Interludes After the Tenth Angel, Part 2

Note, the parenthesis indicate languages other than Japanese, in this case, English, NeoGenii, and Interlac.
Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I'm I doing wrong (to correct it).

Almeracian Empire, Throne World
Royal Palace of the Ruling House of Almerac
April the 3rd, 2003 (Earth Calendar)

Kal Max-El, Prince Consort of the Almeracian Empire, trashed around in his bed. He woke up suddenly, gasping for air. Next to him, Maxima, Warrior Queen slept peacefully, oblivious to his discomfort. Kal sat up, wiping the sweat from his face. He tried to go back to sleep, but it was useless. He just turned around, unable to surrender to sleep again. He had a terrible premonition. "Something awful has happened." He whispered. It would be useless to try to go back to sleep. That premonition would nag at him incessantly, until he knew what had happened and done something about it.

Paying attention to his wife and queen, he realized she wasn't breathing, her heart didn't beat. Alarmed, he extended his senses, trying to locate the Royal Physician, but there was not a single noise in the Royal Palace. The silence was complete and unnatural. Then, just as he was preparing himself to fight whatever was happening around him, he noticed a subtle shift in the colors around him.

Kal turned around, looking for any hidden threat. Instead he found a vision he had known very well back on Earth, but never expected to find here, hundreds of light years away from his adoptive planet. A dark garbed man, his eyes hidden by the shadow of his fedora, stood immobile by the door. Clasping his left hand in the right. A golden medallion hung aboive then, shining softly in the light. The man's blue cloak hung heavily around him.

Kal furrowed his brow in surprise, as he addressed the unexpected apparition, "(Phantom Stranger? It's been, what? Two years since the last time?)"

The Stranger nodded, but didn't answer the question, instead, he opened the door and beckoned the hero to follow him. "(Superman. I apologize for the intrusion. Walk with me, we have grave matters to speak about.)"

"(Has something happened on Earth?)"

"(This affects more than just Earth.)" The Stranger walked out, his cloak flaring behind.

Superman's fists closed in readiness and followed the misterious man.

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Commander Ikari's Cabin.
1 Hour 46 Minutes After Sahaquiel Impact

"I dare say Katsuragi and the pilots have exceeded all your expectations, Ikari." Vice-Commander Kozo Fujutsuki put the Tenth Angel report on the small table.

Commander Gendo Ikari tented his fingers in front of his face, and kept silent for a long while, thinking."Indeed. It seems they have earned an acknowledgement of their capabilities." He exhaled a breath of cold air. Somehow, his cabin seemed to have some problem with the thermostats, it was always a bit too cold. Just enough to be uncomfortable. The techs on board had trouble adjusting the damned thing. He demanded another cabin, but those had been designated for reupholstering, and were bare of any furniture, and even the insulation had been taken apart.

Fujutsuki raised an eyebrow. "New ranks?"

"Only for Katsuragi. The Third Child did perform beyond what I could expect. Plus, a little encouragement for him will put him in a better emotional position for later in the game. His obsessive tendencies will work in our favor."

Somewhere in the Antarctic Ocean
Dead Water Zone
Over the Rainbow, Commander Ikari's Cabin.
Spiritual Plane, Same Time

As the Commander reread full report the sailor had delivered, Deadman grabbed intangibly Gendo Ikari's shoulders, and hissed in his ear, unheard by the object of his anger, "(You are a cold-hearted reptile, Commander. Can't you ever pay a sincere compliment to anybody? Much less your own blood?)" Boston Brand kept reading over Ikari's shoulder, pointing at the paper with his right index finger. "(What Shinji did was first class heroics! Heck, even the Bat would be impressed, and that guy was the very definition of demanding!)"

Naturally, Ikari continued speaking, not noticing the fully spirited rant his unknown companion delivered with great enthusiasm and anger. "(Well, if you two villainous reprobates won't do something for the kid, I will! Or my name isn't Boston!)"

Outskirts of Smallville, Kansas.
Kent Farm, Kent House, Kitchen Table.
December the 11th, 2002; 8:26 A.M.

Jonathan Kent polished carefully his eyeglasses, as he thought. Next to him, Martha, his wife, patted the hand of their green skinned visitor. The Kents were two of the select few to whom he was willing to show his true shape, a long limbe, green skinned humanoid with an elongated head and several ridges on his back. "(I never expected things would get so bad, J'Onn. Are you sure you cannot stay the night, you don't look so good.)" He looked critically at his glasses, checking they were really clean, and put them back on.

The Martian Manhunter looked haggard, tired to the core of his being, but still strong. "(I've been running myself ragged all around the world.)" He sighed, and with a very human gesture, pinched the bridge of his nose, as if warding off an incoming headache. "(I'm thinking of discarding several of my secret identities for a while. As things are, Superman can do so much more for morale than the Martian Manhunter.)"

Martha squeezed his hand in support, "(I think it would be for the best, dear. You could suffer a heart attack, or…)"

The martian smiled warmly at her, "(That won't happen, Martha. I'm physically incapable of that. I don't really have a heart as humans do. But I appreciate the sentiment; I can suffer fatigue as much as any human can." He paused, looking at the ceiling for a long moment. "(But just being here with you two, rest even for a few hours and be myself,to be among friends I know and trust, is a balm for my soul.)" Slowly, he reached for a chocolate cookie, and bit it carefully, prolonging the flavor. "(I think I'll just keep a few of the more prominent identities, the ones best placed to do the most good long-term. Japan still needs a calming influence. The country is a key piece of the whole global economy, and if they fall…)" he closed his eyes and shook his head, dreading the thought of a renewal of the hostilities an economic collape could cause.

Jonathan nodded. "(Do as you think best, J'Onn. We will miss your Josh identity, but we can cope. Clark sent a nice set of gold nuggets and sapphires from Almerac. It's enough to pay the salaries of several workers for several years.)" he paused, "(Clark said it was traditional for the consorts' parents to receive a kind of… )" he smiled crookedly, "(…dowry!)"

"(I miss him, Jonathan, Martha. More than I thought possible. Even with so much death and loss, it makes me a world of good to know he is still out there. And that he has a chance at happiness. I hope we can meet his children one day.)"

Their eyes wandered to a simple framed picture, hanging on the wall. Clark hugging Lois from behind, while she looked over her shoulder, both smiling, and with their eyes full of love. The picture hade been taken in happier times, back when they had returned from their honeymoon and were received back at the Daily Planet with a small party.

"(Yes…)" whispered Martha, "(There are days the only thing that can make me go on is knowing he has found love again, and that Maxima is strong enough to bear his children.)"

A heavy silence fell on them for a few minutes. Finally, J'Onn stood up. "(Children, yes. That's the reason I came here; to ask for your guidance; and maybe, your help.)"

"(Sure, what can we do?)"

J'Onn smiled tiredly and pulled a pack of pictures from somewhere. "(These are some of the orphans left by Second Impact.)" He spread the pictures on the table. "(They are special in more than one way.)" He took one picture, a girl close to sixteen years old, with big blue eyes and short black hair. "(Traya Sutton, twice orphaned. First in the war-torn Bialyia, and more recently when Red Tornado, her adoptive parent, disappeared. Her adoptive mother, Kathy Sutton, fears for their safety.)" Martha took the picture, looking at the lonely look in the girl's eyes.

Next, he took another picture, a dark haired girl of about seven or eight years, her features were a mix of caucasian and asian. "(Lian Harper, daughter of Arsenal. He died with some of his fellow Titans in an ambush by the Secret Society of Supervillains.)" Both sorrow and anger were evident in J'onn's voice.

Next, an afroamerican girl of about seventeen, "(Anita Fite, also known as Empress, she is not exactly an orphan, but her situation is very complicated)", he pulled a picture that showed a boy and a girl smiling to the camera; both were close to four years old. "(Donnie and Oshi Fite; they look like her children, but they aren't. He is registered as such in the system, she is registered as adopted; but actually they are her parents.)" He raised his eyes to look at his hosts reaction, "(Did I mention it was complicated?)" He sighed. "(There are a few others who are now in the process of being assigned foster families, or going through red tape to relocate. I'd like to get them all close to each other. Both for protection and socializing. The adults have offered to help. Kathy Sutton, for example, is willing to do accounting and taxes; while Ishido Maad, long-time partner of Donald Fite, can help with security and physical labor.)"

Jonathan and Martha exchanged a look that conveyed a whole conversation in just a couple of seconds. It was Jonathan who spoke. "(And you need somewhere safe for them? It will be good to have some children running around here, my friend. It will be very good.)"

"(Thank you both, )" J'Onn took their hands in his, squezzing softly in thanks.

April the 18th, 2009
New Genesis, Supertown

Highfather stood next to a complex solid light projection. Hundreds of ships clashed in space. Through the windows, muted flashes of light broke the darkness above. If he didn't know that those flashes of light meant the death of his people, friends, relatives, fathers, sons, mothers, daughters of New Genesis; he would have thought the lights were pretty.

Highfather's eyes hardened for a moment, he couldn't allow sentiments to dictate his orders. With a heavy heart, he ordered an attack on the flank of the apokoliptian armada, knowing that the only way to win this battle was to sacrifice more sons and daughters of New Genesis.

A voice jarred him from his strategies. "(Highfather.)"

"(Stranger.)" He answered, not looking at his fellow quintessence member. "(This is not a good moment, my people hangs by a thread at the precipice.)"

"(I look for knowledge, Izaya.)"

"(I am sorry to deny you, but I need to focus on saving as many as I can. If knowledge is what you seek, ask Metron. You'll find him near the Promethean Wall, in his unending quest for the secrets of the Source.)"

"(I'll do so. My thanks, Izaya. May New Genesis shine always in hope.)"

And he disappeared.

Meanwhile, in the Hall of the Source, a flaming hand wrote in the wall of fire. "(Unbreak the boy, unbreak the girl. Forge anew the sundered soul to heal the Earth.)"

Lightray was the only New God who witnessed this, as soon as the flaming words disappeared back into the wall, he flew to Highfather to tell him of the new cryptic message from the Source itself.

"(Esak,)" Highfather called a young boy; had he been human, he would have been close to eleven years old. "(Please take Lightray's place watching the Wall of the Source.)" He turned back to the blonde New God. "(Child, please go and meet the Phantom Stranger at the Promethean Galaxy; he will be found with Metron. Tell the Stranger the message of the Source and come back as fast as you can.)"

Lightray smiled widely at the chance to do something and stretch his legs, idleness wore heavily on him. "(Immediately, Highfather.)" And he disappeared in a beam of light.

Izaya the Inheritor nodded tiredly, and turned his attention back to the battle.

Outskirts of Tokyo-3
Sahaquiel Crater; Unit-02 Plug
1 Hour, 14 Minutes After Sahaquiel Impact

"Okay, guys. I want the recovery cranes ready and working as soon as the dust settles. Remember to pound the ground before deploying the stabilizers!"

"Yes, sir!"

The crew boss chewed a piece of gum, he adjusted the binoculars over his nose, and examined the bottom of the crater. "Man… I hope the city decides to turn this hole into an reservoir. It will fill nicely before the rains end." Just as he spoke, a thunder broke over the site. "Damned static electricity…"

The dust on the sky accumulated a big charge, it would take some time before the unusual electric storm calmed down enough for the recovery crew to do their job. Still, they had spoken to the First and Second Children, who relayed answers from the Third.

Unit-01's comms had been fried by the Angel's explosion.

A Possible XXXIst Century
Frontier of the Almeracian Empire
Legionnaires Diplomatic Mission
3 Days After Diplomatic Contact

The Legion cruiser dragged the block of space ice containing the strange biomech back to United Planets territory. R.J. Brande looked at the hologram showing it and the cruiser, lost in thought. It had been a long time ago.

'(Unit-01)' he mused for himself. '(What are you doing here...?)'He paused to drink from a small goblet. One he had received a couple of centuries before, when he lived under a different name. '(Last time I saw that sprock-damned giant was almost a millennium ago.)'

His thoughts went back to Lournu. The Carggite young woman he had practically rescued from her birth planet. Back when they had met, she was an escaped patient from a mental hospital. He remembered just how lost and scared she looked, and just how desperate her surface thoughts had been. He had spent a long time supressing his natural gifts, but the girl practically screamed her loneliness, her despair, and her hope into his mind. He would have helped her anyway, even without the memories that had surged into his mind.

Her short hair and amber right eye had brought to mind a memory long buried by the centuries. A very different teen appeared in his mind's eye. A girl so inexpressive she had been unfavorably compared to a doll. She had died a long time before, but the features of both held a clear resemblance.

'(We worked along very well after Third Impact was averted, Rei. Earth wouldn't have recovered so fast withouth you.)' He thought.

Brande relaxed his control over his body shape, and his eyes turned crimson red for a moment. Quickly, he reasserted control, and his eyes went back to their usual color.

He waved on the internal comm. "(Lournu? Any word of our friends?)"

"(Not yet, Mr. Brande. Superboy and Sensor will call when the almeracian shuttle arrives to the Throne world.)"

"(Thank you, child. Let me know when they do, okay?)"

Author Notes

First of all, a big shout-out to Okami Princess, very good questions indeed! Quite a few scenes in this chapter come directly in answer to her PMs. Thanks!

Maxima's first appearance was in Action Comics, issue 645 (Sept 1989), as a terribly spoiled, capricious and stubborn princess. Her visit to Earth was motivated by her desire to find a suitably strong mate to continue the royal line, she chose Superman, who rejected her advances. Her hissy fit was legendary.

Eventually, Maxima began to mature, and for a while, she was a member of the Justice League. However, her pride has made her swing between ally and oponent of Superman.

As I am following the storyline set in the Adventures of Superman Annual 3 (1991), Maxima has mellowed considerably, she has even accepted Superman's ethics, up to a certain point.

The Martian Manhunter has been masquerading as Superman for a while, with a few exceptions, like the Kents, the rest of the world doesn't know about Superman's self-exile. J'Onn has substituted for Superman before, most notably in Action Comics 595 (Dec. 1987).

The children mentioned by him are all part of the DCU, Traya Sutton first appeared back in Justice League 152 (Mar 1978), her nationality was later retconned into Bialyian, which caused her a few problems in school, as she was unjustly labeled as a terrorist.

Lian Harper, daughter of Arsenal (formerly Speedy, Green Arrow's sidekick) and Cheshire, villain and terrorist, first appeared in New Teen Titans, issue 21 (Jun 1986). In the mainstream DCU, she was killed during the Cry for Justice miniseries, precipitating Arsenal's relapse into drug addiction. I have absolutely no intention to rethread that story.

Empress debuted in Young Justice 16 (Jan 2000), first as a misterious ally, though Robin didn't discard the posibility of a hidden agenda. Eventually, she proved her worth as an ally, and formally joined the team.

Through the machinations of her grandfather, Agua Sin Gaaz (a name that always cracks me up, as it sound exactly as Spanish fow Agua Sin Gas, meaning Water Without Gas!), ahem, the point if that his magic reincarnated her parents as babies. Empress retired from heroics to raise them as her own children.

I am retaking a subplot that was introduced back during the Reboot Legion era, namely, that R.J. Brande had a very interesting secret. Two hints about him being actually the Martian Manhunter. The first one was back in Legionnaires issue 37 (Jun 1996), in a nutshell, rumours about Valor, the founder of many inhabited world, being rescued by the Legion, set very high expectations on the occupant of the Buffer Zone. Not wanting to deal with being worshipped, Valor chose to take a new identity, and after a short talk with Brande, hinting that Lar knew Brande's secret; the name M'Onel was accepted. The word comes from the ancient martian language, meaning "The Wanderer"). Just take a good look at the statue nex to M'Onel in the cover.

The other came at the end of the Emerald Vi storyline, in Legionnaires 52 (Sept 1997), Brande had to use telepathy to help Shrinking Violet to heal from her possession by the Emeral Eye of Ekron. In one panel, there's a silhouette around Brande, with the shape of a green martian. The deduction was clear, Brande was actually the Martian Manhunter, still alive and well, though retired from active heroics, he still had a soft spot for costumed héroes.

Sadly, this plot line wasn't followed later. There was a last appearance of the Martian Manhunter in the future, putting him clearly in the Legion of Superheroes time, a follow up to DC One Million had a flashback to the 31st Century, it is very brief, and it clashed a bit with the previous data. This was in Martian Manhunter (issue 11, oct. 1999).