Chapter 1
"Clark, you can't be serious! She's only a child!"
Diana didn't often disagree with his decisions, but this time Clark Kent had gone too far.
Bruce sighed. "I agree, Kent. You've had plenty of crazy plans before and I haven't complained. I've trusted you. But I don't think this is a good idea."
Bruce, Diana and Clark strode down the corridor, into the canteen and sat down at the nearest vacant table.
"Look, guys, I've never let you down before. You have to trust me he- OUCH!" He dropped the hot cup of coffee he had just scolded his mouth on and it tipped straight over. "Dammit..."
Diana watched as the coffee slowly dripped from the table, onto the floor. "You have to think about the risk you're asking her to take, Clark. She could die..."
But it soon became evident to her that her colleague wasn't listening.
She jumped to her feet suddenly and yanked Clark up with her by the front of his cape.
"LISTEN TO ME!"
Bruce glanced around the room. People were starting to stare now.
"Um... Guys..." began Bruce, only to be interrupted by Diana for the fourth time since training that morning.
"Kent, she's seventeen years old. Nobody should have to put their life on the line at seventeen. She doesn't have the first clue about what she could do. She could easily get hurt or hurt someone else. I just can't understand how you can possibly think this is what's best for the League."
"Diana, I hear what you're saying, but her specific power and abilities would be invaluable to the League. Look," Clark slammed her file down on the table "at what she can do. This could change the League forever. We need her and you know we do."
"Fine! But don't expect me to be sympathetic if you end up getting her killed!"
Diana stormed out of the room, all the eyes in the room fixed on her as she made her exit. Bruce jogged out after her, calling her name.
Clark smiled to himself.
"Jessica Belle... Welcome to the Justice League."
Jess stood taking in the crisp autumn morning. Nowadays she'd had very little time to appreciate the simpler things like the rustle of the fallen leaves, or the cool breeze that blew her dark red hair back off her face, or the pale beams of October light that reflected in her chocolate brown eyes.
She'd spent her every waking moment in the rehearsal space with the freshman performing arts class, attempting to teach them something. Really, anything would have done. Their final exam was rapidly approaching, and they were nowhere near ready.
Jess, being the new performing arts representitive from the senior class, had the absolute privilege of attempting to form some kind of show from the shambles that was the freshmen class' performance piece.
Needless to say it needed a lot of work.
Jess took a breath as her body began to morph into that of one of the more annoying students in her PA class, then to the principle who had made her take the job for extra credit, then to her mother who had supported her in her choice to help the freshmen, then back to her own.
If Jess was honest, stressed was not the word.
She took a deep breath, and slowly released it again. Time to face the terrors once again.
She turned and walked back through the fire escape door and back into the auditorium.
It was chaos.
Jess sighed and was about to try and call the students to order when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned to see the stage manager, Susan, grinning at her.
"You look like hell." She observed as a false smile appeared on Jess' face.
"Yeah, well you would too after a month of this."
Susan considered her for a moment, then smiled brightly.
"Go home. I'll take care of the rabble."
Jess' false smile melted away, and was replaced with a genuine, grateful one.
"Thank you so much, Susan! I owe you one!"
"Yeah, you do!" Susan laughed after her as she dashed out of the room and down the corridor.
As Jess turned the key in the ignition of her car, she noticed something odd. In the very middle of the deep, azure blue sky, was one lone raincloud.
Odd... she thought as she shifted her car into reverse and backed out of her parking space.
"I'm home!" she shouted to her parents.
After five whole minutes of silence, Jess decided to explore her kitchen, looking for clues to her parents' whereabouts.
The moment Jess walked through the doorway, she spotted the note in her mother's handwriting attached to the refrigerator by a small magnet.
Gone for groceries, dad's working late. Again. Help yourself to leftovers.
"Well, that solves that mystery, then." Jess muttered to herself as she raided the fridge, looking for her mother's lasagne.
Jess froze. She thought she'd heard something. The clearing of a throat.
It's nothing. she thought to herself and continued to unwrap the coat of foil that was wrapped around the lasagne.
For the second time in a minute, Jess froze. She'd definitely heard it this time.
She span around and stared into the shadows. She could make out the faint outline of a man standing stock still in the corner of the room.
She grabbed the nearest frying pan and held it aloft, ready to smack the man the second he moved.
"Who's there?!" she shouted at the silhouette. "I know there's someone there! I'm calling the police!"
"There'll be no need for that, Miss Belle."
Jess saw her chance and ran to the door as fast as she could go.
It didn't help.
The door slammed shut in Jess' face.
She took a deep breath and turned, raising the frying pan as she did so.
"Who are you, and why the hell are you in my kitchen?!" screamed Jess in the general direction of the intruder.
The figure stepped out of the shadows and into the light.
He was a large man wearing a grey jumpsuit covered by a long black cape and boots of the same shade. There was a silhouette of a bat embroidered on a yellow oval on his chest. His face was covered in a mask that encircled his entire head, ears pointing up at the sides.
For the third time that evening, she raised the pan above her head, prepared to strike.
The man held his gloved hands up at shoulder height.
"I mean you no harm. Just hear me out." the man said, his voice deep and calm.
Jess stared. "You expect me to hear you out? You broke into my house! You watched me for a good ten minutes before you showed yourself, you creep!"
"I was assessing you! Obviously you're more visually perceptive than I anticipated. My name is Bru- HEY!"
Jess had struck the man on the shoulder with her blunt weapon.
"That was for breaking in to my house. So, you were telling me who the hell you are?"
"Why would you... Never mind. My name is Bruce Wayne, more commonly known as Batman. I'm here as a scout for an organisation known as the Justice League. We've been tracking your movements for three months now. You seem to have some... Ah... unique talents."
"Yeah... what's it to you? Are you here to take me away? I won't go! What is the Justice League anyway?"
Bruce frowned. "Which question would you like me to answer first?"
Jess simply raised an eyebrow that clearly said "Is that a serious question?".
Bruce sighed. He could tell she was going to be hard work.
"The Justice League is a large, specially chosen group of heroes that have joined together to fight injustice as one group instead of individually fighting crime. We've found it to be much more effective. I'm not here to take you anywhere if you don't want to go, it's up to you."
"What exactly is it that's 'up to me'?" Jess asked, eyes wide.
"Jessica Belle, I'm here to formally request that you join the Justice League in their mission to fight the evil in this world, and in various others."
Jess stared at the man, words completely escaping her.
"Jess..." Bruce held out his gloved hand. "...come with me."