The heroes watched as the landscape around them changed. The utter devastation that surrounded them quickly and magically undid itself. Shattered streets pieced themselves back together and closed off seams. Demolished buildings erected themselves, shattered glass and concrete flying back into place. People thought to be dead or mortally wounded began to wake up and stand up as if nothing had ever happened.
The awe-inspiring scene was soon overshadowed by a brilliant flash of light. The heroes turned to see the fey overlord, Auberon of Arcadia, hovering over them like kingly phoenix, smiling proudly down upon them.
“You mortals are champions beyond compare, even in Arcadia,” Auberon intoned. “Lady Falcon, ever a thorn in my side yet as noble of heart and great of beauty as you are beautiful. Blood Shadow, weakest of your ilk in body yet strongest of them all in intellect and cunning. Shotgun Rider, blessed by spirits so that your fate is as yours to command as your aim with a weapon. Prairie Maid, vested with mighty magic and the wisdom to weild with heart and soul. Deejay, a stout champion of your people as none I have ever beheld before. Doc Bionic, as much machine as you are man, yet more human than any other alive today. And Tethys, goddess of the sea and beautiful guardian of goodness and right.”
“You have risen above all odds and achieved the impossible,” Auberon continued as the rebuilding of Meriquai Falls continued apace. “By uncovering Crystalon’s complicity in the disappearance of my beloved Tytania and bringing my wife safely to me, you seven have done what no other mortals have done before. You have earned not only my respect, but my gratitude as well. You are to be commended, heroes. You are truly a legendary force to be reckoned with. The wicked should ever fear you as I respect you.”
With that, Auberon rose his scepter and flew off into the sky, disappearing among the clouds. The heroes gazed around and saw that Meriquai Falls had returned to how it had been before Auberon had ordered the Arcadian invasion of the Middle World. It was as if the last twenty-four hours had never occurred at all.
“So, um, what now?” Doc Bionic asked, turning to look at the other.
“We return to our lives,” Blood Shadow replied, absently adjusting his cowl. “Just because Auberon’s threat has over doesn’t mean our work is done, not by any stretch of the imagination.”
“Indeed,” Tethys agreed, leaning her trident on her shoulder. “Auberon was but one threat that this city shall have to face. More threats will surely come.”
“I’m down with that, cats,” Deejay added. “Too much going down in Northtown for me to be chillin’ like it ain’t no thang. Gotta get back to work.”
“I’ve got an idea,” Shotgun Rider ventured, still staring at the scenery around him.
“What’s that, lover?” Prairie Maid asked, turning to her husband.
“I think we can all agree that no single one of us could have pulled off what we did today, right?” Shotgun Rider asked, turning to the others.
“That seems pretty obvious,” Blood Shadow agreed. “This was something we all needed to work together to get done. Wait, are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
“I like the idea,” Lady Falcon finally said. “For years, I thought I was the only one of my kind… the only person possessed of super abilities who could face off against the growing number of villains in this city. The last couple of years have proven me wrong, thank goodness. Now is a great time for us to start showing a united front against these villains.”
Blood Shadow didn’t respond. He simply looked at Lady Falcon, then to Shotgun Rider, then to the others.
“I’m in,” Doc Bionic added. “I think my keepers will appreciate that I’m not throwing myself at danger without backup. I mean, it takes a pretty dime to keep me spic ‘n span, ya know?”
“And we can call on each other for whenever we need help,” Shotgun Rider said, looking around at the others. “Each of us has our area of expertise that the others don’t have. Pooling our skills together will make us a better unit.”
“That is your military background talking, Rider,” Blood Shadow pointed out.
“I do have my own misgivings,” Tethys replied, eliciting a surprised glance from Blood Shadow. “I am a goddess and I am used to handling my problems on my own.”
“And I work best when I’m not hindered with having to watch out for others,” Blood Shadow concurred.
“Of course we shouldn’t work as a team all of the time,” Prairie Maid said, offering a gentle hand in agreement. “Some of us, like my husband and I, make a perfect team while others, like our dear friend Blood Shadow work best alone while in the shadows. But the good that we did today should not be ignored. We should stand ready to do this again, if the threat calls for it.”
“Okay, I can accept being on the group Rolodex, so long as it isn’t abused,” Blood Shadow conceded.
“Fair enough,” Tethys replied, nodding to Blood Shadow. “I shall make myself available for assistance in such future emergencies as warrants my aid.”
“Cool,” Deejay smiled, slapping his hands together. “MC and I are in, too. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with lending a helping hand when needed, right boy?”
The large bulldog standing next to Deejay barked excitedly.
“Great!” Doc Bionic added. “I’ll have a talk with McLane, then. I’m sure he won’t mind pulling some strings and getting us some team resources… you know, for when we need them and all.”
“Adrian McLane from McLane Industries?” Lady Falcon asked. “Not a bad idea.”
“Of course, the Conestoga Base and Conestoga Mobile are available, too,” Shotgun Rider added proudly.
“Indeed,” Prairie Maid smile. “This is getting me excited.”
“Don’t get too excited,” Blood Shadow pointed out. “Remember, this isn’t a full-time team. Tethys and I are on-call only.”
“Fair enough,” Prairie Maid smiled, apparently undeterred.
“So, what do we call ourselves?” Doc Bionic asked.
“I guess anything with the word ‘justice’ is out of the question,” Deejay said, scratching the back of his head beneath his afro.
“Auberon already named us,” Lady Falcon pointed out.
The others looked at the paragon heroine curiously as she smiled.
“We are a legendary force to be reckoned with,” she repeated from Auberon’s earlier speech.
“THE RECKONERS!” Deejay, yelled pumping a fist into the air. The others simply looked at Deejay, who shrank from the glares. “What?”
Lady Falcon continued to smile at the others. “I’m thinking more along the lines of….
Legend Force
In 1984, Lord Auberon of Arcadia invaded the Middle World after banishing the cosmic imp Robin Goodfellow from his court. Seven heroes banded together to take on the threat. Proving themselves heroes who could think outside of the box, they routed out the source of Auberon’s wrath and fixed it rather than take on the forces of Arcadia directly. In gratitude, Auberon repaired all of the damage he had inflicted, welcomed Goodfellow back into his court, and returned to Arcadia.
The heroes, seeing what they had done, decided to remain in contact with each other. They formed a league of sorts; a means of quickly coming back together in the event of a threat greater than any single one of them. This league became known as the Legend Force. And it was one of the greatest hero teams in the world.
For 16 years, the Legend Force protected Meriquai Falls from all sorts of villainy. But the death of Prairie Maid in 1996 and the retiring of Lady Falcon and Deejay to start their own family took a toll on the team. On New Year’s Day, 2000 CE, most of the rest of the team died at the hands of the vicious Wolf Pack as they enacted their threats on the city during the Great Meriquai Falls Massacre. Only Lady Falcon and Shotgun Rider survived… and only after the two of them collapsed an entire warehouse building onto the villains, allegedly killing the Wolf Pack. The Legend Force officially disbanded that day, to be replaced by the Omega Legion a couple of months later.
The Members
Lady Falcon – The defacto leader of the team, Lady Falcon is the oldest standing superhero in Meriquai Falls, even today. Her Phalkyran heritage gave her super strength, super toughness, and winged flight, all of which she put to heroic use. Prone to act first and ask questions later, she still won the public’s approval due to her gentle heart and striking good looks.
Blood Shadow – The behind-the-scenes brains of the team, Blood Shadow was a brilliant strategist and detective. Possessing no superpowers of his own, Blood Shadow made up for it with skill, cunning, and the many gadgets he carried. He preferred to work alone against the organized crime families infesting the city, but he never failed the team when they needed someone who could think things through quickly.
Shotgun Rider – An excellent marksman with trick shotgun shells who seemed to have more luck than any one man could ever possess, Shotgun Rider was a thrillseeker and an adventurer in his day. Today, he is more refined, wiser, and pragmatic, but he is still prone to taking great risks knowing that his luck will usually carry him through.
Prairie Maid – Shotgun Rider’s wife, Prairie Maid was a Meriquai shaman of no small water. Her magic and her wisdom protected Meriquai Falls time and time again against all sorts of threats, both mundane and magical. Her death at the hands of the Totem member Coyote saved hundreds of thousands of lives that day.
Deejay and MC – This African-American man and his pet bulldog gained the ability to manipulate light and sound from a freak discothèque accident. He focused on street crime, battling the rising drug problems of the streets of North Meriquai Falls. But he was also one of the most enthusiastic members of the Legend Force.
Doc Bionic – A former construction worker who lost most of his body in a work accident, McLane Industries scion Adrian McLane had Samuel Blacksmith rebuilt as a cyborg. While primative by today’s standards (what with current Lyncon Technologies nanotechnology and Winters Industries cyberprosthetic technology), Doc Bionic was cutting edge for his day. His strength and superspeed made him a great asset to the team.
Tethys – A greek demigod of the sea, Tethys somehow found herself bound to the juncture of the Missouri and Meriquai Rivers. She protects her prison-home like she would have her true home in the Aegean Sea. She lends her aid to the team because she feels it is the proper and just thing to do.
