I do not own J'ohn J'ones/Martian Manhunter or his twin brother, or Batman/Bruce Wayne, Superman/Clark Kent/Kal El, Alfred Pennyworth, Leslie Thomkins, or introducing Big Barda and Mister Miracle/Scott Free. DC does. So, please enjoy this chapter for free.
Mars Martian Manhunter's Birth Cavern Many Wet and Dry Cycles Before Leaving Mars
Their mother stood before the council while the whole Martian community surrounded her. He himself was staring at the parasite poking out of his mother's skin. The thing taking her from them, which would soon kill her, was barely visible without using his sight to see under her skin and differentiate the strands of the invader running among the cells and sinews of his mother's flesh. If it produced spores, it would infect him, his twin, his father, perhaps everyone. The rest of their community knew it too. That's why he could feel their thoughts bent toward his brother.
He clasped his brother's hand harder. Martian twins sometimes happened, but it was often said it tended to weaken the mother's body to carry and care for two. The community was losing a member, a gardener, a builder … but they were losing a mother. Couldn't they leave them alone!
Father placed a hand on his shoulder. He felt the grieving, but wiser thoughts of his father bend toward him calming his anger. Even in his father, though he could feel grief and some fear as well. Mostly though, he could feel the grief and fear blaring from his brother. He couldn't help trying to form mental shields around him to stop the barrage of unjustified anger around them from reaching him. It wasn't their fault they were twins! It wasn't his brother's fault he'd grown up beside him, inside her, and was the weaker one! He was the saddest one of them all!
Mother was even more gentle and held his brother more often than him. She had more nice words to say for her weak son than her strong one. Father favored him. He talked to him more about the time coming, when they'd go out hunting together. But he would miss mother too with her tight hugs and sweet thoughts spread over them like a cool mist when they were too hot or the warm embrace of water when they were too cold.
After the council sadly announced she'd be sent away, she turned back to them one last time. She bent her thoughts toward their father first, then his brother who cried as she did, and finally toward him. He caught his breath as she smiled into his face even as tears left her eyes. Yes, I'm afraid that to comfort him and let him know I didn't resent him, maybe I was more loving toward your brother more often. But, though you are strong like your father, I think you have a heart like mine. I always recognized it in you. Continue to be a good and loving brother. I know you can, my sweet strong boy.
Mars Hunting Ground of Martian Manhunter's Birth Cavern Several Wet and Dry Cycles Before Leaving Mars
He put up a shield with himself and his brother on one side, their father and the monster devouring him on the other. His father was no longer bothering to push away the tentacles encircling him, but lying still in their hold. The monster didn't squeeze the breath of life from the older Martian, but swept its tentacles over his form covering him with its paralyzing slime before dragging him toward its mouth. He felt his heart being ripped from him as when their mother left. As the monster withdrew with its prey, he couldn't help lowering the shield to receive any thoughts their father might send them. He'd see and react if the shield was needed. He held his arm up to keep his brother back and connected their minds so they'd both hear. He sobbed as the last thoughts from their father did reach them. "Stay back! Don't let it get you too! Take care of each other! Go find your life …"
His father's father's consciousness fully ebbed away. He wrapped his brother in his arms and dragged him deep into thick foliage surrounding them again with a shield before the beast swallowed their father. Later they stood before his name carved into a wall of other hunters taken as prey during the hunt. Again, he shared his thoughts with his twin.
We will miss him, but with them both gone, we no longer have to stay where we are 'the twins who caused our mother's death.'
You mean "me'."
"We'll go elsewhere, where what father taught us and the strength we have together will be appreciated. We will make him and mother proud.
You mean your strength! They both knew I was nothing without you!
No, we would be far less without each other. Come now, we have grieved. Do we further practice and perfect our skill more here where things are familiar before leaving?
His brother slumped beside him. No, let us go now to a new place far from this.
Mars Hunting Ground of Martian Manhunter's Marriage Cavern Last Wet and Dry Cycle Before Leaving Mars
The reason his brother went first and he second in the formation was that their minds were linked so well. His brother's presence might lure out predators but his alertness and strength could deal with it. If only he'd been more alert ...
He wondered for a split-second if thinking of his wife, daughters, and the newest widow of their community had distracted him enough to make the difference. He stared at the jaws with long, pointed teeth blocking his sight of his brother. He still felt his twin's fear turn to confusion and sleepiness as the monster's mucus covered him.
No. No! This wasn't going to happen! Not again!
He clapped his hands together at the monster's head piercing its brain with pointed waves of force. Then he moved his arms apart prying the jaws open. He kept going even as he heard the other warriors screaming in his mind to stop! He knew the council would be angry, but he could see his brother now!
He let go of the animal's jaws to yank his brother out and toward him letting the monster go free. It turned sharply away. Its gigantic tail swished through the water in their direction sending every member of the hunting party spinning into the weeds. But still … his brother! He reached out and pulled his brother closer. His twin's senses and thoughts were still quite dulled, too much so to really connect minds, but he knew his brother, even paralyzed and half asleep. He almost hugged him tight when he drew him close, but stopped himself.
He endured the trip back with several angry hunters around him, most of them his wife's cousins or her cousins' husbands. He endured the words of the council and fearful stares of his wife and daughters a little less well. But even she, his beloved wife argued that maybe his twin would "not" get sick in quarantine and so return to help him hunt again. Then they would both provide for the community better than ever since they now knew the dangers of distraction. He winced a bit at that, but still, he was grateful for her words overall.
He looked at his twin, who took a few moments to return his gaze. He was clearer minded now, but embarrassed and fearful. They would both go to quarantine and wait. His brother, to see if parasites took hold, he, to be punished for taking such risks for a weakened Martian, but either way, they were together still.
Before he was sent away, he turned to lock gazes and minds with his wife. While the smile didn't reach her face, it colored her thoughts. Don't share this with them, my love, but I'm not really angry with you. You would not be the Martian I love if you left your twin for dead. But don't be distracted next time!
Train Traveling Across Russia Almost Two Years After Waynes' Deaths
What do you mean by 'give up" brother?
Mars is dead my twin. Probably the daughter of our fallen comrade is dead there too. But, the earth is alive. Humanity is struggling on it though.
They are closer to traveling to Mars than we were to traveling to the surface of our planet until the war.
That's because humans are 'always' at war. Wouldn't it be better though if they weren't? What if we could 'make' humans more united than we Martians were?
He frowned. What are you talking about?
I'm talking about a new dream, a better one than getting back to a dead planet, looking for a dead White Martian girl, and living just the three of us off whatever remains.
And what is that, brother, pretending to be something we're not for the rest of our lives?
Not forever, just until we unite humans minds into one consciousness and make them grateful we did. Then, we can reveal ourselves tell them the truth, and they'll treat us like gods!
Brother … you're scaring me.
That's just because you don't think it's possible, but it 'is' brother! "We" can link minds! "We" can share thoughts, pain, plans! We can calm each other affecting the rest of another martian's body to lessen fear and suffering. What if we can take it farther with humanity and make them all share the same singular dream? What if one person's hunger was everyone's hunger, so everyone immediately shared food till everyone was satisfied?
That didn't even work with every Martian in Mars. We could and did cut off our minds from each other's misery when we had to. You experienced that twice, when you were nearly eaten and then when you were sent to quarantine. Only I remained attached, when you were almost swallowed and only my wife, children, and I reached out to you in quarantine.
His brother slammed a fist on the table they sat at in the train car. That's because they "could" cut themselves off from me and my pain and fear! If you can't escape another's pain, you have to face it. Think of 'one' perfect unity that makes everyone "One!"
He stared at his brother a long moment. The feelings of zeal, hope, and purpose pouring from his brother nearly swept him away. His own mind and opinions niggled him though, and brought up a point that won out. Brother … whether it would be "perfection" or not were this possible, humans cannot link minds even like Martians can. There is no way your dream could come true.
His brother gave a terrifying grin. Something … beyond the beautiful dream … something proud … something cold … He'd never sensed this before in the one he'd shared a womb with. He now realized he'd left his twin alone with the humans in this … very different land from the one they'd landed in, for far too couldn't quite identify what he sensed from his brother though until he saw the pictures.
Even in black and white they were grotesque. Wires, poking out of … shaved human heads … were bad enough. The eyes though ... the terror in them. He turned, lifted the windowpane beside him, and shoved his head out of the still moving train. Then he vomited. He could feel his brother's annoyance and anger, but ignored it. He also tried to ignore his own anger and annoyance growing within. He pulled his head back inside and turned to his twin. "How can you show me that with pride? It resembles both the parasite that killed our kind on Mars and the machines that killed so many more!"
It's not like that at all! It's meant to perfect, not kill, them!
Are you really saying 'that' has not harmed or killed a human yet?
Some, but sacrifices can surely be understood when bringing about the perfection of the human race!
He stared up at him, his twin, whose mind he thought he had known his whole life. "Where … where in you, one I do not know, is my brother?"
Basement Wayne Tower Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths
The angry human's question so sent him into a spiral of memories, even after the shock of realizing memories had prevented him from sensing the human's approach in the first place, it took a gust of air hitting him to bring the Martian's mind back to the present. He looked up to see his Kryptonian friend giving the Englishman a friendly grin.
The British Man's face went pale. His eyes bulged. He used his Martian Vision to see the man's heart had picked up speed. He felt Bruce seething a bit as he stared at Kal-El. The Kryptonian's face turned pink. He reached up and scratched the back of his head before holding his hand out to the butler. "Hi, I'm Superman."
Alfred took his fellow alien's hand. John felt a spike of jealousy rise up in him. He quickly squished even as he heard the cordiality in the butler's tone never given to him. "Alfred Pennyworth at your service … Superman. The pleasure is mine I'm sure."
The Brit then turned to Bruce and asked, "Master Bruce, would you care to tell me why you have 'two' aliens in your basement?"
Lucius arrived and gave his boss' godfather a grin. "Please don't chase them away Alfred. This has been the greatest day of this scientist and engineer's life."
Alfred gave the scientist and engineer a scowl, but looked back to his godson as Bruce answered. "The Martian requires assistance returning to Mars. Superman is helping us get the prep work done over ten times as fast as we could without him, and Lucius is fulfilling his dream of observing alien life and watching the creation of intergalactic travel devices."
The retired secret agent scowled at his godson. "I see. And, what if, we are aiding a spy to return to his home and give others information that will allow them to better invade us Master Bruce, Fox …" He turned a slightly less hard and more uncertain expression toward the Kryptonian, "Superman?"
Bruce nodded his face smooth and lax as he responded. "I'm not sending him back alone, I think 'Superman' and a few others we both trust a bit more than you trust our Martian guest, will go with him and see if his description of his planet fits with their observations of it."
Alfred blinked. "What other trusted people are you speaking of?"
Lucius touched his heart, his face glowing with hope. Bruce actually gave his fellow engineer a sympathetic gaze. "Sorry Lucius, I don't think you're up for the trip."
All four of those gathered in the hallway had experienced the sudden gust of air that signaled Superman's arrival at super-speed. Alfred had only experienced it once. None of them though, were prepared for the hurricane that burst into existence in the hall.
Hair and clothing whipped back. The Martian thought every cell in his body was vibrating. He tried to use his powers to steady them. Then he saw Superman walking behind Lucius and attempting to use his body to block the spiraling wind from reaching Fox or Pennyworth.
He used his Martian vision to see how the vibrations were affecting the older humans. Their hearts were beating with more stress than he liked. He rose to his feet and attempted to make a bubble of his own power to cover them all. He only had to hold it a few seconds before the hurricane ceased. In fact, it probably lasted less than ten seconds. Still, the Martian had to catch his breath.
He heard Bruce suck in a deep breath himself before growling, "Of all the … his description did 'not' prepare me for that!" Bruce turned a worried glance at Alfred leaning up against the wall nearest him, and then to the shaken Lucius Superman was holding up. Bruce's face went red as he barked at the Man of Steel. "You didn't tell me you finished it!"
Superman started and met Bruce's furious gaze. "It was probably over 95% finished, but not entirely done according to your plans."
Bruce strode down the hall toward the mostly finished project, "Well maybe that explains what just happened!" The Martian trailed behind the furious young human.
Once they reached the project, they both froze. Two beings, a male and female, both very human in appearance, but unusually tall stood within the titanium tunnel. He scanned them with his Martian vision. Their cells were very, very densely packed meaning getting hit by one of their fists would be like a blow from a wrecking ball. Yet, there was an energy surrounding the Male's cells that reminded him of what his own had when he phased.
He sensed Lucius Fox run up beside him and gasp. Then he sensed infatuation radiating from the engineer. He didn't blame the human. The female was extremely attractive by human standards. He nonetheless wanted to back away from her. He felt aggression coming from her like that from a Martian monster with a broken tooth.
Whumptober 21st 2024 Prompt: Body Horror
What do you think now?
God bless
ScribeofHeroes