A/N Hey everyone long time no see, it's been about a year since I last posted a chapter and I'm sorry I've been away for so long. This chapter fought me the entire way, I just couldn't get it to work the way I wanted it too. I have and I'm not kidding about 20,000+ words that were written for this chapter saved on my hard drive. Some were used for the finished project, most weren't. I am back to writing and I don't foresee any reason I won't be posting more often so let's get to it.
Quick note for the chapter: A yantok is one of the primary weapons of the stick fighting martial art Eskrima, they are usually wielded in pairs and in comic lore are probably most widely known as the primary weapon of Nightwing.
Clark was at his desk at the Daily Planet, reading an article on The Times website. On the front page in block type read the headline:
Wonder Woman rescues two dozen from apartment fire.
Beneath the bold title was an even bolder picture of Wonder Woman with a pair of children in her arms, a blazing inferno raging in the background. Clark was reading the cover story with interest; ever since news of Wonder Woman had reached the Daily Planet's ears he'd been following stories with her in them, not that they were exactly a rarity.
For the past week headlines similar to the one he'd had been perusing had been showing up on various newspapers. Since the incident at the Tower Of London, Wonder Woman had been the buzz of the news world; she'd been sighted half a dozen times in five countries each time preforming daring rescues and offering aid. His interest in her was twofold; one he genuinely liked reading about his fellow heroes and two since the decision to expand the league he liked to keep an ear on the superhero community for potential recruits. After witnessing what had happened in London the idea that perhaps the Justice League had been too conservative in their scope had been knocking around his head; perhaps they could not only expand the roster but the reach of the Justice League to include other countries outside of America.
Truthfully if there was an international crisis the League would have a hard time offering any timely aid other than J'onn, Bart, Zatanna and himself. If there was one thing growing up on a farm in Tornado alley had taught him it was the importance of preparation for emergencies and as talented and powerful of a group as the league was the fact was that having only four defenders capable of offering aid outside of America in a timely manner bothered him.
He was drawn from those thoughts by the unmistakable scent of warm breakfast pastries, turning his head he saw Cat making her way over to him, a paper bag in one hand and a cup holder containing two cups in it in the other. She placed both items on his desk and leaned in for a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Good morning Cat."
"'Morning darling; I brought breakfast, you like apple danishes right?" She asked a cautious smile playing across her glossy lips.
Clark returned her smile. "Whatever you brought is fine."
"God, can you two do that somewhere else?" They both looked over and saw Lois walking to her desk, an irritable expression on her face and a gigantic cup of coffee in her right hand.
"Good morning Lois." Clark offered
"What's good about it?" She grumbled taking a swig of her coffee.
Cat (who had an inclination as to why Lois was being grouchy) hitched a fairly convincing fake smile on her face. "Hello Lois."
Cat's greeting apparently didn't even warrant a verbal response because Lois grunted a reply back, slid into her chair, booted up her computer and didn't look at either of them again.
Cat rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Clark. "Well I should probably get going, are you free for lunch?" If she had slightly elevated her voice she didn't pay it any notice.
Clark pushed his glasses up the front of his nose with his forefinger and thought for a moment. "Yeah I should be, I'll come by your office and pick you up."
Cat bent down and kissed him again; this time on the lips. She stood winked at Clark and walked away with a definite sway to her hips, leaving Clark with a slight blush and a wide smile.
For her part Lois had determinedly been looking at her computer's boot screen, lest she say or do something that she'd no doubt end up regretting.
She may have been interested in Clark first but she hadn't made a move and it seemed that the opportunity had slipped from her grasp. Lois cared about him and his happiness, especially knowing all he did not only for Metropolis but the world at large and if Cat made him happy she wasn't going to try and stand in between that…even if Cat was a blonde bimbo without enough sense to come in out of the rain or apparently conduct her personal relationship with a coworker in a professional manner.
Lois was determined to act with grace and maturity even if all she wanted to do was wrap Cat's little empty head in a vice and give it a good squeeze… besides anyone with half a brain could see that Clark and Cat would never work out, their relationship was new and they were just infatuated with each other. Once that wore off one of two things would happen; Cat would become bored of him (she was betting that would happen) or Clark would realize Cat wasn't the right woman to share his secret with and he'd end the relationship.
Regardless of how it happened Lois planned to be there to pick up the pieces when it did, she'd let Clark slip away once. She wouldn't let it happen again. With a herculean effort she cut that train of thought and focused on today's workload which included proofreading a rather hard hitting interview that she'd conducted with the mayor's office about a recent string of foreclosures in the less than stellar real estate market of Hobs Bay.
About ten minutes later she was just starting to hit a stride when-
"Kent, Lane my office now!" Perry's bellowing voice cut through the din of the bullpen. Her earlier ire all but forgotten, Lois looked over at Clark and saw a blank look on his face, she mouthed 'what's going on' and he shrugged apparently having no idea what Perry wanted either.
Perry's secretary waved them through to the editor's office, why he even bothered with a secretary when he just shouted across the bullpen whenever he wanted something was a mystery that Lois had been pondering for quite some time.
As was his usual style Perry got straight to the point. "Listen up you two; I'm sure you've both heard by now about what happened in London a few days ago."
They both nodded.
"What you may not be aware of is that Wonder Woman and The Amazon Archer are being honored by the Queen of England in two weeks and then again by the Prime Minister, but before that she's arranged for a formal dinner and press conference next week. The event will be huge; black tie, major dignitaries, simulcasts online…the works. An old friend of mine who owes me a favor is the mother of the event planner and thanks to that I've managed to get a pair of invitations and secure an exclusive interview with Wonder Woman a week before the press conference… I think you can see where this is headed. "
Lois felt her heart jump and looked over at Clark in time to see a thoughtful expression settle onto his face.
"When do we leave?" She asked breathlessly.
Before Perry could answer however Clark cleared his throat. "Uh, Mr. White isn't this more a job for the foreign desk?"
If it would've had any effect on him whatsoever Lois would've stomped on Clark's foot in that moment. What was he playing at, she knew that he was just as interested in this assignment as she was and here he was throwing away a golden opportunity.
"We're in between correspondents at the moment and you two are the only two I have free, do you really want to turn down a story this big Kent?" Perry grumbled around his cigar.
Clark adjusted his glasses. "It's not that Mr. White, I just don't want to step on anybody's toes."
"You let me worry about bruised egos Kent, you and Lane just come back with a damn good story."
"Yes sir." He replied with a nod.
"To answer your earlier question Lane, this is more important than anything else you've got going on so clear your calendar for the next week, you're leaving tomorrow so take the rest of the day off to make preparations."
Lois mentally thought of the rescheduling she'd have to do and nodded. "Not a problem."
He reached into a drawer on his desk and slid a pair of airplane tickets and invitations across its surface. "Alright, you know what to do now get out there and do it."
Clark turned to leave but Lois stayed back. "Perry about expenses… "
He looked at her for a moment before he said the two words she'd been hoping for: "Bring receipts."
They walked back out to the bullpen and after making sure no one was paying attention Lois leaned in. "You knew didn't you?"
Clark looked down at her with a curious expression on his face that didn't quite reach his twinkling eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Don't play stupid Smallville; you knew there wasn't a foreign correspondent available when you said that to Perry didn't you?"
Clark just smiled.
"What if he had taken you off the assignment?"
He shrugged. "You know Perry, he'll try to give the job to the best person, or people for the job. I didn't say I didn't want the assignment, I was just showing professional courtesy. Not to mention it would've been a little odd if I'd acted all gung-ho about it."
She looked at him half exasperated, half impressed.
"Next time don't play your games with my interviews." Lois said with a playful punch.
"I'll keep that in mind." He replied with an easy smile.
They next day they met at Metropolis International Airport; Chloe, Jimmy (and to Lois' chagrin) Cat had come to see them off. After several minutes of goodbyes they were off (Cat pulled Clark aside for one last kiss and a promise to text her the second he got settled).
They got through the security checks relatively quickly and other than a young girl spilling her juice on Lois' shoes and being seated next to a portly elder woman who kept going on (and on and on) about how Clark reminded her of her husband 'umpteen' years ago the flight was uneventful. Seven and a half mind numbing hours later they were taxiing into London City Airport and even though neither of them were tired when taking into account the five hour time difference between Metropolis and London and that they had an early start in the morning it was agreed upon that it would be best to check into the hotel and call it a night.
In short order they were in a taxi and zooming down the streets of London, both of them taking in the scenery. Thanks to her father being stationed here Lois had been to London before but that had been over a decade ago and she hadn't done much in the way of sightseeing, being more interested in the seedier side of the city. Clark on the other hand had never visited London, he'd passed over the city of course, but noticing interesting architecture from two miles in the air wasn't anything like being in the thick of it, even for a person with his senses. They pulled to a stop at an intersection and Lois noticed a small tent city in the parking lot of a fancy hotel; her curiosty piqued she asked the driver what was going on and he told them that that was the hotel Wonder Woman was staying in.
Clark's looked over as well. "It looks like they've been out there for a while."
The cabbie nodded. "Since she recovered the Crown Jewels; you should've seen it the first couple of days...there was almost a thousand people out here, these are just the paparazzi hoping for an exclusive."
Lois rolled her eyes. "Some people will do anything for a story."
Clark cleared his throat and chose to focus on the tents instead of pointing out that had Perry not secured an exclusive for them then Lois would no doubt have used that sharp mind of hers to cook up a scheme that ( probably broke a couple of laws) involved sneaking into the hotel and securing the interview herself.
She heard the pointed cough and turned "What?"
"Just needed to clear my throat." He replied lightly
She looked at him suspiciously for a moment before shrugging mentally.
Ten minutes later the cab pulled into the hotel and while Lois took care of the fare Clark unloaded their suitcases.
"I can't believe we're really here in London, you know?" Lois said as they walked into the hotel
"It is kind of surreal." He agreed looking around the lobby and taking note of the impressive decorum and rich dark woods. "Exactly how much did Perry allow for expenses?
She smiled slightly. "Enough." And with that cryptic answer slipped over to the front desk and checked them in.
They rode the elevator up in companionable silence and walked down the hall to their respective rooms.
"Well I guess this is where we part ways; I'll see you tomorrow bright and early. I've got a full day planned for us, so get some rest Smallville."
"Goodnight." He replied with a bemused expression.
He let himself into his room. While the room wasn't luxurious it was well furnished and comfortable, he placed his suitcase on the bed and was in the process of taking out his cellphone to text Cat and let her know that he'd arrived safely when a loud shrieking noise shattered the silence of his room. On reaction he reached up and covered his ears but it didn't help, the noise continued on for several seconds and just as it was becoming unbearable it vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
*Help me*
He lowered his hands from his ears and turned to see where the voice had come from, the words weren't quite being spoken but they weren't telepathic (as far as he could tell) in origin either. The voice was feminine and seemed to come to him like an ethereal whisper on the wind and no matter how he adjusted his senses he couldn't hone in on a direction it was coming from.
*Can anyone hear me? I don't know where I am but it's dark and I can't move…please someone help me*
There was a definite not of fear in the voice and it seemed to be fading, in an desperate attempt to see what was happening he projected all his senses out as far as they could go. It was something he didn't do often as it was… well the closest human comparison would be sensory overload. Slowly and painfully he filtered through the onslaught of information until his senses were back at their normal levels and despite training all of his senses around the room and the surrounding area he didn't see anyone or anything that needed his help.
Robbery in progress across town…Police had the perpetrator in custody.
Fender bender three blocks away…no injuries.
DUI about three miles away, the suspect was submitting to a (and by the sound of it, falling) a field sobriety test.
The odd thing was that the noise was similar to the piercing whistle that the Kryptonian Stones of Power gave off whenever one had been recovered… but that was impossible, he had recovered all the stones and assembled the Fortress in the process. Could there be a fourth stone Jor-El hadn't told him about? He was sure the noise was similar, perhaps the sound was Kryptonian in origin as well.
The thought that there could possibly be more Kryptonian artifacts on Earth was unnerveing; the stones had caused their fair share of trouble before he had managed to assemble them, culminating in a second meteor shower over Smallville, several deaths and the arrival of Brainiac. If someone had found an artifact and managed to activate it…well he needed to get to it as quickly as possible.
But his experiences with the artifacts didn't explain the voice he had heard…or hadn't heard. This wasn't getting him anywhere and unlike when he had been dealing with the stones he knew where he could go to get some answers.
He looked at the clock on the wall; it was half past one. He could take a quick jaunt down to the Fortress and if it turned out to be nothing he could be back in time for morning. He only needed a couple hours of sleep anyway, mind made up he changed into his uniform and was rocketing up and away a few seconds later. He climbed through the atmosphere, normally this was his favorite way to gaze at the heavens but his mind was so preoccupied he didn't even notice the beauty that lay before him, at the edge of space he stopped for a moment adjusted his course and set off on a ballistic path for Antarctica creating quite the show for a passing surveillance satellite. Fifteen minutes later he was floating in front of the towering crystal spires of the Fortress.
At first the Fortress had been an unwelcome addition for him, a constant and poignant reminder of a heritage that he hadn't wanted and had tried to discard for so long. Then it had inspired feelings of melancholy in him; a sterile monument to a dead planet that only served to remind him off just how alone he was in the Universe. But that too had changed, as he'd matured he had wanted to learn more of his people and his heritage and now he fully embraced and accepted the Fortress as the final gift to him from his parents and the storehouse of the greatest source of knowledge on Earth and possibly the galaxy.
He landed softly in the snow in front of the giant doors that were embossed with the familial crest of the House of El. He touched the door and the Kryptonian biometrics inside the crystal like material read his DNA signature and after a moment the doors slid back, admitting him entrance. The warm air inside the Fortress rushed out whipping his cape to and fro as he stepped across the threshold.
A moment later the doors slid shut behind him and the inner lights of the Fortress came up.
"Welcome, my son."
The preserved intelligence of Jor-El served as guardian to the Fortress and was the main way to interface with the main CPU's. Clark looked at the hologram, much like the Fortress his relationship and view of his biological father had changed considerably. He still considered Jonathan Kent as his true father but the anger and petulance he had felt for Jor-El had long since given way to an honest respect for the man who had sired him.
"Jor-El, I need to know if there are any Kryptonian artifacts on Earth other than the ones you've told me of."
There was a momentary pause as the Fortress computers worked. "No."
Undaunted Clark continued. "Have there been any transmissions of Kryptonian origin originating anywhere on the planet?"
A moment of silence and then..."There have not."
Clark let out a frustrated sigh.
"What is troubling you Kal-El?"
Clark gave a quick rundown of what had happened and his father's A.I. was silent for a few moments.
"Interesting,"
Somehow Clark had been expecting a little more than that. "Care to elaborate?"
"What you described is consistent with the awakening of a Kryptonian artifact; however there is nothing in my database that corresponds with Kryptonian artifacts on Earth, active or otherwise."
Clark rubbed his chin. "Is it possible that there could be other artifacts that you are unaware of?"
"Unknown but unlikely, I will set Fortress sensors to search for any transmissions incoming on all known Kryptonian frequencies and alert you accordingly; will there be anything else Kal-El?"
"No that's all…thank you Jor-El." Clark hesitated, his business at the Fortress had concluded quicker than he thought it would but he didn't have to be back for a few hours still, so why not make the most of this trip? "Actually I have some more questions about Krypton, would it be possible to review some of my ancestor's logs?"
He could've sworn he saw a look of pride flash briefly across the holograms face. "As you wish Kal-El."
It was the day of Diana's press conference and dinner. She should have been excited, after all she was about to get the chance to address the whole world and complete a large part of her gods given quest. Instead she was watching Artemis out the side of her eyes, and any excitement she might have felt had been replaced with honest concern for the elder woman.
Artemis was on a hair trigger, although given what had transpired Diana didn't blame her in the least. The day after the press had christened Diana Wonder Woman the volatile woman had awoken Diana as she had been literally tearing the room apart in a state of panic. As long as she'd known Artemis, she'd never known her sister to panic and that had immediately sent off alarm bells in Diana's mind.
After she'd managed to calm Artemis down enough to find out what was wrong, she completely understood why her sister had been so agitated; both the Gauntlet of Atlas and the Winged Sandals of Hermes were missing. The first thought had been that they had been robbed, but a thorough investigation of their suite revealed that nothing else had been taken, Diana was still in possession of Hephaestus sword, Artemis had her bow and quiver and all the gold they had been exchanging for local currency remained accounted for. Whoever had absconded with the gauntlet and sandals had targeted them specifically. Their door hadn't been forced and the hotel's computer hadn't registered the door being opened the night in question, in addition they had interrogated the staff and reviewed the security tapes and nothing had come up, it was as if both artifacts had simply vanished.
Artemis had spent the rest of the day alternating between a morose depression, a skittish panic and a seething fury and with good reason; Queen Hippolyta had entrusted those artifacts to her and the loss they represented went far and above the abilities they granted and went towards the very center of Amazon culture. If she didn't find them it meant that when they returned to Paradise Island Artemis was facing at the very least complete disgrace and exile from the Amazon tribes, all her accomplishments would be erased from any record and any honors afforded her would be forfeit. And that would only be if Queen Hippolyta was feeling particularly merciful, more than likely she would be executed and buried as a disgraced warrior, denied the funeral pyre as was the tradition for an honored Amazon. Instead she'd left to rot in the ground and forced to wander the shores of the Underworld for eternity.
The very idea sent shivers across her powerful shoulders.
"These clothes are unbecoming for a warrior!" Artemis snapped at an aide who had handed her the dress she was expected to wear for the gala. The poor woman squeaked in obvious fear and backed away from her as fast as was possible without breaking into a full run.
"Artemis." There was a definite note of warning in Diana's voice. She was no more in favor of the pageantry than her friend but that dislike was tempered by the realization that she was a stranger in a foreign land with strange customs and if this was required to take the next step in her mission she would do so.
The elder woman matched stares with Diana for a moment but relented with an irritable huff. "Very well, but I get to carry my bow with me." She would capitulate to the inefficient dress, the gaudy jewelry and the ridiculous heeled shoes but on this last point she refused to be moved, especially given that someone had managed to so grievously breech their security. If they intended to strike again she had no intention of giving them an easy target.
"Fine." Diana agreed realizing the finality in her friend's tone.
Just then the door to their dressing room opened and a young woman in her early thirties with short blonde hair walked into the room. "Is everything alright ladies?"
Artemis harrumphed but other than that didn't say anything. Already used to Artemis mood swings the woman turned to Diana.
"Everything is fine Etta." The princess supplied.
Etta Candy was a personal assistant and public relations specialist. She'd been assigned to Diana and Artemis by the P.R firm that was in charge of running the dinner. She was a short heavyset woman with a quick wit and a large personality that Diana found endearing.
"That's good." She looked down at her smartphone and tapped the screen a few times. "Okay we're on schedule. You have a photo shoot in an hour, followed by the dinner and afterward an interview with two representatives from the Daily Planet. "
"The Daily Planet?"
"An American newspaper, it's run out of Metropolis."
"Ah yes, I remember now. Who are they sending?"
Etta consulted her smartphone again. "Um let's see… a miss Lois Lane and a mister Clark Kent."
"I'm familiar with Ms. Lane's work, but I've never read anything by Mr. Kent."
"I can download some of his articles and have them to you in a few minutes." Etta replied already reaching for a tablet computer.
Diana may have become accustomed to the technology of the outside world during the months of her travels but she still got a secret thrill every time she witnessed it in action. A few moments later Etta handed the tablet with said articles to Diana. "There you go."
Diana smiled warmly. "Thank you Etta, You have made this whole experience much more enjoyable."
"That's what I'm here for. If either of you need anything else just let me know." She replied with a shy smile as she vacated the room.
Diana consulted the small computer and read a few articles by Clark Kent, it appeared he mainly reported on human interest and local issues that affected the unheard and forgotten citizens of Metropolis a part of her admired that. He would likely be the one who focused on the scope of her mission while Lois Lane would probably try and learn about her on a personal level.
Reflecting on the events to come she was sure that this would be a night to remember.
Clark entered into the hotel lobby clad in a perfectly cut black tuxedo, he had forgone the traditional bowtie in favor of a more modern long tie. His hair had been slicked back; he was wearing a pair of wire frame glasses as opposed to the thicker ones he usually favored, a dark pair of soft leather shoes that were polished and crisp completed his image.
She'd gotten so used to seeing him in disguise, either at work or as Superman but this; this was closer to the Clark she'd met back in Smallville all those years ago. Lois raised an eyebrow in appreciation. "Well Smallville, I have to say you clean up nicely."
Clark got a good look at Lois; she was wearing a midnight blue, backless evening gown, a sheer blue shawl with matching heels and a tiny purse. Her hair had been done up in sleek braided bun.
He smiled that crooked smile she was so fond of. "Thanks, you look great Lois."
It wasn't a gushing description of her beauty but a tiny blush stained Lois' cheeks nonetheless and she smiled shyly. "Thanks Small- Clark."
"Well if you're ready to go, I'll go call a cab."
"No need, I hired a town car."
He raised an eyebrow. "A town car?"
"Come on we're on the Planet's bill and I wanted to arrive in style." At his unconvinced look she sighed. "Trust me, at these type of parties appearance is everything and as we're representing the Planet, we need to make an impression."
They didn't have to wait long before a beautiful 1950's style Cadillac town car pulled up smoothly in front of the hotel and a sharply dressed driver stepped out and held the door to the backseat for them. He helped her into the car before sliding in after her.
The interior was done in a rich two tone leather that Lois was looking at appreciatively. "Oh yeah, these bad boys never go out of style. Can I pick em' or what?"
In short order they were being driven through London's busy streets. Clark was unsure how he was going to handle this situation, he may have been here in an official capacity but he was also interested in recruiting Wonder Woman to the Justice League. Did he use the direct approach and just float in as Superman and request to talk to her, or did he gauge her first in his civilian garb and approach later? Those and other ideas played across his mind and before he knew what had happened they had arrived.
The event was huge; most of the heads of the world's major powers were in attendance or had sent representatives in their stead all with accompanying security and staff, all in all the whole thing was reminiscent of a G-8 summit. The event was being simulcast on T.V and the internet, in over a hundred countries; it was a broadcast that would easily rival the Olympics or World Cup in terms of sheer viewership.
Lois and Clark had arrived a few hours early and with good reason, the number of security checkpoints they had to go through was dizzying; there had been a couple of close calls but thanks to some quick thinking and discrete use of his super breath Clark had managed to get through unmolested.
They stepped into the main hall; a large crowd of well-dressed, famous and important people greeted them. Some were milling to and fro, others were enjoying a beverage and others still were chatting with varying degrees of excitement.
Clark immediately noticed Lex on the other side of the room chatting up a group of business men and women. He nervously adjusted his glasses, endeavoring to stay away from his former friend.
"Wow, everyone whose anyone's here." She scanned the room in apparent bemusement. "I don't see Superman anywhere; guess he didn't get an invite."
"He's got a big enough ego as it is, it probably would've gone to his head." Clark replied with a shrug.
She punched him lightly on the shoulder and he responded with an amused smile, any further banter was cut off as Lois was pulled aside by one of her dad's army buddies.
That was more or less the story of the next hour; Lois being spotted by bigwigs and being pulled aside and dragging Clark along with her. He was somewhat surprised at the number of connections Lois had but he supposed being a hotshot reporter and having an army general for a father probably didn't hurt with getting introductions with the rich and famous.
"Lois…Lois Lane?"
Lois grimaced before turning around and placing a very convincing fake smile on her face. "Hello Bruce."
A very dashing man in his late twenties or early thirties with black hair and robin egg blue eyes smiled brightly at Lois, took her hand and kissed it. "It's been a while…Cabo wasn't it?"
"Yes, I think so." There was a note of exasperation in her voice.
"How could you forget? You, me, my yacht and-" He seemed to notice Clark for the first time and put on the same charming smile he had earlier. "Oh who's your friend?"
"Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent."
"Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne."
Clark of course recognized the name; Bruce Wayne was almost as famous for his vast fortune as for his many dalliances with various heiresses, celebrities and super models. Clark offered his hand and Wayne took it between both of his in a rather weak grip, his goofy smile never faltering. "A pleasure to meet you Mr. Kent."
"Likewise Mr. Wayne."
"Clark is a co-worker of mine. Bruce is the…" she left the sentancee hanging for a moment as she cast around for a proper word "He's an old acquaintance." She finally settled on.
Bruce's eyebrows rose amusedly. "Just an 'acquaintance', oh Lois, you wound me."
"Correct me if I'm wrong Bruce but you're not exactly…that involved with Wayne Industries, so what are you doing here?" She asked sidestepping his statement altogether.
"Honestly I found out about all this about a day ago… I was in Aruba when I got the notification; something about Wayne Industries interests or something…anyway it seems the board of directors thought it'd be best if the face of the company made an appearance, so here I am." He paused for a moment before spotting someone over Clark's shoulder and giving a jovial wave. "Ah if you'll excuse me I believe that's Ted Kord I see… I have some business with him, a bet to settle and all that… A pleasure as always Lois, we'll have to get together for lunch some time, it was nice meeting you as well Mr. Kent."
They watched as Bruce walked away and Clark looked over at Lois wryly. "He was nice, did-
"I know him from a long time ago." Lois cut across brusquely.
"That's all you have to say?" Clark asked with a raised eyebrow
"That's all there is to say, It's not what you think."
"Clark shrugged innocently. "I didn't say anything."
"It's not." She reiterated forcefully.
He nodded. "Alright,"
He reached over to a passing waiter and secured a shrimp cocktail, counting down in his head as he did so. Five, four, three, two, on-
"It was one time, I met him on vacation. I was drunk and I didn't know it was him until after the fact." She blurted out.
His mouth was full of shrimp so he could only reply with a interested "Hmm?"
Lois rolled her eyes and snagged one of his shrimp. "Forget it. Look I've seen way to many people I know, so let's just go get a table before I'm spotted again."
They were seated in the center of the auditorium with a group of businessmen who were in a pissing contest on how much they had earned last quarter. It was so much white noise to Clark, he wasn't interested in the kind of world many of these people lived in, fortunately dinner arrived soon after and he could focus on the amazing food.
About twenty minutes after dessert was served the lights dimmed and from behind a curtain two women walked on stage. There was a loud round of applause and Wonder Woman smiled briefly as she took her position in front of the podium.
Clark was stupefied, he had seen some beautiful women in his time; he worked with them on a regular basis and was lucky enough to be currently dating one but these two were stunning on a whole different level… it was almost unnatural. He'd seen pictures of both of them of course, but they didn't begin to do either woman justice
Wonder Woman in particular caught his eye; her features were at the same time classic, timeless and flawless. Her skin was a sun kissed bronze, her hair was luxurious and dark with a hint of untamed wildness, she had full lips and her eyes were the deepest shade of sapphire he could recall seeing, almost a liquid black…those eyes especially…he could easily imagine just…just…He shook his head and re focused. A quick glance around showed that most of the men and a few of the women were having a similar reaction and he felt a strange sense of relief that he wasn't the only person affected by the beauty of these women. One man in particular caught his attention, his mouth was hanging open and his face wore a vacant expression.
Even over the applause his keen ears picked up snatches of conversation from people around him.
"Wow, they're a pair of lookers…"
"Her hair is so beautiful…"
"Do you think those things are real, they look fake to me..."
"I'd love to know who did their dresses…"
"That, that's what I want my nose to look like!"
"I got two words for ya Jim: Hubba-Hubba…"
"Is that a quiver on the tall one's shoulder?"
That last question caught his attention and upon closer inspection he saw that the redheaded woman indeed had a quiver and bow slung across her right shoulder; it made an interesting contrast to say the least. She reminded Clark of a Secret Service agent, her posture was alert, her feature were set in a poker face J'onn would've envied and her vivid green eyes scanned the crowd looking for any potential trouble.
The applause died down and Wonder Woman began to speak. "Good evening and thank you for coming. Many of you know me as Wonder Woman but my name is Diana and I am the Princess of the Amazon Nation."
Her English was excellent but a slight accent could be detected behind her words. Her voice had a rich, throaty timbre that made her words seem as if they caressed her tongue as they left her mouth. "For over a millennia my people have lived isolated from the outside world, I have journeyed from my home in the hopes that my people, and the rest of the world may-
Any further words were cut off by muffled shouts and gunfire coming from the back of the hall, every head an camera turned around in time to see the doors being kicked in and a woman walking over the threshold, beyond her bodies of armed guards could be seen laying askew.
The woman cast a tall and imposing figure, she was clad in an ensemble of what appeared to be black and red leather studded with metal rivets.
"Diana….it does my heart good to see you again!" Her voice boomed out over the stunned silence of the crowd.
With absolute confidence strode between the rows of people, headed towards the podium an odd smile on her face. Diana was unable to believe what she was seeing; she spared a look at Artemis and saw a similar look of disbelief on the elder warriors face.
"Mercy, is that you?"
Mercy spread her arms wide. "Indeed it is."
"What are you doing here?"
"I've come to reclaim what should have been mine in the first place; the title of champion." She had kept walking forward and passed the first line of tables. Doing what they'd been paid to the hired security men stepped forward as one, drew their weapons and a moment later a dozen laser sights danced on various locations across Mercy's body.
"Stand down!" Artemis shouted.
Mercy looked down, saw the laser lights, looked back at the guards and laughed. "If you value your lives, I'd listen to her."
Out in the audience Lois felt Clark bristle beside her, she leaned closer and whispered at him harshly. "What the hell's going on?"
"I don't know, but stay alert and be ready to move if I tell you too." He replied, his eyes never leaving the blonde woman whom Wonder Woman had identified as Mercy.
"As I said, I am here to reclaim what should be mine."
Diana stepped from behind the podium. "You speak nonsense."
"Do I? For months I have been watching you while you follow the advice of Olympus and Hippolyta. Both will only lead to our people's destruction, we shouldn't be making peace with these fools, we should be ruling them!"
The person speaking looked like Mercy but the words were unlike anything she'd ever heard spoken from her friend. While there were Amazon's opposed to the idea of opening Themyscira to the rest of the world Mercy had never counted herself among them.
Artemis stepped forward a hard look on her face. "Mercy, stop this or I will stop you."
"Spare me your idle threats Artemis, without the gauntlet and the sandals you are a non-factor in this confrontation."
Artemis' eyes narrowed. "How do you…It was you! Where are they Mercy?"
Mercy shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "I don't know, probably at the bottom of the ocean by now."
"Mercy you're being controlled by Ares and-"
Mercy cut her off. "You don't understand sister I willingly gave myself to him and Eris. Ares has shown me the truth and the errors of following Olympus and now I've come for my rematch, on the evening of your greatest triumph; in front of the whole world we will prove which of us is superior."
"I won't fight you Mercy."
Mercy's face twisted in anger. "You are wrong Princess." She spat the title like a filthy word. "You will face me, or these people will die."
There were screams and gasps of terror at Mercy's proclamation.
Mercy raised her right hand in the air and waved it, around her pillars of fire shot out of the ground, they appeared by the dozens and when they disputed creatures unlike anything seen on Earth had appeared.
"Behold sisters, Ares dogs of war." They vaguely resembled dogs; they were nearly four feet tall and nearly six feet from head to tail. Their tails were barbed and forked, reddish brown fur around their bodies. Fangs nearly a foot long glinted in the light, smoke issued forth from their muzzles and glowing red eyes told of the destruction these creatures longed to unleash.
The blonde Amazon looked up on the stage. "Last chance Diana."
"Don't do this Mercy; it's still not too late." Diana pleaded.
A chilling caricature of a grin ghosted across Mercy's features. "Attack."
It was as if a switch were thrown as one the beasts moved forward, Diana knew that she might still be able to talk these creatures down and prevent anyone from getting hurt, but before she could make a move, there was a blur of speed and Mercy was standing in front of her. "Assume your champion's uniform Diana, this is a contest and the necessities must be observed. I want there to be no doubt, which of us is superior."
The look on Mercy's face told her that it was pointless to try and reason with her any further. She was no fool and as much as it pained her it seemed there would be no peaceful resolution. She regretfully spun and the familiar cocoon of light enveloped her, when it dissipated she was in her uniform, that accomplished she assumed a fighting stance a determined look on her face. She may not have sought this fight but she would not allow her feelings to cloud her judgment, she needed to take Mercy down as quickly as possible. Her duty as champion and training as princess demanded no less of her…and so the two old friends did battle.
There was a battle unfolding and instead of armor, Artemis only had this feeble dress, the useless jewelry and these damnable shoes, "Curse these shoes, to Hades!" She growled kicking off the detested footwear. She saw that Diana was occupied with Mercy. As much as she wanted to jump into the fray her training dictated that she allowed Diana to handle Mercy until the other threats had been neutralized.
There were people running to and fro trying to avoid becoming a target to the creatures Mercy had identified as Ares' dogs of war; with so many moving targets the probability of an innocent accidently being hurt was too high for her to justify using her bow, but she was not deterred. Kicking a table on its side she chopped down on one of the legs breaking the wood where her hand had impacted. She repeated the process and she twirled her new found weapons like a pair of yantok testing their heft and balance, they certainly weren't of the same quality she had come to appreciate in weaponry but under the circumstances she was reasonably satisfied.
She picked out a pair of beasts menacing a pair of women and charged at her foes.
Clark's eyes quickly took in what was going on and he shot a glance at Lois.
"Get moving Lois. I'll try and get everyone out."
He ran off into the crowd a moment later a familiar blur of red and blue appeared in front of a pack of about a dozen hounds. The blur disappeared and Superman was releasing gale force winds from his mouth causing the hounds scatter like tenpins.
Staff security was trying their best to aid but they were only succeeding in getting in the way, one man already lay dead, his face savaged by Ares' dogs. Superman threw another off of a young boy, picked up the scared child and deposited him with his parents, who had been yelling for their son.
"Timmy, thank God." The father swept the young boy up
"Thank you Superman, God bless you." The mother cried.
"My pleasure ma'am, take care of him and when you get outside call for emergency services." he said before disappearing in a blur.
Lois was shepherding frightened gaggles of people out the doors attempting to stop the panicking mass of people from becoming a full on riot. A man easily in his seventies was trying to hobble to the exit but the crowd surrounding him was jostling him to and fro in their eagerness to get to safety. Lois caught sight of him as he went down, she muttered a curse and elbowed her way through the crowd and helped the elder gentleman to his feet.
Turning, she saw one of the hellish creatures had broken away from the pack and was advancing on them.
She looked over and saw Clark disappear under a gaggle of hounds, the redheaded Amazon was fighting half a dozen and Wonder Woman was dealing with the blond woman in the black and red.
She was on her own but Lois Joanne Lane would be damned if some overgrown mutt was going to take her down. If sheer fortitude and gumption could have been manifested as power, Lois would've easily overpowered the creature, unfortunately that wasn't the case.
The beast tackled her and barred its fangs preparing to rip her throat out, suddenly there was a sluicing of air and a black projectile hit the hound on its head. It didn't knock the beast out but it caused it to look up, a moment later a heavy black boot entered Lois' field of vision and connected solidly with the beast head causing it to slump over into unconsciousness.
Before she could register what was going on, the unconscious beast had been thrown off her and a large figure was standing over her.
Her first impression was she was looking at a demon, but she blinked and saw it was a man clad in an outfit of deep black, an ebon cape flared behind him adding a sense of presence to him, an oval crest with a yellow bat was in the center of his chest. A horned cowl was over the top half of his face ; his eyes were obscured by opaque lenses. He bent down and offered an armored hand, her breath caught and she realized what had happened. She took the hand and was pulled to her feet.
"Are you alright?" he asked in a voice that was best described as sounding like low rumbling thunder.
"Yes." She responded still somewhat breathless.
"Good, now get out of here, I'll cover you both." He turned to leave.
"Wait a second, who are you?"
He spared here a quick glance. "Batman." Then he was off running across the hall his cape fanning out in his wake.
Lois stared after him for a moment and felt a shiver go down her spine before she snapped back to her senses, grabbed the older man's arm and headed to the exit.
"I'm stronger than you, I'm faster than you and I'm a better fighter than you. You can't win Diana."
Diana fell back not disagreeing with the first two statements, Mercy's strikes made Cheetah's blows feel like love taps in comparison, but Diana was giving as good as she got.
Wonder Woman flew at Mercy and grappled with her before directing them into and through the ceiling of the banquet hall, outside Mercy broke the grip and the two of them traded fierce blows in the air. Down on the ground onlookers could hardly keep track of the two of them. In fact they were moving at such a pace that the booming report of their blows were nearly a full second behind the actual exchanges.
Back inside the hall Artemis had seen Diana take flight and she once again lamented the loss of the artifacts, more than anything else she wanted to rise up and give Mercy a piece of her mind. How could one of her closest friends betray their people so completely and side with Ares? The very thought made her sick.
She couldn't focus on those thought to long, a fresh gaggle of beasts advanced on her and Artemis was reminded of a pack of wolves coordinating before bringing down a large kill.
A blur of blue and red shot across her field of vision scattering the beasts like tenpins. The blur slowed and standing in front of her with his cape fluttering into place was Superman. She'd seen pictures of him of course but seeing him in person was a completely different story. He cut a majestic figure in his uniform and he radiated a quiet kind of confidence that she had seen in only a few people before and despite herself she found that she was grudgingly impressed by his dramatic entrance.
"Where's Wonder Woman?"
In the background she could hear the sounds of Diana's battle with Mercy. Her warrior's pride and sense of duty warred briefly with the need to aid her sister. "She is outside, combating Mercy, I will handle the rest of these creatures… please assist her." Those last three words came at something of a price; she had been charged with Diana's safety and asking for assistance and from a man no less felt like a personal failure. Despite that she was wise enough to see that the situation had escalated to a point that was beyond her current scope. She watched Superman take off and hoped she had made the right choice.
Mercy fight with Diana had carried them to a rooftop over a mile away from the banquet hall.
Rather than a showing of sheer dominance Mercy had imagined this contest would be, she was barely managing to stay ahead of Diana. She had managed to clip Diana with a savage kick to the side that had almost certainly cracked a rib or two. But she in turn had taken a nasty elbow across the jaw that had left the right side of her face swollen and red.
She had come so far, she couldn't lose holding out her right hand she summoned her spear. Much like in their fight on Themyscira Mercy brought the spear up, around and behind her back and beckoned for her opponent to come at her.
Wonder Woman didn't have a weapon to counter the spear but she was undeterred, she was fighting for the soul of her friend and Hades himself couldn't stop her from reclaiming such a precious prize. Balancing on the balls of her feet she raised her guard.
Both began to circle each other, Wonder Woman being in the disadvantageous position struck first with a straight kick that was picked off by the staff section of the spear. Mercy retracted her weapon, skirted back and swung her weapon in a horizontal arc aimed at Wonder Woman's head.
Wonder Woman brought her gauntlets up and crossed them, the spear came in fast and true but the protective field of the aegis deflected the weapon in a spectacular shower of sparks and pushed it away as solidly as if the Amazon Princess had been wielding a shield.
Both fell back for a moment and this time Mercy struck first with a straight thrust at her former friend's midsection.
Side stepping the attack Wonder Woman pushed the spear out and tried to close the distance between her and Mercy, but she'd been so focused on protecting herself from the weapon she didn't see Mercy's knee rising to impact her solidly in the gut. Gasping for air and stumbling back Diana was defenseless as Mercy swung the blunt end of the spear with all her might and brought it across her face. The princess of the Amazon's fell back in an unconscious heap.
Mercy's heart soared she had done it, all that was left was the coup de grâce. She twirled her spear around and lined the point up with Diana's chest, pulled back and… stopped. Just like with the artifacts the other day she couldn't do it, this is what she wanted wasn't it? Yes, yes it was just a fondness for Diana from her past life that had stayed her hand; that had to be it. She had bested Diana, the spoils of victory were hers to claim she could do this; had to do this. With a growl she raised the spear again…
"That's far enough." Mercy turned and saw Superman floating down to land on the roof solidly.
The frustration she had been feeling earlier flared up, white hot in intensity and here was a target she could take it out on
"I don't know why you're doing this but it needs to stop, now."
"This has nothing to do with you son of swine. You are interfering in affairs that do not concern you."
"When you threaten an innocent crowd of people and attempt to kill a hero like Wonder Woman, I'd say your affairs just became my business." He replied not moving an inch.
She presented her spear horizontally before her like a staff. "Come then; if you are so eager to die I'll gladly send you to Hades."
He charged throwing a punch that she blocked with the weapon.
Thinking to melt the spear he fired his heat vision, but it seemed to have little to no effect on the weapon, that was his first clue that Mercy's spear was no ordinary weapon.
"I admit that I've been curious about you, ever since I've journeyed to this world I have heard the many claims of your greatness Superman,"
She began pushing forward alternating between thrust's and slashes with the spear.
"Your feats of strength and bravery,"
He slapped a kick away that had been aimed at his midsection and before he could counter the spear had reappeared aimed at his head. He was staying ahead of her barrage but just barely and it was taking everything he had to avoid getting hit.
"Tales of your accomplishments and how you are the greatest defender that patriarch's word has to offer,"
Mercy retracted her spear and took half a step back. Thinking that her momentum had been played out and that he could establish his own offense Clark took a step forward but it had been a feign; in less than the blink of an eye Mercy had transferred the spear to her dominant hand and lunged forward.
Superman's world exploded in pain unlike anything he'd ever felt as Mercy's spear plunged deeply into his right pectoral muscle, slid past the breastbone and into his lung. He gripped the weapon in trembling hands, but seeing this she pushed deeper and leaned forward bringing her face within inches of his shocked expression a bloodthirsty grin on her features. "I see they were just tales…pathetic." She hissed and kicked him off of the blade of her spear. He fell back blood spurting wildly from the grisly wound.
Satisfied that the last obstacle was out of her way Mercy turned, ready to finish her business with Diana. When she was done with Diana she would track down Artemis and perhaps if she had enough time she'd kill the Batman as well.
She never saw the punch coming. Diana had regained consciousness right before Superman had been stabbed and was up and moving as Mercy had kicked him off the spear.
Mercy reeled and Diana not allowing such a dangerous foe to regain her footing; pressed her attack. She hit Mercy with a left, a right and then a short but powerful uppercut to the gut, knocking the wind out of her and doubling her over in pain. Mercy was reeling and desperately trying to regain her footing, she needed only a few seconds to recover but she knew she had perhaps half a second before Diana resumed her assault an assault that would no doubt continue until she fell into unconsciousness, the thought that she'd been bested when she had victory in her grasp burned in her like the hottest of flames.
Her visison cleared and she saw a torrent of flame rise in front of her and for a moment she thought that perhaps in her anger she had somehow conjured it, a moment later the flame dissipated and she understood. Standing in front of her like a perverse guardian angel was Ares' eldest son Deimos…the god of terror. Deimos was tall, well over six feet and powerfully built. He was clad in plate armor that was the color of ebony, a no doubt well used sword hung at his hip ready to be drawn. His most distinguishing feature was his beard; it was a nest of hissing and slithering snakes. Even if it weren't for the snakes his position of the embodiment of terror would have been evident from the look in his soulless black eyes. He held out a hand, palm forward to Diana. "That, will be enough."
His voice wasn't loud and commanding; it was insubstantial and whispered, much like the force he commanded. But also like that force it was impossible to ignore.
Diana wanted to launch herself at him and demand answers so badly about what he and more importantly his father had done to Mercy that her hands had curled into fists of their own compulsion. But the knowledge of what an angered god was capable of stayed her hand and truth be told she wasn't sure she could beat him under her full power so she was certainly no match for him in her current condition.
Deimos saw the frustration on her face and arranged his features in a terrible smile. "Champion of Olympus, Lord Ares respects your bravery and prowess and wishes to relay a message to you. My lord fears your talents are being wasted fighting Olympus' fruitless mission. He has much more to offer you, beginning with what you most want; in exchange for your allegiance as his personal champion, Lord Ares will return your friend to Themyscira unharmed."
Anger unlike any Diana had felt before took root in her. "Tell Ares I would never betray my mission. Tell him that I'll find a way to free Mercy from him and tell him that after I do, I'm coming for his head!"
Deimos shrugged seemingly unimpressed. "A pity if not expected, until next time Princess." He disappeared in another torrent of flames taking Mercy with him.
Diana had a thousand questions racing in her head about Ares and Strife's roles in everything that had transpired with Mercy since she had left Themyscira, but they all vanished when she saw Superman's still form lying on the ground. She rushed over and knelt down beside him unsure what to do, she knew the wound on his chest was serious, possibly fatal. She quickly racked her brain; her knowledge of botany was almost useless here. First off she didn't know if the particular combination of plants she required to staunch the bleeding were even readily available in London and second even if they had been she wasn't sure she had enough time to gather them. Hearing a noise behind her she turned to see Artemis extracting herself from Batman's grip as he slipped something into his belt.
"Diana are you-
Diana cut across her. "I'm fine. I require you're help, Superman is grievously injured."
Artemis hesitated briefly before joining Diana. She looked the wound over with an eye that had seen similar injuries too many times over her long life and shook her head. "There is nothing we can do but make him comfortable."
Seemingly not willing to take Artemis at her word Batman swept past her and knelt down as well, he placed his gloved hands against Superman's throat. "He has a pulse; it may not be too late to help."
Wonder Woman looked at him. "What do you suggest?"
He paused for a moment. "I don't know, I have contacts in the medical field, but none of them are equipped to deal with a nigh-invulnerable extraterrestrial."
A groan silenced all further conversation as to the amazement of all three present The Man of Steel's eyes opened.
Wonder Woman peered down at him. "Superman, can you hear me?"
He groaned again.
"How are you feeling?" Batman asked.
Automatically his hand went to the wound, it was mostly closed and had stopped bleeding it was smarting like crazy but that would fade in a little while. He grimaced, but nodded. "A little light headed, but I should be fine."
Behind his cowl Batman eyes narrowed. Interesting, he must have an accelerated healing factor in addition to high durability. The scientist in him was fascinated at the possible biological mechanics that had made such a recovery possible but that fascination was tempered by the wariness that a being with as much power as Superman demonstrated was capable of such a miraculous feat, but before he could do more than begin to form a possible hypothesis Superman clambered to his feet
"I'd thought you were going to pass from this world," Turning to identify the unknown voice Superman saw the redheaded woman with the bow and arrow, she had been standing further back outside his field of vision when he first regained consciousness. "It would seem the fortunes smile favorably upon you Kal-El." She stated observing him warily.
He smiled weakly. "I suppose they do."
"Are you immortal?" Wonder Woman asked.
Batman tilted his head ever so slightly in Superman's direction.
Superman shook his head. "No, I don't think so."
"But to recover from such a wound…" She left the sentence hanging before realizing that she was staring. Her royal training kicked in. "Well met Superman. Thank you for your assistance, you fought admirably." She stepped forward and offered her arm out in a traditional warrior's clasp.
Unsure what to do, he mirrored her and they grasped forearms, each taking measure of the other for several seconds.
Seeing him up close Diana had to admit he was very striking, his features were striking and he had a commanding presence. She couldn't help but notice that his eyes were the same color as the skies over Themyscira on a bright day…she discarded the thought and re-focused.
"I don't know how admirable getting stuck with a spear is but thank you for the compliment. I was happy to provide any assistance I could. From what I saw you were doing just fine before she threw that knee." He didn't know how it was possible but she looked even better up close, it was hard not to stare.
"A foolish mistake on my part," Wonder Woman replied gravely. "I am fortunate it didn't cost me my life."
Artemis cleared her throat and both Superman and Wonder Woman looked surprised, having forgotten that she and Batman were present as well.
"Forgive my rudeness, this is my companion Artemis."
Artemis scrutinized him for a moment before offering her hand out. "Well met Superman, or do you prefer Kal-El?"
"Either is fine." He replied taking her forearm in a similar grip.
"You and your ally both fought bravely."
It took him a second to work out what she was talking about. "Batman's not my ally, I've never met him before tonight." He turned to the Dark Knight who had been observing them all keenly. "All of I've heard about the Batman has been hearsay, I wasn't even sure you existed."
The Dark Knight looked over at Superman. "I prefer to operate in the shadows. I can't say the same about you though. You appeared on the scene approximately six months ago. Although it seems you operated under the alias 'the red-blue blur' for almost a year before that. You've exhibited flight in speeds exceeding Mach 20, You've been observed lifiting weight well over one hundred tons. You're apparently invulnerable to most forms of physical harm; you can generate radiant heat from your eyes. There are unconfirmed rumors of you being able to see through substances. He looked at the angry red welt on Superman's chest. "Apparently I can add spontaneous healing to that list…"
"You've been monitoring me." A statement not a question.
"No, just observing. Everything I just told you is on public record…not that you've made it exactly hard if I wanted to monitor you."
The fact that he had just been stabbed by a magic spear not fifteen minutes ago, only for Batman to talk down to him wasn't doing anything for Superman's geniality. "It'd be best for you if you didn't." he said with a hint of steel behind his words.
Batman's eyes narrowed behind his cowl at Superman's words but didn't respond.
They stood there; sizing each other up in an unspoken battle of wills, neither giving an inch.
Diana cleared her throat. Superman and Batman both looked at her and Clark heard Artemis mutter. "Typical."
Batman clicked his tongue and turned away.
Artemis looked conflicted for a moment before she called out to the retreating vigilante's back. "Batman wait," She stared at him for several seconds before taking a breath. "Thank you."
Batman inclined his head and reached into his belt. He walked to the lip of the roof extended his arm and fired off a grapnel line.
Without as much as a backwards glance he leapt from the building and swung away.
There was a moment of silence before Superman turned back towards Diana and Artemis, "I've heard a lot about you, both of you."
"Likewise, your reputation precedes you Kal-El."
"I have an offer for both of you. I work with an organization called the Justice League, we're a group of individuals who-"
"We know what the Justice League is." Artemis interrupted waspishly.
He had the grace to smile sheepishly, Diana thought it was cute.
"Well yes- anyway I've been impressed with your work and after tonight I'm more convinced than ever that you would make an excellent addition to the Justice League. Is that something that would interest either of you?"
Artemis seemed ready to say something as well but with what looked like considerable effort on her part she remained silent instead differing to Diana.
"Working with the Justice League is a large decision and we," she indicated Artemis and herself. "Need to discuss it before we come to a conclusion one way or another."
He nodded. "I understand; it's a big commitment. Well if you do decide to accept," he reached down to his belt and opened the center, removed a small device and handed it to Diana. "All you need to do is place that in your ear and press it once to open up a channel to our base and we can arrange a meeting between you two and the rest of the League."
Diana accepted the device and inclined her head. "Thank you Superman and thank you again for your assistance."
He smiled briefly lifted off and with a wave soared off into the clouds.
It was later in the night Diana and Artemis were back in their suite, after consulting with Etta Diana had decided to reschedule the two reporters from the Daily Planet for an interview later in the week, she'd also arranged for a press conference to finish delivering her speech. All of that was in the back of her mind though, two things weighed heavily on her; one the revelation that one of her closest friends was working for Ares, apparently of her own free will and two she and Artemis had been offered positions on the Justice League.
"Did you actually tell Deimos that you would come for Ares' head?"
Diana hung here head. "It was foolish I know… I lost control and-
"No, you did well. We have known that Ares is our enemy and now he knows that we are not a triviality to be dismissed."
"That is a good thing?" Diana asked looking unsure. "Now, he will likely escalate his efforts the next time we meet."
"You bested his champion; he would have renewed his efforts regardless. As I said earlier he now knows that we will respond in kind, that course was set when he took Mercy." Artemis replied flatly.
Diana conceded the point.
"I hated doing battle with her."
"Which is why Ares picked her, he is a master strategist and knows how to hone in on his opponents weaknesses. He thought that your friendship with Mercy would cloud your judgment, sap your will and perhaps temper your blows. What he didn't realize is that his opponent was stubborn Diana!"
Diana tried to muster a smile at Artemis' attempt at levity but it fell flat, they had another matter to deal with and the sooner they dealt with it the better. "We have to discuss Superman's offer."
"You wish to accept it." Artemis stated more than asked.
"I do, we are to combat the living embodiment of war. We'll need strong allies and the Justice League are without a doubt Gaea's greatest defenders. I believe we would be stronger together, fighting for the same cause than we would be apart."
Artemis nodded. "You are correct."
"Yet you still have doubts."
Artemis nodded. "I do and they mainly have to do with who we met tonight. Do you remember a number of months ago when you expressed an interest in working with Superman?"
The tiniest of blushes stained Diana's features. That had been a different time; she had been much more star-eyed and enchanted with the wider world and its many differences from Themyscira. Superman had been one of those things that had caught her attention; the similarities in their abilities, how his mission seemed to parallel her own and her desire to help better the world in a more active manner. "I do, but this is different."
Artemis wasn't convinced. "I do not trust him. The level of power he possess… He claims not to be immortal and yet he spontaneously healed from what should have been a fatal wound. From what I observed his strength and speed are nearly equal to your own. He is charismatic, what happens if we fall out of favor, will he march the Justice League to Themyscira?"
"There are women on the Justice League as well, I do not-"
"Would they be able to stop Superman, would you? You know the tale Diana. Hercules did not wear the banner of conquest at first, he named himself Amazon friend and yet he ended up betraying that trust in the worst way possible… we are strangers in a strange world, you know that my course of action would be different from yours. But you're are the champion, my sovereign and one of my dearest friends, I will follow your word." At the end of the day she knew she had Artemis' loyalty, she may grumble on occasion but she would follow Diana's course.
"I think we can trust Superman's intentions."
"Fateful words sister," she sighed lightly. "It seems when we arrive in America we will be paying The Justice League a visit." She turned away and headed to the minibar, as she did Diana's keen ears caught sound of Artemis' whispered words. "I just hope you know what you are doing Diana."
Diana turned as well and looked out at the beautiful London skyline. "I do too." She replied softly
The truth was she did believe what she said however she wasn't a seer though and she didn't know what ramifications this decision would have. She relied on her gods given empathy, wisdom and her own instincts to guide her but she wasn't infallible. On one level Artemis' words disturbed her, she knew that at the time her mother had truly believed Hercules would be an ally to the Amazon's when she had permitted him on Themyscira but that had proven a costly mistake, was she making a similar mistake? Thoughts of her mother brought up a conversation they had had long ago about the duties of a leader to her people. Hippolyta had said that she didn't always have the right answer the truth was she just did the very best she could with the information available to her, sometimes her decisions worked and other times they did not, the trick was as Queen she had to make others believe that she believed all of her decisions were right one hundred percent of the time even if she wasn't sure of her choices.
It had been an enlightening conversation that had shown Diana that her mother wasn't an omniscient being, but a person who made mistakes as well…and now she was in a similar position and the irony in the similarity and potential consequences of her decision and her mother's didn't escape her.
How right you were mother. She thought ruefully.
A/N: *Whew,* this chapter covered a lot of ground; Superman and Wonder Woman's first meeting, the trinity's unofficial first encounter, Batman's first appearance and Diana's decision to join the Justice League, all of which are going to have ramifications down the road.
Okay a couple of quick things:
There was a lot of action happening at one point in the chapter including another simultaneous fight scene, I'm pretty pleased the way it turned out but let me know if it was hard to follow.
Batman and Superman by their natures and different Modus Operandi are going to have some tension when they first meet, that dynamic will not last in this story, so if you're expecting them to be snippy and despairing to each other sorry to disappoint. That little exchange earlier was more of two alpha's feeling each other out rather than any real threat on either's part.
Old hats will no doubt notice that I decided to include Ted Kord aka the second Blue Beetle and Etta Candy in brief cameos. If we'll see Kord again and if he'll pick up the mantle of the Blue Beetle remains to be seen. As for Ms. Candy she is a character that I came to like especially in her later depictions in the Wonder Woman comics so you can expect her to show up from time to time.
Next chapter will be up A.S.A.P. I can guarantee it won't take a year this time and it'll feature Superman and Wonder Woman's first official Justice League mission together, now that they've met we'll get to see them share some page time together. So I'll see you all soon and as always thanks for reading.