answers to reviewers questions or statements:
chm01: No, it's something worse.
Tom2011: Peter's aware that Diana is just teasing. He's not gonna blow a fuse because of it, he's not Grayven.
ShadowEmperor77: Let's just say that Peter has another way to hopefully appease Darkseid.
superpierce: You are vastly over estimating the Pre-New 52 Superman's capacity of acceptance and willingness to help someone that's as loyal to Darkseid as Peter is. Add the fact that he's generally apathic to those around him and cares little for the deaths of others would leave a very bad taste in his mouth. He would try at first yes, but it wouldn't take him long to see that Peter doesn't want to be 'helped'.
The Lion's Pride: You don't think he's tried? Also what's wrong with him not having the god like power of his father? Most of his other siblings don't, soooooo what's the issue?
Hivedragon: Well that and in the Crisis on Two Earths he did manage to briefly overpower Wonder Woman with this suit.
Jurassik-master: Probably not.
DeimosVulcan12: For the most part yeah. Who says that Peter will defect from Darkseid? No, no Asgardians will be appearing in this in any shape or form, their all dead. The Anti-Life Equation will make an appearance in this.
Disclaimer: I don't own any Marvel or DC characters seen, mentioned or used.
When Luthor said that he and the League would be operating out of an old friend's base of operations in Gotham, Peter had certain expectations.
While this Earth was still millennia behind most civilizations that Peter's seen, it was still a decade or so ahead of Diana's Earth so he expected something more than what he and the rest of the Justice League got.
"This is it?" Peter said as he looked at the run down toy factory "This is where we'll be operating out of?"
"Yes, is that a problem?" Luthor said as he and the League approached a section of the factory's wall that looked like it's seen better days and ran a hand across a few of the bricks.
"I was expecting something better than a rundown building in the middle of a cesspool" Peter grumbled as he watched a portion of the brick wall slide open to reveal a secret access tunnel.
"Peter, hush" Diana chided her husband "As far as secret headquarters go, this one isn't too bad... it at least has a roof"
"With more holes in it than New Genesis's mainframe" Peter scoffed as he followed his wife into the tunnel "Also, a toy factory? Who in the name of the dark one chose this place?"
"The Jester" Luthor said in a saddened tone "He died so that I could escape to your Earth and convince you to help me save mine"
"Jester... hmm, I can only imagine who his less than law abiding counterpart is back on our Earth" Nightwing said as he looked around the tunnel for any boobytraps.
"I'm sure this version of him was much nicer" Donna said as she slipped her hand into Nightwing's and gave it an affectionate squeeze.
"Still be creep as hell" the man mumbled.
Eventually the Team emerged in a large assembly floor where long abandoned and decaying assembly lines laid. The floor was littered with old broken toys, most of them being dolls of some sort and toy cars and trucks. Up ahead was a fenced off area that housed a number of old looking terminals and screens along with a small space off to the side that looked to be a bed and small table.
"HARLEY!" Luthor called out as he and the League neared the fenced off area "HARLEY, you here?"
"Ring's not picking up anyone else in this place" Green Lantern said as he formed a green spot light and have it light up different parts of the assembly room.
"I'm not hearing anyone either" Superman said as he scanned the walls and frowned "Lead paint..."
"A precaution against Ultraman" Lex revealed as he pushed open the fence's door and slipped inside, followed closely by the League.
"So whose this Harley you were calling out for?" Peter asked as he ran a hand across a dusty link in the fence "She this Jester's lover or something?"
"One of" Luthor said with a shrug "There's also another, Punchline, but no one's seen her in weeks"
Peter grunted at this before he made his way to a half assembled couch and collapsed on to it "So now what?"
"Originally I was hoping to use my League's headquarters as a staging ground to plan out our attack and bring you all up to speed on who we'll be facing. But given that the Crime Syndicate has compromised that place and now knows we're here, we're gonna have to change things up a little" Luthor said as he began to switch on various monitors and log into them "Jester had some info on the Syndicate's members and some of their operations, but not all"
"It's better than nothing Lex" Superman said as he saw Luthor begin to bring up various images of some of the people the League had just faced "Let's get started"
Luthor nodded as he brought up eight images on the largest monitor for the League to see and began to point to the various individuals on display. To Peter they all looked like some kind of twisted version of the Justice League that he knew with a couple of differences here and there. The first one Luthor pointed to was that of the armored man that Peter faced back on Luthor's hovering fortress. Peter had to hold back a snort of amusement as he saw that the man was in fact called 'Owlman'.
"Owlman, real name Thomas Wayne Jr." Luthor said as he brought up several more images of the man and some of his closest accomplices "He's a founding member of the Crime Syndicate and arguably their most dangerous. He more or less controls all of the East Coasts' crime families. A majority of his Made Men aren't Metas but don't let that fool you, some of them are even deadlier than he is"
"Pfft, wasn't so tough when I kicked his ass" Peter said from his couch.
"I seem to remember him having you on the ropes" Diana teased as she examined the sort of 'Made Men' that Owlman had under his control "I also remember relocating your arm after he dislocated it"
Peter grumbled as Luthor pointed to the man next to Owlman, dressed in a all blue body suit nearly identical to Superman's, only that instead of a red 'S' with a yellow background, it was a stylized 'U'.
"Ultraman, the boss of bosses and the leader of the Crime Syndicate. He possesses powers very similar to you Superman, though he has a few differences to how they work" Luthor explained.
"Such as?" Superman asked with a frown.
"He gains his powers from Kryptonite, which makes him an addict for the stuff, and the sun is toxic to him. Makes him weaker and breaks down his cellular structure and could theoretically kill him if he's exposed for too long" Luthor revealed with a slightly disturbed look on his face "He only ever comes out at night or when there's a good overcast, assuming he just doesn't go up and move the moon into an ideal position like he has in the past"
"And with Kryptonite flowing through him, he'll be even deadlier to me" Superman said with a nod of understanding "Alright, what about the rest?"
As Luthor continued to go over the various other heads of the crime Syndicate, a Johnny Quick, Atomica, Superwoman, Grid, Deathstorm and Power Ring, Peter felt his head begin to throb again as his danger sense began to go off before stopping altogether. With a shake of his head, Peter got up and quickly made his way into a hall that was adjacent to the main assembly room, and this Jester's 'lair' in an effort to clear his head.
'Fucking growing pains' Peter thought with a shake of his head as he began to feel several different points of stabbing pain above his eyes along with an odd burning sensation in the back of his eyes.
Eventually Peter reached a small room that looked like it once served as a office of some kind, though whatever desk and other furniture was in there had long been taken or destroyed. Littering the floor was a bunch of old half rotted looking sheets of paper, some crushed cans and rat droppings. Luthor mentioned that Jester sacrificed himself in a recent battle with the Crime Syndicate and took out a being by the name of Power Ring in the process. Honestly, Peter thought the man died of whatever disease he picked up living in this crappy building.
"I've seen slave camps with better sanitation than this" Peter said with a snort of amusement as he kicked a can away before Scott's words echoed through his mind.
He wondered how many slave camps were 'cleared' by his father after he was done taking his rage out on his immediate children. he also wondered if his father would still be in an unforgiving mood when he and Diana eventually returned to Apokolips for the Memberance Festival.
Sparing a glance back towards the hall he came from to see if anyone was following him, Peter took several deep breaths as he reached into his subspace and withdrew his Mother Box and slowly set it down on the ground before stepping back. Casting one last glance back towards the hall to make sure he was alone, and setting up his suit's 'vacuum' so no noise would be heard, he turned his attention to the hyper advance computer.
"Mother Box... contact DeSaad"
Several seconds passed before the Mother Box created a projection over itself and Peter was greeted to the sight of DeSaad. His face was as always covered by his hood so that only his glowing eyes and mouth were visible, though Peter could tell that he was annoyed.
"Ah, Peter, what news do you have of your current mission to Earth..." DeSaad said before his eyes narrowed and he quirked his head to the side slightly "And why are you calling from a universe that is not the one you were sent too?"
"I need to speak to my father" Peter said with narrowed eyes "It's urgent"
"The Great One is indisposed at the moment" DeSaad stated as he stared down at Peter with his hands folded into his robe.
"DeSaad either you get him for me or I promise you that you'll be begging me to throw you into a Fire Pit when I'm done with you" Peter snarled at the Lesser God.
DeSaad's eyes narrowed in anger before he muttered something and his image faded away. Peter waited patiently for his father to respond before dropping to a kneeling position as Darkseid's form began to manifest through the projection. The air itself seemed to grow heavy and cold and Peter felt his entire body practically freeze in place as he kept his gaze on the ground.
"My lord, I-" Peter began before he found his words dying in his throat at the sound of his father's voice.
"I gave you a simple mission" Darkseid's voice echoed throughout the room, causing the cold, heavy air to feel even more chilling, more oppressive "Return to Earth, eliminate those that would defy my command. And yet here you are, playing hero with those that would deny me the glory of bringing all under my rule..."
"T-There's been comp-" Peter began before a brief burst of energy from Darkseid's eyes struck Peter in the chest, burning away the metal of his armor and scorching his skin and flesh beneath.
As Peter fell to his knees, screaming in pain as his chest cavity was practically engulfed in molten metal, a part of him was glad he set up at the vacuum beforehand. Wouldn't do for the League to hear his screams and come investigating. After several long seconds, Darkseid cut off the energy from his eyes and watched his son slump forward, just barely managing to catch himself and preventing him from falling face first into the ground. Peter's nostrils were filled with the smell of burnt metal and charred flesh and breathing never felt more difficult than it had now.
"I do not want excuses boy" Darkseid growled at his child with narrowed eyes "I want... results. Perhaps I should recall you to Apokolips and send Grayven in you stead"
Peter would've offered up a response if he wasn't to busy trying and failing to keep himself from sobbing as bits of his burnt chest fell to the floor as his armor struggled to repair itself and cover his wound.
"Speak of your reasoning for contacting me boy" Darkseid commanded as his eyes glowed dangerously in warning "Or you shall find that the fiery pits of our world will pale in comparison to what I shall do to you"
"I-I've... I've f-f-found... a-a-a-a re-replacement..." Peter struggled to say between his pained gasps as he tried to force the words through his teeth before his strength failed him "A w-w-w-wor-rld... f-f-f-fi-i-il-led... replacements"
Darkseid made a sound that almost sounded like a hum and remained silent. It was the closet thing to an acknowledgement to continue that he'll ever give, and Peter wasn't planning to waste it. He was quite aware that Darkseid can and will kill him if he continues to displease his father, and it wouldn't be instant. And really, it wouldn't take him much effort to have a clone made of Peter and slipped into his place before anyone noticed his continued absence.
"There's... no protectors here..." Peter said as he finally made it back to his feet and risked a glance at his father's horrifying visage, his breathing still ragged and blood was now freely dropping from his mouth "No Justice League... n-no Lanterns... free for the taking. To r-r-r-replac-e the world you l-l-l-l-o-o-ost... to the butcher... an army of M-M-Meta hu-mans... for you to... b-b-bring under yo-ur... c-command..."
Darkseid's eyes narrowed as he stared at his son for a moment before his head moved ever so slightly to the side, as if looking at something beyond Peter's field of vison and the range of the Mother Box's projection. After a few moments, Darkseid turned his weighted gaze back towards Peter, who in turn flinched and waited for his father's response.
He didn't not have to wait long, praise the Source.
"I look forward to hearing of your progress on this... replacement world. Do not disappointment me boy"
Darkseid stared down his son for a moment before his image suddenly faded and the connection to Apokolips ended, leaving Peter alone to his thoughts...
...
"-need to hit them separately. United, cliché as it'll sound, their unstoppable, but on their own or in small numbers, they aren't as formidable" Luthor explained as he gestured to the various images of the Crime Syndicates leaders.
For the past few minutes now, Diana listened as Luthor broke down the Syndicate's members, their various powersets or skills and the sorts of crime they backed and oversaw. Hearing what some of these people did, how they used their powers to abuse and desecrate innocents filled her with bile. It was hard to pick which of the Syndicate was the worse of them, while Ultraman was a mass murderer and rapist, Atomica was a child molester and killer, being behind well over thirty confirmed children's deaths. Owlman, he sends the heads of loved ones to crime bosses that refuse to offer up 'tribute' and if that fails sends his 'Talons' to personally collect.
Deathstorm apparently used to be a Nazi scientists that was behind a number of horrid 'medical' experiments at the height of the Holocust while Power Ring regularly kidnapped women that appeared to bare resemblance to some woman that he used to stalk before she died under mysterious circumstances. And Superwoman... well according to Luthor, she was more or less the kingpin of human trafficking across the world.
If Diana didn't know any better, she'd swear that she was back on Apokolips.
'It's no wonder why Darkseid likely took an interest in this world' Diana thought as she stared at the images of the Crime Syndicate with a mixture of disgust and anger.
"So we hit them where they live or something?" Nightwing asked as he stared at the image of Owlman with a troubled look on his face.
"Some of them we can, such as Owlman or Superwoman, the latter owns a island in the Pacific that she uses as her own personal kingdom from hell" Luthor said before he frowned "But most of them we'll have to lure them out. Grid is at all times in the Syndicate's main base of operations on the dark side of the moon along with Ultraman, so barring an all out assault on it, we won't be able to hit them anytime soon"
"Johnny Quick, Atomica?" Hal asked.
"With his speed and her size shifting abilities? Next to impossible to pin them down. Their always on the move" Luthor said as he brought up an image of the world and showed a series of red lines drawn across in in irregular patterns and shapes.
"Okay, what about Power Ring or Deathstorm?" Donna questioned as she glanced at Hal "Could your ring perhaps track their energy signatures? Deathstorm seems to utilize something very similar to Firestorm's Firestorm Matrix and Power Ring seems to have... well a power ring of some sort"
"Might be able to, so long as his ring draws power from the emotional spectrum" Hal said with a calculating look on his face "The issue is, will Power Ring be able to track us in return?"
"The ring might given that it's sentient, but I doubt the man it's on will think of something like that. With all due respect mister Jordan, but here your doppelganger is... intellectually challenged to a degree" Luthor said with a shrug.
"So he's a dumbass?" Hal said with a snort of amusement before holding up his ring "Shouldn't be too hard to deal with than"
"It's his ring you'll need to be wary of" Martian Manhunter advised.
"What of their operations? Their Made Men?" Diana suddenly spoke after standing in silence for so long, causing everyone to glance at her. Seeing she had everyone's attention, she cleared her throat and nodded towards the Syndicate's images "We've spoken of dealing with the various heads of the Syndicate, but what of their operations? How will we deal with those?"
"For the moment, I'm afraid, we don't" Luthor said with a heavy sigh as he ran a hand across his bare scalp "We shut down a drug den of Johnny Quick's, four more will crop up somewhere else. We destroy a weapons depot of Ultrman's people, they'll just pay off some weapons manufacture and get first pick of their latest product or have them stolen from some military installation"
"So we are to do nothing?" Diana asked with a frown "What good is bringing down the Syndicate if their agents are allowed to continue their work?"
"No, I'm saying that we need to deal with the ones that are behind these various crimes first before moving on those that carry them out" Luthor explained as he gestured to the Syndicate "All of their Made Men operate with the belief that their 'boss' will keep them safe from possible retaliation from law enforcement. And to some extent they will. Their a shield of sorts, or a deterrent. But their also working for the Syndicate because they are the toughest, meanest, and most powerful beings on the planet and they know that they will kill them if they disobey. But, take that away, and many of the lower rank and file will disperse or break off, further weakening the Syndicate"
"So cut off the head, and the body dies?" Flash asked with a raised brow.
"In a manner of speaking, yes" Luthor nodded before he brought up a holographic image of a building that reminded many of the League of the Wayne Plaza tower back on their Earth.
"And this, this is the key" Luthor nodded towards the building "Wayne Plaza. Owlman's center of power more or less. All data on his criminal empire, and that he's gathered on his fellow Syndicate members, funnels through here"
"Such as locations... their weaknesses..." Superman said with a small nod as a look of understanding entered his eyes.
'How very much like Bruce this Owlman is... I suppose distrust is multiversal when it comes to Waynes' Diana thought with the barest hints of bitterness and annoyance.
It was part of, most of the reason that Diana and Bruce's relationship never lasted beyond six months of dinners, plays and a single night of passion. During the entire time that they were together, Bruce had been secretly compiling information on Diana, from her strengths, to her vulnerabilities, some of which she shared with Bruce in confidence. To discover that Bruce may have never been truly in love with her, but simply taking advantage of the grief and loneliness she was feeling after Steve's murder at the hands of Grail... well things never truly were the same afterwards.
While she still considered him a friend, Diana would and could never trust him again.
"So we launch an all out attack on the place or something?" Hal asked with a curious look on his face.
"If it were that easy, you think I wouldn't have done it by now?" Luthor asked with a deadpanned expression.
"Hey maybe it's just you suck as a hero is all" Hal shrugged.
"Lantern/Hal!" Diana and Clark said at the same time with varying looks of disproval at the man's behavior towards their... ally.
Luthor scowled at the man for a moment before he took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled it out slowly "Owlman's tower is possibly the most secured building on the planet. Aside from it being completely manned by Gotham's criminal illuminate, the Court of Owls and their legion of undead assassins, it's rated to withstand just about every natural disaster you can think of short of a super volcano going off. And the Plaza is more than just some front for Owlman to do his business through, most of it gambling, it's the literal tip of the massive iceberg of a fortress he has underneath it. Which in turn connect to a maze of tunnels and natural caverns that spread across the city for miles"
"So how do you recommend we get in there and take that data?" superman asked with a curious look on his face "I assume you have several plans in mind"
"I do" Luthor nodded with a somewhat more pleased expression.
As Luthor began to explain what he and the League can do to gain access to Wayne Plaza, Diana noticed something odd about their company...
Her husband had yet to return.
'Where did he get off to?' Diana thought with curiosity as she broke away from the assembled heroes and headed for the hall that she saw Peter take earlier.
She didn't believe he got very far, as curious as he may have been about this world, she doubted that Peter would wander very far without some greater form of protection than his suit or prior knowledge to what he may encounter.
'Times like this I wish I had X-ray vision' Diana thought a little dryly as she made her way through the dark, dank halls of this long abandoned factory.
Seeing as Diana was unlikely to just stumble across Peter, she slowly drew her Mother Sword from her back and brought the blade up and slowly inhaled.
"Mother sword... locate Peter's Mother Box please"
The Sword made a 'Ping' sound before Diana felt a jolt of energy rush up from her hands and into her arms before the feeling reached her head and she suddenly knew where to go. With a shake of her head, Diana lowered her sword and quickened her pace to the room where Peter was. Luckily she didn't have to go very far before she reached the entryway to the room that Peter's Mother Box's signal was emanating from. Just as she prepared to step through the threshold, Peter suddenly emerged from the room, causing her to pause for a moment.
"Oh... it's you" Peter said as his lenses narrowed and expanded as they took in Diana's appearance.
"...What were you just doing?" Diana asked with some suspicion in her voice as she slowly re-sheathed her sword on her back.
"Wandering around to clear my head before I decided to call and speak to Scott" Peter answered with a shrug "Letting him know that Vanessa may stop by to drop off any information she may have in regards to Cale and Osborn. And if possible, keep an eye on her for you so she won't end up dead"
"I see..." Diana said with a slight nod, her eyes narrowed slightly.
She could sense that Peter was lying, though she had no idea as to why he would. She prepared to confront him before she caught herself and considered the repercussions of potentially aggravating her husband. The Justice League was outnumber substantially and alienating their team's members would prove disastrous in helping Luthor free his world of the Crime Syndicate's control.
But she and Peter would be speaking of... whatever it was he was doing.
"So, what's the plan?" Peter asked as he brushed past Diana and headed back down the hall she just came from "I assume that's why you came to get me?"
"In part yes" Diana nodded before she noticed something odd about Peter's gait.
He was moving a bit slower than usual, and she could also hear his breathing, it was a bit ragged and slightly pained. His armor also seemed off, the chest she noted when Peter was in front of her seemed... slightly different in shading compared to the rest of the suit. Diana was about to ask Peter if he was alright, even though he'll likely deny any sort of injury he suffered, before an odd smell suddenly drifted into her nostrils. Freezing, Diana slowly turned and looked back into the room that Peter walked out of and noticed a few bits of what appeared to be melted metal on the floor...
Along with droplets of blood.
Diana frowned as she stared at the red liquid for a moment before she slowly turned and followed Peter back to where the rest of the League was...
Unaware of a pair of amused eyes following her and Peter's every move.
...
"So, how's it looking for us?" Peter asked as he and Diana finally regrouped with the League just as Luthor finished explaining his plan on infiltrating Wayne Plaza.
"Where'd you go?" Superman asked with a suspicious frown aimed at the New God.
"To have a quickie with my wife in a random room" Peter responded, causing the Man of Steel's expression to darken while Diana sighed and reached up to rub her temples.
Could he for once be the better person and not antagonize everyone he talks to?
"What's that?" Peter pointed to the image of Wayne Plaza.
"Owlman's base of operations and data center" Luthor revealed as he leaned against a terminal and let out a exhausted sigh as the events of the past few days began to catch up to him "Inside is hopefully enough information on the Syndicate's various members and weaknesses to finally take them down"
"You've been fighting them for years, right?" Peter asked with curiosity.
"Yes" Luthor nodded slowly.
"So don't you already know all of their weaknesses?" Peter asked with confusion.
"I know some" Luthor admitted with a nod "But Owlman's information is likely far more in-depth than mine ever would be. Plus he's likely picked up things about his 'allies' that I've missed or perhaps found more efficient ways to combat them"
"We'll also have a greater understanding of how the Syndicate's operates here and be able to more effectively shut down their operations" Martian Manhunter said with a thoughtful look on his face "And I'm sure this world's local authorities would be grateful for such information"
"Oh you have no idea" Luthor said with a snort before he ran a hand across his face as he yawned.
"Tired Lex?" Hal asked with a eye roll.
"Yes as a matter of fact, I am" Luthor said with a nod "I've been up for close to four days straight. I ain't going anywhere near Wayne Plaza until I've gotten at least half that much time in sleep"
"I am in agreement" Peter nodded as he turned and gave the assembly room a quick once over before he held up his arms and began to shoot strands of webbing up at a crosswalk.
After a few seconds, Peter formed a large net of sorts and quickly leaped up into it and began to settle into it's semi sticky confines. Diana made a face at this while the rest of the League and Luthor looked at Peter's web hammock with varying looks of disgust.
"You know there's beds here, right?" Luthor called up tot he New God.
"This is much comfier" Peter replied with a wave of his hand before he settle both behind his head and let out a sigh of content "Also less likely for rats to crawl into my bed if I'm up here, away from them all"
"Can't we just get a hotel or something?" Donna said before she glanced at Luthor "Aren't you rich here or something?"
"I've put all of my money into my armor, my League's headquarters and equipment while the rest is routinely spread evenly among various international relief efforts, progressive movements, and medical care for those that aren't economically capable" Luthor said with a straight face.
"Great" Donna said with an eye roll while Nightwing snickered.
"Wow, a Luthor that's nearly gone broke trying to better peoples lives anyway he can. Batman is never gonna believe this" the former Robin said as he draped an arm around Donna's shoulders and pulled her close.
"Maybe we should take a picture" Donna said with a coy grin.
"Your the photographer, I'll leave that to you" Dick winked at Donna, causing her to giggle and plant a kiss on his lips.
Diana's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the two's display of affection before she huffed and turned towards the rest of the League. Flash had already raced off and gathered a number of cots from somewhere else in the factory and had set them up for the team's usage. Luthor was already lying on one, his eyes closed and his breathing slowed as he slipped into a very deep sleep. Martian Manhunter had forgone sleep for the time being and was currently going through more of the files that Luthor had on the Crime Syndicate, along with Hal who seemed to be researching Power Ring's recorded capabilities.
"So, what do you think out odds are?" Flash asked as he came to a stop before Diana and Clark.
"They aren't great, I'll admit, but we've faced worse odds before" Clark said with a thoughtful look on his face as he crossed his arms across his chest "Though I will admit, facing someone that's like me in so many ways, someone I very easily could've ended up becoming, is a little unsettling"
"Yeah" Flash said with a grim expression on his face "I mean I read on what Johnny's been doing since he got his powers. He makes Reverse Flash look reasonable in comparison"
"We'll need to be very careful with how we go about facing them" Diana advised as she ran a hand through her hair.
"If Lex is telling the truth, this data that Owlman has gathered may let us do just that" Clark nodded in agreement.
"What are we gonna do about him?" Flash glared up at where Peter was still lounging about, seemingly ignorant to everything around him, though Diana had a strong suspicion he was fully aware of what was going on...
And what was being said.
"He's proven reliable so far and since... since his encounter with the Teen Titans, he's been much more tactful in how he handles people" Diana said as she stared at her husband's makeshift bed.
"Can we trust him not to stab us in the back?" Clark said with a glare aimed at the New God "I'm already uneasy working with a Luthor that so far seems to be a hero. But a son of Darkseid?"
"Believe me Clark, he is far from the worse of his siblings" Diana said as she placed a hand on the man of steel's shoulder.
Clark hummed at this before he nodded and looked about to turn and leave before he stopped and glanced at Diana with some curiosity "What happened to him?"
"What do you mean?" Diana asked with confusion.
"His suit looked damaged and I smelled blood on him. And something burning" Clark nodded towards where Peter was "I also noticed that parts of his armor looked a little... new, for the lack of a better term"
"I do not know" Diana said with a sigh "He claimed to have been speaking to with Scott earlier in regards to Vanessa but I could tell he was lying"
"Why would he do that?" Flash asked.
"I could spend a week straight theorizing why and still not even scratch the surface" Diana said with a grim chuckle before she began to float into the air and towards where Peter's hammock was "For now let's get some rest. I fear that it'll be quite a well until we can enjoy such a quiet time again while we're here"
"Agreed, see you in the morning" Clark said as his gaze hardened at the sight of Diana climbing into Peter's hammock and lying next to the New God, even if there was a few inches of space between them.
"Surprised that you aren't taking a cot next to your sister to make sure you can keep an eye on her" Peter said in a low voice as the Amazon removed her weapons and set them next to her, well within hand's reach.
"I doubt she'd approve" Diana responded in a equally low voice as she reached for her Mother Sword and whispered something to low for Peter to hear, though his suit did pick up an abnormal amount of electrical interference around them that to anyone with enhanced hearing outside the field around Peter and Diana, sounded like a faint whispery screeching sound "Besides, she's old enough to make her own choices and deal with the consequences of what will follow"
Peter grunted at this before he turned his head ever so slightly towards Diana "You know that even if you and your Justice Friends do happen to stop this Crime Syndicate thing, it won't make this world better. Most of it's heroes are still dead or too weak to make a real difference and once you all leave, this planet will be ripe for the taking"
"I think you underestimate the strength of those that live here" Diana said before she slowly turned her head and met Peter's gaze head on "As will whoever your father will send to try and take it"
"What are you talking about?" Peter asked, his tone devoid of any trace of emotion, his body still as stone.
"You really expect me to believe that you were speaking to Scott back there?" Diana hissed with anger "Last time I checked, Scott didn't have the ability to melt portions of your armor off and injure you"
Peter didn't respond as he stared at Diana in brooding silence, his suit's lenses narrowed to thin slits. Diana could also see that one his his hands had moved so that it was aimed at her side and allow him to fire a Venom Blast off at point blank if the need arose.
"Say I was speaking to my father... say he may send someone for this world after we're done here... why haven't you said anything to the League?" Peter asked in a low, dangerous voice.
"Because I'm going to give you the chance to fix what you've set in motion" Diana replied in a voice as cold as the void.
"What if I don't?" Peter asked with a hint of dark amusement before Diana did something that took him completely by surprise.
She slowly sat up and proceeded to straddle Peter's waist, placing her legs on each side of his hips before she leaned forward and rested her chest on his. The amazon than calmly reached up and gripped Peter's mask before she slowly began to peel it off, forcing Peter to have it detach entirely less she cause further damage and expose his face to her.
And experience the full weight of her glare as she spoke in a dark whisper that sent a shiver down Peter's spine in more ways that he'd care to admit.
"Than I'll kill you myself"
...
And done.
Next chapter, Unexpected encounters...
