Thoughts
Computer Speech
"Speech"
Disclaimer: DC and the Dragonball Franchise belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.
Chapter 42: Adelphē I
December 29th
Age 762 (2012), Washington, D.C.
"Umm, what are we doing here?" Hal Jordan asked as he scrutinized the large gray building in front of him. It was easily five stories high. The building dwarfed its surrounding locale, which was easy to do considering that it was surrounded by wild shrubbery on all sides.
"I share the Green Lantern's sentiments, Batman. I'm curious to know our reason for being here." J'onn J'onzz said and looked towards Bruce, who was now walking up the flight of stairs that led to the building.
"This place is huge!" The Flash exclaimed as he returned from doing a quick scan of the area. The word huge was actually an understatement. The building and the plot of land that it encompassed were at least as large as a city block. The grass on its lawn was unkempt, and the unruly trees that sprouted from the ground forming a mini forest needed chopping, but there was potential here.
"I hate to sound like an annoying echo, but seriously Batman, why are we here?" Superman asked as he watched the dark knight pull out a set of keys and unlock one of the glass doors at the entrance of the building.
"I have much better things that I could be doing. The time that I'm wasting here could be better spent in my kingdom, where I belong." Aquaman was growing agitated. He didn't know why he'd responded to the land dweller's call in the first place, but he was seriously beginning to regret it now.
"If you'll be patient instead of complaining, I promise that this wait will be worth it." Batman suppressed a scowl and ushered the Earth's fellow heroes to follow him into the building.
Superman, The Flash, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, and the Green Lantern all looked at each other before sharing a shrug. They had traveled great distances to get here, so why not be patient a little bit longer? Superman led the way, and the rest of the heroes trickled behind him up the stairs as they followed Batman's lead.
As they entered the building, Superman couldn't help but notice the glass on the building's dome-shaped roof. From an architectural standpoint, he couldn't understand it, but stylistically it did look cool. The inside of the building was equally as grey as the outside was. Lois often loved to joke about how bland his apartment was, but this place made his humble abode look like the Sistine chapel.
The man of steel and the rest of his crew followed Bruce down an astoundingly long hallway. It stretched for what felt like miles. As the heroes walked, Clark took further note of the building's decrepit state. Families of cobwebs covered staircases and pillars that hadn't been touched in years. The building had multiple floors, and with a quick sweep of his x-ray vision, Clark saw that each one was more filthy than the last.
Superman didn't know what was worse, the dirt, or the nauseating smell inside the building. As they walked across broken and cracked tile floors, Clark noticed that some of his fellow heroes were pinching their noses. Hal Jordan, in particular, was making the most disgusted face that cheeks could contort into.
"My God, what is that smell?" Even with his nose pinched, that awful scent was still wafting through his nostrils. The former air force soldier had smelled some terrible things on alien worlds, but this certainly ranked near the top of his list.
"I apologize for the smell, but I thought a Green Lantern would persevere through tougher adversity than this," Batman said half-jokingly. "This building has a sewage problem that I'm still working on fixing, but I'll rectify that issue soon enough."
"If you think this smell is bad, you should visit some regions of the sea which you people have poisoned." Aquaman said through clenched teeth. This was a walk in the park compared to some of the horrors that the Atlanteans had dealt with.
"You people?' The Flash raised an eyebrow and groaned. Aquaman always had some negative to say about humans.
"Great, now you've managed to get him going Batman, thanks a lot." Hal rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance. If there was one thing Aquaman loved doing, it was self-righteous preaching.
"We're here." Batman ignored the chatter behind him as he pushed open a pair of massive wooden doors. They had finally reached the end of the main hallway. The doors led to a room that was as equally massive as everything else in the building. A large round black table was centered in the middle of the room. There were seats for everyone, and Batman gestured for the heroes to sit.
The Flash quickly plopped down in a chair next to Bruce and stretched his legs underneath the table. "Wow, this room makes me realize that I live in a closet," Barry suddenly blurted out. The heroes adjacent to him gave the speedster curious looks as the blur of a hand clamped down on his mouth. "Whoops, didn't mean to say that out loud."
"We've all seen that this building is enormous and that the stench in here is terrible. But I sincerely hope there was a greater reason for this meeting. You've kept us waiting, and now I'm all out of patience." Arthur frowned, leaning his trident against the table.
"Unless there was some sort of crime that occurred here, I can't understand our reason for being here." The Martian Manhunter added. He wanted to pry into Bruce's mind and see what the detective was thinking, but he would respect the Earthling's telepathic boundaries.
"This is going to be our headquarters." Bruce said curtly as he rested his elbows on the table, interlocking his fingers.
"A headquarters for what exactly?" Clark couldn't get a good read on Bruce's facial expression due to the lead lining in his mask, but he could tell that Batman was dead serious.
"A headquarters for what? A clubhouse?" Hal snorted. He was already a member of the most prestigious fraternity in the Universe; whatever Batman was offering would just be a downgrade.
"A clubhouse for our new team," Bruce ignored Hal's sarcastic tone and continued. "Starro isn't going to be the last global threat that the Earth's faces. We need to work together like we did ten days ago when we defeated him if we're going to stand a chance against our future enemies."
"But isn't that what Argus is for?" The Flash asked. "They're supposed to specialize in dealing with these colossal threats."
"And how well has that gone so far?" Batman retorted. Since Argus' creation in 2006, the government agency had done little to nothing to combat Earth's threats. "I respect Steve Trevor and Chi-Chi, but they've yet to live up to the demands of their nation, and they just don't have the firepower either."
"Argus receives hundreds of millions in funding from the United States government, and that's still not enough according to you, but somehow the six of us, who barely know each other, are going to be capable of doing a better job?" Hal was on the verge of laughing. Batman's idea sounded asinine. Sure, the heroes assembled together at this table were powerful, but they lacked training and teamwork.
"As the king of Atlantis, I have better things to do than to help land dwellers who don't respect my domain." Atlantis was Arthur's first and foremost priority. Humans had never done any favors for his people; why would he then extend an olive branch to them?
"Look," Clark began with an exasperated sigh. "What Bruce is trying to say is that we can do amazing things if we work together as a team, and we've already seen some proof of that. We can train together and sharpen our skills. Aquaman, I'm sorry that we land-dwellers have consistently wronged you and your people, but this can be a time of reconciliation." Superman gave Arthur an apologetic look.
"Millennia of wrongdoing can't be fixed overnight, Superman." The Kryptonian seemed sincere, but he was not the representative of his government or his country.
"I know that, but we can chart a new path starting right now. Steve and Chi-Chi have a direct link to some of our government officials. I'm sure at least a few of them are willing to do the right thing and start treating our oceans with respect and dignity." Kal-El was hopeful about the human spirit, but he still had to be realistic. Building a positive relationship with Atlantis and its king would take hard-earned time.
"If all the land dwellers spoke as sincerely as you, Superman, this planet would be a paradise." Aquaman still had his doubts, but the Kryptonian's earnestness was beginning to chip away at him.
"Going back to the subject of Argus," J'onn said as he steered everyone's attention towards him. "I don't necessarily agree with your sentiments, Batman, but I understand them. Argus does great good for this country, but that's the problem; Argus only serves this country. Their purpose is to further America's national security goals, but what about the rest of the world?"
"The rest of the world has me," The Green Lantern confidently said as he pointed to himself. "I was given this ring to protect this sector and most especially my home planet. Protecting the world is literally in my job description, and besides that, the last partner I had was a letdown." Hal's face soured, which didn't go unnoticed by his fellow heroes as he thought about Sinestro.
"So one bad apple ruins the bunch?" Barry had always hated that type of logic. "This planet is too big for just one hero to save it. I can run faster than anyone here, and sometimes I'm still too slow to rescue and save lives. I like the idea of forming a team, a group, whatever you want to call it. We can all learn from each other. In fact, you're the one who wanted us to work together when we fought Starro." The Flash shot Hal an annoyed glare; he really couldn't understand him sometimes.
Aquaman nodded his head in agreement at the last part of Barry's statement. Hal had been the one who'd said they'd need teamwork to take down Starro. Arthur had his objections to joining this league of heroes that Batman was proposing, but the Atlantean's reasons weren't rooted in hypocrisy.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you got me on that one," Hal said as he motioned his hand, shooing The Flash away. "Look, I'll admit that the idea of this team doesn't sound half bad. But this team can't have greater jurisdiction over me than the Green Lanterns. When Superman tossed Starro into the Phantom Zone after our fight with him, I got a tongue lashing for that. The Guardians wanted him in one of their science cells. I can already tell that this will be a conflict of interest."
"That might've been the most intelligent thing that's ever come out of your mouth," Arthur clapped sarcastically, which was much to Hal's ire. "I agree one hundred percent with the Green Lantern. My loyalties are to Atlantis and Atlantis alone. As king, I cannot and will not serve two masters."
Batman silently mulled over Aquaman and Hal's grievances, lost in deep thought until Superman's left elbow nudged him back to reality. "I understand your concerns and the potential conflicts that this might cause you," Batman said, his eyes darting back and forth between the Atlantean and the Green Lantern. "But I promise you that I will never put you in a position where your interests are divided going forward."
"Can you genuinely assure that?" Aquaman was doubtful that Bruce could. His intentions appeared to the pure, but the road to hell was paved with good intentions.
"If you're worried about the possibility of us one day having to fight Atlantis or Atlanteans, don't be. If such a situation ever arises, we'll already know where your loyalties lie and won't even ask you to make such an obvious decision. I know that Atlantis comes first for you."
Aquaman unfolded his arms and leaned closer to the table. "If you can guarantee that, I'll join this little club that you're proposing, but I won't be a full-time member. I'm a king; remember that."
Batman nodded. "I can accept those terms, and I'll respect them. I'm not expecting us to join forces every day, but when a threat like Starro rises, I expect everyone here to rise to the occasion." Batman rotated his head as he looked at every individual hero in their eyes. Hal Jordan was the only one to roll his.
"That doesn't even need to be said. When the big boss villains show up, I'll be there." The Green Lantern said boastfully.
"Well then," Kal-El began, rising from his seat. "I guess it's settled, and we're - "
"Not so fast, Superman," Hal said, interrupting Clark, who was just about to adjourn this meeting. "You and Batman didn't address what I said about the Lanterns."
Superman slunk back into his chair. The Green Lantern was right; he had ignored him. "I apologize if I overstepped my bounds regarding Starro, but I only did what I felt was necessary at the time."
"And what your feelings included overlooking my guardianship of this sector." Hal scowled at Superman. Immediately following their fight with Starro, the man of the steel had taken the tyrant to the Fortress of Solitude and had tossed him into the Phantom Zone. Argus and the U.S. government weren't pleased with his actions either.
"If you want, Superman can let him out, and you can haul Starro back to Oa." Batman's voice betrayed no emotion, but Clark stared at the dark knight like he'd grown two heads. "I don't care who gets to house these criminals, as long as the job gets done."
Hal's jaw dropped. He hadn't expected Batman to lay down so easily. Based on the few things he knew about him, Gotham's protector didn't seem like the type to concede an argument without a fight. "I appreciate that I really do, but that's just not necessary."
"Oh really?" J'onn found that curious. "I know The Guardians are sticklers for rules and regulations."
"You know The Guardians?" Maybe the Martian had invaded his mind? Hal couldn't think of any other feasible way that J'onn would know about his bosses.
"Long ago, on Mars, our people had dealings with them." There was a tone of finality in the Martian Manhunter's voice, and Hal just decided to drop the subject altogether.
"I don't need Starro to be released; the damage has already been done." Flashbacks of a long beratement on Oa flooded Hal's mind. "I'm not afraid to get yelled at by The Guardians for a good cause, but if it's not necessary, I'd prefer to avoid it."
"Never thought you'd be the type to be scared of some disciplinary action." Barry couldn't contain his laughter. The proud and cocky Green Lantern was afraid of something after all.
"I'm. Not. Afraid. Of. Anything!" Hal emphasized his words by poking his finger into Barry's chest. He did not appreciate the insinuation.
"You've got it, whatever you say." The Flash shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back into his chair. The Green Lantern could deny it, but clearly, his words had struck a nerve.
Hal was still fuming inwardly but dropped the subject and turned his attention back towards Batman. "If you can make certain concessions for me, I'll play ball and join this team."
"What concessions?" Batman's tone was grating. He was open to the idea, but Hal's desires were sure to be irksome.
"For starters, I want all of you," Hal quickly glanced at the heroes surrounding him. "To respect my authority as a Green Lantern. If we're dealing with a planetary threat, my voice should be heard and listened to. One person shouldn't get to decide what we do with the villains that we defeat."
Superman knew that the Green Lantern was referring to him. The Kryptonian had already apologized; what more did Hal want from him?
"You said that one person shouldn't get to decide what we do with the villains that we defeat, but on the other hand, you want your status as a Green Lantern to supersede all of our opinions. You don't find that the least bit hypocritical?" J'onn wasn't very fond of the Green Lantern Corps due to their strained relationship with Mars. He was trying to overlook that for the sake of his newly adopted homeworld, but the Earth's Lantern was making that extremely difficult.
"I agree with the Martian," Aquaman added. "I don't know these Guardians that you serve, and quite frankly, I don't care about them or your status as one of their lapdogs."
"Lapdog? That's rich coming from a king who can't even protect his own citizens." Hal fired back.
"I think that's going a bit too far." Barry interjected. Aquaman and the Green Lantern both had huge tempers; this wouldn't end well.
"I somehow managed to defend you during our fight with Astrild, didn't I?" Aquaman reached for his trident; this land dweller had been disrespectful for far too long. "How many of you useless Lanterns did Astrild kill before she ventured to Earth."
That last comment stung deep in Hal's core. His Corps brothers and sisters should've been revered for their sacrifices, not denigrated like this. "You can ask them that question yourself when I send you to meet them!" Hal's ring ignited with emerald as he stood up. His threat was hollow and was said out of pure spite, but he definitely planned on kicking the Atlantean's ass.
"ENOUGH!" Superman's voice raised to a pitch that was high enough to crack several windows outside of the room. All the heroes gripped their ears, and the argument died as quickly as it had begun.
Clark rarely raised his voice to that extent unless it was absolutely necessary. The heroes in this room were supposed to be the protectors of Earth, and they were behaving like children. "I understand why some of us have differences with one another, but we can still air our grievances in a respectful manner."
Given Clark's naturally unassuming demeanor, it was easy to forget that he was one of the Earth's most powerful beings, but instances like this reminded Bruce why the man of steel was so revered. "I agree with Superman. We can discuss these issues like adults. Bickering solves nothing and only creates more problems."
Hal and Arthur glowered at each other, and for a second, J'onn considered intervening, but the two heroes eventually returned to their seats. Hal was chomping at the bits to speak his mind and did so in a hurry.
"When I say you guys need to respect my authority, this is the type of thing that I'm talking about."
Arthur opened his mouth to snap back but was beat to the punch by the Martian Manhunter. "As I said earlier, you need to give respect to get respect. None of the people at this table are well versed with the history of the Green Lantern Corps, aside from me."
"Superman and Batman should be well informed considering my talk with Goku when he was in the hospital." Hal replied. That conversation had occurred a little over a month ago; the two of them should've remembered it in full detail.
"You're an intergalactic space force, we remember," Batman responded, speaking for himself and Clark. "But none of that negates what the Martian Manhunter said."
"Who even gave the Green Lantern Corps jurisdiction over Earth? I don't recall a United Nations meeting about that." Barry joked, but there was truth in his words. Hal's bosses had never spoken to human society as a whole, so what gave them the right to claim the Earth as their protectorate?
"The Guardians are smug creatures who think too highly of themselves. They believe they can dictate their will to the Universe but don't respect the opinions of others." J'onn's words were scathing and caused shocked looks on everyone's faces, most especially Hal's.
"There's a lot of truth to that," Hal admitted. "But The Guardians are still in charge of the Lantern Corps. I don't agree with plenty of things that they do, but I still follow directions when given them."
"But when you were in the Air Force, you didn't follow all the rules and regulations. In fact, your file says that you were prone to doing things your own way if you believed it would result in the best outcome."
Hal was flabbergasted. How did Batman get his hands on his files from the military? "Where did you – "
"He's the world's greatest detective," Superman answered the question on Hal's mind with a grin. "He's surprised me plenty of times with the things he knows."
The Green Lantern frowned. He wasn't satisfied with the answer, but he would accept it for the time being.
"In the future, we'll account for the potential galactic consequences of our actions. Believe it or not, I don't hold any contempt for you," Batman said honestly. He may have found the Green Lantern irritating at times, but he respected Hal's capabilities. "I simply want to do what I think is best for this planet, and I believe you feel the same way." Batman's gaze lingered over the Green Lantern as he finished speaking.
"I do feel the same way," Hal confessed. "I know I can be stubborn at times," Barry and Arthur both snorted loudly upon hearing that. That was the understatement of the century.
"If you feel the same way, then why don't you just agree to join the team already. I'm the king of an entire nation, and I've acquiesced, at least partially, to Batman's offer." Aquaman didn't know what he was more frustrated by; Hal's hesitation or the time he was wasting.
"I agree to join. Are you happy now, Aquaman?" Hal said sarcastically. "As long as my input and the input of The Green Lantern Corps gets heard going forward, I've got no problem joining this team."
Superman let out a relieved sigh. This meeting had been as rocky as their fight with Starro, but it was finally nearing its end. "Everyone present has agreed to the idea of joining the team that Batman proposed?" All the heroes nodded their heads, indicating yes.
"Actually, there's one more thing." Hal's hand shot up, causing everyone to suck their teeth. What did The Green Lantern want now? "Batman knows my secret identity, and he likely knows everyone else's secret identity, if they have one, too. Why don't you tell us who you are under that mask?"
The Flash couldn't disagree with Hal's sentiments. Superman and J'onn already knew Batman's real identity, but Aquaman was equally curious to know. Batman smirked and began removing his cowl. Out of all of Hal's requests today, this was the fairest one, and he would comply. The Flash and The Green Lantern's eyes expanded in shock as the dark knight removed his mask, revealing a man with a scruffy beard and dark almond eyes. Aquaman was still clueless about who he was, but Hal and Barry announced his name with awe.
"No frickin way, Batman is Bruce Wayne?!"
December 29th
Age 762 (2012), Themsycira, Doom's Doorway
A dimly lit flame guided the way as Diana and Donna walked. Darkness enshrouded them from every angle, but that was nothing new considering the dimension they were trapped in. Donna held the torch, and Diana walked cautiously behind her. Their truce still stood, but Diana would take no chances when it came to her sister. The two sisters worked together out of necessity and nothing more.
It was frightening how much Donna resembled Hippolyta. From her hair to her facial features and even the way she walked, Donna was the spitting image of the former Amazon queen. That's why it pained Diana so much to be at odds with Donna. All Amazons were Diana's kin, but Donna was the only blood relative that Wonder Woman had left. Whether Donna accepted it or not, Diana viewed her as family, irrespective of the crimes she'd committed.
Donna's stride slowed to a halt. She could feel Wonder Woman's gaze lingering over her. She hated when Diana did that. "What's your problem now?" Donna snapped as she spun on her heels, turning to face Diana.
"There's nothing wrong, sister. I - "
"How many times do I have to tell you? I. Am. Not. Your. Sister!" Donna screamed at the top of her lungs. If there were any creatures lurking in the shadows, they were surely awoken now.
"You are my sister like all Amazons are my sister," Diana explained calmly. "But you and I share an especially unique kinship; we share blood ties. You are my sister, and I will be here for you when you finally decide to accept that truth."
"I will never accept that," Donna spit on the ground and stomped on the dirt. "Get that through your thick skull. We will never be family, and this truce of ours is only a means to an end." The look in Donna's eyes was full of pure hate. Diana had seen it numerous times with the villains she'd faced. Her sister was sinking in depths of despair and needed to be saved. This would be Wonder Woman's most challenging task yet.
"I will save you, sister, or I will die trying." Diana and Donna's eyes locked, and for a brief moment, it looked like Hippolyta's clone would strike her nemesis, but she instead scowled and continued on her march.
"You've spent over a year in Doom's Doorway, and you've yet to find an exit?" Donna changed the subject of conversation to more pressing matters. It was hard to keep track of time in this dimension, considering there were was no sunlight, but from what Donna could estimate, she had been imprisoned for nearly two months.
"If it was that easy to escape, don't you think I would've left by now?" Diana said with annoyance. "I have a family that's probably worried sick about me. I miss my husband and my son dearly. I think about them nearly every second of the day. I want to leave this place as badly as you do."
Donna remained silent and kept walking. The mention of Diana's husband and son brought questions to her mind. Donna had been formed from clay and had no father. Derinoe was the closest thing she'd had to a mother, and she doubted whether the sorceress was still alive. Family was something she had no concept of; what did that word even mean?
"Family….Family….I'll never have a family." Donna began muttering out loud.
"Sister, are you okay?" Diana asked, but her question was only met with even louder muttering. Donna repeated her words over and over again like a chant.
"Family….Family….I'll never have a family!" Donna dropped her torch as her knees fell to the ground. She was clutching her head, now screaming her words frantically.
Diana rushed over to her sister, scooping the torch from the ground. She held it in front of Donna's panic-stricken face and saw that her sister's blue eyes were beheld with horror. Donna was sweating feverishly, and with every passing second, Diana was growing more and more concerned.
"Sister, what's wrong? What's going on with you?" Diana grabbed her sister's shoulders and tried to shake the Amazon out of her irrational trance. Wonder Woman gave it all her effort, and while doing so, failed to notice a creature slithering behind her.
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 41!
A/N: Diana hadn't been seen since Chapter 29. Many of my readers have been wondering what's going on with her and her perils in Themyscira. This next arc will focus heavily on Wonder Woman.
Q/A:
scl04: The aftermath of Namek is coming up soon, and you'll see a lot more of Wonder Woman in these upcoming chapters.
RyuuKage5400: Diana and Gohan will be reunited by the time Frieza arrives on Earth.
Martiz S.G: Wonder Woman is still going to be a member of the Justice League. Chi-Chi won't replace Wonder Woman, but she'll act as a liaison for Argus to the Justice League.
Guest: Yes, Future Trunks will be a part of this story. I'm very excited to get to the Android saga because it will be much different than it was in canon.
Jackalope89: At the end of Chapter 35, I said I was considering summarizing what happened on Namek, and that's what I decided to do. The events on Namek are pretty much the same as in canon, so I don't feel the need to write much about it. However, there will be an interesting scene with Frieza that will appear soon.
Fuckmegun: I don't plan on changing the cover art quite yet, but if I do, it will most likely be during the Android/Cell saga.
Ayrton Senna: If this story were official material, I'd say that it'd be a comic or maybe a graphic novel.
darkmist111: The Cell saga in this story will be completely different from canon. I've had the Cell saga planned out since I published Attack of the Saiyans.
