I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.
-0-0-0-
Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories! Additional credit to MasterQwertster for being the one to create this wonderful new story image, and to both of them for helping write the song lyrics.
-0-0-0-
Justice
-0-0-0-
Chapter 4: Heart and Soul
-0-0-0-
Previously:
While unable to make any progress in tracking down the Straw Hat Pirates, Batman voices his suspicions that they are the ones responsible for a spree of high-profile thefts. Since these crimes left no clues behind, the rest of the League is skeptical in light of the lack of evidence. Unbeknownst to them, only a few weeks after the fall of Cherry Blossom Medical, Nami, Chopper, and Zoro effortlessly rob a bank dry.
Meanwhile, bored and concerned that Robin has been working too hard, Luffy decided to take her to the upcoming 'Soul King' concert. By coincidence, Flash won a contest for tickets to the exact same concert.
-0-0-0-
One thing to let you readers know, is that my timeline will not be exactly the same as that of the TV show. By about halfway through the series, Shayera said she had been on Earth for 5 years. Given how fast the Straw Hats can get stronger, I will be adjusting it so that a lot less time passes between episodes, as well as assuming she spent a good chunk of that time from before joining the Justice League.
-0-0-0-
"—and that's everything," Flash beamed as he finished his personal report of the mission he had just completed.
"You were sloppy," Batman all-but snarled. "Sinestro would've escaped if not for Superman, and that's all because you were so busy goofing off, you let your guard down."
The rest of the League hung back, pretending to ignore the dressing down as Flash wilted. It was not pretty, but their friend had gotten too cocky. He had been too busy harassing and irritating the alien, when he should have been punching him. Or failing that, paying attention while distracting the villain until reinforcements arrived for a safe arrest. Instead, Flash had been blindsided by one of Sinestro's constructs. If not for his incredible reflexes, the hero would have been killed.
Next time, he might not be so lucky.
On cue, Batman reached that topic. "—have a death wish? Because you could have died. Or gotten someone else killed. If you don't take this seriously—"
With a sigh, John shot Superman a look. "I'll do some more drills with him tomorrow. With," growing more stern, "an emphasis on paying attention." Not today though, not after Batman's ongoing verbal lashing.
Nodding, Superman offered, "Let us know if you want some help."
"Like maybe being one of the surprises," Hawkgirl playfully offered, hefting her mace.
"Remember, we want him intact afterwards," Superman said with a small grin.
Then they noticed that it was quiet, as Batman strode over to a nearby computer console. Ever since he had voiced his theory that these new criminals were responsible for the rash of crimes the League had been investigating, he had been digging for clues and connections, using Cherry Blossom Medical as a starting point.
The public backlash towards Superman and Batman's failed investigation, and subsequent devolvement of the company, and loss of further 'miracle cures,' had been serious. Superman had been forced to have another interview with Lois Lane to further address the issue and the concerns that had been raised. Furthermore, the League made a public apology for how they had handled the situation, but stood by their reasons, if not their precise actions. That the 'pirates' had not come forward despite offers, through neutral parties, to discuss reparations and continuation of their research –with the caveat that it had to be verified it was legal— spoke volumes.
Promises had also been made by the League to cooperate closer with law enforcement, along with in-person meetings with various police chiefs. These get-togethers had already proven productive, and overall the majority of citizens appeared reassured.
Men like Lex Luthor, or 'Glorious' Godfrey, continued to try and undermine them of course, although that was no surprise. Proper reporters like Lois Lane were keeping an eye on the League as well, although Superman appreciated that she cared enough to speak up when she was concerned about what he was doing.
Giving Batman an once-over to see if his friend were making any progress, Superman turned his focus to the approaching Flash. The hero's shoulders were slumped over, clearly contrite.
"Sorry guys, I messed up."
"Just don't do it again. Keep alert, and don't fool around, and we'll all be fine," John said, not unkindly.
Diana put a reassuring hand on the Speedster's shoulder. "You're a good man and a fine warrior Flash, we're honoured to have you by our side. You just need to be a little more careful."
In a, well, flash, the man straightened up with a grin plastered on his face. "Thanks Dee! I'll make you all proud."
"You already do," she promised.
He snapped his fingers. "Say, what're you're plans for the evening?"
"Nothing much," she said, blinking in surprise as he changed topics on a dime. He's planning to ask me out again, isn't he? she internally sighed. She thought he had gotten the message, and had only been recently flirting for the fun of it, as a way to slip in some jokes, except this seemed more serious.
"Well," out of nowhere Flash pulled out a handful of slips of paper, "I won a bunch of tickets for all of us to go to the Soul King musical concert tonight! Anyone interested in going?"
"I'd love to," Diana smiled, happy for her friend on several levels.
John Stewart hesitated for a moment. Concerts were not really his thing. Yet ever since they had gotten over their initial difficulties working as a team, and taking down Gorilla Grodd together, they had become good friends. Even more importantly, when most of his own fellow Green Lanterns had assumed him to be a mass murderer, the Flash had been the one to stick up for John the most. Risking his own life as his defense lawyer in that trial. Taking the night off for some more bonding time could hardly hurt, right?
"I'll come too," he offered.
"Really?" Diana asked in surprise, before hastily clarifying. "Forgive me, I wouldn't have thought you and Flash would have similar tastes in music."
"That's one of the reasons the Soul King's so popular!" Flash grinned. "He plays all sorts of different instruments and types of music! He's not stuck with one particular style."
"And even his Rock and Roll stuff ain't half bad," John admitted. "Besides," and he turned off his ring to reveal his civilian clothes underneath, "I can go to the concession stands to get you guys something to eat." After all, while Diana did not have a secret identity that required wearing a mask, the Flash did, and she was still adjusting to 'Man's World.'
The smile on Flash's face was beautiful to behold.
"Hmph," Batman grunted in his best Scrooge impersonation.
"Something wrong, Batman?" Superman asked with fondness and a little exasperation.
"The Soul King is someone else I've been investigating."
"Oh come one! Why!?" Flash cried. "Is it because he's a skeleton?"
"A skeleton!?" Diana hissed, warry of the undead. Instantly she and the others assumed this was the cause of Batman's concern.
"Walking, talking, nine-foot skeleton who can play any music you please," John flatly told her. "Goes by the name, Brook Rumbar. No one knows if it's an illusion, fancy mask, or the real thing. He just laughs when people ask. Although he isn't a star just because of that trick, he really is fantastic at what he does. Plays all sorts of instruments, keeps bringing out brand new songs. Even stopped one concert halfway through a song, because something a fan yelled gave him inspiration, and he would not continue playing until he and the audience had worked out the new lyrics. I hear the result was one of his best compositions ever, and his security was nearly mobbed by the fans afterwards.
Diana was clearly caught between being interested, or concerned about going to this event now, so John quickly reassured her further. "I'm sure you like it. It's all appropriate. Nothing about worshiping the Grim Reaper or anything."
"Hah! Not in those outfits!" Flash barked. "He wears an afro, awesome sunglasses, and goes around in neon clothing. As far away from a cloak and scythe as you can get!
"Not to say there haven't been oodles of conspiracy theories about him. The ones that he was resurrected for vengeance have died out, but others say he's an emissary of peace, or a musician who came back from beyond the grave—they just can't figure out who. Or that he was badly burnt and only survived because of his powers, was caught by some sort of radiation, you get the idea."
Now Diana was looking very confused by this latest oddity of Man's World.
John continued to describe the Soul King, with the others looking on in interest. Clearly this Brook Rumbar was something special, if even the serious John Stewart had picked up so much. Clark was rather embarrassed he had missed how good the singer apparently was. "Although you wouldn't know it for his lyrics," Green Lantern went on, "a lot of his music is about freedom of choice and expression, but the rest is really well done too. The only references he does to his appearance are some corny jokes."
"They're hilarious!" defended Flash.
"I'll have to pass," Hawkgirl said with a touch of regret, before covering a yawn. "I need to get some rest." They all nodded in understanding, she had been doing some stakeouts on a major cartel while Batman dug into the criminals' backgrounds for any vulnerabilities.
"I'm busy too," Superman regretfully added. He did not elaborate, and they did not ask, correctly assuming it was related to his civilian life.
"I'll monitor things from the Watchtower," J'onn simply said. He was not comfortable enough with Humans for this.
"Ahem!" grunted Batman, and for an instant they all thought he might want to come to. Then their sanity returned.
Clearly they had gotten off topic.
Seeing he had their attention again, the Dark Knight elaborated. "As I said, I've looked into him, and not just because he's a meta-human. At first glance he's apparently harmless one whose musical talent is unconnected with any known power—"
"It's the power of the soul!" Flash cheekily interrupted.
Ignoring him, Batman went on. "And he has done some beneficial public awareness campaigns against drugs as well. Yet despite how benign his music appears, I've still kept an eye on him. My reason being that unlike other popular celebrities," yes, Batman spied on even them, while living on coffee to function, "is that while he's making a lot of money, just like with Cherry Blossom Medical, I don't know what he's using it for."
"What does that have to do with anything?" J'onn asked, only to be met with a flat stare.
"If Batman doesn't know, then either he's being responsible and saving it up, or he's hiding something, and hiding it well," Superman explained, giving his friend a knowing look. "Except you don't think it's a big enough priority to really investigate, right? Nor do you think this is related to the Straw Hats."
"That's right," Batman grudgingly admitted. "While it is a lot of money unaccounted for, it's too different an approach from the Straw Hat's medical company, or those crimes I suspect them of."
"How much money?" the Man of Steel asked, making a private bet on the number.
And lost.
Big time.
"Well, if he's the most popular music entertainer right now, that would explain why he's making so much," deadpanned J'onn, while Superman and the humans looked stunned, obviously having a better appreciation of just how much the apparent skeleton was rolling in.
"It's probably nothing serious," Batman admitted, "and I'll get to it when I can." He threw Flash in particular a glare. "But that doesn't mean you should barge in and draw attention!"
"We'll just keep an eye out," John promised, "and let sleeping lions lie for tonight."
Turning to Flash, he smiled. "Well, let's get going, Hot Shot."
Wisely, neither man mentioned to Diana about the tradition of women throwing their panties onto the stage, whenever the Soul King asked for them at the end.
Although he hated it when the men threw their own underwear.
They were also silently conspiring to not be anywhere close enough to the stage for her to see.
!JUSTICE!
Brook, the 'Soul King' was humming to himself as he gave his lyrics one final try. A true artist never assumed it was perfect after all. Presently he was debating the proper pitch, and how slow the beat should be to emphasize a particular part.
~Never forget what Death left behind~
~Nothing but bones for those still livin'~
~You don't need eyes to see, you need only feelin'~
~Life is what you feel inside beatin'~
~Trust my eye sockets, I'm not blind~
~'Cause Life is the gift that keeps on givin'~
~Love being aliiiiive~
Then to help drill it in while maintaining his catch-phrase while steadily deepening his voice:
~Bone, bone, bone, bone, nothing but boones~
"Oi, Brook!"
"Ah, Usopp," Brook said as his friend barged into the room. Despite his friend's wild eyes, he was only slightly concerned. His young friend could be quite excitable after all.
"It's Luffy! He's just disappeared!" screeched Usopp.
"Oh, my."
!JUSTICE!
"Y'know, this really wasn't what I was expecting," Flash said aloud as he looked around.
Most concerts would have the stage in a public and popular location. For the Soul King's newest appearance however, he was staging it in an area full of empty buildings scattered around. While it helped the Flash lie low for now while wearing his bright red suit, it remained a strange surprise.
Princess Diana blended in well however with tasteful white slacks, and a purple sweater. "I overheard someone saying he specifically asked for this, to raise awareness for something," she replied. "There were a few theories, including renovating the place to boost up the local economy."
"Well, seems to be working," he grinned as he watched more fans go by. There were a lot of them, especially since the open stage meant people who could not get their hands on the tickets could still hang back and listen as the tunes drifted through the air. The numerous concession stands scattered about apparently helped make up for lost ticket revenue. Speaking of which . . .
"Here you go," John grunted as he came over with both arms trying to balance over a dozen popcorn bags and even more hot dogs and various drinks. Not wanting them to spill, Flash grabbed it all out of his friend's hands with practiced ease. "Thanks John," he beamed.
"No problem," John said, checking to make sure there were no stains on his street clothes. "Now I'll go back and get our food and drinks."
"I'm just going to go use the lady's room," Diana said as she also drifted off.
Alone, Flash considered his options on how he should wait for them to get back. Given how so many people assumed that the Soul King's skeletal appearance was just a trick or gimmick, a lot of people were wearing costumes of their own, including superhero ones. Can I just eat this in public? Hmm, no, my 'costume' is too good. Real snazzy even. I should try marketing it. Maybe slip a suit over Batman's when I see him next? That'd be so hilarious! But only if I got away in time. Maybe for April Fool's Day for some safety? How many days away is that? He was halfway through counting the number of days before he got himself back on track. Alright no, best not out in public, but I'm sooooo hungry! Where could John and Diana find me?
His eyes swiveled around from behind his cowl and found an interesting spot.
A single second had passed since Diana and John had left.
In a blur he ran up the side of a nearby building, expertly balancing his food, and came to a stop with a conspicuous screech as he braked. Sitting at the edge of the building, facing towards where the concert began, was a young man in a straw hat.
What really got Flash's attention though was how the guy was beside a pile of food which rivaled his own.
The teenager glanced over his shoulder, just as he swallowed a mouthful. "Hey," he said cheerfully.
"Hey," Flash returned the open-hearted grin. "Mind if I join you?"
"Sure. Always nice to meet someone new."
"You got that right," Flash agreed, and plopped down beside him. "Have to say, you're the first person I've seen who appreciates food as much as I do." His arms blurred along with his jaw, and three hotdogs were consumed within two seconds.
"Awesome!" the stranger gasped, stars all but shining in his eyes. "That was so fast!" Then he looked a little competitive. "Watch this." Then he stuffed easily two dozen hotdogs into his mouth, the sides of his face somehow stretching to accommodate it. With a hefty swallow, it someone all went down his throat and disappeared without even being chewed.
"Impressive," Flash complimented, not at all put-out by that display of abnormal human physiology. He had seen weirder. Besides, it would be rude to point it out. "Except, what's the point if you don't take the time to chew it and enjoy the flavor?"
"You mean you can still taste it despite eating so fast?" the young man wondered aloud, giving the situation the seriousness deserved as from one professional eater to another.
"Sure!" Flash boasted. Still, he chose to eat his next burger at a more sedate pace. "So what brings you here?" he asked. "Waiting for the concert to start?"
"Yep! I can't wait to hear Brook play again, he's fantastic."
"I know! And you never know what he's going to play next. Like your vest by the way." The teenager glanced down, it was a warm vest that had the Soul King's face on it.
"Oh yeah, I got this earlier today. Feel's weird having my musicians' face on my chest, but he seemed to like it."
"Your musician?" Flash repeated. It sounded a little absurd, yet it seemed like this stranger was being honest. Before he could press further, someone else spoke up from atop the roof.
"Luffy?" a deep, cultured woman's voice called.
"Ah, Robin," the young man cheerfully called. "There you are!"
"Here I am," the newcomer chuckled as she stepped into the light, and Flash fought to maintain his composure.
She had rich dark hair, and unusually wide, dark blue pupils that you could drown in. Her attire was what caught his attention first however, wearing a very tight jean vest that was unzipped most of the way to reveal that underneath was a massive bosom that was barely covered and clearly had no bra on. In fact, it seemed like the only other scrap of fabric she had was a tiny pair of jean shorts. Flash had no interest in staring at all her exposed flesh however, and it took him an instant to figure out why.
The way Princess Diana dressed might make some people accuse her of being indecent, even a prostitute or part of a related profession, except no one would ever dare say it to her face. They could not. It was not the threat of her powers, but the personal aura she unconsciously emitted. An inherent part of her that was shared by this friend of Luffy's.
Confidence, sophistication, with a dash of intimidation that made a person instinctively know they were to treat Robin with respect.
Flash gave a low wolf-whistle and flashed a smile while meeting her eyes. "Wow. Hello gorgeous."
What? It was polite for him. Certainly more than most men could manage when confronted with such beauty.
"My name," Flash began, but she had already started to cut him off at his first comment.
"I know who you are," Robin smoothly said. "And Luffy already gave you my name." Inwardly she was both amused and mildly exasperated. Trust her Captain to accidently meet up with a member of the Justice League, and have no idea who they were, despite them being in costume.
Although, given everything they had gone through in the past, she was hardly unsurprised.
Nami's going to give him a beating.
Especially after the seven times she tried to teach him to recognize them all.
Luffy blinked in mild confusion, until he decided that if Robin was not going to elaborate, then she must have a reason. She was smart like that.
Flash was a little suspicious of these two for a few seconds, until he put it aside.
Well, a few seconds for other people. For himself, he had already gone over the conversation several times, made various interpretations of the duo's clothes and interactions, and decided they seemed nice. As for Robin's weird greeting, it was true that the Justice League had been on the news so much lately that she decided a formal greeting was unnecessary. Besides, Luffy seemed fun!
"So Brook works for you," Flash said again. "Must be pretty rich if he's decided to work for you."
"Who cares about the money," Luffy said with a dismissive wave of a hotdog before throwing it into his mouth. "It's his music that matters. Well, almost as much as what an awesome guy he is."
"Can't argue with you there," Flash agreed. "Does that mean—" Unfortunately he had jostled his food a little and a bag of popcorn started to fall. "Aw nuts," he groaned, arms stuffed with so much other food this would take a little juggling to run down and grab it.
Then an arm stretched out and snagged it. Slightly bemused, Flash accepted the bag as Luffy's arm retracted and handed it back. "Careful, you shouldn't waste good food."
"I won't," Flash promised. Huh, so he's definitely a metahuman. Oh well, it seems like a harmless power, and it would be beyond rude to pressure him about it.
They fell into a discussion about Brook's past performances. They even learnt they had attended a few at the same time, yet had sadly missed each other. It might be easy for people to dismiss Luffy as 'simple,' based upon his expression and horrible table manners as he stuffed food whole into his mouth, but it was clear to Flash there was a brain lurking under there—and not just because he himself could be messy and greedy with his food. Luffy had memorized every one of the Soul King concerts he had been to, including a fair chunk of the lyrics. Those he had not been to escaped him however.
"Well, if I wasn't there to enjoy it, then it's not important enough to remember," Luffy argued between mouthfuls of popcorn.
(Flash found it telling that they were not talking about food, despite their mutual interest; they were able to fall into talking about less predictable topics with ease)
"They were important to other people," Flash lightly shot back, grabbing some of his own. "What about you, Robin?" he said to the woman quietly standing back. Flash respected that, and did not bother her. Nevertheless, he was a little curious about what her relationship with Luffy was. Guess since he's a rich guy, she's his assistant? "Did you attend any?"
"Only a few," she confessed. "The reason Luffy even took me here was because he felt I was being too busy."
"Good for you," Flash grinned at her and then Luffy, giving the young man a small punch on the shoulder.
"All that work can't be healthy," Luffy solemnly decreed.
"Hah! Trying telling that to Bats," Flash chortled.
"Bats?" Luffy blinked in confusion.
"Yeah, y'know, Ba—"
Whatever else was cut off as an explosion went off a few blocks away. People immediately began running away in a panic.
In the blink of an eye, Luffy's remaining food was stuffed down his throat, and all of Flash's vanished in a blur of red. They both knew they would need the energy.
Without any further delay, Flash ran down the building to go help out. Although he kept his speed down so that the civilians sensibly running in the other direction would not be caught up by a slipstream. To his surprise, a glance over his shoulder showed Luffy keeping up.
Turning a corner, they saw Green Lantern fire another blast of green Will at another young man, who was wearing brown coveralls. His long nose and curly black hair shockingly familiar.
That's one of the Straw Hats! Flash gasped to himself, coming to a stop beside Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. How could he not recognize him after Batman forced him to memorize those mug shots made by J'onn and Superman?
To his dismay, Luffy came to a stop beside the criminal.
"Hey!" Luffy yelled. "Why're you attacking Usopp!?"
Glowering, Green Lantern took charge. "So you're with the Straw—" Then he processed how the newcomer had an actual straw hat on his head. "You the guy in charge of your little gang?"
"I'm the Captain. Captain Monkey D. Luffy of the Straw Hat Pirates," Luffy glared back. "I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"
"What's that even mean?" growled Green Lantern in irritation.
Flash shot Wonder Woman a glance that screamed 'Please explain.' "I was just coming back when I spotted and tailed him," said Princess Diana. "I saw John and waved him over, but then this man, Usopp, caught sight of us and tried to run. We engaged. Who's the other one?"
"Huh?" Luffy blinked. "You're with them, red guy?"
Briefly hesitating, Flash answered. "My name's Flash, and yeah I'm with the Justice League. Honestly, I thought you already knew that."
"And it didn't occur to you that the straw hat was suspicious?" Green Lantern sighed. "According to Batman and Superman, their so-called 'Jolly Roger' had that atop the skull."
"Hey!" Luffy yelled. "You don't mock someone's Pride like that!"
At that point, Robin appeared from around the corner to join them. "Careful, Captain. We don't need to tell them anything. And the one hovering in the air is called Green Lantern, and the other is Wonder Woman."
"Oh right. Thanks, Robin."
!JUSTICE!
Luffy was confused and irritated. He had made a new friend and was having a good meal with them, but now it looked like they might have to fight. Hmm…
"Are you going to try and arrest us?" he asked. Best to be clear.
"Given what happened at Cherry Blossom Medical, are you surprised?" Green Lantern pointed out.
"You broke in! It was self-defense!" argued Usopp.
"You attacked someone publicly acknowledged as part of law enforcement, with enough force to hospitalize a normal man, without even saying anything!?" Green Lantern shot back.
Then Robin smoothly broke in. "Did you have a warrant then? Or do you even have one now?"
The implication that what they were doing might be illegal, briefly distracted Green Lantern. His teammate was undeterred however. "No," Wonder Woman admitted, but there was no give to her tone. "Nonetheless, you are hiding secrets, attacked one of our own, and chose to not deal with this legally afterwards when you were publicly given the opportunity. Not only did we already have the authority to arrest you before," especially given their no-kill policy, "but the authorities already want you to come in for questioning."
"Hmmm . . ." Luffy said again as he was visibly straining to remember something. "Didn't Sanji say something about Green Lantern?"
"Only about a dozen times," Usopp deadpanned. "According to him, he uses his Ring to fight with his own Will. That those green things he make are his Will."
"Oh right! Now I remember! So they were wondering if it had anything to do with—"
"Luffy!" Usopp snapped.
"Oh right," Luffy stopped, feeling a little embarrassed at how he had nearly blurted out about—
"Don't even think about it, or you'll still say it," warned Usopp.
Fortunately, Luffy got the message.
What the more cerebral members of the crew wondered (and even Luffy and Zoro) was if Green Lantern's power had any relation to haki. If so, the possibilities were limitless if they could harness that, opening up a whole new 'colour' to haki.
Alternatively, it was another thing totally unique to this mostly-lame universe.
"Eh, probably doesn't matter," Luffy said aloud.
"So are you going to come peacefully?" Wonder Woman asked.
Huh, Flash seems a little upset, Luffy noted. He shouldn't. It's not like anyone's in any real trouble. Then he turned his attention back to the topic at hand. "Nah, we don't want you asking us any questions about all of those banks, labs, and museums we've been robbing."
. . .
"Luuuuffy," Usopp hissed, while Robin's face was a neutral mask. From that, and how she had crossed her arms, Luffy knew this meant she was ready to fight. But why? I just . . . oh. "I mean, never mind I was just kidding," Luffy lied, eyes looking away from Flash and the others so they could not see the truth in his eyes.
"You're terrible at lying," Wonder Woman flatly told him.
Dang it!
"But why do all that if you were already making so much money with your medical company and this musical business?"
Sticking his finger up his nose, Luffy blankly explained. "It wasn't enough. And sometimes we need special stuff. I don't know what though, I can't remember their names."
Usopp sighed as he pulled out his special slingshot, while slowly putting his hand into his shoulder bag. "Luffy, please, just stop."
"Yeah, I know," his Captain assured him, eyes now hardening. I don't know enough to cause any more trouble, except I want to go somewhere else now, and they look like they'll stop us. "Sorry, we really can't let you arrest us. Besides, you're the Justice League, and pirates don't get along with Justice. Even if you guys are heroes."
"You see a distinction between following Justice, and being heroes?" Wonder Woman asked in surprise.
"Of course," Luffy said, as if it were obvious. Then he snapped his fingers as inspiration hit. "I know! You can prove you're really heroes by sharing your meat with us!"
!JUSTICE!
Wonder Woman blinked in surprise. "You want us to give you meat?"
"Yeah! If you're heroes, then that means you've got to give us meat!"
"He's just trying to distract us," Green Lantern growled.
"And I'm not giving up any of my burgers to anyone who asks that rudely," Flash added. "You didn't even say please!"
Inside, Flash's mind was racing, trying to find a way out of this mess. I just know that Luffy's a great guy. I mean, look at him! Couldn't even tell a lie to save his life! Hmm, maybe that bit about meat's just a joke? Something to ease the tension? Alrighty then, how about I . . .
Like a bullet he took off, moving so fast from a flat start that Luffy was only just beginning to move, letting Flash grab a certain something.
A certain straw hat.
"Look," the hero lightly said, holding it casually in one hand. "How about we all just settle down, and talk this over."
Time stood still.
Robin's eyes widened in disbelief, before smirking at the inevitable.
Usopp flinched, and then did the same. "Well now, now you people have gone and done it. Hope you aren't particularly fond of Flash."
"Second Gear!"
!JUSTICE!
Chaos broke out as Flash disappeared with a yelp, a steaming pink fury after him. Before the heroes could act, the long-nosed one threw down a smoke bomb.
Green Lantern took to the air to scout them out, while Wonder Woman boldly strode into the smoke. Let them see me as vulnerable, she coolly thought. It was almost amusing, the assumptions men made when they heard she came from an island inhabited solely by woman. Princess Diana had not grown up indulging male fantasies, she had been raised to relentless training in the art of war and peace.
And yes, the Amazons knew they were not mutually exclusive, and yes, they preferred the latter.
(She also studied less exciting things like music, art, philosophy, and other such pleasures)
Predictably, a faint whistle reached her ears, and she ducked beneath some sort of projectile. Larger and slower than a bullet, but still pretty quick, she assessed. Fired from over there.
While slower than the Flash, she rocketed towards her target as fast and unstoppable as a freight train—
Something grabbed her.
Reflexively she broke loose, except then something else slapped her aside even as she was already off course and she went slamming into a building. Relentlessly, Diana stood up from amongst the rubble, aware that her attacker had succeeded in deflecting her, and that the sniper had assuredly disappeared again. Standing before her as the smoke cleared, was the woman amongst the criminals. Her arms were crossed in front of her, yet Diana keenly saw the slight shake to them as if they were somehow hurt. Interesting. So it was her that somehow grabbed and hit me?
"Why are you doing this?" demanded the princess. Whoever these people were, their behaviour was atypical of her usual brand of villains. "You're not like the people we usually deal with. Your operations we've uncovered so far are legitimate and even genuinely helpful. Yet at the same time, you're hiding something that you're so afraid for, that you'll respond with violence at the drop of a hat."
Robin smirked at that. "That genuinely is how we handle things, yes." Within however, her mind was operating with a cool detachment as she assessed the situation. After all, she had used their intelligence network to ruthlessly assess the power of the Justice League, and was unsure if she could triumph. Unfortunately, in saving Usopp from being crushed, Robin had carelessly wrenched several arm muscles, putting her at a disadvantage. The Flower-Flower Fruit's strength lay in surprise, imagination, and leverage, not raw power. And this injury complicates things, but I still have tricks to play. Besides, what would I accomplish by snapping her spine and leaving her lying in the dirt? Except of course to bring down upon us the full, 'righteous' wrath of the Justice League, and a world that loves them more than is wise.
For all that Luffy wants his Hat back and to teach Flash a lesson, I don't think he's really in the mood to start a war.
Yet.
"We have issues with those in authority," Robin confessed, still smiling. "As for you and your merry band, we don't really have any real issue with you. For now. You honestly seem to be doing your best to clean up this world. Nonetheless, we already know where this will end. You will continue to tell people what is lawful and just, until it's only you that makes that final decision. Eventually your own power will corrupt you."
"I haven't been in Man's World for long," Diana scoffed, "yet even a child could tell you're trying to make yourselves appear to be the victims. Your friends attacked Batman the moment you found him inside your lab, never trying to talk it out. And now your own leader has confessed you are responsible for even more severe crimes."
"Sanji just decided to cut to the chase," Robin cheerfully agreed, mostly ignoring the part about Luffy. "Once you discovered our other activities, you would be fighting us anyways. Although that wasn't his motivation. We just really don't want anything to do with you. And you were on our property without permission, and there really is only one answer to that."
She's stalling, Diana knew, but let it continue. She was confident that her teammates could handle the others, certainly Green Lantern against the one named Usopp. Once John was done, they could mop up the rest. As it was, she was getting some useful insight. While she did not think this pirate was lying, doubtless Batman could get something more concrete than vague hints. Finally, she was still unsure about this stranger's powers.
But if there was the slightest distraction . . .
!JUSTICE!
Usopp tried to not scream in terror as he ran, giving his Black Kabuto a little water to make it grow to give him greater range. Around him flashed blasts of green as up in the air that insufferable Green Lantern fired down on him. Oh why oh why are we having to fight!? Why couldn't we have made a deal with them!? I don't even have my full arsenal with me tonight!
Truthfully, he knew the reason. Nami, Sanji, Brook, Jinbe, Franky, Robin and him had all given some thought to how they would handle the appearance of the League in one of their operations, but had in the end decided there was no point in trying to deceive them. As soon as Luffy got involved –and yes, as Captain they were obligated to include him— it would all just fall apart, and they would be fighting anyways. Far better to spend their time on plans that actually had a prayer of working.
Which meant that Usopp had spent several restless nights trying to figure out how to best Green Lantern.
Moving as fast as he could over the ground, Usopp twisted his body to rapidly fire back, eyes locked on target even as he instantaneously computed wind trajectory, the pattern of incoming fire that might hit his own, movements of the Green Lantern, even the supposedly miniscule influence of the explosions happening around him, while he ran as if the most terrifying things in human existence were after him.
(Examples include: running like Sanji was after him for ruining a dessert meant for Nami and Robin; Nami if you lost her money; Zoro if Usopp accidently spilled the swordsman's sake; etcetera)
Unerringly, Usopp unleashed a barrage of flash bangs and smoke bombs, followed up by a layer of explosives to strip away that shield before the Pop Greens finished the job without killing the hero.
. . . Aside from the fact he was over a hundred meters up in the air.
!JUSTICE!
Flash saw the world in slow motion. All the time.
For everything that everyone else saw, the speedster had already seen, processed, and made several thoughts about it. This was invaluable as a hero, since he could spend far more time than 'normal' people to consider a problem. More importantly, it was why he was able to move at such high velocity without hurting himself, and what allowed him to improvise so smoothly even in the heat of battle.
Not that he was necessarily having serious thoughts all the time of course. Even for him, life went by too fast to waste a chance to smell the roses. Or flirt with a pretty girl. Or have a detailed internal debate on what exactly he was going to have for lunch. He could even just be letting his mind wander to whatever topic came up.
In essence, despite how Flash could 'think' so much more than he had before gaining his power, he spent most of his time considering stuff people might label as 'unimportant and mundane.' They might even describe it as stupid, given the dangerous lifestyle he lived. That he was wasting his intellect and potential, when he could be busy learning and planning. The Scarlet Speedster was unconcerned however; those same powers allowed him to rely upon rapid improvisation to triumph, adapting to any surprise threats as necessary.
Besides, if the world moved more slowly for him compared to everyone else, that meant he had to find some way to entertain himself. If he chose to be serious all the time, he would be as nutso as Batman!
Anyways . . .
The point was that because of this lack of focus (which occasionally occurred even during fights), unless Flash decided to get serious, he tended to be too relaxed, too impulsive, and too cocky.
He was not feeling cocky right now. While the steaming pink-tinged fury behind him was not quite as fast as he was, he remained entirely too quick for comfort.
"RAAAAAH! GIVE ME BACK MY HAT!"
Flash ducked and dodged around fists and feet, incapable of building up enough real momentum as he ran for his life from what was probably –Hopefully!— the second fastest human alive. Can't build up enough speed to go faster! he thought as he braked to avoid another stretching arm whose fist upon impact somehow left a ten-foot crater into the ground. This guy's strength is no joke either! Flash realized, understanding that they had seriously underestimated these criminals.
Personally, the speedster thought this was an understandable mistake, since nearly every other super-villain with this much power would have already dramatically revealed themselves, usually by challenging Superman to a fight in broad daylight. Beating their chest and yelling how powerful they were and all that. Or robbing a bank in the middle of the afternoon. This low-key approach was just another line on a growing list of reasons the Flash was quickly coming up with on why the League should be concerned. Even if Luffy had been pretty friendly beforehand.
He shook that thought off and fully focused upon the task at hand. He could still win this, he was a member of the Justice League, who had survived to take on the most dangerous threats to the planet for a reason. All he needed was the chance to retake the initiative so that he could use his powers to their fullest.
I'd like to keep thinking of him as a friend, even if he's a criminal, but he's making it hard. I mean, why the fixation on his hat? Yes, it is on the Jolly Roger, yet what is it about it that makes it so precious?
Unimportant. I've got to concentrate.
Somehow he's more experienced at this sort of high-speed fighting than I, except I've still got an advantage. Flinging out his arm, "You want your hat so bad!? Go get it!"
His attacker immediately broke off to go catch the flying hat, and with that momentary distraction, Flash turned around to attack, building up enough speed to generate a punch even Superman would feel.
A bare palm caught his fist as if the rubbery body were suddenly steel, and as a stunned Flash looked at his opponent, the man's eyes were shadowed by the hat that was somehow back on his head. Luffy's fist sent the superhero crashing across the pavement, and into blissful unconsciousness.
!JUSTICE!
John Stewart scowled as another explosion flared over his green shield of manifested willpower. Those pack a punch, he thought, checking his Ring's power reserves. While nothing serious, they were definitely more than he was used to. More than any conventional weaponry he had faced on Earth before. Still, as long as I stay focused, and if this is all he can manage, then he's not a threat.
A powerful and sustained barrage was another story. A continuous beam of energy for instance could begin to overwhelm Green Lantern's concentration, which was something he was careful not to advertise. Nonetheless, right now there was enough of a gap between each shot for him to have a short, yet decisive, 'breather.'
The Guardians of the Universe had designed the Green Lantern Rings to be the ultimate weapons after all.
It had turned into a snipers' duel, with Green Lantern having superior firepower, and a position in the sky—although he was unwilling to tap into his full potential, since that would tear up large swaths of the city. Even if all of the civilians had all safely evacuated, he did not want to escalate it to outright destroying the entire block.
The rest of the League had been called in, but they would not be able to make it in time in the Javelins—traveling from an orbital space station took time. There had been glimpses of flashing lights from police sirens, so they would be helping evacuate people; especially since the sight of Green Lantern's power and these explosions would clue them in that this was too dangerous to get mixed up in.
The 'pirate' had stealth as he moved through the abandoned buildings, and ran fast enough to strongly suggest he was enhanced as well. Once it had become clear his explosives could not penetrate, and that his weird mutant plants –which eerily reminded Stewart of reports on Poison Ivy— just slid off and fell back down, the young man had been surprisingly quiet. Given his earlier boasts, those wolves made of leaves were probably his trump card, he theorized. They certainly looked intimidating enough. Fortunately, as an ex-marine, Stewart was a believer in staying mobile. He had dodged or shot them all down with blasts of green.
Suddenly dozens simultaneous shots erupted out of alleyways and from around other places of concealment all around him, shooting into the air in random directions, before exploding themselves.
No, Stewart suddenly realized. Not explosives . . . boosters to accelerate and change course!
Each of the large projectiles abruptly and rapidly converged on him, some flashing with further bursts as other, smaller payloads, accelerated them further. But at speeds staggered so that despite their greater distance, they'll all hit me from all sides –even a few from above given how they can maneuver like that— in coordinated, staggered waves! an impressed Stewart calculated. The type of skill it would take to pull this off . . . It's incredible!
Unfortunately for all that display of talent, it remained impotent.
Able to see them coming, and his bubble shield fully maintained afterwards against further surprises, they just kept detonating against Stewart's Will without breaking through.
Not even the flash of light or ringing sound could hurt him, his shield automatically muting it to safe level as it had when the criminal had originally tried to disorient him.
That was not to say at the end, Green Lantern was not sweating heavily at the exertion. Nonetheless, he was untouched, and his Ring had plenty of juice left.
A variant on his fired projectiles, Stewart further assessed, replaying how the young man had been ducking and dodging the earlier part of their exchanged fire. Probably planted while he was running, with the layers of explosives that somehow launched them, while he fired off others . . . The timing and accuracy needed . . . This is a waste of his talent. Did he invent all of them? Usopp was his name, right . . . ?
Then in a flash he realized what the real intention was.
!JUSTICE!
Brook was silent as he entered the manager's office. He knew what his duty was here: getting the money from the show.
Despite the significant impulse to run off to help fight, it was too far away for him to get there in time. Moreover, based upon what the running civilians were yelling, it was only Green Lantern, Flash, and Wonder Woman. 'Only' being the operative word, if still nothing too serious in terms of preventing the Crew from making their escape. Brook knew Luffy well enough that he did not see any reason in a pointless fight. Except when it was about food, but food was very serious issue to their young Captain.
The revenue from the concert was a priority however. It was important that they have this cash to help fund their efforts to return home. Especially since this would be the Soul King's last public appearance for a good while. He felt sorry for his audience, yet it was necessary. Both this gig and Chopper's medical company had been their main source of legitimate income after all. Moreover, given how soon they were clashing with the League again, the musician was worried about their extra-legal methods too.
Maybe if Franky fixed it so that I could do a few public radio broadcasts to make it up to them?
Granted, removing the Justice League from the equation would prevent the threat of losing further income, except they had not really done anything to deserve that yet. Moreover, their small band against the world was long odds even for them, especially since the League routinely handled various potential world-ending threats which would then go unopposed.
Besides, as a rock star himself, Brook was willing to acknowledge how popular the heroes were, and that the happiness they brought to their own fans was not irrelevant.
The cash was kept in a secure safe that Brook had specifically requested from his supposed 'managers.' He did not know the combination of course, since the point had been ensuring no one else could rob it. Drawing his cane sword, his blade swished right through the thick steel faster than the eye could see and the pieces of the former safe slid apart.
Professionally he examined the thin blade for the slightest flaw, being more comfortable thrusting through such dense materials as opposed to cutting it. Satisfied, he began to gather the bills together.
I'm glad I took the precaution of specifically requesting for this concert to be near such an abandoned area. Makes fighting and escaping so much easier. Even if I did have to make up such a silly excuse.
!JUSTICE!
"Orders, Luffy?"
Hat safely secure, Luffy turned to look at his subordinate, and shrugged. "None of this really matters, and there's too many people here who might get hurt if we keep fighting. Just make sure we get the money out, or Nami'll get mad at me!"
"Understood."
!JUSTICE!
"Personally, I think it's your penal system that will finally make you decide to forcefully change the rules," the criminal cheerfully continued to tell Diana. "I can't say I'm opposed to how humane your present system is, but the supervillains you lock up have a depressing tendency to escape to cause havoc again. How much longer until one of them kills someone you love and hangs their intestines around the living room to try and insult you and rub it in your face?"
Wonder Woman blinked. It was not so much what had been said, as it was the matter-of-fact knowledge, combined with the sense it was all some sort of joke.
The failings of the judicial system, and the consequences for the innocent, was something that she had tragically become aware of since joining Man's World. While the regular crooks and thieves could reliably be kept in prison, it was the supervillains, those with powers, skills, and genius that broke out. Worse, they knew that freeing the regular inmates in the process served as great distraction. Except changing it, making a system that would guarantee their incarceration, would require, as this enigma had noted, more intrusive methods. This was a delicate line that they had to be careful not to cross towards inhumane solutions. Given these concerns, and to distance themselves from dispensing justice, as opposed to enforcing it, Superman and Batman had convinced the others to leave it to the governments.
That's not to say that they're happy with this solution of course. Nor that they aren't coming at it from another angle. If their plan for Lex Luthor pays off…
No stay focused, she's trying to distract you.
Then something shifted in the pirate's eyes, and Wonder Woman stuck, instinctively knowing that something had changed and she had to go on the offensive. She was a blur through the air, but even though the woman's hands were right in front of her, a smoke bomb still went off, obscuring her—
—and Wonder Woman broke through the smoke to find no one there, and no one around.
!JUSTICE!
Stewart scowled as his bubble shield burst through the lights and smoke, looking around even as he knew it was futile. That massive final attack had been nothing but a distraction, while his opposite number broke cover and ran to wherever he was going.
Next time it'll be different, he promised.
!JUSTICE!
With a small sigh, Robin walked out of the shadowy alley, rubbing her arms. While her clone may have served its purpose before dispersing into flower petals, that did not change the fact that any damage it suffered still transferred to the original.
"Thanks for the save, Robin," Usopp quietly told her.
"Think nothing of it," Robin smiled back. "I appreciated your smoke bomb, it helped hide the truth of my abilities. Besides, it's my own fault really. Clearly I need to improve my Armament Haki."
"Please," Usopp gently scoffed. "You're already doing the work of four people. I bet if you had the time, you'd have already mastered it!
Robin had reached the point where she could manifest the first stage with Armament, which was essentially an invisible shield, as opposed to the more refined, darker version. Like the vast majority of such users however, the most surface area she could manage was her forearms . . . which was a problem when her fighting style resolved around forming multiple arms. More arms required more concentration, which essentially involved 'spreading out' her haki, making it too weak to contribute much if she created more than a few arms. So far.
Even just slowing down Wonder Woman must've taken more than she could manage the haki for, or have the time to focus it, Usopp quietly knew. That, and she wasn't really in the mood to fight. If she was, you can bet it would've been over already.
Heck, Luffy's right here, so she could've consulted him, while her clone fought Wonder Woman at the same time.
The Captain in question was sitting across from the alley Robin had been in, sitting on a trash can as if he did not have a care in the world. This was only an illusion however, as Usopp knew his Captain's Observation Haki was trained like a hawk.
Despite knowing he should just let sleeping dogs lie, Usopp could not resist the urge to probe his best friend's uncharacteristic behaviour. "Are you really passing off the chance for a fight, Luffy?"
Giving a lazy shrug, Luffy hopped to his feet and started to walk away, his crewmates following behind. "I still like heroes, and for now that's what they are. Brook will miss his concerts, but he already told me earlier tonight that with all of the other jobs he was doing," –because even for a simple snatch-and-rob, Brook was not the type to let his friends go into danger when he could help— "that it was only a matter of time before people caught on. I got my Hat back and a good fight with the Flash already, and we've got the money," up ahead they could see Brook making his way to towards them, his lanky long arms carrying several large duffle bags, "so we don't even have a reason to fight outside of fighting for the sake of fighting."
Unspoken through that bad grammar was: 'and that'd be just stupid.'
"Besides, I like Flash! He's a cool guy, even if he did something mean like that!"
Shrugging, Usopp knew he had no reason to complain, being glad it was all over. Especially since he had only brought his regular bag of tricks for the concert. He had consumed every piece of ammunition he had, and in the end had only managed to distract Green Lantern enough to escape. Any further fighting, and he would have mostly been just a hindrance. Unfortunately . . . "You do know that Nami's going to be violently furious with us, right?"
Luffy just looked at Usopp blankly, so the latter elaborated. "Without Cherry Blossom Medical, Brook's concerts were our biggest legal source of income. Now we've lost all that." Usopp started to sweat as it occurred to him that technically it was his own fault that they had been discovered, even if Luffy had met Flash first. Alas, there were no reliable witnesses to verify what had been said between them. "So as Captain, it's your duty to take responsibility," he quickly added.
"What!?" Luffy gasped in horror. "No way! What'm I going to do!? She's going to kill me!"
Giggling, Robin threw in her own two cents. "And we never got to see the fireworks either. Oh well."
"Respectfully, I believe you did the right thing, Captain," and now Brook had joined them. While the man was hardly a pacifist, he deeply cherished the value of life. Fifty years dead-but-alive, surrounded by the bones of your first crew-friends-family-nakama, with nothing to distract you but your own thoughts, would do that to you. So with deathly seriousness, he elaborated. "The moment they figured out I was working with you, this operation would have to be closed down. Further fighting would have been pointless. As for Nami, she will agree."
Brook decided to not ruin Luffy and Usopp's hopes by adding that she would still likely hit the two young men. Because he was a nice guy, he decided he would ask Nami if he could see her panties, so that she could vent some of that lovely, youthful energy on him first. He caught Robin's knowing grin, and tipped his head at her in a little nod at her own insight. Then he let himself relax again.
"Oh my, Robin dear, is your arm hurt~?" he dramatically asked, despite already knowing the answer
"It's nothing," she assured him. "I've already put one of Chopper's salves on, and it'll be better than ever in a few minutes."
"Well in that case, we should celebrate!" He handed the bags of money over to Luffy to carry, who was happy to lend his monstrous strength to the task, anticipating what would happen next. Pulling out his violin from his ribcage (being a little quieter than his guitar), Brook played a cheerful beat, skipping down the road away from the remains of the battlefield. Grinning, the others followed behind, maintaining a fast but happy pace as they put distance between them and the heroes.
Timing it perfectly, Brook unleashed the crescendo just as the fireworks he had set to a delayed ignition went off. It was the musician's job to see to the mental health of the Crew after all, and Usopp's newest invention was perfect for it.
Series of rising blue lights formed waves of water, while yellow starbursts formed a ship upon it. Touches of red and green added the details to make clear it was the Thousand Sunny, sailing the oceans of the sky.
"SUNNYYYYYYY" Luffy shouted happily, while jumping up and down at the sight of his ship. Then he relaxed to face the artist. "That's beautiful, Usopp," Luffy said quietly, with utter sincerity.
"Oh my," Robin gasped. While not as bloody and violent as she expected, it was still unquestionably lovely to behold.
"Well done my friend~!" Brook cheered.
"Oh, you know, the Great Genius Usopp always delivers!" boasted the inventor.
Then a white van pulled up in front of them, and Nami stuck her head out of the window. "Usopp," she said in a voice that was too calm to be real. "That's a very beautiful fireworks display, but would you boys," –Robin was automatically assumed innocent due to a) being of the rational gender, and b) being too smart to be responsible— "mind explaining these police reports we've intercepted? Or why while driving here, we've been watching explosions and flash bombs going off in the sky?" Now Nami's forehead veins were visibly throbbing. "Or why you're running away from there carrying my money?"
"Uhhhhhh," Luffy and Usopp managed, sweat running down their faces like rain.
"We'd be happy to explain," Brook cheerfully offered. "But first, may I see your panties?"
"Die!"
!JUSTICE!
Later
Flash's eye's snapped open behind his cowl as his mind reorganized itself.
Although only a second passed, he quickly assessed that he was in the Watchtower Hospital Wing, noted that this was his first time seeing it as a patient, remembered his fight, knew that his accelerated healing was still at work, calculated how long he had been unconscious based upon how hard he had been hit and how hungry he was (Starved!) to gain an estimate on how badly he had been hurt, and concluded that John must have come out of the fight okay and flown him straight here.
"Uuuugh," Wally West groaned with more than a touch of self-pity.
J'onn Jonzz appeared overheard, and did a quick test with a handheld Martian medical device to check for a concussion (shining a light in Wally's eyes would require removing his mask).
"Are the others okay?" croaked Flash.
"You were the only one hurt," J'onn assured him, with a sympathetic look.
The real reason for it became abundantly clear as the Dark Knight appeared to stand over the downed hero.
"I know, I know," Flash contritely said.
"Know what?" Batman asked, disapproval dripping off his every word like meat-sauce at a barbeque. I seriously need to get some food . . .
Despite being hungry, with his healing ability and ability to still process his thoughts faster than norm, he was already fully awake, and engaging in a rare bout of rapid self-reflection.
"I messed up," Flash said, refusing to break eye contact with his fellow hero. "I didn't realize who he was in time, but frankly I'm not upset about that. Even now," his eyes narrowed in thought, "he's either a phenomenal actor, or that's really who he is. He just wants to have fun, so he doesn't take what's happening seriously most of the time. It's only when he does get earnest that you realize how dangerous he is."
Batman resisted the urge to point out the obvious comparison, not wanting to get sidetracked.
"As for our fight," now Flash looked particularly glum, his eyes glancing aside briefly before meeting Batman's gaze again. "I underestimated him going in, and that cost me. I didn't expect to fight someone so fast, and it kept me on the defensive. I didn't think. Not really.
"His powers seem based upon rubber, so trying to punch him was probably a stupid idea in the first place. I don't even know if that would've hurt him. Instead I should've gotten more space from him to go faster, grab something to use to help fight him, wrapped his stretching limbs up, made a tornado or two, something like that. Instead I found myself reacting too much." Then Flash took on a grim cast. "I'll train with Superman more. He's fast too, so he can help me prepare for next time."
The two Justice Leaguers continued to stare at each other for a moment, with a trickle of unease going up Batman's spine—
"But first!" Flash grinned, all cheer again. "I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really need something to eat! C'mon man, what've you got for a handsome speedster in recovery? Hope you didn't scrimp on the necessities when you spent all that money building this place. That means decent food, none of that junk in the other hospitals. And is there any chance of a nurse in a skimpy outfit?" Then he lowered his voice to a sotto whisper, "But not Diana or Shayera of course. They'd kill me."
"I'll get you your food," Batman said expressionlessly, before turning around to walk off.
"Don't you go wearing a nurse's dress!" Flash called after him. "That'd be just plain wrong!" Then he turned to talk normally to Martian Manhunter. "Did you hear that, J'onn? He didn't criticize me once! Alright, except for that first one, but still! A record! Maybe I hit my head after all, and this is all a hallucination?"
"You acknowledged your mistakes and came up with a plan to correct them," the Martian pointed out with a small grin.
Unseen, Batman allowed himself a slight smile too, even as he suppressed all memory of his fear. Fear of a Flash gone grim, from being disillusioned by the world.
I should've known better. He's irrepressible.
The Scarlet Speedster was an annoying, loud mouthed, immature adult, who at the same time was seen by some of the others as the little brother they never knew they wanted. For all that merciless torture would never make him admit it, even Batman would rather cut off his own arm than lose him. With a dull blade.
For the truth was, more than the rest of the Justice League, Wally West –yes, Batman knew who he really was— represented what they fought for. He was joyful and kind to a fault, always ready to see the best in others. And once he saw it, he would do all he could to draw it out.
Superman was the Leader, the Example they all looked to.
Flash was the Heart.
To take that away from the League, would be an unforgivable crime.
So Batman made his way back to join the others and tell them Flash was awake. And then he would join them in searching for those responsible for all this.
They had new clues after all.
!JUSTICE!
I should take the chance to give credit to MathisMagic and their incredible crossover, "Fixations." Not only was it a huge piece of inspiration and helped guide me towards writing this story, it was a phenomenal help getting into the mind of Flash and the Justice League for this chapter.
.
Regarding Robin's fight, I should begin by saying she is my favourite of the Straw Hats, so I apologize to both you and her for her lackluster fight here. Right after writing that, I went and wrote a future fight scene for her that is more worthy of her sheer awesomeness. She totally deserves to do that more often in canon really.
That said, Robin was at an initial disadvantage, and did not see any benefit in trying to snap the spine of a member of the Justice League. At this point.
.
And to a certain anonymous Guest, I hope this at least partially addresses your question about haki and Green Lantern Rings.
-0-
Next chapter: 'Fury'
(An adaption of the Justice League episode by the same name, which may be helpful to catch up on beforehand, even if just with the wiki.)
I will do my best to ensure that none of the recommended canon material is necessary to understand the chapter. I am just generally one of those people who are sticklers about having all the source material, or reading/watching all the prequels before starting a new story.
-0-
Please Review, and I will get back to you!