Hello all, ShadowMajin here with a new addition to the SMAV universe. Today is an inauspicious day for posting this story. Today there's a solar eclipse and I'm right in its pathway. Seems fitting for a story that takes places on another planet lol.
I can imagine many of you are surprised it's a Martian Manhunter story, but hey, I had some ideas for our big green alien, and this story is the result of that. For those that are interested, this story does take place before The Ninth Circle, but it will not have any bearing on that story. There has been a reference of this story in one of the recent Justice League stories though, but not much to give away the entire plot for this one.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story!
The following account has been altered to adjust for local colloquialisms, primarily the use of celestial bodies known to the audience in which this is being recounted to. The Martian language has named and labeled these bodies in terms that may be unfamiliar to the audience, so in the interest of removing confusion, local identifications will be used instead of those known by the narrator. Please be patient as the local language of English is unfamiliar and may take some adjustment. Thank you.
Mars. The fourth planet of the Sol Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy. Its formation occurred billions, if not trillions of years ago, but its placement in its system allowed for life to occur, much like its neighboring planet, Terra Firma—Earth, to its inhabitants.
Due to its high concentration of iron oxide, much of the surface of Mars is red, thus its descriptive name of the Red Planet. The reason for this concentration is still unknown, though ancient texts indicate an event simply known as the Burning may be responsible. There were other minerals contained within its soils, allowing for the industry of agriculture to be cultivated, ensuring its inhabitants could survive generation after generation. Tools and simple machines were developed, becoming more and more intricate and advanced. Eventually, Mars was ruled by a class of terrestrial beings simply known as the Ma'aleca'andrans. They are better known as Martians.
As they became more advanced, settlements arose, leading to the cultivation of society. The threat of survival eventually became a distant memory. Traditions gave an order to these beings, encouraging the emergence of various roles within their society.
One could say that Martian society mirrored what has transpired on Earth, and one would not be wrong. Various events occurred in different orders, but the end result was a golden age of learning and advancement, a society that was thriving with no end in sight.
Towering edifices created a skyline that cannot be found on today's Mars. Vegetation and its cultivation helped lend a sense of life other than its population, entwining itself as vines of the me'lock and i'vie plants. Pardon the use of Martian as there are no direct translations to the Earthen tongue.
Inevitably, stratification occurred within Martian society. Some became quite prominent while others languished in obscurity. Some did not enjoy this and tried to change the system to better suit themselves. There were others that preferred that the system remain in stasis, which benefited them. This created tension amongst the various factions. In this regard, Martians are very much like Earthlings.
In order to keep the peace, and not allow the various factions to tear the whole system apart, a unit of Martians was assembled, charged with the safety and protection of Martian society. It was what an Earthling would refer to as a police force.
On Mars though, they were known as Manhunters.
The roles of the Manhutner are not unlike that of the police on Earth. They were charged with the protection of peace, the ability to investigate criminal activity, and the responsibility to enforce the law.
This account will focus on the exploits of one such Manhunter, the one known as J'onn J'onzz. He was a descendent of a people that emerged out of the region known as Elysium Mons. It was a rural area at the time, one steeped in tradition necessary for its survival. These traditions had been passed down to J'onn, a form of preservation that he intended on passing down to his own children, of which he had two.
He had left the Elysium Mons for a more fulfilling life in the city of Dea'vars. He lived there with his beloved wife, M'yri'ah, and their two children, enjoying the comforts the city provided.
Compared to the other Martians, J'onn was quite tall. The elongation of his head was quite prominent, though it was a characteristic he could alter should it be necessary. Martians had long since become masters of their bodies, able to change it at will. It was a trait they had developed in the survival times in order to hunt the large, and rather aggressive lifeforms of the planet.
And it was this ability that allowed the Martians to signify to others their positions within Martian society. At home, J'onn was a loving father, but the moment he assumed his role as Manhunter, a red X would form across his chest, signaling that he was on-duty.
It would be in his role as a Manhunter that J'onn would experience a horror that his world had not seen since the Burning.
There was little cloud coverage this night. The darkness of space should have glittered with stars, but light pollution from the city made them fade into the inky blackness. For that, J'onn was saddened.
He knew what the sky should have looked like, his childhood long ago the safekeeper of his memories. He always did like looking at the stars. It was a pastime he had shared with his father and one he intended on passing down to his own children when they came of age. There was a beauty he found quite captivating with the stars. If one were so inclined, one could even make out designs due to their placement. Early Martian cultures had done just that once upon a time.
He was slightly worried, though M'yri'ah did her best to soothe his concerns. He was younger than they were when he had been sequestered away to perform the Sol'li'tune. Every Martian underwent this rite of passage, most noticeably when their minds opened, and their telepathy awakened. M'yri'ah had said most Martians underwent this rite later than he had.
One would be correct in saying he was a pro'digz, or prodigy, in this regard. J'onn wasn't certain just how potent his telepathy was, though he could sense many young Martians from quite a distance. The adults of Mars had all learned how to control their thoughts, which the younglings had not, thus his ability to sense them.
"The shift is almost over," his partner said, breaking J'onn out of his thoughts. J'onn tore his orange eyes away from the window he peered out of, glancing to his fellow Manhunter, Da'vizz. They were assigned partners, traveling in the hover vehicle to perform their patrol. Both of their chests were marked by the red X of their profession.
"Indeed," J'onn agreed. Neither he or Da'vizz opened their mouths, there was no need. Their telepathy allowed them to speak to one another without ever opening that orifice. Only the children made audible noises as they had yet to awaken their minds, though that changed with due time.
Their vehicle passed by the towering edifices of Martian architecture. At this time of night, most Martians sequestered themselves to their domiciles for meditation. There was little need for a sleep cycle for many of them as the requirements of rests were not that prevalent. Only the ill needed regular rest.
For this reason, most of the streets were empty of life, save for the Manhunters. Their patrol was more to impress upon the population that they were active and present, to deter those with less reputable desires.
"Better boring than not," Da'vizz commented. "Too much excitement can become dangerous."
"That does not mean it is not happening," J'onn pointed out. "Though we deter visible demonstration, we must be vigilant to notice suspicious behavior."
"Always serious," his partner grinned. "One day, you will relax, J'onzz."
"I do relax," he defended. "There is simply a time and place for such behavior and performing our duties is not such a time."
That's when he felt a presence in his head, which effectively cut off the discussion between him and his partner. "Unit 55, an important matter requires your attention."
That would have been headquarters giving them an assignment. Most of their shift had gone by uneventfully until now. "What is the assignment?" J'onn responded, straightening out his posture in his seat.
"There is a domestic disturbance in your vicinity. The informant is opening their mind to you at this time."
Another presence appeared within J'onn's mind, or rather, he sensed its emergence. This new mind was not searching out for him, rather they opened themselves up to be sought out. "I have them," J'onn informed headquarters. "We are on the case."
"I seem to have spoken too soon," Da'vizz grumbled.
J'onn didn't respond to that remark as he reached out to the newly-opened mind. "This is J'onn J'onzz of the Manhunter Unit #55. What is your concern?"
He felt the mind focus on him. "Hello! Manhunter? I have a disturbance that requires your immediate attention!"
J'onn could feel the distress within the civilian mind. "We will do our utmost to resolve your situation. Please, inform me of your location and what is the source of your distress."
It hissed and snarled, lashing out with a hand full of claws.
The distressing situation, the domestic disturbance, was that a pet had gotten outside of its owner's domicile and climbed up the building until it reached a location the owner could not retrieve it.
The pet in question was small, perhaps the size of what a human would call a house cat. It lacked any hair, its brilliant pink skin causing it to stick out against the drab coloring of the building. Two thick whisker-like appendages stuck out of its cheeks, wiggling in irritation as its black eyes stared directly at J'onn. Its tail stood straight up, its back arched in an attempt to make itself look bigger. It opened its mouth to reveal a row of sharp teeth on its upper and lower jaws, a deep hiss coming out in warning. It was called a fez'lion, or to use the Earth classification, a feline.
J'onn stared passively at it, making no further move against it. He had already reached out and had yanked his hand back so that he wouldn't be scratched by its surprisingly sharp claws. It was this behavior he used as a rationale for not having such a pet at his own home. While his children begged for one, he would not allow it. These creatures were known to be aggressive from time to time, their mouths swimming in bacteria that could lead to infection should they bite. In his mind, their risks outweighed their benefits.
"Calm yourself," J'onn spoke to the pet, reaching out with his mind to soothe the frightened animal. His establishing of a mental link to the pet allowed him to influence it, sending out calming thoughts. The pet's whiskers slowly went still, its tail lowering slightly. It continued to stare at him, seemingly more curious than frightened. Still, J'onn held back from reaching out to it yet. Any sudden movement could reverse the progress he was making.
He had found it hiding in the opening for the building's ventilation system. Upon freeing itself from its owner's domicile, it had climbed up the side of the building until it found this opening and refused to leave it. The owner was nearly hysterical when the two Manhunters had arrived, having been unable to retrieve the pet.
Truly a terrible emergency.
After sending soothing thoughts to the fez'lion for several more moments, watching as its body language became more relaxed, J'onn finally, slowly, gradually extended a hand into the ventilation system. The fez'lion tensed initially, but eventually relaxed once more. Its little nose sniffed at the air, trying to obtain his scent. Slowly, it began to creep towards him, ever so cautious.
Eventually, it reached the opening of the ventilation system and J'onn gathered it into his arms. Its tail was swishing back and forth now, staring up at him with its black eyes. Once he had it secured, J'onn began to lower himself through the air, the ability of flight having kept him hovering the entire time.
That was one qualification of being a Manhunter—one needed to have the ability of flight. Not every Martian was the same. Some were generously gifted while others were not. All Martians had the telepathic ability, along with mastery of their own bodies. However, those were basic traits. Not every Martian could fly; not every Martian could master the innate energy that resided within them.
Not all of them could change their bodies into the different states of matter.
Depending on what each Martian was capable of, they were gradually encouraged to go into a number of select fields. For J'onn, becoming a Manhunter was one such area opened to him once he developed the ability of flight. And it was this ability that allowed him to reach the escaped pet.
Arriving on the balcony of its owner, J'onn gave a small smile as he saw the relief on the owner's face. There was no audible sound and their mind did not communicate directly with J'onn, but he could read the expression on their face. They were clearly speaking to the fez'lion.
Immediately, the pet perked up in J'onn's arms. Loosening his hold, the fez'lion pushed itself up and then launched out of his hold and onto their owner, who immediately wrapped their arms around it. "I thank you," the owner announced with relief. "I feared I would never get them back."
"It was no trouble," J'onn told them. "Farewell and please contact us again should any other situation arise."
Taking to flight once more, J'onn then moved over the edge of the balcony and descended to the ground below. The hover vehicle he and his partner used was parked in front of the building, the roof of it decorated with a red X. Much like the symbol on their chest, this marked the vehicle as belonging to a Manhunter.
As he landed next to it, he found Da'vizz standing nearby. "Shift's over," he announced. "You sure took your time with this one."
"It allowed us to complete our shift with little difficulty," the Martian replied back. "Unit #60 will be taking over from here on out."
The doors to the hover vehicle opened them, a section on either side of the vehicle rising up into the air. "Get in. I'll drive you home, J'onzz," his partner said.
The door to his domicile slid open and J'onn mentally sighed in relief. The red X on his chest sank inward until his skin was fully green. As monotonous as his job could be, there was always a hint of danger lurking around the corner. Martian society was relatively peaceful, but that did not mean there was not an accident waiting to happen. One was just as likely to be involved in a vehicle collision as they were to fall down a set of stairs.
So when he entered his home, he was greeted with the best part of his day.
"Father!" his oldest cried, followed by his youngest snapping his head towards him. The two children scrambled towards him, bearing down on him at full speed.
A wide smile appeared on J'onn's face as he took a knee, his children barreling into his broad chest. Their squeal echoed throughout the room as they embraced him, the older Martian doing his best to wrap at least one arm around each child.
"Jos'seph, J'oe," J'onn greeted them warmly. "I hope your day was most enjoyable."
"It was boring," Jos'seph complained. "Mother made us do our lessons all day. She just now let us go play."
"Your lessons are important," he gently reminded his child.
"But why do they have to be boring?"
"Would you like to know a secret?" a mischievous look appeared on J'onn's face. His children looked up at him, curious expressions on his face. He lowered his head closer to theirs so he could whisper, "My lessons were boring as well."
"Awwww," they both whined.
"Children, ready yourselves for dinner," a kind voice ordered.
J'onn looked up from the pouting faces of his children and found the most beautiful creature in the universe. She was smaller than him in length, her proportions thin and curvy. She held herself confidently in the face of the Martian and the two little ones.
M'yri'ah…
J'onn slowly stood up, the arms of his children falling off of him. "I am home," he announced.
"I can see that, Husband," M'yri'ah smiled at him. She then walked towards him, the children parting around her as they left to get ready for dinner. She held her arms open, an invitation for an embrace, one that J'onn would not deny. He took her and pressed her against him, his head tilting forward so that their foreheads pressed against one another.
"I never grow tired of this," she told him quietly, a gentle nudging of her mind against his.
"Nor I," he agreed, accepting and reigniting the connection between their minds. It may have become routine, but this was always a moment he enjoyed with his beloved wife. After all of their time together, they had not once lost their affection for one another. He was truly a lucky man.
"I hope your duties did not distress you today."
"They did not. It was the same as the day before and the day before that."
"For that, I am thankful." M'yri'ah pulled back so that she could look into his eyes. "It is the exciting days that distress me most."
"I do not foresee anything exciting in the coming days," J'onn reassured her. "H'ronmeer's Day is quickly approaching. None would seek to desecrate such a holy day, lest they are cast upon with fire."
That had perhaps been a poor choice of words. The two Martians shuddered against each other just at the mention of the word, fire. A mental image of flames had appeared within their collective minds, coupled with an intense wave of fear.
To all Martians, fire is a blessing and a curse. Fire was what allowed the Martians to emerge into the universe, but it also spelt their doom. It was a dichotomy that perfectly encapsulated the deity that they ascribed such description, H'ronmeer. Even amongst the academics, H'ronmeer held different meanings. H'ronmeer was a god of light and life, but also of fire and death. In the distant past, fire had destroyed much of Mars, only to allow its soils to become rich in nutrients and give life.
So to J'onn, H'ronmeer was the god of life and death, of light and fire. All began with him and all ended with him. It was why H'ronmeer's Day was actually an eight-day event, signaling the end and the beginning of the Martian year.
Or perhaps it was all one large coincidence and he was looking too far into it.
Regardless, no one would disturbed such days, lest they be struck down by H'ronmeer's wrath. What he had given in life, he could take away in death. All Martians knew this and respected it.
"I apologize," J'onn eventually said as he and his wife regained their composure and rid themselves of their fear. "I did not mean to—"
"It is alright," M'yri'ah interjected quickly. "It has been such a long time since I have thought of such phenomena that a reminder was necessary."
That was only her way to sooth his guilt, but J'onn allowed it. All Martians feared fire, and had worked to advance their society to the point where such a destructive force was no longer necessary. Fire simply did not belong in civilized society. The light it provided was now powered by light fixtures. The warmth it created was also produced by other means. The mechanics behind the power source and its utilization were quite complex and an explanation was not really necessary at this time.
"Mother! Father!" Jos'seph called out from the dining room. "We're hungry! Can we start?"
The two pulled away from each other. "We are coming!" M'yri'ah called back. "I hope you have an appetite. I made your favorite."
J'onn gave her a smile. "Everything you make is my favorite."
"Which is why I can always make your favorite. Now come to dinner before the children grow impatient and start without us."
Like children do, they bemoan bedtime. The circadian levels had yet to inform them it was time for sleep, though the biological function did not correspond with the visual cues they saw. Your average Martian required less rest or sleep than the average Earthling. However, Martian children required more than the Martian adult as their bodies grew and matured. As they reached adulthood, the need for sleep would decrease.
And yet, the children would see their parents and want to stay up, even as their minds slowed down and their bodies did not respond to their mind's commands. It was incumbent on the parent to ensure they pay attention to their bodies and heeded their internal call.
Closing the door to their room, J'onn let out an exasperated sigh. It had been yet another struggle to force his children to bed, but he succeeded as always. It humored him to see how Jos'seph and J'oe would try to argue and barter with him to remain awake. Their pleas fell on an uncooperative mind though, and they eventually gave into his will.
Which left him time with his wife.
M'yri'ah was no doubt in the kitchen, cleaning up the prior meal's mess. Most times he would go assist her, but this night he did not promptly go that way. Instead, he headed for a door, a sensor detecting his presence and promptly slid it open. This revealed a balcony, one J'onn came to stand on. The view he had showed him the city of Dea'vers, its towering skyscrapers, the remaining hovercrafts heading to their final destinations. It wasn't the best view of the city, but J'onn was not one to complain about his current situation.
He immediately felt M'yri'ah's presence behind him. "Enjoying the view?" his wife coyly asked him.
"I am enjoying my admiration of it," J'onn answered as he turned around to face her. "Care to join me?'
"I accept your invitation." M'yri'ah came to stand next to him, leaning herself into his form. Automatically, J'onn wrapped an arm around her. Though J'onn returned his gaze to the city, his wife tilted her upward to gaze upon the inky blackness of space. "It is truly a shame you cannot see the stars from here," she lamented.
J'onn tore his eyes from civilization and gazed upward. "Indeed," he agreed. Now, as mentioned before, he was not one to bemoan his station, but at this moment, he did miss seeing the stars.
"One day, I wish that we could return to Elysium Mon, and live there," she said wistfully. "As much as I enjoy the city, I do miss the desert."
"Once the children are grown, it is something we can revisit," he responded in kind. "I am not unopposed to such living, so long as it is you or I. The children, I fear, are not suitable for that environment."
M'yri'ah snorted. "You survived that environment as much as I. Why such doubt in our offspring?"
"They have grown up in the relative comfort of the city. They have not witnessed the desert's harshness, nor realize how unforgiving it is."
"That will be changing sooner than you think," she pointed out. "It won't be long before Jos'seph begins to manifest his telepathic connections and you will have to take him to the family lands. J'oe will not be far behind either."
That was an excellent point. "At the very least, I can control the exposure," he said. "The family will have the grounds prepared for the isolation."
"I almost envy you that time you will spend."
"Almost?" He caught onto that qualifier.
"I mostly pity you," she grinned. "I was quite the handful when I underwent the isolation and I understand you were too."
"I suppose I was. I was fortunate my father was the one to help me undergo it. If it were not for him, I do not believe I would have the control that I have."
"And it is that same control that you will pass down to your own children."
Yes, it would be. For now though, J'onn was quite content to stay where he was, the love of his life in his arms, his children tucked in until their circadian rhythm began its downward trajectory. He was a fortunate man, he felt.
Can't say this chapter was all that exciting. The beginning feels a lot like a book report, but considering that J'onn is the narrator, it makes sense that he would tell a story in such a manner. Doesn't mean it's not boring lol.
I know I'll receive some questions as per the Martian terminology and the various names of characters, so I would like to admit that I've made up ninety-eight percent of all names and Martian terms. When I did my research on DC's Mars, I couldn't find a lot of material to work with, so I've made up quite a few characters along with various animals and plants to fit the needs for this story. Now, there are comic book counter parts for some, like M'yri'ah, and while J'onn's children exist, I couldn't find actual names for them, so I've made some up. Three guess as to where the children's names come from.
Going forward, AV and I will be splitting up on posting days. AV will be posting The Twelve Days of Retribution on Mondays and Thursdays while I will be posting Andromeda Strain on Tuesdays and Fridays.