Heroes of Our Past (IC)

[Avenger Assembled]

Edge's sense of the theatrical debated with his good sense; as ever it was a short debate. With a gesture from the masked young hero, fireworks and Roman candles erupted all around the head of the Nazi robot, a patriotic display to rival any on the Western Front, the sound of patriotic music playing to accompany the all-American explosions. "C'mon, team!" called Mark in the best Golden Age style. "Give them the high, hard one! Hit a home run...for AMERICA! That's using your head, Cannonade!" For a second, a glorious second, Mark was more at home here than he'd ever been in his life.

[trollthumper]

On the field of battle, Legionnaire pounded the giant robot's foot hard enough in the angle to leave an impact on the other side. As it tried to regain its balance, he turned to Cannonade. "How'd you get into Rouen?" he said. "Artillery give you any trouble?"

Cannonade tried desperately to come up with a story. "They dropped me ten miles down the Seine under night cover," he said. The robot righted itself and moved towards the two heroes -- at least, until Cannonade heaved its other foot up off the ground and brought his fist up through its steel toes, leaving the giant automaton unbalanced. "Put me in German officer's colors and told me to keep undercover 'til I touched base with the Resistance."

Legionnaire took a second look at Cannonade's costume. "Never seen colors like those before," he said. "The brass set you up with 'em?"

"Um..." Cannonade blanked; he knew the MA-1 bomber wouldn't be developed for a good decade, and how the hell could he explain away wearing jeans on the battle field? He just reached. "The brains are experimenting with new combat materials," he said. "Bomber jackets that won't absorb water, sturdier materials for uniform pants... stuff like that."

"Huh," said Legionnaire as the robot righted itself. "You'd think they'd choose a better time..."

"Yeah, well, that's the brass for ya." God, please tell me that sounded convincing...

[Avenger Assembled]

Suddenly, in a flash of theatrical lightning and with a boom of melodramatic thunder, a gigantic red figure appeared, his shiny gold turban taller than any building in Rouen. In his hand stood a confident-looking young man in a plaid college jacket and with a bright red bow tie, a cigarette holder clenched firmly in his teeth. "Hah-hah, Nazis!" called the young man from far up. "You thought you'd seen the last of Jimmy Lucas and his Genie! But you hadn't! Yike!" A blast of machine gun fire whizzed past Jimmy's head from a surviving nest far below.

"We better do something about that, master," said the big genie with a low, paternal rumble of laughter in his voice.

"You said a mouthful, genie!" exclaimed Jimmy Lucas. "Let's go give those Nazis an all-American how-do-you-do!" As man and genie went into action, far below, Mark Lucas stared up at the long-dead hero he never thought he'd meet.

"Grandpa?" he murmured to himself, almost too quiet to be audible, as the genie grappled the robot with the air of an indulgent father playing with his children's toys.

[trollthumper]

Cannonade and Legionnaire quickly dodged out of the way as the genie grabbed the robot by the arm. By the sound of it, the genie was grabbing hard enough to tear metal. As the robot fought the hold, the genie reached around with its free arm and grabbed it by the waist. Soon, the behemoth was lifted from the earth, struggling against its bonds. The genie turned towards the Seine, and hurled the robot away like a shot putter. The giant did not land in the river -- at least, not entirely. Its head and upper torso crashed against the shores with a sound like a ship's hull tearing open; the metallic monster entered mechanical spasms, then lay still. The rest of its body quickly sank into the shallows, leaving only the head on the shore.

"...that happen around here often?" Cannonade said to his grandfather.

"No," said Legionnaire, "but it's a hell of a thing when it does."

[Avenger Assembled]

A flash of smoke and clap of thunder made Jimmy Lucas and his Genie both people-sized and among the heroes on the ground, the elder Lucas arriving just as his grandson swung in beside them. Jimmy looked from face to face, his eyes wide and his grin huge even in the middle of the battlefield. "Oh boy! New heroes! I'm Jimmy Lucas, nice to meetcha!" He shifted his cigarette holder back and forth as he talked, his profile vaguely reminiscent of FDR. "And this is Al-Azim, the Genie of the Lamp! He's my best pal!" he added, introducing the genie. Al-Azim and Edge exchanged two _looks_, the genie frowning and Edge tensing, but Jimmy didn't notice, soon moving on to Legionnaire and Cannonade. "Oh boy! The famous Legionnaire! You know, just the other day, my pal the Centurion was saying that you're one of the toughest guys on the Western Front. It's keen to meet you!"

[trollthumper]

"Pleased to meet you, too," said Legionnaire, extending his hand to the young Mr. Lucas. "Anyone whose genie saves me for a Nazi monstrosity's okay in my book."

Cannonade took a look at the genie, then to Lucas. The whole thing still seemed weird. Here he was, in the presence of heroes -- not the ones he saw every day in the papers and on the streets of Freedom, but ones he'd read about in the history books. And his grandfather... was it possible... could he...?

Don't think about what you could do, he thought. You're still on a battlefield, and the Nazis ain't gonna respond kindly to this.

"So," he asked Legionnaire, "what's the news on the Western Front?"

"Allies are inbound, but last I heard, they were experiencing heavy resistance up the Seine," Legionnaire said. "My company was able to blend in, but... well, the others, they're kinda about spectacle. 'Til then, we're supposed to help establish a foothold in the city." He looked across to Rouen. "Mind you, that was the plan. Between you guys and the genie... there might be a chance we could take it."

[Avenger Assembled]

"I can't stay long," said Jimmy apologetically. "I'm not even supposed to be here today what with President Roosevelt keeping the League on the homefront, but..." He scratched the back of his head, then took out his cigarette holder to gesture all around them. "But aw geez fellas, there's a war on! When I saw this come up on Freedom Eagle's Super-Scope, I just had to get me and the genie out here as soon as we could!" Jimmy was mostly talking to Legionnaire, giving Cannonade a chance to overhear the whispered conversation between Mark and the genie.

"How did you get to this time?" the genie was asking. "Mark, this isn't-"

"Don't call me that," Mark whispered back, obviously holding back an unexpected anger. "Look, if you can send us where we belong, do it, but," and he added the last in a low hiss. "My grandfather is right over there!"

And with that, he went over to introduce himself to Jimmy Lucas. "Mr...Mr. Lucas? It's a pleasure, sir." Mark shook his hand. "I've always been an admirer of your work. My...my father used to tell me all about you. My name is Mark, but I go by Lucky Strike here."

"Well geez, I hope I'm not that old, hahaha!" Jimmy laughed and clapped the boy on the back. "Nice to meet you, Lucky Strike." Leaning close, he whispered, "You really shouldn't say your name in costume, kid! The Ratzis might track your family down."

"That's okay. They can take care of themselves." Mark smiled.

[trollthumper]

Legionnaire looked on towards Jimmy Lucas and his new young cohort. "They seem to be getting along well," he said. "Kid seems a bit young for the battlefield, though."

"Eh, you know how it is," Cannonade said. "Lucky wanted to follow his brother into the service. Besides... he's got family here. Don't think you could keep him out of the Western Theater if you tried."

The last part was technically true -- after all, said family was standing not ten feet away from them. "Yeah, I know how that is," said Legionnaire. "How 'bout you? What brought you in?"

Cannonade looked to his grandfather. He already knew the answer. "Following in the footsteps," he said. "My... dad was here in World War I. He wasn't too thrilled with his kid entering the service, but... we all gotta do what we can, right?"

"Got that right," said Legionnaire. "Days like these..."

[Avenger Assembled]

The battle for Roeun was a vicious one, with Nazis giving no quarter to the heroes of the city, in or out of uniform. Jimmy, the genie, and Edge seemed to be everywhere on the battlefield, appearing and disappearing miles away when necessary, beating back what looked like a tremendous Axis advance, even when it was backed up by low-level Ubersoldaten. That didn't surprise Mark, not really; the Genie had been probably the most powerful member of the Liberty League if you omitted the power of the Centurion's courage, and as for himself...well, he hated Nazis. Who didn't!?!

When the day was done and the Lucas men rejoined Cannonade and his grandfather, Jimmy looked a little crestfallen. "Aw, gee, fellas, I've gotta get out of here and get back to my girl in Freedom. The Centurion's gonna be awful sore when he found out I didn't listen to Uncle Sam, but somehow I just knew I had to be here to help you fellas today!"

"I guess...I guess you just got lucky," said 'Lucky Strike', suddenly embracing his grandfather as he fought back tears. "You're a real hero, Jimmy Lucas. Never let anyone tell you otherwise." He looked the man he'd never met dead in the eye, glad for his face-concealing mask. "Don't try to be a great man. Just be a man, and let history take care of the rest," he quoted.

[trollthumper]

The afternoon had been full of gunfire, tanks, and Nazi punching. With the gigantic robotic sentinels fallen and a good chunk of the Nazis incapacitated or rendered weaponless due to cooked-off ammo, it had mostly been a walk in the park. Sure, Edge and his grandfather had forgotten to turn some tanks into giant rubber duckies, but they pretty much came apart by tin foil under Cannonade and Legionnaire's blows. It wasn't long until Pierre was leading the rest of the Resistance in the streets, cleaning up the leftovers. By night fall, the city was theirs, as most of the Nazis had either fallen back or been incapacitated.

"Echo Company's set up," Legionnaire said after the inn had been cleaned up. "You planning on sticking around?"

For a second, Cannonade hesitated. It'd be easy, wouldn't it? Stick around here, help him out... Hell, I don't even know how that cosmic hippie's powers work. Who's to say I couldn't spend a year here and just zip back a second after I left? Maybe I could be there in the Ardennes...

And then what? What happens if I do save him? I don't know a damn thing about time travel. Who's to say it won't screw things up worse? I guess there's only one thing I can do...

Nothing. For now.

"Command said I need to wait for orders," he said back to Legionnaire. "I'll stay here as long as I can, but for all I know, they could call me up tonight and tell me to meet a transport for an air drop into Tuscany."

"Ah," the Legionnaire replied. "Yeah, I kinda miss that mobility. But hey... being part of a unit has its advantages."

"Yeah, it does," he said. He thought about what to say next, and how to say. "Listen... when I was in training..."

"Yes?"

"They, uh... they showed us a few newsreels, of you in the field, and... I gotta say, thanks. You kinda gave me the courage to sign up for the program -- to see if I could do it. See if I was the kind of guy who could hold up in the field."

The Legionnaire smiled. "Thanks yourself," he said. "Good to see I'm helping out, how I can." He yawned. "Company's up on watch shifts, so I'm gonna turn in for a few hours. See you later -- unless command sends down."

"Yeah. See you around, Legionnaire." Cannonade could only watch as his grandfather walked into the inn. Once he was sure Legionnaire was gone, he tracked down Edge. "So... what happens next?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"I might be able to get us home," said Mark, sitting all by himself as he stared up at the starry night sky overhead. He'd pulled back his mask, giving the older hero a chance to see the young man's face. "But I don't know how much we should do here..." He looked up at the stars and said suddenly, "Jimmy Lucas dies of lung cancer about forty-five years from now. Those stupid cigarettes, he...he thought they made him look cool and smart, like FDR. But instead he just died in an oxygen tent with my dad and my grandma there. The Centurion came to visit a couple of times, but he couldn't even come to Freedom City back in the bad old days of the 90s." He set his hands. "And...and then he's just a joke, you know? Jimmy Lucas, the idiot with the genie, the man with phenomenal cosmic power who couldn't even see what was...what was happening under his nose. And now I see him, and I miss my dad so much, and he's gone too..."Mark wiped his eyes, embarrassed at nearly breaking down in front of a stranger. "All they are is jokes now! Jokes to idiots who think that having superpowers and flashy costumes is what makes them a hero. Well it's not! It's NOT!" Behind the angry teenager, Cannonade could see the trees vibrate at his last shout, as if in sympathy.

[trollthumper]

Cannonade stepped forward, putting his hand on Edge's shoulder, hoping it might help to calm him. "Look, I know what you're saying," he said. "You think I like the fact that I've got my gr -- the guy who inspired me in there, and I've just gotta let him go off? That I can't tell him, 'Don't go to the Ardennes'?" He lowers his voice even more than before, realizing that last bit might've slipped out a bit loud. "It's time travel, Edge. This may be the first time experiencing it, but I've read enough to know that screwing with the past generally doesn't go well."

[Avenger Assembled]

"I used to think I could transcend the problems that my family's had," said Mark, staring up at the starry sky overhead, the fires of war having dimmed the lights of the cities all around. "But I don't really believe that's true anymore. I'm part of them, and part of that legacy, as long as I'm wearing a costume and living the same kind of life they were. You know, the funny thing is..." he turned to Cannonade. "A lot more people know me, and my family, outside the costume then in. Maybe there's no escape. Do you think so?" he asked, suddenly looking vulnerable, and young, despite all the Nazis he'd just blown up.

[trollthumper]

Cannonade tried to think about how to approach this one. Edge had been in the business of superheroics longer than he'd been. He was the son of a whole line of guys who'd gone out to fight superhuman crime. And now he was asking him for advice.

He didn't know what to say.

At least, at first. He looked Edge right in the eyes. "You saw what you did back in Rouen," he said. "You did all that, and you're telling me you can't break out? You're one of a kind, Edge. Your family ain't your destiny. They may color you, and follow you, but they're the ones who came before. You honor them as you want, but you forge your own path on your own terms. You can break out. And if you've gotta wear a costume to do it, then that's what you need to do."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Or maybe," said Mark, staring up at the long-past heavens, "I need to do things they never did first. It's time to go, Cannonade." And with that, Mark waved his hands, black dots suddenly pouring from his fingers, sweeping around both of them like a painter's brush. "I want to go back!" he was saying through gritted teeth. "I want to go back! I want to go..." Black inky dots washed over both men's visions, and for a second it was as if they were outside everything altogether. And suddenly, with a pop!, Cannonade and Edge were back in an isolated corner of the Super-Museum, the bustling place looking like they'd never left.

[trollthumper]

And just like that, they were back in that corner of the museum. The Tick-Tock Doc had gone back to... wherever he went. Before the eyes of the two heroes, the gathered visitors of the museum began to move, reentering the flow of motion as slurred sound grew closer to clarity. Everything was back to normal.

Just a little while longer, Cannonade thought. If only I could've... eh, what's the use of hoping? Besides, I saw him. Even if it was just this once.

He turned back to Edge. "Hey, you did it," he said. "We're back. So, I guess the question is... what do you want to do?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"I'm going home," said Edge simply. "My family needs me, and I need to be there." He turned back and looked at Cannonade as he reached for the grapple gun at his belt, ready to hop his way up and start swinging through the skyscraper himself. "You got a chance to see what kind of man your grandfather was, Cannonade, and I guess I did too. They're both heroes, just like us. The question is, are you the kind of man he'd want you to be?"

[trollthumper]

Cannonade stood there, thinking long and hard. "...I don't know," he said. "I'm not the kind of man my grandpa was. Things have changed since then. We've got the same powers, same kinda outlook, but... well, there's a whole lot else there, you know? But... I think he'd be happy with what I'm doing. I'm out there fighting the good fight. I'm in the same place he was, and I'm not sitting on my ass. So, that's a point in my favor."