Welcome Back Hope

Harsh black lightning spilled from the skies. It tore the street of an unknown city apart, ripping it to bits. A siren blared loudly, constantly roaring as a massive shape moved through the dark clouds above.

The roaring of a dragon shook the entire city as the massive, winged beast came down. It was long and serpent-like, stretching out for miles. The thing easily dwarfed the massive city, glaring down at all the people below. On top of it, a long figure stood. One dressed in shadowy black armor with glowing blue eyes. The Emperor held his white sword high above his head.

Down below in the city, only a single figure looked as if they were going to stand in his way. A young woman with long crimson red hair and Godlike strength that rivaled that of the other Lords.

Ruby Admiral cracked her knuckles and pulled her fist back as the serpent-like dragon let out a scratch loud enough to shatter the buildings. It struck forward openings, its mouth wide enough to swallow an entire street, but Ruby didn't back down. She put all her effort and all her strength directly into her fist. Every bit of strength she had was unleashed with a single powerful punch!

Then…

Suddenly the world faded and broke apart as Hope woke up from the dream she had been forced into.

The world and the thoughts that had been forced into her head, all of them, began to shatter and break. It faded to black, and the next thing Hope Lauren knew, her eyes were snapping open, and she gasped, taking several deep gulps of air.

It took her several seconds to remember who she was. She was Cinder, a member of Pantheon, a Lord of the Sun and Cosmos. Or at least she had been. She still couldn't feel the embers of her power anywhere within her, and she could tell instantly that her body hadn't changed that much. She remembered where she was and what had been happening as well.

The Emperor, or Nier, had taken her. She had seen him in those memories. Not only that, but she also heard people's thoughts and feelings. It was like she had been the Victorian, Max, Full Monarch, and even Avalon all at once. The emotions were swirling around inside of her, and it almost caused her to throw up, but she settled her beating heart and stared up at the roof above.

All those visions and memories. She was living through them all, seeing things she couldn't. Even the hidden thoughts the people wanted to keep to themselves. She could still feel it even in her own body. The muscle memories. Every strike Ruby Admiral unleashed played through her mind on loop. The Victorian, back then, had seemingly lacked any flashy powers and instead made up for it with total overwhelming strength. Strength that was so great, in fact, it made her wonder who was truly stronger. Ruby Admiral or the Victorian?

"Getting used to it?" The voice of Avalon teased her and ended the thoughts she had. "How is it Cinder? Getting to experience the life and feelings of another person. Their muscle memories and thought processes become yours. I'm sure once you get your powers back, you'll be a lot stronger just from watching the legendary Ruby Admiral in action."

She slowly sat up, shaking her head as the world stopped spinning. It was always so weird going from so many different views and thoughts to just her own. She was literally other people while she viewed the memories, so she'd have to get used to being Hope Lauren once more.

She was still in that weird monitor room. The one that had the bed and all the TVs hooked up, each playing a different image at max speed. Avalon stood near the entrance that led out to the golden hallway with a sly smirk on his face as he looked her up and down. She followed his gaze and studied her own form as she stepped out of the bed. She had gotten a bit taller by maybe an inch or two. If she had been twelve earlier, then she'd say she was thirteen or maybe in her early fourteens now. She was dressed in a pair of long black pants and had a black hoodie on over the outfit the Emperor had gifted her now. The clothes were seemingly formed from actual shadows and molded and twitched sometimes. Like a weird liquid-like substance that had been forced into a solid state.

She wasn't sure where the clothes had come from since it wasn't the outfit she had been wearing when she started, and part of her didn't want to know how she had been dressed in it. She'd just have to remember that Avalon needed to pay severely.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to you forcing me to relive memories that aren't my own." She finally said. "It makes me dizzy and sick to my stomach." The brain could only handle so many memories and thoughts, and she was being forced to see the same thing over and over from so many different points of view. She hoped it didn't ruin her mind later in life. Avalon wasn't exactly a sane person, and she feared ending up the same as him.

Avalon just chuckled when he noticed the look in her eyes. "Trust me. It could be so much worse. I could have shown you some of Alpha's past."

"His name is Jack Larison." She hissed out.

"Whatever." The man turned away from her and motioned for her to follow. "My power is actually why I was able to revert back to my human form after changing. I'm sure you saw what happened to Fire Prince, right? That was one of the memories I showed you. Nier forced another Ego into that man's body. An Ego that devoured the human one inside of him and fused with the Super Ego. In this case, the fire-based power merged with a vampire-based power, causing him to become that bat monster. Nier isn't able to force Ego's into targets without destroying their human half. In some rare cases, like Fairy Queen or the other generals, they keep their sanity, but the humanity in them is still long gone and destroyed. The destruction of the human Ego is why our forms change and we lose our memories. With my memory power, though, I was able to force all the memories I had stored up back into myself. It caused my destroyed human Ego to mend a bit. Of course, my monster form is also very special since I become something that isn't technically a living creature. Maybe that's why I was able to do it, as no other monster has come back the same way as I have, even if I give them their memories back."

"So that man in the armor, the Emperor, that was Nier?" She asked quietly. She could still feel the emotion Max had. That man had prayed and hoped without belief that it hadn't been Nier. Suddenly, the way he acted when he first took her and her mom to the past made a lot more sense. The way he kept staring at Nier in silence. That Nier seemed very different from the Nier of today. Not to mention the blue-eyed Emperor…

"Of course it was. Nier is the one and only Emperor, after all. Alpha was just a stand-in. A means to an end for when Nier was busy." Avalon twirled his finger, and more of the small fly robots landed on the tip of it as they walked through the golden hallway. "See, these drones don't just record everything. They are sort of like low-level psychics. They pick up on surface-level thoughts and emotions. I can then use the data they collect to beam them into a person and allow them to relive the past and actually feel as if they were the people in those memories. It can be a little harsh on the mind and body seeing so many POVs, though, right? Thanks to my power, I was able to forcefully remind myself of my human life when Nier turned me into a monster and repaired my damaged human Ego, allowing me to still exist, unlike every other monster, such as Fairy Queen or Hell Hound, who are long gone. The stress and emotions we are putting you under will hopefully forcefully awaken a power inside of you, or at least speed up your growth and get you back to where you were."

"Well, it looks like it is working." She glanced down at her hands, flexing them. She still felt weak, but somehow she knew she just needed a little more. Slowly it was coming back. With a bit more work, she'd reach her old self. "Why did you let me out though? Are we going to go eat again or something?" The memory clearly had more to it than what she had seen. It had left her with many questions she wanted or actually needed to know. It had been a simple memory of Ruby fighting the Emperor. It had started in the middle of their battle, and she had no idea how things progressed to that point or what had been going on.

Harrison clicked his tongue and winced a bit. "There's a lot you didn't get to see yet. After all, I didn't even show you where Alpha fits into all of this. Sadly, we're out of time, though."

"Out of time?"

"Yep! A full day has passed since you were knocked out and living through those thoughts. We have to be careful with how much we shove in your head so it doesn't blow up, and we've reached the limit for tonight! Though you don't need to worry about that anymore as we've also arrived earlier than expected to our destination."

The hallway opened up, but instead of a dining room, she now found herself in the entrance to what she would have guessed was a large manor. Like everywhere else in the strange building she was in, it was made out of solid gold and hurt her eyes to look at. There were dozens of pictures of Sky all over the place and even full-blown statues of her in various poses with different weapons or outfits. One even had her and her father standing on top of the Victorian's corpse, both wearing black jagged armor.

Near the back, a pair of heavy golden doors the size of a small building resided. It was like some sort of palace or something in a comic. At the entrance to the door, Fairy Queen stood. The woman's eyes were narrowed, and the woman stared back at her, causing her to flinch and hide behind Avalon. She really hated having no powers. Standing next to Fairy Queen in his black armor with the red flames pouring out of his eyes was the Emperor. He wasn't alone either. Flanking him on either side were two more people she was shocked to see. Demonica, and Polaron. However, both were made out of what looked like solid darkness. It sort of reminded her of Mr. Larison's Giants or Lucifer's zombies. Could it have been a trait the Rulers shared?

Then again, she was also able to make pseudo-life forms. Baggy, her fire construct came to mind. A small being that was clearly alive to some extent.

"I brought her just as you asked me to, boss!" Avalon called out, waving his hand. The Emperor's red eyes turned toward them, and Fairy Queen's teeth ground together as the woman hissed.

She did her best to suppress her fear and stepped past Avalon, glaring back into the Emperor's eyes. "Your minion told me we arrived at some place. Where did you take me?"

The Emperor's arms were folded behind his back and over his cape as the eyes seemed to stare into her soul. "A pity. Your power hasn't fully recovered yet." The man's voice sounded just as it did in the memory. It made her hate him even more seeing how he openly betrayed Full Monarch and Max Lightning as if it had been nothing. Nier was just as much of a monster as those he transformed.

"Answer my question." She demanded.

He turned away from her and placed his hand on the door. He felt it hum and could tell Golden God had come to a total stop as they arrived at their destination. "Hell." He finally said. "We've arrived at hell-"

"More specifically, Hell Land!" Avalon announced as the doors snapped open, allowing her to finally see the outside world. Screams rang out all around them as, in the distance, a roller coaster flew through the air. "The only place on planet Earth where supervillains can have fun! Now with eight new rides!"

The Emperor had taken them to a theme park...

She blinked slowly, processing everything. "What?"

***

"Well, well, well." Michael twirled the vial of blue liquid between his fingers. "They really don't make stuff like this anymore. I'll have to remember to thank Alma when I next see him- If I next see him- I guess he's working for the Branch again, huh? I bet I could get Doctor Blue- Nah, what am I saying? Doctor Blue is working for Zoo now—a pity. I'd have loved to get my hands on more of this stuff- I bet this is how he healed that Battery hero, isn't it? Ah, but then it's worthless to me since I don't have heart issues- But what if I get heart issues- Wait, I'm immortal. What am I saying?"

Michael tossed the blue vial behind his back, throwing it into a trashcan. Now that he finished studying it, he didn't need it anymore. Not when he had someone like his sister with him. Thanks to her, recreating that healing drug would be more than easy. In only a few short hours, he'd be able to recreate everything that the Wandering Coin had made, but better.

His sister was just amazing like that, after all.

Michael hummed and looked around his sister's lab. It was an open space that was so cold it caused his breath to be visible. Metal tables scattered the place filled with half-built machines or broken-down products she had been in the middle of crafting. His eyes slowly landed on a mirror, and he took a moment to admire himself.

"Looking good, sexy." He winked. "You're going to do great today. You're going to make so many sales—I bet you're going to make all the sales- Okay, well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. You have some grays in your hair, so maybe half of the sales—I have grays in my hair- No wait! I'm immortal! I don't get grays."

The reflection that looked back at him was a young man. One with messy blonde hair that had been combed down. His bright green eyes were hidden behind his shades, and he took a moment to adjust his collar. He was dressed in a white buttoned-up shirt and black dress pants. He had a very expensive fur coat that cost more than some towns, and he wore what some people called a 'pimp hat' for the final touch. It was a black fedora with the symbol of a golden butterfly on the side of it.

He flipped his hat in the air and caught it on the tip of his finger, moving out of the way just in time as a massive rumble went through the entire building he was in. Several of the lights above exploded, sending a sea of glass down, but he covered his head with his hat. "Looks like they're really aggressive today- Oh, I bet Meta is going to kick their ass- Should I help- Nah, she can handle it- But then again, I haven't played any good games in a while- I can't decide. Red light green light, cops and robbers, or gold old freeze tag—ah, screw it, I'll just play a good old game of Simon Says."

Michael moved out of the way once more as the door to the lab exploded off its hinges, slamming into the wall next to him. He kept his sly smile on his face and watched as someone else entered the lab. "Are you safe, brother?" A voice asked quietly.

"I am now that you're here, Meta!"

"Please stop with that nickname." His sister said in a flat tone. Like him, his sister used to have blonde hair, though now hers was almost pure gray with just a bit of blonde scattered in it. Her hair was tied back, but even then, it went far down her back, having not been cut in years. She didn't wear glasses or shades like him, but her green eyes also didn't glow nearly as much as his did. They were dull, almost blank, and emotionless. She wore what looked almost like a black and yellow military service uniform, complete with a small cap. It had no badges of honor, though. A silver rapier hung off the side of her belt, and her hand was placed on the handle, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. "I'm going to go out and handle the people that are on our front door." She said quietly. Meta was the kind of person who had almost no emotion in her voice. It was as loud as it needed to be. No more, no less. "Will you be fine by yourself?"

Michael flipped his hat up once more and held his finger out, catching it. "I'll manage, Meta. Go kick some ass- Oh, are you going to use your model two suit or the new model three- I bet we could make a model four if you wanted- Screw it, let's go all the way to model five and really beat them-"

"I'll be back shortly." His sister responded, cutting him off before his rant could get any longer.

Michael was the opposite of his sister. Sometimes it was hard to get him to shut up. He watched as she turned her back, and he gave her one last smirk. "Seriously, though. Show them all why you don't mess with us. Make them pay."

His sister didn't say anything as she left the lab. Unlike him, she wasn't even an adult yet—she was seventeen. She had only been part of their family for a few years now and had been gifted her name by their father. She was mostly quiet and never bothered to talk to the other siblings besides him, which sometimes ticked him off since that meant his father always left her to him.

Michael took a seat in a chair and flicked on one of the monitors that was in the lab. They had many bases all across the planet, and most of the time they would never stay at one place for very long. The rest of the family was at the base in Hell Land, so only he and Meta had been at this one. As the monitor flicked on, he saw the outside of their base.

They were in the middle of a desert, somewhere away from any of the grand cities that the heroes resided in. Out here, it was no man's land; every person was for themselves. A lone metal building stood surrounded by the ruins of what might have once been a city, but years of disasters had destroyed it all. Their building stuck out like a sore thumb, so he wasn't shocked it had been found. It looked almost like a vault and was drilled into the ground. The entire destroyed city around them shook as explosives rained from above.

A massive metal ship floated directly in the sky above them. It was an old navy warship that was being forced to sail on the air instead of the sea, thanks to some ability. It sported a flag he recognized instantly. The Anti-Matter gang was a group of Wasteland villains that were working on taking over what part of the world hadn't been put under the control of the Victorian or the Hero Branch. The large warship sported that flag and pointed its weapons at their bunker, firing ceaseless barrages at the smaller building.

Even deep underground, he could hear their captain shouting at them from his ship's intercoms. "Come out now! Give us all your stuff and any women you got hiding in there!" The Anti-Matter gang, at the end of the day, were little more than pirates who could make boats fly.

Part of the vault opened up, and a lift began to rise out of it. Meta stood on it, her dull eyes staring up at the massive ship that floated in the sky miles above her. It rumbled and trained its weapons on her but didn't fire. No doubt, the captain was discussing with the rest of his crew, trying to figure out who she was. He doubted they'd be able to put it together. After all, the world hadn't gotten to see 'this' Meta in action.

"I'll say this once." Her voice danced through the air, going further than it had any right to, and it seemed to actually cause the entire ship to freeze in place. As if it were alive and listening to her. She drew her rapier, holding it up. "Leave. Now."

Michael watched this go down on the monitor and frowned. "Still so soft, Meta." He reached up to his earpiece and pressed a button. "Meta, wrap this up quick. Father wanted us to meet him in Hell Land before the end of the day."

On the monitor, he watched his sister reach up to her own earpiece. "Right-"

She was cut off as the ship finally made up its mind and resumed firebombing the area with everything they had. They unleashed all of their cannons and explosive power onto the lone girl, hitting her with massive bombs. Fire poured over the land, and a massive dust cloud was kicked up. The lab shook, and more things were knocked over as massive craters formed along the ground. They kept the barrage up for nearly a full minute before they finally stopped firing and allowed their guns to settle down. As the dust rained, though, Michael felt his lips quirk up into a smirk.

"She tried to warn you. You should have left when she gave you the chance."

A green glow of energy seeped out in the dust and formed into a bubble around Meta. Everything around her was destroyed, but she was perfectly fine. The cannons went back to point at her, but they were too late. The air around her shimmered. "Sorry." She spoke quietly as the energy seeped out and began to take shape, forming around her like a suit. "Begone. Vanish off the face of this planet."

It was over in a single attack.

One moment, Meta was on the ground, and then next, she was gone as the ship exploded, something flying through it faster than anyone on board could react. Massive emerald wings forged from energy spilled out of the wreckage of the ship as everything began to fall apart, and Michael once again heard his sister's voice.

"I'll see you at Hell Land, big brother." In the wreckage of the destroyed ship, Meta floated, now clad in powerful iron armor. Astral green wings flowed from her back, tearing space itself apart. She was, after all, one of the greatest Mental-based Supers in the world, second only to Boy Genius.

"Right." Michael flipped a coin, giving a sly smirk. "We shouldn't keep Father waiting."