Justice That A Spider Brings
Initiation
Disclaimer: I don't own Ultimate Spider Man or Justice League Unlimited.
Previously on Justice That A Spider Brings,
"Justice League?" The figure said. "Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, New Warriors, SHIELD." The figure counted on his fingers of names that neither one in his audience knew about. "Yes I think Justice League sounds better than the rest of them. At least you even sound professional and from the sounds of it, the people actually approve of them more than any of them."
"Just what are you talking about!? Who are you!?" The one in the red, one-piece costume shouted.
"Don't you know that it is rude to demand someone's name without giving one's own?" The figure said and before the red colored hero could retort, every other hero stared him to be quiet about it.
"Fine we will."
"Don't count us out." The figure turned to see yet more unfamiliar heroes. One was almost the same size as Superman but with a complete black costume off a bat by the horns and eyes. Another was a woman dressed with a hawk's mask and wings as well as a morning star spiked club on her belt. Finally, there was the least human of them all, it was a green humanoid with some kind of outfit with blue and red coloring.
"Of course, of course." Superman said to break the ice. "My name is Superman, this is Diane or Wonder Woman." He pointed to the first female hero. "Flash." The red colored hero waved. "And Green Lantern." The green hero did nothing and so did the figure. "They are Batman, Hawkgirl and the Martin Manhunter."
"Manhunter? Don't tell me that you want me for a little cash!" The figure sparked that up once he learned the 'martin's' name.
"Not at all. I prefer to be called John Jones." The 'martin' said and the figure nodded at the alternate name.
"Now that is done, how about you. What is your name?" Hawkgirl shouted and the figure said nothing until he reached for his hood and pulled it down to reveal that he was wearing something of a wedded face.
"I was once called Spider Man. But that is all in the past…" The figure finally said until he gave all the Justice Heroes the one last surprise when that same face started to peel off to reveal yet another face but much more human. "My name is Peter Parker. I am from another universe entirely and as I was given the chance for another life, I will gladly do what I can to serve your Justice League and protect my new home."
And with that said, Peter's new life as a new hero begun but the days of fighting aside these new heroes will never be remembered by parents and soldiers for reasons they don't tell children or other civilians. Instead, it will take another generation of heroes to bring this spider from the shadows and into the light as the hero he will gladly do anything to prove as, even die.
It was the late hours of the day, when everyone in the big city take advantage of the last minute purchases and some of them were doing that very same thing at the Save Big grocery store. And it was peaceful and normal, customers see what is in stock, find what they want, check it out at the line and pay for it all and be on their way. But this evening will not be peaceful for long. Not when the latest customers are not the friendly type.
Five men. All wearing ski masks and carrying guns. That was who came in all of a sudden. "Freeze!" Everyone saw they had guns and they were not afraid to shoot to kill. "On the ground!" The customers and staff dropped to the floor and on their knees. Meanwhile, a couple of them that came with a sack had ransacked the cash resisters and took out the money drawer, in order to empty it out into their money sacks. But they didn't notice that one of the staff members had sneaked a hand under a counter where a red button was hidden and rang.
Hearing the alarm set off and they saw who had sold them out. The nearest gunman was angry and pointed his firearm at the guilty staff member. "Come on! That is not going to help us!" The nearest gunman to both of them tried to make reason; if they shoot then getting away will be twice as hard.
But that first gunman didn't appreciate reason enough to elbow that second one away from his proximity and still point his gun to the poor boy who sounded the alarm. "I will sure feel better." However, his attempt was thwarted when a green colored arrow had disarmed him right on the spot.
"But it will make me a little cranky." Everyone turned to see a masked man dressed similar to the literal Robin Hood with a mask, a cap hat, a quiver on his back and a bow in hand with an arrow aimed at the gunmen. He was the street dwelling Green Arrow, one of the best archers in the world against crime. The Gunmen then opened fire on the top of the aisle that the Green Arrow was aiming previously.
But the street archer had better reflexes to dodge it and move into the other aisles. When one of the gunmen tried to find and kill Green Arrow, the archer instead found him and fired one of his arrows which was revealed to have a net hidden in the tip that captured that gunmen.
But the green Arrow couldn't rest when another one of the gunmen found him and opened fire again, with such a terrible shot that gave the archer plenty of time to draw another arrow. But this one's tip burst at the bow to reveal a miniature boxing glove that when fired, it knocked out that second gunmen in the section of oranges.
The one to find the body hit the fruit, with the arrow landing on top for good measure, was yet another gunman who tried to make a break for it instead. But he didn't see that the Green Arrow had intercepted him with a plain arrow that pierced a can of cooking oil which made something of an oil slick. The gunmen slipped on it until he hit the entrance to the store. When he tried to get up, he only slipped again and this time, fell unconscious when he hit his head on the nearby gumball machine.
Foolishly thinking that the coast is clear, the Green Arrow took a customer who tried to get out of the action by hiding under one of the check-out counters. But they both didn't see the final gunman getting the drop on them and aimed a shot that couldn't miss, if only his gun didn't lift from his hands and got sliced like an onion on the cutting board.
That got their attention and as well as the rest of the witnesses when the gunman fell to the ground with arms acting like he bound but they couldn't see any ropes. But the hero acting that last minute recuse was something to behold, for the witnesses anyways.
"Web King!"
"It's the Web King and the Green Arrow!"
"I can't believe that the real hero of the Justice League is here with the Green Arrow!"
"You shouldn't relax like that, plenty of good men got killed for less." That gunmen was wondering what was standing over his body like it was dirt and why he couldn't see what was binding his arms. Meanwhile, the Web King, looking just like when the hooded man who escaped from hospital confinement and managed to tangle with the Justice League evenly, was ignoring the cries of joy from the witnessing customers and staff.
"Yeah and so what? Did you run out of alien beasts to beat up? You gonna horn in on my truff?" Green Arrow said defiantly, so much the hooded man wasn't amused.
"You're welcome." The Web King said, "We have been giving you out invitations but you gave us your word. We will accept even a blunt 'no'."
"Sorry but be rather busy. Someone has to keep this street busy while you and your club of heroes are up in the space…" The Green Arrow started to rant and the Web King just moved his hand to his ear and muttered,
"Ready." Then they both were taken in a ray of light until they appeared again but in a different place entirely. This finally got the Green Arrow to halt his rant and notice that he was no longer in a grocery store anymore.
"Glad you could make it." Green Arrow turned to see a sight that every person living not under a rock should know. The founders of the Justice League; Superman, Batman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martin Manhunter and Hawkgirl.
"And where am I exactly?" Green Arrow asked when he and the Web King left something like a pad with six circles big enough to fit an adult human. That and them were in some kind of space station given that out of a big window was the planet Earth in full view.
"Among friends." Superman simply said and Green Arrow turned to see a huge array of heroes, big or small, man or female, human or non-human, down in a lower floor while interacting with each other.
XXXXX
Superman was giving another of his corny speeches as the most famous and thus, the most important figure of the entire Justice League. Everyone was still listening in respectfully while Green Arrow was all the way back and definitely wasn't enjoying being in the space station that was to be called the Watchtower; as it is a tower that watches over the entire planet Earth and can stretch out to any other planet that calls for help.
"Why am I even here?"
"Because since you never gave us an answer, we had to take things into our own hands to get you up here." Green Arrow turned to see Web King again but this time, Batman was also nearby, on the other of each other.
"Come one. I don't belong up here. Fighting monsters, aliens, and supervillains. It is all the rage and there is no one besides me who wants to the help the little guy." Given no respond, Green arrow got back to the point. "And in a big club like this, you tend to forget all about him. I can never forgive myself if I do."
"That is fine. We just wanted to hear from you instead of silence. A bad answer is always better than no answer." Batman said. Then the Web King finished off,
"But the big boys we have to deal with often step on little guys. Whatever you want to or not, we will meet again and in your 'truff'." Green Arrow just scoffed. Later, after Superman's speech, everyone was off either making conversations with each other or on monitor duty.
"So what is wrong Jonn? That you called for me to see?" Web King said to the Martin Manhunter or by his original and alien name of Jonn Jones. The martin that was a sleek and green humanoid alien with a blue cape, red bindings and an emotionless expression.
"Yes Web King." The former knew real name of the Martin Manhunter but the latter was asked not to reveal the former's real identity for private reasons. "Look here." The Web King moved his head to face a screen that displayed a grin and some kind of patterns that resemble a thermal scan. Then there was that single entity that had all red, meaning high amounts of heat from it.
"Why isn't it losing heat? Anything that generates has to either lose it if it is moving or leaving behind a trail." The Web King asked and Jonn nodded.
"I don't know what it is or why is it still retraining its intense temperatures but if not stopped could prove to be disastrous. But also not to be taken lightly, you will need to handle it with some help." Jonn said and the Web King nodded.
"Then John's power ring will definitely come in handy. It can literally transform into anything imaginable." Jonn also nodded.
"Take Captain Atom too. He can at least absorb most of the energy that is causing this much heat. Also take Kara too. You will need the extra muscle, she is Superman's cousin and she needs to start some time." Jonn said and the Web King sighed at the third candidate. It was true that Kara or Supergirl has all the blood and thus powers of Superman but she is still young and without much experience.
"Fine. I will go and get them." The Web King excused himself and after yelling their names, managed to gather up all three members and walked down to the dock bay that had the Javen spacecraft that can take anyone to either another portion of the Watchtower or on the surface of Earth. But there was someone who won't let them go that easily.
"No way are you leaving me on Mount Olympus." Green Arrow said sarcastically. Web King and Green Lantern sighed.
"You can go back the way you came, it is faster."
"Uh-uh, no one is going to play pinball with my molecules." Green Arrow refused right on the spot which didn't solve the problem at all. "I am going with you and after this mission, you won't have to hear my voice again."
"Go and do what you want but we still have a mission to do." Green Lantern said and the group, with Green Arrow now in tow, arrived with a vacant Javen ready for the mission. Once inside,
"So you are going to let me drive right?" Kara asked but before either Web King or Green Lantern can answer, Captain Atom barged in.
"Wow! Has she been certified for a Javen?" No one found that funny and neither did Kara herself.
"Why don't you take the stick out, corporal?" She said sarcastically and Atom sure didn't appreciate that tone of voice.
"Captain." He said simply and tried to turn away but suddenly felt like someone was pulling him with a rope. Staring into the Web King, he started to sweat somehow.
"As for that, you can spend the next six months teaching Kara and getting her certified for a Javen every single day. Miss one and it will be given to your general in the next hour, understand?" Realizing what had made the Web King so fierce and feared and yet respected among the general public and the other members of the Justice League, Captain Atom nodded strongly. "Good."
That one of the things that made Kara's day from that moment, the other was Green Arrow simply winking at her. She sure felt better that she had real men looking after her rather than strict and non-fun army men. And despite being in the same space of it all, Green Lantern still launched the Javen and headed to Asia, where the entity was last seen and reported to still dwell at.
After landing, they all left to get a good view of the closest drop point to the entity was. But their welcome party wasn't very friendly. Asian soldiers moved in, armed to the teeth. They then started to aim to fire at them. Of course, Green Arrow was simply drinking under the Javen and saw this. "Hey!"
The Web King nodded to Green Lantern and when one of the soldiers opened fired a missile at them, it somehow was sliced in midflight and exploded prematurely. When the other missiles failed, they tried to open fire on them all but while Green Lantern's shield was visible, there seemed to be nothing there that is still protecting Web King from the bullets.
"State department was right about them not liking foreigners." Captain Atom stated the obvious very casually.
"This is crazy, no reason for it!" Green Lantern responded,
"I will give them a reason." Of course, Kara is very aggressive when it came to her power as Supergirl.
"Kara, there won't be any of that." The Web King said and Kara calmed down but Green Arrow was complaining that the more tie they wait for these attackers to run out of ammo, the more time wasted when it could be saving the Asians from this unknown menace. What happened next followed this, "There are alternatives to fighting."
As soon as those words were said out of an old movie, the ground that the attackers were hiding from had suddenly exploded and then the fire arms were sent out of the hiding place and sliced and diced in midair, a lot like those missiles from before. When that happened, a couple of helicopters came with an Asian general who apologized for the unwelcome but said that the Justice League heroes were not needed for this problem.
Inside the Javen, there was an argument on what to do next but while Green Arrow tried to sneak away due to his ever strong sense of helping others, he didn't see that he was being tailed anyways. But that feeling was forgotten when Green Arrow finally saw the source of the entire problem and main objective of the mission in Asia.
A giant, easily towering even the skyscrapers in most cities that was completely red and on fire. The head was like a fiery human skull and the arms and legs were pudgy; with some kind of flamethrower in both arms. "Brimstone."
Green Arrow had agreed with that name, it suits this beast very well until he realized that he wasn't the one who said the name. It was the Web King, following Green Arrow! "What do you want, sell me out!?"
"I want to get this mission over with so we can get out of foreign territory before we really get burned for all this trespassing." The Web King said before he suddenly shuddered and pushed the Green Arrow out of the tree.
"What the…!?" The archer yelled until he saw that he was actually pushed out of fire range of the monster Brimstone. Looking for the Web King to apologize, Green Arrow was not having any luck. But he had to give up to remain on guard with this beast now aware that the archer was present somehow.
Using some arrows that brought down the giant beasts on a certain island, Green Arrow shot the monster but the vast size and seeming impenetrable skin made it nigh impossible to bring down. And then Green Arrow had to move to conserve arrows but Brimstone was remarking fast for its massive size and weight and the archer couldn't keep outrunning it forever
Then Green Arrow felt like someone had grabbed him and helped get away from Brimstone from a cliff edge. "You just had to try it for yourself."
"Where is Webs!? He should be here! There are some people still at the cliff!" Green Arrow shouted and pointed a small settlement that were stranded at a raven with no bridge to cross. Then Supergirl and Captain Atom arrived. Atom then moved in to see if he could drain Brimstone of its energy, enough to destroy it. Meanwhile, Supergirl was the backup s Brimstone doesn't interrupt.
As all this was happening, Green Lantern used his power ring to conjurer up a transparent but solid bridge that it took one brave civilian to test it; he then waved his hand of assurance and then everyone started to move after him. But there was trouble, while Supergirl was able to get Brimstone distracted, Atom found it impossible to completely drain the monster; even after getting the recoil of overload, the beast looked like it can go on forever.
Supergirl tried to use sheer force instead but found it hard to muster all her strength during the night time and that the heat wasn't helping. Meanwhile, Atom was struggling to recover and Green Lantern was too busy occupied with maintaining the bridge to safety. After Brimstone had temporarily stunned Supergirl, he went after the only foe left which had to be Green Lantern.
In an attempt to protect himself, Green Lantern was severely burned and injured when he shield failed him. Now Brimstone was a reasonable beast and saw that its prey was out of reach and left to go other places to use its power over fire. Not even Green Arrow could stop it, didn't even try which was worse.
Back at the Javen, Web King was still not back and with Green Lantern out of combat readiness, there was the dispute on whatever or not go with the mission or call back up while hoping that Brimstone doesn't get anyone killed in the time it will take. Green Arrow was on one side while Atom was on the other and Supergirl was trying to be the peace speaker until she threatened to do the mission on her own instead.
Then good karma came when they encountered the very scientists that accidently created Brimstone as the ultimate defense that had instead rebelled. And since they created Brimstone, they know how to destroy it; all it took was to insert carbon rob dampers into the reactors which will extinguish the flames and slay Brimstone. But the heat was like a second defense which made it impossible to even get close to do any good.
Atom still tried and failed when the damage had caused a tear in his plasma suit which drove him to go up in space to avoid any destruction caused by his self-energy escaping. Now it was up to Supergirl and Green Arrow to get the remaining dampers into the reactor. But Supergirl couldn't match the might of Brimstone and Green Arrow found that the dampers were nothing like the arrows he was used to and failed to get a clean shot.
And just when Brimstone was about to finish off Green Arrow, it suddenly stopped and shuddered. Then its attacking arm suddenly was cut off clean! Green Arrow was shocked but saw what he had hoped to hit before he died, the Web King. But with only one damper left, Green arrow had to put aside any thoughts and did a last resort.
Meanwhile, the Web King then moved his fingers a lot like that of a puppet master and Brimstone roared in pain and frustration. There were even cracks made by the pressure of something that was that strong and completely surrounding Brimstone's body. Green Arrow took this chance to attach a portion of the damper to his remaining arrow. "Say 'ah', dirt bag." Green arrow said before sending a shot true and strong and right on the target.
Then Brimstone roared for one last time and the flames that were alit on its body had extinguished for good. Brimstone is dead. Green Arrow then fell to his knee in exhaustion and could only see Supergirl return and with Web King, they landed a mean strike to the dead boy. Kara sent the skull off while Web King used some kind of orange thread to create a large hole in the torso. Brimstone's dead body fell to the ground, for good and forever.
XXXXX
Later, back on the Watchtower,
Supergirl was standing in front of a sheet of protective glass that contained in the nuclear radiation from the energy that made up the existence of Captain Atom. By her side was Green Lantern who received much greater injuries than a cut on the forehead. He will have to be in that wheelchair for a couple of months until his leg properly heals.
Meanwhile, inside the room with the nuclear energy. There were two men in protective suits and oxygen masks. There was also a machine linked up to a glass box with a suit of the same size and design that the original Captain Atom wears. Inside the box were tubes connected to various spots on the suit and it was get filled up with energy clearly.
"Is he going to be okay?" Supergirl asked, anxiously. She still felt bad that Captain Atom was forced to nearly commit suicide when his containment suit was damaged; what is more is that she couldn't do a thing to stop it.
"He should be." Green Lantern assured her. "Jonn's team picked him up right after it happened. So he didn't lose too much of his energy." What made both their days was the suit moving the left arm and hand to try and make a thumbs up for 'okay'.
Supergirl and Green Lantern smiled to see that and the former did the same in a respond, whatever or not Captain Atom was able to see it too. "At least he got a new suit out of it." Supergirl then begged for what she called a 'good work' speech and after some scolding, she got it.
Elsewhere in the Watchtower, where the showers were located along the lockers, a door opened to release some steam and one Green Arrow that is still wearing his mask but mainly had a towel over his waist and currently was using another to finish cleaning himself. But as soon as he got out,
"Hello Big Time Rookie."
"If it isn't the 'Monster Killer'."
Green Arrow turned slightly to see that he had guest waiting for him to be done with his shower; The Web King and Batman. Despite the titles of praise, Green Arrow didn't seem to appreciate them.
"I was just very lucky. So was everyone else. Even you." Green Arrow responded, refusing to take any credit for anything regarding the incident in the mission. "Still don't think I belong up here."
"We know Green Arrow. That is why we wanted a hero like you around." Web King said and Batman nodded.
"That's the point. Someone like you will keep us honest." It was clear that Green Arrow was prized for more than his expert marksmanship and creativity with his weaponry but also his modest and outspoken personality. Still it made the Green Arrow feel like the two most powerful and well respected heroes of the Justice League had placed a big burden on his shoulders, one that contained the weight of everyone else.
"I…don't know webs, bats. I might not actually stay around…" Green Arrow tried to escape their glaze by trying different angles of sight until something had caused him to break in his speech. Both the Web King and Batman saw the same thing and smirked.
"Her? You sure have good taste for a Big Time Rookie and Monster Killer." The Web King said and that got Green Arrow out of his stupor.
"So? Still want to reconsider? Will we be seeing you around more?" Batman said and Green Arrow then smiled.
"You just might." But while that was a good answer to Batman, it wasn't even enough for a man like the Web King.
"Then we are burning minutes you can be spending with a woman like Dinah. Come on." The Web King dragged Green Arrow, still in his towels to the bench where Dinah, the Black Canary, was dressing up herself. "Hello Dinah, you heard of the latest recruit?" The green Arrow tried to stop the Web King from embarrassing him while Batman just smirked and made his way to elsewhere.
"Sure by why did you bring him naked to me!? Who do you take me for!?" Dinah said once she saw what was heading her way. But while the Green Arrow felt like he should die from this humiliation, the Web King had nerves of steel.
"You don't see what you like?" Web King said and that successfully got both Green Arrow and Black Canary to blush. "I think that a good couple of dates will settle your opinion. Think about it and I will send you his number."
The Green Arrow was wondering, he had heard of how the Black Canary or Dinah Lance in general isn't very easy to even make friend with if you are a man. So how is it that this one wearing a spider costume and a jacket with a hood is doing this? "I will think it about it, little brother. See you later and you better have clothes on then!" Dinah said in a soft tone that turned sharp once it was no longer on the Web King but on Green Arrow.
"How come you do that!? Now she will think that I am a shameless, perverted…"
"Playboy turned street dweller." The Web King stopped Green Arrow and got the archer to flinch in shock and surprise. "I am on the money, right Oliver Queen?" The Web King then teared off the mask and rearranged the blonde hair to make a face that no one had seen in a while, not in the newspapers anymore.
"That is my name but Green Arrow is still who I am. No one needs someone like I was before my life turned for the better." Oliver said and the Web King nodded.
"I hear you. Five years on Lian Yu in the middle of the Chinese Sea, appropriately named after the Mandarin word for purgatory, can do that to even the most carefree and spoiled kids in adult bodies." The Web King said and Oliver was pale to the face; how did this 'man' know about what happened to him after the storm sent him off his boat?
"Let's just say that once I found Bruce's little closet-dark secret, I gave him an offer that he couldn't refuse. That was from whom I learned how to get what I need to know without anyone realizing it." The Web King said. "And since I had to embarrass you twice to get both your girl and your face, I suppose it is only fair that you get to see mine." The Web King then lowered his hood and then mumbled something that Oliver could have sworn to be something like 'your cue guys'.
Oliver then forgot to even think when he said that the mask that made up the Web King had suddenly transformed into tentacles or something that retreated down the neck to reveal the true identity. As, "Peter Parker! The kid who graduated from Gotham University at only the age of eighteen! What are doing up here with us!?"
"That is a good question Oliver. I guess that I have something of a good guy complex and I need excitement though some way. I am still a kid remember." Peter said with a grin on his face that threatened to split his cheeks into two. Oliver, on the other hand, felt like he just took a movie star out for lunch dinner in one big date and didn't know until she kissed his cheek and said good night too. Talk about good karma, so good that you can get a heart attack for less.
"Anyways. I am still a kid and while Bruce can teach me to be a ninja with precise gadgets, I still need how to be creative and with crude materials. Something that only a billionaire like you can do." Peter explained and Oliver just dumbly nodded. "I will be seeing you soon and another thing." Oliver turned into Peter's direction as his mask suddenly moved back on his face. "Dinah Lance is a strong woman and a close friend to me. If I find out that you made her cry then prepare yourself; I had to hold back on that last mission."
That was it; that was enough that Oliver fainted right on the spot. His brain needed a little rest and a lot of time to take all this info in. But what he didn't see was that a few heroes around him just chuckled and muttered about 'Peter doing it again' and 'another Rookie too'. Just what kind of reputation does Peter have?
End of Chapter 2.
*Thanks for the reviews! I really need it in order to decide if I can continue this story. Just remember that I will be writing my stories off the episodes from the series, Justice League Unlimited. I just found it really difficult to find it for the category. I am sure you had that off day yourself. Anyway, let me know what you think of how I am displaying Peter in this DC Universe. Love to hear back!*