Day 80
I received a missive today from McFabio. A militant alliance calling itself All My Peoples has declared war upon the Guardians with Bald Caps threating to hunt down our members one by one if we do not meet them on the field of battle tomorrow. Having given my word to defend my fellow Guardian’s, I have returned to the fold. Tonight, we draw up battle plans, assigning members of our company to defend our compound. Tomorrow we will counter-attack with a small, elite squad of Guardians. I have not been to war before. The thought makes me wary. I pray I do not let McFabio and my other Guardians down.
Day 81
We arrived on the field of battle, thirty summoners strong, prepared for the fight of our lives. What we found instead was an empty field with one lone lunatic shouting and frothing at the mouth. He called himself Matanya55 and the obscenities he uttered I will not repeat, even here in my private journal. Lazily our forces descended upon him and took him into custody. More than one of our number gave him a swift kick to the shins for our trouble. I am happy that we avoided a real war here today. But I worry that this experience may leave us unprepared for the wars to come.
Day 82
Yesterday, while I stood by my fellow Guardians watching our “war” opponent gesticulate wildly across the battlefield, one of my bald cap wearing compatriots informed me of a secret path to the mythical Labyrinth of Legends. This road is said to be filled with its own challenges but also contains powerful artifacts and hidden treasures. After sharing this information with my companions, we all decided that exploring this secret path should be our next step. We leave tomorrow at first light.
Day 84
We are more than halfway down this winding road that proclaims to lead to the mythical Labyrinth of Legends. Our every advance has been met with resistance. All manner of champion has stood against us, as if bewitched to do so. Today we faced a murderer’s row of villains. Under normal circumstances the party would have no problems dispatching of these dredges. But they were protected somehow, and our blows seemed to do only minimal damage no matter how mightily they were delivered. Fortunately, we had X-23 with us, whose adamantium claws penetrated this protection and drew blood. Taking the lead, she made quick work off our foes and cleared our path forward.
Day 86
All of it was for naught. The endless battles, the mole-men infested caverns, the resource hoarding, the side-hustles, The Collector rendered it all meaningless in a matter of minutes. X-23 fell first, her healing ability overpowered by The Collector’s raw power. Then it was Spider-Gwen, whose webbing might as well have been nothing more than cobwebs for all the effort it took The Collector to swipe them away. Then Doom and Namor attacked, each confident that their own superior abilities would make them the exception rather than the rule. They were wrong, leaving Colossus as the last champion standing. His armor offered him some protection from The Collector’s attacks, but it only served to delay the inevitable. Finally, I stood alone before The Collector. And he started to laugh. Condescendingly, he praised how far I had come, then told me to try again when I had gained a bit more experience. And then he was gone. Leaving me surrounded by my still unconscious compatriots. I am struck by a single, soul-shattering truth: We never really stood a chance.