Why so silent, good Monsieurs?/
Did you think that I had left you for good?/
Have you missed me, good Monsieurs?/
I have written you an opera./
Here, I bring the finished score./
Don Juan Triumphant!/
...
Or, as it has been said before, you wanted it? You've got it (and Shroom,. your story will follow suit!
JLU/Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
Moderator: LadyTevar
Disclaimer: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water created by Hayo Miyazaki, based upon characters created by Jules Verne, and owned by Gainax. I own the story and any original characters/species. No copyright infringement is intended.
Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
As always, Enjoy!
***
Chapter XI -- Shore Leave, Part 2
***
If there was at least one constant on both the League‘s Earth and the Nautilus‘ Earth, it was the existence of that delicacy that helped to lubricate the wheels of society morning after morning, day after day. It was the drink of both kings and the common man, that wonderful brown beverage known to man as coffee. And the Nautilus was very fortunate that it carried a supply of coffee beans for the crew for if it hadn’t, then would have faced the further wrath of Dark Knight
Gotham’s Champion was on this fine morning hunched over an operating console on the Nautilus’ bridge, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and his other pulling and pushing the knobs and buttons that made up the console. This was…primitive compared to the Crays he was used to working on at the Cave. But he was a quick learner and had grown efficient with it during the bridge’s night shift, where he had spent most of the night.
“Anything?”
The question was directed at the Asian science officer who shook his head wearily.
“For the hundredth time, nothing. If there was something out there, we would have detected it.”
Perhaps, perhaps not. Call him paranoid, but his paranoia had saved his and his comrade’s lives, both in space and in Gotham more than once, especially as his deduction of the true purpose of the underwater tunnel a week earlier had shown. In his viewpoint and experience, just because one was paranoid didn’t mean that someone wasn’t out to get you.
“Look, I’ll recalibrate it again, but if the sensor array doesn’t detect anything out of the ordinary, then --”
He trailed off as the bridge doors swished opens. Batman didn’t need to be a detective to know that it was likely one of three people standing behind him, none of whom he was truly in the mood to speak with.
“What is he doing here?”
Casablanca had been one of his father’s favorite films and though he had all but abandoned the viewing of the motion-picture following their murders, he knew of the most famous lines, both from his father and from the Gotham criminal Burt Weston AKA Film Freak, one that applied to this situation.
“Of all the people in all the crazy gin joints…”
It was of course not Captain Nemo or Diana, but instead Electra, ironically the one who he had least wanted to see of the lot. His experience had also taught him that fate sometimes played cruel tricks. This was just the latest in an unfortunately long list that went back to his parent’s shooting.
“There is a valid reason for my presence here.”
“I’m all ears.”
Alfred, Dick, Tim, or the Flash, had any of them been there, would have gleefully pointed out the pun and sarcasm involved, especially since he was still wearing his cape and cowl. It slid off Batman like water flowing forth from a watershed.
“I have reason to believe that there may be a Neo-Atlantean presence on or near this island.”
***
“Nadia?”
Two kilometers from the main encampment of the Nautilus crewmembers, Nadia stirred slowly back to consciousness. She was aware of the sound of the crashing waves against the beach and the feeling of a thick frabic resting atop her form. She realized that it was a Nautilus-issue blanket. But who had…
Ah.
It was Jean, standing beside the rock that had created a natural enclosure where she and King had slept for the night. The sun was shining bright in the distant sky.
“Where’s King?”
“He’s playing with Marie.”
“Oh.”
She nodded --
-- and then suddenly stopped as her brain completed booting up and the images of the previous night came back into full focus.
“Did you eat it?” she asked abruptly.
“Did I eat what?’
“Did you cook and eat that poor baby deer?”
Jean said nothing, his hands in his pockets as he tried not to look at Nadia, confirming the young acrobat’s suspicion.
“Just go!”
Jean wasn’t ready to throw the towel in, showing that one constant that didn’t apply to either Earths was the French’s knack for surrendering on the League’s Earth.
“Why? Why are you so angry with everyone?”
Well that was a little redundant; he knew quite well what her anger was directed towards, but the analytical portions of his brain advised verification of this.
“Why? Why did you kill that poor defenseless creature?”
“We did it so we could have something to eat!”
“But did you have to eat it?!”
God, it was like talking to a moebius strip, Jean thought. But again, the boy wasn’t giving up.
***
Of the many things that the Batman excelled in, it was in the manipulation of emotions, or so Dick complained time and again both before and in the aftermath of his retirement as Robin. Dick was of course right and the Dark Knight knew that had struck a chord with Electra by saying the magic word.
“Indeed. And what makes you believe that there are Neo-Atlanteans in our vicinity? Some fancy little device in that belt you always seem to wear? Or is it perhaps from your comrade’s deities?”
Batman wasn’t in any mood to defend either his utility belt or the very real existence of the Greek Gods and once again ignored her sarcasm and hostility towards Gotham’s champion.
“Call it a combination of intuition and possible precognition.”
Electra once again didn’t look convinced.
“If I was in the position of your Lord Gargoyle, I would have a Garfish-class submarine or aircraft shadowing your every movement, especially after what happened with the island.”
Electra didn’t respond. He’d struck twice now and was on a roll, ready to go for a hat-trick.
“This equipment is state of the art. There is no conceivable way to fake a sensor signature. If there were Neo-Atlantean ships trailing us, we would know.”
“Are you absolutely certain of that?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Then perhaps you can tell me the sensor range of these enemy submarines so I can make verify that for myself.”
“These sensor systems are far behind anything you could comprehend.”
Batman cocked an eyebrow from beneath his mask.
“Indeed?”
“Yes.“
“Try me.”
He had pronounced a different pair of magic words this time and her reaction showed.
“Would you please get off the bridge before I have your forcibly ejected.”
She really enjoyed strutting her stuff, he couldn’t help but note. But he wasn’t going to make an already bad situation worse and so, he slowly moved out of his seat. He was already planning the second stage of his own continued search when the science office’s console began beeping.
“I’ve got something!”
***
Nadia and Jean had moved away from the ocean and back in the direction of the encampment, their argument continuing at full speed ahead.
“If I had to eat animals in order to survive, I choose not to live.”
Jean blew air impatiently.
“I really don’t see what the big deal is, Nadia.”
“It’s so savage!”
“Why do you think that? It’s just good food.”
“Animals are our companions, not food.”
“But they become food once you cook them,” he pointed out.”
“Don’t you even feel sorry for them when you see what you’ve done to them? Because the only reason they’re dead is to serve your hunger.”
The two were now virtually within the boundaries of the Nautilus camp. Everyone was up and about and going about their lives. By the makeshift galley, Grandis was cooking like mad, preparing the perfect island breakfast for her beloved Captain Nemo. Diana was conspicuously absent, but the two were so focused on their argument that they didn’t even notice.
“Look, if there was someway to eat them without killing them, I would do it.”
“Well then, there must be something terribly wrong with you if you can kill animals and not feel any --”
“Hold on, I thought I heard something.”
“Don’t change the --”
Nadia trailed off as she heard it too, a faint rustling from the bushes.. Both of them looked at the bushes to the side --
-- and then jumped out of the way as a furry form shot through the brush. It was King and he looked like a bat, er, cat out of hell as he leapt into Nadia’s arms.
“Whoa, calm down King, calm down.”
Jean suddenly realized something.
“Wait, if King’s here, where’s Marie?”
They looked at each other and then back at King, still freaked out of his mind.
“King, what happened to her?”
***
The science officer starred grimly at the sensor readings displayed on his console. Batman, Electra, and Chief Engineer were all standing over his shoulder. Next to the console, one of the Nautilius’ radio communicators transmitted to the encampment a kilometer distant.
“They’re camped on the north side of the island and well camouflaged. We barely picked up the magnetic trace.”
“Are you absolutely certain it is them,” came Nemo’s disembodied voice from the speaker of the communicator.
“Yes I am, sir. The probability is absolute. We wouldn’t have even detected them if not for the Batman.”
Batman didn’t need to look over in Electra’s direction to guess what kind of look she was giving him.
“Very well. Prepare the ship for immediate emergency departure.”
“Aye sir,” replied Electra. Batman straightened himself.
“If you no longer need me, I’ll assist in the evacuation.”
“Fine, go.”
As he headed out the doors, the Dark Knight immediately began jogging not towards the main deck, but down the entry hatch to his makeshift Batcave. As he did so, he placed two of his fingers on his right ear.
“Diana?”
“I heard all of it. I can see them from my position. You were right.”
As he often was.
“Is there anything unusual about the ship and its crew from what you can see?” he asked as he reached the ‘cave’.
“No, they’re just refueling as far as I can tell. Do you want me to engage?”
He considered this for a moment as he threw on his cape and utility belt.
“No. We can’t risk them alerting the rest of their fleet. Get back to the encampment and --”
Batman stopped suddenly as static filled the comm channel.
“Diana? Diana!”
The static continued and then…
“Something’s come up, Diana out.”
***
“We are shipping out! Break camp and prepare for immediate departure,” Captain Nemo ordered as the Nautilus crew immediately began tearing down what had for twenty-four hours become their island paradise. No one questioned his orders except for Jean and Nadia, who emerged back in the center of the camp.
“Well?”
“Nothing. There’s no sign of her.”
“Sanson seems to be missing too,” reported Hanson, the mechanic jogging up to their position. “I mean, he just went out to get firewood for the breakfast fire and --”
“Get a move on it,” yelled Echo, “Or be left behind!”
“How rude,” Nadia couldn’t help but note aloud; this was to be expected by nineteenth-century mannerisms. Suddenly, King began squirming in Nadia’s arms, his head bobbing up and down towards the ridge that overlooked the encampment --
-- and both Sanson and Marie literally fell into their laps, their forms crashing into a pile of collapsed tents at a rate of 9.8 meters/second.
“What happened to you guys?”
They just pointed back up at the cliff.
“Move, now! Gargoyle!”
Everyone looked up where the two were pointing and yelling --
-- and then ran like hell as a blood-red Neo-Atlantean automaton flew over the side, the Amazon Princess locked in battle with the mechanical apparatus. It appeared to resemble a squat, almost crab-like entity, childlike in its simplicity, yet its ferocity clear even to a bystander.
“I think I’m in love,” Sanson muttered as he saw Diana threw a mean -- and quite frankly in his eye, a magnificent -- right hook and sent it flying straight into the ground in a spectacular explosion of metal, glass, and fire, causing everyone to dive for cover once again. From the crackling wreckage, an entry hatch popped open and a man clothed in the green army fatigues of the Neo-Atlantean armed forces fell out, a rifle in hand.
“A Neo-Atlantean!”
The soldier, though dazed, quickly took stock of his situation and made his decision as he raised his rife. Standing beside Captain Nemo, Nadia saw him raise his own pistol and suddenly realized what the Captain was going do and that Diana was making no move to stop him; she was in full Amazon warrior mode, now.
“Wait, don’t! That man is injured. He --”
It was too late as Nemo’s pistol came up, firing --
--and the gun suddenly flew out of his hand less than a half a second after the discharge, a Batarang pinned to the metal casing.
Nadia didn’t know what to be more shocked at. And it looked as if she wasn’t the only one who believed that.
From the air, the Batman descended, landing gracefully next to the fallen Neo-Atlantean. He quickly felt for a pulse, found none, and then turned towards Nemo. There was a look of anger upon his face that Nadia had only seen from the owner of the Circus when she had been reluctant about performing.
And then to the shock of Nadia and Diana -- well not so much the latter given that she had a better idea of how Bruce reacted to these kinds of things and had therefore been in the process of moving to prevent it --, Batman punched him, sending the Captain onto the ground. Instantly, all of the Nautilus crew members raised their own pistols -- with Electra being the first, he couldn‘t help but note.
Figures.
Batman drew his cape around him, his hands upon his utility belt compartments and ready to unleash his gas pellets and grappling line -- all standard issue for costumed vigilantes operating within the city and county limits of Gotham, of course.
Within a moment, however, Diana was in front of her companion, bracelets raised ready to deflect any bullets -- though whether it was to save her companion or defuse this situation was not apparent, even to the Dark Knight.
“All of you, stop it!”
But the words had not come from the Amazon.
Nemo had come to his feet, rubbing his jaw. He and Batman starred at each other for a long moment, neither man making a move, each giving the other his poker face -- and quite a match of wills it was, too. Batman was the first to speak.
“This man had answers I wanted.”
“That man would have killed you without hesitation.”
“I could have disarmed him before he could even try.”
“Possibly. But would you really want to put the lives of everyone here at risk for your own faith in your abilities?”
Batman’s eyes narrowed. His methods, while they had their flaws, were also greater than those of many of his Earth‘s best athletes and detectives. The men continued to stare long and hard at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. Nemo finally turned away and looked at his first officer.
“We’re getting out of here. All hands, prepare to disembark.”
The Nautilus crewmembers kept a brief, wary gaze upon the Batman before getting back to work and completing the removal of the final pieces of equipment and supplies. Diana had turned her back towards her companion to assist and it was clear that there was going to be bad fallout between the two once they got back underway in the Nautilus.
But while Jean and Marie headed back for the boat, Nadia stayed for a long moment, her vision, despite the tears strolling down them, focused on the still form of the Batman as he starred at the wreckage and attempted to salvage what he could for later inspection. The Batman was still a man of violence, there was no denying that. But what he had just done, trying to prevent Nemo from killing one of the Nautilus’ sworn enemy…
She had revised her viewpoints upon Princess Diana and now it seemed she would have to do so in regards to the princess’ dark knight, too.
***
To be Continued…
***
Author’s Notes:
* Film Freak has never appeared in the animated continuity (or in the comics since his death at Bane’s hands during the Knightfall storyline ten years ago). For the sake of this story, let us assume that the animated Dark Knight has had to contend with him.
Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
As always, Enjoy!
***
Chapter XI -- Shore Leave, Part 2
***
If there was at least one constant on both the League‘s Earth and the Nautilus‘ Earth, it was the existence of that delicacy that helped to lubricate the wheels of society morning after morning, day after day. It was the drink of both kings and the common man, that wonderful brown beverage known to man as coffee. And the Nautilus was very fortunate that it carried a supply of coffee beans for the crew for if it hadn’t, then would have faced the further wrath of Dark Knight
Gotham’s Champion was on this fine morning hunched over an operating console on the Nautilus’ bridge, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and his other pulling and pushing the knobs and buttons that made up the console. This was…primitive compared to the Crays he was used to working on at the Cave. But he was a quick learner and had grown efficient with it during the bridge’s night shift, where he had spent most of the night.
“Anything?”
The question was directed at the Asian science officer who shook his head wearily.
“For the hundredth time, nothing. If there was something out there, we would have detected it.”
Perhaps, perhaps not. Call him paranoid, but his paranoia had saved his and his comrade’s lives, both in space and in Gotham more than once, especially as his deduction of the true purpose of the underwater tunnel a week earlier had shown. In his viewpoint and experience, just because one was paranoid didn’t mean that someone wasn’t out to get you.
“Look, I’ll recalibrate it again, but if the sensor array doesn’t detect anything out of the ordinary, then --”
He trailed off as the bridge doors swished opens. Batman didn’t need to be a detective to know that it was likely one of three people standing behind him, none of whom he was truly in the mood to speak with.
“What is he doing here?”
Casablanca had been one of his father’s favorite films and though he had all but abandoned the viewing of the motion-picture following their murders, he knew of the most famous lines, both from his father and from the Gotham criminal Burt Weston AKA Film Freak, one that applied to this situation.
“Of all the people in all the crazy gin joints…”
It was of course not Captain Nemo or Diana, but instead Electra, ironically the one who he had least wanted to see of the lot. His experience had also taught him that fate sometimes played cruel tricks. This was just the latest in an unfortunately long list that went back to his parent’s shooting.
“There is a valid reason for my presence here.”
“I’m all ears.”
Alfred, Dick, Tim, or the Flash, had any of them been there, would have gleefully pointed out the pun and sarcasm involved, especially since he was still wearing his cape and cowl. It slid off Batman like water flowing forth from a watershed.
“I have reason to believe that there may be a Neo-Atlantean presence on or near this island.”
***
“Nadia?”
Two kilometers from the main encampment of the Nautilus crewmembers, Nadia stirred slowly back to consciousness. She was aware of the sound of the crashing waves against the beach and the feeling of a thick frabic resting atop her form. She realized that it was a Nautilus-issue blanket. But who had…
Ah.
It was Jean, standing beside the rock that had created a natural enclosure where she and King had slept for the night. The sun was shining bright in the distant sky.
“Where’s King?”
“He’s playing with Marie.”
“Oh.”
She nodded --
-- and then suddenly stopped as her brain completed booting up and the images of the previous night came back into full focus.
“Did you eat it?” she asked abruptly.
“Did I eat what?’
“Did you cook and eat that poor baby deer?”
Jean said nothing, his hands in his pockets as he tried not to look at Nadia, confirming the young acrobat’s suspicion.
“Just go!”
Jean wasn’t ready to throw the towel in, showing that one constant that didn’t apply to either Earths was the French’s knack for surrendering on the League’s Earth.
“Why? Why are you so angry with everyone?”
Well that was a little redundant; he knew quite well what her anger was directed towards, but the analytical portions of his brain advised verification of this.
“Why? Why did you kill that poor defenseless creature?”
“We did it so we could have something to eat!”
“But did you have to eat it?!”
God, it was like talking to a moebius strip, Jean thought. But again, the boy wasn’t giving up.
***
Of the many things that the Batman excelled in, it was in the manipulation of emotions, or so Dick complained time and again both before and in the aftermath of his retirement as Robin. Dick was of course right and the Dark Knight knew that had struck a chord with Electra by saying the magic word.
“Indeed. And what makes you believe that there are Neo-Atlanteans in our vicinity? Some fancy little device in that belt you always seem to wear? Or is it perhaps from your comrade’s deities?”
Batman wasn’t in any mood to defend either his utility belt or the very real existence of the Greek Gods and once again ignored her sarcasm and hostility towards Gotham’s champion.
“Call it a combination of intuition and possible precognition.”
Electra once again didn’t look convinced.
“If I was in the position of your Lord Gargoyle, I would have a Garfish-class submarine or aircraft shadowing your every movement, especially after what happened with the island.”
Electra didn’t respond. He’d struck twice now and was on a roll, ready to go for a hat-trick.
“This equipment is state of the art. There is no conceivable way to fake a sensor signature. If there were Neo-Atlantean ships trailing us, we would know.”
“Are you absolutely certain of that?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Then perhaps you can tell me the sensor range of these enemy submarines so I can make verify that for myself.”
“These sensor systems are far behind anything you could comprehend.”
Batman cocked an eyebrow from beneath his mask.
“Indeed?”
“Yes.“
“Try me.”
He had pronounced a different pair of magic words this time and her reaction showed.
“Would you please get off the bridge before I have your forcibly ejected.”
She really enjoyed strutting her stuff, he couldn’t help but note. But he wasn’t going to make an already bad situation worse and so, he slowly moved out of his seat. He was already planning the second stage of his own continued search when the science office’s console began beeping.
“I’ve got something!”
***
Nadia and Jean had moved away from the ocean and back in the direction of the encampment, their argument continuing at full speed ahead.
“If I had to eat animals in order to survive, I choose not to live.”
Jean blew air impatiently.
“I really don’t see what the big deal is, Nadia.”
“It’s so savage!”
“Why do you think that? It’s just good food.”
“Animals are our companions, not food.”
“But they become food once you cook them,” he pointed out.”
“Don’t you even feel sorry for them when you see what you’ve done to them? Because the only reason they’re dead is to serve your hunger.”
The two were now virtually within the boundaries of the Nautilus camp. Everyone was up and about and going about their lives. By the makeshift galley, Grandis was cooking like mad, preparing the perfect island breakfast for her beloved Captain Nemo. Diana was conspicuously absent, but the two were so focused on their argument that they didn’t even notice.
“Look, if there was someway to eat them without killing them, I would do it.”
“Well then, there must be something terribly wrong with you if you can kill animals and not feel any --”
“Hold on, I thought I heard something.”
“Don’t change the --”
Nadia trailed off as she heard it too, a faint rustling from the bushes.. Both of them looked at the bushes to the side --
-- and then jumped out of the way as a furry form shot through the brush. It was King and he looked like a bat, er, cat out of hell as he leapt into Nadia’s arms.
“Whoa, calm down King, calm down.”
Jean suddenly realized something.
“Wait, if King’s here, where’s Marie?”
They looked at each other and then back at King, still freaked out of his mind.
“King, what happened to her?”
***
The science officer starred grimly at the sensor readings displayed on his console. Batman, Electra, and Chief Engineer were all standing over his shoulder. Next to the console, one of the Nautilius’ radio communicators transmitted to the encampment a kilometer distant.
“They’re camped on the north side of the island and well camouflaged. We barely picked up the magnetic trace.”
“Are you absolutely certain it is them,” came Nemo’s disembodied voice from the speaker of the communicator.
“Yes I am, sir. The probability is absolute. We wouldn’t have even detected them if not for the Batman.”
Batman didn’t need to look over in Electra’s direction to guess what kind of look she was giving him.
“Very well. Prepare the ship for immediate emergency departure.”
“Aye sir,” replied Electra. Batman straightened himself.
“If you no longer need me, I’ll assist in the evacuation.”
“Fine, go.”
As he headed out the doors, the Dark Knight immediately began jogging not towards the main deck, but down the entry hatch to his makeshift Batcave. As he did so, he placed two of his fingers on his right ear.
“Diana?”
“I heard all of it. I can see them from my position. You were right.”
As he often was.
“Is there anything unusual about the ship and its crew from what you can see?” he asked as he reached the ‘cave’.
“No, they’re just refueling as far as I can tell. Do you want me to engage?”
He considered this for a moment as he threw on his cape and utility belt.
“No. We can’t risk them alerting the rest of their fleet. Get back to the encampment and --”
Batman stopped suddenly as static filled the comm channel.
“Diana? Diana!”
The static continued and then…
“Something’s come up, Diana out.”
***
“We are shipping out! Break camp and prepare for immediate departure,” Captain Nemo ordered as the Nautilus crew immediately began tearing down what had for twenty-four hours become their island paradise. No one questioned his orders except for Jean and Nadia, who emerged back in the center of the camp.
“Well?”
“Nothing. There’s no sign of her.”
“Sanson seems to be missing too,” reported Hanson, the mechanic jogging up to their position. “I mean, he just went out to get firewood for the breakfast fire and --”
“Get a move on it,” yelled Echo, “Or be left behind!”
“How rude,” Nadia couldn’t help but note aloud; this was to be expected by nineteenth-century mannerisms. Suddenly, King began squirming in Nadia’s arms, his head bobbing up and down towards the ridge that overlooked the encampment --
-- and both Sanson and Marie literally fell into their laps, their forms crashing into a pile of collapsed tents at a rate of 9.8 meters/second.
“What happened to you guys?”
They just pointed back up at the cliff.
“Move, now! Gargoyle!”
Everyone looked up where the two were pointing and yelling --
-- and then ran like hell as a blood-red Neo-Atlantean automaton flew over the side, the Amazon Princess locked in battle with the mechanical apparatus. It appeared to resemble a squat, almost crab-like entity, childlike in its simplicity, yet its ferocity clear even to a bystander.
“I think I’m in love,” Sanson muttered as he saw Diana threw a mean -- and quite frankly in his eye, a magnificent -- right hook and sent it flying straight into the ground in a spectacular explosion of metal, glass, and fire, causing everyone to dive for cover once again. From the crackling wreckage, an entry hatch popped open and a man clothed in the green army fatigues of the Neo-Atlantean armed forces fell out, a rifle in hand.
“A Neo-Atlantean!”
The soldier, though dazed, quickly took stock of his situation and made his decision as he raised his rife. Standing beside Captain Nemo, Nadia saw him raise his own pistol and suddenly realized what the Captain was going do and that Diana was making no move to stop him; she was in full Amazon warrior mode, now.
“Wait, don’t! That man is injured. He --”
It was too late as Nemo’s pistol came up, firing --
--and the gun suddenly flew out of his hand less than a half a second after the discharge, a Batarang pinned to the metal casing.
Nadia didn’t know what to be more shocked at. And it looked as if she wasn’t the only one who believed that.
From the air, the Batman descended, landing gracefully next to the fallen Neo-Atlantean. He quickly felt for a pulse, found none, and then turned towards Nemo. There was a look of anger upon his face that Nadia had only seen from the owner of the Circus when she had been reluctant about performing.
And then to the shock of Nadia and Diana -- well not so much the latter given that she had a better idea of how Bruce reacted to these kinds of things and had therefore been in the process of moving to prevent it --, Batman punched him, sending the Captain onto the ground. Instantly, all of the Nautilus crew members raised their own pistols -- with Electra being the first, he couldn‘t help but note.
Figures.
Batman drew his cape around him, his hands upon his utility belt compartments and ready to unleash his gas pellets and grappling line -- all standard issue for costumed vigilantes operating within the city and county limits of Gotham, of course.
Within a moment, however, Diana was in front of her companion, bracelets raised ready to deflect any bullets -- though whether it was to save her companion or defuse this situation was not apparent, even to the Dark Knight.
“All of you, stop it!”
But the words had not come from the Amazon.
Nemo had come to his feet, rubbing his jaw. He and Batman starred at each other for a long moment, neither man making a move, each giving the other his poker face -- and quite a match of wills it was, too. Batman was the first to speak.
“This man had answers I wanted.”
“That man would have killed you without hesitation.”
“I could have disarmed him before he could even try.”
“Possibly. But would you really want to put the lives of everyone here at risk for your own faith in your abilities?”
Batman’s eyes narrowed. His methods, while they had their flaws, were also greater than those of many of his Earth‘s best athletes and detectives. The men continued to stare long and hard at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. Nemo finally turned away and looked at his first officer.
“We’re getting out of here. All hands, prepare to disembark.”
The Nautilus crewmembers kept a brief, wary gaze upon the Batman before getting back to work and completing the removal of the final pieces of equipment and supplies. Diana had turned her back towards her companion to assist and it was clear that there was going to be bad fallout between the two once they got back underway in the Nautilus.
But while Jean and Marie headed back for the boat, Nadia stayed for a long moment, her vision, despite the tears strolling down them, focused on the still form of the Batman as he starred at the wreckage and attempted to salvage what he could for later inspection. The Batman was still a man of violence, there was no denying that. But what he had just done, trying to prevent Nemo from killing one of the Nautilus’ sworn enemy…
She had revised her viewpoints upon Princess Diana and now it seemed she would have to do so in regards to the princess’ dark knight, too.
***
To be Continued…
***
Author’s Notes:
* Film Freak has never appeared in the animated continuity (or in the comics since his death at Bane’s hands during the Knightfall storyline ten years ago). For the sake of this story, let us assume that the animated Dark Knight has had to contend with him.
Last edited by JME2 on 2005-04-17 04:07am, edited 1 time in total.
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This is great. Now I want to see Batman taking on Atlantean footsoldiers, dodging gunfire and disarming them with batarangs and gas pellets and kicking all sorts of ass.
"DO YOU WORSHIP HOMOSEXUALS?" - Curtis Saxton (source)shroom is a lovely boy and i wont hear a bad word against him - LUSY-CHAN!
Shit! Man, I didn't think of that! It took Shroom to properly interpret the screams of dying people
- PeZookShroom, I read out the stuff you write about us. You are an endless supply of morale down here. :p - an OWS street medic
Pink Sugar Heart Attack!
Wow, Batman's badass.
BTW, for those of us who haven't seen Blue Water, why did it so upset Nadia to see the deer killed?
BTW, for those of us who haven't seen Blue Water, why did it so upset Nadia to see the deer killed?
"I want to mow down a bunch of motherfuckers with absurdly large weapons and relative impunity - preferably in and around a skyscraper. Then I want to fight a grim battle against the unlikely duo of the Terminator and Robocop. The last level should involve (but not be limited to) multiple robo-Hitlers and a gorillasaurus rex."--Uraniun235 on his ideal FPS game
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
Ain't it the truth?Trogdor wrote:Wow, Batman's badass.
Nadia is essentially what would happen if PETA existed in the ninteenth century. She highly values life, both human and animal and leads to clashes with a number of characters over the course of the series. Her pro-life stance is also ironic since Nadia herself doesn't exactly have regard for her own life and she becomes suicidal at several points in the series.Trogdor wrote:BTW, for those of us who haven't seen Blue Water, why did it so upset Nadia to see the deer killed.
Thanks for filling me in.
Wow, read over my last post. I make typos like nobody's buisness.
Wow, read over my last post. I make typos like nobody's buisness.
"I want to mow down a bunch of motherfuckers with absurdly large weapons and relative impunity - preferably in and around a skyscraper. Then I want to fight a grim battle against the unlikely duo of the Terminator and Robocop. The last level should involve (but not be limited to) multiple robo-Hitlers and a gorillasaurus rex."--Uraniun235 on his ideal FPS game
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
I can't wait for the next one!
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
Thanks for the encouragement. 
I was hoping to update this in conjunction with TBOBW, but then my internet went down for six hours and I was distracted by the Bandai refit-Enterprise model I had just bought; I decided "Screw it" and am assembling it without the lighting system. So, I'm on quasi-hiatus for the next week, but then it'll be back to the writing board. And my, what plans, I have in store.
Without giving too much away, the next two chapters are going to deal with the fallout from this Shore Leave and how the Nautilus crew as well as Jean and Nadia are going to have to re-examine having the Dark Knight and Amazing Amazon on board. This will also lead to Diana in action once again and Batman's detective and observational skills coming to the forefront. And then after that, it's time to place your bets as we have the Nautilus in an undersea battle that should mark the halfway point of the project.
Thanks for your continued interest as always, guys.
I was hoping to update this in conjunction with TBOBW, but then my internet went down for six hours and I was distracted by the Bandai refit-Enterprise model I had just bought; I decided "Screw it" and am assembling it without the lighting system. So, I'm on quasi-hiatus for the next week, but then it'll be back to the writing board. And my, what plans, I have in store. Without giving too much away, the next two chapters are going to deal with the fallout from this Shore Leave and how the Nautilus crew as well as Jean and Nadia are going to have to re-examine having the Dark Knight and Amazing Amazon on board. This will also lead to Diana in action once again and Batman's detective and observational skills coming to the forefront. And then after that, it's time to place your bets as we have the Nautilus in an undersea battle that should mark the halfway point of the project.
Thanks for your continued interest as always, guys.
Disclaimer: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water created by Hayo Miyazaki, based upon characters created by Jules Verne, and owned by Gainax. I own the story and any original characters/species. No copyright infringement is intended.
Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
Author’s Musings: I apologize for the delays in getting this chapter up, I really do. Real-life has been busy and the attempts to write this, The Best of Both Worlds, and initial work on the revised crossover have not helped. Thank you as always for your patience and as always, enjoy. As always, enjoy!
***
Chapter XII -- A Matter of Perception, Part 1
***
“…and that Lord Gargoyle was the last time that they appeared in any of our scopes. We would have pursued, but we had not yet finished re-fueling and also felt it best to appraise you of the situation.”
“A wise move, Captain. Continue monitoring Grid 3H. Attempt to locate the target, but do not engage until ordered.”
“Understood my lord.”
As the radio signal terminated, Gargoyle reclined in his chair, his gloved hand stroking the ornate mask that adorned his face as he reflected on the discovery made by Garfish 19-E. So, the Nautilus had survived the underwater trap that he had laid at the LeMerr Straits. He should have suspected as much; Nemo had always possessed a stubborn refusal to submit to the law of averages.
But they always caught up sooner or later…
Within moments, Gargoyle had, from the carved obsidian shelves of that lined his quarters aboard the Chalcardon, selected the current maritime charts of Grid 3H, site of the secondary island refueling rendezvous and the last sighted location of the Nautilus. He gazed at the tables and notes entered into the side of the notebooks by his meticulous hands and studied them.
Life was always in one measure or another a chess match, a duel of the wits and fates, and one must be able to plot three moves ahead so as to avoid defeat. And he had in that moment located a possible strike three moves hence. With that thought in mind, he pressed the activation stub of his cabin’s personal radio unit.
“Yes, Lord Gargoyle?”
“Contact Agent 2501. I must speak with him immediately.”
“It will be as you command, my lord.”
***
When Diana had left her island home so as to defend Earth against the forces of the Imperium, she hadn’t truly thought about staying in Patriarch’s world. But the culture and the heroes that she had fought alongside of convinced to her to better understand what the Amazons had been opposed to for millennia since Heracles had come to the island and humiliated their queen.
The public reaction to the Amazonian princess had been mixed. Commentators such as Gordon Godfrey had not hesitated to pull out conservative viewpoints and arguments against her, most particular in regards to her choice of uniform. She didn’t expect them to understand that as Athena’s selected champion, it was her duty to clothe herself in the armor of her patron goddess. It had taken time, but she had gotten used to the stares that accompanied her in public.
The reason this was all relevant was because, as she made her way down the cramped corridors of the Nautilus, she found the crewmembers all giving the look. But it was less a look in regards to her physical appearance than her presence. But, this was likely to be expected when one took into account that her pointy-eared associate had just docked the shio’s captain two days earlier.
And unlike Bruce, she couldn’t simply vanish away into the shadows and just ignore it so as to continue in his personal crusade. This is precisely why she was now opening the door to the storage space that their host had set aside for his use and which could now be revoked ay any moment.
“Bruce, we need to --”
She trailed off, disbelief etched across her face at what awaited her.
The table that had previously been littered with bat-gadgets, schematics diagrams, and half-eaten meals had been cleared away. In its place there lay a surgical sheet and beneath said sheet was the body of the Neo-Atlantean soldier that Nemo had shot, various incisions and marks made across the upper surface. In his hands, Bruce held vials full of samples and was placing them down as she walked further and further into the ‘Batcave’, shaking her dead in disbelief.
“Thank you Bruce, thank you. You’ve just made an already difficult situation even worse, you -- ”
“Scalpel, please.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“Hand me the scalpel.”
Diana of course recovered quickly, the look of anger returning to her face.
“You know, there are time that I really I don’t understand how you live the way you do, Bruce.”
Batman continued his tests on the body, ignoring her. She paid this no heed and continued her dialogue.
“I also don’t know, for instance, how you smuggled this body back on board without Elektra or the rest of the senior staff knowing or seeing. I also don’t know why you can’t make our interaction with this crew work. Don’t you understand that we have to make this work lest both sides fall into disarray?”
“Are you suddenly a messenger of peace to Patriarch’s World?
“Don’t you dare mock me,” she said in a low, threatening voice. “I wasn’t the one that punched Captain Nemo.”
Batman’s white eyes narrowed, Diana‘s eyes widening as a thought came to her.
“By the gods…You don’t think you did anything wrong yesterday, di you?”
“All I did wrong was get to that soldier after Nemo did. I attempted to question this man,” he said, pointing to the body, “And the Captain shot him before I could do so.”
“He attempted to kill the Captain and his staff,” Diana countered. “Nemo was entirely justified in shooting him.”
“Not when I’m around, not when I‘ve trained myself to stop senseless killing.”
“So then, the little waltz off the island fortress wasn’t senseless killing?”
“I didn’t kill those people; Gargoyle did.”
“But if we follow your logic, you could have. That’s what you do, isn’t it?”
Batman’s eyes narrowed more dangerously then Diana had ever seen them before.
“I do when I’m not stuck in an alternate universe and waiting for Clark to rally Kent Nelson or Jason Blood or half a dozen other mystics I could name to get up off their asses and get us the hell out of here,” he hissed.
There was a long silence between both Leaguers, a silence broken by the sounding of klaxons and Electra’s voice coming over the ship-wide comm.
“All hands report to level two battle stations. I repeat, all hands report to level two battle stations. All noncombatants must report to block three shelters.”
They remained silent for a long moment even after Electra’s communication had been completed.
“Don’t think this means the conversation isn’t finished, Bruce,” she said as she began walking to the door --
-- and stopped as it swung open. For half a second, Batman was of the opinion that the battle alarm had been faked and this was a sting operation, but this was discounted when he saw that the visitor was Jean. He was flushed and there was a look of fear upon his face. Batman frowned at that; the boy had struck him as being not easily flustered, instead pursuing any objective with an incorrigible enthusiasm.
“Jean, what is it?”
“Marie’s collapsed!”
***
The CMO tried not to look at the man who a week earlier had attempted to interrogate him within his own sickbay and instead focused on his diagnosis of the little girl. Diana, Nadia, Sanson, and Hanson all stood anxiously around the bed, Batman instead choosing to remain in the proximity of the door and its shadows.
“It’s not good,” he sighed. He suddenly felt someone gripping his arm and for a moment was afraid that he was about to have another close encounter with the Dark Knight. But instead, to his immense relief, he saw that is was Sanson. The ex-mercenary had become very protective of Marie after the Neo-Atlantean automaton had chased them back the previous day.
“Tell me what her condition is now!
The Doctor sighed again.
“It is a rare tropical fever known as --
“I don’t care what the name of the disease is, Doctor. She will recover, right?”
When the Doctor didn’t respond, the expression of worry on Sanson’s face depend.
“Well, you can treat it, can’t you? Can’t you use your advanced miracle medidicne to make her well again?!”
“As I said, it’s rare. We don‘t carry the antidote.”
“And you didn’t think supply yourselves in case of an emergency situation?” Batman asked, speaking for the first time from the shadows; contingencies were his specialty, after all.
“Do you know how rare the ingredients for the antidote are and how we don’t‘ have time to properly refuel or restock because we‘re always chasing the Neo-Atlanteans or fleeing from them?”
Batman didn’t respond, or rather, he might have, but Sanson beat him to it.
“Then, there’s nothing that can be done?” he asked softly. The CMO was silent for a moment as he stroked his chin.
“Well, there is one hope.”
“What?”
“Captain Nemo may be able to help her.”
Nadia and Jean exchanged looks that Batman, from his place in the shadows, observed and catalogued. He did so because it was the exact same looks that he and Diana had had when they had argued about Nemo earlier. So, the two teenagers had been having the same argument; made sense given that their ideologies were as different as night and day.
“He’s an expert in marine biology and tropical disease. Perhaps he --”
His words were met by the sound of running feet, the swishing of the sickbay doors, and the departure of Nadia from the sickbay
“She could Flash a run for his money,” Diana said, more to herself than to anyone else. She gazed down at the still form of Marie, the child breathing shallowly.
“What are the chances that Nemo will listen her?” Jean asked, attempting to weight their options for himself.
“I doubt he’ll listen at all,” Sanson said bitterly.
“Excuse me?” asked Nurse Icolina. “What did you just say about Captain Nemo?”
Sanson raised himself up from Marie’s sickbed and starred at the nurse, his worried expression and tone now changing to one of anger.
“As I see, the man’s more obsessed with stopping a bunch of cultists than saving lives.”
Diana didn’t turn around to face the doorway, but she knew Bruce well enough that there was likely wearing a hint of his ever so-smug ‘I told you so’ look that he enjoyed parading around the Watchtower and in the field so often.
“He’s a compassionate man!”
“He’s a murderer in my book if he’s willing to pursue one little submarine just so he can play a little ‘get revenge’ at the expense of the life of a small child!”
Icolina was usually such the complete model of calmness and tranquility that no one anticipated that she would raise her hand and try to slap Sanson across the face in anger. However, she found
“Let it be, my daughter.”
“But --”
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, Icolina; I thought I had taught you that. That is what makes us all unique, that we don’t all subscribe to one single viewpoint. It’s what separates us from the monolithic goals and views of Gargoyle and his followers and what --.”
“Medical team to the bridge.”
The intercomm interrupted the Doctor’s philosophical musing in midsentence. He frowned and punched the reply button on the communicator.
“What’s happened?”
“Nadia’s collapsed.”
***
“So it wasn’t an accident?”
“No. According to the Doctor, she’s contracted the same fever from Marie,” Electra explained. Nemo’s eyes narrowed.
“I’ve seen this fever type before. They’ll only have forty-eight hours before -- “
“Sir,” Echo interrupted, “We’re within three thousand meters of the Garfish. We’ll be in firing range in two minutes.”
“Excellent,” said Electra. “All stations await your command, sir.”
But Nemo didn’t hear Echo or Electra. He was thinking about what Nadia had said when she had come onto the bridge less than half an hour before, just before she had collapsed, the words echoing over and over again:
“You would let her die so that you could destroy another submarine?!” she had angrily charged.
Life was precious; he knew this to be all too well. He had seen life destroyed on a grand scale thirteen years earlier when the original Tower of Babel had exploded, destroying Old Tartessos and launching the horrors of the Neo-Atlantean movement. But there was a chance to preserve life here and now.
The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few, he told himself. If Gargoyle was indeed aboard this Garfish-class submarine as they hoped, then it would be a crippling blow to the Neo-Atlantean organization, leaving only the Emperor to be dealt with. But if they did that at the cost lives, lives that represented not only innocence, but the next generation…
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…
In a moment, he came to his decision, knew what had to done, and knew that his senior staff was not going to like it at all.
“Break off the pursuit and bring ups around one hundred and eighty degrees,” he said suddenly. “Set a course for Reef 64.”
The entire bridge crew was shocked at Nemo’s sudden turnabout, none more so than Electra who looked like a child who had just learned that Santa Claus wasn’t real.
“Sir, we can’t do that. If we do this, we will lost the Garfish! We’ve sacrificed too much for this chance. We’ve dedicated everything to overthrowing Gargoyle and his followers! Are you going throw that all away just for two little -- ?”
Electra felt herself stepping back involuntarily at the dangerous look upon her captain’s face as he turned looked at her.
“Do I need to repeat my orders, first officer?” he asked, very slowly and forcefully.
“No, Captain,” she replied, a resigned tone to her voice.
“Good. Proceed to Reef 64 as ordered. First Officer, you have the bridge.”
“Aye sir.”
Electra was still gazing out the forward viewing port at the retreating form of the Garfish long after Nemo’s chair of command lowered itself back through the depths of the ship.
***
“It would appear you were proven wrong about the Captain,” Hanson said to his associate several hours later.
He, Jean, and Sanson were standing vigil over the unconscious forms of both Nadia and Grandis. According to Echo, who had dropped by a few hours earlier, they were less than twelve hours away from the reef and the natural combatant to the tropical fever that had stricken their friends. Of those that had been present when the diagnosis had been made, only Batman were gone, the latter doing who knew what.
“Hmm, that remains to be seen,” Sanson muttered.
“What does that mean?” Jean asked.
“Just because he changed his mind about helping Marie and Nadia doesn’t mean that I can change my mind at the same speed.”
“But, he shot a man to save his crewmen’s lives,” Jean protested, echoes of his earlier argument repeating themselves . “That -- “
“Means nothing. In war, even a coward can kill in a heartbeat. That’s not a sign manhood, Jean; believe me, I know.”
Sanson considered his next statement very carefully.
“Jean, you’re not accustomed to seeing people die, are you?”
The French inventor shook his head.
“When I was growing up, I saw many people die during wartime and widespread epidemic. I even saw my parents die. Death is far from rare in the time’s we live in and the ability to cause death is not a sign of greatness, Jean.”
He paused, a faint smile coming to his face.
“But then, what do I know. I’m just a chauffeur turned mercenary. This is how I see the world. It’s like what the Doctor was saying earlier. This crew has known Nemo longer than we have; they have a different perception of him. The same can be said of you and the Batman,” he said to Diana, looking the Amazon princess right in the eye. “You’ve fought alongside him for, what was it, two years?”
“Three.”
“ -- for three years and as a warrior, you know and perceive him in ways that none of us do, ways that remain closed to us unless we become experienced and versed in them..”
Jean was silent for a long moment, the pistons of the French teenager’s mind hard at work analyzing and processing the bit of philosophy that Sanson had just given him.
“…ways that remain closed to us unless we become experienced and versed in them..”
And suddenly, like the flow of plasma in the Nautilus’s particle-annihilation engine, an idea had formed in his head.
“Then let’s change our perception of the Captain,” he said suddenly.
“Pardon?”
“Let us volunteer to assist in this mission to Reef 64, to work directly alongside the Captain, so as to change our perception of him and vice-versa.”
Everyone considered this for a long moment.
“I’m for it,” Hanson replied.
“Ms. Diana?”
Diana was thing. She felt that it should be Bruce undertaking this manner of task, not her, . But, she had not hit Nemo; she was only guilty by association and ironically in this kind of situation, she could prove to be an effective yin to Batman’s yang.
“Count me in.”
“Sanson?”
Sanson, however, remained silent, his head sunk upon his brow in thought.
“Sanson?”
The mercenary didn’t respond and for a split second, Jean was afraid that he had succumbed to the tropical fever as well. Then he looked up.
“If it means helping Marie and Nadia, then what are we waiting for?”
***
To be continued…
***
Author’s Notes
* Nothing serious (other than to see if nyone caught the in-joke related to comics Diana vs. Timm-verse Diana)
Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
Author’s Musings: I apologize for the delays in getting this chapter up, I really do. Real-life has been busy and the attempts to write this, The Best of Both Worlds, and initial work on the revised crossover have not helped. Thank you as always for your patience and as always, enjoy. As always, enjoy!
***
Chapter XII -- A Matter of Perception, Part 1
***
“…and that Lord Gargoyle was the last time that they appeared in any of our scopes. We would have pursued, but we had not yet finished re-fueling and also felt it best to appraise you of the situation.”
“A wise move, Captain. Continue monitoring Grid 3H. Attempt to locate the target, but do not engage until ordered.”
“Understood my lord.”
As the radio signal terminated, Gargoyle reclined in his chair, his gloved hand stroking the ornate mask that adorned his face as he reflected on the discovery made by Garfish 19-E. So, the Nautilus had survived the underwater trap that he had laid at the LeMerr Straits. He should have suspected as much; Nemo had always possessed a stubborn refusal to submit to the law of averages.
But they always caught up sooner or later…
Within moments, Gargoyle had, from the carved obsidian shelves of that lined his quarters aboard the Chalcardon, selected the current maritime charts of Grid 3H, site of the secondary island refueling rendezvous and the last sighted location of the Nautilus. He gazed at the tables and notes entered into the side of the notebooks by his meticulous hands and studied them.
Life was always in one measure or another a chess match, a duel of the wits and fates, and one must be able to plot three moves ahead so as to avoid defeat. And he had in that moment located a possible strike three moves hence. With that thought in mind, he pressed the activation stub of his cabin’s personal radio unit.
“Yes, Lord Gargoyle?”
“Contact Agent 2501. I must speak with him immediately.”
“It will be as you command, my lord.”
***
When Diana had left her island home so as to defend Earth against the forces of the Imperium, she hadn’t truly thought about staying in Patriarch’s world. But the culture and the heroes that she had fought alongside of convinced to her to better understand what the Amazons had been opposed to for millennia since Heracles had come to the island and humiliated their queen.
The public reaction to the Amazonian princess had been mixed. Commentators such as Gordon Godfrey had not hesitated to pull out conservative viewpoints and arguments against her, most particular in regards to her choice of uniform. She didn’t expect them to understand that as Athena’s selected champion, it was her duty to clothe herself in the armor of her patron goddess. It had taken time, but she had gotten used to the stares that accompanied her in public.
The reason this was all relevant was because, as she made her way down the cramped corridors of the Nautilus, she found the crewmembers all giving the look. But it was less a look in regards to her physical appearance than her presence. But, this was likely to be expected when one took into account that her pointy-eared associate had just docked the shio’s captain two days earlier.
And unlike Bruce, she couldn’t simply vanish away into the shadows and just ignore it so as to continue in his personal crusade. This is precisely why she was now opening the door to the storage space that their host had set aside for his use and which could now be revoked ay any moment.
“Bruce, we need to --”
She trailed off, disbelief etched across her face at what awaited her.
The table that had previously been littered with bat-gadgets, schematics diagrams, and half-eaten meals had been cleared away. In its place there lay a surgical sheet and beneath said sheet was the body of the Neo-Atlantean soldier that Nemo had shot, various incisions and marks made across the upper surface. In his hands, Bruce held vials full of samples and was placing them down as she walked further and further into the ‘Batcave’, shaking her dead in disbelief.
“Thank you Bruce, thank you. You’ve just made an already difficult situation even worse, you -- ”
“Scalpel, please.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“Hand me the scalpel.”
Diana of course recovered quickly, the look of anger returning to her face.
“You know, there are time that I really I don’t understand how you live the way you do, Bruce.”
Batman continued his tests on the body, ignoring her. She paid this no heed and continued her dialogue.
“I also don’t know, for instance, how you smuggled this body back on board without Elektra or the rest of the senior staff knowing or seeing. I also don’t know why you can’t make our interaction with this crew work. Don’t you understand that we have to make this work lest both sides fall into disarray?”
“Are you suddenly a messenger of peace to Patriarch’s World?
“Don’t you dare mock me,” she said in a low, threatening voice. “I wasn’t the one that punched Captain Nemo.”
Batman’s white eyes narrowed, Diana‘s eyes widening as a thought came to her.
“By the gods…You don’t think you did anything wrong yesterday, di you?”
“All I did wrong was get to that soldier after Nemo did. I attempted to question this man,” he said, pointing to the body, “And the Captain shot him before I could do so.”
“He attempted to kill the Captain and his staff,” Diana countered. “Nemo was entirely justified in shooting him.”
“Not when I’m around, not when I‘ve trained myself to stop senseless killing.”
“So then, the little waltz off the island fortress wasn’t senseless killing?”
“I didn’t kill those people; Gargoyle did.”
“But if we follow your logic, you could have. That’s what you do, isn’t it?”
Batman’s eyes narrowed more dangerously then Diana had ever seen them before.
“I do when I’m not stuck in an alternate universe and waiting for Clark to rally Kent Nelson or Jason Blood or half a dozen other mystics I could name to get up off their asses and get us the hell out of here,” he hissed.
There was a long silence between both Leaguers, a silence broken by the sounding of klaxons and Electra’s voice coming over the ship-wide comm.
“All hands report to level two battle stations. I repeat, all hands report to level two battle stations. All noncombatants must report to block three shelters.”
They remained silent for a long moment even after Electra’s communication had been completed.
“Don’t think this means the conversation isn’t finished, Bruce,” she said as she began walking to the door --
-- and stopped as it swung open. For half a second, Batman was of the opinion that the battle alarm had been faked and this was a sting operation, but this was discounted when he saw that the visitor was Jean. He was flushed and there was a look of fear upon his face. Batman frowned at that; the boy had struck him as being not easily flustered, instead pursuing any objective with an incorrigible enthusiasm.
“Jean, what is it?”
“Marie’s collapsed!”
***
The CMO tried not to look at the man who a week earlier had attempted to interrogate him within his own sickbay and instead focused on his diagnosis of the little girl. Diana, Nadia, Sanson, and Hanson all stood anxiously around the bed, Batman instead choosing to remain in the proximity of the door and its shadows.
“It’s not good,” he sighed. He suddenly felt someone gripping his arm and for a moment was afraid that he was about to have another close encounter with the Dark Knight. But instead, to his immense relief, he saw that is was Sanson. The ex-mercenary had become very protective of Marie after the Neo-Atlantean automaton had chased them back the previous day.
“Tell me what her condition is now!
The Doctor sighed again.
“It is a rare tropical fever known as --
“I don’t care what the name of the disease is, Doctor. She will recover, right?”
When the Doctor didn’t respond, the expression of worry on Sanson’s face depend.
“Well, you can treat it, can’t you? Can’t you use your advanced miracle medidicne to make her well again?!”
“As I said, it’s rare. We don‘t carry the antidote.”
“And you didn’t think supply yourselves in case of an emergency situation?” Batman asked, speaking for the first time from the shadows; contingencies were his specialty, after all.
“Do you know how rare the ingredients for the antidote are and how we don’t‘ have time to properly refuel or restock because we‘re always chasing the Neo-Atlanteans or fleeing from them?”
Batman didn’t respond, or rather, he might have, but Sanson beat him to it.
“Then, there’s nothing that can be done?” he asked softly. The CMO was silent for a moment as he stroked his chin.
“Well, there is one hope.”
“What?”
“Captain Nemo may be able to help her.”
Nadia and Jean exchanged looks that Batman, from his place in the shadows, observed and catalogued. He did so because it was the exact same looks that he and Diana had had when they had argued about Nemo earlier. So, the two teenagers had been having the same argument; made sense given that their ideologies were as different as night and day.
“He’s an expert in marine biology and tropical disease. Perhaps he --”
His words were met by the sound of running feet, the swishing of the sickbay doors, and the departure of Nadia from the sickbay
“She could Flash a run for his money,” Diana said, more to herself than to anyone else. She gazed down at the still form of Marie, the child breathing shallowly.
“What are the chances that Nemo will listen her?” Jean asked, attempting to weight their options for himself.
“I doubt he’ll listen at all,” Sanson said bitterly.
“Excuse me?” asked Nurse Icolina. “What did you just say about Captain Nemo?”
Sanson raised himself up from Marie’s sickbed and starred at the nurse, his worried expression and tone now changing to one of anger.
“As I see, the man’s more obsessed with stopping a bunch of cultists than saving lives.”
Diana didn’t turn around to face the doorway, but she knew Bruce well enough that there was likely wearing a hint of his ever so-smug ‘I told you so’ look that he enjoyed parading around the Watchtower and in the field so often.
“He’s a compassionate man!”
“He’s a murderer in my book if he’s willing to pursue one little submarine just so he can play a little ‘get revenge’ at the expense of the life of a small child!”
Icolina was usually such the complete model of calmness and tranquility that no one anticipated that she would raise her hand and try to slap Sanson across the face in anger. However, she found
“Let it be, my daughter.”
“But --”
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, Icolina; I thought I had taught you that. That is what makes us all unique, that we don’t all subscribe to one single viewpoint. It’s what separates us from the monolithic goals and views of Gargoyle and his followers and what --.”
“Medical team to the bridge.”
The intercomm interrupted the Doctor’s philosophical musing in midsentence. He frowned and punched the reply button on the communicator.
“What’s happened?”
“Nadia’s collapsed.”
***
“So it wasn’t an accident?”
“No. According to the Doctor, she’s contracted the same fever from Marie,” Electra explained. Nemo’s eyes narrowed.
“I’ve seen this fever type before. They’ll only have forty-eight hours before -- “
“Sir,” Echo interrupted, “We’re within three thousand meters of the Garfish. We’ll be in firing range in two minutes.”
“Excellent,” said Electra. “All stations await your command, sir.”
But Nemo didn’t hear Echo or Electra. He was thinking about what Nadia had said when she had come onto the bridge less than half an hour before, just before she had collapsed, the words echoing over and over again:
“You would let her die so that you could destroy another submarine?!” she had angrily charged.
Life was precious; he knew this to be all too well. He had seen life destroyed on a grand scale thirteen years earlier when the original Tower of Babel had exploded, destroying Old Tartessos and launching the horrors of the Neo-Atlantean movement. But there was a chance to preserve life here and now.
The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few, he told himself. If Gargoyle was indeed aboard this Garfish-class submarine as they hoped, then it would be a crippling blow to the Neo-Atlantean organization, leaving only the Emperor to be dealt with. But if they did that at the cost lives, lives that represented not only innocence, but the next generation…
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…
In a moment, he came to his decision, knew what had to done, and knew that his senior staff was not going to like it at all.
“Break off the pursuit and bring ups around one hundred and eighty degrees,” he said suddenly. “Set a course for Reef 64.”
The entire bridge crew was shocked at Nemo’s sudden turnabout, none more so than Electra who looked like a child who had just learned that Santa Claus wasn’t real.
“Sir, we can’t do that. If we do this, we will lost the Garfish! We’ve sacrificed too much for this chance. We’ve dedicated everything to overthrowing Gargoyle and his followers! Are you going throw that all away just for two little -- ?”
Electra felt herself stepping back involuntarily at the dangerous look upon her captain’s face as he turned looked at her.
“Do I need to repeat my orders, first officer?” he asked, very slowly and forcefully.
“No, Captain,” she replied, a resigned tone to her voice.
“Good. Proceed to Reef 64 as ordered. First Officer, you have the bridge.”
“Aye sir.”
Electra was still gazing out the forward viewing port at the retreating form of the Garfish long after Nemo’s chair of command lowered itself back through the depths of the ship.
***
“It would appear you were proven wrong about the Captain,” Hanson said to his associate several hours later.
He, Jean, and Sanson were standing vigil over the unconscious forms of both Nadia and Grandis. According to Echo, who had dropped by a few hours earlier, they were less than twelve hours away from the reef and the natural combatant to the tropical fever that had stricken their friends. Of those that had been present when the diagnosis had been made, only Batman were gone, the latter doing who knew what.
“Hmm, that remains to be seen,” Sanson muttered.
“What does that mean?” Jean asked.
“Just because he changed his mind about helping Marie and Nadia doesn’t mean that I can change my mind at the same speed.”
“But, he shot a man to save his crewmen’s lives,” Jean protested, echoes of his earlier argument repeating themselves . “That -- “
“Means nothing. In war, even a coward can kill in a heartbeat. That’s not a sign manhood, Jean; believe me, I know.”
Sanson considered his next statement very carefully.
“Jean, you’re not accustomed to seeing people die, are you?”
The French inventor shook his head.
“When I was growing up, I saw many people die during wartime and widespread epidemic. I even saw my parents die. Death is far from rare in the time’s we live in and the ability to cause death is not a sign of greatness, Jean.”
He paused, a faint smile coming to his face.
“But then, what do I know. I’m just a chauffeur turned mercenary. This is how I see the world. It’s like what the Doctor was saying earlier. This crew has known Nemo longer than we have; they have a different perception of him. The same can be said of you and the Batman,” he said to Diana, looking the Amazon princess right in the eye. “You’ve fought alongside him for, what was it, two years?”
“Three.”
“ -- for three years and as a warrior, you know and perceive him in ways that none of us do, ways that remain closed to us unless we become experienced and versed in them..”
Jean was silent for a long moment, the pistons of the French teenager’s mind hard at work analyzing and processing the bit of philosophy that Sanson had just given him.
“…ways that remain closed to us unless we become experienced and versed in them..”
And suddenly, like the flow of plasma in the Nautilus’s particle-annihilation engine, an idea had formed in his head.
“Then let’s change our perception of the Captain,” he said suddenly.
“Pardon?”
“Let us volunteer to assist in this mission to Reef 64, to work directly alongside the Captain, so as to change our perception of him and vice-versa.”
Everyone considered this for a long moment.
“I’m for it,” Hanson replied.
“Ms. Diana?”
Diana was thing. She felt that it should be Bruce undertaking this manner of task, not her, . But, she had not hit Nemo; she was only guilty by association and ironically in this kind of situation, she could prove to be an effective yin to Batman’s yang.
“Count me in.”
“Sanson?”
Sanson, however, remained silent, his head sunk upon his brow in thought.
“Sanson?”
The mercenary didn’t respond and for a split second, Jean was afraid that he had succumbed to the tropical fever as well. Then he looked up.
“If it means helping Marie and Nadia, then what are we waiting for?”
***
To be continued…
***
Author’s Notes
* Nothing serious (other than to see if nyone caught the in-joke related to comics Diana vs. Timm-verse Diana)
-
Shroom Man 777
- FUCKING DICK-STABBER!
- Posts: 21222
- Joined: 2003-05-11 08:39am
- Location: Bleeding breasts and stabbing dicks since 2003
- Contact:
Aw...I was hoping for Batman to kick the crap out of a thousand Neo-Atlantean supermen.
Anyway, good chapter. Why's Batman performing an autopsy? Do Neo-Atlanteans have different physical attributes and stuff?
Anyway, good chapter. Why's Batman performing an autopsy? Do Neo-Atlanteans have different physical attributes and stuff?
"DO YOU WORSHIP HOMOSEXUALS?" - Curtis Saxton (source)shroom is a lovely boy and i wont hear a bad word against him - LUSY-CHAN!
Shit! Man, I didn't think of that! It took Shroom to properly interpret the screams of dying people
- PeZookShroom, I read out the stuff you write about us. You are an endless supply of morale down here. :p - an OWS street medic
Pink Sugar Heart Attack!
Wait for it.Shroom Man 777 wrote:Aw...I was hoping for Batman to kick the crap out of a thousand Neo-Atlantean supermen.
That's one of several theories Bats wants to test in regards to the Neo-Atlanteans. After all, he's first and foremost a Detective and he's trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.Anyway, good chapter. Why's Batman performing an autopsy? Do Neo-Atlanteans have different physical attributes and stuff.
-
Shroom Man 777
- FUCKING DICK-STABBER!
- Posts: 21222
- Joined: 2003-05-11 08:39am
- Location: Bleeding breasts and stabbing dicks since 2003
- Contact:
Ah. Hey, when are you ever gonna check my fic out?
"DO YOU WORSHIP HOMOSEXUALS?" - Curtis Saxton (source)shroom is a lovely boy and i wont hear a bad word against him - LUSY-CHAN!
Shit! Man, I didn't think of that! It took Shroom to properly interpret the screams of dying people
- PeZookShroom, I read out the stuff you write about us. You are an endless supply of morale down here. :p - an OWS street medic
Pink Sugar Heart Attack!
FINALLY, a new episode!!! YAY!
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
Disclaimer: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water created by Hayo Miyazaki, based upon characters created by Jules Verne, and owned by Gainax. I own the story and any original characters/species. No copyright infringement is intended.
Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
As always, Enjoy!
***
Chapter XIII -- A Matter of Perception, Part 2
***
“They were at two-thousand meters to firing range when they suddenly just broke off and did a complete one-hundred-and-eighty degree reverse. Shortly after, they moved out of our tracking range, but their last heading put them on a north-eastern course, bearing 115 mark 330.”
“Hmm. Continue your attempt to locate the target, but do not engage.
“Yes, my Lord.”
As the radio signal terminated, annoyance and confusion flickered in the mind of the Neo-Atlatean Lord s he analyzed what the Captain of Garfish 17-M had relayed. As a chess player, he liked to prepare for any eventuality, to think three moves ahead, but there were some things that even he couldn’t predict -- much as he hated to admit it. He certainly couldn’t have predicted what his quarry had just done and for someone who had known Nemo for so long and knew how he thought, this made little sense. The 17-M was one of the older Garfish models; the Nautilus could have destroyed it with ease.
So why had the Captain broken off a golden opportunity to destroy one of his submarines?
***
Captain Nemo regarded the four guests to the decompression chamber as he slipped on his diving suit, which while bulky was still far more advanced than anything developed thus far by navies around the globe.
“Are you certain you want to do this? The level of risk is great.”
“Risk is our business, Captain,” said Sanson, grinning. “Besides, we’re ready to do anything we can short of inaction to help Nadia and Maria.
Nemo considered them for a long moment and then sighed.
“We don’t have time to argue. Each of you may take on the diving suits over there. When you are ready, we will be on our way.
“Aye!”
***
Thirty minutes later, after having explained the basics of deep-sea diving and the operation of the diving suits and their communication systems, Nemo and company held on as Echo released the work-pod from the underbelly of the Nautilus currently stationed above the trench designated by Nemo’s charts are Reef 64.
In her diving suit, Diana held on as tight as she could without crushing the medal piping; it never ceased to amaze her how Clark, with all his strength, could handle such fragile objects so gently. She also could easily have withstood the pressures at this distance, but for Nadia’s sake, she wasn’t ready to take any kind of risk. The life of two children depended on the success of this mission.
As the diving pod dipped lower and lower to the depths of the Trench, even Diana found herself intrigued by the variety of creatures down here. Aquatic life forms once thought extinct, still alive and untouched by human interference. And as she listened to the boys trade remarks about this was a marine paleontologist’s dream and how this was a Lost World, she began to realize something.
Their Earth had known these things for the last several decades and was still on-going. But these people were discovering it for the first time. They were boldly going where no one on their Earth had gone before -- present company and Neo-Atlanteans excluded, of course. It reminded her of the feeling she had received when she had left Thymiscera to fight the Imperium, the sense of discovery and wonder that Patriarch’s world, for all its flaws, had to offer.
“Ms Diana?’
She was aware of Nemo’s synthesized voice coming in over her helmet speaker.
“Yes, Captain?”
“May I have a word with you on a secure channel?”
“Fire away.”
“Thank you.”
He paused for a moment, no doubt adjusting his frequency, before continuing.
“I can understand Jean, Sanson, and Hanson’s presence on this mission. Your presence is…”
“Odd?”
“I was going to say appreciated. Reef 64 is relatively safe, but there is the occasional abnormality that could turn dangerous in an instant. I am also surprised given his talent for appearing out of nowhere that your companion has given us the drop yet."
Almost by reflex, Diana looked up at the retreating form of the distant Nautilus, half-expecting Nemo’s musings to become reality. But no, there was nothing. No terror that ascended from the skies to terrify them. She allowed herself a slight smile.
“He may be stubborn, but even he knows the limits, of what he can and can’t handle. It‘s actually a part of his fighting code.”
“Does this code involving slugging the master and commander of a submarine?”
Diana sighed.
“He’s --”
The Amazon cut herself off as the diving sphere touched down.
“We’ve arrived at the target,” came Nemo’s voice over the main channel as he pointed to a series of caverns nestled in the crevices of the trench. “Follow me and stay close.”
The team set off cautiously, moving into the caves that Nemo had designated. What was unusal about the cave was both the forest like seaweed that branched out and formed a crown-like ceiling and the glittering moss that lined the walls and became more prominent the further and further they proceeded through the cramped tunnel.
“Is that it,” asked a wide-eyed Jean as he starred down at the moss.
“Yes, this is the medicinal herb we seek.”
“Then they’ll be well again?!”
“Yes. Keep an eye on the passage, please.”
“Yes sir!”
“Now, where were we,” came Nemo’s voice again in Diana’s speaker as he knelt down and detached the equipment pouch from his belt.
“I was about to either defend or damm my associate -- not the easiest of tasks, mind you.”
“I have no doubt of that.”
“I know what your crew thinks of him,” she said. “There are times when I don’t know what to think of him and his actions. Then I look back on everything he’s accomplished, on all the…tragedies that forged him,” she said, realizing that she was treading into what her pointy-eared teammate would call dangerous territory.
“In a war such as this, tragedies are all too common. As I told him three days ago, how can he expect to fight alongside us against an enemy that will not hesitate to kill him in an instant?”
Diana smiled.
“He fights that enemy every night on the streets of Gotham City. His principles are what make him the -- and you’ll pardon the pun given his dark nature -- beacon of hope in a city of the valiant, the venal, and the insane.”
She paused, considering her next -- and likely final phrasing -- carefully.
“Captain, I know he’s a difficult individual and seemingly not trustworthy and were I in your position, I would be just as ready to throw him off the Nautilus as some of your crew seems ready to. All I ask is that you have faith in him and my perception of one the greatest warriors of this or any Earth.
Nemo didn’t respond, instead focused
“I…will consider it.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
He nodded, then sealed the container and its herbal content.
“This is enough,” he said, switching back to the main channel.. “Our mission has been a success, men. Let us return to the ship.”
“Aye!”
The five members of the underwater expedition turned back towards the opposite end of the tunnel --
-- when a monstrous shadow settled over the cave entrance. Everyone took one good look at the source of the shadow and suddenly, all thoughts of success left their mind and bodies.
“Uh-oh.”
***
In many regards, Electra was the opposite of Captain Nemo and it wasn’t just a matter of gender. She was a woman of action and disliked simply waiting around and doing nothing. This was precisely why she stood at attention, gazing out the portholes of the Nautilus’ bridge at the fathoms below.
It was just her, their science officer, and the Chief Engineer, now, on the bridge. Echo was monitoring the work pod and their helmsman was off-duty, getting some badly needed rest. While the Asian science officer was monitoring the ship’s sensor arrays, the engineer was only partially at work on the calibration of the engineering station. He was instead looking at Electra.
“I agree with what you‘re thinking, Commander,” he said at last. “He has changed. He’s not the Captain Nemo we’ve all come to know. I was surprised as anyone else when he ordered us to change course abandon pursuit of the Garfish.
He paused, then continued, knowing what he was about to say would likely not elicit a favorable response from the XO.
“Even so, I think he was correct in making his decision. If we were to let those children die just so we could achieve our chief objective, we would be not better than Gargoyle and the rest of the Neo-Atlanteans.”
Electra didn’t respond, signaling to the engineer that he could continue onwards.
“You know, I want to avenge my son and grandchild, but I won’t let that happen at the expense of innocent children. I trust Captain Nemo with entire being, Electra. The only reason any of us are still alive is because he was there to rescue us.
Electra turned towards the engineer, perhaps preparing to rebuke ore refute him --
-- when the science console transformed into a cacophony of lights and sounds as the instruments came to life.
“Report.”
The officer scanned his console and the readings it was giving him.
“Commander, I’m detecting an incoming object.”
A strange mixture of trepidation and hope filled Elektra’s face.
“Is it the Garfish?”
He shook his head.
“It has a similar mass, but it’s moving too fast and it’s coming directly from the trench itse--
The ship began rattling as water began to surge and swirl around the multi-purpose submarine. Everyone held onto railings and consoles as best as they could, as they had been trained to do.
“What in the hell is --?”
Electra’s incomplete question was answered a moment later as a massive creature suddenly flew past the portholes and the forward bow of the Nautilus. At first glance, it may have appeared to be swimming, but it was quickly evident, despite its speed, that it was less swimming. In fact, it almost looked like it had been…thrown.
The instant the waters stopped quaking, Electra was at her console, reestablishing the communications connection with Diving Sphere One as quickly as she could.
“Diving Sphere One, come in. Team One, come in. I repeat --”
“We’re fine, First Officer. Ms. Diana…threw back the catch of the day, that’s all.”
***
“I still cannot believe that there are species of fish that large living at that depth,” Jean was saying four hours later.
“Not just underwater,” Diana replied, memories of the inter-dimensional creatures that Aquaman had fought during the attack on Atlantis several months earlier “You’d be amazed at what you’d find in all corners of the globe and the universe.
They had all just barely gotten out of decompression and were already clamoring over the state of the two girls. The CMO and Nurse Icolina had finished injecting the prepared vaccine into the still forms of Nadia and Marie hours before and they were already showing signs of recovery. Nadia was silent, but less due to her depleted strength and more to the knowledge that the man she had called a murderer had just saved her and Marie’s life.
“What I still can’t believe that you were able to send that fish flying so far,” Hanson said. “I mean, I know you have super-strength, but wow.”
“Well technically, the inertia, when combined with the force of the mass and the depth we were --”
“Hanson?”
“Yes, Sanson?”
“Stop being so scientific, will you man?”
Diana smiled as she exited the sickbay, the sounds of a laughter -- Nadia’s among them, though weak and weary -- a wonderful narcotic to the deep, black abyss that they had risked their lives to penetrate.
And speaking of black and dark…
“I think I just earned us a few more points with the Captain. So you can thank me later or never,” she said, finding her Dark Knight companion keeping vigil from the shadows of the Nautilus’s corridor that ran right outside Sickbay. He didn’t respond.
Typical.
She began to walk off when --
“By the way, nice right hook,”
She looked back at him, surprised, yet smiling.
“Thank you.”
***
“I’ve returned the ship on its original course of SB-60, with a speed at 1/3 impulse power.”
“Hmm. Carry on.”
Electra nodded curtly and began walk to the edge of the bridge to conduct her rounds of the vessel.
“First officer?”
She turned back to face him.
“Yes, sir?”
“I’m sorry that we broke off pursuit of the Garfish.”
“Oh…it’s…it’s nothing, sir. I have steadfast faith in your decision, Captain; I hope you know that.”
“I do.”
“And I know we will find Gargoyle eventually. He can’t hide from our desire for justice forever.”
***
“Lord Gargoyle, we are receiving a transmission from the Captain of Garfish 17-M.”
“Put him through.”
“One moment, my Lord.”
A few moments later, the communications system of Gargoyle’s suite roared to life again as the transmission was relayed.
“Report, Captain.”
“We’ve located the Nautilus. It’s on a course roughly analogous to that reported by Garfish19-E five days previous.”
“Good, good. Continue to track and stay out of their sensor range until further orders are issued.”
“It will be as you command, my Lord.”
As the signal to Garfish 17-M concluded, Gargoyle allowed a brief sense of relief. His quarry was now back on track; all that awaited was the reaffirmation of whether or not 2501 had --
“Lord Gargoyle, we have another incoming transmission, this one from --”
“Agent 2501?”
“Yes my lord.”
“Then patch it through on the secure line.”
“It will be as you command my Lord.”
As before, there was static, then --
“Are you receiving this transmission clearly, my Lord?”
“Indeed. Report.”
“As per your instructions, I have made contact with the Admiral.”
“And?”
“He is most anxious to avenge the men that we killed on the Lincoln two months ago.”
“His chance is fast approaching. Does he have the appropriate information?”
“The charts and times are now in his possession. He has no idea of who I represent , though."
“Good. See to it that he doesn’t. Is the Admiral en route?
“Yes, my Lord. He left port last night. As per your recent communiqué, will the alteration of his heading be necessary?”
“No, the Nautilus has thankfully resumed its original course. Stay out of sight, but continue to monitor the situation from your position.
“I, but live to serve Neo-Atlantis, my lord. Agent 2501 out.”
As the signal terminated, Gargoyle leaned back in his chair, a wicked smile forming beneath his mask as he congratulated himself on this latest achievement.
If all went according to plan, the Nautilus and its troublesome Captain would be eliminated from the playing field within the next seventy-two hours. And the delicious irony of it all was that Nemo’s destruction would be carried out by the very creatures that he was trying to save…
***
To be continued…
***
Author’s Notes
* Should have pointed this out last time, so I’ll do it now; Agent 2501’s name is a tribute to the designation of the Puppet Master of fellow anime Ghost in the Shell.
* The trans-dimensional incident took place in Season 2’s “The Terror Beyond”.
Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
As always, Enjoy!
***
Chapter XIII -- A Matter of Perception, Part 2
***
“They were at two-thousand meters to firing range when they suddenly just broke off and did a complete one-hundred-and-eighty degree reverse. Shortly after, they moved out of our tracking range, but their last heading put them on a north-eastern course, bearing 115 mark 330.”
“Hmm. Continue your attempt to locate the target, but do not engage.
“Yes, my Lord.”
As the radio signal terminated, annoyance and confusion flickered in the mind of the Neo-Atlatean Lord s he analyzed what the Captain of Garfish 17-M had relayed. As a chess player, he liked to prepare for any eventuality, to think three moves ahead, but there were some things that even he couldn’t predict -- much as he hated to admit it. He certainly couldn’t have predicted what his quarry had just done and for someone who had known Nemo for so long and knew how he thought, this made little sense. The 17-M was one of the older Garfish models; the Nautilus could have destroyed it with ease.
So why had the Captain broken off a golden opportunity to destroy one of his submarines?
***
Captain Nemo regarded the four guests to the decompression chamber as he slipped on his diving suit, which while bulky was still far more advanced than anything developed thus far by navies around the globe.
“Are you certain you want to do this? The level of risk is great.”
“Risk is our business, Captain,” said Sanson, grinning. “Besides, we’re ready to do anything we can short of inaction to help Nadia and Maria.
Nemo considered them for a long moment and then sighed.
“We don’t have time to argue. Each of you may take on the diving suits over there. When you are ready, we will be on our way.
“Aye!”
***
Thirty minutes later, after having explained the basics of deep-sea diving and the operation of the diving suits and their communication systems, Nemo and company held on as Echo released the work-pod from the underbelly of the Nautilus currently stationed above the trench designated by Nemo’s charts are Reef 64.
In her diving suit, Diana held on as tight as she could without crushing the medal piping; it never ceased to amaze her how Clark, with all his strength, could handle such fragile objects so gently. She also could easily have withstood the pressures at this distance, but for Nadia’s sake, she wasn’t ready to take any kind of risk. The life of two children depended on the success of this mission.
As the diving pod dipped lower and lower to the depths of the Trench, even Diana found herself intrigued by the variety of creatures down here. Aquatic life forms once thought extinct, still alive and untouched by human interference. And as she listened to the boys trade remarks about this was a marine paleontologist’s dream and how this was a Lost World, she began to realize something.
Their Earth had known these things for the last several decades and was still on-going. But these people were discovering it for the first time. They were boldly going where no one on their Earth had gone before -- present company and Neo-Atlanteans excluded, of course. It reminded her of the feeling she had received when she had left Thymiscera to fight the Imperium, the sense of discovery and wonder that Patriarch’s world, for all its flaws, had to offer.
“Ms Diana?’
She was aware of Nemo’s synthesized voice coming in over her helmet speaker.
“Yes, Captain?”
“May I have a word with you on a secure channel?”
“Fire away.”
“Thank you.”
He paused for a moment, no doubt adjusting his frequency, before continuing.
“I can understand Jean, Sanson, and Hanson’s presence on this mission. Your presence is…”
“Odd?”
“I was going to say appreciated. Reef 64 is relatively safe, but there is the occasional abnormality that could turn dangerous in an instant. I am also surprised given his talent for appearing out of nowhere that your companion has given us the drop yet."
Almost by reflex, Diana looked up at the retreating form of the distant Nautilus, half-expecting Nemo’s musings to become reality. But no, there was nothing. No terror that ascended from the skies to terrify them. She allowed herself a slight smile.
“He may be stubborn, but even he knows the limits, of what he can and can’t handle. It‘s actually a part of his fighting code.”
“Does this code involving slugging the master and commander of a submarine?”
Diana sighed.
“He’s --”
The Amazon cut herself off as the diving sphere touched down.
“We’ve arrived at the target,” came Nemo’s voice over the main channel as he pointed to a series of caverns nestled in the crevices of the trench. “Follow me and stay close.”
The team set off cautiously, moving into the caves that Nemo had designated. What was unusal about the cave was both the forest like seaweed that branched out and formed a crown-like ceiling and the glittering moss that lined the walls and became more prominent the further and further they proceeded through the cramped tunnel.
“Is that it,” asked a wide-eyed Jean as he starred down at the moss.
“Yes, this is the medicinal herb we seek.”
“Then they’ll be well again?!”
“Yes. Keep an eye on the passage, please.”
“Yes sir!”
“Now, where were we,” came Nemo’s voice again in Diana’s speaker as he knelt down and detached the equipment pouch from his belt.
“I was about to either defend or damm my associate -- not the easiest of tasks, mind you.”
“I have no doubt of that.”
“I know what your crew thinks of him,” she said. “There are times when I don’t know what to think of him and his actions. Then I look back on everything he’s accomplished, on all the…tragedies that forged him,” she said, realizing that she was treading into what her pointy-eared teammate would call dangerous territory.
“In a war such as this, tragedies are all too common. As I told him three days ago, how can he expect to fight alongside us against an enemy that will not hesitate to kill him in an instant?”
Diana smiled.
“He fights that enemy every night on the streets of Gotham City. His principles are what make him the -- and you’ll pardon the pun given his dark nature -- beacon of hope in a city of the valiant, the venal, and the insane.”
She paused, considering her next -- and likely final phrasing -- carefully.
“Captain, I know he’s a difficult individual and seemingly not trustworthy and were I in your position, I would be just as ready to throw him off the Nautilus as some of your crew seems ready to. All I ask is that you have faith in him and my perception of one the greatest warriors of this or any Earth.
Nemo didn’t respond, instead focused
“I…will consider it.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
He nodded, then sealed the container and its herbal content.
“This is enough,” he said, switching back to the main channel.. “Our mission has been a success, men. Let us return to the ship.”
“Aye!”
The five members of the underwater expedition turned back towards the opposite end of the tunnel --
-- when a monstrous shadow settled over the cave entrance. Everyone took one good look at the source of the shadow and suddenly, all thoughts of success left their mind and bodies.
“Uh-oh.”
***
In many regards, Electra was the opposite of Captain Nemo and it wasn’t just a matter of gender. She was a woman of action and disliked simply waiting around and doing nothing. This was precisely why she stood at attention, gazing out the portholes of the Nautilus’ bridge at the fathoms below.
It was just her, their science officer, and the Chief Engineer, now, on the bridge. Echo was monitoring the work pod and their helmsman was off-duty, getting some badly needed rest. While the Asian science officer was monitoring the ship’s sensor arrays, the engineer was only partially at work on the calibration of the engineering station. He was instead looking at Electra.
“I agree with what you‘re thinking, Commander,” he said at last. “He has changed. He’s not the Captain Nemo we’ve all come to know. I was surprised as anyone else when he ordered us to change course abandon pursuit of the Garfish.
He paused, then continued, knowing what he was about to say would likely not elicit a favorable response from the XO.
“Even so, I think he was correct in making his decision. If we were to let those children die just so we could achieve our chief objective, we would be not better than Gargoyle and the rest of the Neo-Atlanteans.”
Electra didn’t respond, signaling to the engineer that he could continue onwards.
“You know, I want to avenge my son and grandchild, but I won’t let that happen at the expense of innocent children. I trust Captain Nemo with entire being, Electra. The only reason any of us are still alive is because he was there to rescue us.
Electra turned towards the engineer, perhaps preparing to rebuke ore refute him --
-- when the science console transformed into a cacophony of lights and sounds as the instruments came to life.
“Report.”
The officer scanned his console and the readings it was giving him.
“Commander, I’m detecting an incoming object.”
A strange mixture of trepidation and hope filled Elektra’s face.
“Is it the Garfish?”
He shook his head.
“It has a similar mass, but it’s moving too fast and it’s coming directly from the trench itse--
The ship began rattling as water began to surge and swirl around the multi-purpose submarine. Everyone held onto railings and consoles as best as they could, as they had been trained to do.
“What in the hell is --?”
Electra’s incomplete question was answered a moment later as a massive creature suddenly flew past the portholes and the forward bow of the Nautilus. At first glance, it may have appeared to be swimming, but it was quickly evident, despite its speed, that it was less swimming. In fact, it almost looked like it had been…thrown.
The instant the waters stopped quaking, Electra was at her console, reestablishing the communications connection with Diving Sphere One as quickly as she could.
“Diving Sphere One, come in. Team One, come in. I repeat --”
“We’re fine, First Officer. Ms. Diana…threw back the catch of the day, that’s all.”
***
“I still cannot believe that there are species of fish that large living at that depth,” Jean was saying four hours later.
“Not just underwater,” Diana replied, memories of the inter-dimensional creatures that Aquaman had fought during the attack on Atlantis several months earlier “You’d be amazed at what you’d find in all corners of the globe and the universe.
They had all just barely gotten out of decompression and were already clamoring over the state of the two girls. The CMO and Nurse Icolina had finished injecting the prepared vaccine into the still forms of Nadia and Marie hours before and they were already showing signs of recovery. Nadia was silent, but less due to her depleted strength and more to the knowledge that the man she had called a murderer had just saved her and Marie’s life.
“What I still can’t believe that you were able to send that fish flying so far,” Hanson said. “I mean, I know you have super-strength, but wow.”
“Well technically, the inertia, when combined with the force of the mass and the depth we were --”
“Hanson?”
“Yes, Sanson?”
“Stop being so scientific, will you man?”
Diana smiled as she exited the sickbay, the sounds of a laughter -- Nadia’s among them, though weak and weary -- a wonderful narcotic to the deep, black abyss that they had risked their lives to penetrate.
And speaking of black and dark…
“I think I just earned us a few more points with the Captain. So you can thank me later or never,” she said, finding her Dark Knight companion keeping vigil from the shadows of the Nautilus’s corridor that ran right outside Sickbay. He didn’t respond.
Typical.
She began to walk off when --
“By the way, nice right hook,”
She looked back at him, surprised, yet smiling.
“Thank you.”
***
“I’ve returned the ship on its original course of SB-60, with a speed at 1/3 impulse power.”
“Hmm. Carry on.”
Electra nodded curtly and began walk to the edge of the bridge to conduct her rounds of the vessel.
“First officer?”
She turned back to face him.
“Yes, sir?”
“I’m sorry that we broke off pursuit of the Garfish.”
“Oh…it’s…it’s nothing, sir. I have steadfast faith in your decision, Captain; I hope you know that.”
“I do.”
“And I know we will find Gargoyle eventually. He can’t hide from our desire for justice forever.”
***
“Lord Gargoyle, we are receiving a transmission from the Captain of Garfish 17-M.”
“Put him through.”
“One moment, my Lord.”
A few moments later, the communications system of Gargoyle’s suite roared to life again as the transmission was relayed.
“Report, Captain.”
“We’ve located the Nautilus. It’s on a course roughly analogous to that reported by Garfish19-E five days previous.”
“Good, good. Continue to track and stay out of their sensor range until further orders are issued.”
“It will be as you command, my Lord.”
As the signal to Garfish 17-M concluded, Gargoyle allowed a brief sense of relief. His quarry was now back on track; all that awaited was the reaffirmation of whether or not 2501 had --
“Lord Gargoyle, we have another incoming transmission, this one from --”
“Agent 2501?”
“Yes my lord.”
“Then patch it through on the secure line.”
“It will be as you command my Lord.”
As before, there was static, then --
“Are you receiving this transmission clearly, my Lord?”
“Indeed. Report.”
“As per your instructions, I have made contact with the Admiral.”
“And?”
“He is most anxious to avenge the men that we killed on the Lincoln two months ago.”
“His chance is fast approaching. Does he have the appropriate information?”
“The charts and times are now in his possession. He has no idea of who I represent , though."
“Good. See to it that he doesn’t. Is the Admiral en route?
“Yes, my Lord. He left port last night. As per your recent communiqué, will the alteration of his heading be necessary?”
“No, the Nautilus has thankfully resumed its original course. Stay out of sight, but continue to monitor the situation from your position.
“I, but live to serve Neo-Atlantis, my lord. Agent 2501 out.”
As the signal terminated, Gargoyle leaned back in his chair, a wicked smile forming beneath his mask as he congratulated himself on this latest achievement.
If all went according to plan, the Nautilus and its troublesome Captain would be eliminated from the playing field within the next seventy-two hours. And the delicious irony of it all was that Nemo’s destruction would be carried out by the very creatures that he was trying to save…
***
To be continued…
***
Author’s Notes
* Should have pointed this out last time, so I’ll do it now; Agent 2501’s name is a tribute to the designation of the Puppet Master of fellow anime Ghost in the Shell.
* The trans-dimensional incident took place in Season 2’s “The Terror Beyond”.
-
Shroom Man 777
- FUCKING DICK-STABBER!
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Nice, nice. But I was expecting a giant monster octopus, not just some big fish. Anyway, what kind of fish was it...?
I'm sure Agent 90210's going to get his ass kicked by Batman, who's going to kick his ass to save Nemo's ass.
I'm sure Agent 90210's going to get his ass kicked by Batman, who's going to kick his ass to save Nemo's ass.
"DO YOU WORSHIP HOMOSEXUALS?" - Curtis Saxton (source)shroom is a lovely boy and i wont hear a bad word against him - LUSY-CHAN!
Shit! Man, I didn't think of that! It took Shroom to properly interpret the screams of dying people
- PeZookShroom, I read out the stuff you write about us. You are an endless supply of morale down here. :p - an OWS street medic
Pink Sugar Heart Attack!
A Dinicthys. As for the octopus -- I'm working on that.Shroom Man 777 wrote:Nice, nice. But I was expecting a giant monster octopus, not just some big fish. Anyway, what kind of fish was it...?.
* Hiss *Shroom Man 777 wrote:I'm sure Agent 90210's going to get his ass kicked by Batman, who's going to kick his ass to save Nemo's ass
2501! 2501, not 90210! I will not tolerate such blasphemy within this thread, do you hear me?!
The simple fact of the matter is that Bat's is going to kick ass; I'm just building towards it. In the meantime, we have to allow equal focus and devleopment on the other characters, hence Diana's tangle with the Dinicthys (though originally, I was going to have her attempt to calm it, obviously fail, then send punch it. I found that slowed down the chapter and spoiled Electra's reaction).
Anyway, as always, thanks for your patience and time.
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Shroom Man 777
- FUCKING DICK-STABBER!
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I don't need to see Wonder Woman or anyone else have this thing you call character development. I want to see Batman kick ass 24/7 and perhaps get some booty as well!
But this works too.
Could you post a pic of that Deinonychus thing?
But this works too.
Could you post a pic of that Deinonychus thing?
"DO YOU WORSHIP HOMOSEXUALS?" - Curtis Saxton (source)shroom is a lovely boy and i wont hear a bad word against him - LUSY-CHAN!
Shit! Man, I didn't think of that! It took Shroom to properly interpret the screams of dying people
- PeZookShroom, I read out the stuff you write about us. You are an endless supply of morale down here. :p - an OWS street medic
Pink Sugar Heart Attack!
-
Shroom Man 777
- FUCKING DICK-STABBER!
- Posts: 21222
- Joined: 2003-05-11 08:39am
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Ah! Those prehistoric armored precambrian fish things!
"DO YOU WORSHIP HOMOSEXUALS?" - Curtis Saxton (source)shroom is a lovely boy and i wont hear a bad word against him - LUSY-CHAN!
Shit! Man, I didn't think of that! It took Shroom to properly interpret the screams of dying people
- PeZookShroom, I read out the stuff you write about us. You are an endless supply of morale down here. :p - an OWS street medic
Pink Sugar Heart Attack!
Captain Kirk.JME2 wrote:Risk is our business
Star Trek. Good chapter, and please, don't let Shroom's desires for nothing but Batman wanking deter you from writing this the way you want.JME2 wrote:They were boldly going where no one on their Earth had gone before
"I want to mow down a bunch of motherfuckers with absurdly large weapons and relative impunity - preferably in and around a skyscraper. Then I want to fight a grim battle against the unlikely duo of the Terminator and Robocop. The last level should involve (but not be limited to) multiple robo-Hitlers and a gorillasaurus rex."--Uraniun235 on his ideal FPS game
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader