Chapter 23: Stargirl
Courtney straightened as J'onn returned from wherever he'd been, but this time she noticed he'd brought two other people with him, immediately she stiffened. "What are they doing here?" Courtney demanded pointing at the Green Arrow and Black Canary.
"They've come to help us." J'onn said in that manner of his which Courtney found both soothing and aggravating.
"How do we know they won't betray us?" Courtney demanded. "She," and here she pointed to Black Canary. "Worked with Batman."
"Superman's the threat." Green Arrow said.
"Not from what we've heard." Courtney snapped. It was true, research that Doctor Midnite had done suggested that Batman was funding Superman's little police force, and as such was profiting from it as well.
"Well, why don't we start with where the fuck we are, and who the fuck you all are?" Black Canary snapped.
"The little bird is right." Captain Atom said, emerging from behind a door to stand before them. "Sit." He ordered.
Courtney sat down, as did the other two. J'onn remained standing. "Everyone, they're here." Captain Atom said, and so, doors opened out elsewhere, and out walked the other members of their team. Doctor Midnite, Hourman, Doctor Mist, Black Orchid, Amethyst and Ice, alongside three others that the two people before them clearly knew.
"Helena?" Green Arrow exclaimed.
"Kate?" Black Canary asked.
"Zatanna?" They both said. "What are you all doing here?"
Ms Kane was the one who spoke. "We've joined these guys because Superman is going out of control. We need to stop him and Batman's not going to do it, he's convinced he can steer Superman onto the right path through working from the inside."
"So, what are you? Some sort of resistance?" Green Arrow quipped.
"Yes, that's exactly what we are." Courtney snapped. "And since J'onn thinks you're worthy of joining us, I think it's fair that we tell you exactly what we know."
Courtney nodded at Helena who tapped something and a screen came down. Courtney then pointed to the image on screen. "This is in Eritrea, after Superman ended the fighting between the Eritreans and the Ethiopians, the Eritreans stopped handing out sanitary pads to their women, because they didn't have enough. Why? Because they were seen as the aggressor by the Ethiopian Emperor and thus he sent word to Superman who told the US President this, and as such the President stopped sending the Eritreans sanitary pads, and other supplies women need. Up to twenty thousand women are now either dying or infected with some sort of disease." She nodded and another image came up on screen. "This is in China, deciding to deal with the threat of potential ethnic tensions, the Chinese have sent the army into Xinjiang and started rounding them up and killing them. When Superman found out, he arrived in Xinjiang and massacred half the Chinese army, leaving behind thousands of orphans, and setting up a future ethnic war within the province." Another image appeared and Courtney had to bite back a scream when she saw it, despite having seen it before. "This is closer to home, in Alabama. Three women refused to accept Superman's offer of aid against their abusers, their abusers then killed them saying that they'd disrespected Superman. Superman then killed them. The three abusers were black, tensions in Alabama are growing."
She took a breath and saw the looks of absolute horror on Green Arrow and Black Canary's faces and said. "Superman might think he's trying to bring peace to the world, but all he's doing is causing more pain and suffering."
"How come none of this has been reported in the news?" Green Arrow asked.
"Batman has bought the silence of the Daily Planet, the Central City Citizen, and the Gotham Times. As for other networks in the US, they are towing the line their editors have told them to tow." Courtney said.
"Yeah, but that doesn't explain how this isn't being talked about elsewhere in the world. I keep a tab on everything that happens in the world, and how it's reported. No one is mentioning any of this." Green Arrow said.
"Why do you think that is?" Courtney asked, looking right at the Green Arrow, and seeing the smug playboy prick he'd always been.
"I don't know?" Green Arrow replied shrugging.
"Because the news corporations don't want to turn people away from Superman, they want them to feel like he's doing them a favour. When really he's robbing them of their choice and their right to make decisions even if they are bad." Black Canary said. "He's denying innocent women of their right to sanitation equipment, because the people they're getting it from don't meet his bullshit standard."
"Exactly." Courtney replied smiling.
"So, why do you need us? You've got the tech, you've got people who've worked with Superman and Batman before, so why do you need us?" Green Arrow asked.
"Because if you join us, then people will wake up and realise that Superman's turning into a tyrant. If he's driven away the Green Arrow the man who is like a brother to him, and he's driven away Black Canary, the woman who showed what it meant to be strong and independent, then what else will he do? You are the lightning rod we need." Courtney said bluntly.
"So, you want to use us?" Green Arrow asked, sounding slightly disgusted.
"If it means protecting the world from Superman? Yes." Courtney said.
Courtney watched as Green Arrow and Black Canary leaned in to one another to talk and she felt a fluttering of jealousy before pushing it down. She hated the Green Arrow and with good reason too, the sick fuck. Instead she turned to look at the wall, before eventually turning around when it seemed that the two had made a decision.
"We've talked, and we agree with you. We'll join you guys." Black Canary said.
"On one condition." Green Arrow added.
"Which is?" Courtney asked.
"What are you guys called?"
"The Resistance."
