all six stones to forever change the universe. And in a matter of seconds, almost all of the Guardians of the Galaxy turned into dust. Rocket watched in horror as his comrades slowly vanished, leaving behind dust.

Even after he arrived at Earth and witnessed Thor killing Thanos, Rocket wasn't able to move on from losing his friends. With nowhere to go, he stayed on Earth for a while to help out the Avengers until they were disbanded. For two years, he remained on Earth until he disappeared and woke up inside a prison cell.


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W a y D o w n W e G o , P a r t I
location: Crystal Hill Station → Europa Inn & Suites → P. Johnson's
interacting with: Kayleigh Hawkins
◂◂ II ▸▸ Breathe — Catie Turner
Why did I decide to come back? Lucas asked himself after he saw the 'Welcome to Delton' sign surrounded by rocks and some colorful flowers. He looked away from the bus window and tried to suppress the memories of his departure. The music playing in the background helped a little but didn't thoroughly crush it. It got worse once the bus stopped at the Crystal Hill Station, the bus station on the edge of town. He started to remember that painful day. But instead of confronting it, Lucas began to walk towards the inn rather than wait for a ride. It was bittersweet to be back home. That was when he started to wonder about his parents and siblings. Where were they? Are they still living in town? Have they changed in the years Lucas has been absent? However, he already knew the answers.

After walking for ten minutes, Lucas finally arrived at the Europa Inn & Suites. It wasn't the best hotel in town, but it had decent reviews. No one or two stars on review sites. Just mostly three and even four stars. Also, it was cheaper than the premium hotels. He approached the receptionist about the reservation and got a keycard. Then, he headed towards his room on the second and immediately collapsed onto the bed. The original plan was to take a quick nap before tonight's event. However, he heard stomach growling and knew that he needed to eat something good. With help from his phone, Lucas began searching familiar-sounding places that he often went to eat. For the most part, they still reminded opened.

That was when he saw that P. Johnson's didn't shut down. Lucas always liked their breadsticks and their "secret sauce" (it was just a copy of another restaurant's sauce with extra ingredients). There were more options, but he didn't want to overeat. So with the breadsticks in mind, Lucas got up from the bed and left the hotel. Because the restaurant was only a few minutes away, he decided to walk instead of getting a ride. It was around this time that he thought about the other students. How many of them were still here? How many are planning to attend the reunion? He was deep in thought that nearly caused him to walk past P. Johnson's. The parking lot was filled with cars, but that didn't matter to Lucas.

Once inside, Lucas got in the long line and waited for his turn to order. At that moment, someone stared at him as if they were trying to recognize him. Lucas didn't know because he was on his phone, waiting. It wasn't until that someone got his attention with a simple question. "Are you Natalie's brother?"

Lucas hesitated to answer because he didn't know how she would have responded. But, he took a deep breath and slowly answered.

"Yeah, I am..."

Upon a closer look at the person, Lucas immediately realized that he was talking to one of Natalie's close friends, Kayleigh Hawkins. In high school, she was the treasurer for the student council and well-liked by everyone. Natalie hung out with her whenever possible until both of them graduated. She got accepted to a nearby college while Kayleigh was admitted to UCLA. She moved across the country shortly after getting the acceptance letter. Now, she was back for the reunion.

"Wow, life's been treating you good." Kayleigh said happily, referring to his overall appearance compared to his high school years. "I can't believe that it has been years since I last saw you. How are you?"

"I have been doing well. Boston has been treating me well enough. Got a decent place and a stable job. How about you?" Lucas said with a faint smile.

"I am nearly there to getting my degree in economics. Hopefully, I get work as a market research analyst for some company in the area." Kayleigh answered and saw that she was next to retrieve her order. She then realized something and turned to Lucas in an instant. "By the way, when's Natalie coming to town? It has been a while since we last talked."

Lucas looked down to the ground at the mention of his sister. Honestly, he didn't know if she was coming or not to the reunion. In fact, the last time that he saw her was on the night of his departure for this town. He sighed and said quietly, "I don't know. It has been a few years since we last talked. Sorry."

"Wait, I thought that Natalie was living with you?" Kayleigh asked confusedly.

"No..? Who told you that?

"Natalie." Kayleigh answered while heading towards the nearest table with her snacks. Lucas followed her and listened to her. According to her, Natalie explained that she was staying over at her brother's place in Boston. But that was a lie. Lucas asked what his sister said about him. Kayleigh said that she didn't mention him other than giving a reason why he left Delton. She said that he went to Boston to visit relatives. The reveal that she was lying about his departure left Lucas disappointed and upset. He looked down at the table and thanked her for telling him.

"No problem." Kayleigh responded while she finished up her snack. "If I see her, I will talk to her about it. Can I get your number so I can tell you what she says?"

"Of course." Lucas answered and pulled out his phone. He gave her his number, and the two of them talked for a bit longer. She brought up that somebody found the senior capsule and they were planning on opening it up here. Lucas didn't know about it until now since he deleted his social media accounts after leaving for Boston. But it was a coincidence that the event was taking place here. The two of them talked for a few more minutes until her phone rang again. She rolled her eyes and got up from the seat.

"Oh god. I forgot to get dinner for my brothers. It was nice talking to you. I will text you later on." Kayleigh walked out of the bar, leaving Lucas to be alone. He took a moment to hide all of his emotions. The music playing in the background helped a little. Then, a waiter brought him his order and some water. Lucas slowly started to eat his breadsticks while feeling anxious. Being in Delton was supposed to be a good thing for his health according to his friends and therapist. However, at this moment, he regretted listening to them.
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