ALL NOVEL Chapter 12: Independence Day Part 3
Chapter 12: Independence Day Part 3
Washington DC
When the Justice League and their new companions prevented the would-be apocalypse, they wanted a short break. Unfortunately for them, dinner had to wait. At the moment, they were all following John Stewart and the other members he carried. The other Green Lantern offered the Flash a lift, but the speedster decided to run there. The recently transformed Astrodactly carried Ice while flying alongside Fire, Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman, who was carrying Zatara.
"Come on. Please?" begged Captain Marvel.
Ben huffed. "Like I said the past five times, you'll just have to wait until we eat."
The caped man frowned. "Fire said that you met the Loch Ness Monster."
Ben looked back at the flying woman, who averted her gaze. "And I told her it was a different Lake Monster in the States."
Wonder Woman chuckled with a smile. "I must admit that is a very tempting story to hear."
The Alien Hero shook his head and looked at the elder mage. "How are you holding up?"
He breathed easy in Diana's hold. "I'll live. My little girl just won't be happy about me being late for our neighborhood block party."
Marvel raised a brow. "Wait, you live in a regular neighborhood. How do your neighbors not recognize you from the news and stuff?"
Zatara gave him a humorous look. "Magic." Then, he raised a brow in return. "Isn't that what you do as well?"
"Oh, uh, yeah. Me too." The man of many gods nodded back.
Wonder Woman smiled. "Don't worry. I'll get you checked out as soon as we finish this Cadmus incident. If all goes well, you can spend the rest of the night without interruptions."
Beatriz started flying on her back, resting her head on her arms. "So, what do you think happened with the sidekicks?"
Tora quirked a brow. "And what exactly is Cadmus?"
"I was wondering the same thing," added Astrodactyl.
"Cadmus is a genetics research laboratory," the Amazon answered.
Ice blinked. "That doesn't sound so bad."
The Alien narrowed his eyes. "Wait for it..."
Diana sighed. "Lex Luthor founded it."
Ice nodded along. "Ah, I see your concern."
"I keep telling you guys, Luthor has changed," retorted Marvel. "I hear he's working with international relations now."
Diana smiled softly at him. "I'm aware of that, Marvel, and while I'm happy you are giving him the benefit of the doubt, some of our members still have reservations if his motives are true."
"I know," relented Marvel.
"I guess we'll see what drew Kid Flash and the others to Cadmus," argued Astrodactyl.
"From there, we'll see if Luthor did anything," concluded Fire.
Looking ahead, Astrodacty pointed at a large pile of rubble in the middle of the city. "I take it that's supposed to be Cadmus."
Descending, Ben could recognize the protégés from the news except for one. Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and another teen stood in front of the remains of the research facility, each having their fair share of injuries. He whistled at the sight. "Wow. When Batman said that they blew up the place, he wasn't exaggerating." His eyes drifted to the strange being still covered in rubble. "Who the hell is that?"
Superman was the first to land in front of the teens, and the rest of the heroes followed.
Batman and King Arthur step up next to Superman, and Flash zooms into the area on Batman's left.
As Diana set Zatara down next to Astrodactyl, she saw the mentors walking up to their wards. "I believe we should let them talk first," she said.
Captain Adam nodded in agreement. He pulled out his communicator and started calling local law enforcement so they could begin a joint investigation of the incident.
The Flash walks up to his nephew and brushes the dust off his shoulders. "You alright, kid?"
Kid Flash returned a wry smile. "Yup..."
"That's good," the Scarlet Speedster clicked his tongue. "So... It seems that you three have been busy tonight." He looked at Superboy and then at the hulking being. "Who are your new friends?"
Superboy stepped up first, gaining scrutiny in Superman's eyes but not stopping as he lifted the torn front of his suit, revealing the same S mirrored in his costume.
Superman's eyes widened in shock while Superboy's features softened. The Man of Steel continued to open and close his eyes as if this was all a dream. Superman's gaze turned confused and worried, and Superboy also mirrored his expression.
In the back of the large group, Oliver, knowing Clark's age, snapped his fingers. "Supes had a prom night, baby." As soon as Oliver said that, several whispers were happening in the background.
Dinah glanced at Oliver. "I don't think that's what happened."
"I wouldn't expect Superman to be a deadbeat dad," remarked John Stewart.
"Maybe the girl never told him about the baby," replied Astrodactyl
Hal crossed his arms. "It's like one of those episodes of Maury."
Superhearing made their banter very clear for Superman. He started massaging his temples to control the development of migraines. 'Why me?'
Batman rolled his eyes at the other's assumptions and turned his attention to the Boy Wonder. "Robin, is that what I think it is?"
"He doesn't like being called an 'it,'" corrected Kid Flash as he stepped up and gestured his left hand to face Superboy.
Superboy took a breath. "Superman is inside of me."
That one sentence seemed to shut everyone up, causing most of them to make disgusted expressions.
Robin pressed his face into his hand. "Dude. Don't... Don't say it like that."
Superboy frowned at his new companions. "Why? I have another man's DNA inside of me."
Wally pinched the bridge of his nose. "Goddamnit. That's even worse."
Superboy, Kaldur, Red Tornado, and Captain Marvel had no idea why the others were upset.
Batman groaned at the constant misunderstandings. "He's Superman's clone."
The other heroes look on in shock and realization. Meanwhile, Clark groaned at how easily they believed he was a teen father, along with the other bombs dropped on him.
Batman's eyes zero in on the four teens. "Start talking."
Superboy opened his mouth before the others could. "They came here because of the fire, but it started when they met me in the basement. Doctor Desmond," he pointed to the large unconscious man," took them from behind, tied them down, and tried to suck them dry."
Everyone went wide-eyed at the teen's explanation. 'The doctor did what!'
Robin and Wally tried to correct them, but Kaldur cut them off. "Yes, that is all true."
Immediately, many heroes wanted to rush over to the doctor and pound him into the ground.
Flash was doing rapid-fire stomps on the man's arm in an instant. Unfortunately, he was barely making a scratch on the durable skin. He yelled several curses at the man at high speed.
With hate-filled glares, Hal and John used their rings to pull Desmond out and wrap him in chains. Ben was considering turning into Humungousaur but restrained himself.
Dinah leaned over to Martian Manhunter with her own glare. "I may need to bring out the therapy doll."
Bruce sighed at those around him. 'This is going to be a long night.'
1 Hour Later
Everyone seemed to calm down after repeated assurances that they weren't violated in the basement. After talking with the cops and dropping off Blockbuster, many adults needed to blow some steam.
Checking his texts, Ben answered a few from Harley asking if he was okay. She replied that she was fine and that it ended up being another day in Gotham City for them. She said that Ivy was sick for a moment before getting back up and feeling much more refreshed. At the moment, they were out and about in the city.
Batman walked up to Astrodactyl with his usual Bat-glare. "While we appreciate your assistance today, it would be in your best interest if you met with the League later this week to discuss your future activities here on Earth."
Ben turned to Fire and Ice, who gave their nods of approval. It seemed they knew what he was talking about. "Uh, sure," he replied.
"Come to the Hall of Justice on Monday at 5:00 PM sharp. We would like to share a few words."
"Okay..."
With that, Batman, Captain Adam, Hawkman, and Hawkwoman went their separate ways. The rest of the league hit the town. Wonder Woman would get Zatara checked out before meeting up with them later. Thankfully, a nearby bar was more than eager to accommodate the heroes who saved the city.
As much as Ben liked being an alien, he preferred relaxing in his own skin. Right outside City Tap House Penn Quarter, he reverted back to human. Instead of his normal appearance, the Omnitrix left him in his black, green, and white uniform and digital face mask. Many of the heroes were surprised by his new look.
"Is this what you normally look like?" asked Dinah.
"Something like this. The uniform is still a work in progress," answered Ben in a digitized voice.
Diana raised a brow. "So you're a human?"
"Listen, we can all talk in-depth when we get inside."
"So, what do we call you?" asked John Stewart.
"Huh... I guess I've been putting it off for a while now." He shrugged. "For now, I suppose you can call me Ark. Short and simple until I think of anything different."
Once seated and ordered, Dinah and Flash were the first to ask questions.
"Ark, who exactly are you?" asked Black Canary.
"Yeah, and what's with the different transformations?" added the speedster.
"Right. You know how I told you and the others that I was an alien."
"Yeah?"
"Well, that is partially true. I'm also part human."
"How did that happen?"
"My grandpa fell in love with an alien after saving her from getting kidnapped by a different alien."
Green Arrow chuckled. "Ah... Sounds like one of those early sci-fi movies."
Green Lantern smirked. "I've romanced many girls from other worlds."
John Stewart rolled his eyes and snarked. "Yeah, and how long did those last? Not very long."
"How are you able to transform?" asked Manhunter.
"That's actually a bit of a secret." He looked at Fire and Ice across the table. "For most of us, at least."
"Aw, come on. They know, but you won't tell us?" complained Captain Marvel.
"It was a bit of an equivalent exchange of secrets between us," explained Ark. "We can't show off all our cards at the start. Am I right?"
While most accepted the answer, Ben threw them a bone on his hero activities. He talked about some of his adventures from when he was ten. There were so many to list that he didn't get to think about his teen years.
"And that's how I made friends with a lake monster," concluded Ark.
Hal gulped his beer. "It's hard to believe you started at 10 years old."
Dinah bit into a fry. "I'm impressed. I didn't start my training until my mid-teens. I'm pretty sure Robin is only 12 or 13."
"To be fair, I've made my fair share of mistakes at that age. A ten-year-old with the power of different aliens has too many misadventures."
Captain Marvel bit into his slider. "You're not wrong. I still can't believe your Grandpa is Santa Claus."
"Was Santa Clause. We saved the town and stopped my cousin and me from staying as elves."
Diana was amazed that such a holiday device could be built.
Flash laughed. "You saved Christmas in the middle of July."
"That's one way of putting it."
Dinah snorted. "Still, you named one of your aliens Four Arms?"
He shrugged. "I was 10. Since then, the name kinda stuck. He fulfilled my ten-year-old dream of being a professional wrestler, you know, without the soap opera stuff."
They all continued to get to know each other better. Eventually, they started talking about some of their more recent issues.
Ark patted Green Arrow on the shoulder. "Sorry to hear about you and Speedy."
The Archer sighed as he took another shot. "Where did I go wrong?" Meanwhile, Superman took one himself, knowing he couldn't get drunk.
"My old partner Rook had our differences, but we eventually worked it out. If anything, Speedy probably needs time to cool off."
"I know. Speedy's an adult now, and I can't force him to stay."
"You shouldn't have gotten his hopes up about becoming part of the League," answered Aquaman.
Diana sipped her tea. "He's not wrong. It's a very serious commitment and responsibility."
"Yeah," interjected Fire. "Ice and I are just reserve members. Even Speedy has more privileges than us."
Hal smirked at Ark. "It's likely the same reason Batman asked you to come by the Hall."
"I'm being called in for a job interview?"
"Something like that. If you don't screw up, you'll be on probation before becoming a reserve member like the girls."
"That seems nice." Ark turned to Superman, who stared at his drink. "Is everything okay?"
Dinah sighed. "He's still hung up on the new addition to his family."
"In fairness, Cadmus created him for the sole purpose of fighting Superman," argued John. "Not the best first impression."
"I see." Ark turned back to the sulking man. "How does it feel to be a father-slash possible mentor?"
Superman rubbed his eyes. "I... I don't know. I'm not ready. This is all just happening too fast and out of nowhere. It's all so confusing." The burn of alcohol was just a temporary relief for his troubles.
Ark nodded along. "Well, if it's any consolation, you're not the last Kryptonian anymore. Maybe you can toss the football across Metropolis or dive the Mariana Trench," he joked. Superman looked at him, annoyed. "Too soon?"
"Yes."
"As entertaining as that would be, we now have to worry about any other people trying to make weapons against us," remarked Martian Manhunter. "Who knows if they attempted to clone any more of the League."
"They already tried it on the kids," remarked Flash. "If it wasn't for Superboy defecting, they might have been replaced without us knowing."
Ark sighed with a frown. "You have a point there, but your wards seemed to handle themselves well enough."
Superman rested his head in his arms, still in his own anxious state.
Seeing this, Green Arrow ordered a round of drinks for everyone. "Come on, guys. The world may be tough now, but we always pull through somehow. Things have certainly changed for us, but that's life." He raised his glass and looked at Ark and Superman. "To new friends and new beginnings."
Everyone in the room smiled and did the same. "Cheers!" They set their problems aside and do their best to relax. Even as a drunk, Green Arrow would beat the others at darts. Arm wrestling was fun until Hal accidentally broke a table. They finished off the night with a bit of singing. As good as Dinah was performing Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, Martian Manhunter killed it with celebrity impressions. He pulled off Diana Ross and Lionel Richie's Endless Love without a hitch.
July 5, 01:05 EDT
By this time, everyone had left the bar and returned home. Who knew that Lantern rings could cure drunkenness? Much like before, Ben walked with Beatriz and Tora to their hotel room in their civilian clothes. "I gotta say, everyone was pretty cool tonight. If anything, I hope we get to do something like that again."
Fire winked. "Are you sure about that? You lost most of the games."
He laughed. "I wanted them to know the real me. Also, I was not expecting Diana to do so well in Bar Trivia."
"She is like 80 years old," added Tora.
"But she doesn't look a day over 25. We really need to ask about that Amazon magic." Fire pulled out her key card and opened their door. She turned around and hugged him, and Tora did the same. "Thanks for coming out here with us this weekend."
"I've said it before. I would regret not spending more time together." Ben placed both hands in his jacket pockets. "So, this is it, huh. You two will be heading to Europe in about 18 hours."
Beatriz smirked. "We've had fun this past month."
"It's been nice while we were back in the States," smiled Tora as she rubbed her forearm.
"I feel the same way." Ben smiled at the duo. "I guess I'll see you guys off at the airport."
The trio knew their time together was brief, but the girls wanted to end it on a high note. Beatriz and Tora gave each other sly looks before grinning in agreement. They both grabbed Ben by surprise and pulled him into the room, closing the door.
#
A/N: Special thanks to Jebest4781, Charles, vividlearner744, and Seana!
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