Hunters of Justice (RWBY/DC)
Chapter 3: Last Sons and Daughters
It was an odd thing, staring at a planet from orbit. One could see practically everything from there, from the vast mountain ranges to the wide open seas. From the great plains to dry deserts, and arctic tundra to bustling city lights, Ruby and the others saw it all. It was truly a sight to behold, one that they took in for all its worth.
Especially as, the last time they looked upon a planet from orbit, it was their home being destroyed. That memory was forever burned into all of their minds, and none of them thought it would ever truly go away.
"It's breathtaking, isn't it? Really puts things into perspective," they heard someone say, making all of them turn their heads to see a man clad in red and blue staring out at the planet below them. His red cape draped behind him, and Ruby allowed herself to faintly smile.
"Superman," Ruby greeted, happy to see the Man of Steel once more. They had been on the Watchtower for a few days now, the vast majority of which had them stuck in the medical bay as the Justice League, the group they found themselves the guests of, monitored their condition and tried to decipher their language.
At first, the League tried using the lantern ring John Stewart had, as apparently it served as a universal translator, only to find that Vytalian wasn't in its databanks. After that, they discussed bringing in some woman named Koriand'r, only to decide for whatever reason that it was not a good idea. It was only after RWBY and JNPR finally relented and let J'onn J'onzz probe their minds and learn their language that they were finally able to communicate. They then spent the rest of the week learning English, helped out by J'onn's mental prodding. That experience had been weird, to say the least, and it wasn't one any of them were eager to repeat.
"I'm not disturbing anything, am I?" he asked, trying to remain courteous. Ruby appreciated the attempt.
"No, not at all," Pyrrha waved him off. "Just…soaking it in. Being in space and all."
"Many would share that feeling," Superman smiled then turned towards them. The next question hung over the air, one they all knew was coming. Finally, after a long moment of silence, Superman gently spoke. "How are you all holding up?"
"We're…" Weiss paused and looked back down on the planet below. The people here called it Earth, an unimaginative name for a planet if she'd ever heard one, but then again they called their home planet Remnant. "We're doing better. Still… processing."
"I understand. Take your time," Superman nodded then patted her shoulder. "Know that we're here to talk whenever you want." At that, Superman turned around and walked out of the observatory, the doors opening and closing automatically behind him, leaving them alone once more. The eight former students turned back to the window, and each let out a long sigh.
"I can't believe this is happening," Jaune finally spoke up, breaking the silence.
"I know what you mean." Yang nodded solemnly. "It feels so unreal. Remnant is…gone, and now were on another planet."
"A space station orbiting a planet," Blake corrected, "run by people that look like they popped straight out of one of those comic books Ruby reads all the time."
"Yeah…" Ruby sighed as she leaned forward on the railing in front of her. "Superheroes. Actual superheroes, and not just Huntsmen stylizing themselves after them. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman. I won't lie and say it's not cool." Ruby chuckled. Truth be told, had she been in a lighter state of mind, she'd probably be jumping off the walls in excitement and curiosity, but right now she just didn't have it in her.
"Batman scares me," Jaune admitted.
"Same."
"Total agreement there."
"It's like he's a male Goodwitch, only dressed like a bat."
The others quickly responded, and then they all laughed. Sensing an opportunity, Jaune backed up from the railing and dramatically threw his arm over his face, as if he was holding a cape.
"Evil beware, for I am the night!" he declared dramatically, causing everyone to laugh at his antics. "Look at my batsuit and see how serious I am!"
The others continued to laugh, and Jaune pressed on. "With a single glare, I can silence anyone from saying how ridiculous I look, because I am just that dark and scary! I can—"
"Are you finished?"
"Aagh!" the others jumped as Batman suddenly made his presence known. He was standing in a far corner of the observatory, staring at them from underneath his bat-like cowl, his eyes hidden under a white sheen and still clad in his armored batsuit. Ruby felt it was simultaneously the most intimidating and coolest looking costume she had ever laid eyes on, but she wasn't about to admit that.
"How…how long were you there?" Jaune asked, deeply embarrassed.
"Long enough," he replied, continuing to stare at the others.
"Oh." Jaune grew silent. He could feel Batman staring at him, and even if he wasn't trying to intimidate him, it still happened. "So, uh… Do you need us or…?"
"Food is ready in the mess hall," Batman answered and walked to the door. "Just wanted to let you all know that." He paused at the now opened door. "Also, whenever you're ready to talk, just come and find me."
He walked through the threshold, which closed behind him with a soft hiss, leaving the students alone once more. They were all silent as they stared at the door.
"… It's like there needs to be a bell on that guy," Yang finally said, and the others all nodded in agreement.
"Did you really need to do that, Bruce?" Diana asked as she and Batman walked to the mess hall, the red, blue, and gold-colored metal plates of her Amazonian armor clattering against each other.
"It wasn't my intention to frighten them," he responded, to which Diana rolled her eyes.
"Let's be honest, Bruce. You tend to scare people, sometimes." Batman looked at her, and she laughed. "Okay, a lot. You scare people a lot. I'm beginning to think you enjoy it."
Batman remained silent as he continued to walk forward, causing Diana to huff in amusement. "Of course you do. You can afford to be less…tense here, you know?"
"No." Diana expected his response, and merely sighed. Before she could respond, she heard soft steps coming from behind, and the two turned around to see the children tentatively walking behind them. Diana smiled warmly and waited for them while Batman continued on.
"Hello, Diana," Ruby smiled warmly at her, as did the others. They always liked speaking to the Wonder Woman, as she frequently came by to check in on them.
"Hello, Ruby," Diana greeted then walked as they caught up to her. "I'm happy to see you all joining us."
They continued to walk in silence through the Watchtower, occasionally spotting other superheroes heading towards the mess hall or back from it. Most of them they didn't recognize, although each were memorable. As they finally entered the mess hall, they were greeted by the sight of nearly a hundred men and women intermingling with each other, each wearing unique costumes as they ate and talked. Some were simply wearing colorful body suits while others were wearing full sets of armor. One man didn't even have a face, but it was his insane conspiracies about sinister aglets that made Ruby and the others stay clear. They saw Green Arrow and Black Canary eating together and enjoying each other's company, and Nora glared at the archer. She still hadn't forgiven him for hitting Ren in the face with a boxing glove arrow, although Yang frankly found it to be hysterical.
Walking through the mess hall, they felt a few heroes looking at them, but none moved to interact. After all, they were still getting used to their new environment. None of the heroes quite knew exactly what to do. Except for one, who ran up to them in a red blur.
"Sup, guys!" Flash greeted with a smile, still dressed in his familiar red and gold-trimmed suit and wearing his mask. Unlike Batman's cowl, Flash's mask did not hide his blue eyes from view, and they were filled with nothing but life.
"I saved you guys a seat. Wanna join me?" Flash offered, and while the children thought it over, Diana saw immediately what he was trying to do. Barry, more so than most of them, was able to easily connect with people. They had bonded with him the quickest over their week-long stay in the Watchtower, as he would frequently visit them whenever he had the chance, if only to try and talk to them.
"I think that is a wonderful idea, Flash," she said with a smile before turning to the others. "How about you?"
"Sure!" Nora exclaimed with a grin. "Don't think I'm going to forget about our rematch, Flash."
"Wouldn't dream of it, Nora." Flash grinned while the others quickly recoiled. "May the best eater win."
"You're on!" With that, Nora and Flash raced to the food line, leaving the others in their wake.
"…I better go with them. Make sure Nora doesn't go overboard," Ren said as he followed after his frenetic partner. The others merely sighed before grabbing a tray of chicken, mixed vegetables and rice and walked to a nearby table. They sat silently as they ate, content to merely eat and try not to watch Nora and Flash race to earn the title of world's greatest human vacuum.
"Honestly, never thought I'd see the day where Nora would lose in an eating contest," Yang finally said, unable to keep her gaze away. A few League members were now cheering the two on as a mountain of food shrunk between them, while others turned away in disgust.
"Flash's powers make his metabolism extremely high. He has to eat as much as he can," Diana explained as she watched the two continue. "I don't think even Superman could out eat him."
"Really?" Jaune hummed to himself before shaking his head. "Really, this entire thing is just…"
"Bizarre?"
"That's one word for it, sure." Jaune sighed as he poked at his meal, looking at the others before turning back to see a victorious Flash holding his arms aloft over a defeated Nora, Ren rubbing his hand across her prone shoulders. He then turned to look at the rest of his friends, a silent conversation ensuing between them while Diana patiently waited.
"Listen, we've been talking and…" Jaune stopped and sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "We know that you've all been patient with us, trying to help us cope with what…happened and everything. But…"
"Don't worry, I understand," Diana smiled as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "We'll only talk about your home when you all are comfortable. Just know that you have people here that are more than happy to help."
"Thank you," Ruby said as she looked down. Diana continued to eat her food silently. They were hurting, and it was likely that they would continue to hurt for quite some time. Trying to press the issue and, for lack of a better word, interrogate them would only make them withdraw further. Bruce had been quite adamant about that. Still, things weren't going as fast as they needed, on both sides. They needed to take a different approach.
A thought suddenly came to mind, one that made Diana smile to herself. It was so simple, she was surprised it hadn't been done yet.
"Have you all talked to Superman yet?" Her question prompted confused glances from the children.
"A few times," Ruby admitted. "Why?"
They found Superman floating in front of a large window in the control room, staring down on Earth and letting the Sun's rays hit him. Despite not knowing him very well, they had to admit seeing him was awe inspiring. They could see the power contained within his muscles, the strength of will his eyes offered glimpses into. It felt like a bottomless well, that trying to see how deep they go would only make one lost and feel insignificant. And yet, a man of that strength and power hugged a distraught girl, simply to let her know everything would be alright.
Things weren't alright, but it was the thought that counted.
"Superman," Diana greeted, causing Superman to smile and float down towards them.
"Diana, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Pyrrha," he greeted all of them with a warm smile.
"Hi," Ruby greeted, complete with a small wave. The others followed, although Nora's was much more enthusiastic. "How's Metropolis?"
Superman he nodded as he stepped up to them "The situation in Metropolis has been contained, for the most part. But, things have been…hectic, to say the least."
"It certainly looked like it. You guys were lucky you contained it so quickly," Ruby said. They had seen on the TVs in their room that their arrival in Metropolis was followed by a short Grimm invasion, one that rivaled the Breach at the very least. Had it not been contained, things could have gotten very bad very quickly. It was that same report that showed them exactly who they were in the company of, how strong they were as well as their capabilities. It was impressive, to say the least.
"Yes, those… Grimm, you called them?" Ruby and the others nodded, and Superman continued. "Those Grimm were something else entirely. You sure you don't know anything else about them?"
"Nothing. Back home, we'd tried to examine Grimm more closely for eons, but never had any success," Weiss answered. When they had learned that Earth had no such thing as Grimm and that Metropolis was the first time they had ever encountered them, at first RWBY and JNPR were confused. The concept of a world without Grimm was almost as alien as the world they were orbiting. It was then that Weiss realized that Earth truly was alien, and as such no Grimm on Earth made total sense. Grimm might have been commonplace back on Remnant, but Earth wasn't Remnant. It was reasonable that the Grimm were previously confined to their doomed home. That admittedly brought some satisfaction to her, but not much.
"Hmm, unfortunate," Superman cupped his chin and shook his head. "But enough about that. There's something I wanted to show you."
"Oh, what is it?" Jaune asked, mildly curious.
Superman smiled. "It's a surprise, but I can't show you all in here. How would you guys like to accompany me down to Earth? Get a closer look?"
Ruby and the others all looked at each other then back at Superman, a mixture of emotions racing through them. On the one hand, they had been cooped up in the Watchtower for days, only able to see the Earth from high orbit. Simple curiosity demanded they go down there and explore it for themselves. They all longed for the feel of the breeze on their faces, the scent of ocean salt and the general weight of natural gravity not produced by artificial gravity generators. But that led into their biggest problem with going down there. Earth wasn't their home, and nothing would ever replace that.
"Sure," Yang suddenly spoke for all of them. Weiss and the others all looked at her, but Yang merely rolled her shoulders. "I don't know about you, but simply staying up here and moping is not going to solve our problems. And I'm tired of moping."
They thought over her words before nodding in turn.
"Quick question," Blake spoke up, "how are we going to get down there?"
The air was calm around the Kent Family farm. A light breeze whistled through fields of corn and wheat, powering a windmill as it creaked and spun. The sound of birds chirping and singing filled the air while the summer sun shone down from above. Everything was perfect and peaceful.
That peace was shattered as a blue shimmer of light shone down from high above. From the light emerged Superman, along with the eight teenagers. For a moment, they all stood proudly and took a deep breath of the countryside air, and then the teens curled over and began to hurl.
"Yeah, it takes a little getting used to," Clark said as he patted Jaune's back while the boy continued to empty his stomach of its contents.
"Wha…" Jaune said as he slowly managed to reign himself in, "What was that!?"
"Teleportation Sickness," Superman spoke softly as he helped Pyrrha stand, who was wobbling on her feet. "Don't worry, it happened to all of us the first time. Some had more extreme reactions than others."
"That was the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me," Yang spoke through wide eyes. "Kinda want to do it again."
"Really?" Blake asked with raised eyebrows while clutching her stomach.
"Yes."
"Honestly…"
"Just tell me once the world stops spinning…" Ruby wobbled in place. Only after a few more minutes did Ruby and her friends finally regain their full composure, and it was then that they realized just where they were.
"You…wanted to show us a farm?" Weiss asked as she took everything in. "What's so important about a farm?"
"Well," Superman chuckled, "I grew up here. I like to think that makes it pretty important."
"Oh." Weiss felt sheepish and swiveled her head, taking in the sight of the fields. "It looks…nice?"
"Weiss," Ruby chastised with a small pout. Weiss merely sighed and threw her hands slightly upwards. Superman merely laughed.
"It's fine, I understand the country life isn't for everyone." Superman stopped and looked up into the clear blue sky. A few small clouds, white and puffy, hung overhead. He smiled then spoke again. "But, I didn't bring you all here just to show you my old farmhouse."
The others all raised their eyebrows first, and Superman merely smiled. "I want to show you all something very important to me, something that I think will help. I couldn't do that at the Watchtower, but I can here. May I?" He held out his hand and smiled warmly. The teenagers, unsure of exactly what he wanted to show them, remained hesitant until Ruby tentatively walked forward.
"Okay," she said as she walked over to the Kryptonian. She grasped his hand and looked into his eyes and she couldn't help but smile. "What is it that you wanted to show us?"
"Something that always cheers me up," he replied through a toothy smile. "Now, make sure you hold on tightly."
"What are you-?" Ruby asked before Superman gently grabbed hold of her and held her close. He then crouched down, bringing the huntress down with him and making small rocks hover and swirl around his feet. Then, he shot upwards off the ground.
"AAAGH!" Ruby screamed as she and Superman quickly left the ground beneath them, her surprised friends turning into pinpricks. Air whooshed around them as they ascended higher and higher, all the while Ruby continued to cling tightly to the man holding her with her eyes clamped shut.
"Ruby, it's okay. I got you," he comforted her. "Look."
Slowly, Ruby opened her eyes and gasped. They were high above the ground now, to the point where she couldn't see her friends anymore. Only farmhouses, scattered like islands in seas of grain. The air was thin and cool, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Clouds swirled around them, and the only sound they heard was that of the wind. The sun shone down upon them, warming them with its unobstructed rays and casting large shadows that stretched across the ground for miles. It was breathtaking to the young girl as she took in the awesome sight, words unable to describe how she was feeling. A cloud drifted by, and Ruby reached out and put her hand into the saturated mass. She then pulled it out to see that it was damp, and then she finally began to laugh joyously.
Superman smiled then angled himself forward and flew off once again. The clouds zipped by them as the two flew at a comfortable speed, passing by a flock of geese that honked at them. Ruby continued to smile as she experienced flight, and then Superman gently grabbed her arm and thrust it in front of her. She copied his action with her other arm, making both outstretched before her like the nose of an airplane. Happy tears were beginning to fly off of her face, and Superman smiled more.
He flew faster now, but not to the point where it could potentially discomfort his passenger. The air whistled and whined as they passed by, but Ruby didn't care. She was flying like a bird, and as she did, her worries were beginning to melt away.
Superman then angled them downward, descending down to the fields below. They skimmed the top of a field of wheat, and Ruby let her fingers brush against their tops while continuing to laugh. A pond emerged in front of them which they passed over quickly, leaving a wake behind them.
"This is amazing!" she shouted over the air as they banked upwards once more. They climbed higher and higher, through both empty air and a billowy cloud until they were once again soaring above it. They hovered in place as they heard a plane pass by overhead. Ruby watched it soar by with awe then angled her head to look at Superman once more. He was smiling, and Ruby couldn't help but smile right back.
"Thank you," she said. "Thank you."
"It's okay, Ruby. Everything is going to be okay." He ruffled her hair as they slowly descended back to the Kent Family Farm. She could begin to see her awestruck friends watching them, and she continued to smile brightly as they touched ground. For a split moment after Superman let go, Ruby wobbled, only for him to gently grab her and keep her standing.
"So," he began as the others all stared at him and Ruby, "who wants to go next?"
After nearly five hours of flight, both around Smallville and farther out, the teleporter bay in the Watchtower shone with light as Superman and the children arrived. Mr. Terrific smiled as he saw the look on all of their faces. When they left, they were all scared, subdued, and kept to themselves. Now, they were like entirely different people, so full of happiness and life. The pain was still there, but it was lessened. It was all they could hope for now.
"I take it you all enjoyed yourselves?" Green Arrow, leaning in the entryway, asked as the group walked towards him and Dinah.
"It. Was. Amazing!" Nora exclaimed as she threw her arms in the air. "First we were all "aagh"! Then were like "whoosh" and "zoom"!" The others laughed at how animated Nora was getting.
"I admit, it was…exhilarating. It was like nothing I've ever experienced." Weiss sighed in contentment then turned to face Superman. "And you do this every day?"
"I do." Superman nodded. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. What say we all go and get something to eat?"
Superman was answered by eight growling stomachs.
"That sounds lovely," Pyrrha said with an embarrassed blush.
Dinner at the Watchtower had been a muted affair for RWBY and JNPR the past few days. The stress and trauma of losing their planet, home, and their loved ones made them all withdraw into themselves. Try as the other heroes might, the students were merely content to grab their food and retreat to the medical bay. The tried their best to alleviate their fears, that they were safe amongst them, but their progress the past few days had been slow.
So when RWBY and JNPR reentered the mess hall with smiles on their faces and wanting to mingle, many of the heroes let out a mass sigh of relief.
"So, there we were. Mortal enemies facing each other in a battle to the death," Nora theatrically began.
"We were in the Beacon cafeteria having a food fight," Ren clarified, earning a few chuckles.
"Our battleground was cracked and shadowed by a grand and majestic castle, towering over everyone and with a powerful queen at the top of the highest tower."
"Nora stacked all the tables on top of each other then proclaimed herself Queen of the Castle."
"A fierce battle began anew, with each side fighting tooth and nail to prove themselves to be the superior combatants and rule over the land! The General fell quickly, leaving only his queen and her subjects to carry out his will against the four interlopers. Spears were thrown, blades were crossed, and one was sent to the heavens above! But then, a red wind swept through the battlefield and defeated the queen and her subjects!"
"Jaune got knocked out by a turkey almost immediately. Nora knocked Yang through the ceiling with a melon hammer and Pyrrha threw every single soda can at RWBY. Then Ruby used her Semblance to create a whirlwind that wiped us out with all the debris."
"And so ended the battle for the ages, and the great witch emerged from the wreckage with the wizard to clean up the scars."
"Ruby won and Professor Goodwitch cleaned up the mess while Professor Ozpin just stood there."
The mess hall grew quiet at the end of Nora's tale, with all the heroes staring at the students before Flash suddenly threw his hands in the air.
"Seriously? That's what qualifies as a food fight on Remnant?!" he exclaimed.
"That's cuz we're awesome like that, man," Yang replied with a smirk. Flash merely chuckled and shook his head. From the other side of the room, Superman watched with a faint smile, Diana and Batman standing alongside him.
"We did the right thing," Diana declared as RWBY and JNPR continued to mingle. "Their spirits are much brighter now. I can see the hope returning to them."
"I'm still not comfortable with questioning them yet. If we force it, all we'll do is just push them away," Batman stated. For the untrained ear, one might assume Batman's voice was emotionless. But Superman and Diana could tell he was pleased with their progress.
"Agreed. They need to come to us." Superman cupped his chin and hummed. "Right now, their biggest issue is feeling that they're alone with their problems. That no one can truly understand just what they went through."
"I can think of a few people that also share that." Batman looked at Superman, who nodded in agreement.
"My thoughts exactly. We'll let them mingle tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll take them to the Fortress."
"Today was…interesting, to say the least," Blake stated as she lay in bed. Her hands were crossed behind her head and she stared at the white ceiling. Yang was lying down on her stomach, kicking her feet in the air while the others merely sat on their beds.
"You can say that again," Jaune said through a smile. His smile soon disappeared and turned into a frown. "Still, being on that farm… It made me think of home."
"Jaune, I'm sure your family made it," Pyrrha declared, patting her partner on the shoulder.
"Honestly, I don't really know what's worse." Jaune fell onto his back and sighed. "Either they didn't make it into Vale and…died," his breath hitched and tears began to well, but he continued. "Or they did, only to be shrunken down and put into a goddamn bottle. A bottle that'll be emptied once Brainiac's done with them."
Everyone grew silent at Jaune's words. Truth was, they were all thinking the same thing. While Ren and Nora's parents were long dead, the others couldn't say the same. For all they knew, they were the last of their families, whether captured or not. Sure, a captured family might still be alive, but they might prefer it to being Brainiac's test subjects.
"It's not fair," Weiss spoke softly. "What did we do to deserve this? Why did Brainiac decide that he had the right to do what he did?"
"Sometimes people are cruel," someone spoke as they entered the room. The Huntsmen looked and saw J'onn standing at the doorway. "Children. May I?"
"Of course. Please." Ruby nodded and let the Martian Manhunter enter their room. As he did, the others eyed him warily, despite their attempts not to. They knew that they were surrounded by aliens, both from Earth and otherwise, but his green skin and bald head reminded them too much of Brainiac.
"I am not offended. Your fear is understandable," J'onn suddenly declared, causing the others to nervously shift.
"Oh, right. Mind reading." Ruby nervously chuckled.
"Speaking of which, thank you for helping us learn English." Weiss earnestly nodded. "It's nice being able to talk to everyone."
"You are welcome, Ms. Schnee." J'onn sat down on a chair in front of them, and the air grew heavy. None of them knew what to say.
"Has anyone told you the story of how the Justice League came to be formed?" J'onn suddenly asked, catching everyone's attention.
"Uh…no, not really," Ren answered.
"Do you mind if I tell it?" the Martian asked. The others looked at each other before looking back and nodding. J'onn nodded back and began to speak.
"It began roughly a thousand years ago, on the planet the people of Earth call Mars. My people called it Ma'aleca'andra, and although it was dry and arid, it was beautiful. Great cities dotted the land, drilling water from deep below to quench our thirst and grow our crops. We were philosophers and scientists, with war a concept long since forgotten. I lived with my wife My'ria'h and our two beautiful children. It was a paradise."
"What happened?" Nora asked, sensing the dark turn that was about to unfold. J'onn grew grimmer but continued.
"We were attacked by a race of parasitic conquerors called the Imperium. The humans called them White Martians, as their amorphous bodies were white and they had assumed them to be from Mars. They were not. The Imperium arrived in the solar system roughly a millennia ago, and they rejected any attempts at peace with my people." J'onn frowned and his fist tightened before relaxing. "They invaded the planet, wiped out our meager defenses effortlessly and killed anyone they could… Including my family." J'onn became downcast and the others gasped.
"I'm so sorry," Yang said, her eyes turning blue.
"It's alright." J'onn stood up and walked to the nearby window, staring down on the Earth below. "The Imperium controlled Ma'aleca'andra for the next five hundred years. Any life that existed was slowly stripped away, so thoroughly that to Earth scientists it looked as though life never existed. They filled the atmosphere with smoke, blocking the Sun's rays from reaching the ground. Plants died, as did the animals that depended on them. After five hundred years, the planet was well and truly dead.
But, the Imperium didn't get everyone. Including myself, a small army of survivors waged a seemingly endless struggle against our invaders, trying to stop them from destroying the planet. In the end, we managed to create a nerve agent that would place the Imperium into hibernation, and we fought our last stand to deploy it."
"You succeeded, I take it." Weiss leaned towards the Martian.
"Yes, but I was the only survivor." J'onn grew silent once more, still staring at the Earth. "I was and am the last of my kind. There are no more Martians on Earth nor any other planet. But, the Imperium was still there, and I vowed that no other planet would suffer what happened to my own. I sealed them away and placed myself into hibernation, and for the next five hundred years we were undisturbed."
"What happened after that?" Jaune asked, enraptured by the tale.
"Five years ago, two NASA astronauts, led by Captain John Allen Carter, landed on Mars. They were the first living beings to step on the planet in centuries, and they began to explore. All they found was the dust of a long dead planet… and the tomb I sealed the Imperium in. One that they accidentally opened.
"No…" Ruby gasped. "The astronauts… Did they…?"
"The Imperium killed them both instantly, only to then use the shapeshifting abilities they stole from my people to mask one of them as Captain Carter. They then turned their sights on Earth. They spent the next two years infiltrating the planet, inserting spies into key areas while working to sabotage Earth's defenses. These efforts culminated with the disassembly of Earth's nuclear arsenal. I myself awoke during this time and attempted to warn the humans of the danger lurking among them, but the Imperium captured me and placed me under containment."
"Why didn't they just kill you?" Blake pointed out.
"If I had to guess, simple cruelty. Perhaps revenge for their imprisonment. For months, they tortured me. Tried to get me to break. But I didn't, and as my strength slowly returned, I began reaching out across the planet for allies. I telepathically contacted Superman, Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern John Stewart, Hawkgirl, and the Flash."
"What about Batman?"
"He followed Superman."
"Ah." Somehow, despite not knowing him for more than a week, that seemed to fit what they knew about the Dark Knight.
"Together, we fought against the Imperium, destroying their war machines and halting their conquest of the planet. They attempted to flee, but a traitor from their own ranks, one that had grown disgusted with her people's barbaric cruelty, sabotaged their escape which allowed us to destroy them once and for all. At that very moment, my people were avenged and the Earth was saved."
"Wow…" Ruby spoke quietly. "And…you all made the Justice League afterwards?"
"Yes. Before the invasion, Superman thought that he could defend the world on his own. The invasion proved him wrong, and afterwards he invited the six of us to form the Justice League, and although Batman chose not to be an official member—"
"Of course."
"—he has been with us ever since. Since that day, we stood watch over the planet, both from threats borne from Earth and from beyond. After Hawkgirl's people, the Thanargarians, invaded two years ago, we've expanded the Justice League to its current size, and we've been growing ever since."
"That's…amazing," Jaune said as he looked at Earth and J'onn. "Why did you tell us this?"
"Because you are all hurting." J'onn turned back to the Huntsmen, who were all staring at him. "It is not hard to see that you are all in pain. There is no shame in that. I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. Others have gone through what you have. The loss of families, homes, and loved ones."
He turned to leave, stopping at the doorway. "It's getting late, and you've all had a long day. I recommend getting some rest." He began to walk away again.
"Wait," Ruby spoke up, and at once J'onn stopped in his tracks. "Thank you. I'm… I'm sorry about what happened to your people and your family. I would have loved to have met them."
"Thank you." J'onn nodded. At that, he closed the door and walked away, leaving RWBY and JNPR to ruminate among themselves.
The next morning, after eating a breakfast of pancakes, sausages, and eggs, RWBY and JNPR found themselves at the Teleporter Bay once more. They wouldn't lie and say that, after their experience the previous day, they weren't nervous, but the presence of Superman along with Batman and Wonder Woman calmed them. J'onn's words from the previous night still echoed in their minds, and they wondered how to process it.
"All systems green," Mr. Terrific declared from the control board. "Destination: Fortress of Solitude, Antarctic tundra."
"Wait, we're going to Antarctica!?" Blake suddenly shouted.
"So that's why you made us wear these heavy clothes," Yang realized. "I thought you just wanted me to look like a penguin." The League members chuckled while Batman remained silent.
"Quick question, how come only Batman is wearing appropriate clothes?" Jaune pointed out. Indeed, Superman was still wearing his red and blue suit and Wonder Woman her Amazonian armor, while Batman was wearing what he called his XE Suit. It certainly looked like it could survive extremely cold temperatures.
"Superman's a Kryptonian and Diana's a demi-god. The sub-zero temperatures in Antarctica won't affect them," Batman clarified, causing the teenagers to look at Diana in surprise.
"You're a god?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow, not quite believing it. Diana chuckled.
"I am the daughter of Zeus, Olympian God of the Sky and Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons." She smiled warmly while the others looked at her with disbelief.
"So, what you're saying is, you're divine royalty?" Yang's smirk was audible, and Superman let out a quick laugh before stopping himself.
"Yes, I suppose I am," Diana agreed with a laugh.
"I'm firing up the teleporter. See you all in a few hours," Mr. Terrific declared as the teleporter booted up. The teenagers braced themselves as the light shone around them. They felt the pull as the teleporter transported them. One moment, they were in a temperature controlled metal room. The next, they were standing in front of a large crystal pyramid with a golden door, surrounded by ice and snow.
"Gods, it's cold!" Blake yelled as she hugged herself tightly, her teeth beginning to chatter. The other Huntsmen were shivering and holding themselves tightly as well, wisps of icy breath coming out of their mouths as their cheeks turned red.
"Heh, you guys would have never survived Atlas," Weiss declared as she looked haughtily at the others. She, too, was cold and her skin was beginning to redden, but unlike the others, she was more used to the cold environment and had her stubborn pride to keep herself warm.
"Wh…where are we?" Jaune asked through chattering teeth.
"This," Superman declared as he walked to the door, "is the Fortress of Solitude."
The doors opened and let the warm air of the Fortress escape out of its walls. Almost as soon as the warm air hit their bodies did the teenagers all sprint inside. Superman and Diana chuckled at their reaction while Batman merely walked after them. The two followed him in and the doors closed behind them with a loud clang.
"Didn't take them long to get in," Superman noted.
"It's negative fifty-seven degrees Celsius, Clark. Of course they ran inside," Batman dryly remarked, making Diana chuckle. The trinity of heroes continued deeper into the Fortress, finally coming across a pile of discarded winter clothes. The teenagers were nowhere to be seen, but none of them were worried. In the distance, they could hear the sounds of running feet and followed them.
"Somehow, I figured they'd come here," Diana declared as they found themselves in the preservation hall. RWBY and JNPR were all pressed up against the glass enclosures, each looking at the myriad array of fantastical creatures. Six-legged lizards, the size of small dogs, scuttled across tall tree branches. Children-sized golden birds hefted giant worms as they soared through the air, only to land next to large nests and feed the worms to their waiting children. A large rhino-like creature with a spiked crest grazed in a large grassland, while a pack of wolf-like creatures prowled a nearby forest.
"They're all so pretty," Nora gasped at the creatures. "How'd you come across them?"
"Every one of these creatures were found injured from alien words," Superman began to explain as he stood in front of a glass enclosure. "They wouldn't have survived on their own, so I bring them here, rehabilitate them and, when they're ready, bring them back home. Some, however, are unable to re-adapt to the wild, so they end up staying here."
"Hmm," Yang hummed to herself as she watched a mother bird feed her young. "I take it these are the ones that couldn't survive in the wild, even after you healed them."
"Yes," Superman answered. His face was calm, but his eyes held a sadness to them that Yang couldn't quite describe. "It breaks my heart, but I try to keep them happy."
"At least you don't force them into glass walls," she muttered, and Superman sighed. He figured this would come up. There was no malice in her words, but he could tell she was still hurting. He moved to speak up, only for a high-pitched squeal to catch everyone's attention.
"DOGGY!" Ruby squealed as a pure white dog wearing a red collar and cape ran into the hallway. Ruby ran towards the dog, who happily leapt into her arms and began to fervently lick her face. "Ooh, stop it! Stop it! Hahaha!"
"Ooh, who's a good doggy? Who's a good doggy?" Weiss coddled the canine as he turned his attention to the heiress. He got off of Ruby and rolled over on his back, allowing Ruby, Weiss, and Nora to start giving him belly rubs. "Oh, we're going to be the best of friends! Yes we are! Yes we are!"
"You have a dog?" Jaune asked as he and the others watched their friends play with the dog.
"I do," Superman replied with a toothy smile. "His name's Krypto."
"Krypto! Oh, that's a great name!" Ruby continued to rub Krypto's belly.
"Just keep him away from me," Blake muttered from high above. Everyone looked up to see she was currently perched on an archway, warily watching Krypto with suspicion.
"Impressive," Batman idly noted. "You made too much noise, though, and you didn't choose the best spot to hide. Too much light."
"Do you really think that-?" Blake was interrupted by Krypto's bark. She looked down to see the dog staring up at her, sitting down and wagging his tail. "No, I don't want to play with you."
Krypto barked again, and Blake shook her head. "I said no. I'm not going down there." Krypto whined and stopped wagging his tail, causing Ruby to gasp and cutely glare at the Faunus.
"Blake, how could you?" she demanded, causing the girl to sigh.
"Ruby, no offense to Krypto, but I…am much more comfortable staying up here." Krypto whined and Blake remained unmoved.
"Should we tell her?" Diana asked, to which Superman merely shook his head.
"No," Superman said with a smile.
Krypto whined once more and barked loudly, causing Blake to scoff. "No, Krypto. I'm not going down there."
Krypto whined then scrunched his face. He suddenly got to his feet and crouched down, causing Blake to stare blankly at the canine.
"Seriously? You can't jump up—" Blake was interrupted by Krypto leaping into the air. That leap quickly turned into flight, and Krypto flew straight towards an astonished Blake.
"HE CAN FLY!" Ruby shrieked as Krypto soared towards a frozen Blake. Yang's hysterical laughter drowned out the others', and a victorious Krypto looked straight into Blake's eyes. He barked, the force of which rippled the air slightly, then licked Blake's face. When Blake vanished on contact, Krypto looked confused for a moment, only to see the Faunus nimbly scaling down the walls. He scrunched his face then zoomed in front of her, becoming a white blur that reappeared right in front of her. Startled, Blake fell onto the ground, and was helpless to stop Krypto from triumphantly licking her in the face.
"I think he likes you!" Jaune laughed as Krypto laid across Blake's lap, making her his bed.
"I… what is…" Blake stammered as she began petting the creature, if only to placate him. He appeared to enjoy the attention, as he began wagging his tail. Superman smiled at the scene before deciding that he'd had his fun.
"Krypto, that's enough. Get off of Blake," Superman scolded his dog. He barked and hopped off the catgirl's lap then flew to his master. "Sorry about that. Krypto's very affectionate, and a good judge of character. He took to you all very well."
"Flying…dog…too fast…" Blake muttered with wide eyes, causing Yang to laugh harder. She then looked at the smiling face of Diana, Superman, and the faintest evidence of a smirk on Batman's face, then her eyes narrowed. "You knew…"
"That was great!" Yang laughed, to which Krypto barked in appreciation. "What is he, anyway? Was that his Semblance?"
"Semblance?" Superman raised an eyebrow, confusing the others.
"Yeah, his Semblance," Yang clarified, to which the heroes remained silent. "You know, the thing that comes from Aura? Special powers beyond what Aura gives everyone? Yours is the most varied I've ever seen, by the way. We saw the videos from Metropolis."
"Oh, I see." Superman nodded his head. "You mean your people's metagene powers. You call them Semblances?"
"Meta-what now?" Yang asked, clearly confused. The others were just as confused as she was, causing all of them to look at the superheroes, their eyes asking questions and demanding answers. Superman and his companions looked at each other for a moment then back to the teenagers.
"Before we continue, I think it would be best if we discuss what each of us are talking about," Diana suggested. "Let's start with you, Yang. Can you explain to us what "Aura" and "Semblances" are to you?"
"Um…okay," Yang said, shuffling on her feet. "Everything I learned was from my dad and uncle, but… Aura is the physical manifestation of our soul."
"Your soul?" Batman asked. When Yang nodded, Batman tapped a few buttons on his gauntlets, creating a holographic image that he shone on a nearby wall. "Then that must have been the energy field we detected around your bodies. Tell me, does it increase your strength, durability, reaction time and healing?"
"Um, yeah," Jaune spoke up. "It's…kind of like a force field. As long as it's up, we'll feel the pain but we won't actually get hurt. I have to concentrate, though, otherwise things go through."
"With practice, a person can actually keep it up all the time," Weiss clarified. Batman hummed to himself and typed into a holographic display.
"And Semblances?" Batman asked. Once again, RWBY and JNPR looked among themselves. They were beginning to think that something was up, something more than just different terminology, but pressed on.
"Semblances are special powers that are fueled by Aura. Each one is unique to the individual and is shaped by who they are. With practice, a Semblance can be improved and expanded in ways that might not have seemed possible when they were first discovered." Pyrrha began to point at herself. "My Semblance is Polarity. I can manipulate magnetic fields around metals. At first, the metals actually needed to be magnetic in order to manipulate them, but with practice I was able to expand my reach to all metals."
Yang spoke up. "I can absorb the damage I take and use it to boost my strength in temporary bursts. Also makes my hair catch fire, but that's just an awesome side effect. Ruby can turn herself into a cloud of rose petals to move around quickly, Weiss can create glyphs with which she can do… a lot of things, and Nora can absorb electricity to make her stronger, kind of like me."
"Green Arrow described seeing that," Batman pointed out. "Said you ripped a power conduit out of the wall."
"Heheh, yeah I did," Nora nervously laughed. "Anyway, Ren can suppress people's emotions, practically making them invisible to the Grimm, and while Jaune hasn't found his yet, I know it'll be awesome!"
"Thanks, Nora," Jaune said while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "So, what about you guys? What are your Semblances?"
The trio of superheroes all looked at each other then back at the Huntsmen-in-Training. Their silence confused the teenagers, but when Batman began to speak, they all focused their attention on him.
"None of us here have that," Batman revealed, shocking RWBY and JNPR into silence.
"…Come again?" Yang whispered.
"Superman and Wonder Woman's abilities do not come from this "Aura" or "Semblances". They are a physical result of their Kryptonian and divine physiologies, and not a naturally occurring soul magic."
"But…that's impossible. Everyone has an Aura," Ruby stammered out.
"What do you mean, everyone?" Superman narrowed his eyes, and Ruby threw her arms around.
"Everyone! People, animals. Heck, even plants! The only things that don't have souls are the Grimm!"
"Fascinating," Batman muttered. "You're telling me that every single Remnantian has an active metagene?"
"That's the second time you mentioned that," Yang pointed out. "What the hell is a metagene?"
"Allow me to explain," Superman stated and walked forward. "On Earth, most people do not have any powers what so ever. They are just normal human beings. They can walk, run, punch, and do things that normal people do. Certain individuals, however, are born with a particular gene that we call the metagene." Batman brought up a holographic display of a double-helix. Strands of DNA and RNA were highlighted, with one strand being singled out and brought into focus.
"This is the metagene," Batman declared. "All individuals who have a metagene initially have them in a dormant state. Most people never activate them. But, sometimes, a high stress situation will occur that would result in an individual's death. Explosions, lightning strikes, radiation, extreme exposure to the elements, and many more. In these situations where death is imminent, a dormant metagene may activate, causing the individual to undergo spontaneous adaptative mutation and give the them the powers he or she needs in order to survive. Sometimes it's as simple as being able to survive extreme temperatures, others as complex as the ability to turn into any animal on Earth. The people who have these powers from an active metagene are called Metas."
"Okay, that…kind of makes sense." Yang was still trying to wrap her head around the concept of a civilization that didn't know what Aura was, but at the very least she could understand the gist of what they were saying. "But, how does that apply to us? You said that we all had an active metagene. What does that mean?"
"It means that, under our present understanding, you are all Metas," Superman declared. "We'd have to do more tests, with your permission of course, but it's possible that your people's uniform metagene gave you natural access to the power of your soul. It physically manifests itself on the outside, making you even stronger."
"What about Semblances, then?" Weiss asked, focusing intensely on the people in front of her. All of this fascinated her, and she was already jotting down notes on a pad.
"Again, we'd have to do more tests, but if I had to guess, souls are inherently complex. It's possible that by allowing your soul to physically manifest itself on the outside, it further developed into your Semblances. If you'd like, we can bring in someone with more experience in this area to help."
"Please," Weiss quickly agreed with a smile and nod. "This is fascinating! I'd love to learn more!"
"Hold on, now," Jaune stated. "I'm still confused. You said that Superman and Wonder Woman's powers are from them being a Kryptonian and her divine heritage. Are you saying that…"
"When I said I was the daughter of Zeus, I meant it," Diana said with a smile. The others all stared at her, not sure of what to do.
"… So, do you want us to bow in worship, or…?" Yang nervously muttered, causing Diana to laugh.
"No, not all." She laughed more. "My powers may come from the gods, but I am not a god myself. I am a demi-god, born between the love of a mortal and a god."
"Ah. Well, that's… kind of a relief..." Diana looked at Yang, slightly puzzled at her reaction. Seeing this, Blake spoke up, still trying to wrap her head around what she was learning.
"Back home… there are no gods. I mean, some worship the Two Brothers still, but most simply believe that they either never existed or have long since abandoned us. To meet a person who is actually the daughter of a god is… a little hard to comprehend." She nervously chuckled.
"What about you, Batman? You didn't mention your powers," Weiss brought up and was met by a blank stare from the detective.
"I don't have powers."
"What? You have none?" Batman shook his head. "So, no shadow powers?"
"I'm trained to hide in them."
"Super strength?"
"No."
"You can…turn into a bat?"
"No."
"Flight?"
"In a plane."
"You have to at least have echolocation or something from your Faunus traits, right?
"I'm assuming that's what Blake is. And no."
"… You're not just a guy in a bat costume, are you?" Batman smirked at Weiss' question, and she threw her hands in the air in exasperation.
"You mentioned Kryptonian," Ruby spoke up. "What did you mean by that? Are you…not from Earth?"
Superman nodded calmly. "No, I am not. That is why I brought you here, actually. I wanted to show you something else."
Superman began to walk down the hallway, Krypto by his side the whole time. Batman and Wonder Woman looked at RWBY and JNPR expectantly, and after a moment, they all followed the Man of Steel. Silently, they walked through the Fortress, eventually coming across a grand room. Towering above them all was a giant steel statue of a man and woman holding a planet above their heads.
"Wow, that's…beautiful," Weiss gasped. "You can see the care and detail, even from here. They look like they're actually alive. Whoever made this was incredibly skilled."
"Thank you. I'm glad to hear that, if my other job falls through, I can always fall back on being a sculptor." Superman chuckled.
"Who are they?" Jaune asked as he gazed up at the statue.
"Those…are my parents. Jor-El and Lara-El," Superman revealed, his face and voice going solemn. "They're the ones who sent me to Earth when I was only a few days old."
"What?" Yang looked at Superman. "Why would they do that?"
"It was the only way to save me," Superman declared and pointed to the planet above them. "That planet that they're holding? That's Krypton, the place where I was born. They named me Kal-El, Star Child."
He turned back to face them, sadness in his eyes. "From the records my father gave me, Krypton was a powerful civilization, thousands of years more advanced than Earth. They had achieved wonders. Interdimensional travel, cloning, immortality, anything you can imagine, they had. But, they were also highly restrictive. Everyone was born into a role they were designed for by birth. Soldiers were born to be soldiers, scientists born to be scientists, and so on. Slowly, Krypton began to rot from within, its society becoming a shadow of its former glory."
"So, your parents wanted you to escape that?" Ruby guessed, but Superman shook his head.
"Not exactly. I was the first natural birth on Krypton in over six-hundred years, and had I stayed, it is undoubtable that Krypton would have hunted me down and killed my parents for heresy. But, they never got the chance."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, a pit forming in her stomach.
Superman looked back up to the sculpted planet and sighed. "Centuries before I was born, Krypton was beginning to run out of resources. Energy, metals, everything that their advanced civilization needed to survive. The colonies of Kandor and Argo simply couldn't keep up with demand, and Krypton was on the verge of societal collapse. In an effort to avert civil war, the Science Council authorized the exploitation of the planet's core."
Weiss looked increasingly alarmed. "They messed with their core? Why would they think that was a good idea?"
"At the time, no one thought anything of it. No negative side effects were recorded, so people thought they could continue to get away with it. My father, however, due to his status as chief scientist of Krypton, discovered that the core's exploitation was weakening it severely. After centuries of exploitation, it was on the verge of unavoidable collapse, and when it did, all of Krypton would be destroyed."
RWBY and JNPR gasped. "But, surely they would have stopped at that point? I mean, the evidence was clear, right?" Yang pleaded, but her heart sank when Superman shook his head mournfully.
"The Council didn't believe him. He pleaded with them to stop and to order a mass evacuation of the planet, but they refused. They said the evidence wasn't conclusive, that it would be too expensive and impractical to evacuate or stop. They rejected his pleas and ideas on how to save them from extinction, and sealed my planet's fate."
Superman grew silent and looked at them again. "One person did believe my father. The head of Krypton's military, General Dru-Zod, had maintained a friendship and correspondence with my father for years. They worked together to stop a coup from the previous head of the military, General Jax-Ur and his lieutenant, Mala, an effort that sparked a deep friendship and respect between them. So when my father declared that Krypton was about to undergo a core collapse, Zod believed him and they worked together to try and find a way to save our people."
"He sounds like a good man," Weiss declared, only to be cut off by a glare.
"He was not. Zod turned out to be a power hungry and genocidal madman. When the Council refused to do anything, he launched a coup of his own. Had he won, he would have started by wiping out entire bloodlines that he blamed for Krypton's destruction. My father opposed this, and they fought against each other. In the end, Zod killed my father, but before he could get to me, my parents launched me into space."
He looked at the far end of the room. Hanging in mid-air was a small spacecraft, a pointed rocket with a blue body and red wings. Gold tipped the wings, and a small glass pod laid in the center.
"Is that…?" Jaune pointed at the spacecraft, and Superman nodded.
"Yes, that is the craft that brought me to Earth. It landed in Kansas about thirty-years ago. My parents found me and raised me as their own." Superman laughed at the warm memories then turned serious once more. "As for Krypton, all I know was that Zod failed in his coup and was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, along with his surviving supporters. A few days later, my father was proven correct, and Krypton's core collapsed."
Superman looked down at his feet. Sadness filled his eyes but he remained strong. Seeing his master's discomfort, Krypto whined and moved his head under Superman's hand, and with a smile Superman began to pet his head.
"I found Krypto about two years ago. His rocket was flying aimlessly through space, and I happened to come across him while flying near Jupiter," he began to explain. "He used to be my family's pet, and when my parents were designing the rocket to ferry me to safety, they tested the first prototype on him. They thought they lost him, but as it turned out the phantom drive merely acted slower than anticipated."
Superman grew silent once more as he continued to pet Krypto's head. "Krypto and I…we're the last sons of Krypton. I've tried to find others, hoping that someone else made it… But I haven't found any."
Everyone was silent as Superman finished speaking, the heaviness of his words hanging over everyone like an axe. No one quite knew what to do. Then, without warning, Ruby burst into petals and hugged Superman tightly, surprising him slightly. He then smiled, then returned it. After a few moments, Ruby released her hold and backed away, an embarrassed blush on her face.
"Sorry. You, uh.. You looked like you needed a hug," she said with a small laugh. Superman chuckled as did the others, and he rubbed her head.
"Thank you, Ruby." His voice was sincere, bringing a smile to Ruby's face. Then, she turned serious and looked back at her friends. A silent conversation ensued between them, and ended with Yang nodding her head in approval. The others followed, and Ruby replied with a nod back.
"Um, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman," she nervously got out and tapped her fingers together. "Would you… would you like to talk about Remnant?"
The heroes looked at each other for a split moment before smiling.
"We would love to."
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Here is the latest chapter of Hunters of Justice. Bit a lower key chapter here, but one that is just as important. After all, we get some much need and very much demanded character interactions and an explanation on the Remnant metagene. In case it's not clear, the Remnant metagene only gives the Remnantian access to their soul, which manifests itself as Aura, in contrast to the Earth metagene being able to gift people a seemingly endless array of powers. That access to Aura can then be further developed into a Semblance, due to how inherently complex a soul is.
Now, to bring back a semblance, heh, of what is able to occur on the Spacebattles thread as well as carry over what I do in Outsiders, here is the Q&A!
HibernaLupus: Thank you for the praise. Yes, I am one of the editors/cowriters of OESaH: Dragon Rose. Jessessanman and NaanContributor have joined me in writing/editing/planning this project of ours. I can only pray that this thing becomes have as successful as Dragon Rose has. To answer your questions, 1) It's a mixture. Most of my DC knowledge comes from the DCAU, and as such I based the roster off of that. But, it is an AU where I have changed some things in order to better tell the story I want to tell. For instance, Krypto is here but no Kara Zor-El, Superman has fought Darkseid but not Brainiac, and so on. 2) Alfred will be appearing.
Mr.J316: Yes, I do plan on exploring many facets of the DC Universe, both on Earth and otherwise. DC is vast, why wouldn't I explore that.
ian25rebel: That was less of them having significant trouble and more having never encountered anything like them before, seriously Grimm are just wrong, and the sheer numbers of them. They were in never any real danger. Now that they know what they are, they know what to expect.
ivanruzic3758: I will be continuing this on a semi-regular basis. Essentially, I will be alternating between this and Outsiders, as well as editing Dragon Rose.
Inheritance1990: Thank you for the criticism. I'll work on making it flow better and I love hearing constructive criticism.
Red Dusk 369: Thank you for the feedback. I agree with what your saying, and I appreciate it. I plan on paying respect to all the characters from both franchises. Everyone will contribute in some way, shape, or form as well.
meeyaaargh3412: That is correct, Superman has not encountered Brainiac yet in this timeline, and neither has Lex Luthor. The Thanarganian Invasion has occurred as well. As for how Earth will react and how the Mother Box got on board? Stay tuned.
See you all next time?