AN: I think people have been waiting for this chapter for quite a while. Hope it measures up! I really enjoyed writing this one! :)
11: Watchtower
Richard and Lana dropped Thora off at the Kent's apartment early the next morning. It was a dainty place, complete with a small secluded balcony for Mr. Kent to use when he had to take off. Thora glanced in the living room where a big flat screen TV sat in front of a couple of chairs and a sofa. Family pictures lined the walls, ranging from Jason's younger years with his mom and Richard to a current photograph of the Kents. A couple of Pulitzer awards adorned the wall beside the TV, congratulating Mrs. Lane for her accomplished articles about Superman. A few art pieces complimented the beige and brown furniture.
"I like your living room," Thora commented as she followed Jason into the kitchen where the smells of fresh bacon, sausage, pancakes, and eggs permeated the air.
"Thanks," Jason said. "This used to just be my dad's apartment but after he and my mom got married, we moved in. Before that, Mom and I were living where you're staying, at the river house."
They walked into the kitchen, which was black, white, and red, to find Mr. Kent tossing a stack of ten or so pancakes onto a plate. He smiled warmly at Thora. "Morning," he said cheerfully. "I hope you're hungry, Thora. I'm not sure how much you eat but Jason inhales ten pancakes and still has room for more."
"Dad!" Jason groaned exasperatedly while Thora giggled.
"I didn't know you could cook, Mr. Kent," said Thora.
"Please, call me Clark," he said as he went back to the stove to take care of the bacon and eggs before they burned. "And to my cooking skills, well, when you live on a farm, your parents teach you how to take care of yourself. My mother had me cooking in the kitchen when I was tall enough to stand comfortably over the stove."
"Does Lois cook?"
Both Clark and Jason started laughing.
"The only thing Mom is capable of cooking is coffee," Jason answered between snickers. "And that's only because all she has to do is turn on the machine."
"Which is one of the best things about marrying your father," Lois said as she walked into the kitchen dressed in a pair of jeans and a soft blue sweater. Clark kissed her in welcome before handing over a plate full of breakfast foods. "Smells great, honey," she commented as she drowned her pancakes in syrup.
"Yeah it does," Jason said, taking a plate for himself and Thora.
"Thanks," Thora muttered as he set it down before her.
After getting himself a plateful, Clark sat down at the table as well and everyone enjoyed a lovely breakfast. Clark had already done his early morning run and informed everyone that he'd taken care of a bank robbery along with preventing several muggings.
"Honestly," Lois muttered while pouring over several news papers at once, "why do people have to commit crime before most of the city is even awake? Don't they have lives?"
Clark smiled grimly. "Crime never sleeps, Lois. I'm just thankful we don't live in Gotham. Batman's got it rough. At least I can take a break every so often. Batman has to do things twenty four seven."
"You know as well as I do that Batman loves what he does," Lois muttered while scanning a copy of the Morning Star newspaper. "He'd do it twenty four seven if he didn't have to sleep and heal from all the injuries he gets. Sometimes I wish he had your invulnerability. But then again, if he did, he'd never stop."
Clark nodded. "I highly doubt he would."
"So Batman doesn't have any superpowers, right?" Thora asked between mouthfuls.
"Yep," Jason said, taking a stab at a sausage.
"How can he be a superhero?"
"Batman has more training in the ridiculous than anyone I've ever met," muttered Jason.
"What do you mean?"
"He means that Batman has more training in different fighting styles that the normal human being," Lois translated.
"And he has a limitless supply of gadgets that allows him to do things most people can't," Clark put in. "He's also trained to perform stunts that most stunt actors would cringe over."
"Wow! How long did it take him to learn all this stuff? And where did he get the money for all his gadgets?" asked Thora.
Clark shrugged. "Every superhero has ways and means of providing the materials they need to do their jobs."
"In other words, Dad's trying to say that he can't answer that question because it would reveal Batman's identity," said Jason.
"And it's not my decision to do so or not," Clark replied. "If the other members of the League want to disclose their secret identities then that is up to their discretion."
"I understand," Thora said, "although I find it… strange."
"Why do you say that?" Lois asked, looking up from the Daily Planet newspaper.
Thora scrunched her forehead until she let out a small gasp of pain and rubbed her temples. "Sorry," she muttered, her eyes closed.
"Are you okay?" Jason asked, putting a hand over her own.
"Yeah," Thora muttered, glancing over at him with one eye. "I guess I just tried to remember something that's being blocked."
"That's okay," said Lois. "Do you need anything? A glass of water, maybe?"
Thora nodded. In seconds, Clark was setting a glass in front of her. She hadn't even seen him move. "Wow, you really are fast. Thank you."
"No problem," Clark replied. "Do you need any medicine?"
"No, I think this will do, thanks."
While she downed the liquid, Clark and Jason cleaned up the table. In lightning speed, the dishes were in the dishwasher and the once cluttered kitchen was spotless. Thora handed her empty glass to Jason who placed it in the dishwasher before shutting the lid.
"Right," said Clark, glancing at the kitchen's clock. "Shall we get going?"
Lois threw the newspapers away and grabbed her purse before he'd even finished his question. "What are you waiting for?" she asked excitedly. "Let's get a move on!"
Clark sighed, exasperated. "You do know that you won't be able to report anything that goes on today, right, Lois?"
"I know that," Lois said, trying to mask her disappointment. "But at least I finally get to see everything! I've been waiting for this for ten years!"
"Me too!" Jason said. "Ever since Watchtower was created, we've been dying to see what it looks like. Is it true that it's an invisible spaceship?"
Clark raised an eyebrow. "It's more of a base than a ship, son."
"And it's invisible, right?"
"Yes."
"Cool!"
Thora smiled over her friend's enthusiasm. She was glad that he was in high spirits about all of this. Thora herself was terrified. The only reason they were going to Watchtower was to prove how strong she was and to see if she had any other undiscovered abilities. She had no idea what kind of a text the superheroes were going to make her take. All night she'd had nightmares about lifting heavy objects that ended up crushing her. Swallowing hard, Thora fought the desire to take Jason's hand. She longed for his comfort but she didn't want to appear desperate and needy. She and Jason may have feelings for each other but she didn't want to be known as the overly obsessive girlfriend who wouldn't let her boyfriend out of her sight. No, she needed to be strong. Besides, the League wasn't going to make her do anything dangerous… right?
Thora followed the Kents out to their car. Jason opened her door before getting into the car himself. Lois climbed into the driver's side while Clark took passenger. "Don't you drive, Clark?" Thora asked.
"I can but Lois prefers to be the driver of the family," Clark answered. "I don't mind since I prefer a different mode of transportation."
Lois smiled before reaching over and taking her husband's hand. "Besides, Clark drives like a hick. They don't know how to handle vehicles in Smallville."
Jason snorted while Clark rolled his eyes. "Lois, I was taught how to drive in Smallville, not drag race."
Lois scoffed playfully, "How you drive causes grandmothers grief."
"Just because I'm one of the few people who drives safely in Metropolis-"
"You're the only person, Clark," Lois interrupted. "Honestly, if you drove the way you fly, you'd be the best driver in the States."
"If I drove the way I fly, there would be too many accidents for the police to keep up with," Clark muttered.
Driving out of the main part of the city, Lois headed west. "The entrance to the fake headquarters is off of Garver Road, right?" she asked.
"Yes," Clark muttered.
"Why do you have a fake headquarters?" Thora wondered.
"It's so the public has something to gawk at," answered Jason. "The League plays it up by using the fake location as a way to transport to the real Watchtower. People like seeing the Justice League since they give them hope. And because superheroes are really cool."
"I guess that makes sense," mused Thora. "If anyone found a way to break in, wouldn't they be able to get to the real space station?"
"Not really," Clark said. "There's a special system Batman set up which allows only League members to access the secret passage that leads to the teleportation room."
"Couldn't someone hack into the system though?"
Jason let out a laugh. "Sorry," he said upon seeing Thora's confusion. "Batman's one of the smartest people in the world. Only a handful of people might be able to crack his system and even then they have to break down the firewalls. It's neigh impossible to do. Most people give up in frustration."
"There's only one person who's managed to get through," Clark said.
"Who?" asked Thora.
"Robin," Jason answered. "And that's only because he's Batman's apprentice. But even he barely managed to break all the codes. He almost gave up after trying to get in for twenty hours straight."
"Twenty hours?" Thora gasped. "Didn't he even take a break?!"
"Nope," Jason said. "Robin's not a quitter. His persistence is one of the main reasons Batman took him under his wing."
"Persistence is key in the city of Gotham," Lois remarked as she pulled into the visitor parking of the fake Watchtower site. "It looks like there's already a tourist crowd forming. Wonder how far these people traveled this time."
Everyone got out of the car. "So, how do we expect to get in?" Thora asked. Just then she looked around. Clark was gone. "Hey, where's your dad?"
Jason looked around too. "I don't know."
"Come on, kids," Lois said, unfazed by her husband's sudden disappearing act. She made her way towards the front of the building where several tourists were taking pictures in front of a statue of the Justice League. Jason took Thora's hand and followed after his mother. They just barely made it to the front gate when the doors opened and Superman stepped out. People immediately cried out in delight and started taking pictures like mad. Superman made his way down the cobbled path to the gates, his shoulders straight, his expression pleasant. He even waved a couple of times. Lois watched the procession with her arms folded, her bag slung over her shoulder. Jason noted that it was the one she usually took with her when chasing a story.
Superman reached the gates and smiled. "Right on time, Mrs. Lane."
"I was on time. You, however, are running a bit late."
"Sorry," Superman apologized with a grin. "I was in a meeting."
"Well, are you free for that interview now?" Lois demanded. "Or do we need to reschedule?"
"I'm all yours," he answered, opening the gate to let her in.
"I hope its okay to have my son and his friend tag along," Lois said.
"Of course," Superman said. "Jason is my godson after all."
Thora had to hand it to them, Lois and Clark could really act! Even she had to remind herself that they were husband and wife. Superman acted like he was merely a friend accepting another interview from his personal reporter while Lois definitely gave off the vibe that she was all business. If Thora didn't know that Superman was Clark Kent, she would have never guessed they were the same person.
Several people in the gathering crowd expressed the desire to enter but Superman apologized, explaining that the only reason Lois and company were allowed inside was for the purpose of an interview. There were several disappointed grumbles but nobody dared to press the Man of Steel into letting them in. Once the gate was securely locked, Superman led the way inside.
"You know, ever since I found out Perry knows, he's been bugging me to get dozens of personal interviews with you," Lois muttered.
"I'm sure he'll find this story satisfying," Superman answered. "It's not every day a reporter gets to go inside the headquarters of the Justice League."
"You mean the fake headquarters," Lois said. "I'm not giving him or anyone else the satisfaction of knowing what the real headquarters looks like. Besides, he may know who you are now but that doesn't mean he gets to know all your secrets. I still can't believe he knows the truth."
"I know," said Superman as they made their way inside. "But it does help when I have to make a quick get away from work. He's even coming up with excuses to get me out of the Planet. Here we are."
They had crossed the entrance hall, which was covered with fine portraits of each member of the League and several pieces of furniture to lounge in, to stop in front of a wall filled with books. Superman walked down the rows to the right before pulling a book out on the third shelf from the bottom. Opening the front cover, Thora noticed that instead of pages, there was a hand scanner. Superman placed his palm over it and the surface glowed blue. A moment later and the wall of books parted right down the center, opening to reveal a secret room beyond. Thora was expecting something grand but all that was inside was a platform glowing a dull cream color. Once inside, the wall behind them shut.
"All you have to do is stand on the platform," Superman revealed. "I should warn you, the journey can be a little rough. The first time we tried it out, Green Arrow threw up."
"Did you bring a barf bag for Mom's sake?" Jason teased.
"I think you'll need one more than me, son," Lois said with a grin. "I'm used to your father doing all crazy kinds of stunts while holding me in his arms. I think I can handle a little space travel."
And without waiting for permission, she jumped onto the platform and disappeared. Superman chuckled. "She hasn't changed," he muttered. "No matter how many years I've known her, that woman is still a dare devil. Alright son, would you and Thora like to go together?"
Jason looked at his girlfriend. She didn't seem remotely frightened. "Do you?" he asked.
Thora smiled. "I'll see you on the other side." Without a pause, she stepped up to the platform and disappeared.
Jason sighed. "I guess that was a no. See you in a second, Dad." He followed in Thora's footsteps and planted his feet over the glowing floor.
Thora felt like she was being yanked upward by a hurricane. The force lifting her was powerful, yet controlled. She was surrounded in a column of light, traveling faster than the speed of sound, her hair whipping around her like a cape. For some reason, Thora wasn't the least bit nauseated. In fact, she was completely comfortable with this form of travel. It was as if she'd done it before, although she couldn't remember whether or not she actually had. In seconds, the trip was over and Thora's feet were planted on solid ground in a room similar to the one she'd just left.
Lois stood off to the side, her face white. Despite the look of discomfort, she appeared determined to show forth her usual commanding presence. Thora stepped off the platform just as it glowed bright blue. In a flash of light, Jason appeared, looking slightly sick. He stepped off the platform and tried not to groan.
"Are you alright?" Thora asked.
Without a reply, Jason nodded.
Superman appeared shortly after and Thora was surprised to see even he looked uncomfortable. "I hate that mode of transportation," he said in response to her questioning look. "I'll never get used to it."
"That's because you don't usually use it," Batman said, entering the room. The rest of the League was trailing along behind him.
"Good morning, Thora," Wonder Woman said with a smile. "Are you ready to test your limits? We've got the training room all set up for you."
Thora felt like she had an elephant stuck in her throat. Swallowing painfully, she nodded. "I'm ready."
"Then let's go," said Hawkgirl, leading the way.
Batman stood in front of Lois, preventing her from leaving the room. "No articles, Mrs. Lane."
Lois grinned. "I already promised not to write about this place, Batman. I'm here as a wife and mother, not a journalist. I'm going to support Thora, that's all."
Batman narrowed his eyes. "If I find any article, Lois-"
"Batman, relax," Superman said, coming to his wife's aid. "I'll make sure Lois doesn't write anything she shouldn't."
Batman scowled before turning to follow after the others. Lois rolled her eyes, laughing lightly. "He's particularly sour this morning. Stay up too late, Bats?"
"It was a long night," Batman growled.
"Hmmm, you'll have to tell me all about it later," Lois said.
As the League made their way down the hall, Thora noticed other heroes scattered here and there. They must have been part of the minor members of the League Jason told her about earlier. The look of respect they gave to the original members did not go unnoticed. After passing the first group of people, Thora heard one of them gasp.
"Oh my gosh, it's Lois Lane!" A woman wearing a black leotard said to her companions.
Thora glanced back at Lois. Despite the fact that she was walking next to some of the greatest superheroes in the world, Lois looked like she fit right in. She carried herself with a certain kind of confidence that was similar to that of a hero. A surge of respect swelled somewhere in Thora as she watched this woman hold her own amongst giants.
After a few long circular hallways and a couple flights of stairs, they came to the entrance of the training room. The size of a football field, the room held all kinds of gadgets. Objects had been pushed to the sides so that the floor was fairly open to maneuver freely. Thora's head started to hurt; the space seemed so familiar to her but she couldn't place why. For the thousandth time, she cursed her short-term memory loss.
"Alright kiddo, lets see what you can do," Green Arrow said.
"Um, what should I do first?" Thora asked, confused.
"How about a race to test your speed?" Flash suggested.
Green Lantern rolled his eyes. "You do realize that nobody can win against you in a race, right? It would be pointless to go up against you."
Flash pouted. "Fine. But I still think speed should be tested."
"How about I race against her?" Jason said. Everyone looked at him. "I'm just as fast as Dad was when he was in high school."
"He's got a point," Superman said. "I don't see why not."
"Alright, speed it is," Wonder Woman muttered. "The track starts over there." She pointed a few feet off to her right. Thora suddenly noticed the track marks that ran around the whole room.
"Come on," Jason said encouragingly, taking her hand. He led her over to the starting mark. "I promise not to go too fast," he said.
"I don't think speed is my thing," Thora muttered.
"You won't know until you try."
Thora sighed. "Alright. Just don't laugh when you leave me in the dust."
Flash suddenly appeared in front of them. "Alright, you two ready?" he asked, excited. They both nodded. "On your mark, get set, go!"
Jason took off in a blur of red and blue. Thora hadn't even run ten paces before he reappeared next to her. He slowed his pace and took note that though Thora was a good runner, she definitely didn't have super speed.
"Guess that's a no go," Flash sighed.
"Let's test her strength," Superman suggested since Thora looked a little disheartened. "I'd like to see how much she can handle."
"Alright with me," Thora muttered, trying not to appear embarrassed from the race against Jason.
Superman led her over to the weight section. "How much do you think you can lift, Thora?" he asked, easily hefting a ten ton weight that lay in the walkway.
"Show off," Batman muttered.
Superman grinned but didn't comment.
"Um, I'm not sure," Thora answered.
"Let's try one hundred pounds," he suggested.
"Okay."
Superman put the weight onto the handlebar and stepped back. Thora bent down and lifted it without any effort. Excited, Superman added more weight. The League watched, impressed as Thora continued to withstand the further weight their colleage added to the bar. When the weight turned to sixty thousand, Thora showed the first signs of strain. "Keep going," she said because Superman hesitated. After a nod from the others, he added another twenty thousand pounds. Thora's muscles began to ache. Superman noticed the strain and paused again with another thousand pound. "Put it on," she huffed. Sweat was freely crawling down the sides of her face. Thora closed her eyes.
"I think that's the limit," Superman said.
"No," Thora cried. "One more!"
"Thora, you're about to keel over," Jason said, concerned as well as impressed.
"Put one more on," she commanded.
Superman looked to Batman who shrugged. "She wants to see if she can do it. Why not?"
Sighing, Superman put the next weight on. Thora's knees almost buckled but she was able to keep the bar raised. Deciding to push her luck, Superman placed another ten thousand weight on but Thora couldn't handle it. She wasn't strong enough. The bar fell but before it could hit the ground, Superman caught it with both hands. After their shock wore off, the League cheered.
"I've never seen someone so young lift so much!" Green Lantern said in awe.
"One hundred thousand pounds," Batman muttered. "That's how much you can handle, right, Jason?"
"Roughly," Jason said with a grin. "Good to know someone who's just as strong as I am."
Thora smiled while wiping sweat from her brow. Her muscles ached after having sustained so much weight for such a long time. She didn't feel utterly spent but she did feel as if her knees were going to buckle. Shakily, she walked over and sat down on a bench.
"Are you alright?" Superman asked, coming over instantly.
"I'm okay," she said, slightly out of breath. "It was a lot of weight."
"I'll say!" said Green Arrow. "That was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen."
"Thank you," Thora smiled. "I guess this makes one thing clear."
"What's that?" Jason wondered.
Thora smiled sadly. "I'm not human."
"That might not be entirely true," said Martian Manhunter. "Jason is half human, half Kryptonian and he can lift about the same amount of weight as you."
"So are you saying I might be half Kryptonian too?"
"Naw, you don't have super speed," said Jason.
"Jason, just because you've been able to show some of my powers doesn't mean you'll get all of them," Superman said. "You might never develop heat or x-ray vision or freezing breath."
"I'm slowly getting super hearing," Jason revealed. "I could hear things outside the school last week. I can't control it yet but I will some day. Maybe it will develop before the end of the year."
Superman shrugged. "It's possible."
After regaining her breath, Thora noticed that Wonder Woman was hanging back slightly from the rest of the crowd and was watching her like a hawk. It was kind of creepy. Thora tried to shrug it off.
"Are you ready to try something else?" Superman asked.
Thora nodded.
"Perhaps she has invulnerability," Green Lantern said.
"How would we prove that without hurting her?" Hawkgirl asked.
Before anyone moved, however, Wonder Woman came charging out of nowhere with a sword aimed right at Thora's neck. Displaying incredible agility, Thora swayed to the side to avoid the blow.
"What are you doing Wonder Woman?!" Flash demanded.
"You wanted to know if she's invulnerable and I wanted to know how agile she is. I figured a surprise attack would be best," Wonder Woman answered.
Before anyone could say or do anything, she lunged at Thora again. This time Thora leapt backward in a flip, her body weight coming down fully on her hands before launching herself into the air to land on her feet. No sooner had she regained balance, Wonder Woman came at her again with the sword. Thora dropped to the ground on her hands and used her legs to kick Wonder Woman's calves. The heroine leapt into the air to avoid the strike.
Some strange feeling overcame Thora. A familiarity like nothing else was bubbling to the surface…although, something was missing. Crouched low to the ground, she instinctively threw out her right hand and waited.
"What's she doing?" Aquaman asked.
What is she up to? Wonder Woman thought. Obviously she was trying to do something because her stance stated that she was still very much poised to fight. The only strange thing was her right arm launched out to the side, her fingers outstretched. It was almost as if she was waiting for something. The determination and concentration boiling in Thora's blue eyes spurred Wonder Woman into a ferocious series of attacks. Throwing the sword aside, she came at Thora with her full strength. Thora dodged every blow and even landed a few punches of her own. The two women fought valiantly. The other members of the League only saw Wonder Woman fight this way with her fellow Amazons.
Wonder Woman struck a heavy blow that sent Thora flying across the room. Skidding to a halt, Thora regained her footing, and then the alarms started going off. Everyone looked around just in time to see something come flying through the solid steel wall. The object flew across the room straight at Thora.
"Thora, look out!" Jason cried but his warning turned into a gasp.
The object connected with Thora's hand and electricity shot all over the place accompanied by multiple crashes of thunder. After the intense flashes of light died away, everyone looked up to find Thora adorned in some kind of body armor. A long red cape covered the back of her shoulders, cascading down to her ankles. A large rectangular hammer was in her right hand and Jason realized it was the object that had flown through the wall.
Thora's expression was excited as well as determined. Focused, she pulled back her right arm and started swinging the hammer until it became a blur. Electricity radiated from it, shooting out and striking random places throughout the room. Drawing backward, Thora screamed, "For Asgard!" before launching the hammer right at Wonder Woman.
It all happened in a flash. A great crack rent the air as flesh met metal. Thunder rattled eardrums, walls, and floor. A resounding crash shortly followed. Of it's own accord, the hammer flew across the room back into Thora's hands. Once she realized what she'd done, Thora gasped. Wonder Woman was fifty feet to her left while Superman was prying himself out of the wall. It was simple to tell what had happened. He'd pushed Wonder Woman out of the way and taken the blast himself.
Holding the hammer out in front of her like a sword, Thora shot through the air towards Superman. "Are you alright?" she asked, landing on her feet. Superman stared at her. So did everyone else. But Thora wasn't really paying attention. She looked Superman over and then whistled. "Wow, the only person I've ever seen take that much of a beating was the Hulk. Then again, I'm not as strong as my father so I guess I didn't hit you as hard as he could have."
Superman found his voice first. "Your father?"
Thora's eyes widened and she gasped. "I remember! I remember who I am!" She looked around excitedly at Jason but then faltered when she saw the Justice League. They all appeared apprehensive.
"Who are you?" Wonder Woman asked, suddenly appearing suspicious.
"I am Thora, princess of Asgard," Thora answered. "My father is Thor, prince of Asgard."
"Asgard? I've never heard of it," said Green Arrow. "Is is a planet?"
"More or less," Thora answered. "It's one of the nine realms of Yggdrasil."
"What the heck is Yggdrasil?" asked Flash.
Thora looked around. "Do you have a piece of paper? It's easier to understand if I draw it out while explaining."
Flash disappeared for two seconds before reappearing with paper and pen. Thora set to work drawing out the diagram her father taught her ever since she was old enough to understand the Bifrost.
"There are nine realms in the cosmos," Thora said as she drew out the circles. After naming the planets she drew the tree. "All the realms are part of the world tree, Yggdrasil. My father comes from Asgard. My mother, from Midgard or as humans call it, Earth."
"I've never heard of any of those other worlds before," Green Lantern said, "and I'm the guardian of this sector of the galaxy."
Thora looked confused. "That can't be right. The nine realms are all interconnected. Asgardians use the rainbow bridge as transportation from one place to another. My father is the guardian of the nine realms. It's his job to keep the peace."
Everyone looked at Green Lantern who merely shrugged. "Like I said before, I've never heard of this. What's your father's name again?"
"Thor."
"Never heard of him," Green Lantern said.
"Neither have I," said Superman. "And I've been around long before anyone else decided to come out and be superheroes."
"But you'd have to at least heard of my father," Thora insisted. "Asgardians are mistaken for Norse gods. My father is the god of thunder."
"Thora, the Norse believed their own kings to be their gods, like the Egyptian pharaohs," said Jason. "They didn't worship deities like the Greeks or Romans."
Thora shook her head. "No, that's not right. Odin, the All Father, is considered their highest god. Then Thor and Loki."
Jason looked at his mother. "I'm afraid we've never heard of those people, Thora," Lois said. "In all my history research, I don't recall the Norse had deities except for their kings."
"She's right," said Batman.
Thora dropped her hammer. It made a dull thud as it connected with the ground. "That can't be right. This has to be some kind of mistake."
"I'm afraid it's not," Wonder Woman said. "Believe me, Thora, I know deities and I've never heard of the ones you mentioned."
"How is that even possible?" Thora asked, looking at all the adults.
None of them had an answer. Hearing the pounding of her heart, Superman put a comforting hand on Thora's shoulder. "Don't worry, Thora, we're going to figure everything out. It might take some time but could you first explain to us what just happened and where that hammer came from?"
Thora looked down at her hammer. "Well, I reacted instinctively, I guess. This is Mjol. My grandfather, Odin, gave it to me for my birthday." Thora paused. All her memories came rushing back. Her birthday party, her grandfather giving her a hammer just like her father's, her Uncle Loki crashing the party, and being thrown into some kind of Bifrost.
"What does Mjol do?" Hawkgirl asked.
"It gives me the ability to fly, travel through dimensions, control electricity, and control the weather," Thora answered. "It's the same as Mjolnir, my father's hammer. It was fashioned after it, anyway."
"You can fly with it?" Jason asked, surprised.
"Yeah," Thora answered.
"Mind giving a demonstration?" Batman asked.
"Um, sure." Thora thrust Mjol into the air over her head and took off from the ground like a bullet. She zoomed around the room before touching back down. "Wow," she muttered before looking up. "That's the first time I've ever tried that," she answered honestly.
"Really?" Jason said.
"Well, I only got it last week," Thora revealed. "Like I said, my grandfather gave it to me for my birthday. We were holding my birthday party on Asgard when my Uncle Loki crashed it. He likes to create havoc and kidnap me in the process. It's kind of one of his habits."
"Sounds like he'd get along with several people I know," Batman muttered.
"What kind of person kidnaps people as a habit?" Martian Manhunter asked.
"My uncle," Thora sighed. "He's always had this complex of causing mischief and chaos in my father's life. Kidnapping me is one of his favorite ways to do that."
"He must really hate your father," Green Arrow muttered.
"Well, Uncle Loki is technically adopted," Thora revealed. "He was a Jotun that my grandfather decided to save after they stopped the Frost Giants from freezing Midgard. My grandfather raised him with my father but when my father was chosen to be the next king of Asgard, my uncle unleashed all this fury and now his life consists of making every Asgardian miserable, especially Odin and my father."
"Sounds like a mixed up family," Flash commented.
Thora laughed weakly. "Yeah, we're a little dysfunctional."
"So after your uncle crashed your birthday party, what happened?" asked Lois.
"He threw me into something," answered Thora. "It wasn't exactly the Bifrost but it was some type of vortex. The next thing I knew, I went soaring through a window and smacked my head against a wall. That's probably why my memories temporarily blanked."
Batman glanced at Superman and whispered so quietly that only he could hear. "What do you think? Is she telling the truth?"
Superman looked at Batman and nodded to show he really believed so. "It sounds like you might be from an entirely different place, Thora," he said.
"But that's not possible," she said. "Midgard is Earth. This is Earth. I haven't ever heard of Gotham or Metropolis but the other major cities, like New York City and Los Angeles, I've heard of before. I don't understand."
"You said before that Spiderman lives in New York City," said Jason.
"Yes, he does. And Tony lives in LA."
"Who?"
"Tony Stark," said Thora. "He's Iron Man. He's a billionaire."
Batman and Green Arrow looked at each other. From the look on their faces, neither of them had ever heard of the man and both knew every billionaire in the States.
"I've never heard of him," Batman said.
"Me neither," added Green Arrow.
Thora decided to try a different tactic. "Lois, you know every major paper in the state cities, right?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever heard of the Daily Bugle?"
Lois and Superman looked at each other and frowned. "I'm afraid not," Lois said.
Thora looked light headed. "What is going on?" she whispered. "Have you heard of S.H.E.I.L.D.?"
"What's that?" Wonder Woman asked.
"It's a special section of the government," Thora said. "Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye work for them."
"I've never heard of any of these people," said Martian Manhunter.
"Maybe that's because they're not from around here," Batman growled. Everyone stared. "Do you all remember the time where we went to an alternate universe? Maybe Thora is from one of those."
"That would explain why things aren't matching up," Superman mused, tapping his chin. He glanced around. "I think it's best to go to the council room to discuss things further. The more we learn from Thora the easier it will be to help her locate where she's from."
Everyone agreed.
"We need to be on our way," Batman said to Green Arrow.
Green Arrow looked at the clock. "You're right. If we don't, we're going to be late. Hey, will you guys fill us in?"
"Sure," said Wonder Woman. "Check in when you're done. We might still be here."
The two nodded before turning down another corridor.
The rest of the League continued down the main hallway, leading towards a set of double doors. As they walked towards the council room, however, Superman paused. Lois look up and noticed the distant look on his face. Then his face paled. "Honey?" she prompted, worried.
Superman looked down at her. "I've got to go."
"Need some help?" Flash asked.
"No, I've got it," Superman said distracted. He took off, flying down the corridor at top speed.
The League looked at each other. Something was up. Superman never ran off like that except in emergencies and usually it was one that required help. So why was he flying solo? Flash made to go after him but Green Lantern caught his arm. "I think it best to leave this one up to him. Besides, we need to stay here so we can fill in Batman and Green Arrow about what Thora tells us."
Flash sighed. He didn't like it but Green Lantern was right. "Fine. But if he calls-"
"I'll head out to meet him," intervened Wonder Woman. "You're needed here, Flash. Besides, Green Lantern and I can get him to the sun if he needs it."
Flash didn't look happy but he agreed. "Alright."
Thora turned to Jason as they followed the League down a series of stairs. "Is your dad going to be alright?"
Jason glanced at his mom. Lois appeared more on edge than usual. She always tensed when his dad had to run off on an errand but this kind of worry he was seeing on her face was different. Jason turned back to Thora. "I think he will be," he said, deciding that it was best not to cause Thora to worry. She had enough to deal with at the moment.
Lois' pace was slower than usual as she followed the others. She kept glancing out the windows that held a spectacular view of the Earth. She knew that distracted look on Clark's face; she'd seen it in nightmares involving a huge island made of Kryptonite. She'd heard that Lex Luthor was back in town. Had he used that special frequency to communicate to Clark? And what could he have said that would make her husband's face turn white the way it had? Lois was uneasy. Everyone didn't seem too worried but she was completely on edge. Something was wrong.
"Please," she muttered out loud, "protect Clark. Bring him back safely. Don't let anything bad happen."
But even as she said the words, Lois couldn't help but feel that something dreadful was indeed about to take place.