We'd been doing this for hours, and all of us were exhausted. We had just finished ranking another hero, T.D.K., the Detachable Kid, in D-rank.
His power? He can detach his arms and legs and make them float around.
Soldier Boy laughed for a full hour. But honestly… the ability could be useful in the right situation, so D-rank it was.
We only had one applicant left.
And as soon as he walked in, my brain short-circuited for a second.
Peacemaker. His file immediately popped up on our tablets.
I turned on the mic."Peacemaker, please tell us about your skills and abilities."I clicked the mic back off.
He stood tall and answered confidently, "I'm considered the finest marksman in the world with any weapon, guns, bows, slingshots. I'm also skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and I have a variety of helmets, each with its own unique power."
Trini scrolled through his file and raised an eyebrow. "Okay… reading this, it looks like this guy is a sociopath. I know we don't have a problem killing, but look at this."
She tilted her tablet so we could all see.
His criminal record was… extensive.
"He's killed multiple drug dealers, gang leaders, some pedophiles, and a few racists," Trini continued. "I don't mind the last two, but there's also a note saying he killed a vandalist. I'm pretty sure a slap to the back of the head would've done the job, not a bullet."
"Also, his father is the White Dragon, aka the biggest racist on the planet," Hope said.
"And he looks like a dick," Soldier Boy added helpfully.
"Okay, everyone, calm down," I said, holding my hands up. "I know he's got a shaky past and a seriously messed-up family—"
"Messed up doesn't even begin to describe this shitshow," Hope cut in, scrolling down the file. "He's killed at least 110 people, he's been to jail multiple times, somehow got pardoned, and there are reports of him teaming up with another vigilante who literally calls himself vigilante. That guy has almost five hundred kills and has never been arrested."
She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Look… I always follow your lead, and this is your team. But I'm going to say it plainly, I don't think we should let this guy in. I think we should throw him into a prison cell."
"I think I should just put a bullet in his head," Soldier Boy said casually.
"Jesus Christ, no." I shook my head. "Look, I know he's… okay, let's be honest. He's a mess. A big mess. Like a house-on-fire mess. But I can see the good in him, and the way he is? That's not entirely his fault."
Their attention turned to me, so I continued.
"His father abused him. Forced him and his brother to fight. And Peacemaker accidentally killed his own brother because of it, because of the sick fights he sent up to get money. The guy has trauma stacked on trauma. He needs help. Real help. And this team, our team, might be the only place where he can actually get it."
I tapped the tablet thoughtfully.
"We lean into killing when we need to, yes. But we also have top-tier therapists, structure, and actual support. If anyone can get him on track, it's us. So for now? I'm placing him in C-rank."
Hope and Soldier Boy both looked skeptical, but I kept going.
"When he proves he can be trusted, when he actually shows progress, we can give him power-ups. Guidance. A shot at being the hero he wants to be. The guy is here. That alone means he's trying to be better."
I exhaled."And honestly? That counts for something."
Everyone went quiet, even Peacemaker. Hope finally exhaled. "Okay… fine. I guess we can do that. I'll hire some therapists, I just need to…do some background checks on them."
"I still think I should shoot him in the head," Soldier Boy said.
"You really need to cool it with that bloodlust of yours," Trini told him.
"I do not have bloodlust," Soldier Boy argued. "I'm just looking at the line bodies he dropped. Some of these people didn't deserve to die; jail time, sure, but not death. Also, these helmets? I'm sorry, but I'm gonna say it. They're ugly. Like, unbelievably ugly."
Hope and Trini burst out laughing.
"I mean, seriously," Soldier Boy continued, laughing with them, "I'd rather use one of these as an ugly ashtray than an actual helmet."
"Am I supposed to be hearing all of you?" Peacemaker asked suddenly.
Everyone froze.
I turned the mic back on. "You heard… like, everything we've been saying?"I turned it off again.
"Yes," Peacemaker said. "I can hear everything even when you turn the mic off. Soldier Boy keeps talking about putting a bullet in my head. And Miss Phoenix thinks I should be in jail."
We all stared at each other in pure horror.
Apparently, every single recruit we interviewed today heard all of our commentary.
"Oh man…" Soldier Boy groaned, rubbing his face. "I called that lady a stripper. That's definitely gonna be awkward when I'm training her."
"Soldier Boy," Hope said slowly. "Do you remember when I told you to connect the wire to the system?"
"Yes," Soldier Boy answered confidently.
"Which port did you use? The B or the A?" Hope asked, already bracing herself.
"Oh, neither," he said casually. "I saw a C port and plugged it in there. It all works the same, doesn't matter what you use."
Hope closed her eyes like she was praying for patience. "I want to blame you… but honestly, this is on me for trusting you with something that simple."
I cleared my throat, deciding to bail her out. "Okay, we're just going to ignore the awkward moment. Peacemaker, you're being placed in C-rank. Your contract will be sent to your apartment later today. It'll explain everything you need to know and… more importantly… everything you shouldn't do."
Peacemaker nodded. "Understood. Thank you, Mage King, for giving me this chance. You won't regret it."
"I'm expecting a lot of good things from you, Chris," I said.
He gave a respectful nod and walked out of the building.
The room got quiet for a moment… then Soldier Boy sighed.
"You guys are never going to let me live this mistake down, are you?"
"Nope," all of us said in perfect unison.
The next day
I was in my pocket dimension training with Trini. She was really good at hand-to-hand combat. Honestly, she might even surpass me if we kept this up for a few more hours. In a little while, Hope was supposed to fuse all the Power Coins into one, but for now, we were just killing time with some sparring.
After a few more exchanges, we finally called for a break.
We sat down, grabbed towels, wiped the sweat off, and took long, cold drinks of water.
"I have to say," Trini said, catching her breath, "you're very good at hand-to-hand combat."
"What, you thought I'd be some glass cannon?" I smirked. "Sorry to disappoint, but I actually know a few things about fighting."
"I didn't say that," she laughed lightly. "But I have been wondering… can you teach me a bit of magic?"
"Sure, I'd be happy to," I said. "I have no idea if you can learn it; that part depends on you, but I'm always down to teach."
"All I'm asking for is something useful. If I can learn magic, I want spells that heal or mend wounds. Something to help civilians if they get hurt."
"Oh. Got it," I nodded. "That makes sense."
Before I could say more, both our phones buzzed at the same time, a special alert Hope designed for all New Dawn members.
I snapped my fingers, and instantly the dimension dissolved around us as we teleported straight into the lab where Sage waited.
Sage had volunteered to act as Overwatch for New Dawn. Whenever a hero needed direction, she was the one guiding us.
"What's going on?" I asked as soon as we appeared in the lab.
"There is an alien ship attacking Washington, D.C.," Sage reported. "Members of the Justice League and Justice Society are already there. Might Woman, Panacea, Purity, and Superwoman are en route. But in case they need additional backup, I've also alerted Stormfront… and I called you."
"Alright. Alien ship. Why not?" I said with a shrug.
I snapped my fingers, my armor snapped onto my body, and my hammer materialized in my hand a heartbeat later.
Without wasting time, I teleported straight to Washington, D.C.
I reappeared high above the city. Below me was chaos, a massive alien ship hovering over the Washington Monument, beams firing into the sky, the ground, everywhere.
And the heroes were struggling.
Green Lantern, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Martian Manhunter, Captain Atom, and Major Force were all attacking the ship, but every time they hit a weak spot, the ship blasted them back or electrocuted them. Even Might Woman's team was being held at bay by the strange reactive shielding.
I raised my hand.
Two magic circles formed above the ship, glowing brighter and brighter until.
BOOM.
A concentrated blast of magic shot downward, punching straight through the top of the alien craft. The ship sputtered, lost altitude, and crashed, thankfully landing in the water near the base of the Washington Monument instead of the city.
The heroes landed around it, regrouping, and I touched down beside them along with my arriving team.
"Nice shot, Mage King," Hawkwoman said as she landed beside us.
"Thank you," I replied. "But does anyone know what species just attacked us, and why?"
"That was a Gordanian Class-7 Cruiser," Hawkman answered. "Tough to bring down without the right weapons. The species onboard is called the Gordanians."
"Our people, the Thanagarians, are at war with them," Hawkwoman added. "But I've never seen Gordanians this far from their territory. And only one ship? That's strange. They usually travel in fleets."
Before anyone could comment further, a deep rumble shook the air.
We all turned.
Another ship appeared… but this one dwarfed the first.And behind it?
Dozens.Hundreds.Thousands of ships dropping out of warp.
An entire fleet hovered above Earth like a floating armada of doom.
Cracks of lightning snapped around me as I spun my hammer, power building."Well," I said, "didn't think I'd be destroying another alien army this soon."
"WAIT!" Hawkman and Hawkwoman shouted at the same time.
I halted mid-swing, lightning flickering out as I looked at them in confusion.
Before I could ask why they were panicking, a smaller ship detached from the fleet and descended toward us, landing gently on the ground.
Everyone tensed. No one moved.
Whatever was coming out of that ship… it wasn't here to attack.
At least, not yet.
The ship opened with a hiss of steam.
And stepping out first was… a Thanagarian.
Golden armor gleamed across his body, polished enough to reflect the sun. His wings were massive, larger than Hawkman's and Hawkwoman's by a noticeable margin, each feather razor-sharp and metallic. He wore an ornate hawk-shaped helmet, far more ceremonial and commanding than the ones I'd seen before.
But he wasn't alone.
More Thanagarians stepped out behind him in tight formation. They wore armor as well, though less decorated, clearly soldiers or guards. Each one carried a long spear with a glowing tip, humming with energy.
Their helmets weren't hawk-shaped like the leader's.Instead, they looked more like traditional military helms, smooth, reinforced, and marked with long red crests running from the forehead to the back of the neck.
This wasn't a scouting party.
This was an official detachment.
A royal one, judging by the armor.
The leader stepped forward, wings spreading wide in a display of authority.
And every hero present instantly realized:
This just became way bigger than a random alien attack.
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AN: Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm about to go out and celebrate my birthday. My birthday is tomorrow, but we're going to celebrate it today.