THE MOMENT
"Another rough night?" Glory Rose smiled as she topped off Lightning Strike's coffee. The middle-aged Supervillain sat at the counter alone. He had bags under his eyes and his cowl was down exposing his messy, greying hair. The sun hadn't broken through the horizon yet and the diner was almost empty. It would still be another hour or so before the breakfast rush hit.
"It wouldn't have been if the Hero's League knew how to stick to a damn schedule...," he grumbled with a smile. Complaints aside, it was hard not to smile at Glory. She was the kindest person in town and her restaurant was a neutral ground for heroes and villains alike. Everyone loved her for it. "They almost didn't make it in time to stop me...," he shrugged.
"What was the plan this time?" Glory asked. Lightning Strike glanced around to check for eavesdroppers; but, the only other patron walked out the door as they talked. Still, he lowered his voice and leaned further over the counter.
"I didn't have one," he chuckled. "I stopped putting in the effort a while back; but, I'm thinking I'll start up again. It wasn't worth building up anything just to have an over-enthusiastic hero demolish it. But, if they're not going to keep their appointments, I might actually get away with something."
"That'll teach them," Glory smiled. It was almost impossible for her to not be encouraging. And, she knew Lighting Strike was one of the more harmless villains. Not all of them played nice with the Hero's League. The more evil ones didn't bother her restaurant; they knew better.
"Hey, is that a mystic space-time portal in your kitchen?" Lightning Strike gestured through the window behind Glory at the kitchen. It was between shifts and she was the only employee there. She turned and saw the tall black hole that Lightning Strike indicated.
"I don't -," she shook her head to say no. But, a teenage girl with curly, raven ringlets flowing down her shoulders walked out of the portal. The girl looked around and spotted Glory Rose through the window.
"Hi!" She waved and dashed out of the kitchen to the dining area. "I'm Dirge, you're Gloria... right?" she asked, then checked the waitress' nametag. "Glory, that works too. HI!" she repeated.
"Hi, Dirge," Glory Rose nodded. "Can I help you?" Lightning Strike had gotten to his feet as soon as the girl walked out of the portal. He had no idea who or what she was; but, he stood ready to defend Glory if he needed to.
"Can WE help you?" Lightning Strike made sure his presence was known too as electricity coursed through his hands and up his arms. Dirge looked at him, then shook her head.
"I'm just here to meet her," she nodded at Glory Rose.
"Me? Where'd you come from?" Glory asked. Her world was filled with Super-powered people and the strange portal wasn’t particularly unusual.
"I'm from an alternate universe, I'm trying to meet every version of you there is, I've met a ton so far," Dirge grinned. She pulled out a transparent glass card from somewhere neither Glory nor Lightning Strike saw. Then she offered it to Glory. "You can use this to talk to your other versions or get to know the multiverse in general," she said.
"Multiverse?" Glory asked as she studied the card. The time appeared on it love a smartphone screen, and it continued to face her even when she flipped it over. "There are other versions of me?"
“Uhuh, and they’re all super kind,” Dirge nodded. Another black portal opened behind her and she stepped back toward it. Glory looked into the kitchen and saw the other portal had vanished.
"It was nice meeting you! The other Glory’s will get you caught up,” Dirge waved.
“Wait!” Glory Rose stopped her. “You want to meet every version… what’s so special about me??” Glory asked. Dirge smiled as the portal closed around her. She answered the question before she disappeared entirely.
“You’re you.”