Disclaimers
All characters appearing in D.C Comics & Time Warner, Marvel Comics, Gargoyles/Gargoyles: the Goliath Chronicles, cartoons created by Murakami Wolf Swenson Inc. & IDW comics, and media created by Joss Whedon. Are property of their respective owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are not authorized by the copyright holder.
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Justice League Music of the Spheres – Episode Six: Lois' Bad Day
By
Celgress
Cafe in Metropolis mid-May 2015, early evening
Lois spent most of the day with a friend she had not seen in over eight years. Her former college roommate Julie Spence. It was nice to have a normal interaction Lois thought. These days if she was not reporting live from a war zone she was embroiled in the conflict itself as Superwoman. She wondered if Superman or Supergirl were upset by the new moniker she had been given by the media? She hoped not.
"Remember when you called Professor Reinstein a 'fossilized misogynistic jerk'? The look on his face was priceless." The pretty African American woman clad in the yellow sundress with the large afro said laughing. "When he couldn't intimidate you into silence he went on a rant about the negative effects of women and young people in the media."
"I know." Lois laughed. She wore a simple blue and white flower pattern sundress "Those were good times."
"I hear from a friend of mine who teaches at our old school that Reinstein still has nightmares about you today." Julie laughed.
"He deserved everything I gave him and more," Lois said her laughter evaporating.
"I agree. He was, probably still is, a chauvinist pig." Julie said. "Do you know he was one of the last anchors to accept women in the newsroom of the station he worked at in the 1980s."
"So I've heard," Lois said with a scowl.
"I hear now he's upset about all the female superheroes running around," Julie said.
"Really," Lois said an amused expression forming on her face.
"Oh sure," Julie said. "He calls them a "symptom of our socially degenerate times", or so my friend tells me. By the way, she can't stand him either."
"Hello, darling," A handsome bald African American man with a well-trimmed beard in a black leisure suit said. He gave Julie a kiss on her cheek before sitting down in the empty seat next to her.
"Lois this is my husband Dr. John Henry Irons," Julie said beaming with pride.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, John. Julie has told me a lot about your work, very impressive." Lois said extending her hand which John Henry shook.
"Likewise," John Henry said releasing Lois' hand. "And please call me John Henry everyone else does."
"Your company specializes in robotics I understand," Lois said.
"Robotics and cybernetics." John Henry said.
"His start-up was recently purchased by Stark Enterprises. Stark is a world leader in robotics right up there with Star Labs. He'll be running their Metropolis operation working directly under Tony Stark. Isn't that exciting Lois?" Julie gushed.
"Quite," Lois said.
"Julie you're embarrassing me." John Henry said. "My work is its own reward."
"Stop being modest," Julie said. "Tell Lois what your current project is."
"Before I do uh this won't end up in print, right?" John Henry asked Lois glancing around the open-air space as if afraid of possible eavesdroppers.
"Strictly off the record," Lois said. "You have my word. I would never make public a personal conversation."
"Okay," John Henry said. He and Julie leaned in close to Lois. "I'm creating a new more powerful and streamlined variant of Ironman's armor for a new generation of Guardsmen."
"Guardsmen," Lois said. "But I thought the Vault was demolished in March during that attack by robots constructed to look like gargoyles?"
"It was, but the Feds are building a new ultra max prison in-," Julie began.
"Hush," John Henry said. "Sorry darling, but that's classified information."
"Sorry," Julie said sheepishly. John Henry and Julie leaned away from Lois.
"Soon we'll have the super being problem finally under control." John Henry said. He smiled broadly. "And to think I'll be a small part of the solution. Once Senator Kelly gets elected President everything will be coming up roses."
"Why would you say that?" Lois said stiffening in her seat at the mere mention of the anti-super being Senator.
"Because Senator Kelly is going to take our nation back from those out of control deviants. Do what our other politicians have been afraid to do. He'll stand up to those overpowered jerks. Show them no one is above the law." John Henry said with conviction. He was clearly becoming fired up by the subject matter.
"Please John Henry, not here," Julie said.
"I don't think every super being views himself or herself as above the law. In fact, from what I understand most have no interest in criminal activity. They just want to be left alone." Lois said picking her words with great care.
"What about the likes of Brainiac, Dr. Doom, the Jackal or Cyborg Superman? They certainly wouldn't agree with your assessment." John Henry said.
"They are the exceptions, not the rule. Groups like the Justice League uphold the law." Lois said.
"They're law, not ours." John Henry said.
"I don't follow. What do you mean?" Lois said not at all liking where the conversation turned impromptu debate was headed.
"The only thing justice and the Justice League, along with other similar groups, have in common is the usage of the word justice. They are a vigilante group who operate not within but above the law, answerable to no one save their own membership." John Henry said.
"I've always known them to operate within the law," Lois said.
"What about when Martian Manhunter allegedly lost control of his mind a couple years ago and attacked Indianapolis? When he was apprehended the Justice League insisted his actions constituted an 'internal matter'. Or how about multiple times when the Avengers have pulled the same sort of nonsense following a rampage by the Hulk?" John Henry said.
"As I understand Martian Manhunter was driven temporarily insane by the mind-warping influence of the Purple Man." Lois countered. "I'm not sure about the circumstances surrounding each of the Hulk's individual rampages but I am aware that latest one last year was not entirely his fault. Rather a new Red Hulk was the aggressor."
"There's always an excuse for their bad behavior." John Henry said with a disgusted laughed.
"Your own boss employees Ironman and has recently hired on a second bodyguard in the persona of Warmachine," Lois stated. "They are by the strictest definition super beings. Ironman is also the defacto leader of the Avengers, at the very least he is coequal in that role with Captain America."
"Yes, but Mr. Stark keeps them both on a very short leash from what I understand." John Henry fired back. The debate was rapidly devolving into a heated argument. "You bleeding hearts are all the same. These things pose a fundamental threat to the safety and security of our country. Why can't you people see that?"
"'These things'", Lois repeated. "They aren't things they are people."
"Some are perhaps," John Henry said.
"Do you even hear yourself?" Lois gasped. "You are dehumanizing them."
"As I stated, many aren't human. So how can I dehumanize them." John Henry said. "They are aliens, mutants and goodness only knows what else."
"How can an educated man such as yourself think this way?" Lois said flabbergasted by the bigoted words of John Henry. "You're lumping a large diverse group, several interconnected groups really, into a neat little negative definition. Which does nothing but promotes terrible stereotypes. You should be ashamed. I no longer feel comfortable here. I should leave, good day." Lois finished getting to her feet.
"Lois please don't go," Julie said.
"Let her go, Julie. She obviously can't handle the truth." John Henry snorted.
"Yeah Julie, I can't handle the truth." Lois sneered at John Henry.
"But I haven't told you my biggest piece of news yet," Julie pouted. She then smiled at John Henry. "Well, our biggest piece of news."
"Bigger than moving here to Metropolis or his job with Stark?" Lois said gesturing at John Henry.
"Yes," Julie said. "We're expecting."
Lois blinked Julie's words not sinking in at first. "You're pregnant?" She said dumbly. Her anger dissipating.
"Six weeks," Julie said happily. "You're the first person we told. Please sit back down Lois."
"Okay," Lois said sitting back down. "I'm honored. But why tell me first?"
"I, we," Julie said glancing at John Henry who nodded. "Want you to be our child's godmother. You are one of my closest friends. I know John Henry can be an ass at times." She glared at her husband. "But it would mean the world to me. Please say yes."
"Of course I'll be the godmother of your child," Lois said without hesitation.
Lois reached across the table and embraced her friend. Her argument with John Henry for the time forgotten. Julie was having a baby! This was wonderful news! Wait a minute Lois thought. She and Julie were the same age, both being in their early thirties. Julie was on the cusp of motherhood and was married while she had none of those things. She did not even have a steady boyfriend, had not in a three years. Who would want her now? What kind of life could she offer a romantic partner or worse yet a child? While she still cared deeply for Clark getting involved with him at this point would not be fair. There was Superman but he no longer seemed interested in her. Plus she knew many people shared John Henry's views on super beings. Any family she created with Superman would be automatic outcasts always hiding their true selves in fear from those around them but for a select few. What kind of life was that?
Lois' tender moment with her friend was soon cut short. A large white skinned man clad in black leather with long stringy black hair and a matching mustache landed next to the outdoor cafe. At once he started shooting up the joint with the twin laser rifles held in his hands. He laughed maliciously. People screamed driving for cover. Lois pulled Julie under the table. John Herny followed their lead.
It was the alien bounty hunter Lobo! Lois realized in shock. But what was he doing on Earth?
Lois knew she had to get away. Change into her Superwoman costume then come back and deal with Lobo. If she did not many innocent people would be hurt including her friend and her friend's husband.
"See this is exactly why we need a properly equipped government task force to deal with these type of occurrences." John Henry said.
"Lois where are you going?" Julie said as she noticed Lois sneaking off.
"To get help," Lois said. "His alien gizmos are interfering with my phone's reception. I can't send a message."
"You'll get killed." Julie cautioned.
"Trust me, I'll be fine," Lois said with a smile. "When you've lived in Metropolis long as I have, you know the drill."
"Be careful!" Julie called after her departing friend.
Less than a minute later Superwoman landed next to Lobo. "You have a permit for those guns buddy?" She said pointing at his weapons.
"Who are you, lady?" Lobo snarled. His red eyes fixed on her.
"Name's Superwoman." She said. "Now hand them over and no one has to get hurt."
"Aw, where's the fun in that," Lobo said. He fired his weapons at Superwoman.
The masked superhero dodged his attack faster than the naked human eye could see. She crumpled the barrels of his weapons in her hands. Lobo roared with anger. He backhanded Superwoman across her upper body with one of his ruined gun barrels.
"You sure hit hard, big boy," Superwoman said after stumbling back two steps. "But I hit harder." She tagged Lobo with an uppercut that staggered him.
He wiped a trickle of deep purple blood from his busted lower lip. He licked the blood from his fingers. "Feisty, I like that in my women," Lobo said. "Let's rock baby." Tossing aside his ruined weapons he gestured for Superwoman to bring it she obliged.
For the next five minutes, they exchanged vicious blows while going toe to toe. Fists, elbows, kicks and knee strikes all flew. Unfortunately for Superwoman two factors were firmly in Lobo's favor: she was only marginally stronger than him and a life of bounty hunting other powerful aliens had made him a brutally effective fighter. With a feigned punch followed instantly by a huge knee strike in her gut in turn followed by a headbutt, Lobo stunned Superwoman. He proceeded to pulverize her for a solid minute. When she was barely conscious he throw her onto a pile of rubble they had worked loose from the street earlier in the match up. He clubbed her over her back when she tried to get up. She fell to her hands and knees.
Lobo grinned sinisterly. He unzipped the fly of his pants. Evil intentions in his mind. "A good fight always puts me in the mood." He said. He pulled at the lower portion of her outfit. "Let's get you of them fancy pants girly."
"I don't think so Mr. Nasty." Superwoman rasped. Flipped over painfully on her back she kicked Lobo squarely in his crotch.
Lobo howled in pain. He toppled over onto his back. Superwoman was on her feet in an instant. She grabbed Lobo's thankfully mostly concealed manhood with her right hand and squeezed. "After the stunt you just tried to pull. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't do the females of the universe a favor and crush Mr. Happy. Why are you here? Talk scum bag before I lose patience."
"Waller," Lobo moaned.
"What about her?" Superwoman said.
"She put out the word. She has an extremely tough super being under her control. One she believes nobody can beat. She wants anyone who dares try to come to Earth." Lobo answered. "She says her new baby her words, will mop the floor with you load of wimps. I came to see if the hype was true. In the meantime figured I'd have some fun by sparring with some of you."
"Good boy," Superwoman said. She cold-cocked Lobo. He fell like a ton of bricks.
Nearby the crowd cheered. Superwoman barely heard them. Her head rang and her body ached. This was her first non-one-sided fight and she was feeling the repercussions.
It then dawned on her. She had to warn the Justice League. Whatever the new project of ARGUS was Waller must be very confident if she were putting the word out already. In spite of her protesting body Superwoman grabbed Lobo and took off into the clear blue sky.
To Be Continued