In the year 2025, during World War 3, America was fighting an even battle with Russia, keeping them at bay to allow its allies to have a better chance at winning. However, when the war lasted 10 years too long, America decided it was time to tip the scales and utilize the nuclear weapons they had held onto. See, Americans always had an idea that war was coming, just not how soon.
Alarms blaring, footsteps moving hastily, and finally two keys turning simultaneously—the casing to a pristine and bright red button opened up. Silence entered the room.
Initiate the start of the nuclear war…
The world was a normal place up until the nuclear war, which lasted only a few months. Then a child was born harboring powers on August 5th, 2026. From this day forward, a select few babies began showing abilities uncommon to the world. At first, it was seen as a miracle, and then the government tried to take and foster the children into weapons.
See, the people fought back. This was the United States of America after all—the land of the free. Riots and unrest began ensuing, and people started becoming afraid to go to the hospital for childbirth. By January 1st, 2027, so many children had been born outside of hospitals that the government decided it would be better to account for the powers rather than control them.
This is what caused a new law for superhumans to be passed. Superhuman Law was created to keep superhumans in check. There was a school founded to foster these youth and an academy to have them train their powers. Tests were agreed to be run by the parents, as some of them were too scared of the powers in general.
In the year 2050, there was an explosion at a secret government facility. When the media arrived to cover the explosion, it showed hundreds of bodies and lab coats lying bloodied on the ground. No one knew just how life-changing the scene was, since a few days after the footage hit the news stations, there was a man floating in the sky next to the White House.
He was angry and declared he'd kill the President for what he did. As the mysterious super lifted the gate and threw it toward the President's office, another super flew in to stop it midair. This would go on to be the first villain vs. hero battle: Graviton vs. Beyond. Although Beyond had won the fight, it was close.
This is also the battle that led the government to call upon heroes to form a united team of sorts: THE LEAGUE.
Started by the superhuman known as Beyond, he recruited four others. First, there was the tech guy who goes by Intel. Then, using his expertise, they found and recruited Timeless, who was a speedster; Hades, who had the powers of the underworld and a god; and finally, during a later crisis where there was an invasion of human-like aliens that called themselves the Vil-something Empire, an intergalactic being came to assist, showing control over powers beyond anything we had seen.
He was Guy Cosmic, and he was amazing.
Turns out he's human, and his powers teleported him to another universe where he was fostered by an intergalactic space force to keep the peace in the universe. Once he was recruited as the fifth member, they were officially announced as The League.
As good as that may sound, it wasn't all good. After The League was introduced, as if to spit in the face of the government, a group of villains banded together to create an opposing faction called Sludge. Ever since then, the villains and heroes had been in a war within America, and because of the birth of supers worldwide, wars have been fought on two fronts thanks to enemy nations trying to take over.
And that about sums up the history of the supers.
On to today's news:
I, a 26-year-old father of three, went downtown with my wife to celebrate my kid's 5th birthday. It was a day to remember. Breakfast was his favorite: pancakes, eggs, orange juice, and grits. Lunch was pizza at Chuck E. Cheese, and I took him to try a new ice cream shop that builds your face into the scoops. It was pretty cool how they did it.
As I asked my wife what was for dinner, there was a loud banging followed by tremors. They became louder and louder, then screams followed. Although so much was going on, I knew we had to go.
"Michelle, get the kids!"
She grabbed the baby and Jaiziel as I grabbed the birthday boy and turned to her. Once I saw her face, I turned as fast as I could to see what she was looking at.
In my horror, I saw the hero Beyond losing to the villain known as Regret. We were aware of how Regret's powers worked—he made everyone's regrets into reality within a radius of himself.
"Oh no, Anthony, are we gonna—" Michelle began to speak, but I turned to her, yelling at her to pass me baby Ciel and run.
As we ran, I tried to keep an eye on the fight. They were flying through buildings and leaving bodies mangled as their fight killed innocent people. I could almost taste the regret seeping from our hero, Beyond.
Before I knew it, it started raining bodies as a loud, crumbling creak wrenched through my ears. I then looked up to see what was happening—and I saw it.
A building was falling toward us.
We… we weren't going to make it.
I grabbed my wife and hugged them, telling them how much I loved them as fast as I could. Then I turned and stood above them, ready to catch the building to save my family.
I mean, my grandfather raised me and taught me that I had a power that would awaken when the time came. Oh, how I hoped now was that time.
"Anthony! What are you doing?" Michelle asked.
"Just trust me. I'll protect my family. I promised I'd do my best," I said, with tears running down my face.
As the building crept closer, time stretched longer, and a second felt like an eternity. The weight of the building pressed against my hands, the pain in my legs grew sharper, my back aching.
The reality of it all was I had no powers, and I held on to a fleeting hope that crushed my family and me.
At least they knew I loved them