JoC: Okay, so this is my first Justice League Fanfiction. Please don't kill me and realize that I needed to write this after watching a few of the movies, reading a few crossover fics, and listening to a little too much techno and Jimmy Eat World. If I get something wrong in the comic book universe, please don't hold it against me.
We are in JLU universe, Flash is very much alive, and the Watchtower is in complete use.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Justice League Unlimited. They are owned by DC and the like.
Cirque de Justice
Prologue: The Circus
People don't go to the circus to see the clowns. People don't go to the circus to see the fire breathers. People don't go to the circus to see the jugglers. People don't go to the circus to see the trapeze artists, the acrobats, or the trained animals. People don't go to the circus.
If it is truly a circus, a cosmic spectacle involving a wondrous variety of skills and acts, people don't go to it. They experience it. The circus comes alive in front of them. The frivolity of the clowns causes laughter and happiness to bubble. The heat from the fire breather amazes and warms the imagination. The daring feats of the jugglers prod at the adrenaline and nervousness of the onlooker. The trapeze artists keep audiences on the edge of their seat, eyes towards the stars. The acrobats entertain, catch the eye, and perform their passion. The trained animals bring the wilderness to an audience that has bravely stepped from their comfort zone. The audience LIVES the circus.
The experience of the circus is not something to take lightly. It is a time in an audience member's life that should be remembered, but captured only in mind. A picture or a video does little justice to the performers, but dilutes and twists the vision of the troupe. If you need a souvenir, earn a smile from a clown, receive a wink from a juggler, or take a warm flare from the fire breather. An inch of confetti from a memorable side show can be worth a pound of gold to an audience member that has watched in awe the spectacle of the circus.
Those that make the spectacle possible are rare and hard to find. They do not roam the streets wearing signs or labels for a ring leader to see. They are sought after and gathered like precious gems and priceless treasures that are cared for with the most loving hands. A sweet tongue and a patient mind has to lead a circus troupe. To the troupe a ring leader becomes a mother or father, a parent and guardian that a company member, possibly an outcast in any other society, can hold to and find comfort in. Never will a ring leader turn away a circus member that is in need. He or she will nurture and take great care to keep the member safe. A circus troupe becomes a family wound together tighter than blood relatives.
This family travels. Never is the circus rooted to one spot and anchored to the land. Like the winds that whip across the land the circus moves over rock and sea, unseen until the show goes on. Then like the seasons, the circus changes and leaves their current location. The nomad of the entertainment land, they move and never remain still for too long. It is not in their nature to stagnate and blend into the atmosphere. They will stand out, grab attention, and in a wink of an eye they will be gone. They leave only the memories behind and a true circus lives by a schedule that is governed by no clock, but the hearts of the troupe and the will of the ring-leader.
When a new location is chosen a small group of members will go ahead and scout the area. They will make sure it is safe and secure, prime for the business of wonderment. They want to make sure they are welcomed and the location is ready for the show. This group will decide whether a future location is ready for the spectacular life-changing show of the circus. The next location is like an ever-changing Mecca that is seen as lucky and precious. In a new city, town, or planet there are priceless audience members waiting to be astounded and amazed. The troupe knows they touch the hearts and minds of many and they must make sure that the impression they are going to leave is everlasting and bright.
So could Earth be ready for this? Could Earth be ready for the greatest circus ever seen in all the galaxies? Is this small blue and green planet ready for the show of a lifetime?
"Entered the solar system – 30 AU until arrival on Earth"
The words scrolled across the screen, blinking in warning.
The message went unheeded.
The space travelers drifting in the vessel were curled tightly under their respective blankets. Plant pod like beds encased the precious cargo as they slept onward. They were not going to wake until they reached their destination. In the shape of a large row boat, the star-travelling vessel continued it's incredibly fast pace and soared through space on a direct path with a small blue planet floating easily in the Milky Way galaxy.
Ready or not. They were coming.
JoC: And there you have the prologue. Please review, please continue reading! Hope you enjoyed!
