Far beyond the reaches of space and time, sat a single planet in a vast, near-empty universe.

From orbit, one could see a few continents of varying shapes and sizes, all surrounded and separated by oceans of various sizes, and each home to various flora and fauna of all types, but otherwise barren.

Save for the several large domes littered across them, their silver light bringing some sense of luminescence to the dull planetoid.

For the past year since this world's creation, said domes have acted as cages for the inhabitants of several diverse worlds, universes and timelines, who were completely unaware of what had transpired that led to their current predicament.

But that was about to change, now that the "god" of this new world was ready for the next step he intended for it to take.

From my prison, I can only hope that the victims I unwittingly helped bring here are prepared to face their greatest trial.

(X)

The Happy Harbor Dome…

"Well guys, we did it." Dick stated.

Currently dressed in civilian clothes (as there hadn't been a need for their superhero identities the past year) the original surviving members of the Team stood proudly before their latest accomplishment; erected within the ruins of their original base of operations, Mount Justice, was a twenty-five foot tall statue of the late Wally West, the first Kid Flash, giving a thumbs up with a big smile on his face. As for the Team themselves, they w

"Hard to believe it took a whole year to finish." M'gann said.

"Indeed." Kaldur'ahm agreed.

"You guys think he'd like it?" Conner asked as he placed his hand around M'gann's shoulder, which she covered with her own.

"Are you kidding?" Raquel playfully asked as she turned to the young half-kryptonian. "He'd be running circles around it chanting about how cool it looked."

"Before stating that it wasn't as good as the genuine article." Zatanna giggled as she wrapped her arms around one of Dick's. "You did good, baby." She kissed him on the cheek.

"We all did." Kaldur spoke as he took hold of Raquel's hand, who smiled at him affectionately.

"Haven't felt this whelmed in a long time." Dick breathed out.

The sound of footsteps and shifting dirt behind them caused them to turn around just as the last of their friends approached.

"Hey guys…sorry…we're late." Bart said as he panted for air. Sphere rolled up beside him, chirping "hello" in his unique mechanical language.

"What's the matter, Bart?" Conner chuckled. "Walking up a hill still too much for you?"

"Hey, lay off man." The former speedster heaved. "It wasn't my fault my bike got trashed the other day!" He tried to stand up, but keeled over again. "Ugh, crash." He cursed.

Everyone giggled at that, but then became deathly silent as they saw Artemis finish trekking up the hill with Wolf at her side. She saw them all waiting for her and smiled, which then vanished when she saw the completed statue for the first time. Moving to stand next to her friends, she stared at the monument for a full minute before tears began to form in her eyes. Wolf noticed this and whimpered, his ears falling flat as he nuzzled her side.

Artemis took notice and scratched the loyal companion behind his ears just as her friends moved closer to her and place their hands on her shoulders in comfort.

"Thanks, guys." She sniffed.

"You alright?" Bart looked up at her with concern.

"Yeah." She confirmed, ruffling his hair. "Definitely feeling the mode." She turned back to the monument. "It's incredible."

"Yep." Dick smiled. "It took a while, but I think we did him proud." He then shifted his gaze toward the sky, which was currently blocked off by the shimmering silver energy barrier of the dome. "Plus, we had to keep ourselves sane somehow."

"Do not fret, Richard." Kaldur placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "We have done all we could. The people are fed and cared for and are grateful for what we've done to make their lives easier within this…cage." The bitterness in his voice as he spoke that last word was clearly evident.

"I hate confined spaces." Conner growled.

The Team turned around to look over the small town. Several miles in the distance, they could see where the dome touched down, cutting them off from the rest of the world, but leaving them enough room to grow crops within the woods that surrounded the city, as well as farm fish in the harbor itself.

It had been a long and difficult year, and if they were all being honest, they were not looking forward to another year of imprisonment within this place, but there was a silver lining; with the dome cutting off their superpowers, it gave them each a chance to live a "normal" life amongst the citizens of Happy Harbor, developing friendships with the townsfolk and even growing closer with each other.

Dick and Zatanna rekindled their relationship, as did Conner and M'gann, Kaldur and Raquel gave it a try, and Artemis came to see Bart as something of a little brother. All in all, despite the circumstances, they had all pulled through together…despite the fact that they all wanted nothing more than to get out of this blasted place.

Dick looked up at the dome once more. 'I hope that if anyone is out there, that maybe they can get us out.'

(X)

The Bellwood Dome…

"Ben, lunch is ready!" Sandra Tennyson called up to her son's bedroom.

"Be right there!" Came a reply, before the ex-watch wearing, shape-changing superhero came walking down the stairs clad in his usual black and white shirt and green pants, walking into the kitchen, he noticed several ham sandwiches stacked on the table while his father was busy pouring some potato chips into a large bowl.

"Everything's almost ready, son." Carl said. "Your cousin and grandpa will be here soon."

"As will your other friends." Sandra continued as she reached into the fridge to retrieve a carton of milk. Just as she began pouring them into glasses, the doorbell rang. "Speaking of which…"

Ben beamed before rushing to the door and flinging it open where he was greeted by two people who, a year ago, were considered his arch nemeses, at school anyway.

"Cash! JT!" Ben cried out.

"Hey, man." Cash greeted with a fist-bump.

"We all set for the party today?" JT asked.

"Yeah, Grandpa and Gwen will be here in a bit. C'mon in." The two former bullies followed Ben into the house and made their way into the kitchen and taking their seats at the table.

"How've you boys been?" Sandra asked as she set a glass of mild in front of each of them.

"Alright, Mrs. Tennyson." JT answered. "Same old, same old."

"Yeah." Cash agreed. "Go to school, come home from school, do homework, lounge around, go to bed, and that's it; the usual."

"Well maybe you kids should start trying some other activities." Carl suggested, looking to his son. "Didn't you say once that you were thinking of taking up soccer, Ben?"

"Um, well yeah, but…" Ben admitted sheepishly.

"Ben," Sandra placed her hand on his back, knowing where he was going with this. "We've been over this. Your Grandpa wouldn't want you spending all your time working your tail off to try and help everyone adjust to life in here."

"Yeah, I know." Ben hung his head low. "Just wished the stupid watch worked."

"You've been doing just fine without it, honey." Ben's mother comforted, kissing him atop the head.

Ben accepted the gesture, but when he saw his friends staring and faking gagging noises, gave them a glare and muttered "Quit it," making them laugh.

Just then the doorbell rang, and after Sandra called out "Come in," in walked Grandpa Max, still wearing his favorite Hawaiian short and carrying some sort of bag, and Gwen, dressed in her blue cat shirt.

"How's it going, everyone?" Max greeted as Ben ran over and tackled him with a hug. "Hey there Ben." He then looked and saw Cash and JT waving at him. "And I see your friends arrived early."

"Yeah, they got here just before you did." Ben said as he pulled away. Looking to Gwen, his eyes narrowed. "Dweeb."

"Doofus." She called him with a scowl on her face, before both cousins smiled and hugged one another. "How're you doing?"

"Alright." Ben answered. "Although playing Sumo Slammer every day after school is getting kind of boring."

Gwen's expression became crestfallen. "Oh."

Ben tilted his head in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Well see, I was wondering if maybe I could give it a try sometime." She sheepishly asked.

Ben was stunned. "You…want to play Sumo Slammer…with us?" He gestured to himself and his two other friends still sitting at the table.

"Yeah, so what?" Gwen crossed her arms in annoyance.

"…Is this a side effect of not using your magic for a while?" Gwen responded with a punch to Ben's arm. "Ow! Okay, sheesh."

"Thanks you two for being such loving relatives." Carl sarcastically pointed out.

"If you two kids are done messing around," Max spoke up. "…I got a surprise for you." He then reached into his bag and pulled out a case of root beer.

"No way!" Ben beamed. "Where'd you guys get that?"

"I called in a favor from the mayor." Max explained as he passed each of the kids one can of the rare, carbonated beverage.

"Thanks." JT said. He then popped the lid on his can, accidentally spraying soda all over himself. Cash chuckled at his friend's plight before offering him a small stack of napkins.

"So you got the rest of the day off, Grandpa?" Ben asked as everyone took a seat at the table.

"Yep. The people I've trained to operate the Plumber tech agreed to cover for me." Max explained from his seat across from his grandson.

"Yeah, took 'em long enough."

"Lay off, Ben." Gwen snapped. "It's been hard for all of Bellwood to adjust the past year, especially those having to acquaint themselves with alien technology that can grow food faster than anything we have here on Earth."

"Okay, okay. Sorry."

"Let's not worry about that right now." Max stated, popping the top of his own can. "C'mon, here's to making it through a whole year." He raised his can as a toast. "And looking forward to getting out of here soon."

The Tennysons and company promptly raised their beverages and clanked them together.

"CHEERS!"

(X)

The Jersey City Dome…

"Hey, Coop, hurry it up!"

The former pilot of the coolest robot this side of the galaxy growled as he carried the rusted tire rims, one under each arm, toward the back of Goat's pickup truck, where he heaved them on board with all his remaining might.

Collapsing to the ground in a sweaty heap, Coop wiped his forehead and scowled up at Jamie. "Hey, just 'cause I've lost a few pounds this past year doesn't mean I'm ready to bench-press buildings, let alone rusted scrap. That was Megas' job!"

He pointed in the direction he just trudged from at the deactivated robot, now prostrated on its knees and slumped over in the middle of the junkyard. It was surrounded by a chain-link fence and several "keep away" signed were planted all around.

"You guys finished back there?" Goat called out from the driver's side window of his truck. "I gotta trade this stuff to the auto-mechanics across town before noon!"

"We're good Goat!" Jamie responded. "Head on out."

Coops eyes widened when he realized he was currently resting against the back of the truck just as the engines revved up. "Wait, Goat, hold…"

His cry fell on deaf ears as Goat's truck sped out of the junkyard, causing Coop to land flat on his back and cough from the dust kicked up from his friend's speedy exit.

Jamie simply shook his head and helped Coop to his feet. "C'mon man, don't be so frustrated." He brushed the dust off the ex-pilot's shoulders. "Imagine how the ladies would've reacted if they saw you working hard." He waggled his eyebrows.

Coop just huffed. "Says the guy who's been dating Kiva the past five months."

"What can I say?" Jamie asked as he blew on his knuckles before wiping them on his shirt. "Hot redheaded space babes from the future just can't resist The Big J!"

"I don't know. I'd say I resisted you for quite a while!"

The unmistakable voice of their friend made them both turn around to face the entrance to the junkyard once again. There was Kiva, dressed not in her usual futuristic uniform, but a simple pink t-shirt, white jeans and brown slacks, walking into the junkyard.

"Oh, h…hey Kiva." Jamie stuttered. He coughed to try and compose himself. "We were just…"

"I know what you were doing." She narrowed her eyes as she approached him, but smirked when she was close enough. "And I don't mind." She then kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, making him blush.

Coop groaned. "Geez, I'd rather watch the Glorft terrorize the city than see that every day!"

"Oh c'mon, Coop. Lay off." Jamie snapped as he wrapped an arm around Kiva's waist.

Coop sighed. "I'm sorry, guys." He lifted his longing gaze toward Megas, "It's just…"

"We understand, Coop." Kiva approached and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I just…miss it, ya know? All of it." He lamented.

"So do we." Kiva assured, casting a quick glance at Jamie who nodded. "The adventures, the fights. Despite the risks and stakes, they were…fun. For all of us."

Coop raised an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't think you knew what fun was back then." At her scowl, he grinned.

"I knew how to have fun, it's just with the Glorft and the other alien threats," She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "…it was hard letting it go after THAT thing came down." She gazed upward at the glowing silver sky provided by the dome and scowled.

Everyone else did the same, looking up at the top of their cage with a mixture of both wonder and contempt, as they had done every day. But as Coop lowered his gaze to look at Megas once more, an idea came to him.

"You know something guys?" He asked them whilst rolling up his sleeves. "It' been a little while since we last hung out. What do you say we give Megas a little wash up and catch up?"

Jamie and Kiva looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Coop with a smile. "I can dig it." Jamie proclaimed as he removed his jacket and tossed it on a junk pile.

"Me too." Kiva agreed.

"Alright, let's hop to it, then." With that, Coop handed each of his friends a rag, grabbed a bucket of polish and began trekking toward the giant, idle mech, Kiva and Jamie following while joined hand-in-hand. "I'll start with the grill of the cockpit, you two can work on the forearms."

"Oh ho, no way, dude." Jamie said as he stepped in front of Coop. "The last time that happened I slipped off and made myself look like an idiot in front of the mayor that day. I've got the grill this time!"

"Yeah, well maybe if you hadn't used a bucket of oil slick, it wouldn't have happened." Coop retorted.

"A bucket of oil slick you gave me saying it was a new type of soap!" Jamie countered, pointing an accusing finger at his friend. "Right, Kiva?"

"Right." She called out from a distance.

Both friends stopped their argument and turned to see Kiva already perched atop Megas' torso and rinsing off the hood of the car that was the cockpit. Gasping in surprise, Jamie and Coop glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes before booking it to the mech where they proceeded to climb and race each other to the top. Kiva, seeing their competition from above, decided it would be a good time to rinse off Megas' chestplate while the pilot and his best friend were scaling it.

The resulting torrent of water that cascaded down the front of Megas caused Coop and Jamie to lose their grip, sending them plummeting to the ground below. Sitting upright and rubbing their sore backs, they glared up at Kiva before all three burst into laughter. Kiva then tossed down a couple of towels so they could dry off.

As all three got to work cleaning the robot that changed their lives, they failed to see that Goat had stopped halfway down the road and was observing them with a pair of binoculars with a wide smile on his face.

"Far out." He spoke softly before returning to the driver's seat and speeding off, leaving a trail of exhaust in his wake.

(X)

The Coast City Dome…

The late morning sun shone through the window of Hal's apartment, stirring the owner from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes to clear them of the morning gunk, but as he moved to sit up, felt himself restrained by the arm. Looking down, he saw the love of his life, Carol, naked as the day she was born, smiling contently as she tightened her grip on his arm while gazing into his eyes.

"Good morning." She said with a yawn.

"Hey." Hal responded, leaning down to kiss her on the lips. "We slept in pretty late, didn't we?"

"Mmmhmm." Carol agreed, but then her eyes widened as she gasped.

Hal was confused at first, before he had the same realization.

"BRUNCH!" The both shouted. Scrambling out of bed, they took a quick shower, dressed themselves as quickly as possible and then made their way to the rooftop, where they found their three friends seated at a table waiting patiently for them.

"There you are." Kilowog called out, setting down his fork full of eggs for a moment. He was dressed in very large white t-shirt, jeans and a black-leather vest, tailor-made especially for him. "What took ya poozers so long?"

"When we arrived a half hour ago, we knocked but you didn't answer." Razer pointed out. His attire was simple as well: a burgundy dress shirt, black pants and slacks.

"We believed you would approve if we began eating without your presence." Aya went on. Her outfit consisted of a white sundress that went beautifully with her light green skin and long blue hair that matched the color of her eyes. "You are not upset, are you?"

Hal waved off her question. "No no, we're not angry Aya. Don't sweat it."

Kilowog sniffed the air then grinned maliciously. "I don't know. Seems like you two have been "sweating it" pretty good, lately." Hal and Carol's faces flushed in embarrassment, making Kilowog laugh, but he stopped at Razer's glare. "What?"

"Why the dome enabled us to understand you at times like these, I'll never understand." Razer lamented, shaking his head.

By now, Hal and Carol had taken their seats across from Aya and Razer. "Anyway, I heard there was an incident at the museum the other day?" Hal asked.

"Yes." Aya spoke up. "Apparently, a citizen disguised himself as one of the nighttime security guards and attempted to steal the Interceptor."

"That shouldn't have happened." Kilowog huffed. "That baby's supposed to be the greatest ship in the galaxy, not some…tourist attraction."

"What tourists are you talking about?" Carol deadpanned.

"Regardless," Razer cut in. "…I offered him counseling while he was in custody." His expression became solemn. "He originally came to this city on a business venture, but his true home was in Gotham, where his family was."

Hal sighed. "He was desperate to get back to them."

Razer nodded. "Precisely. Strong emotions can sometimes push us into making rash decisions, after all." He then felt Aya's hand gently grasp his own and turned to see her smiling at him, bringing one to his own face as well.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, Hal gazing up at the dome that had caused a bunch of problems for his beloved city, and smiling for some strange reason.

"What're you smilin' about, Hal?" Kilowog asked.

"Just," He began with a chuckle. "...how much I like being "Hal."

What do you mean?" Aya inquired.

Carol wrapped her arm around Hal. "He means that since he spent so much time as a Green Lantern, he forgot what having a normal life was like, and has actually come to enjoy it. As have I."

"What she said." Hal agreed.

"I think we all have." Razer proclaimed, sharing a warm glance with Aya.

"Yeah, yeah." Kilowog murmured despite his grin. "Now, what're we waiting for? The food's getting cold." He then began shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth, albeit a little messily.

"Perhaps the next story I tell to the children should be Kilowog's ventures in frantic eating." Aya thought out loud.

"Oh, shut up."

(X)

The Republic Fleet Dome…

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat silently in his private chambers aboard the Resolution, one of the four Venator-class assault vessels that made up the small, five-ship fleet he commanded for the past year, the other one, the flagship being an Acclamator-class carrier. Crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees, he closed his eyes to reflect on the events of the past year, but without the Force to assist in his meditation, it took a little more concentration than usual.

"Arrived at Coruscant to rescue Chancellor…engaged the enemy…blinding white flash…fleet reappears on unknown planet within inescapable dome…connection to the Force severed…starship engines disabled…utilized forest for crop and food production…all clone troopers assigned to maintenance and agriculture-related tasks…combat training kept to a minimum to save energy and not waste food…"

His meditation was suddenly cut off when the entrance to his chambers gave off a chime signaling that someone wished to enter.

"Come in." The Jedi Master spoke over his shoulder. As the door hissed open, he stood up and turned and smiled upon seeing who it was. "Ah, good morning Anakin." He greeted with a bow.

Anakin mirthfully shook his head. "It's still strange not being able to sense the presence of others."

"Indeed." Obi-Wan agreed as he noticed a certain astromech droid roll into the room. "Hello, R2. What brings you here?"

"I brought him to make it easier to check up on the other ships for today." Anakin pointed out.

R2 beeped in greetings.

"Well, you'll both be happy to hear that I already spoke with acting captain of Kessel's Bane earlier via communicator; now all that remains is to contact the capital ship."

"Very well." Anakin acknowledged. "R2, if you would."

R2 beeped and chimed before activating his communications device and preparing his holographic projector for the response.

"This is General Obi-Wan Kenobi calling the Prosecutor. Commander Cody, please respond."

R2's projector activated, but instead of the clone captain appearing, it was another, more renowned trooper with slick black hair combed back and a very distinguishable voice.

"This is RC-1262 reporting in." The small projection answered.

"Scorch?" Anakin exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry, Cody's busy with the Advisor below deck."

"Which is why he placed me in charge of the bridge until he returned, 62." Came a stern voice from outside the projector's field of vision.

Scorch turned to see his superior, Delta-38, enter the conversation. "Oh, hey Boss."

"At ease." Boss said to his teammate as he turned to the Jedi Generals. "Hello, Generals."

"Hello, Delta-38." Obi-Wan greeted the commando squad leader. "How fares the rest of Delta Squad this morning?"

Before Boss could answer, Scorch suddenly cut him off. "Well, last I heard," He tapped his chin in thought. "…Fixer's eating a ration down in engineering, Sev's taking a leak…"

"…And Scorch was heading down to the armory to scrub the rifles clean." Boss finished for him.

Scorch took one look at Boss before slumping his shoulders in defeat. "Yes, sir." And then he proceeded to leave the projection.

Turning back to the Jedi, Boss sighed. "Sorry, sirs. Sometimes the troops aren't exactly sure what to do."

"Don't worry about it." Anakin encouraged him. "The command structure we set up a year ago is not infallible."

"We'll work out the kinks soon enough." Obi-Wan chimed in. "But in the meantime, I trust that preparations are already underway for the next potential year we may be stuck here."

"Yes, sir." Boss nodded. "Schedules and timetables are already being developed, as are stockpiles of food reserves. We should be all set within the next week or two."

"Excellent work, 38. Keep us posted."

"Thank you, sir. Delta-38, out." The image then faded away as R2 turned off the projector.

"Well, everything appears to be in order, then." Obi-Wan noted, but then he noticed his pupil standing by the window gazing out into the forest where the other two vessels were arranged in a v-shaped pattern, with the Prosecutor at the front. Even without his connection to the Force, Obi-Wan could sense what was troubling his friend and moved to stand next to him, R2 joining them as well. "Are you alright, Anakin?"

The young Jedi Knight sighed. "Forgive me, Master. The progress report should make me feel better, but…"

"Do not apologize, my friend." Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest. "We have been thrust into a position none of us were prepared for, and forced to make do with so little. We've had to lean on each other just to survive." He smirked. "The Force may be our greatest ally, but not our only ally. I am happy to see that our combined efforts have paid off, so far anyway."

Anakin shifted his gaze toward the silver sky. "Yes, but I still fear how the rest of the galaxy is faring in our absence. It troubles me to imagine what they could be going through." His expression suddenly became downcast. "Some people more than others." He then felt Obi-Wan place a hand on his shoulder and turned to look at him.

"Have faith, Anakin. There is still much to be done and several questions to be answered, but in time, we'll find our way out of here. We always have."

That small reminder was enough to make Anakin smile again.

"In time, you'll be reunited with your wife."

(X)

The Vale Dome…

"Professor, the team leaders are here, as you requested."

Professor Ozpin turned his chair to face the entrance to his office and saw Glynda Goodwitch standing there, waiting patiently for his response. Taking a quick swig of his coffee beforehand, he then spoke. "Very well, send them up, please."

Glynda nodded and then pulled out her scroll, pressed a few buttons and then spoke into it. "We're ready for you."

About a minute later, the elevator door chimed and opened up, and then three very important people stepped through: the leaders of Team RWBY, JNPR and CFVY, each one clad in their trademark attire, but closer inspection revealed a missing detail to the headmaster.

'Huh.' He thought, puzzled. 'I was expecting four of them.'

Nonetheless, he took another sip from his coffee cup and straightened his posture. "Thank you all for coming, but before we begin, I must ask, where is Cardin Winchester? I believe I called him here as well."

"Sorry, professor." Jaune spoke up, although everyone could detect the frustration in his voice. "But Cardin's busy being reprimanded by Ironwood right now."

Ozpin hung his head. "And what was it this time?"

"He tried "borrowing" extra rations so he and his team could throw some sort of party to celebrate making it through a whole year in this place, I guess." Jaune shrugged.

The professor shook his head while Glynda groaned. "Some people never learn, it seems." He lamented, but then he straightened his posture. "I'm glad that you three were able to come, at least."

"No problem, Professor." Ruby chimed in. "We haven't missed any of our previous reports yet, so why start now, right?"

"Indeed." Ozpin nodded. "However, the reason I brought you all here today was…slightly different."

Coco tilted her head. "Meaning what, exactly?"

Ozpin set his mug down and leaned back in his chair. "Children, it's been a difficult year for us all. There hasn't been any sign of the Grimm or White Fang, yes, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been difficult for you three and your respective teammates to adjust to life within this rather large, but still confined space." He gestured out the window where the farthest reaches of the dome could be seen. The three team leaders looked on for several moments with varying expressions ranging from longing to dread, but turned back to the headmaster when he continued speaking.

"So, my hope was that this meeting would be less professional and more personal. That is, if you're comfortable with sharing." He then clasped his hands together and waited patiently for their response.

Ruby, Jaune, and Coco all looked at each other skeptically, but in the end, their trust in Ozpin alleviated any concerns they may have had about being open with him and Glynda.

"Sure." They all said in unison.

Ozpin smirked. "Very well, let's start with you, Ruby." He turned towards the youngest huntress. "How are you and your teammates faring?"

Ruby clasped her hands behind her back and stood on her tippy toes. "Good. Yeah, we still miss people outside the dome; Yang and I miss our dad, Weiss misses her big sister, and I haven't seen much of Penny lately, but it's like, without having to worry about the Grimm or White Fang, we're closer now than ever. Blake even stopped wearing her bow, and she and Yang are..." She stopped herself, her cheeks flushing slightly as she pushed the tips of her index fingers together. "They're um...closer too."

"I see." Ozpin nodded, deciding to move on. "And how about you, Mister Arc? I recall seeing you and Miss Nikos together on several occasions throughout the past week alone."

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck in minor embarrassment. "Y…yeah. Things have been great between us. We've gone on a few dates here and there when we've had free time. Either that or more combat training."

"And Nora and Ren?"

"Well, Ren seems okay, but it's Nora I'm a little worried about."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Jaune shrugged. "Well, when she's busy smashing trees for firewood, or hanging out with all of us, she seems okay, but whenever I've seen her all by herself, she looks…sad."

"I've noticed it, too." Ruby added.

"Everyone's emotions have been a little unbalanced since we were trapped in this place, Jaune." Ozpin noted.

"I know, but with Nora, it's...you know…worrying." Jaune finished.

"I understand, Jaune. My concerns go out to your friend." Lastly, the headmaster turned to address the fashionista. "And lastly, you Miss Adel."

Coco placed her hand on her hip. "Everything is peachy. Fox is still the strong, silent type, and Velvet and Yatsuhashi are almost inseparable; they're like the brother and sister neither ever had."

"And I trust your relationship with Miss Scarlatina is healthy as well?"

Coco blushed and then began twirling her dyed lock of hair with her forefinger. "That's putting it mildly."

Ozpin sighed in relief as he stood up. "Thank you all for being so open with me. This past year has been a trying time for us all, but I'm glad to see that you all have pulled through thanks to the relationships you have forged with each other, as friends and more." He stood there and smiled as the three team leaders either fist-bumped or high-fived one another.

"Professor," Glynda said as she held up her scroll. "…sorry to interrupt, but it's almost time for the meeting with Ironwood."

Ozpin retrieved his silver pocket-watch and opened it. "Oh yes, the one regarding students who wish to join his militia."

"Oh yeah," Ruby proclaimed. "Sun and Neptune said they wanted to be a part of that."

Ozpin turned back to his guests with a frown. "I'm sorry my friends, but I'm afraid this get-together must be cut a little short. Thank you for your time."

"No problem, Professor." Ruby exclaimed before making her way towards the elevator.

"See you later." Jaune waved goodbye while following suit.

"Sayonara." Coco bid as she strolled off. Suddenly, almost right after all three had entered the elevator, Ruby's scroll began to hum, and so she retrieved it from her pocket and placed it close to her face.

"Hello?"

"Arf, arf!"

"Zwei!"

Jaune and Coco rolled their eyes as the doors closed.

With the children gone, Ozpin leaned against the back of his chair and let out a long sigh. "Glynda?"

"Yes?" Her voice came from his right, out of his field of vision.

"We were supposed to meet Ironwood after lunch, correct?"

"According to our schedule." Now she sounded like she was behind him.

"He doesn't eat lunch until 12:30 pm like we do. My watch just told me it's only 11:30."

"Well then," Suddenly, his chair spun around until he was face-to-face with Glynda's fierce green eyes and mischievous grin. "…we should make the most out of this extra time we now have."

Ozpin smirked. "Did you really have to send the children away early like that?"

"We both know that they had spoken their minds and that you were satisfied with their responses. Besides," She then brought one leg up on the chair after the other until she was straddling his lap, her hands resting on his shoulders. "…I believe relieving some stress before dealing with James would be rather nice." She then leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Wouldn't you agree, my Wonderful Wizard?"

Ozpin shivered at the sensation. "You make a good point, my Wicked Witch."

Both staff members then proceeded to gently remove one another's glasses, allowing Glynda to use her aura to place them gently on top of the desk. She then waited patiently as Ozpin reached over with his cane to flip a switch and lock the room.

And then she took his face in her hands and passionately kissed him, his cane dropping to the floor with a light "clang," forgotten for the time being.

(X)

The Sherman, Illinois Dome…

"Where are those kids, dang nabbit?" General Julius Steel exclaimed from the hilltop overlooking the city.

"Julius, please." Solomon said as he walked up next to him. "They still have time."

"Eh, I just don't get what's taking 'em so long, is all." The General admitted, taking a swig from his canteen.

"We had a vehicle; they did not." Solomon deadpanned.

"Hm, good point." Julius shrugged. As he went to take another drink from his canteen, however, he suddenly found it missing. "What the…?"

"Fall like a thunderbolt," General." Lance proclaimed from behind the government officials, causing them to turn to face him. Sure enough, there they were: Lance, chugging from the General's canteen, Ilana, Lance's girlfriend and Princess of the Galalunians, and their robotic friend and bodyguard Octus, currently stuck in his "Newton" guise as he had been for the past year, his girlfriend Kimmy riding on his back and peeking over his shoulder.

General Steel scowled at the alien trio. "So, you've been reading up on that book I leant you, huh kid?"

"Indeed he has." Ilana confessed, giving her bodyguard/boyfriend a dreamy look.

"Well then, now that you guys are here," Steel then walked over to some object covered with a tarp and grabbed hold of it. "…we can get started."

And then he removed the tarp, revealing a state of the art grill underneath. Grinning excitedly, he opened the lid and set the coals inside aflame with a small lighter, then walked over to a large cooler and retrieved some cans of soda, tossing one to each of his friends, even to Solomon, who removed his trenchcoat, hat, and red glasses and set them down on the picnic table that everyone was now seated at.

"So how do you kids want yours' done up?" Steel asked as he put on an apron on that said "Salute the Cook" on the front.

"Medium." Lance spoke up.

"The same." Solomon said.

"Well-done." Ilana chimed in.

"Rare, please." Octus added.

"But Octus, you can't eat meat, right?" Kimmy asked, confused at his request.

"That is true, so I spoke on your behalf." The alien robot smirked at the redhead, compelling her to kiss him on the cheek in thanks.

Seeing Kimmy and Octus interact produced a warm smile on Ilana's face. "So," She turned towards Solomon. "…I hear the looting and crime rates have gone down drastically this past couple months."

"Indeed they have." Solomon responded. "Thanks to your bodyguard here spearheading the militia." He gestured to Lance.

"I'd like to think so, too." Lance boasted, earning a playful jab from his princess. "Oh, c'mon."

"Boasting is hardly becoming of a royal guard, you know." Ilana stated.

"We both know I'm more than that." Lance countered with a smirk, which Ilana returned as she leaned in to kiss him.

"Oh, great. Here we go." Steel exasperated as he turned over the steaks, making everyone laugh.

"Oh relax, General." Lance called out. "You've survived a whole year having to put up with us. You should be used to it by now."

Steel just huffed. "You kids and your raging hormones." He murmured.

Another short round of giggle ensued, but Ilana stopped short to gaze at the domed sky.

Lance quickly took notice of his girlfriend's plight and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Ilana…"

"No, I know; we talked about it. But still, I…" She placed her hand over his.

"We'll get back home soon." Her bodyguard assured her.

"And you can count on us to be there when you take back your world." Solomon promised. "We owe you that much."

"Darn tootin.'" Steel called out as he walked over with the finished steaks, placing one on each of his friends' plates; the ones who could eat them, anyway. Plopping himself down in his seat, he grabbed a fork and knife and started cutting. "Now let's dig in! Time's a wastin'!"

"Agreed." Octus said as cut began cutting Kimmy's steak for her and offered her a piece, which she took without hesitation, humming in delight.

Solomon grinned as he bit into his own chunk of meat, observing the actions of his friends, three of whom he used to be very wary of in the past. 'My, my; how things have changed.'

(X)

The Manhattan Dome…

"JARVIS, give me an update, starting with the Greenhouse, please."

"As you wish, sir." The sentient AI complied.

Tony Stark crossed his arms over his desk as the computer screen blinked to life with a small "bleep" noise. The first image to appear on-screen was that of an overhead view of Central Park, now closed off inside a massive, transparent glass dome. Next to said picture appeared three more; the three smartest people in the entire city, other than himself of course.

"The Greenhouse is operating at maximum capacity, Mr. Stark. Doctors Henry and Janet Pym have ensured that the city's crop and food supply is well-stocked."

"Heck of a way for Jan and Hank to spend their honeymoon." Tony said.

"I recall them saying sometime prior that they did wish to plant a garden in their spare time." JARVIS noted.

Tony chuckled. "Alright, what about Thor and Jane?"

Another set of pictures replaced the old ones on the screen, this time showing a hospital with images of Thor and Jane Foster alongside it.

"Thor Odinson and Ms. Foster have performed exceptionally well as medical personnel for the many hospitals within the downtown area, although currently they are utilizing their vacation days for some "extracurricular activities," as it were."

"TMI, JARVIS. Next." Tony waved him off.

"Yes, sir." The images shifted once again to reveal Captain America, Ms. Marvel, Black Panther, Hawkeye, and Black Widow standing at attention along with several rows of police officers in front of the capital building. "Captain Roger's security force has successfully dropped crimes rates within the dome by 72 percent overall, half of which was accomplished by Captain Rogers and Major Danvers during the appropriately named "Day-Shift," Mr. Barton, Agent Romanova and King T'Challa's efforts making up the other half during the "Night-Shift."

Those statistics made Tony crack a smile, but it quickly evaporated as he got out of his chair and approached his office window, staring out across the city, ending at where the dome touched down. "And what about Bruce and Vision? Have they made any further progress?"

"None, sir." The AI lamented. "Repeated attempts to analyze the energy composition of the dome have only been met with failure as the numbers always randomize when they seemingly get close to a reading."

Tony brought a hand to his own face and sighed. "It's like whoever made that thing is going out of his/her way to mess with us."

"I believe the proper term is "trolling," sir." JARVIS stated, although the tiny bit of humor in his voice didn't go unnoticed by Tony.

"Indeed. It's also a shame that the Fantastic Four had to go on a scientific expedition off-world and lock down the Baxter Building beforehand. We could really use some of their tech right about now."

Just then he heard the door to his office open and shut, and saw Pepper Potts enter via the reflection in the window. "Don't be so down, Tony." She approached him and slid her arms around his waist. "After all, we've got a party to look forward too, very soon."

Pepper's actions made Tony smile again as he turned to face her and hold her close. "You're right. I still have to get my best suit properly tailored." He leaned in closer to her. "Care to lend me a hand?"

Pepper stood on her tippy toes and gave him a quick kiss. "If I help you again, will you give me a raise?"

Tony wrapped an arm around her waist and led her out of the office. "Depends on your definition of "raise?"

And then the door shut behind them, leaving JARVIS alone in Tony's computer.

"He should really schedule these "business meetings" with Pepper more effectively." He spoke to himself before logging off.

(X)

The Queens Dome…

"Yo, Puny Parker!"

Peter Parker turned to see Flash Thompson and friends walking towards him as he stood alone on the sidewalk. He stood firm as the tall jock slowly approached him, forcing him to tilt his head up to look him in the eye.

"Flash." Peter greeted in a flat tone, gripping the strap of his backpack tighter.

The two stared at each other in complete silence, the other students holding their breath in anticipation, before the jock and the nerd sniggered and then burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry, Pete." Flash apologize in-between giggles. "It's been almost a year since I last called you that. I couldn't help myself."

"No, worries. I understand perfectly," Peter paused as he wiped a tear from his eye. "…Eugene." They both exploded into uncontrollable laughter once again, Flash giving Peter a mirthful slap on the back, nearly knocking him over. He then looked over to the rest of his friends, all of which were smiling at him, save for Liz. "Hey guys."

"What's happening, Little Man?" Randy greeted with a fist-bump.

Hobie Brown stood still and just smiled and nodded silently.

"Puny Pete!" Kenny greeted with a big bear hug, lifting Peter off the ground. "We haven't seen ya in almost a month." He then set the smaller teenager back down.

Peter took a deep breath to regain his lost breath. "Not much guys, just helping Captain Stacy keep track of how many supplies we got left."

"What's it looking like?" Glory asked.

Peter's expression became crestfallen. "Not good, guys."

"What do you mean?" Liz asked, her problems with Peter momentarily forgotten.

"I mean that, according to our estimates, we only have enough food and supplies to last for barely another year before we completely run out."

Sally gasped. "Oh my gosh."

"Captain Stacy's supposed to make an announcement later today." Peter observed his friends' reactions: Glory and Kenny embraced each other, Flash put an arm around Sha Shan's shoulder and pulled her close, and Sally let herself be hugged by Hobie, Liz rubbing her back.

The former spectacular superhero sighed. "I'm sorry, guys."

"Don't be."

Another voice spoke from behind Peter, so he turned to see Mary-Jane walking towards their group. "Oh, hey MJ. What're you doing here?"

"Hey there, Tiger. I was on my way back home also and saw you guys, so I thought I'd say hi." Her smile then turned apologetic. "I overheard what you were talking about a minute ago."

Peter's face became sullen once more, but then he felt MJ lift his chin up to look into her eyes.

"Chin up, Tiger. It ain't your fault." She lifted his gaze higher until he could see the domed sky. "It's whoever made that thing."

"Yeah." Flash agreed. "When Spider-Man comes back he'll sure give him or her a good whallop."

"Oh, please!" Sally waved him off. "Spidey disappeared right after the dome came down. For all we know he probably got stuck outside and just moved to some other city and forgotten about us."

"He hasn't." Flash retorted with the utmost conviction. "He'll be back. I know it."

"Yeah. Good thing the bad guys decided to take a break, huh?" Kenny asked nobody in particular.

Peter smiled at his friends' faith in him, or rather his alter ego, before turning back to MJ. "So, have you heard from Gwen or Harry lately?"

"Actually, that was the real reason I walked out here today." She then gestured to a small diner across the street with her thumb.

Peter turned and saw her there, right on the other side of the front window, her long blonde hair flowing down her back like a golden waterfall and just looking as radiant as ever, was Gwen Stacy…sitting across from Peter's former friend Harry Osborn. Both appeared to be in some form of discussion that Gwen didn't seem to be happy about while Harry was adamant. But then she turned to look out the window and saw Peter and his friend's standing on the opposite side of the street. Her expression momentarily brightened at the sight of her first crush, before it was stripped away by Harry standing up and approaching the window, scowling at Peter before abruptly shutting the curtains to give him and Gwen some privacy.

"So much for checking up on her." MJ lamented.

"I don't know what's gotten into him," Randy began. "…but I never knew him to be that clingy."

"No kidding." Sha Shan agreed.

"And what's up with them going out to dinner?" Sally interjected. "Is the owner of that place hogging the good stuff for himself?"

Peter hung his head again, but felt MJ place her hand on his shoulder. "Give it time, Tiger. They'll come around."

'I've given it a whole year, Mary-Jane!' Peter cried out mentally, but ultimately settled for a slump of his shoulders and a quiet "yeah."

He gripped his backpack's straps and straightened his posture. "Well guys, it's been good seeing you again, but I need to get back home and get some rest, and y'know, so Aunt May doesn't worry."

"We hear ya, Pete." Flash waved goodbye. "See you around."

Everyone else gave similar goodbyes before they went their separate ways, but when Peter began his trek back home, he accidentally bumped into someone and fell onto his back. "Ow."

Peter looked up and saw that the burly man he bumped into was wearing a black leather jacket zipped up, a red ball cap, light brown pants and dark brown slacks…and he was trying very hard to not let Peter see his face. He still offered a hand to help Peter up, however, which he took reluctantly.

"Thanks…um…mister?" Peter spoke as he found his footing.

"No problem, kid. Just be careful, alright?" And then he quickly walked past Peter and down the sidewalk.

Peter just stared after him. 'You know, moments like that are when I wish I had my spider-sense back. No more unexpected collisions, that'd be nice.' He began walking at a steady pace again. 'But there was just something about him that seemed…familiar. Maybe a thug laying low or something?' He shrugged. 'Eh, I'll let Captain Stacy know about it, later. After all, thanks to him, all the criminals that got trapped in here with us have been thinking twice about disrupting the peace while he's in charge.' He then suddenly stopped, his eyes widening as he had an epiphany.

'But what will they do when they find out our supplies are running low? Oh no, the rioters and looters…they'll come back worse than before! I've got to tell Aunt May, quick!'

And so he sped home as quickly as he could, failing to notice another mysterious man, this one wearing glasses, spying on him from a dark ally.

"The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout..." The man quietly sung to himself, fiddling with his glasses before disappearing into the shadows.

(X)

The Tokyo-3 Dome…

"Shinji, I'm home!"

Shinji sat up on the couch, switched off his SDAT player and then turned to see Misato stroll into the apartment, setting a grocery bag on the table.

"Oh, welcome home, Misato."

"Hey there." She smiled as he approached her.

"So, did you um…get the goods?" He hesitantly asked.

"Sure did." She confirmed. She motioned to the grocery bag and Shinji peeked inside, his eyes bearing witness to all sorts of frozen dessert treats. "But, would you mind getting everything set out; I need to go change."

"Okay, sure." Misato thanked and then marched passed him into her room, while Shinji headed straight for the kitchen and began removing the cold items from the bag and placing them neatly on the table. "So, um, anything special happening at NERV lately?" He called out to her.

"If you mean whether or not the rest of the staff is celebrating surviving a year in this hell-hole like we are, then no." She answered back, her voice slightly muffled by her bedroom door.

Shinji was surprised to hear that. "What, nobody at all?"

"Eeyup; nearly everyone at NERV's been buried in work." Misato elaborated as she returned to the kitchen, now clad in a simple gray tank top and black sweat pants. "Your father certainly hasn't made it easier on them."

Shinji scowled at the mention of the NERV commander, but otherwise kept preparing their dessert-dinner in silence. He then noticed a certain warm-water penguin waddle on by. He topped and pecked at Misato's leg, who then handed him a plate of cold fish. He took it in his beak and then marched into his small freezer room, shutting the door behind himself.

'Sure glad we got him back from the Horaki family.' Shinji mentally noted.

"At least Fuyutsuki gave everyone permission to head home a little early." Misato went on as she retrieved two cans of cold coffee from the fridge, sliding one across the table to Shinji. "That pissed the Commander off something awful until he was convinced that extra rest would improve everyone's performance." She then sat at the table, popped the lid off her can, and took a big swig. "But it sure made Maya happy; gave her extra time to pay Ritsuko a visit before curfew."

"How's Ritsuko doing, by the way?" Shinji hesitantly asked, taking a seat across from her.

Misato sighed. "Alright, I guess. Section 2 has her under constant surveillance while she tends to her patients at the hospital. Hell, the only times I haven't seen her moping is whenever Maya visits her." She allowed herself a small smile. "It…nice to see those two happy despite everything."

Shinji bit his lip in hesitation, but quickly found the courage to ask the biggest question on his mind. "And…has Ritsuko made any progress with…her?"

Misato frowned. "I'm afraid not, Shinji. Rits is only allowed to attend to her for a short time each day, and yet she still hasn't shown any improvement no matter what the doctor's try."

"And Rei?"

The purple-haired woman sighed. "No progress made there either. I swear your father's obsession with finding her is causing more problems than it solves, like "How the hell are we gonna get out of this damn cage?" for one."

Shinji's shoulders slumped in response. 'Asuka, Rei; what happened to you two?'

"Hey," Misato got his attention, leaning across the table and ruffling his hair, causing him to giggle. "…don't be a grumpy-guss. Besides, our other guest won't want to see you so upset when he arrives."

"Yeah." Shinji smirked, but when he prepared to open the wrapping on a fudgsicle, the doorbell rang, making him gasp and check his watch.

"Fifteen minutes early, just like always." He thought out loud as he stood up, knocking his chair over backwards before rushing to the door, tripping over himself on the way there. When he reached the entrance to the apartment, he began to pant heavily as the door hissed open.

The warm, crimson eyes of the pale-skinned teenager in front of him locked onto his storm-blue ones, and he greeted Shinji with his trademark smile.

"Good evening, Shinji. Thank you for inviting me."

Despite his shortness of breath, Shinji couldn't help but beam with happiness at the sight of his best friend for the past year (aside from Misato, of course) standing in the doorway.

"You're welcome, Kaworu. C'mon in."

(X)

The Jump City Dome…

All was silent in the Titans Tower living room as Robin sat peacefully on the couch, having just finished a late-morning breakfast. He was currently clad in a simple black sweatshirt, blue jeans and white socks as he gazed out across the oversized window and admired the view of the enclosed city he and his friends had grown accustomed to. As he prepared to take another sip of his orange juice, however, he felt the familiar sensation of strong, but gentle arms slip around his neck from behind.

"Hello." Starfire softly spoke, gently resting her chin on top of Robin's head to preserve the ambiance.

Robin smiled and used his free hand to grasp her forearm, tilting his head back to gaze into her beautiful green eyes. "Morning."

"I slept wonderfully last night, but when I awoke you weren't there." She frowned playfully.

"Sorry, I was thirsty." Robin apologized, lifting his half-full glass of orange juice for her to see.

Suddenly, Starfire hopped over the couch and landed in his lap, giving him a good view of her morning attire, a pair a purple pajama bottoms and a light blue t-shirt. "May I have some?"

Without hesitation, Robin offered the glass to her and she downed it in one gulp, letting out a satisfied hum afterwards. Both giggled and rubbed their noses together just as Robin's communicator beeped.

"Cyborg callin' Robin." The tiny yellow device chimed. "Yo man, you up yet?" Robin picked up the device and set it on the table before activating its newest function, a holographic display. Cyborg's face appeared before them moments later. "Mornin' y'all."

"Good morning." Starfire waved.

"Hey Cyborg, how's it going?" Robin greeted.

"Aaaalright. Almost done tweaking the hydro generator then its back to the tower for our annual brunch." He joyfully proclaimed.

"Just don't go hogging all the waffles!" Beast Boy suddenly chimed in, his image appearing next to Cyborg's.

"Only as long as you don't go overboard on the tofu bacon again!" Cyborg chided. "Seriously, I still remember waking up the next morning and smelling that stuff first thing, like it was embedded in my very gears!" He mimicked throwing up to illustrate his point.

Beast Boy prepared to retort before another image winked into existence next to him. Raven was wearing a simple pair of black jeans, like Beast Boy, but while the green-skinned teen was wearing a purple t-shirt, his grey-skinned teammate was wearing a dark blue one.

Holding a library book under her arm, she regarded her boyfriend with her iconic blank stare. "Please tell me you two aren't arguing over breakfast again."

Her gaze caused them both to relent. "Yeah, sorry." Cyborg rubbed his neck.

"Guess old habits die hard, huh?" Beast Boy questioned as he rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

Cyborg chuckled. "Looks like it. See ya'll later." And his image vanished.

Beast Boy let out an exhale. "Thanks for stepping in Raven." But his grin spoke of an alternate intent aside from gratitude. "I'll make sure to get your favorite dark chocolate sauce on my way back. Whatd'ya say?" He winked.

Now, in the past, Raven would react to her teammate's antics in one of two ways; a sarcastic one-liner meant to insult his failed attempts at being funny, or just outright ignoring him. However, being trapped within the dome for an entire year and changed her attitude towards him considerably. How so? Well, in response to Beast Boy's promise to acquire one of her favorite breakfast toppings for her, she blushed, followed by her brushing a lock of her long hair, which she had decided to grow out, behind her ear.

"I'd like that. Thank you, Garfield." And with that, her projection disappeared.

Beast Boy let out an elated sigh, but when he noticed Robin and Starfire's grins, he quickly bid them farewell before vanishing also.

"Should we see what Jinx and Kid Flash are up too?" Starfire asked.

"Sure." Robin answered and pressed another button on his communicator. A few seconds later, and the image of both the avatar of bad luck and the young speedster appeared…

…while they were in the middle of an intense make-out session.

Robin and Starfire stared, hesitant to proceed, until Robin chose to break the ice. "Um…guys?"

"We'll be there." Jinx and Kid Flash spoke in unison, breaking away from each other for a mere instant to address them before locking lips once again and resuming, the projection fading immediately after.

"Um, well then, I guess everyone's all set." Robin noted.

"It would appear so." Starfire agreed. Locking eyes with her love once more, she gave him a dazzling smile before kissing him deeply.

"Wow." Robin breathed out as they parted. "What brought that on?"

"Two things." The Tamaranian began. "One: for leading us through this past year. And two," She leaned in closer, resting her forehead against his. "…because I love you, my precious golubchik."

The boy wonder beamed. "I love you too, Star."

As their lips met once again, they failed to notice a certain slimy house pet watching them from afar whilst snacking on a cereal box, purring contently before deciding to settle down for a late-morning nap.

(X)

If only they all knew what was coming.

I could already hear my enemy making preparations for his next move. The agents of evil at his command were growing restless, eager to get out there test their might against the poor unfortunate souls who were completely ignorant of their presence or what was to come, and neither I nor my fellow prisoners had any power to oppose them.

Suddenly, my enemy made his announcement, which also served as a signal for his minions to begin their attack, heralding the beginning of his "secret war."

"PREPARE YOURSELVES."

I then spoke to the darkness of my cell, hoping it would somehow reach the young ones.

"Forgive me."

(X)

Author's Note:

Disclaimer: This story is a non-profit, fan-based work of fiction. All characters, settings, themes and concepts are owned by their respective companies, studios, etc. Please support them in making animated works of art.

Hello and welcome to my second fanfic.

The universes/characters I chose were from shows that were cancelled, or that I felt were at risk of cancelling, along with a couple others for varying reasons. I just loved all these characters so much and felt that they deserved a far better sendoff then what the studios gave them, so took it upon myself to give them one.

Some questions you may have:

Why RWBY? Well, I came up with the idea for this story before it was announced that RWBY was going to have a third volume. It seemed plausible that it would get cancelled as a result of Monty Oum's tragic passing, but I am glad it isn't. So yeah, the premise of the RWBY-verse's appearance is "What if RWBY was cancelled after volume 2?" Take it as an AU if you wish.

Why Ben 10? It wasn't cancelled. My answer? With all of the continuity errors and changes that appeared in all the sequel series (Ben's parents forgetting he's a superhero, Gwen's magic actually being alien-based powers, etc.) it might as well have been.

Why Evangelion? NGE had one of the saddest, most depressing endings I've ever seen in fiction, and with the manga adaptation and Rebuild being made after, which are theorized to be additional attempts at "doing the series right," I just felt that after all the pain the characters of the original series went through that they should've gotten a better ending as well.

Why Star Wars? Because the original timeline was rebooted, that's why. I also decided to base Anakin and Obi-Wan off their adaptations from the 2D Clone Wars cartoon. And I love Delta Squad too much to not not include them.

If some sections seem sub-par or not as fleshed out as others, I apologize. The reason for this is because I trust all the readers to know who these characters are, where they're coming from, and I just wanted to keep it simple for now. I'll flesh them out more when they each get whole chapters and story arcs dedicated to them.

And yes, there are couples everywhere. Shippers, to your battle-stations!

If you have any more questions, please leave a comment or send me a message, and remember, constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated. Thank you.

Next time: The domes come down across the world as we witness the first battle between heroes and villains from across existence. Get ready!