The Journal of ... Year XXXX
The Battle of the Big Wheel: I have just witnessed the most intense and most far reaching battle of the Post-Ragnarok era to date. Only 18 months ago as I saw the events of Ragnarok unfold, I wondered if the Earth would ever host such events again. Given that decades (centuries even!) of super-powered fighting skills and experience had vanished in the blink of an eye, it was of course inevitable that the amateurish skirmishes and feuds of the next generation of metahumans would pale in comparison. They lacked the verve, the bravado, the cunning of their predecessors. Worldwide, I saw hundreds of fights between newly empowered metas but most of these were simple affairs - executions more than proper fights. One fighter would have a power the other could not defend against and would be slain or crippled in a few exchanges. Rarely, did I see more complex action than that.
Except in New Arcadia, I should say.
Paragon's cadre of super soldiers were not the most efficient but they were creative and slaughtered unpowered gangsters by the hundreds and individual powered criminals by the dozens. She single-handedly prevented the rise of any global criminal syndicate to take advantage of the situation. Of course, as she was so focused on purging gangsters and taking over crime for her own plans, she did not anticipate a serious metahuman resistance. She knew the U.S government's anti-metahuman forces were overtaxed by the events in Asia and if she kept a low profile she could take them by surprise. She did not anticipate amateur civilian metas organizing to fight her.
And what stunning results their confrontation resulted in. I can still see Aegis caving in the hybrid's skull with a single punch. The cloned alien warrior collapsing after a heavy combined barrage. Ah, it was equal to any of the Ideal's early world shaking battles - before they learned to compromise and practice detente. I wonder if they will ever understand what effects their battle had on the world. With Paragon's death, dozens of her schemes go unfulfilled and her hivemates shall certainly be thrown off by it. The mystical prophets of the world all received visions of the battle - but I wonder how it shall be interpreted. The upper echelons of the US intelligence gathering apparatus shall figure it out given the chatter of the hybrids and others. I could go on and on about it but I tire.
I await eagerly to see how the trial of Finn/Chirop unfolds. I wonder if he will realize the sins of the father are often visited upon the son. We shall see.
