Justice League of Amazons: Halo
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Chapter 20
John sat on a chair in the Monitor Room, reviewing the footage the camera drones took of the exercise he had put the new members of the League through. He mentally noted what areas they excelled at, and what they needed to improve on. Reaching for a nearby cup of coffee, the Spartan II Commando took a small sip from it, allowing the hot caffeinated liquid to hit his palate. The kick from the hot beverage brought a sense of calm to the Master Chief as he took another fortifying sip and set the cup back down.
The doors to the Monitor Room slid open with a pneumatic hiss and walking inside came Shayera. "Still reviewing the footage?" the Thanagarian woman asked the Spartan who glanced at her before nodding quietly. "Still, hard to believe that you consider what you put the newbies through a watered down version of your own training," she remarked in a snarky tone.
"I could've gone harder on them," John said blandly in response to Shayera's words.
"Maybe, but no-one really needs to be put through that kind of hell. Not even US Marines are put through that kind of torture," Shayera stated.
"Special Forces are," John pointed out.
"Yeah, but I think most if not all spec-op soldiers are full grown adults when selected for that kind of training," Shayera corrected. "What you were put through I wouldn't put children through," she said with a glare.
"It was necessary," John said after a moment of silence although Shayera could see there was a look of sorrow, regret and resentment in his eyes.
Her eyes softening, Shayera laid a gentle hand on the Spartan's shoulder and softly said to him, "You hate that you never got to have a proper childhood." Her words were not a question but an observation and John looked up at her sharply, an expression of consternation as if conflicted by Hawkgirl's statement.
"Did you ever consider might've been if you hadn't been selected?" Shayera suddenly asked.
John had a minute frown on his face and Shayera was afraid she had upset him, but he then said, "I don't know. I never gave it any thought…"
Shayera nodded in understanding and replied, "You've lived your whole life as a soldier, moving from one mission to the next. Did you ever consider the possibility that you might have to fight anymore?"
John shook his head minutely and Shayera felt her heart near break at that. This poor man had been so used to being on the battlefield that it might be impossible for him to contemplate the idea of not being needed anymore.
"Well, as heavy as this conversation has gotten, I came to fetch you for dinner. Even you have to eat," Shayera reminded the man who nodded in understanding as they then left the Monitor Room for the cafeteria where they found a majority of the League enjoying an evening meal.
"Hey, Spartan!" John looked to see the new (male) members of the League sitting at their own table. Warren had been the one to call out to him, waving him over. "C'mon! Sit with us!" he requested cheerfully.
Shayera gave the Spartan an encouraging push while going to sit with the other members. John sat down at the table and was awkwardly silent.
"So, how are you taking the whole being the New Father to Mankind thing?" Andrew asked as he sipped from a blood pack.
"Not something I expected," John offered quietly.
"Yeah, most guys would be jumping for joy to be in your shoes," Warren joked with a lopsided grin. "But from what I – we've seen of you, you just find it annoying, huh?"
"A little," John replied.
"Yeah, gotta wonder what the reaction will be when the likes of us become known," Andrew said with a sardonic smile.
"Indeed, although many would be hesitant to engage us," Jason stated primly. "Our natures would cause many to be aversive," he said sombrely.
"In what way?" Warren asked as he took a bite out of a large tomahawk steak.
"It isn't obvious?" Andrew glanced at him. "Me a vampire. You a werewolf. Adam an undead golem. Nate being living nuclear energy and Jason being an immortal. Do the math."
"Yeah, can kinda see where you're coming from," Warren said with a wry look on his face. "But look at the big guy," he indicated John with a nod. "He ain't exactly normal, is he?"
"Compared to us, he is," Andrew retorted.
"I'm not," John said from his seat.
"Eh?"
"I'm not normal," John said.
"How do you mean?" Andrew asked curiously.
John was silent for a moment before saying, "I was selected because I met the requirements for the Spartan program. And the augmentations I received further elevated me to beyond human levels."
"Oh, yeah, you're a super-soldier, right?" Warren asked and John reluctantly nodded. "What sort of requirements did you meet to be selected?" he asked genially.
"I was more physically gifted than my peers and a foot taller than most of my classmates, and I also had a drive to win no matter what," John said.
Jason frowned a little this and asked, "So, you were selected because you showed greater promise than others? And because you were more physically gifted?"
"Yes."
"Sounds like what Hitler was gunning for back in the day," Frankenstein remarked darkly.
"In a way, yes," John said reluctantly.
"So, when you said Spartans don't die, they just go MIA, what did you mean by that?" Captain Atom asked.
"It was to keep up moral in the UNSC," John stated.
"In other words it was a beautiful lie to tell people," Jason said sardonically. "To make them believe that you and your compatriots were unkillable," he observed.
"Not inaccurate," John admitted.
"Were things that bad in your universe that they had to make you out be an invincible super-soldier?" Captain Atom asked with some mild disbelief.
"It was necessary at the time," the Spartan said reluctantly. "But no-one is unkillable or invincible," he added gravely.
"Amen to that," Warren said with a nod. "Can't speak for everyone, but I've had my share of brushes with death," he added gravely.
"Hunters?" John guessed.
"Mhm," Warren nodded in confirmation. "More than a few hunters and even rivals came looking for me and my pack. Back during the war, a Nazi sharpshooter made it his mission to hunt me down," he recounted.
"I take it he didn't succeed," John remarked.
"No, he did not," Warren said a lopsided grin. "So, besides your dayjob, what do you do in your off time?" he suddenly asked the Spartan.
"Train. Test weapons. Prepare for the next mission," came the Master Chief's blunt response.
"I meant besides that," Warren clarified.
"Don't really have much time off," John stated blandly.
"Really?" Warren had a surprised look on his face, as did the others. "Ever gone out drinking?" he ventured.
"I don't drink," came John's terse response.
"Heh, have to wonder what kind of drunk you'd be," Warren chuckled. "Hey, maybe we should go out for a night of drinking? Just us guys." He looked around at everyone.
"I'd have to decline," John said politely.
"Offer stands," Warren said easily. "What about the rest of you?" he asked the others.
"It's not going to be like Monaco, is it?" Frankenstein asked in annoyance.
"What happened in Monaco?" Nathaniel asked in interest.
"You don't wanna know," Andrew said bluntly.
"Well, we should all go out drinking, right?" Warren said. "Get us outta the place and let loose for a bit," he added.
"If you say so," Andrew said with slight smile and Frankenstein shrugged.
"Enjoy yourselves then," John said as he stood from his seat. "Excuse me." The Spartan then left cafeteria.
"Strange guy," Warren remarked as he finished off his steak.
"Leave it be, Warren," Frankenstein advised him. "It is clear that the Spartan is a very reserved person, living as a soldier which would explain a few things about him," he said.
"What makes you say that?" Jason asked the undead golem.
"The few times we've interacted with the Spartan tells me that he has been through much and lost many friends. I think most of can relate to such a thing," Frankenstein replied.
"Yeah… I guess you're right," Warren said softly. "But something about the Spartan is different," he remarked.
"Mh. The Spartan is very closed off and secretive about the details of his past," Jason agreed. "But whatever secrets he has are his to tell when he feels comfortable enough to do so."
"Aren't you curious at all?" Warren asked the immortal knight.
"I am," Jason confirmed. "But I am showing some tact and respecting the man's privacy. It isn't my business to pry into his private life," he then said firmly.
"Alright," Warren said accepting and dropping the subject.
…
Corto Maltese. Before Dawn.
Diana and her team woke up a little before dawn and quietly left the hotel and made their way to the fish market. They soon met the Red Snapper stall owner who looked at them and whispered, "Were you followed?" Her eyes looked about furtively.
"No," Dinah answered.
"Alright, get in the truck. It's a short drive into the jungles," the stall owner showed them to her truck and let them into the back of it.
"Eurgh! It reeks!" Barbara complained as the smell of rotting fish hit her nose.
"Yeah, I know that, chica. Keeps those intergang putas away," the stall owner said with a wry smile. "Get in," she told them.
With some reluctance the three heroines climbed inside and the stall owner climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. With a rumbling growl, the engines groaned to life and with the sound of aged rubber grinding against sandy dirt and gravel, the truck drove down the winding roads of the city.
It was a bumpy ride for the team as the truck seemed to hit every pothole and bump in the road. Barbara gave a little groan of annoyance, both at the constant motions of the truck and the smell of dead fish. "I'm gonna be soaking in the tub for hours when we get home," she muttered.
"I hear ya," Dinah said in agreement. "Hopefully this ride won't be too long," she added optimistically.
"Still doesn't help with the smell," Diana remarked.
"Just go to your happy place. That's what I'm doing," Dinah said with an amused grin as she rested against the wall of the truck.
After half an hour the truck soon rolled to a stop and the back of the truck opened. The stall owner greeted them.
"Alright, chicas, welcome to the Libertad," she said to them as they climbed out and were met the humidity of the Corto Maltese jungles. The sounds of tropical birds calling out to each other mingled with the sounds of people chattering. Diana looked to see what looked like a ramshackle collections of tents and huts with people dressed in dirty beaten army surplus fatigues with a prominent detail being sashes and scarves dyed a sky blue colour and a white star painted on them.
Then walking out from the largest hut in the camp was a young woman with Hispanic features, her warm black hair done in a pair braids and wearing a blue tank top and military cargo shorts.
"Isobel. Who are these gringos?" the unknown woman asked.
"These are the Yanquis I told you about, Clara," the stall owner replied. "They're from the Justice League," she then said.
Clara then looked at the three heroines before fixing Diana a stern look. "You. You're the Amazon. Wonder Woman," she said rather than asked.
"I am and we're here to help," Diana said proudly, her hands on her hips.
The women of the camp all stopped and glared at Diana with unreadable expressions. Clara glared at the Amazons Princess with a hard look and said, "Your sister Aresia killed a lot of innocent men, good men."
"I know, and I will be ashamed of why she did it," Diana said sombrely. "But I am not my sister," she declared sincerely.
"We'll see, won't we?" Clara remarked. "This way," she told them as she entered her hut. The team then followed Clara into her domicile. Entering the hut, the team saw that it was a mess but an organised one. A large table was set in the middle of the room with various maps detailing the archipelago of Corto Maltese. Pinned on various parts of the maps were photographs of certain people; some had crude almost humorous drawings such as horns, comical moustaches and other details designed to invoke humour or mockery. Set against one wall was a large radio station sitting on a table and against the opposite wall was what appeared to be ramshackle set of computers and recording devices.
Clara brought out a bottle of tequila and some shot glasses and set them on a clear space of the table. "So, you Yanquis are here to break into Jotunheim. Is that true?" she asked as she poured into each shot glass some tequila.
"It is," Dinah nodded in reply.
"Why would you want to break into there?" Clara asked as she slid a shot of tequila to each of them before taking up the remaining glass.
"There's a piece of tech that Intergang stole from STAR Labs," Diana informed her. "It is very important that we retrieve it before it can be activated," she then said.
"And what is this tech exactly?" Clara asked as she downed her shot in one go and poured herself another glass.
"And android. It's designer intended it as a means of immortality due to a severe fear of dying," Dinah explained.
"And you think this android is in Jotunheim?" Clara asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It's our best lead, but we're open to it being in other places around Corto Maltese," Barbara said.
"Hm. You're not wrong," Clara murmured. "Since Intergang moved in and took over, they've been stashing all kinds of shit into the country. Drugs, weapons, tech, everything they can haul into the country," she described. "And with Corto Maltese being in close proximity to South America and the States, they've become a one-stop shop for just about anything illegal," she added.
"Why hasn't the US Government done something about then?" Diana asked.
"Red tape and because Corto Maltese isn't a threat to you Yanquis," Clara said dryly. "And because I suspect that even with all men on earth being killed, corruption is still in effect in America," she added sardonically.
"It's true. Even with the world as it is now, those who have filled in the gaps are still susceptible to greed," Dinah said grimly. "It also gives Intergang more leeway with most law enforcement being spread too thin," she added with a bitter look.
"You got that right, chica," Clara said as she downed her second shot of tequila. "If you want our help, you'll need to help us first," she then told the three heroines.
"What do you need done?" Diana asked.
"There are other people around Corto Maltese, individuals who have no love for Intergang running things. You help them out and recruit them into the resistance, we'll be able to help you get into Jotunheim." Clara looked at each of them and asked, "Do we have a deal?"
The team looked at each other and nodded. "What choice do we have?" Barbara stated and Clara gave a grim smile of understanding as she extended her hand to shake which Diana took.
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: Chapter 20 is done and dusted. I apologise for the wait and for this chapter being so short, but at least I got it out to you all. Next chapter, still deciding what to do but I'm thinking I might do something a little sexy, perhaps Selina/Catwoman sneaks into John's room to snuggle up to him or maybe tries to join him in the showers. But if not Selina, maybe Zatanna takes Chief out to one of her stage shows in Las Vegas and takes him out for drinks after which they get back to her Las Vegas residence and something a little sexy/smutty happens LOL. Let me know what you think I should do regarding that.
And in other news, I recently published a DC Comics/Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice & Fire crossover (again?!) set in Roy Westerman and Phil Cho's fanmade project Earth-27. And you all know that I'm using Aegon/Young Griff as the protagonist and I've put up a poll of which location/city/country/region he should land in first, so if you haven't already, please cast your vote, I would really appreciate it :-D.
And that's about the sum total of things, so I'll see you next time.
Be kind to one another,
Angry lil' elf.
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P.S: for a future story arc, what would you guys say to there being a Legendary Monsterverse crossover similar to the Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong crossover comic series? And to make it a little different, I might include the likes of Scar King and Shimo into the event. What do you guys think? Sound fun?