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I don't own Justice League Unlimited, though right now I damn well wish I did.
In the aftermath of Amazo's vicious attack on Earth, all may be said and done, but a lot of people were hurt standing the android's way. It's time to catalogue damage, assess injuries, and patch wounds. Both among heroes, villains, and any who do not properly fall under either category. Obviously set just after 'The Return.' Rated PG-13 just to be on the safe side.
"Feel like a freight train hit me," grunted the Flash, as he took Steel's hand and accepted his aid in standing. The dark-skinned man beneath the helmet of Steel smiled over at him.
"Least we won," said Steel.
"How do you know that?" asked Flash. "We didn't receive any word from J'onn, or anything over the communicators. How can you tell its over?"
"Because we're still standing here," remarked Steel solemnly.
He had a point. Earth was still intact, and they were all alive and well. If the League hadn't been able to stop Amazo by now, they would've done everything in their power, even destroy the world, to save the universe. All about sacrifice, the many outweighing the few. Flash didn't let his thoughts linger on that, however. He was just glad to be alive.
"Praise Hera," intoned Wonder Woman, standing and joining the conversation. As per Steel's inspection, she was largely unharmed, just bruised and battered. She'd be fine. They all would be fine now.
As it turned out, the most serious injury of the third team was Ice, who had broken an arm during the fall due to an awkward angle. Flash had cheerfully volunteered to rush her to a hospital (and she didn't seem all that unhappy with it either) before Wonder Woman had grabbed her out of Flash's arms and carried her off herself, leaving behind Steel and Flash to clean up the ruined sidewalk.
"No fun," remarked the Flash, then at a speed bordering on blurring, zoomed back and forth grabbing up broken gravel and placing it in a neat pile to one side, clearing up the road and front of the barber shop as best he could. Steel assisted him with some of the larger, more heavier fragments, either shifting them aside or just plain out smashing them into more manageable pieces with his great hammer.
Pity no one else would.
Nowadays it was impossible to turn on the tv, open up a newspaper, hell he couldn't go shopping without someone, somewhere, mentioning the Justice League. Justice League Justice League Justice League! It was infuriating to no end that the insufferable Kryptonian and his band of tight-clad heroes would be remembered longer than him.
It was intolerable.
And unfortunately, there was damn little he could do about it. Even if he did return to his former life, even if he did figure out a way to finally slay the Kryptonian (and heck, while he was dreaming, why not obliterate that entire annoying space station as well) they still wouldn't remember him as anything more than the slayer of Superman. Like what they'd thought of Toyman when they'd thought Superman was gone.
As if he'd needed another reminder of his mortality. Seeing the supposedly invulnerable and near-immortal superman biting the dust had thoroughly driven home the point that he wasn't going to live forever.
However, his talk with Amazo had given him something of a renewed purpose, and he strolled out of the barbershop and past the superheroes, politely (for him) declining any offers to be flown home, so he grabbed his cell phone and called for his chauffer to pick him up. Then he waited on the street corner. But while his body was standing still, his mind was active. Thinking of things to do, things that needed to be done. Things to accomplish.
And they would be accomplished soon, now that the threat of Amazo had passed.
"They should be fine ma'am," said the technician, as always being respectful when addressing a member of the League. "Supergirl's going to be out for an hour or two but we've seen no evidence of a concussion or anything. She's just lucky she hit water instead of a mountain or a skyscraper."
"And Red Tornado?" she pressed, very concerned for him. He had been the one to save her, after all, after Amazo had so casually batted her aside.
"Now that I just honestly don't know," replied the technician. "But I promise you we'll be doing everything we can to get him back into tip-top shape. Okay," he called out over his shoulder at the pilot. "Move out! Back to the Watchtower, chop-chop already!"
Fire watched as the Javelin departed, hugging herself slightly. Amazo's attack had scared her. She'd known their were powerful beings in the universe that were a threat to the League and the world they protected. Mordru, only a week or two ago, had been ample evidence of that, and only quick thinking, teamwork and a little luck had allowed Elongated Man to stop him. But Amazo... not even their best had come close to slowing him down, and had he wished it...
... he could've killed them all.
"Everyone move out!" ordered Katma Tui, the senior Lantern present. The others turned to go, igniting their power rings and soaring up into the sky and into orbit, then past it and into the inky blackness of space. Two lingered. Kyle and Kat, with John, who wouldn't be going back to Oa anyway.
"We heard about your request for a transfer," said Kyle awkwardly. "Listen, John, I'm... real sorry they decided to turn you down."
"They're doing what they think is best," replied John, arms folded across his chest, his voice implying he didn't agree with what he was saying in the slightest. "Part of being in a military organization is that you learn to follow orders."
"So I noticed," remarked Kyle, glancing over at Kat. She grunted non-committedly.
"Kyle... you mind giving us a moment alone?" asked Kat, glancing over at her current student. He, sensing the awkwardness of the situation, nodded, having said his piece already and was on his way out Luthor's bomb-shelter... or Amazo-shelter, really, and took to the skies. He took his time though, taking a chance to fly over Metropolis and get a good look at his old home town. He hadn't been back in... wow, it must've been more than a year or two by now. He'd been learning so much in the Corp. that he'd lost track of time, but he certainly hadn't forgotten about home. And like he'd told the Guardians, he was home-sick. Still, he had a job to do same as the other Green Lantern's. He'd come home some day. And at least now he was what he'd always wanted to be.
A hero.
There was a long... loooooong awkward silence following Kyle's departure between the remaining Green Lantern's. It had been like that for both of them ever since Kalanor, where they'd battle Despero. Whatever they'd had, whatever they'd once shared... was long over for both of them. And they both knew it. Kat had her duties off-world to attend to, and John had found someone else.
And then lost her.
Surprisingly, it was John who broke the silence.
"Nice new uniform," he remarked. "Pick up some fashion tips on Kalanor?"
"You're one to talk," she replied with a smirk, matching his jibe with one of her own. "I didn't realize you humans had hair that could migrate from one region of your head to another."
They shared a good laugh over that, glad to laugh again, glad to be happy again. After Oa both of them had been scared, had been angry, had been depressed. Now it was over, as Dr. Fate had put it. And they could laugh again.
"John listen I heard about... well... the invasion," she said, deciding to go the diplomatic route. But John immediately knew -exactly- what she was talking about. "And I'm sorry to hear you got hurt. And that Hawkgirl left the League."
"It was her choice," replied John, trying to minimalize it like he always did. Even though everyone from the Flash to Superman (normally as thick as a brick when it came to women) could see exactly how he had felt... and still felt... about Shayera Hol of Thanagar.
"Listen John I know how you feel," she said sympathetically, laying a hand on his shoulder. "And I know what was once between us is gone and that it doesn't even compare to what you shared with her."
"You know?" he asked, a little confused.
"It's my business to know," she said, echoing the words of the Guardian from earlier in the day. They'd kept a very close eye on John Stewart after all, it seemed. But in a way he was glad Kat knew. He didn't trust himself to speak of it. Not now, not this soon. He wasn't sure he'd be able to do it and retain his composure.
"I just want you to know if there's anything you need I'm here for you," she said sympathetically. "All of us. Kyle, Kilowog, me... we're all your friends John."
"Thanks," he replied with a smile.
Kat nodded and surrounded herself with an emerald glow, lifting off and flying up and into the atmosphere to catch up with the sight-seeing Kyle. They'd reach Oa back at the same time, likely, leaving John alone in sector 2814, where he still had a duty to patrol and watch over. Although it wasn't the majority of the sector he had a problem with.
It was Earth.
Because every time he passed by a certain Chinese restaurant, he caught a glimpse of bright crimson locks of hair. Because every time he lay down on his bed in his apartment he saw those bright green eyes. Because every time he happened to spot a bird while flying on patrol, particularly a hawk, he was reminded of those angel-like wings. And because every time he saw Supergirl charge reckless into action he saw an energy mace.
He sighed deeply, gathering himself together, and activated his own power ring. There was bound to be a lot of clean-up now, and he was already late. He headed up into the sky, trying to put the images of an angel out of his mind as he soared up to rendezvous with the first perimeter team and see how he could help.
It wouldn't be easy. The technology of such a sophisticated android of his power would take time, but he'd been built once. Arguably it would be easier to re-build him a second time around.
"Well that was fun," remarked Superman, removing his helmet and shaking his head to clear his mind.
"Indeed... very fun," replied J'onn humorlessly. "Your new suit worked out?"
"Like a charm," said Superman, thumping the headgear appreciatively. Most of the rest of the suit was his old S.T.A.R. Lab spacesuit, though painted blue and given a few upgrades. But it was the headgear that had truly improved. With a new open visor (airtight of course) it allowed him to breath in the vaccum of space (since as a Kryptonian his invulnerable skin wasn't affected by the cold) and permitted him to use his heat-vision with impunity. "Definitely have to thank Batman for this."
"Glad I could be of service," remarked the Dark Knight as he materialized out of the shadows, giving both the Kryptonian and the Martian a good fright.
"How on earth do you keep doing that?" asked Superman.
"The second team just reported back," reported Batman, ignoring Superman's question. "They're bringing in Supergirl and transporting her to the medical bay for some rest. She's going to be fine," he added, before Superman could ask.
"I'll just go and check on her then," said Superman, sliding on his boots and completing the change from his spacesuit to his costume proper and flew out of the room to find his cousin.
"That was surprisingly courteous," remarked J'onn as Superman left. Batman's ever-present scowl deepened.
"Let's just say I'm glad our side won today. Though it is going to take months to get everything repaired. We got lucky."
"Indeed," replied J'onn.
An awkward silence followed after that. Batman seemed unusually preoccupied with the spacesuits and special underwater designs resting against the wall and (some of them) half-hazardly thrown onto the floor. He seemed on the verge of saying something but was reluctant to say it.
Finally the silence proved too much for even the Dark Knight.
"So..."
"She'll be in her quarters now," said J'onn automatically. One of the benefits of being a telepath. "She just dropped off Ice in the medical bay with Supergirl."
Batman nodded, muttered his thanks (and also cursed telepaths in general, though light-heartedly, under his breath) he departed with a whoosh of his long black cape, heading towards the living quarters on the floor above them. And in particular, J'onn sensed (not that he needed to be a telepath to know) that Batman was heading towards the living quarters of a certain Amazon Princess to make sure she was alright.
Considering his small (virtually miniscule) stature, the Atom had been able to specially design his own custom room. Technically it wasn't even a room, however, it was a small pea-sized open space just off one of the main corridors of the Watchtower. Most people didn't even notice the entrance, which was so tiny they couldn't even stick their pinkie inside.
Inside, it was a scientist's paradise. His entire lab had been shrunk down and, painstakingly, transported inside, along with the dwarf star matter that had been the key to most of his experiments. The same dwarf star matter that had, of course, eventually transformed the nano-technology scientist Ray Palmer into the Atom.
Right now, all the Atom wanted was about forty-winks, so he slid off his mask and lay down on his extra-big, soft and comfy bed, and drifted off to sleep, glad the world was still safe. And also very glad that he wasn't ever going to be working with Luthor ever again. The man certainly knew what he was doing, the Atom couldn't fault him on that. But he was arrogant and impatient and his idea of convincing people to do their best work was to yell at them until they worked like frightened rabbits. Not exactly your ideal sort of employer.
But it was over for now, and so he drifted off to the dream world, glad he'd made a difference.
"I got that for you," said a benign voice, and instantly the bright light dimmed to more manageable levels. Supergirl lifted her head, glancing to see how her savior was, half-expecting Clark to be standing there. To her surprise, she peered up at the military bearing and blue-white containment suit of Captain Atom.
"Hey S-Girl... you alright?"
"Peachy," she grunted.
"I heard you tried to take Amazo head-on," he said. "I gotta say, whatever you lack in tact and strategy you sure as hell make up in sheer guts."
"Thanks... I think..." she said, not entirely sure if she'd just been praised or insulted. "How'd you do?"
"Got battered and bruised but I'll live," he replied. "At least my suit didn't get ripped this time."
"Thank heaven for small mercies."
"Well I gotta get back to work," he said, turning to leave. "Some of the Javelin cores ruptured during the attack, they need me to clear away the nuclear energy before it poisons the atmosphere. But I'll check on you later," he said, giving a friendly wave as he departed. Supergirl lay her head back, sinking into a much needed sleep.
Elsewhere, Orion was counting his blessings that his astro-glider, while bent and damaged and all but ripped apart beyond repair, had still been intact enough to permit him to survive in the void until the Lantern corp. arrived. As it was, that had been the only part left functional. Even his mother box had been smashed to pieces, and he praised the Source that he'd had the foresight to place an emergency back-up in his temporary quarters. So it was he made his way to an isolated part of the javelin bay and clicked his mother box, opening up a boom-tube. Nearby, technicians and superheroes who'd not yet seen this particular technology watched in awe as the son of Dark Seid marched through it, carrying the remains of his astro-glider over his shoulder.
Orion. Where do you think you are going?
"Home," he grunted over his shoulder as he stepped into the boom-tube and started to make his way down the glowing pathway. He ignored the Martian, his telepathic voice would fade soon as he was through the portal on New Genesis. No telepath could reach that far with his mind.
We still require your assistance. Your strength could be invaluable in...
"Save it," he barked off. "I came here to fight not waste my time with menial tasks. Get Superman to do it."
The voice in his head was silent for a moment, and Orion briefly wondered if he'd managed to finally shut the Martian up or if he'd passed beyond the Martian's reach inside the boom tube. But the last brief thought in his mind clearly wasn't his own.
You needn't blame yourself...
And then Orion was on New Genesis, in the floating city of the Gods high above the ground. The boom tube closed shut behind him.
Orion growled darkly. He did blame himself for what had happened. He did not take losing very well.
Grumbling, he marched off to find Highfather and see if he could get his astro-glider repaired. He was definitely going to need it in the days to come. Perhaps they'd have some upgrades available for him, but he doubted it. Since making peace with Apokolips there had been no need to develop weapons of war. Highfather saw to that. Not that he destroyed such things, he had enough foresight to know that Dark Seid was being kept in line by such weapons of war, but no advancements had yet been made. New Genesis was growing soft, and it was only a matter of time before something truly bad happened here, just like something truly bad had happened on Earth.
When that time came, vowed Orion, I -will not- be defeated.
"Hey guys, glad you could drop by," said Flash. "Just got incoming from J'onn. Seems we won't be needed for a while. He wants to put us back into rotation so we're not underfoot while everyone's repairing things."
"Sounds good to me," said Steel, hefting his great hammer over his armored shoulder. He'd replaced his helmet a short while ago. "I'm heading home for repairs then."
"Well while he's up for repairs I need s snack," said Flash. "Anyone care to join me in a diner run?"
"In these threads?" asked Elongated Man, tugging on his elastic costume that, by benefit of its design, stretched as he did.
"Sure! I get a discount from this one guy at the café just down that way," said Flash. "Superhero discount he calls it."
"Sounds good to me," replied Booster Gold. "But I can't. I promised to be somewhere else once the disaster was over. Provided we all survived of course," he added with a laugh.
"Somewhere?" asked Flash. A brief burst of super-speed and he was resting his arm along Booster Gold's shoulders in a friendly manner. "Where somewhere?"
"If you must know I've got a date with a highly skilled physicist over at S.T.A.R. Labs. And I think I'm already late to pick her up," replied Booster Gold smugly.
"That is correct sir," said Skeets, Gold's cybernetic side-kick floating alongside him. "Given air-speed resistance if you leave now you'll just make it for three o'clock, the time you promised."
"Why don't you just send yourself back through time so you're on-time to pick her up?" jibbed the Flash.
Booster Gold and Elongated Man both had a laugh after that, as the former took to the sky and zoomed through the air towards the far end of Metropolis to find his date, the lovely Dr. Tracy Simmons. He couldn't time-travel exactly the way the Flash was proposing, the equipment didn't function with that exact level of precision. Frankly he'd been lucky to hit the 21st century. But he didn't worry himself about that right now.
Flash turned to the remaining superhero, Elongated Man, and the two made their way to a nearby café for free fries and soft drinks, courtesy of their many admirers. Even though Elongated Man had to point out, a large number of times, that he was -not- plastic man.
"We just received word from Oa," reported J'onn. "They've sent in their report that the planet is completely intact, everyone is alive and well. Ivo's android didn't hurt anyone. Though they had an understandable good scare over being transported into another dimension."
"They'll get over it," replied the Green Lantern. Understandably he was in a foul mood concerning the Guardians of Oa at the moment. "What about us?"
"Repairs are underway on the damaged Javelins, as well as on Red Tornado. Most of the other Leaguers are unhurt, though the injured we've sent down to the medical bay. I was planning to head there as well as soon as I've finished. They'll be in need of my medical expertise."
"Alright I'll handle things up here," replied John, taking the "other" John's place as he phased out and slid effortlessly through the floor and down towards the medical bay.
J'onn J'onez, formerly of Mars, had never felt such relief as he had today. Earth had come within a hair's reach of utter destruction today. If the Green Lantern's had carried out their plan the world would be a smoking ruin and even that might not have been enough to stop Amazo. But it was exactly as he'd told Dr. Fate. They hadn't been fighting for Earth at that point. They'd been fighting for the sake of the entire universe.
But he'd felt vast relief when Amazo had stopped, had called off his attack and ended the conflict. J'onn had already lost one world, lost one family to conflict. His home world of Mars was a barren wasteland thanks to the machinations of the Imperium and his alien invaders. His wife My'ria'h and his two children were both dead. And he'd come very close to losing his surrogate family, the Justice League, and his new home world, Earth, today.
Definitely never more relieved in his life.
"Come in," she said, deliberately not using his name in case someone was in the hallway.
Batman slid inside like a shadow, closing the door behind him. Only then did he relax marginally, and Wonder Woman turned to face him.
"Come to check on me?" she asked with a smile.
"Not physically," he replied. "I know you're made of stern stuff. I wasn't worried for one moment that you'd be hurt by a tin-can robot," he lied. Well, half-lied. He hadn't been worried. He'd been terrified. By the time the League had learned of Amazo's approach Batman had been en route back to the Batcave after finishing up an investigation of his own. And by the time he'd received a report from J'onn Amazo had already smashed his way through the first perimeter.
Batman had immediately flown out of the cave in his Batwing and made all possible haste for Metropolis. He knew he wouldn't make much difference... what difference could he make in a souped-up and modified f-16. His missiles probably wouldn't have made even a dent in Amazo's armor, but he'd still wanted to be there. Trouble he'd been delayed, and by the time he'd gotten there Amazo had already been taken care of and Wonder Woman was safely back up on-board the Watchtower.
"But I was worried about your pride. I know you don't take losing very well," he added, his expression not betraying his inner thoughts.
"You make me sound like a spoiled little brat when you say that," she remarked, reaching over towards him and lifting off his cowl, exposing the man behind the mask. "Thank you for coming to check on me," she whispered softly. "Bruce."
Had anyone else moved like that, touched his mask, handled it with such familiarity as the Amazon Princess, even perhaps Zatanna, Batman would've knocked their hands aside, replaced his mask and his scowl and stormed out of the room and perhaps all the way back to the Batcave. As it was, he simply wrapped his arms around her waist and drew Diana in close as the two of them shared a heartfelt kiss, both taking comfort in the other's presence.
"No," he replied. Then, belatedly, added a "Thank you."
"Alright then. Let's just find you somewhere to lie down and recuperate. You've had quite a busy day."
Hawkgirl watched him go, feeling a little more relaxed now that she'd seen Amazo again. When Dr. Fate had told her what was happening she'd been tempted to snatch up her energy mace again and go right for the creature's head. Though, recalling the last time she'd tried to do that, she wasn't anxious for a repeat. Amazo had defeated her, and indeed the entire League (numbering only seven at the time) with relative ease. She'd been shocked to discover he was coming here to live with her and the Nelsons, but upon seeing him now, she understood why.
"He is in need of guidance," remarked Dr. Fate as he slipped off his golden helmet and revealed the middle-aged Kent Nelson underneath it. No where near as impressive as the caped superhero Dr. Fate, but definitely friendlier looking. More... human... looking. "Just like you have been," he added meaningfully. Hawkgirl nodded.
It'd been after the Thanagarian fleet had left. She'd been lost, without purpose, and unwilling to place any more burdens upon her teammates in the Justice League by forcing them to accept her as one of them. Thus, she'd turned in her resignation and walked away. Well, flown really.
She hadn't known where to go. She hadn't known what to do. She'd tried to leave Earth behind, tried to forget about her life as Hawkgirl, tried to forget about her true promised one. Not that arrogant, thick-headed, military bastard Hro Talak. He'd never loved her. Love involved sacrifice, involved faith. The only thing he'd been willing to sacrifice for her had been Earth and all its people. Including Green Lantern to eliminate him as competition.
Obviously for that reason, Thanagar had not been an option for her. Though if she never saw it again she'd be only too happy. Her eyes had been opened to the flaws of her people, and she wasn't sure she'd ever want to return to them. Earth was her home now. But that didn't mean she could stay. So she had to move on. She'd tried first to drown her sorrows out on the third moon of Gaultos, but that hadn't worked out. She'd roamed around the universe a bit, places she'd been that she might've been welcome. Like Kalanor and War World. But again she'd been left feeling restless and dissatisfied. In a way, just like Amazo. She needed to re-find her purpose in life.
And then Dr. Fate had found her.
And taken her in, given her a home, helped to guide her towards a purpose. He wasn't yet able to reveal just what that purpose was... partially because he himself did not know what it was. One of the drawbacks of having the Helmet of Nabu was that it allowed for his spiritual mentor to actually flow into his consciousness and guide him in ways that perhaps he wasn't keen on it. One reason he didn't enjoy wearing the helmet and was always as anxious as possible to finish a spell and remove it as quickly as possible.
"Was John injured in the battle?" asked Hawkgirl, though she suspected she already knew the answer. She would've known if he'd been seriously hurt. The were an unspoken bond between them. A very strong one.
"See for yourself," replied Dr. Fate, waving his hand at a nearby table, upon which rested a crystal ball. It immediate fogged over, then cleared, allowing a view of the battle as if she was watching it on a DVD. She saw John had been knocked unconscious but hadn't been seriously hurt. And she smiled as she watched him stand fearlessly before the android who could have so very obliterated him like he had supposedly obliterated Oa.
"You always were a stubborn bastard," she remarked to no one in particular. "And that's why I love you."
A moment of silence filled the air then as Hawkgirl observed the events in the crystal ball, as she'd done countless nights before, keeping an eye on her promised one, John Stewart, the Green Lantern of Earth.
"Still not sure what to make of your new hairstyle though," she said jokingly.
I got nothing this time around. I think most of its self-explanatory if you've watched all the Justice League and Justice League: Unlimited episodes as all faithful fans should (and I do to the point of fanaticism). Frankly "The Return" was the best episode they've had yet.
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