This is my longest chapter yet. And it is one that I had a lot of fun writing.

As a reminder, I do not own Mass Effect or Justice League, or any related DC characters. They all belong to their respective owners.

Enjoy!

Waiting for the ship to land on the Citadel, Mouse did his best to stave off his nerves. Honestly, vehicles in general were something he had little experience in. He grew up on the ventilations of the Citadel, taking any chance he could to survive.

It was only luck and meeting a certain drell that had allowed him to make it further in life than any of the other kids he had to grow up with. Most of them were either dead or locked up until they would be. He had a job as a technician. Usually, that meant he stayed on the ground, fixing things near stores.

Except right now, he was being told to start working on ships for a pay raise. The reason being that his bosses had started to invest in the travel business, and they wanted to make sure that the investment paid off. So they had some of their own people work the ships.

Still, it wasn't too bad. The pay was still good, even better than he would have as a regular technician. And the crowds he was sued to were still there. A lot of humans, turians, salarians, and asari were on the ship. There were even some quarians. Some of them looked like tourists, likely here on the pilgrimage.

These were the same kind of people he would see on the ground. There was even an uncomfortable-looking krogan with a blue frontal plate. Just like back home.

The only real difference was the layout of his work. Usually, he worked outside markets stores or on their backs. Right now, he was standing in the center between two rows of seats as the ship was preparing to descend to the citadel. All he had to do was make sure the lights were working, then he could go to the back of the ship and relax until the next flight.

Easy.

Suddenly, the standoffish Krogan stood out of his seat and reached into his jacket. He pulled out a shotgun.

"Everyone stay quiet! No one makes any trouble, and we'll all get out of here alive!"

And the ship was being hijacked. "Shit."

Levitating his now full cup of coffee from the counter onto his hand, J'onn continued to watch the news.

"Recent statements by Citadel Security have confirmed that the culprit in these devious crimes was the Salarian geneticist Dr. Saleon. While a motive is still being searched for, it is believed that..."

"He was a disgusting being who took pleasure in the suffering of others. Someone who deserves a cell."

J'onn could not ake himself regret what he had done. He would never feel sorry for taking down the doctor. His only regret was revealing his true form to the deviant and having to wipe his mind afterward. The former was foolish and risky. The second, while justified, was invasive.

There was suddenly a knock on his door.

"Delivery! Is there a Swanwick here?"

Changing his form, Swamwick walked o the door and opened it. There was a yond delivery boy, freckled but smiling.

"This is for you, sir. C-Sec standard."

"Oh. Thank you."

"No problem at all sir. Have a nice day!"

The boy walked away, letting Swanwick close the door. His skin charged to its natural green, though the C-Sec uniform stayed on him as he examined the box. It was somewhat small, the size of a krogans fist. Now wanting to waste time searching for a knife, Swanwick tore his fingers through the box and tore off the top. Inside the box was a device that could fit his human hand. And there was a note attached as well.

"To all C-Sec personelle. Omni-tools are now designated as necessary but the higher brass. They will be helpful for evidence collection, suspect apprehension, and digital communication. Keep it on hand at all times." The note was signed by Pallin.

Swanwick knew about Omni-tools. He had heard a few things about them when he had scanned the minds of some officers when he had arrived on the Citadel. A tool useful in many ways, storing technological and medical supplies. Instant Omni-gel, alongside the ability to hack terminals and other devices for anyone savvy enough. Swanwick would need to work on that.

The technology of other races was simply very different from the technology of mars. Everything his people had built was based on organics and meant to adapt to their users. Just as Martians had been shapeshifters, the things they had built were meant to change and grow with them. Beds and furniture changed size as children grew. Food-making devices changed their own mechanisms as the tastes of their users changed.

Unfortunately, this was also why no martian technology existed in the galaxy. It adapted and bonded with its users. So when the martian race was all but destroyed, the technology was unable to sustain itself. The last existing piece of martian technology was the tank J'onn J'onzz had been frozen inside of. And that was gone as well. Humanity had never discovered any technology or sign of martian society because it no longer existed.

Leaving those thoughts behind, J'onn decided to wait until he was alone again until he could dwell on them. And that would be later. He still had a job to return to today.

Valuables. That was what the Krogan was after. Aiming a gun at others and forcing them to give up what they had to stay alive. But problems occurred when the armed Krogan got to him.

"Give me what you've got."

"I don't have anything," Mouse said both honestly and nervously. "I'm just a worker. I didn't bring anything with me."

"You got tools on you, don't you? Hand them over."

"Wha-what?"

Loosing what little patience he had, the Krogan grabbed Mouse by his collar and lifted him off the ground. "Don't waste my time, little human. Give me anything I can sell, and we'll all walk away from here alive."

Trembling, Mouse undid his belt and handed it to the Krogan. Once the bulky alien had the belt on his shoulder, he let Mouse fall to the ground.

But he didn't look satisfied. The krogan had taken the valuables from every person on the ship, but he wasn't smiling. No grin or sign of contention. If anything, he looked... empty. None of his actions carried the air of a proud warrior. He almost looked... sad.

Suddenly, the Krogan pointed the barrel of his gun towards the pilot's section of the ship.

And fired.

Mouse stared wide-eyed and terrified at the sizzling hole left at the pilot's door. He also held on to one of the ship's straps for dear life, as the plane was anything but stable now.

But the krogan who had fired didn't look anywhere near as fearful. He simply looked defeated. Sitting down with his back to one of the seats, the Krogan paid no mind as the ship tossed and turned. He almost looked like he was welcoming the inevitable.

Something that no one could escape anymore.

Swanwick's walk to the station was... not as pleasant as he would like. Previous events were still on his mind, and he was still trying to convince himself that he needed to stay hidden. It was good that he had helped, but there had to be a limit to how much he could do. He was powerful. But he wasn't omnipotent.

He shouldn't get involved in every problem in the galaxy. Not unless...

"Breaking news. It would seem that a cruiser headed towards the Citadel has been hijacked. Krogan and human terrorists have been identified. Though no demands have been made, Citadel security is still trying to find a way to deescalate the situation."

"They can do it. They don't need me."

This wasn't the first time in history a ship had been hijacked. Even one heading to the Citadel. C-Sec had protocols to follow in cases like it, Swanwick had read them. He knew that once he got to work, it would be out of his hands for a while. The Investigation department would only be called in once the crisis had passed, and everyone wanted to know how this had happened. Special Responses would be responsible for figuring how to solve the crisis itself.

It wasn't his problem to deal with.

"Hold on, I'm just getting new reports. The ship seems to have lost control. It is now skewing in the air. There's no telling where it will land."

Turning to the screen in shock, Swanwick saw that it was the truth. The ship was on a collision course with the Citadel, with no signs of slowing down or stopping. And if it hit a building, it would not only kill every passenger, but also any unfortunate soul that was in the crash zone. Unless there was another pilot, no one could stop this.

But he could.

"No. I shouldn't."

Revealing himself was a risk. One that could carry dire consequences.

But it could also save those people.

"There's no telling what would happen to me."

But the fate of every passenger on that ship was clear. Without help, they would die.

"The galaxy isn't ready for someone like me."

Will they ever be? And is that a good reason to be inactive? Or simply an excuse born from fear?

The options were simple and clear. He could remain in human form, go to work, and wait until later to investigate why the ship had crashed and every person aboard had to die.

Or he could assume his true form, fly to that ship, stop it from crashing, and save the lives of everyone aboard. And see the chaos and confusion that would follow his reveal.

Safety and complacency, coupled with death and inevitable guilt. Or preemptive action and the saving of lives, couple with an uncertain future.

Why was he even trying to argue with himself? He knew what he was going to do.

"H'ronmeer help me."

Seeing an alley, Swanwick saw his choice. He quickly sent a message on his Omni-tool to Garrus and the Executor. He would have to come back in tomorrow.

Running into the alley, Swanwick found a place that was away from prying eyes. There was not a living being for meters around. Which gave him all the room and privacy he needed.

The cape was the first thing to materialize.

Followed soon by purple leggings, the red x straps, and his green skin. And red glowing eyes filled with determination. Instead of his natural form, J'onn J'onzz wore the uniform of a Manhunter. A sentinel of justice and security. Two things that he would bring about today.

Bending his legs slightly, J'onn quickly took off to the sky, heading in the direction of the out-of-control ship. He needed to stop its crash.

"Dammit. Why today of all days?"

Swanwick's burn had flared back up. He needed to take an extra day before returning to work. At least that's what his message had said. Not that it mattered.

What could any of them do about this anyway?

"What's going on? Did Specia Resources oversleep? Or are those bastards still hungover?"

Harkin. Garrus sometimes felt bad for the humans in the Citadel. One of the first of their kind to ever make it into C-Sec also happened to be a vulgar, disgusting drunk whose career was always on the fringes. Garrus was pretty sure he had heard someone call the man "a disgrace to his species". Not an inaccurate assumption.

"Can it Harkin. We're going in after this thing ends. So don't think you won't be working."

"Hmph." The balding human sat back in his chair, fully content to wait until he was needed. Unless he got suspended again before that. He still had the year's record. Just like he had for the past decade.

Ignoring him, every member of Investigations turned back to the screen. None of them were going to be called in for this yet. But they wanted to know how it turned out.

Garrus noticed something. The coverage on the extranet was still following the plane. But now something else was also following it. Something much smaller than a ship. And approaching it at quick speeds. It was too small to make out fully, but Garrus could see two details through the screen. The color purple, and flapping motions.

"Is that a... flying carpet?"

J'onn raced towards the ship at the farthest speed he could. He was able to reach it in no time. But there was still the question of how to fix the situation.

Ideally, J'onn would take hold of the ship and drop it at the nearest docking station. The problem was that he didn't know where the nearest one was. Finding one would require reading the minds of the people on the ground and deciphering a location. Something that would take time to decipher. He didn't have much time, so he had to do one thing first.

He would have to carry the ship to safety.

J'onn started by descending underneath the ship. It was a standard Kowloon Class ship, one modified to carry civilians over long distances. A simple design, which meant that J'onn knew the best spot to start carrying it from. J'onn flew to the center of the ship's bottom side, and he put effort into lifting it.

This was something he was going to need more practice in. Lifting the ship was no issue. Its weight was only a couple hundred tons, nothing he couldn't lift. The problem was more in balancing it. Leaning too much to one side or another would risk having the ship descend too quickly or hit something in its way once it reached the Citadel streets. So J'onn had to fix that problem.

Something he did by growing extra arms out of his torso. Four additional limbs that he used to grab hold of the different corners of the ship. And with each added grip, he was able to keep the ship balanced as he carried it through the sky.

Now he could focus on finding out where to put it. Closing his eyes, J'onn telepathically reached out. He tried to find the pilot of the ship, but he found nothing. So he scanned the minds of the ship's workers. Most of them were scared of the... krogan who had attacked. The same Krogan who shot the pilot. That explained some things. And let J'onn know that this problem would continue even after the ship landed safely.

Still, he was able to find a name from the worker's mind. The name of the station the ship had been designated for. It was Dock 421. A dock not too far from Citadel headquarters.

Using this knowledge, J'onn began to move the ship towards its original destination. He was careful in lifting the ship, making sure it didn't turn or toss and disturbed the passengers anymore. All he focused on was carrying the ship above him until he could reach the designated dock.

It only took him a few minutes to finally reach it. Thankfully the ship had already been close to its destination. All J'onn had to do was let it descend until the ship could fall onto its platform. The machines did their work, catching the ship and releasing the bridge for the passengers to leave. Something they could once they were they were safe.

It was time to solve the other issue. He had to see what had driven this krogan to crime. He became intangible and invisible, and he entered the ship.

Mouse didn't know how he was still alive. He thought for sure when the krogan shot the pilot that they were all going to die. But he heard the ship dock. He heard the steam signify the landing. He didn't understand how, but the ship landed.

"What the hell?" The krogan stood back up, his defeated expression replaced by an angered one. His arm was gripping the shotgun again. "I shot the pilot. How did we land?"

"I took the ship to safety. Why have you endangered all of these people?"

Not a single person heard that voice. Only the krogan heard it. He aimed his gun at the ceiling and the walls, but he didn't see anyone to fire at. No one that wasn't already down and not a threat.

"Who said that? Where are you?"

Every single present sentient watched in concern as the krogan seemed to be losing his mind. Mouse, being too close for comfort, didn't know what was happening. But he had a feeling that things might turn out bad for him soon.

"I am someone who wishes to take all these people to safety."

The krogan reacted violently to the voice. He grabbed the nearest person and aimed his gun at their head. Mouse could only sweat and cower as the barrel was pointed at his head.

"Why do you care? Show yourself to me!"

What happened next was something that spooked everyone. Because someone did show themselves to the appeared by rising out of the metal floor, his body seemingly incorporeal. And when he was visible, everyone was stunned and confused by what they were seeing.

A green-skinned alien, muscular and caped, staring at the Krogan with glowing red eyes. But despite the glow, there didn't seem to be any anger in them. Only curiosity.

"You don't need to harm anyone here, Korten Drom."

Eyes widening in fear and anger, Drom threw Mouse and aimed his gun at the new alien.

"Who- what the hell are you? How do you know my name?"

"I have my ways. Please, let me help you."

"Help me? What are you on about?"

"I know that you don't truly wish to do this. I know... I know about the stillborns."

Drom fired. He fired bullet after bullet out his gun. Each one connected to the alien, blowing holes of massive size in his body. One blew open his shoulder, two in his chest, one both knees, and one directly through his eye.

The alien's body fell after sustaining all those bullets. Drom grinned in satisfaction at bringing down the weird creature.

"Anyone else wants to try me?!" Drom reloaded his gun and aimed it at the crowd around him. "I'm getting out first. And I'm taking one of you with me to make sure they let me go."

"You will do no such thing, Korten Drom."

"Huh?"

Every single person saw what happened, though few of them believed it. The green alien lifted his body, even with the holes still wide open. Only a second after standing, the gaps fixed themselves. Each hole closed in on itself, healing every possible injury that Drom had caused with his shooting. The eye was the last thing to heal itself, now staring at Drom with far less patience.

"I will give you a final warning Drom. Surrender yourself and let these people go free. I will do everything in my power to try and help you if I can."

"Help me?" Drom spat in disgust. "Don't pretend you know anything about me. And don't pretend that you would care about a krogan like me. All you're going to do is try and overpower me. Well, that won't work!"

"Drom..."

"I'm a Krogan! And you are not beating me!"

Drom immediately charged at the alien. But the green-skinned being didn't move. He simply stayed in his spot as Drom charged. Everyone present thought he was crazy to just let an angry krogan get close.

That was until Drom got close enough.

When he was in arms range, the alien hit the krogan across the face with the back of his hand. The blow was strong enough to send the krogan flying back. His back smashed against the opposite wall, disorienting him. And when Drom's body fell face-first on the ground, he immediately lost consciousness.

And that left a crowd of confused and frightened people, all of them staring at an alien the likes of which they had never seen.

"The ship is docked, and you can all leave. I suggest doing so safely, however. We wouldn't want anyone to get trampled."

Everyone started running outside after that. Leaving J'onn J'onzz alone on the ship with an unconscious krogan.

J'onn had not wanted to hurt the krogan. But his pain and rage made it necessary. And J'onn had violated his privacy enough with discerning his motivations. He knew that his anger and bitterness stemmed from his children all dying at birth. Not a single one made it to life. A pain that J'onn could understand.

He would not condone his actions, but J'onn understood the emotional state the krogan would be in. Even if Drom would never admit to feeling the way he did. Krogan pride, and all that.

Still, J'onn held out a hope that perhaps Drom could one day find peace with himself. It was a thought he kept close to mind as he lifted the krogan and followed after the crowd. C-Sec would doubtlessly be here by now. And they might want help with catching the perpetrator.

Pallin wasn't really someone to get involved in developing situations. With how busy the council and his own desk kept him, he rarely had the time to get involved.

But when one of his own men called him and told him that an out-of-control ship was suddenly flying upright without an answering pilot and had docked itself, he got interested. And when he heard many of his own officers talking about some sort of flying carpet on the news, he decided to see for himself.

Right now, he was waiting outside the bridge for the ship. No one had come out just yet, so it was only a matter of waiting.

*HISSS*

The door to the bridge suddenly began to open. Pallin and all his present officers unlocked their guns and aimed them at the door. They weren't sure who was going to come out, but they needed to be ready. Cautious, but ready.

That was when the civilians began to run out. Pallin had to hold his men back from firing since the people coming out were too panicked to be a threat.

"Get the medics. Quickly."

It took some time, but Pallin was able to regulate the situation to a degree. All of the civilians were being checked, and only one seemed injured. A human worker, one who was also going on about a green man fighting a krogan. The krogan being the one who apparently attacked the ship. Though none of the information on the supposed "green man" was any help. There was only one way to find answers.

"Alright. I want three with me. The rest can-"

*HISSS*

The bridge door was opening again. This time, Pallin told his men to keep the safeties off. Whoever came out of that ship was going to have to answer for what was happening.

Footsteps were heard, signaling that someone was approaching. His aim square on the bridge door, Pallin waited for someone to come into view.

But he didn't expect what came.

A green-skinned alien, one the likes of which Pallin had never seen, was walking out of the ship. He couldn't be a drell, not if those red eyes were any indications. And he was wearing a purple cape for some reason.

He was also carrying a full-grown Krogan on his shoulder, showing no signs of difficulty.

"This krogan needs aid. Please."

Pallin was surprised by the voice as well. It sounded... old. Weary. Like he was only talking because he had to. But the meaning was clear.

"Someone go and grab the Krogan. I'll talk to... whatever that is."

Followed by two turian officers, Pallin walked closer to the green alien. The caped one let the krogan on the ground gently, allowing the officers to escort it away.

"Please be gentle. I hit him quite hard."

"You're worried about the krogan?" Pallin asked the alien. "He endangered the lives of every sentient on that ship."

"I am not excusing him, Executor Pallin," the alien responded politely. "His actions were reckless and deplorable, but they were born of grief. He needs help more than he needs any harsh punishment."

"That's up to the courts to decide," Pallin said plainly. "Speaking of the courts, you'll have to face them too."

The alien furrowed his brow. "May I ask why? I am not aware of any laws I might have broken."

"Vigilantism and the possible endangerment of civilians. What do you think about that?"

"I will concede the first point and argue the second. I may have taken liberties, but I exercised extreme caution. I value life too strongly to endanger it."

"You take down and lift a Krogan like it's nothing, and you expect me to just believe you? Sorry, but you need to come to the station with me. We'll figure out your story there."

Pallin took out a pair of handcuffs. "Any statements you wish to make beforehand? Or a name, perhaps?"

The alien sighed. There was a mixture of sadness and slight amusement mixed into his breath.

"If we meet again Executor, I hope you understand that I only wish to help. And if you need to call me anything, you may refer to me as... The Martian Manhunter."

Pallin frowned. "Martian Manhunter? What kind of name is that? And what do you mean-?"

Pallin's words stopped when he felt the wind change. The alien turned his face upwards, his eyes gazing at the sky...

...before his body jumped up to join it. His cape flapped in the wind as his body soared higher and higher. The manhunter took a moment to bask in the sun and wind, looking down at the stunned people below. Pallin stared at him, mouth agape. Even the reporters with cameras for the extranet were astounded by what they were seeing. And every living thing- human, turian, asari, quarian, and otherwise- all watched with astonishment and disbelief at the flying green sentient.

Only a moment later, the alien turned around and flew in the opposite direction at speeds that could rival starships.

Pallin's mouth closed again and his mind returned to his reality when he felt his cuffs fall out of his hand. It seemed that this simple ship hijacking just became something much more complicated.

And he had no idea how to explain it to the council.

Talking to a paramedic, one Quarian who had been on the ship looked up to see a green and purple figure in the sky. When she had come out for her pilgrimage, she knew that she would come face-to-face with things that she had never seen in the flotilla.

But to see someone, anyone, that could fly? Naturally, and without any apparent help as their cape draped on their back? That was something she had never seen before. It was something she couldn't even imagine. And it was only her first day in the Citadel

"Keelah."

The galaxy now knows about J'onn. At least, they have gotten a glimpse into how absurdly powerful he is.

For anyone who might think that his reveal was spontaneous, random, and out of nowhere, that's kind of the point. The moment J'onn realized that he could help in a dangerous situation, he reacted. He is both a comic book hero and a Martian law enforcer. The moment he realized that he could, he couldn't stop himself from helping.

And because of that impulsivity, he will have to deal with the consequences. The next chapter ought to be fun, with all the different reactions that everyone will be having. It will also allow me to get the plot moving forward.

Speaking of reactions, the Quarian at the end should clearly indicate J'onn potential love life. The poll was clear, with Tali getting more than half of the vote. And after watching Crisis on Two Earths, the only piece of DC Media outside of some comics where J'onn gets a love interest, I have some ideas of how I can make them work together. I'm looking forward to their first actual meeting.

Anyway, please leave reviews, tell me what you think, and I will see you all next time.

Bye!