Author's Note
I'm hoping this will be my one and only Author's note for this story, but we all know many have said that and many have failed. Anyways, it has been a long time since I have written a story and I welcome all comments. To that note I also want to point out that my stories are never on a set track, I don't plan ahead I write each chapter by the day. So one thing I encourage is if you do have an idea for the story please feel free to leave it in a review or email my account, I read everything people are willing to send.
Thanks for reading.
The story - Finally.
"Correct, I am one of the battleships of the Fleet of Fog from the year 2039."
"You're from the future?" I nodded towards the female of the group who had asked the question.
I raised my hand stopping the questions they were just about to ask. "We should move this elsewhere. As it were the populace is growing curious and sensors show scattered masses approaching from the other side of the buildings,"
"We should call the league," Aqualad stated. The others nodded in agreement and the small male walked a little ways away touching his ear. I sensed the communication device but chose not to actively tap into it to listen. "You must leave the harbor, the coast guard won't stay away forever and if they choose to attack we can not assist you,"
"The technology of my time required whole fleets to even severely damage a single ship of my caliber, mere coast guard vessels will not even scratch me," I told them my eyes narrowing in threat. "Nevertheless I will acquiesce to your wishes. If you provide me with coordinates than I will meet you there,"
The small male approached again. "Batman and Superman are coming, they said to meet at Westside beach, this time of day it should be empty,"
"Very well," Aqualad agreed.
I took a few seconds and searched the maps I had available, nothing for this beach turned up though. "Before I leave to the meeting point I would ask two things, the first is that I get the names of your companions Aqualad,"
They exchanged some looks, shrugs going all around. I cocked my head and discreetly tested the motion on my Mental-model knowing that the response could come in handy with future interactions. "As you know I am Aqualad, and this is Superboy, Kidflash, Robin, and Miss Martian,"
I nodded and logged the vocal patterns and appearances of all the beings introduced. "Understood, nice to meet you all. My second request is that you Aqualad accompany me, as 'security' in case I do get confronted by the Coast Guard as it were, and because I am unable to determine where this Westside Beach is from all my maps,"
I saw the others about to argue but Aqualad stopped them with a raise of his hand. "Very well,"
Nodding I waved my hand allowing my Wave-force armor to appear as steps before him. They all glanced towards the pulsing green hexagonal plates and Aqualad took a step on the first, gradually applying more weight till he was standing on it. "Do not fear Aqualad," I told him, "my Wave-force Armor can withstand missile shots, I do believe it can withstand your weight with ease,"
He simply nodded and slowly made his way up.
Still worried but satisfied for now the others turned towards an oddly shaped ship that had appeared behind them, entering from the rear hatch before it smoothly lifted from the ground without any visible propulsion system. It disappeared when it reached a good height but thermal scans showed that it was still hovering there.
I glanced directly at it and did a small wave before turning to Aqualad who stood directly in front of me. "Welcome a board,"
I stepped backwards easily falling from the rail to the deck and formed more plates so he didn't need to jump. As soon as his foot touched the deck I allowed my engines to reverse my hull smoothly.
"Based off the name of the destination can I assume that the meeting place is indeed to the west of this location?"
"You can,"
Nodding I allowed my hull to angle in the direction I needed and smoothly started to shift my propulsion from reverse to full forwards.
I turned to Aqualad who hadn't accompanied me as I moved along the deck. He stood at the foremost point of the prow, looking down at the odd green outlines roughly square in shape that dotted the deck. I answered what I believed to be his unspoken question. "Each outline is a hatch for one of my onboard warhead launchers,"
"Warheads?" Aqualad sounded cautious and I moved to reassure.
"Do not worry, I mean no harm to anyone at the moment and I will remain that way until ordered to harm,"
He glanced at me and it took me a fraction of a second to determine that he did not look fully reassured. "Who's orders?"
"To be determined," I told him. I turned sharply getting a weird feeling of satisfaction when I felt my jacket fly behind me before a faint snapping sound came from the material when it was pulled taunt by the motion. "Please follow me to the conning tower,"
I sensed him following me and we took the five minutes' brisk walk to traverse the majority of the foredeck till I was at the rear of the second forward Mark Seven gun. Behind it was an armored cylinder just a few feet higher than the gun itself. A door was inset into the wall of the cylinder but my target was the ladder to the left of the door.
I started climbing it, taking it slow for Aqualad's sake. I could easily traverse this height with a single jump of my Mental-model but I decided not to. Over a minute of climbing and I grabbed the rung set flat on the roof of the tower and pulled myself up. Turning I offered a hand to Aqualad which he accepted and I assisted in pulling him up.
"We are currently travelling at a steady speed of fifty knots at approximately thirty kilometers away from land," I told him.
"Fifty knots is impressive for a vessel of this size,"
I allowed a smug grin to cross my Mental-models lips. "Fifty knots is because I believe we are not far from our detestination. This vessel can travel at the top speed of eighty knots indefinitely or if needed I can remove my safety limiters and travel at up to ninety-five knots for a total of ten minutes,"
Even as I travelled I kept tabs on the heat signature that flew easily above me. "It seems your companions do not trust me, even now they keep an eye on us," I told him.
I didn't need to turn my head to know that he looked at me. "They have remained almost directly above us this whole time," I explained pointing with a single finger up. He followed my finger but didn't see anything except for the coloring sky.
Waving my hand, I allowed my digital-ring to appear and formed a screen above him. It was tinted with the tell tale hues of a thermal camera and directly in the centre was the shape of the flying vessel. "It is quite the interesting craft as it lacks any form of visual propulsion system, even now my scans show nothing that allows it to achieve lift or flight,"
"Miss Martian is the owner of that ship, if you wish to understand it you should ask her," Aqualad told me. He was glancing at the screen before looking at the ring of green digital data that surrounded me and because of how close he was to me also himself.
"Noted," Pausing I glanced to the side, away from land. "I sense two flying objects, both moving at speeds greater than ours, one appears to be a ship, but the other is smaller,"
As I explained that my digital-ring expanded and multiple screens opened in front of me. Three of them showed different view styles, one an aerial view of the objects from a satellite, another a thermal view and finally the third a standard view from my own sensors. Another screen showed current status of my systems including weapons and all the ammunition on board.
With a groan my Mark Seven main batteries began rotating, the barrels splitting open into two forks each that began to arc red energy between them. "Photon cannons primed and aimed, forgoing lock on of warheads as launch runs the risk of impacting your companions above,"
A hand came down on my shoulder and I looked up towards the face of the taller human. "Do not fire," Aqualad ordered.
I blinked but withheld opening fire. Even now the lock must have registered on the aircraft because the two objects separated forcing me to duplicate each screen to follow them separately. I split my aims betweenthe two objects dedicating six main cannons and multiple secondary's each. "Very well, but I will remain locked on. Please notify your companions to lower their altitude by twenty-five meters so my main radar tower is above them,"
Aqualad glanced at me obviously feeling confusion but eventually he did contact them. It took a moment of convincing and for every minute they conversed I watched as the two incomings got closer. I was running out of time and soon I would be forced to engage defensive measures without Aqualad's companions being in my safety zone, but eventually they did lower to the proper height. As soon as they were within the height of my ship I flared my Wave-force armor, the dome of green hexagons appearing briefly before fading from visible spectrum. As I did that the green wave like patterns that marked me as of the Fog lit up along my side belt and the tops of my guns, the outlines for the warhead tubes also flaring with energy.
"Wave-force armor activated, defensive measures recognized, offensive measures withheld for now. Engine output increasing adjusting aim for increased speed," after reporting everything I glanced at Aqualad to see him looking at the deck in shock. "I am designating friend or foe tags now. We are also approaching a beach head, is this our destination?"
Shaking his head Aqualad glanced towards the land not far from us. "It is," he seemed reluctant to say the next bit but I watched him with what I hope was an encouraging look. "Please mark the approaching objects as friends,"
I frowned but nodded. Tags set I allowed my weapons to return to their neutral position and let my Wave-force armor slowly disengage plate by plate. My markings dimmed visibly and my digital-ring shrunk substantially back to its previous size. "You may inform your companions that they can resume their original altitude if they wish,"
The message passed along I witnessed the vessel separate from us and fly towards the beach. It became visible again as it landed.
Within this time the other objects pulled up beside my hull revealing them to be a ship and man respectively. I glanced at the supposed human that flew alongside me briefly before they both broke away and also landed on the beach.
I cut engines and angled so my starboard would be parallel with the beach. With another wave of my hand I allowed some Wave-force plates to form as another ramp all the way down to the water line of the beach. "After you," I told Aqualad.
A few minutes later we were on the beach with the others, now joined by the pilot of the unknown aircraft and the odd flying human. I knew from previous conversations that they were called Batman and Superman and based off of the color schemes of their outfits I believed I was safe in assigning names to their persons.
"What's your name?" The black clothed one who I assigned the name Batman asked.
I glanced at him, before giving Aqualad a questioning look. At his encouraging nod I decided to answer. "I am the Battleship Montana of the Fleet of Fog, no human designation assigned to this unit at present,"
"Are you an alien?" The other, Superman asked.
"No,"
"Robot?"
"That would be accurate in the sense that I am an artificial being made of technology, so yes I am a Robot,"
Batman was the next to ask a question. "Why are you here?"
I decided to answer similar to how I did with the others, but word it differently and explain a little more. "I was sent to this time by my Supreme Flagship to track down my objective," here I waved to Aqualad, "with him I am supposed to learn why we were activated and perhaps why we were not completed,"
"You're not finished?" This time it was Miss Martian that asked.
I looked at her and shook my head. "No, while our ships bodies and cores were formed our orders were incomplete and our purpose not stated. Upon our activation we performed to the best of our ability in subduing the humans and restricting them to land operations,"
"Restricting?" Superman asked eyes narrowing.
"Correct. We removed their air vehicles and blockaded their seas as per our existing orders," before they could say anything more I continued. "We acted as our orders dictated, however no explanation or reasoning was given. That is why I am here. My Supreme Flagship believes that there is more that we do not know and it is my job to determine that,"
There was a pause and many looks traded. I glanced at Aqualad who had long ago moved to join his companions. "Do you mean the people of earth harm?" Batman asked.
"No, unless ordered by my captain I will not engage in combat,"
"Who's your captain?" This time it was Robin who stepped forward and asked.
In answer I raised my hand and pointed, "Aqualad,"
