"All Might is here?" Stain asked, eyes wide.
"Yes. In fact, he was the second person I summoned into this world," I said.
Stars and Stripes straightened, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "Is that true? Then I'd like to see All Might myself."
"Okay, I don't have a problem with that. Church!" I called.
A shimmer of light, and Church appeared."Sup."
"I want you to call All Might here. There are some people who need to meet him."
"No problem," he said before vanishing again.
While we waited, I turned back to the group. "Alright, let me explain what I want from all of you."
They all leaned in with varying levels of intensity, except, of course, Rocksteady and Bebop, who were still looking around like they were hoping for a buffet table.
"This world is filled with danger. Superheroes, villains, gods, monsters, you name it, it's here. I want all of you to help me make it better. Each one of you has skills that would be invaluable to me and my team."
I pointed to the Mahler Twin."Like you. Your ability to make clones? I need that. And don't worry, I'll let you clone your 'brother' too."
Then I turned to Queen Maeve and Stars and Stripes."And you two, I want you on my hero team. I know, Maeve, you're not exactly a shining example of heroism… but we can train you. If A-Train can learn to be a real hero, then so can you."
That got Maeve attention immediately. "A-Train is here?"
"Not just him. Annie, Kimiko and Ashley too," I said.
"Really?" Maeve asked, surprised.
"Yes. And they're all doing well. Annie and Kimiko are excellent heroes now. A-Train too. As for Ashley… she's my company's second-in-command. And she has a son."
Maeve blinked. "Ashley has a son!?"
"Yes," I said. "My son, actually."
Every single person in the room gave me the exact same confused look. Maeve finally voiced it. "Hold on, how old is your son? And how old are you?"
"Okay, I know what you're thinking, and no, it's not like that," I said quickly. "He started out as a giant robot. I brought him to life with alien technology, then later transferred him into a body I built using Ashley's DNA."
The room went dead silent. Even Rocksteady and Bebop stopped laughing and just stared at me like I'd grown a second head.
Johanna Constantine finally spoke up, her eyes narrowing. "I honestly can't tell if you're fuckin' with us or not."
"Nope. That's the truth. And trust me, that's not even the weirdest thing I've done so far." I said.
Johanna sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Alright, fine. Let's ignore the robot kid DNA soap opera for now. Why exactly do you want me here?"
"Well, you're good with magic. I've got magic now too, but since our local witch is on vacation and isn't answering my calls, I need help training."
"Sabrina not answering your calls?" a voice said from behind me.
I turned. "All Might."
The reactions were priceless. Stars and Stripes looked like her brain just blew a gasket. Stain's eyes went wide like someone had just slapped him.
"I was worried at first," I admitted, turning back, "but she did text me. Said she's got a lot going on."
All Might crossed his arms. "A lot going on? I wonder what she means by that."
"My guess?" I shrugged. "She's probably dating someone and doesn't want to tell anyone. Honestly, I'm not worried. She's insanely strong. Only people I can think of who could actually hurt her are the Ancient One or Odin. And the chances of her running into either of them? Practically zero. Like… astronomically low. I doubt that'll ever happen."
The way half the room stared at me after I said that, you'd think I'd just cursed the entire planet.
"Sensei, I'm very happy to see you," Stars and Stripes said, her voice trembling with relief.
All Might finally turned his full attention to the group. Until now, he hadn't really looked at them, but the moment his eyes landed on Stars and Stripes and Stain, his expression shifted, sharp, emotional, almost like a wound had been reopened.
"Cathleen…" His voice cracked with emotion. "I thought I'd never see you again."
She took a step forward, eyes locked on him. "Did we win the war?"
"Yes," All Might said with conviction. "Not only did we win… but a new dawn for heroes rose from it."
Stars and Stripes smiled faintly, relief flashing across her face, but her tone quickly grew serious. "All Might… I'm happy to see you. But I must ask, this man who summoned us… is he truly a hero?"
Before I could answer, All Might looked at Stain. His stern face softened. "And Stain… I'm happy to see you again as well. I never got the chance to thank you."
Stain frowned, confused. "Thank me? For what? I barely helped in that battle."
"But you tried," All Might said firmly. "You stood against a powerful villain, without hesitation, just to protect me. That… that deserves praise."
For the first time, Stain's mask of fury cracked. His eyes widened, surprise and a strange joy battling across his scarred face. "…Thank you, All Might." His voice was low, almost reverent. But he quickly hardened again. "Now answer me this: is this man a fake, or a true hero?"
All Might didn't hesitate. "Ed is the real deal. If he weren't… I wouldn't be working alongside him."
Stain studied him for a long moment, then nodded once, sharp and decisive. "I see. That is good." He turned his eyes on me, his presence heavy with purpose.
"Tell me my role, and I will fulfill it. But know this, if your path ever strays from the heroic one… I will cut you down without mercy."
I smirked. "You can try. Don't worry, I've got plenty of people making sure I don't go down the wrong path. What I want from you is simple: join my Black Ops team. Eliminate the worst of the worst, so the heroes don't have to get their hands dirty."
Stain's bloodlust surged, his lips curling into a grin. "A sacrifice I know all too well. If filth must be purged to protect the light of true heroes… then so be it. I will kill as many as I must."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop as he said it.
"Now you all know your roles," I said, folding my arms. "But I want you to take a few days to adjust to this world. When it's time for you to work, I'll come get you. Since All Might is here, he can show you your living quarters."
"Happy to," All Might said warmly. "I can even give them a tour of the base."
"That's cool, but don't take them into the city yet," I warned. "I'd rather keep heroes and civilians separated until the newcomers are used to their new home."
"No problem," All Might nodded. "I can still show them Goliath, right?"
"You can. Pretty sure everyone, at some point in their life, wants to see a dragon."
"…I'm sorry, a what?" Maeve asked, staring at me like I'd grown a second head.
"Trust me, that's not even the weirdest thing on this island," All Might said with a grin. "Wait until you see the flying bison, the dinosaurs, the talking bears, and an electric mouse."
"Don't forget about the octopus teacher," I added.
"Oh, right, Koro-sensei," All Might chuckled. "I'm sure some of you will actually like him."
Johanna rubbed her temples. "Okay. That's it. I've definitely tripping on something. Acid, mushrooms, hell, maybe both. Because this? This is… I don't even know what this is."
"Welcome to my world," I said with a smirk.
All Might gestured toward the hallway. "Alright then, follow me. Let's get you settled."
And with that, the group trailed after him, a mix of disbelief, curiosity, and a little excitement swirling in the air.
April O'Neil POV
Right now, I was in Cat Grant's office, standing in front of her desk. She finally called me in to talk about the monster invasion. She'd been putting this off for a week, and honestly, I was starting to wonder if she was just going to let what I did out there slide into silence.
"April, can you please just sit down?" Cat asked, her tone softer than usual.
"Sorry, Cat. I kind of tense up sometimes," I admitted, sitting down.
"I want to thank you," she said. "For what you did for me and my son."
"You don't have to thank me, Cat."
"Yes, I do," she pressed, her voice full of rare emotion. "Because unlike those bodyguards, you actually stayed. You didn't run at the first sign of danger. You got me to my son and you protected us the entire time that nightmare was happening. I owe you more than you possibly know."
For a moment, I couldn't even speak. Then I finally managed, "Cat… I want you to keep a secret. About what I did out there. I don't want anyone to know—not reporters, not your closest friends, not even my own friends."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean the fact that you threw a car at a monster after you ran out of ammo? Or that you ripped a stop sign out of the ground and started using it as a weapon?"
"…All of that," I said quietly.
"It's done," Cat said firmly. "Not a single soul will know what you truly did out there. I'll even make sure my son keeps that secret as well."
Relief washed over me. "Thank you, Cat. You have no idea how much this means to me."
She leaned forward, her expression serious. "I know how mutants are treated, April. I know the fear that keeps them hiding in the dark. But take my advice, nothing stays hidden forever. Secrets always come to light. The only choice you really have is to tell the people you care about before it explodes… or walk away. And I don't think you want to walk away. Not from Kara. Not from Winn."
I didn't say anything because she was right.
I'd grown too attached to Kara and Winn to even think about leaving. Even if my mission ended tomorrow, I wouldn't want to go. Every time I looked at them, I wanted to tell the truth. But I couldn't. Not because of Ed. Not because of the mission. Because I was afraid, afraid of how they'd look at me afterward.
"I will keep that in mind, Cat," I murmured.
I stood up and left the office, my chest heavy. The truth sat like a weight on me. I'd lied too many times, to Cat, to Kara, to Winn. Lied about being a mutant. Lied about why I was really here. I'd built an entire tower of lies inside this building… and I knew one day it was going to come crashing down on me.
I walked out of Cat's office and was heading straight to my desk when Kara stepped in my way.
"Hey," she said softly. "Is everything all right? You look… tense."
I froze. Looking at her, I felt that same pull I always did, the urge to just tell her everything. But I forced myself to smile.
"I'm fine, Kara. Cat just… thanked me for helping her and her son during the monster invasion."
She gave me a strange look.
"What?" I asked.
"You didn't call me 'cutie.'"
I blinked. "Hahaha, what?" I fake-laughed, too quickly.
"Since the day we met, you've always called me cutie," Kara said gently. "The only time you ever use my real name is when we first met, in getting to know each other. That's it. You always call me cutie, except just now."
Her words hit harder than I expected. "Wow… didn't know you got so attached to that little nickname, cutie," I said with a strained grin. "I'll make sure not to slip up again."
She didn't laugh. Instead, she stepped closer, her eyes full of concern. "April, you're my friend. If there's something going on, anything at all, you can tell me. Whatever it is, I'll be here. Me and Winn both."
I hesitated, the words clawing at my throat. I wanted to tell her everything—who I really was, what I was hiding, the lies I'd stacked like cards waiting to fall. Instead, I did the only thing I could: I pulled her into a hug.
She stiffened in surprise, then melted into it.
"One day," I whispered, my voice shaking, "maybe soon… you'll find out things about me. Things I kept secret. Things I lied about. And I can only hope that you and Winn will forgive me. Until then… let's just enjoy the small moments before that time comes."
She was quiet for a long moment. Then I felt her arms tighten around me.
"Me and Winn love you, April. No matter what. And whatever it is, we'll forgive you. I promise. But… I'll respect your wish to wait."
Tears threatened to spill, but I forced them back down. I couldn't break here—not now. Not yet.
Ed Clone 4 POV
Right now, I was sitting in the living room waiting for someone special to arrive. It was finally time to assemble the Black Ops team. We'd found enough candidates, now it was just about recruiting them.
The door opened, and in walked a bald Black man. The moment his eyes landed on me, I could see the calculation in them, fight or flight.
"Okay, I know your first instinct is to shoot me," I said calmly, leaning back. "But you know damn well that won't do a thing. And your second instinct is to run, but that won't help you either. So here's your only real option: close the door, sit down, and hear me out."
He weighed it in his head, then made the right call. He shut the door and sat across from me.
"Good choice, Floyd… or do you prefer Deadshot?"
"What do you want?" he asked, ignoring the question completely.
"Straight to business. I like that." I leaned forward. "I'm building a team, a Black Ops unit. We eliminate villains, the kind that slip through the cracks. I want you on it."
Floyd let out a humorless chuckle. "You serious? You want me on your little hero squad? I'll save you the trouble, no. Not interested."
"Shame," I said. "You don't even know the benefits yet."
"There ain't enough money in the world to make me work for heroes."
I smirked. "Who said I'm just offering money? I'm offering you something far more valuable. Full custody of your daughter."
His expression sharpened immediately, all humor gone. "What did you just say?"
"I know some very good lawyers," I continued evenly. "And I can guarantee her safety. She'd be in a place no one could ever touch her, safe from anyone looking to get revenge on you. You'd still see her whenever you're off mission. Her mom could visit too."
He didn't answer at first. The silence stretched heavy between us.
"Look, I get it," I said finally, standing up. "Big decision. I'll give you a couple days to—"
"No." His voice cut sharp, and he stood with me. "I'll do it. I'll join. But only if you promise me—she stays safe. I get to see her anytime I'm not working for you. And her mom… she gets to come around too."
I smiled faintly. "That can be arranged."
I slid a small card onto the table. "This has the details. Where and when the first mission will be. That's also when I'll bring your daughter to my base. Until then? Stay out of trouble, Floyd."
His eyes stayed locked on me, hard and untrusting, but he didn't argue.
I teleported away.