CHAPTER 3

SOMETHING HAPPENED HERE.

Not one thing. Not many things either. But something…something that doesn’t typically happen. Why it happened remains a mystery, but perhaps even more mysterious is the question of how it happened.

There are a lot of rules that bind the reality you perceive, the reality you are allowed to perceive. These, of course, aren’t rules you would find lying about in any handbook or guide or anything of the sort. They are rules known only to those of us who have attempted to break them, knowingly or otherwise. And yet these rules have been broken time and time again by those with no knowledge whatsoever of the rules, and with no intention whatsoever to break or bend them.

And yet they have bent them. They’ve bent it all.

The Cyborg was the first to pulled to the Convergence Point. Young, like all of his counterparts. Fiercely determined, again like the others, and bound to a sacred oath to protect and serve wherever he is required to do so, an oath entirely of his making and choosing. On his world, like on all of their worlds, he is known as Dang. On the Convergence Point, or Earth-C as I will call it, his name is Daedalus. Displaced from his own world in fulfilment of his duties, the Cyborg wound up on Earth-C, yet another world to have fallen under the sights of Bellum, a cosmic conqueror hellbent on claiming as many universes as he can. With threats abound, the Cyborg that which he'd been trained and enhanced for—he fought.

But not alone. For this Earth had already its own Dang, one who had known it to be home the entire time. A doppelganger, if you will. And much like his Cyborg counterpart,, Dang possessed nerves of steel and occasionally, when he wished to, he possessed arms of steel too. A uniquely powerful superhuman with the ability to become that which makes him stronger, Dang too joined in the fight against Bellum’s army, and the threats that had begun to crossover into his world.

Joining their ranks, two would-be superheroes, Wombat and Tiger—known to Dang as Daniel and Megan, teen superpowered humans—one with the ability to bend flame to his will, the other with power over air. And for how reckless and rough around the edges these two were, they proved rather useful in the battle against Bellum, demonstrating rather incredible mettle in surmounting all of the obstacles put forth. And there was no shortage of obstacles, mind you.

But just as new threats continued to arrive on Earth-C, so too did new allies. Enter another Dang, one from a war-ravaged hellscape, a freedom fighter, if you will…possessing the same heart and nerves of his counterparts, albeit exchanging steel for flame in his case. Torn away from his world and the one he loves after a fierce battle, it became his primary goal to find a way back home. And with the help of Daedalus, he did…and it ought have been the end of the line for him, a happy retirement. And yet, rather than return home, he opted to remain and fight for Dang’s universe, to help keep Bellum’s forces at bay…even if it meant destroying any chances of ever returning to his home.

Then there’s Astraeus, a nuisance of whom precious little is known. A uniquely superpowered human with obscure objectives, who’s acted as ally to our heroes but given very little of himself. I, of course, know all there is to know about this reckless one, but perhaps now is not the best time to speak of Astraeus. It is better, I think, to wait and watch, and to see just what more he has up his sleeves. Perhaps he could prove a great asset in the battle against Bellum. Or perhaps he will prove the undoing of our heroes…for him, fate is very much up in the air. A loose end, a wildcard, dangerous in the wrong hands but exceptionally useful in the right ones. And on the matter of hands, it’d be wise to keep a close eye on his—he’s forged quite the reputation as a petty thief…and a thoroughly petty one at that.

Among the threats who arrived on Earth-C were Caden and Kai…defeated, they were, marooned on this Earth much like Dante and Daedalus. Their whereabouts, unknown to the heroes and I must admit, to myself. I sense them, their signatures…but I can’t get a lock. Intentional on their part, no doubt…after all, they did manage to piss off every single one of the heroes. Were the heroes to learn their whereabouts, I cannot vouch that the two lapdogs would stand much chance…or perhaps they would, perhaps they’ve been working in the shadows, continuing their mission.

In Caden and Kai, I sense some potential…it is only a glimmer, perhaps even a trick of my senses…after all, my senses have begun to wane recently, not quite what it used to be. But assuming it does not yet fail me, I believe the two lapdogs could serve rather useful purposes in this unfolding cosmic conflict…perhaps there exists the opportunity for reconciliation. Perhaps there does not…Perhaps…

Then there’s the monster. Calta. Also unaccounted for. I believe him in the presence of Caden and Kai, but it is unlikely that the monster would willingly remain in hiding. Where Caden and Kai possess some coolness to their temperament and some patience, the same cannot be said of Calta, a once-human made a wardog of Bellum’s, a monster whose existence revolves entirely around battle.

In him, potential too…not the same as Caden and Kai, but something. He could be useful. I wonder how they managed to hide him from me, he ought be fairly easy to track.

But there is something else too. Something that I know, and that our heroes will no doubt soon be learning…their decision to disable universal travel to their Earth, while genius in the moment and precisely what was required to halt Bellum’s invasion has had unforeseen consequences…after all, you cannot simply alter the rules and toy with forces beyond your understanding without consequence.

And I can see it already, the wisps of energy running through their world…strong, binding itself with candidates…seemingly at random. It alters them, not so significantly but significantly enough…makes their cells prime to conduct the energy known as…no, perhaps I should not divulge that…but this energy, the aftermath of the decision of our heroes…I imagine it will have rather significant consequences…new threats, perhaps new allies…

Ah…the truth is, in all of this, I have little stake. I have lost all there is to lose, gained all there is to gain…I suppose it is my knowledge that aids my acceptance of the fact. This war against Bellum…win or lose, it all leads to the same event.

I have glimpsed the singularity.

But I am getting carried away.

I recorded this because I have been curious lately. I don’t typically get curious anymore. But I am curious, curious about Dang, and why he is the Center of Convergence. Multiple versions of him out there across different universes and yet, each time a counterpart of his is displaced, they’re drawn immediately to his world…there is something there, perhaps it’s him, perhaps it’s something else…

I suppose it’s something I could describe as a magnet…and all it does is pull. Four doppelgangers on one world…it’s unprecedented and it’s only miracle that their Earth is still in one piece.

Bellum has upended the natural order…In a different time, their Earth would have disintegrated under the strain of Convergence. I have seen it happen to worlds, and I fear that it will someday still happen to theirs. But I am getting carried away…best not to lose one’s self in the future when there is still so much yet to live for in the present, and so much to glean from records of the past…

I imagine that you are now wondering who I am and how I know so much…and I myself am wondering whether or not it would be wise to provide that information. There aren’t many I’ve told of what I can do…The Watchers think themselves the only ones capable of observation, they think themselves special…they aren’t.

Most people aren’t.

I’m not either by the way, just so you don’t mistake me for some dude with an over-inflated ego. I’m a lot of things, but also quite nothing at the same time…Ah, I’m rambling.

Let’s get back to things.

There’s a universe, we’ll call it Earth-C. On this Earth’s a boy called Dang, but there’s a lot of boys called Dang in this story, so how’s about we call him Prime Dang? Or Dang Prime? Actually, I think both of those are taken, so how about we just stick with Dang. Then there’s the Cyborg, Daedalus. The Flamebringer, Dante. The Wombat, Daniel. The Tiger, Megan. And the Ghost, Astraeus.

They’re our heroes, I suppose…and they’ve only just succeeded in protecting their world [and borrowed world] from an unstoppable threat. And as you’d expect, they’re relishing their hard-earned victory…can’t blame them for that. And perhaps it’s best that they enjoy this much needed reprieve. After all, it will be short-lived.

I know it. I think they know it too.

Something else is coming.

But let’s not dwell on that. I imagine that by now, you must be tired of hearing me speak. If I’m being honest, I’m kind of tired of hearing me speak too. It gets exhausting. And I’d like to rest now.

So—YAWN—I suppose that brings this journal recording to a close and uhh…actually, maybe we just see what they’re getting up to. It won’t take too long, I promise. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re probably kicking serious ass right now or saving lives, or just doing whatever it is that they do best. Afterall, it’s what heroes do, isn’t it?