Chapter 2: Search and Discover

Wonder Woman hovered over the ocean and quietly wondered how her life had become so complicated.

Firstly, there were the things in Man's world that she still hadn't quite got her head around. The internet, for one thing. Also, how some people could be so wasteful. On Themyscira, she and her sisters would always be resourceful and use everything to its potential. On Man's world, the obesity and waste shocked her.

Then there were the almost endless acts of crime wherever she went. She did her best, but sometimes she felt her contributions hardly did a dent in the world of crime. There was always one more bad guy to stop, one more mugger to drop into the police etc.

And then there was the loneliness. Steve did his best to help her adjust, and she had made a few friends, but even then she barely saw them.

It wasn't that she had problems with men propositioning her. It was quite the opposite. The problem was that they were either disgusting pigs who had no respect for women (she'd already broken several arms already that had tried to cop a feel) or they were only interested in Wonder Woman, not Diana, the person on the inside. The world seemed to look up to her, and yet she didn't feel accepted. No, that wasn't right. She wasn't normal to them. In her home, she was just Diana. In Man's world, she was Wonder Woman.

In all honesty, she missed Themyscira. She missed her mother, her friends and her sisters.

Her thoughts were soon broken. She suddenly stilled, almost imperceptibly tensing up as she realised she was no longer alone. Taking a breath, she readied herself.

"Hey, can I talk to-" That was as far as he got before she flew away, turning in midair while she unsheathed her sword and shield. In less than a second, she faced her 'assailant'.

She relaxed as she saw who he was. She hadn't met him before, but she could recognise him anywhere. The curl in his hair, the red and blue costume and the big S on his chest told her who he was.

"Superman. What can I do for you?"

Hal Jordan, aka Green Lantern nonchalantly left his bedroom for a coffee. He had a day off today from his job, which meant he had a day to 'reconnect' with Carol. She was currently asleep, sated and beautiful. Letting out a happy sigh, he filled his mug.

"Hello, Hal."

Of course he had to fall on his ass. With his coffee falling right on top of him. Real heroic.

"Tomar-Re? What are you doing here? And how… long have you been here?" His fellow lantern stood before him. He really wished he'd only just arrived.

"Oh, it's been a good half hour now. I didn't feel it polite of me to… interrupt a private moment between you and your partner."

Hal stared at him. He didn't know if aliens with beaks could really smile, but if they could, he had no doubt Tom would be grinning from ear to ear by now.

Oh for fuck's-

His current thoughts were interrupted as Tomar spoke again. "I have something to tell you."

"Okay. Well, was it so important that you had to come here instead of calling me to Oa?"

He didn't catch Hal's sarcasm. "Yes. Because this isn't about Sinestro. It's a strictly human matter. The world is going to need you again. Soon."

Tomar-Re handed him a folder. Flicking through the pages, his eyes widened as he quickly took in what was before him. "Have you told the President about this?"

"Yes. Indirectly, of course. I didn't think startling the Earth's most powerful man was a good idea."

"Indirectly? Don't tell me you just gave it to some bystander on the street," he said. He imagined that scenario in his head, and inwardly chuckled. If he'd been freaked out when Abin Sur crashed into his life, he'd like to see the average guy's reaction.

He'd probably check himself into a mental hospital.

"Don't be ridiculous. I gave it to a soldier. He was just about to be put on leave. It was logical at the time. Anyway, the meeting place is in there," he said, indicating to the folder in his hand.

"Goodbye, and good luck." Nodding his head, Tom turned to leave.

"Just one thing, before you go. Why can't the other lanterns help us? I mean, I don't doubt Superman or this plan we have, but why can't the guardians give us a bit of backup?"

Tomar sighed."The guardians believe this is a strictly human matter. Brainiac is in your sector, therefore making him your responsibility. Also, they don't deem him a threat to the entire galaxy. That is why they won't help."

Hal looked thoughtful as his friend turned to leave. "And Jordan? If I could, I would aid you. End Brainiac. Make sure he fails, and make sure he can't rise again. Otherwise we might all pay the price."

Hal watched as he flew out of the window. His mind was still processing what had happened a moment before when he heard the bedroom door open. Carol slowly walked out, dressed in one of his shirts. He grinned. She seemed to look sexy in anything she wore.

"Hey gorgeous," he said, planting a kiss on her lips. The shirt was big enough to cover her intimate parts.

Pity.

She leisurely stretched, no doubt for his benefit. "Hi. What was all that about?"

He sighed. Maybe she hadn't been as asleep as he'd thought.

"How much did you hear?"

She smiled. "Well, you sounded really serious, which almost never happens. The last time I heard your voice like that, you were about to face Parallax. Plus your nice white t-shirt is covered in coffee."

Hal considered not telling her. Maybe it would be better if she didn't know, he reasoned. They could wait, and he could get her to a safe place, where she wouldn't have to worry.

But he didn't do that. She deserved better than that, and plus she'd know if he was lying. She had this uncanny ability to find out if he was being dishonest.

So he told her. She looked surprised several times as he spoke, but she patiently listened until he was finished.

"So, the world is in danger? Like in danger of becoming post-apocalyptic?"

He nodded, as she asked her questions. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders and said:

"Well it's a good thing we got Superman. He can just freeze the bastard and be done with it," she said, giggling. She wanted to get a rise out of him, and she could tell it was working.

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," he retorted.

"Yep," she agreed. "I wonder who's the best out of all of them? Superman? Wonder Woman? Maybe Batman, he's got that mysterious air about him. Certainly not that Green Lantern, he's-"

That was as far as she got before he snatched her up in his arms and carried her toward the bedroom. "I really don't want to talk about them at the moment," he whispered into her ear.

"Neither do I," she responded, as he laid her out on the bed. "Get to work, boy."

Offering a salute, Hal quickly obliged. He'd meet the other heroes later, but right now… he had all the time in the world.

There were a lot of roads Barry Allen liked, but he loved one in particular. The Nullarbor, in Australia. It consisted of thoudands of miles of road and basically nothing else. He came here to run and to think, and found it most refreshing and rewarding. He was nearly always alone on these runs, which was why he was surprised to see a man currently flying overhead, and following him.

Curious, he decided to play a little game. Just a little, he began to increase his speed, until the figure had to drop lower to try to get his attention. He could hear him shout behind him.

"Hey! Can you slow down? I just want to talk!"

Slowing his pace just a little, the Flash let the guy catch up, until the two were right beside each other.

"Superman? It's an honour to meet you and… what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," he replied. The Flash never thought he'd see the Man of Steel a little out of breath, but to him, it appeared he was.

I suppose I'll take that as a compliment, he thought.

"Could we stop and talk?" Superman asked. "Not that racing with you all day is a terrible idea, but we really need to discuss something."

Flash did as he asked, slowing down until the both of them were stationary on the road. "So, what brings you down to see little old me?"

He smiled. "I wouldn't call you little. You've been the toughest to track so far."

"Oh? And who have you been tracking?" Flash asked. He had to admit, his interest was piqued.

"Oh, No one in particular. Ever heard of Wonder Woman? Green Lantern? I think Batman's coming to the party as well," he said, as Barry's eyes significantly widened at the names. "Fancy joining?"

"You had my curiosity, now you have my attention. But… why? The people may like us, but the government certainly don't. What's happened that we need to be brought together? Unless you were just feeling lonely, of course."

He laughed at that. "Come with me, and I'll explain. We have a lot to talk about."

There were some things General Shanks was never going to admit, not to himself or anyone else. One of them was the fact that he was legitimately terrified of what would happen if these heroes wouldn't get along.

These heroes were currently sitting at a table in the base the army had provided them, since they didn't have a place of their own to plan their attack. They seemed to get on pretty well, considering he'd been expecting them to have blown up everything by now. Green Lantern and the Flash were chatting to each other quite amicably, while Superman and Wonder Woman were discussing Brainiac. Eventually they came across the same question.

"Where is Batman?"

The general shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew they would have asked him eventually, but it would have been better for him and his pride if he didn't have to tell them. His answer was a bit embarrassing.

"We couldn't find him."

If he'd wanted to strike four superheroes dumbfounded, then he'd succeeded. "What do you mean you couldn't find him? He's only one man, isn't he?" It was Wonder Woman who had asked.

"Batman isn't just any ordinary man. There are myths about him, like modern day folklore. Some people don't even believe he exists."

Green Lantern looked a bit miffed. "Well, does he exist? I'd hate to have gotten excited over a half human half bat hybrid for nothing."

"Very funny, Lantern. He isn't some hybrid, nor is he non-existent. He's just extremely hard to find," Shanks explained. The heroes were looking at him with rapt fascination. "He doesn't fight like you do. He employs stealth, utilising clever tactics and takedowns to fight his enemies. Most people he's fought have described him as a shadow. They never saw him coming."

"So, you're gonna need me to go fetch him, then," Superman said. While he didn't mind that much, he felt like he was the errand boy at that moment. He'd had to round up all the heroes so far apart from Lantern.

Wonder Woman seemed to pick up on his mood. "I'll help you find him," she offered.

"Thanks, Diana," he said. "It'll make trooping through Gotham a little less tedious."

"Right. So while you shift through that shithole, I'm going to Star City. I've got some loose ends to tie up. Flash, you coming?" Lantern asked. Flash looked surprised. "It would make more sense to know each other a bit better if we're gonna save the world."

"Don't tell any friends of this," the General said, with a hard look at him. "The less people know, the better."

"With all due respect, General," he said, the undertones of sarcasm evident in Lantern's voice, "You need my help. I'll tell anyone I want. If you want to throw me out of this little club, feel free. Something tells me you need me."

"This meeting is adjourned." While General Shanks wanted to reprimand this guy, he knew better than to argue with a hero that could construct anything he wanted. Even If he was an asshole.

"Well, now that that's settled," Superman said with forced cheer. "Let's get to work."

"I appreciate that a guy can get angry sometimes, but was it really a good idea to snap at him like that?" Flash asked. Him and Green Lantern were currently on a roof overlooking Star City. "Why are we here right now anyway?"

"No reason, really. Just needed a bit of space. If I go to Coast City I'll end up fighting muggers and rapists all night. Right now I just want to think."

"I hear that. Imagine… seven billion people. All those lives depending on us. It's even worse knowing that he's here somewhere, waiting to strike. We need to find a way to flush him out."

The two men watched as the night life in the district began to get into full swing. The lights illuminated the city, making it shine in a yellow glow.

"You know, it's a pity this city has no one to protect it."

"I wouldn't say that."

The Flash and Green Lantern immediately tensed, getting into a fighting stance. Using his ring as a torch, he scanned the roof for any sign that they weren't alone.

"Today is not a good day to pick fights with us!" the Flash threatened. Tapping into his power, he ran around the roof and building, looking for anyone who could be considered an enemy.

He didn't get far before he tripped on something.

Looking down, Barry saw a near invisible monofilament wire, attached to an arrow. The arrow hadn't hit anything, meaning it must have been fired at just the right moment. There was no way anyone could hit him when he was running, which meant it had been fired as soon as the mysterious person spoke.

Clever.

"There won't be any fighting today unless you want one," a voice above him spoke. Looking up, Flash saw a figure dressed in green, with a bow in his hand. What made it more peculiar was that the man was smiling.

"I recognise you," Green Lantern said. "You're that guy from the news I've heard about. You're Green Arrow."

"Well, I suppose you could call me' The Hood' or 'The Vigilante', I guess. The Emerald Archer suits as well. Or just Arrow. I seem to get so many names in the tabloids."

The Flash and Green Lantern looked at each other. For an apparent hero, his weapons seemed to be pretty basic. He was dressed in armour fit for archers of the middle age, all in green, with a hood covering his face and a quiver of arrows on his back. Everything seemed to be in the same colour, even the arrows.

He also seemed to be way more laid back, cheerful and easy going, though his eyes were ever alert.

"So, if you're done gawking, could I ask you why you're in my city? Nice duds, by the way," he said, pointing to Green Lantern. His question was innocent enough, but Flash could detect a slight tone of indignance in his voice.

"We were just passing through. We'll be on our way," Flash replied. "No point getting into a fight over nothing."

"Smart man." Arrow was secretly relieved, even though he didn't show it. Although he was highly skilled with a bow, among other things, he seriously doubted he could hold his own against two pissed super-powered metas. As they were about to leave though, his curiosity got the better of him.

"Are you two together now?"

Both their heads whipped round in shock. "What?!"

He rolled his eyes. "Not that kind of together. Are you working together, and, if so, why?"

With realization dawning on them, the Flash was about to come up with a standard answer, that they were friends, they wanted to talk, etc. But Lantern beat him to it.

"Now that you mention it, have you ever heard of Brainiac?"

"Who?"

The Flash rounded on him in an instant. "What are you doing?" he said in a hushed tone. "The general specifically told you not to tell anybody!"

"And I really don't care about what he said. Look at this guy. He's capable, and if Brainiac is as bad as we think, we're going to need all the help we can get."

"He's a guy with bows and arrows! We live in modern times, not medieval ones!"

"Uh, guys? I'm standing right here!"

Ignoring the Flash, Green Lantern walked up to the Emerald Archer. "You care about your city, don't you?"

Green Arrow nodded, interested in what this guy had to say.

"Then come with us. I'll fly you there. A storm is coming, and we don't how or when it's going to hit. If you want to save everything you care about, then you'll join us. What'd you think?"

"I think you're both mad, but then I'm mad too. Let's go save the world."

Three days.

That's how long it had been since they'd started to look for Batman. It had gotten to the point where both Diana and Kal were wondering if he actually existed. The only thing that made her doubt that theory was the fact that, over the three days, there had been continuous accounts of Batman sightings and several beaten up rapists and muggers had been arrested.

Diana sighed. It had taken Lantern and Flash less than an hour to recruit Green Arrow, and he hadn't even been on the list.

Although it had been admittedly hilarious when General Shanks came in to see the archer with his feet perched on the table and talking to Green Lantern like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Shaking those thoughts aside, she focused on her current goal: Find the Batman. Her and Superman had decided there was no point looking for him in broad daylight, as he never came out in the light and it would only serve to antagonise him. Though they were starting to seriously consider that option, as it seemed to be the only thing that would draw him out.

She narrowed her eyes. He should've come out by now. Arrow had checked up on the heroes in his city the second he'd realised they were there. So why hadn't he?

"Diana, could you stop staring at the street like that? I'm afraid a car is going to explode or something, the way you're glaring at it."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I was just thinking, that's all."

Superman laughed. "It's okay. Just save that glare for the bad guys. You look a lot better without the angry look on your face."

She laughed. The both of them were unaware they were being watched.

He studied them. Three nights, they'd been here. They'd come at night, in his city, looking for him. They hadn't caught him yet, but Batman could tell his time was running out. The initial boost about the fact that they didn't have a clue who he was, what he was, was passing. It was only a matter of time before they figured out that all they had to do was follow the criminals to get to him. Either that or look for him in the middle of the day, in plain sight of everybody, to draw him out. Idly, he noticed that a target of his, a thug working for Penguin, was walking in the direction of the superheroes. He smiled.

Time to kill two birds with one stone.

Superman's hearing was brilliant. Which meant the unexpected yelp from a building a block away nearly deafened him. Instantly though, he knew who it was.

"It's him."

Wonder Woman was suddenly alert. "Where?"

"A block away." Superman used his hearing to determine what was happening. "He's interrogating someone."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go," she said, relieved that the chase was nearly over.

"Wait. He's not going to like it if we just barge in while he's at work. We'll sneak up closely and observe the situation. Don't interfere. This is his city, after all."

She pursed her lips. "Fine, but if I see something I don't like, I'm going in. With or without you."

"Agreed."

"Who is he giving the explosives to?"

The Batman's voice was low, wrapped with menace. He was currently instilling fear into his target, and, judging by the terrified guy's expression, it was working.

"I don't know, man! I just deliver the shipments! I don't want no trouble!"

"That's not good enough."

The thug was suddenly winded as Batman struck him in the stomach, which was followed by a swift uppercut to the jaw after he doubled up in pain.

"Come on! I don't know! I swear!"

He was lifted again, until he was bent over the rooftop, staring at the streets below.

"That's a long way down. Today isn't a good day to lie to me."

"You don't kill. You don't… kill." The man was nearly repeating it like a mantra, his belief in the statement slowly disappearing as his fear intensified.

"No, I don't," he said. His relief was short-lived however. "But how about a broken leg?"

Hovering from afar, Superman and Wonder Woman watched with horrific fascination. Diana was the first to voice her concern. "I don't like this. He's scaring and brutalising that man for no reason. He's clearly not lying, judging from the amount of fear in him. So why is he continuing?"

Superman sighed. Although he was equally as uncomfortable with Batman's interrogation, he understood why. She apparently didn't.

"He has a reputation to uphold. He isn't a cop, remember. He goes by his own rules."

"Well I don't agree with him or his 'rules'. Time for a little chat."

"Diana! Stop!" But even he wasn't quick enough. She was already down there, ready to confront Batman. All he could do was follow her and watch.

"That's enough," she said, walking up to him. She noticed the man he was interrogating and the fact that his expression changed. It seemed to be midway between hopeful and terrified, unsure if the situation he was in was better or worse.

Batman, however, didn't even acknowledge her.

"I said, that's enough!" she stated, this time putting her hand on his arm. Superman already knew what was coming next.

Batman imperceptibly tensed, and, without even glancing, grabbed hold of her arm before throwing her over his shoulder and onto the ground.

Her reaction was one of shock, in total disbelief that he would be bold enough to throw an Amazon. In an instant though, her expression changed to that of cold rage. Picking herself up off the ground, she launched herself at him.

Superman reached her just in time, as he managed to put a restraining hand on her shoulder to make sure she didn't flatten their possible future teammate. Still he could justify why she'd want to pummel him into the ground. Pissing off an Amazon was not a good idea.

"How dare you! You ignorant, stupid, arrogant-"

"Diana, stop!" He had no doubt that she would have gone on with her insults, but the situation he'd have mediate his way out of was bad enough already. He didn't need it getting worse.

Still, he turned to Batman. "I'd heard you were crazy. I didn't think you were stupid."

"I don't tell you how to do your job. I don't appreciate her telling me how to do mine. Now, get out of my city."

Wonder Woman was still in a state of disbelief. They'd gone to all this trouble for this guy?

Superman was not one to be intimidated. "If you care about your city so much, then you'll listen to what we have to say." He leaned in, hoping the man would have the sense to back off.

He didn't however. If anything he moved in closer, looking him right in the eye. "Speak then. You've come here repeatedly for three nights. You've been looking for me. Is Gotham in danger?"

"Yes. The whole world is. We need any help we can get, and you're one of the best. A battle is coming, and we won't be able to survive if we don't work together. What do you say?"

Batman quietly considered. On one hand, if he complied, he was going to work with gods. Gods that could go rogue or change their allegiances. On the other hand however, if Superman was genuine, the world could potentially be turned to rubble. Including his beloved city.

He had to do everything in his power to prevent that. Also, it wouldn't hurt to be able to keep an eye on them. He gave his answer.

"Give me your location. I'll travel there when I'm done with this guy," he said, his hand indicating the beaten up thug still lying on the rooftop. "We'll discuss this further then."

"What, no interrogation?" Superman joked, trying to lighten the mood. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work. Batman still looked at him with the same serious expression.

"You two have been looking for me for three days now. I doubt you would waste your time for the sake of a practical joke. I'll see you later."

The conversation now over, Batman went back over to the thug. Using a hook, he left him dangled over the side, where the police would find him. Then, taking out his grapple, he swung to another building before disappearing from sight.

With no other reason to remain in Gotham, Wonder Woman and Superman started to make their way back. Diana couldn't resist asking him something though.

"Was that guy worth all the trouble?" she asked. She sounded extremely doubtful.

"I guess we'll see. Though I don't think he'll disappoint."

"Okay. I've got one other question though."

"Go ahead."

"Does our base have a sparring room? Because I'm going to need it."

And there we have it, chapter two. Thanks to the people that reviewed, and anyone who decided to look at this story. I'm happy if people are reading it.

Anyway, as you can probably guess, these six characters are the ones I'm going with for this story. I went back and forth deciding whether I should have five (minus Green Arrow), the six I have here or seven. In the end i decided on these people because I know them. I'm well versed in Batman (Nope, I'm not a 'batfag' or anything, he's just my favourite character), I know a good bit about Superman and although I'm not a know all on Wonder Woman, I know a lot about Greek Mythology, so I'm okay with her. As pointed out, if there's something essential i need to know about her I'll go on the wikis.

No, the problem was with the other three. I'm most knowledgeable on Hal Jordan out of the Green Lanterns, although I wouldn't rule out John Stewart appearing in the future (Not in this fic though), so I picked him. Admittedly, I don't know that much about Flash, so if I make a mistake it would be great if you could tell me so I can rectify it. And lastly, Green Arrow was chosen because he's a smartass, provides a bit of comic relief and the fact that he was great in Injustice and that I really like the CW's Arrow.

So, yeah, I guess that's it for now, until the next chapter. As always, it would be fantastic if you could leave a review and tell me what you think so far. Like it? Loathe it? Don't have a clue about it? I don't mind either way (No flames though. Constructive criticism only. If I make a mistake I'll hold my hands and say guilty as charged, but I don't want some troll having a go for no good reason.)

Goodbye!