It wasn’t enough.

You tried your best. You were sent into a pit to fight with other heroes for the title of Guardian of the Globe. After the original group died by Omni-man’s hands, Earth needed new people to protect it from thieves and murderers and villains. But your efforts weren’t enough.

Robot was the one who picked from all the presents, and after watching everyone in the pit fight and assessing their capabilities mechanically, his choice was absolute. Atom Eve, Rex Splode, Dupli-Kate, Shrinking Rae, Monster Girl, and… Invincible. And you… you were not even given a “thank you”.

After you proceeded to retreat, however, a man’s voice called out to you. Firm. Cold. “Wait.” When you turned around, there he was. Cecil Stedman, from the GDA, responsible for the Guardians of the Globe. He looked at you dead in the eye as he approached. “Take my hand. And don’t freak out.”

As he ordered, you did. And he teleported you both to his office, a room decorated with a pair of American flags, a flat screen behind his desk and a couch beside the door. He guided you to the latter, and as you sat, he turned to the window and let out an annoyed sigh.

“For fuck’s sake… why did I let Robot pick…” He murmured while rubbing his eyes. And he turned back to you, and began explaining exactly why he stopped you just now. “It is true… that with Invincible alone, we would have more than enough manpower in the Guardians of the Globe. But we also value other aspects of being a hero.”

He took a step closer before continuing. “Things like what you showed. Not just beating the bad guys, but putting people back on track. Besides…” A second pause. And another sigh. “The last group wasn’t the best at… mutual understanding. And I have a feeling that this one could use someone with an ounce of emotional intelligence.”