After a long hiatus, a group of eccentric superheroes reunite in Paragon City. Some changes take a long time to happen, some are sudden, some are more permanent, and one of the heroes is about to find out how true that is. It is a story of change and redemption.

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Chapter 01
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It was common to see heroes and villains alike scorch the land and sea, in a city like Paragon, every time they flew or ran with high speeds. Tonight, however, there was something more. A few witnesses could not hope to anticipate what was coming when a handful of heroes were bound to converge in one place.

When the whole group appeared outside of the sewer entrance—one by running, two via flight, one who teleported herself, and the fifth who was teleported in—Adamast Cross generated a suit of ice armor out of uncertainty of whether the others were friend or foe. That was one of the “fun” tendencies in this city; anyone could be a hero or a villain. He realized quickly who everyone else was, but his ice armor stayed up for a time. Adamast Cross was too busy admiring the old friends he’d lost contact with a few years ago.

Princess Undercut stepped forward, and was the first to speak up. “I almost can’t believe it. Mortar Mage, War Lagoon, it’s good to see you two. I thought you both left town. You remember Psi Wizard and me, right?”

“I never left,” said War Lagoon, “Striga Isle can attest to that. Good to see you, Tatiana.”

“Princess Undercut,” she corrected.

“Sorry, old habits die hard.” His worst was calling heroes and villains by their first name, often out of nowhere like they were in a friendly conversation rather than a warzone or major battle for life and freedom. “Long time no see, Psi Wizard.”

“Oh, and who’s this hiding behind all that ice? Adamast? Let me get a look at you. It’s been five years.” Princess Undercut always did like to get excited like she was about to go to some big party.

Adamast shed the blocks covering his build, revealing a lean looking man in his low twenties, and he said, “Good to see you, but something’s missing.”

“Someone, yeah. Well, multiple someones, but you know who I mean. I wonder if he’s inside.”

“You do?”

“It would explain why we’re all here after all these years of going our separate ways. Did everyone else receive the same encrypted message, or what?” All five of them pulled out an armband, including Princess Undercut.

Mortar Mage grinned. He said, “My own design. I’m glad everyone still has it.”

“’My loyal friends, the time to unite has come. Await the signal.’ Who else would expect us all to have these things and respond when the time came?”

“Walter’s back?” Everyone stared at Mortar Mage. "What? He never did come up with a moniker like the rest of us.”

“No, I don’t suppose he did.” Princess Undercut’s eye twitched.

“But, if he’s back, and I mean really back, then we’re wasting time. Obviously he summoned us to this foul-smelling dystopia for more than idle chitchat. Ooh, I hope he brought us presents. I’ve been extra nice this year and asking for a new GPS set with a customizable voice and rocket launcher.”

Adamast shook his head. “The Winter holidays are still six months off, you nut.”

“But it’s still nice to bring back gifts after you travel.”

“Did you bring us anything, then?”

“I brought my good ol’ self.”

“Where’s the gift receipt?”

Psi Wizard said, “OK, ok. Let’s get inside and see if our fearless leader really has returned.” He was trying not to laugh. No one blamed him considering how much sewer entrances, even abandoned and empty ones . . . ESPECIALLY those ones . . . tended to smell. “Who wants to go first? Mortar, no fire spells until we’re safe of the fumes. Whew, this one’s not as bad as the rest. Anyways, lady first?”

“Hey, look! It’s that Sorry Wizard guy, and he’s brought frie—“ The Freakshow gang member was forced to stop by Psi Wizard’s assault on his mind and the couple of guys around him. Dark tentacles broke through the ground and clobbered them unconscious.

That one was War Lagoon, who was the third to enter the detached leg of the sewer network. He had a mastery over darkness and shadow-based powers.

The whole group of heroes had entered by now, and the next wave of Freakshow gang members came running when one of the first few guys stood back up, their bodies generating an electrical charge. It was something of a nuisance when they did that.

The group of heroes pressed forward, mowing down the gang members like amateur sports players going against a professional team . . . or rather such a team going against endless waves of wannabes who could never pass PE. It often begged the question how so many large gangs with countless members survived as long as they did in Paragon. And Freakshow were extra annoying because they liked to get up after the first beatdown, sometimes while heroes or villains fought against the next group.

Meanwhile, in the deepest chamber of the sewer area, the boss of the bunch was pacing around, ranting about everything that had gone wrong that day. Little did he know that someone was watching him and waiting to strike. Ohm Wire knew someone was coming, everyone in the room did by now the louder those distant fighting noises got, but she was waiting for them. And getting impatient listening to this gang boss.

The heroes were drawing closer and closer to the boss, who broke down laughing. He ordered every one of his followers remaining to go after the heroes at once rather than wait for them. He probably thought he was being genre savvy, unlike so many third rate bad guys or worse across the city, but his incessant ranting and raving about the plan that went wrong only continued when his sole company was a woman he didn’t even know was there with him.

Ohm Wire prepared the metal claws strapped to her wrist. She finally had enough.

For the heroes, things were getting crowded and downright painful. Psi Wizard tried his best to seal and sooth everyone’s injuries without healing the gang members too much, but it was getting to be too much. He could no longer heal the other heroes sufficiently in this mess of a skirmish. He feared he might have to use his true power if this kept up for long.

Adamast Cross moved all of his ice armor into his arms then. He was gifted with some super strength in addition to defensive ice powers, so holding the icebergs in his hands—at least that was what they felt like—was easier for him than it would have been for most anyone else. He clapped his hands together, shattering those icebergs. The force of the impact sent shards of ice flying. The shards ravaged the vast majority of remaining Freakshow members, but the one attack drained him for the next couple minutes.

The other heroes fully utilized the opening this had given them. Princess Undercut, who took the least damage so far thanks to her near invulnerability, led the charge. In moments, the gang members were down, and the heroes were looking among the unconscious bodies for their boss.

War Lagoon hammered another Freakshow with his fist when the small-fry tried to get up; he didn’t even dignify the gang member with a glance. The fight seemed to be over.

And then they heard a man scream.

The biggest Freakshow in the sewer fell backward against the wall, making himself visible to the team of heroes now approaching from another direction. Adamast stayed back for a moment to rest, but the rest were more curious than ever. Did their fearless leader come back? Was Walter responsible for knocking out the gang boss? The four heroes closed in on the chamber when their questions were finally answered. Except, it was a woman, one they did not recognize.

The young woman’s claws retracted, and she said, “Oh, there you are. I got tired of waiting.”

“Who might you be?” asked War Lagoon.

“That might be a problem, see. I’m the one you call Ohm Wire.”

Someone in the group shouted “Villain!” and the standing members of the team prepared for another assault.

“Whoa! Whoa! Hey, I’m not here to fight anyone. Well, OK, not any of you heroes. Is there any way to prove my good intentions?”

Adamast Cross finally stepped forward. He smiled with a hint of worry before saying, “It’s a long way from Nerva, Kyra.”

Ohm Wire lit up like a holiday tree before running at Adamast. No one saw it coming. No one was fast enough to stop her. Adamast wasn’t wearing his ice armor; why wasn’t he wearing his ice armor?

What he did was all the more confusing to the other heroes. Adamast caught Ohm Wire with his arms. In their warm embrace, he asked, “What are you doing here?”

“It’s a long story.” Ohm Wire said, breaking away from the hug after a moment. “I got a signal that led me here. I hoped to run into some heroes who would help me, and here we are. That’s the gist of it.”

“Help you? You’re the one who ran in thinking you could take a whole chapter of a gang on your own.”

“Not that, Adamast. Not that.” She walked about, with an electrical charge radiating from her short expression of being frustrated. “Sorry, it’s been a long few weeks for me. You see, I have a price on my head.”

Cue that wonderful “Yeah, and?” look on everyone’s face. Ohm Wire was, after all, known through Paragon as a villain.

“Right, I kinda deserve that. Even with the right intentions, I’m still a villain. That’s not important right now. Someone is seriously after my life. I need help.”

Adamast asked, “What happened to Nightmare’s Militia?”

“Dead, or worse.”

“Someone caught and tortured them?”

“They ran off and got married.”

Psi Wizard and Princess Undercut tried not to be too audible in their scoffs. No one in the group knew yet that they were married themselves. It wasn’t like anyone needed to know, really. No one knew how long this get-together was going to last.

“Anyways,” Ohm Wire continued, “I escaped Nerva and the surrounding islands with my life when I had the chance.” She held a hand to her ear. She could hear a police broadcast through the piece she was wearing. “Damn it, speaking of making escapes. We’ll have to continue this conversation later. I don’t want the police getting the wrong idea upon seeing me.”

“Wait, how will we find you?” Adamast Cross was too late. An electric field rendered Ohm Wire as good as invisible, and she was gone in a flash. “Great, now what?”

Mortar Mage said, “I don’t know, but I have to get going too. Maybe we can all meet up somewhere later?”

“The old hideout,” said War Lagoon. “It should still be standing after all these years. I was thinking of heading there as soon as the police were done with whatever questions they have for us.”

“Right, well. I’m busy tonight with my girlfriend. Lucky lady.” He grinned, and everyone glared in disbelief. “I’ll see you guys later, maybe tomorrow if you’re up for it.” Mortar Mage waved and left.