NA: Just to let everyone know, the Wonder Woman here is not a daughter of Zeus. On the Prime comics, she is, but in Young Justice, she was 'sculpted' by her mother Hyppolyta. The origin of how Amazonians are 'born' are always switched around but the sculpting was the first that was used for Wonder Woman's origin. She was then granted the 'gifts' from the gods like flight, strength and whatnot. Her origins of being Zeus's daughter I believe was changed to that on later comics like the latest one being Earth Prime.
Earth-16 is the Young Justice universe but I will be borrowing elements from Earth Prime.
Anyways, let's get this show on the road!
~oOo~
"This is unprecedented! Unacceptable!"
"Are you sure it was not the Justice League?"
"They do not kill. This is the work of an outside party. Queen Bee was found dead with a bullet hole in her head. She was shot from the back while on her knees. She was executed."
"So it seems that we have gained a new enemy. An enemy that does not hesitate to kill."
"With Queen Bee gone, we are now at a setback. We no longer have Bialya's military and have lost a large portion of our logistics to ship more metahumans. The entire country is now in a state of civil war with the rebels getting weapons and supplies from an unknown source."
"There is also another issue. The League of Shadows has encountered an unknown enemy in Eastern Europe."
"Explain."
"They are military but bear no markings that we know. They simply wear ballistic masks of… unique personal design. Many of them have metahuman abilities."
"How is it that we do not know this new enemy!?"
"They came out of nowhere. It is as if they have been planning for quite some time and decided to strike at numerous fronts. Our casualties in Eastern Europe are slowly rising. This enemy is not only well-trained and well-equipped, but they also possess advanced technology. The sudden attacks in Eastern Europe… Bialya and Queen Bee's assassination… this is no coincidence. These deeds are done by the same enemy. The fact that they killed Queen Bee tells us that they know who we are."
"..."
"This is indeed troubling."
"We now have two enemy factions that we'll have to deal with. Nightwing is already forming a new team as we speak."
"I am confident our mole in the team will do her job well."
"That is the least of our concern. This new enemy will require more attention. We will need to device a new strategy in how to combat them. We don't even know where their base is!"
"It has to be a mobile base."
"We will deliberate further. For now… we will adjourn. Do not worry, soon this new enemy will see the Light."
Shadow Hunter
Chapter 2
They all look up to her. To the women of this world, she is a beacon and shining example of a woman standing alongside men as an equal. She is powerful, beautiful, and has a personality that makes her loved by many.
Diana Prince, an Amazon of Themyscira, born from the clay soil of her homeland, sculpted by her mother Hyppolyta. To the rest of the world, she is Wonder Woman, warrior princess.
She came to know the 'world of men' almost 30 years ago when an aircraft carrying an American special forces team crash landed on the green fields of Themyscira. It was there she met a man by the name of Steve Trevor, a member of an elite group of warriors. But unfortunately, he was the only one of his brothers to survive the crash. He mourned them.
After deliberation between the council and her mother, the queen, a tournament was held as to who will return Steven and his fallen brothers to the World of Men. She did not understand this new world but thanks to Steve, she slowly adjusted. In time, they fell in love and bore a son, Adrian Prince. But on 2003, an alien race called the Appellaxians, came down to Earth and attacked. Wonder Woman was among seven heroes, driving the invaders off and forming an international superhero organization, the Justice League. Their victory came at a great cost to Diana… for her lover… Steve… died in the line of duty, leaving her and their six year old son.
She knew that raising her son would be dangerous, so she took him to a place where none of her enemies would find them. The hidden realm of Agartha, the realm of Gaea. It is there she was able to raise their son in peace while still being able to fulfill her heroic duties as Wonder Woman. She would tell him stories of his father's heroism and love for them both.
She thought the Agarthans were trustworthy. That was until seven years ago where her son was framed for a crime he did not commit and subsequently banished. Because of this, her son remained missing for the next seven years.
Because of this, her relations with Agartha have strained to the point where she no longer trust them and sees them as deceitful people.
And now two Agarthans were coming here to join the Team. Two of them happened to be her son's so-called friends from childhood, one of them being a girl her son once held great affection for. The boy was her son's best friend. And then one night, her son walked in on the both of them, kissing. She could still remember Adrian weeping that night while she held him in her arms like a mother does.
Now all she wants is to hold her son in her arms once again. Seven years of not having her son in her loving arms is too long for a mother to bear.
Even with Batman no longer part of the Justice League, she still relies on him to help her find her son. But the fact that not even Batman can locate Adrian right away is troubling.
Seeing as thinking about all of this again would do no good, she decided to get ready as Wonder Woman is needed once more.
But not before getting a call from a certain Dark Knight.
~oOo~
Happy Harbor, Rhode Island
Adrian liked the place despite the big crater in what used to be a small mountain. Housing was cheap and the place was isolated enough that he can feel secure to the point he can bring his dog to the park.
"Riley, here!"
The German Shepherd barked and caught the ball, rushing to his master and laying back down before his feet.
"Good boy!" he praised the dog, rewarding him with a treat. "Wanna go again, boy?"
The dog barked happily.
"Alright, go!"
There were times where he found it hard to believe he was living this kind of life. Growing up in Agartha, he was fairly sheltered. He loved his mother dearly but she can quite overprotective. Losing his father had quite an impact on his mother. She did not want to lose the only she has left of the man she loved.
He wanted to see his mother again but he was too scared. What would she think when she sees… this? What would she think when he tells her that he loves the life he is living now? He was born for this life.
"Hi there!" a gentle came in when he saw his dog being petted by young woman and a young man. "Oh, you're so cute!"
He chuckled at the woman and approached them. "He can be."
"Oh, hello Megan!" the woman said, gently smacking the side of her head. "Sorry, I'm a sucker for anything cute and fluffy."
"I can tell." he then held out his hand. "Adrian Trevor."
"Megan Morse." she replied and shook his hand. "This is my fiance."
"Conner Kent." the man spoke, offering his hand as well.
"We know each other." Adrian told him. "You tuned up my Kawasaki over the weekend while I was away. Good to see you again."
"You just got back?"
He nodded. "Contracting business can be stressful, especially in Africa these days. Me and my guys were forced to pull out when Bialya went to shit. Was supposed to be a simple security for those Red Cross guys. None of us ever saw it coming."
Megan lightly gasped. "Oh my."
"I have a feeling I'll be headed back to Africa in the coming month. I may be a 'greedy merc' to others but I still have friends in there, several of them I've had the honor of fighting alongside."
Conner folded his arms and tilted his head. "Who do you work for?"
"Businessman and banker up in Eastern Europe." he replied. "Good base plus hazard pay and bonuses. Also working with quality people."
"Mercenary life that enticing to you?" Megan asked in a skeptical manner.
He shrugged. "I don't do it for the money. We get the job done a lot quicker if you've noticed. It's what happens when you put efficiency before bureaucracy. The soldiers life… it chose me."
"I can tell." Conner eyed Adrian's arms. "They're both prosthetic, aren't they?"
Adrian gripped his arms. "Yeah. The best military-grade prosthetics ever created. Without them I'm just a fucking armless stick. Ah, but enough about that, today 's is Riley's birthday! Isn't that right boy?"
The German Shepherd barked and licked his master's face, earning smiles from the couple.
"His first birthday." he told them. "I can't be happier."
The couple looked at each for a moment before smiling with Conner opening his mouth. "You said that you could be heading back to Africa, right?"
He nodded at Conner's question. "Probably not for another month or so. Just a little downtime for me."
"If you don't mind, we'd like to look after Riley for you once you leave for Africa. We live nearby."
Adrian looked genuinely surprised. "You'd do that?"
Megan nodded. "We'd love to. Besides, I'd like to think we're friends now."
Adrian eyed them for a moment and chuckled. "Yeah, I guess we are."
"Come over." Conner offered. "Your bike's there anyway so might as well."
"Alright then."
~oOo~
Midvale, State of New York
"Oh my God, girl! You're already eighteen!"
"Ugh." groaned a blonde girl, lying on her bed with her phone in her ear. She had just woken up and was going to get ready for school. "Don't remind me, Jen. I'm gonna start feeling old."
"You're only eighteen once, Kara! Live a little! We already have everything prepared for tonight!"
"Wait, what?"
"Oops."
"Jen! What are you talking!?"
"Ehehe… we uh… Me, Dolly, and your mom have a surprise party… well… not so surprise now. Me and my big mouth."
Kara let out a giggle and rolled onto her stomach. "That is just so you, Jen. You really don't know how to keep a secret."
"I'm learning. A bit..."
She snorted. "So I'm guessing there's going to be cake tomorrow?"
"For sure, girl! Alright, I gotta go. I'll see you at school."
"M'kay, bye Jen."
She let out a sigh and rolled to her back, gazing at the ceiling with all her drawings on it. The past few months have been weird for her. Puberty hit her hard, causing her to become even more self-conscious. A pimple she popped in her bathroom ended up with a massive mess. A huge pile of puss splattered over the floor and wall. And then there's the thing about her secret, her super strength and ability to fly. Her parents and two best friends of course knew.
And then there were the dreams she's been having. Dreams of something that she can't seem to understand. A man and a woman in strange clothing, saying their tearful goodbyes as they placed in her some kind of pod… the same pod her parents found her eighteen years ago, making her their daughter.
Who is she? Where did she come from?
Her dad told her she was God's gift to them, an answered prayer. Both husband and wife just could not stop being grateful. Their eldest daughter Alexandra is of course in college, studying in Washington. They been trying for another but just couldn't.
She's just a normal teenage girl who is envious of the other girls getting boyfriends and panicking over nasty messy zits. And then she suddenly became sensitive to hearing and then her hands started glowing.
Just what is going on?
Maybe she does have powers. Superman has powers and so does Wonder Woman. Heck, she always thought that maybe she can be like Wonder Woman.
Or is this whole superhero thing really something for her?
"Is it?"
"What is, sweetie?"
She looked at her mother and hugged her large stuffed bear even tighter. "I dunno. This whole puberty thing is just..."
"We all go through it, Kara. You shoulda' seen me when I was your age. Zits all over my face and all."
Kara looked at her mother with a weird look. "You? No."
Her mother laughed. "Oh I did, sweetie. But that was a long time ago. You got lucky with just getting one."
"Made quite a mess though. I don't know why."
"You're special." her mother told her. "You always have been. An answered prayer. God gave me you. No matter what, you are my daughter, my baby girl?"
She said nothing and leaned her head on her mother, feeling the older woman's arms around her.
"Alright, sweetie. Time for school."
"Ugh."
~oOo~
School was uneventful for the most part. Aside from her birthday and her two best friends greeting her and decorating her locker. The school day was shorter thanks to the fact that the upcoming weekend is a long weekend. And that meant a weekend for her to enjoy. They are also going to Happy Harbor for the long weekend with her friends, visiting her grandparents from her mother's side. The last time she was there was last year. She really liked the place, much better than Midvale. It even had a university that had just been built.
Not only that, but it was said that it was home to a few heroes as well as the resting place of what used to be Mount Justice. Because of that alone, it became a popular tourist destination with the town itself getting economic boom.
And since she happens to be graduating this year…
"So, Happy Harbor University, huh?"
Kara grinned at Dolly's question. "I love the place. What about you?"
"I'm thinking California."
Jen raised her hand. "NYU."
And then they were silent. They were going to go their separate ways. Kara was going to go into media while Dolly is going to go into graphic design and Jen becomes a doctor. They were going to miss each other but at least they have the internet to use to communicate. Even then, their hangouts won't be as frequent.
"Oh come on!" Dolly groaned. "Can we not be mopey!? I hate being mopey! We're going to Happy Harbor for the weekend! I hear there are some really cute guys there!"
All three girls laughed.
"Here's the cake!" came Kara's mother as a generic cake with white and pink icing was carried in and placed on the table. "It's ice cream cake from DQ."
Just the way they like it.
~oOo~
Next Day
Happy Harbor
"Oh look at you!" squealed a woman in her early seventies, pulling the blonde into a fierce yet loving hug. "KARA! You're so beautiful now!"
"You told me that last year, Yiayia*." Kara muttered, not at all affected by her grandmother's squeeze thanks to her… uniqueness.
"Well I mean it now."
"You also told me that last year."
"There she is!" an equally aged elderly man came in and kissed the girl's forehead.
"Hi Pappous*."
Her mother's side was Greek, especially the family. Though they all know that she was adopted, that did not stop them from falling in love with her when she was introduced to all of her 10 first cousins. That was of course about fourteen years ago, give or take. She has 30 cousins first cousins. Nevermind the other cousins.
"And these must be your friends!" her grandmother smiled and pulled Dolly and Jen close. "Hello!"
Dolly and Jen gasped at the fierce hug. Even in her seventies, she's quite strong.
"Y-Yeah." Dolly stuttered. "Good to meet you too, Miss Portokalos."
The grandmother patted their cheeks. "Just Maria is fine! This is my husband Kostas, but everyone calls him Gus. We are Kara's grandparents."
"Yeah..." Jen faked cheered, still feeling the effects of the hug. "We noticed."
"Ah!" Maria returned to Kara and gave her another hug. "So beautiful… but so SKINNY! Are you sure you are eating well?"
"High metabolism, Yiayia." Kara explained. "I just can't seem to gain weight no matter how much I eat."
"She's a total pig." Dolly bluntly put. "Out of the three girlfriends, she's got the biggest appetite. At times I really envy her, keeping that figure with no effort."
"Yeah well..."
"I'm surprised that no guy even tried to ask her out."
"Bah!" Maria scoffed. "That's because they're afraid! No ordinary man can handle the strength of a woman of this family!"
'She says that a lot.' Kara mouthed to her girlfriend.
"Probably because they not Greek." her grandfather argued. "Remember Kara, you need to find yourself a nice Greek husband because you better get married. You're starting to look old."
"Argh!" Kara let out a groan. "I just turned eighteen, Pappous! That's hardly the age for marriage!"
"Bah!" Now it was her grandfather's turn to scoff. "Nonsense! Your Yiayia and I married when we were seventeen and then moved to America! You know, the name America comes from the Greek word-"
"Yes, Pappous, I know."
"But Kara." her grandmother butted in. "When ARE you going to get married?"
"Oh God..."
"Wow." Jen grinned as she looked at Dolly. "I'm liking this family more and more."
Dolly could only nod. "Mhmm."
~oOo~
She loves her family, she really does. But they can also be quite involved… and quite… clingy. Very clingy.
"So you want to enroll at the new university here!" her aunty Nikki. "You gonna be a hairdresser like me?"
Kara gave her aunt a sheepish smile. "Actually I was thinking more on computers and media."
Nikki looked at her for a moment before smiling. "That's good too!"
"'Ey, Kara!"
The blonde turned smiled at the man who came up to her and kissed her forehead. "Hi Uncle Nick!"
"When'dya get here?" the man asked.
"Just about half an hour ago."
"Good to see you again, kiddo! Hey boys, your cousin Kara is here!"
"YEAH!"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh here we go again."
In an instant, four quadruplet boys came running in and jumped onto her. But because they knew she was 'special', she had no problem carrying them.
"Girl." Dolly spoke in praise and amazement. "How do you do it?"
"Practice." she bluntly replied. "A LOT of practice. Yiaya, I'm just gonna go out with the girls!"
"Okay!" her grandmother answered. "But make sure to come back. We have big dinner! The whole family is going to be here!"
"Kay!"
~oOo~
"I love going here." Kara told her two best friends. "Ever since I was a kid, we would always drive up here to be with the family. And then I'd just sneak off and come to the park. You can also see there how close the shops are. There's this one place that has really good clothes and accessories."
Jen nodded. "We're definitely going there later."
"Riley! Come here!"
"Mmm." Dolly moaned at a wonderful sight. "Look at that."
"Oh my." Jen exhaled.
Kara could understand why. Before them was a handsome young man with jet black hair. He had a fair complexion and despite the scar he has on his face, he was a looker. Although he was a bit of an oddity considering the cybernetic arms he has, fully visible with the tank top he's wearing. But of course, the gray tank top was form fitting, hugging his upper body and showing his abdomen while his sweat pants were only slightly loose. Even then, this man was fit.
"Yummy, yummy." Dolly whispered.
"Yeah." Kara muttered.
"Talk to him."
She looked at Jen with wide incredulous eyes. "What?"
"Talk to him, Kar! He's a stud!"
"B-But… woah!"
In front of them was a German Shepherd, sitting on the grass and looking at her with its tongue out and tail wagging.
"Uh..."
The dog barked and licked her hand.
"Okay?"
"He likes you."
She looked up and saw the 'hunk' approaching them.
"You uh..." Kara stammered. "You have a nice Riley… I mean dog. You have a nice dog."
The young man forced himself not to laugh. Then again this is the first time he was getting something like this. "Thanks. Trained him myself."
'Come on, Kara.' she berated herself. 'Get a frikkin grip! Hot guy in front of you! Oh my God, you can grate cheese with those abs.'
The young man tilted his head slightly as Kara just kept on staring. "Anyone in there?"
"Huh?" she snapped out of her stupor and went red. "O-Oh, yeah! S-Sorry!"
"It's fine." he chuckled and held out his hand. "Adrian Trevor."
"K-Kara Danvers." she responded, taking his hand. "These two are Dolly and Jen."
"Heyyy~" Dolly waved her hand.
Jen did the same. "Hi there."
"Good to meet you three."
"So uh..." Kara tried to strike up a conversation. "You live here."
Adrian nodded. "As a matter of fact, I do. Moved here about a year and a half ago. Finally found a nice house and straight up bought it."
The girls' eyes widened.
"Whaaaat!?" Dolly squawked. This man can't be any older than them. "You already got yourself a house?"
He nodded. "Housing here is surprisingly cheaper. Plus, I like it here. People are nice. Well, I'd like to stay and chat some more but I gotta get home. Still gotta cook dinner."
"Y-Yeah." Kara nodded.
"Tell you what." he spoke to her specifically. "How about we grab some coffee at Starbucks tomorrow after lunch, say… two o'clock?"
"Yes!" she blurted out. "I mean… I'd love to."
"It's a date then."
When the young man and his dog left, Dolly and Jen let out excited squeals.
"OH MAH GOD!" Dolly screamed, hugging Kara fiercely. "OH MAH GOD!"
Jen practically screamed. "He just asked you out, girl! You just met him and he just… EEEEEEEEE!"
Kara didn't say another word. She couldn't as she was still trying to process what just happened. Some hot guy she met straight up asked her out.
~oOo~
"What do you think boy? That Kara girl I mean?"
Riley looked at his master and barked happily.
"Yeah, me too."
Dogs tend to be good judges of character.
~oOo~
The family dinner was definitely a FAMILY DINNER. All of her relatives with cousin, uncle and aunts were there. Kara lost count on how many kisses she had to give and receive. But it was great with some of the newer cousins who never met her having her show off like carrying a car and whatnot. Dolly of course would just laugh and joke about it while Jen was trying to entertain the quadruplets.
"Ah, so you met Adrian!"
"You know him?"
"He lives right across."
Kara's eyes became wide with her mouth open. She could not believe her Yiayia told her that her date for tomorrow lives just right across.
"He's such a nice boy." Maria told her.
"And he's Greek from his mother's side!" her Pappous cried out in joy. "You should marry him already so you can start making babies!"
"PAPPOUS!" Kara cried out in embarrassment, her cheeks glowing red. The thoughts of such 'acts' with Adrian filling her head.
"Just make sure that you enjoy yourself." Maria gently said. "He really is a nice boy, sometimes helps with the gardening when he has time. He is a hard worker as you can already see, getting himself such a nice house."
She groaned and pressed her face into the pillow she was hugging. "Can we please talk about something else?"
Her grandmother relented. "Where is your older sister?"
"She said she's arriving tomorrow early morning. Exams and all."
Nodding, Maria let out a happy sigh and cupped the girl's cheek. "You are eighteen now, a woman. I still remember the time when you were still a baby, holding you in my arms when your mother and father came to visit and introduce you. You fell the from the heavens like a star, an angel that God gifted you to us."
"And then Pappous went ahead and told dad that it was because of him not eating enough meat." Kara quipped. "And not enough meat means slow sperm."
Both giggled.
"Oh." Maria sighed once more and pulled the girl in for a hug, kissing her head multiple times. "It's so good to have you here again. And I can't wait for you to come live with us once you go to college."
"I can't wait as well, Yiayia."
Despite all the embarrassments she gets from the family, especially her Pappous, she loves them and would not trade them for anything.
"You coming here and then Paris wanting to go to New York…"
"Wait…" Kara paused. "Where's Mana-Yiayia?"
DING DONG
"I got it!" Aunt Voula called out. "Oh hi Adrian! Come in, come in!"
"Oh no I possibly couldn't."
"Come, I make you something!"
"Oh God." Kara moaned, burying her face into the pillow.
"Come on!"
She wanted to protest but couldn't. Even though she was technically stronger, you don't mess with your Yiayia.
"I believe this belongs to you." Adrian said as he brought in Mana-Yiayia.
"Oh thank you!" Maria said.
"Hey Adrian." Kara shyly spoke. Now even more self-conscious as she was only wearing her t-shirt and short shorts, the ones she wears for sleeping.
"Hi." he muttered, actually admiring the view before averting his gaze as he didn't want to be disrespectful.
"So you're taking my granddaughter out." Maria grinned.
"Just for coffee." he clarified. "And maybe a few snacks as well. Then we'll see from there, right?"
Kara nodded quickly. "Y-Yeah, we'll see from there."
"Would you like something?" Voula offered.
"I wish I could stay longer but you know… I have some stuff to do and the date tomorrow."
"I bring you tub of baklava."
"Oh I'd love that."
Aunt Voula beamed and immediately went into the kitchen. Adrian just shrugged.
"You guys make the best baklava. I couldn't resist."
"He always comes to the restaurant to eat them." Maria told Kara. "I tell you, he's the right one for you."
"Yiayia..."
Adrian of course looked flustered as well. He always knew how eccentric this family can be.
"Here you go, my boy." Voula came in, holding a rather large box, pulling in to kiss the young man's cheeks. "Enough for you to last the whole month."
"Thanks, Miss Voula." he then turned to Kara. "I'll pick you up tomorrow after lunch?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Alright, have a good night everyone."
Closing the door, Kara let out a dreamy sigh. "Oh my God..."
Voula took her hands and smiled. "You're so grown up now. A truly beautiful woman who got himself a nice man! NIKKI! We need to get her ready for tomorrow! She has a date with Adrian?"
"WOW REALLY!?" her aunt Nikki's voice came in. "Alright ma, give me a moment!"
Kara tried to talk. "W-Wait."
"Oh that's right, tomorrow is her big day!"
"It's just coffee."
"I have this beautiful summer dress you will love." Voula told her. "And remember, shave everything. EVERYTHING."
"And remember to protect your poulaki!" Maria added. "Eyes open! Knees shut!"
There was just absolutely no arguing with them.
~oOo~
"Mmm." Adrian lightly moaned as he popped in a baklava into his mouth. He was about to grab another when his phone started ringing. "Drebin! Talk to me."
"Got us something good, man. You already know that Bialya is going to shit."
"So it's confirmed? The Old Man wants us in there?"
"Deployment is in a month. Quraci Restoration Movement wants us to help them in securing their side. You really stirred up shit in there."
"I did it as a favor."
"Yeah, I heard. Leader of the Bialyan Revolutionaries happens to be one of the guys in your old unit. The Bialyan Youth Correctional Class. Just another way of sugarcoating the name of an expendable enslaved child soldier battalion."
"With Queen Bee out of the way, we can take a step closer in striking a blow to the Light." he muttered, plopping in another baklava and taking a sip from his beer. "I'll talk to you later, brother. I got another call coming in."
"See you then, brother."
He then switched to a different call and placed bluetooth speaker phone accessory into his ear. [This is Shadow Hunter.]
He was speaking Russian this time.
[Hello my boy! How are you?]
He snickered at the voice. [I'm doing good. Just got back.]
[You did good work in Bialya. Queen Bee's assassination is heavy blow to the Light. I believe it is safe to say the Westerners do not know of this?]
[I can guarantee that. They have no idea who we are. Not yet at least. Knowing Batman, it is only a matter of time until we revealed. How goes the talks?]
[Doing good. The signing Common Defense Pact will be televised all over the world. As for your unit's public reveal, I care not how it happens at this point. That is no longer important. How you wish to proceed with that is up to you.]
[I still want the unit to remain independent… a PMC. We already have invested so much.]
[Of course. You are a great military asset. That will be your greatest reward. But in exchange, you will still work for us under the cover of darkness.]
[We understand, sir. We will always answer the call.]
[Very good. Very good. So how are you enjoying your down time?]
[I have a date tomorrow.]
He heard the voice from the other side of the call let out a joyous laugh.
[Is that right!? She must be a lucky girl! What is her name?]
[Kara. Her name is Kara. You were right, it was about time I moved on.]
[You were always moping about that. You won't be young forever, Adi.]
[I know. I'll see you then, Old Man.]
[Just be careful, the Justice League has their own covert team.]
[I made contact with one of their members. Miss Martian I believe. The mental shield worked without a hitch. But I believe we would be better off as allies than enemies. It is the Americans and their CIA as well as the Light that are the bigger problems. Lex Luthor is, after all, UN Secretary General.]
[Indeed. Keep in touch, my boy. I'll see you then.]
[Sir.]
Ending the call, he placed his hands on his hips and took a breath.
"What the hell do I wear tomorrow? Riley, what do you think?"
His dog looked at him for a moment before going back to sleep.
"Well some help you are."
~oOo~
Wayne Manor
Batcave
Diana came in as soon as she was able. What Bruce has for her had something to do with her missing son. She had to come here.
"What did you find, Bruce?"
"This." came the grave voice of the Dark Knight. "This footage was captured on the night of Queen Bee's assassination by one of my drones."
"You always do like to know what she is up to." Diana drawled.
"A necessary precaution." Bruce said. "Look at what happens to her guards and how he fights."
She watched with intent. The shadowy soldier, one of the members of this unknown faction, fighting the guards with incredible skill and grace. Some sort of metallic whip shot out of his right arm, using it to pull in one of the guards before impaling a blade straight through the chest and tossed aside. And then there was the part of him deflecting bullets with his arms, almost like Wonder Woman… no… exactly like Wonder Woman. His posture, the way he moved his arms…
When he got to Queen Bee, the Bialyan monarch tried to use her pheromone control.
"Don't even bother." the assassin spoke, causing Diana's eyes to widen at the voice. "I'm immune."
"Do you know who I am!?" Queen Bee roared as she was forced to her knees. "I am a head of state! The people I work with! They-"
BANG
As Queen Bee's lifeless body drops to the floor, they then watched as the assassin's hand went to his ear.
[This is Shadow Hunter. The job is done. Proceeding to exfil.]
"That was Russian." Bruce muttered before looking at the Amazon. "Diana?"
"It can't be." Diana's voice was shaky. "Not him."
"I'm sorry Diana, but he is responsible for plunging Bialya into civil war."
"No." Diana trembled as she collapsed onto the floor. "Oh gods… my baby boy."
"We'll find him." Bruce promised her. "We'll find him and bring him to you. We'll get answers."
Diana just could not understand. Just what happened to her boy in these seven years?
~oOo~
Next Day
Happy Harbor
Adrian was honestly liking what he was seeing. A beautiful blonde girl in a white summer dress with a silver necklace, bracelet and earrings… her grandmother and aunt must have gone all out with her.
"I honestly think they're interesting."
Kara blushed. "Ugh… I'm so sorry about them."
"No don't be. I mean I wouldn't be opposed to marrying you."
She gaped with her face going completely red.
He laughed. "I'm teasing, Kara. Just teasing. I do like you though if that's what you're worried about. And right now I see a beautiful girl with a great and strong personality who loves her family very much. What's not to like?"
She blushed even further. "You really know how to make a girl blush."
"I got that from my father. Well… that's of course what my mother would tell me."
"What do you mean?"
"My father died during the Appellaxian invasion. Died on the line of duty."
Kara brought her hands to her mouth. "I'm so sorry."
He waved her off. "It's fine. It was only six when it happened. I didn't understand at all."
"So..." she decided to change the subject. "I have to ask. How's a twenty-one year old guy like you able to buy a house?"
"Private military contractor." he told her. "That's my job. Joined a training program five years ago. Been in the business ever since. Actually lets me travel a lot."
"Yeah, like every hot spot in the world." she bluntly put. "I mean… aren't you afraid something could happen?"
He showed her his metal arms. "Always."
"Oh… right."
"But someone once told me." he looked a little distant. "Courage is being scared shitless and doing it anyway. And I can't really see myself living the civvy life. I mean, can you really picture me as some lame ass Walmart greeter?"
She snorted. "No, I guess not."
"Some people call me a war junkie." he said. "They'd just ask me why I do this. I'm young, why waste your life away to be some soldier? It's all I know. It's what I'm good at. The life chose me."
"I don't think people like me would understand." she muttered.
"Not everyone can so don't feel bad about it. It's just not for everyone."
"But why corporate?" she asked. "Why not just join the military?"
"Regular armies are not what they used to be." he explained. "If you look at the news, the military can barely tackle what's going on out there. Everything has been pretty much outsourced to privatized forces. Hell, most of the UN peacekeepers are just contractors. People are clinging to an era that is long gone."
"I had no idea."
He shrugged. "That's media for you. They want to keep the people focused on which celebrity is having an affair with who. The Justice League has the right idea, they're helping people out there wherever and whenever they can. I seriously don't understand all these sanctions given to them by the UN. Metahumans are getting abducted and the UN is not allowing them to do their job."
That scared Kara. It was pretty much clear to her. It's why her father didn't want her just showing her powers off to anyone. What if it was her that was abducted this time? What would happen to her? What would the abductors do to her? There were just so many questions.
"So a lot of the PMCs like mine made a sort of pact with other PMCs. We're doing our best to rescue those abducted metahumans. We also do joint humanitarian missions with NGOs." he scoffed. "Even with all the good we've been doing, we're still seen as opportunists and war profiteers. I can't blame them though."
"But what does the UN do now?" she questioned. "Lex Luthor is like their leader right? I mean we all know how much he hates Superman and the Justice League."
"Yeah..." he breathed. "And it's thanks to him that the Justice League is hamstrung. So uh… the quadruplets showed me a few videos of you doing some… pretty cool stuff."
Her eyes widened. "Wha-"
"Don't worry." he stopped her from panicking. "I'm a metahuman too. Hell I'm practically superhuman as well." he raised his hand and summoned a little dark energy just to prove to her he was telling the truth. "See?"
"Woah."
"I think you're more incredible." he said. "I mean you can fly. Super strength and speed too… that's really cool. Strength, I got a bit but other than my dark energy that's it."
She let out a sigh as she felt like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders. "You have no idea how much of a relief this is to me. To find someone who has something in common."
"I know."
"You ever thought of going to the Justice League because of what you have?"
He nodded. "Once. But then I would remind myself that I don't live in the same world as they do."
She was a little confused at that. "What do you mean 'same world'?"
"Justice League don't kill." he said. "At least, not intentionally. Me? I'm a soldier. I live in a world where if I hesitate, it would mean the difference between life and death. When I shoot, I shoot to kill. I hesitate, it could mean my life, the lives of my brothers in arms, and the lives of the innocent."
"That's pretty heavy, Adrian."
"That's my Modus Operandi." he huskily spoke. "I can't change that. There's an old saying that I like. One sword keeps another in its sheath. Sometimes, the threat of violence alone is a deterrent. Sometimes, by taking a life, others can be preserved. It's the code the samurai live by."
She smiled. "A philosopher too."
He looked out the window and saw children playing in the park. "I do it so others, like you, won't have to."
And that was when Kara knew that Adrian had a good heart. A man who had suffered so much and yet still kept on going.
"You wanna go see a movie?" he suggested. "New movie came out a week ago. The new Avengers."
She gasped. "I completely forgot about that! Been wanting to watch that!"
"Then let's go."
~oOo~
Three hours went by and the pair exited the cinema, Kara looping arm around her date's. This date was going much better than she ever expected.
"I really had a good time today, Adrian."
"Adi." he corrected.
"Huh?"
"You can call me Adi." he clarified. "And I had a good time, too. First time in a while since I've done something like this. I'd like to do this again with you. I wanna get to know you more."
She blushed and took his hand, intertwining their fingers. "Me too. Also, it will hopefully get my Pappous off my back."
They both laughed.
"I can't fault you for that, Angel."
She looked at him with eyebrows up. "Angel?"
"Yeah." he grinned. "I mean… you fly right? And you're beautiful. So I think Angel fits."
God… he's really smooth. Or at least in her books he is. No guy has ever done something like this for her. Most of the guys at her school would rather go for the popular ones.
This is the first time a guy has ever called her beautiful.
And he even has a nickname for her!
'Oh my God… just what is happening!?'
BOOM
Their little euphoria was interrupted by a loud sound and immediately realized that it was an explosion. And then the string of gunshots rang out.
"Wow, this is actually happening here." Adrian muttered before realizing something. "Oh right, the exhibit"
Kara was of course nervous as she clung to her date. "Exhibit?"
"Big nugget of gold that flew in from Vegas for a special show here." he explained to her. "Like… REALLY BIG. As big as you."
Her eyebrows shot up. "That's really big."
"Yeah, really big."
They went to his truck and he opened the back, revealing all sort of gear.
"Never leave home unprepared." he said as he started suiting up. "Never know what might happen."
"Woah." she muttered as she looked at the assault rifle. "Is that an AK-47?"
"AK-203." he corrected her, grabbing his plate carrier and holster. "One of the newer models. But of course, people in American can never really tell the difference."
"Well it explains why you wear what you wear." she murmured, eyeing the green cargo pants and black shirt.
"I really hate jeans." he countered, putting on his kneepads. "Well, just wait here while I handle whatever is going on over there."
She folded her arms and smirked. "Oh yeah? And what happens if the bad men go after me?"
"Just uh… I dunno, judo flip them?"
"Seriously?"
He rolled her eyes and grinned at her. "Oh come on, Angel. You're not some damsel in distress. The worst thing that's gonna happen to you is get that really pretty dress messed up. It really looks good on you, by the way. Like absolutely perfect."
She looked at him and did something she never expected to ever do. She grabbed her date by the collar and captured his lips in a kiss.
"For luck."
Adrian grinned, grabbing the rest of his stuff. "Can I get another? Just to make sure I got that luck?"
"Don't push it, Adi."
He did it anyway, stealing another kiss before turning around heading towards the carnage. "I'll be right back, Angel."
She got in the truck and just watched him go. Before long, she turned into a giddy squealing giggling mess, rolling side to side with her hands on her cheeks. That smile of hers just refused to disappear. She didn't expect her strength to kick in so all a person could see from the outside is the truck rocking.
Adrian was grinning like a loon. Of course, people couldn't see that with the ballistic mask that was now on.
"Oh, I am a happy, HAPPY man!"
NA: So yeah, basically Kara from Supergirl: Being Super. It's a really good origin comic and I highly recommend you guys to pick it up.
Especially the part about the explosive Kryptonian zit.
Oh right… The family from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, yes I'm a huge fan. Kara's extended family was never really mentioned in any comics so I thought this would be a good idea. Might have had a little too much fun with that.