A valid question that was raised early in the series; if there are Neo-Atlanteans, what happened to the old Atlantis? The fate of old Atlantis will be elaborated on in the next chapter and how the Neo-Atlantean society emerged will also be explored in the aftermath of the upcoming three-part Road to Ruin.Trogdor wrote:I must admit to being a bit confused as I have never seen the Nadia anime. The Nautilius going to Atlantis? Why aren't the Neo Atlantians in charge of the sunken city?
JLU/Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
Moderator: LadyTevar
Sorry, I'e only just now seen the new episode. Very wonderfully done, my friend. Very somber, very expressive. Vivant.
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
No, it's not a story update, but a tech. update. Or in this case, more of a possible warning. Last night, my computer started sparking and it appears to have finally kicked the bucket. I'm taking into the shop tomorrow, but it appears that I will probably have to dip into the new computer fund I've had since the PSU failure last year. Since I had new chapters planned for this weekend, I'm just warning in advance that they may not be ready. Thanks for your patience 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 Notes: I apologize for the delays. Christ, I feel like I’m writing “SUPERMAN/BATMAN” with the delays in the chapters. (Essentially, f*** Kanji, Finals, and holidays -- not to mention writer‘s block). But, that’s not why we’re here, is it? Other than that, as always, enjoy.
***
Chapter XVII: Identity Crisis, Part II
***
Given how it was one of the major centers of magic on their Earth, Diana had been well aware of Atlantis long before she had made the decision to leave Thymescria. Even so, she had been more than a little impressed when the incident involving the American nuclear sub Defiant and the attempted coup of Orm. She had observed that should Aquaman’s treacherous brother had succeeded, it was likely the survivors of the Gaea’s cradle could have forged their remaining forces and firepower to destroy such a remarkable locale.
It was these images conjured by her imagination and memory which Diana was now experiencing again as the Captain completed the funeral service and the crew had gathered for the wake to honor Fait and his fallen comrades. Despite her respect to the dead, she had spent most of said wake off to the side, deep in thought. Bruce had snuck off, investigating. Even he was not willing to further question Nemo. And while Diana was not the detective that the Dark Knight was, she was intelligent enough to recognized several key facts in the sequence of events.
In their timeline, Atlantis’ attraction to the inter-dimensional entities, the Old Ones, such as Icthultu, had resulted in the forging of Triton’s Trident during the city‘s last-ditch defense. However, though the magiks involved had sunk the city and transformed the port into the underwater civilization that they knew.
But this Atlantis was different.
The architecture, though blasted to practically nothing, still possessed a semblance of its former luster to show Diana that this did not resemble the Atlantis she had visited twice. In fact, the only similarity between the two cities was that both had been victim to massive channeling of energy. And while Diana had not recognized the monolithic structure at the ruin’s epicenter, Batman’s foray on Gargoyle’s island had allowed him to identify it as a “Tower of Babel”.
Something cataclysmic had happened here.
Alright, so Atlantis had developed into a grand, ancient civilization, but how? The technology to construct marvels like the Tower of Babel was far beyond any pre-Egyptian culture. So, how had they come into it? Did they possess a benefactor, similar to the role that the future Vandal Savage had played in his manipulation of the Second World War? Or was their another incident?
At some point in the past, prior to their arrival, the city had suffered a great cataclysm and had become abandoned. Thus, what remained of the ancient Atlanteans? Were their descendents truly the architects of Gargoyle’s Neo-Atlantean movement or again, was there more here than met the eye? As a warrior, Diana was suited to analyzing a battlefield and her enemy. But these many cultural and historical intrigues and incongruities -- this was far more Bruce’s field of expertise.
“We need to talk to them. Now.”
Speak of the devil.
To Diana’s side lay the form of her fellow Justice Leaguer. The Dark Knight had not approached the funeral service, his form clinging to the few shadows offered by the ruined expanse of Atlantis. Given his family history, it came as no surprise why he would be uncomfortable in such settings. It still never ceased to amaze Diana just how he was able of sneaking up on anyone in the League.
“Speak to who?”
“Nadia and the Jean.”
Diana took on an incredulous expression. Bruce was choosing now of all times to confront emotional issues like this? But one look at this face was showed her that this was the look of someone speaking in utmost sincerity. Something had happened. He had learned something.
But what?
***
Nadia had never liked funerals, primarily for her because it was an occasion of death. She did not see it as a celebration of one’s life and accomplishments, but a celebration of death. Blame it on the circus owner putting a venerable elephant down in front of her eyes so many years ago. The Circus, while it had provided her with a home, but it had provided so much of the pain present in her life.
But regardless, she had felt a need to view his service, if nothing else than to comfort Jean. She had not known the engineer well, but Jean had. And just as he had been aboard the Nautilus, Jean had been despondent, his unusual flair for enthusiasm dimmed. But this time it had been even more so and it had all begun after Echo had a few words with him by the crosses and life vests marking those Nautilus crewmembers who had fallen in the conflict.
And so half an hour earlier, she had exchanged another set of harsh words with both Nemo and Electra on his culpability in the deaths of the crewmembers before roaming the ruins, searching for Jean. She had to find him and…and…
And what? Yes, that was the question, wasn’t it? What were they going to do? When she had exchanged barbs with the command staff earlier, Electra had told her that do to the level of danger that the Nautilus was now entering, the Captain and senior staff had decided to give the children and the guests the option of abandoning ship, so to speak, and being sworn to secrecy about all they had seen.
Granids, Sanson, and Hanson had already agreed to stick it out, though Nadia suspected it was more to her former’s infatuation with the Captain. She didn’t know about the Leaguers and honestly, she didn’t care. Ultimately, though, the choice to leave the Nautilus was theirs and theirs alone.
Yes, leave the Nautilus. And go where? What was she doing here in this, this place, this Atlantis? What home did she have? The traveling circus had been her only home for her entire life and not much of one at that. All she knew was that she had been picked up as an infant and eventually made her way into the Circus. And the Nautilus was a technological hellhole, home to sociopaths and super human thugs.
It was in this maelstrom of thoughts that she soon came what appeared to be a platform overlooking the outer edges of the ruins. Sea water from the outside appeared to run down in a roaring waterfall and amazingly, in this deserted wastelands, flowers were growing along the edges. But then, so was misery. Nadia found Jean overlooking the expanse as well. She walked up alongside him, but he gave no indication that he was aware of her presence.
“Jean?”
“Go away,” he whispered, not even looking at her.
“Jean, I -- ”
“Go away Nadia!” Jean screamed, his face red with anger, his checks lined with glistening tears. Before Nadia could stop herself, her hand lanced out, slapping the young French boy across the cheek just as Grandis had to her a few days previous. But like Grandis’, the blow acted as a blam to Jean’s explosion of emotion. He took several deep breaths before sitting himself down on the rocks overlooking the watefall.
“Jean, what did Echo tell you?”
It took a Jean a long, long moment to respond.
“Echo was formerly of a French merchant vessel a year ago before the Neo-Atlanteans sunk it. The Nautilus saved him. He was the only survivor. His ship was the Guerriere and his bunkmate was Pierre Coq Raltique.
Nadia felt her blood chill at the last name.
Coq Raltique.
“Jean…your father?”
He nodded solemnly. Nadia felt her blood chill again. So, the lives of Fait and the crew and innocence of a child was not enough, was it? The Atlanteans had stolen one of the most important things to any child: his parent. Now, she and he were both more linked than she could have foreseen.
They were both orphans.
“Jean,” she said at last. “What you going to do?”
Jean threw his hands into the air in frustration.
“I don’t know what to do, Nadia. I don’t. I want to kill them, I want to --”
“I would suggest not killing them.”
The two adolescents spun around to find both Justice Leaguers standing besides the crumbling wall behind them.
“Do you have butt in where you’re not wanted?” Nadia responded, reclaiming the title of the most emotional of the two.
“Yes,” Batman retorted deadpan. Diana rolled her eyes. For all of his abilities and talents, Bruce took things perhaps just a tad too literally and seriously. Flash had more than once classified the point ears of his mask as being proof enough that the Dark Knight was part Vulcan.
“What do you want now,” Jean replied with wariness.
“Because I have more in common than you realize.”
“Really?” Nadia asked, unconvinced.
“Because I lost my parents to violence as well.”
Then Batman did something that caused everyone’s mouth to drop, something that the Dark Knight had only done in private since coming aboard the Nautilus.
He removed his mask.
For what seemed an eternity, no one spoke.
“What is about to be said will stay between us. No on else on the Nautilus is to know of this. Understood?’ Batman said at last.
Both of them nodded, slowly and yet with Purpose. Batman appeared satisfied and he sat down .
“Good. My… real name is Bruce. My parents died when I was just a few years older than Marie. They were shot in an alleyway coming home from the theater one night. I watched the whole thing happen right in front of me, Jean.”
Jean was silent, his attention utterly focused on the Batman‘s narrative. Diana was surprised at how he told his tale. The death of his parents was not easily discussed either conversationally or in private, but here it somehow just seemed…easier. She briefly wondered if Dick Grayson had received a similar telling of the tale.
“After they died, I made a vow to fight injustice and crime, to prevent what had happened to my parents from happening to anyone else. I spent the remainder of my childhood traveling the globe, learning the skills I would need to make this plan work before returning to Gotham City. I’ve been fighting this war for almost three decades.
“I understand your desire to see revenge of Fait’s death as well as the death as your father. But believe me when I say that vengeance blackens the soul, Jean,” Bruce said, quoting the very words Alfred had used to sooth him over Andrea Beaumont’s descent into the dark mantle of the Phantasm.
“But, the anger, the rage--”
“ Are all natural, Jean. But there are ways to channel the anger without giving into it. I can help you, though.
“Through what?” Nadia responded vehemently. “More violence, more lack of action for those in need?!”
“Do you think any of us enjoy using violence?” Diana responded. “Violence is the language of tyrants and thugs, yet we are both well versed in it, Bruce because of his mission and myself because of my heritage as an Amazon.
“But you have powers! Why couldn‘t you save Fait or the others,” asked Nadia sternly.
“Do you think we’re all perfect beings of light? We know we can’t accomplish it, but we try. We’ve both been agonizing over what could and couldn’t have been done to save Fait. We can only learn from these choices and use them to better ourselves. Like me.”
“What are you talking about?” There was once again suspicion in Nadia’s eyes and voice.
“Because of my choices, I can’t go home, Nadia.”
The boy inventor looked quizzically at the Leaguers
“You mean because you’re with us here on this alternate Earth with us?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s…complicated,” Diana stated. It was now her turn to relate a tale of
“Three years ago,” she began, “our Earth came under attack from interstellar invaders. It was that invasion that led to the formation of the Justice League -- and also my present circumstances. My home is protected by my gods, I she couldn‘t sit around idly while the world was in peril. Against my mother’s wishes, I donned the armor forged for the royal family and helped repel the invaders.”
Wonder Woman paused for a moment, letting this sink in before continuing.
“I put off going home for eight months. In the end, though, I knew I had to face responsibility for disobeying my mother’s wishes and so returned.” But it was more complicated a reunion than I had anticipated. A world-be sorcerer named Felix Faust had taken it upon himself to free the imprisoned Greek god of the underworld, Hades in return of ultimate knowledge. He attacked the island, utilizing the power of the Gorgon to turn her sisters to stone.
When I returned, Faust blackmailed me into recovering the keys to unlocking Hades’ prison by myself. I refused the League’s help, but they aided her nonetheless. And working together, we were successful. We stopped Faust, re-sealed Hades within his prison, and reversed the effects of the spell.”
She paused once again. The memories of what had occurred next still haunted and angered not only herself, but some in the League, particularly Flash.
“But it came at a price. Men aren’t allowed on Thymiscera. It’s our greatest law. If you’re going to blame it on someone, blame it on Hades‘s…actions millennia previous. And even though I saved the lives of my sisters, I had broken that law. Her mother had no choice but to exile me.
“I could have left the planet, but I didn’t. I chose to stay with the League. I chose to build a life both with and outside of the League. With the exception of select few, there is no one else I trust more or would rather fight alongside of.”
“Not even Super-man?”
A hint of smile crossed Diana’s features.
“He’s good. But he’s also good, even better in many ways.”
The brief moment of subtle humor quickly passed, however.
“Our point is that the choice is yours, Jean and Nadia. I won’t influence it in any way and neither will Batman. You have to forge the path that you will take in life, be in times of tranquility or times of tragedy.”
***
“I still can’t believe you did that,” Diana said later as the Nautilus crew drifted away from the wake and towards the final service. Batman’s mask was once again in place and the two had left the children to discuss things on their own. After all, as they had said, the decision was all their own.
“Neither can I,” Batman replied.
“How long did it take you to tell your first…partner?”
“Not long. Same with his replacement.”
Batman produced a slight grimace at the memory, of Tim Drake wandering through the Batcave after he had been rescued from Two-Face’s wrath and accidentally made his way
into the Wayne study.
“Either way, I’m…not going with stories or emotions.
She smiled. “Understatement of the year. Seriously, why did you do that?”
“They’re good kids. I’m not going to stand back and watch such hopefuls beacons of inspiration be extinguished by a bunch of mask-wearing fascist.
“Now you’re starting to sound like that archer in Star City.”
“Not if I say that if the kids talk about what they saw, I’ll make them disappear.”
“You’re joking, right?”
Before the Diana could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps filled their ears. Both Leaguers turned to find Nadia and Jean approaching them, the two supporting each other. The emotional drainage both had suffered through was still present, but there was just a hint that something positive was at the center of their mood. In both of their hands, they held the flowers that had been growing along the platform. After placing both on Fait’s coffin, both walked slowly towards the Leaguers.
“I thought you should hear first. I…I’m staying on board. I’m going to see this through,” Jean said, a touch of his enthusiasm in his voice. “I…thank you for your talk, earlier. I know Fait couldn’t have been saved at the cost of the entire ship. I’m sorry for the things I said. But the pain…I know it can be overcome, but I can’t think of anyone I‘d rather ask for that help than you.”
“Thanks. Nadia?” Diana asked.
“I too am staying…but…”
The young circus performer hesitated, then looked up into the orbless slits of the Dark Knight’s mask.
“You’re a detective, aren’t you?”
“He’s the best there is,” Diana said. Nadia hesitated again, then continued.
“This…I don’t know what this is. I don’t know where I cam from, I don’t know why I have this or what it even is. I need answers to the secret of the Blue Water.”
Batman starred down at the jewel, then back at Nadia.
“We’ll solve it together, then.”
He really did mean that. Nadia, Gargoyle, the Nautilus, Atlantis, the Blue Water; it was all connected, this much he was all but sure of. And for all their sakes, the Dark Knight hoped that they would soon learn the answers before it was too late…
***
To be Continued…
***
Author’s Notations
* Ah, finally, a sense of resolution to the children’s conflict with the Leaguers. And not too soon, as we prepare to enter the Nautilus’ darkest hour with the three-part “The Road to Ruin”.
* The encounter with Icthultu occurred in “The Terror Beyond”.
* Vandal Savage’s temporal manipulation can be seen both in “The Savage Time” and “Hereafter”.
* The name of Jean’s father was never given on-screen, nor was the name of his ship. However, the ship name, the Guerriere was actually a converted French sailing frigate that was stricken at sea in 1888, a year before the setting of the series and around the same His time that Jean’s father went missing (another little historical tie-in on my part).
* The incidents leading up to Diana’s exile can be found in “Paradise Lost”
* Andrea Beaumont and the Phantasm first appeared in the film “Mask of the Phantasm”.
* The animated Tim Drake’s foray into the Wayne den was seen in TNBA’s “Sins of the Father”.
* The archer in Star City is, of course, Green Arrow. Remember, at the time of this story, the JLU hadn’t’ been formed and thus Green Arrow wasn’t a member. His left-wing reputation, however, likely proceeds him.
Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
Author’s Notes: I apologize for the delays. Christ, I feel like I’m writing “SUPERMAN/BATMAN” with the delays in the chapters. (Essentially, f*** Kanji, Finals, and holidays -- not to mention writer‘s block). But, that’s not why we’re here, is it? Other than that, as always, enjoy.
***
Chapter XVII: Identity Crisis, Part II
***
Given how it was one of the major centers of magic on their Earth, Diana had been well aware of Atlantis long before she had made the decision to leave Thymescria. Even so, she had been more than a little impressed when the incident involving the American nuclear sub Defiant and the attempted coup of Orm. She had observed that should Aquaman’s treacherous brother had succeeded, it was likely the survivors of the Gaea’s cradle could have forged their remaining forces and firepower to destroy such a remarkable locale.
It was these images conjured by her imagination and memory which Diana was now experiencing again as the Captain completed the funeral service and the crew had gathered for the wake to honor Fait and his fallen comrades. Despite her respect to the dead, she had spent most of said wake off to the side, deep in thought. Bruce had snuck off, investigating. Even he was not willing to further question Nemo. And while Diana was not the detective that the Dark Knight was, she was intelligent enough to recognized several key facts in the sequence of events.
In their timeline, Atlantis’ attraction to the inter-dimensional entities, the Old Ones, such as Icthultu, had resulted in the forging of Triton’s Trident during the city‘s last-ditch defense. However, though the magiks involved had sunk the city and transformed the port into the underwater civilization that they knew.
But this Atlantis was different.
The architecture, though blasted to practically nothing, still possessed a semblance of its former luster to show Diana that this did not resemble the Atlantis she had visited twice. In fact, the only similarity between the two cities was that both had been victim to massive channeling of energy. And while Diana had not recognized the monolithic structure at the ruin’s epicenter, Batman’s foray on Gargoyle’s island had allowed him to identify it as a “Tower of Babel”.
Something cataclysmic had happened here.
Alright, so Atlantis had developed into a grand, ancient civilization, but how? The technology to construct marvels like the Tower of Babel was far beyond any pre-Egyptian culture. So, how had they come into it? Did they possess a benefactor, similar to the role that the future Vandal Savage had played in his manipulation of the Second World War? Or was their another incident?
At some point in the past, prior to their arrival, the city had suffered a great cataclysm and had become abandoned. Thus, what remained of the ancient Atlanteans? Were their descendents truly the architects of Gargoyle’s Neo-Atlantean movement or again, was there more here than met the eye? As a warrior, Diana was suited to analyzing a battlefield and her enemy. But these many cultural and historical intrigues and incongruities -- this was far more Bruce’s field of expertise.
“We need to talk to them. Now.”
Speak of the devil.
To Diana’s side lay the form of her fellow Justice Leaguer. The Dark Knight had not approached the funeral service, his form clinging to the few shadows offered by the ruined expanse of Atlantis. Given his family history, it came as no surprise why he would be uncomfortable in such settings. It still never ceased to amaze Diana just how he was able of sneaking up on anyone in the League.
“Speak to who?”
“Nadia and the Jean.”
Diana took on an incredulous expression. Bruce was choosing now of all times to confront emotional issues like this? But one look at this face was showed her that this was the look of someone speaking in utmost sincerity. Something had happened. He had learned something.
But what?
***
Nadia had never liked funerals, primarily for her because it was an occasion of death. She did not see it as a celebration of one’s life and accomplishments, but a celebration of death. Blame it on the circus owner putting a venerable elephant down in front of her eyes so many years ago. The Circus, while it had provided her with a home, but it had provided so much of the pain present in her life.
But regardless, she had felt a need to view his service, if nothing else than to comfort Jean. She had not known the engineer well, but Jean had. And just as he had been aboard the Nautilus, Jean had been despondent, his unusual flair for enthusiasm dimmed. But this time it had been even more so and it had all begun after Echo had a few words with him by the crosses and life vests marking those Nautilus crewmembers who had fallen in the conflict.
And so half an hour earlier, she had exchanged another set of harsh words with both Nemo and Electra on his culpability in the deaths of the crewmembers before roaming the ruins, searching for Jean. She had to find him and…and…
And what? Yes, that was the question, wasn’t it? What were they going to do? When she had exchanged barbs with the command staff earlier, Electra had told her that do to the level of danger that the Nautilus was now entering, the Captain and senior staff had decided to give the children and the guests the option of abandoning ship, so to speak, and being sworn to secrecy about all they had seen.
Granids, Sanson, and Hanson had already agreed to stick it out, though Nadia suspected it was more to her former’s infatuation with the Captain. She didn’t know about the Leaguers and honestly, she didn’t care. Ultimately, though, the choice to leave the Nautilus was theirs and theirs alone.
Yes, leave the Nautilus. And go where? What was she doing here in this, this place, this Atlantis? What home did she have? The traveling circus had been her only home for her entire life and not much of one at that. All she knew was that she had been picked up as an infant and eventually made her way into the Circus. And the Nautilus was a technological hellhole, home to sociopaths and super human thugs.
It was in this maelstrom of thoughts that she soon came what appeared to be a platform overlooking the outer edges of the ruins. Sea water from the outside appeared to run down in a roaring waterfall and amazingly, in this deserted wastelands, flowers were growing along the edges. But then, so was misery. Nadia found Jean overlooking the expanse as well. She walked up alongside him, but he gave no indication that he was aware of her presence.
“Jean?”
“Go away,” he whispered, not even looking at her.
“Jean, I -- ”
“Go away Nadia!” Jean screamed, his face red with anger, his checks lined with glistening tears. Before Nadia could stop herself, her hand lanced out, slapping the young French boy across the cheek just as Grandis had to her a few days previous. But like Grandis’, the blow acted as a blam to Jean’s explosion of emotion. He took several deep breaths before sitting himself down on the rocks overlooking the watefall.
“Jean, what did Echo tell you?”
It took a Jean a long, long moment to respond.
“Echo was formerly of a French merchant vessel a year ago before the Neo-Atlanteans sunk it. The Nautilus saved him. He was the only survivor. His ship was the Guerriere and his bunkmate was Pierre Coq Raltique.
Nadia felt her blood chill at the last name.
Coq Raltique.
“Jean…your father?”
He nodded solemnly. Nadia felt her blood chill again. So, the lives of Fait and the crew and innocence of a child was not enough, was it? The Atlanteans had stolen one of the most important things to any child: his parent. Now, she and he were both more linked than she could have foreseen.
They were both orphans.
“Jean,” she said at last. “What you going to do?”
Jean threw his hands into the air in frustration.
“I don’t know what to do, Nadia. I don’t. I want to kill them, I want to --”
“I would suggest not killing them.”
The two adolescents spun around to find both Justice Leaguers standing besides the crumbling wall behind them.
“Do you have butt in where you’re not wanted?” Nadia responded, reclaiming the title of the most emotional of the two.
“Yes,” Batman retorted deadpan. Diana rolled her eyes. For all of his abilities and talents, Bruce took things perhaps just a tad too literally and seriously. Flash had more than once classified the point ears of his mask as being proof enough that the Dark Knight was part Vulcan.
“What do you want now,” Jean replied with wariness.
“Because I have more in common than you realize.”
“Really?” Nadia asked, unconvinced.
“Because I lost my parents to violence as well.”
Then Batman did something that caused everyone’s mouth to drop, something that the Dark Knight had only done in private since coming aboard the Nautilus.
He removed his mask.
For what seemed an eternity, no one spoke.
“What is about to be said will stay between us. No on else on the Nautilus is to know of this. Understood?’ Batman said at last.
Both of them nodded, slowly and yet with Purpose. Batman appeared satisfied and he sat down .
“Good. My… real name is Bruce. My parents died when I was just a few years older than Marie. They were shot in an alleyway coming home from the theater one night. I watched the whole thing happen right in front of me, Jean.”
Jean was silent, his attention utterly focused on the Batman‘s narrative. Diana was surprised at how he told his tale. The death of his parents was not easily discussed either conversationally or in private, but here it somehow just seemed…easier. She briefly wondered if Dick Grayson had received a similar telling of the tale.
“After they died, I made a vow to fight injustice and crime, to prevent what had happened to my parents from happening to anyone else. I spent the remainder of my childhood traveling the globe, learning the skills I would need to make this plan work before returning to Gotham City. I’ve been fighting this war for almost three decades.
“I understand your desire to see revenge of Fait’s death as well as the death as your father. But believe me when I say that vengeance blackens the soul, Jean,” Bruce said, quoting the very words Alfred had used to sooth him over Andrea Beaumont’s descent into the dark mantle of the Phantasm.
“But, the anger, the rage--”
“ Are all natural, Jean. But there are ways to channel the anger without giving into it. I can help you, though.
“Through what?” Nadia responded vehemently. “More violence, more lack of action for those in need?!”
“Do you think any of us enjoy using violence?” Diana responded. “Violence is the language of tyrants and thugs, yet we are both well versed in it, Bruce because of his mission and myself because of my heritage as an Amazon.
“But you have powers! Why couldn‘t you save Fait or the others,” asked Nadia sternly.
“Do you think we’re all perfect beings of light? We know we can’t accomplish it, but we try. We’ve both been agonizing over what could and couldn’t have been done to save Fait. We can only learn from these choices and use them to better ourselves. Like me.”
“What are you talking about?” There was once again suspicion in Nadia’s eyes and voice.
“Because of my choices, I can’t go home, Nadia.”
The boy inventor looked quizzically at the Leaguers
“You mean because you’re with us here on this alternate Earth with us?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s…complicated,” Diana stated. It was now her turn to relate a tale of
“Three years ago,” she began, “our Earth came under attack from interstellar invaders. It was that invasion that led to the formation of the Justice League -- and also my present circumstances. My home is protected by my gods, I she couldn‘t sit around idly while the world was in peril. Against my mother’s wishes, I donned the armor forged for the royal family and helped repel the invaders.”
Wonder Woman paused for a moment, letting this sink in before continuing.
“I put off going home for eight months. In the end, though, I knew I had to face responsibility for disobeying my mother’s wishes and so returned.” But it was more complicated a reunion than I had anticipated. A world-be sorcerer named Felix Faust had taken it upon himself to free the imprisoned Greek god of the underworld, Hades in return of ultimate knowledge. He attacked the island, utilizing the power of the Gorgon to turn her sisters to stone.
When I returned, Faust blackmailed me into recovering the keys to unlocking Hades’ prison by myself. I refused the League’s help, but they aided her nonetheless. And working together, we were successful. We stopped Faust, re-sealed Hades within his prison, and reversed the effects of the spell.”
She paused once again. The memories of what had occurred next still haunted and angered not only herself, but some in the League, particularly Flash.
“But it came at a price. Men aren’t allowed on Thymiscera. It’s our greatest law. If you’re going to blame it on someone, blame it on Hades‘s…actions millennia previous. And even though I saved the lives of my sisters, I had broken that law. Her mother had no choice but to exile me.
“I could have left the planet, but I didn’t. I chose to stay with the League. I chose to build a life both with and outside of the League. With the exception of select few, there is no one else I trust more or would rather fight alongside of.”
“Not even Super-man?”
A hint of smile crossed Diana’s features.
“He’s good. But he’s also good, even better in many ways.”
The brief moment of subtle humor quickly passed, however.
“Our point is that the choice is yours, Jean and Nadia. I won’t influence it in any way and neither will Batman. You have to forge the path that you will take in life, be in times of tranquility or times of tragedy.”
***
“I still can’t believe you did that,” Diana said later as the Nautilus crew drifted away from the wake and towards the final service. Batman’s mask was once again in place and the two had left the children to discuss things on their own. After all, as they had said, the decision was all their own.
“Neither can I,” Batman replied.
“How long did it take you to tell your first…partner?”
“Not long. Same with his replacement.”
Batman produced a slight grimace at the memory, of Tim Drake wandering through the Batcave after he had been rescued from Two-Face’s wrath and accidentally made his way
into the Wayne study.
“Either way, I’m…not going with stories or emotions.
She smiled. “Understatement of the year. Seriously, why did you do that?”
“They’re good kids. I’m not going to stand back and watch such hopefuls beacons of inspiration be extinguished by a bunch of mask-wearing fascist.
“Now you’re starting to sound like that archer in Star City.”
“Not if I say that if the kids talk about what they saw, I’ll make them disappear.”
“You’re joking, right?”
Before the Diana could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps filled their ears. Both Leaguers turned to find Nadia and Jean approaching them, the two supporting each other. The emotional drainage both had suffered through was still present, but there was just a hint that something positive was at the center of their mood. In both of their hands, they held the flowers that had been growing along the platform. After placing both on Fait’s coffin, both walked slowly towards the Leaguers.
“I thought you should hear first. I…I’m staying on board. I’m going to see this through,” Jean said, a touch of his enthusiasm in his voice. “I…thank you for your talk, earlier. I know Fait couldn’t have been saved at the cost of the entire ship. I’m sorry for the things I said. But the pain…I know it can be overcome, but I can’t think of anyone I‘d rather ask for that help than you.”
“Thanks. Nadia?” Diana asked.
“I too am staying…but…”
The young circus performer hesitated, then looked up into the orbless slits of the Dark Knight’s mask.
“You’re a detective, aren’t you?”
“He’s the best there is,” Diana said. Nadia hesitated again, then continued.
“This…I don’t know what this is. I don’t know where I cam from, I don’t know why I have this or what it even is. I need answers to the secret of the Blue Water.”
Batman starred down at the jewel, then back at Nadia.
“We’ll solve it together, then.”
He really did mean that. Nadia, Gargoyle, the Nautilus, Atlantis, the Blue Water; it was all connected, this much he was all but sure of. And for all their sakes, the Dark Knight hoped that they would soon learn the answers before it was too late…
***
To be Continued…
***
Author’s Notations
* Ah, finally, a sense of resolution to the children’s conflict with the Leaguers. And not too soon, as we prepare to enter the Nautilus’ darkest hour with the three-part “The Road to Ruin”.
* The encounter with Icthultu occurred in “The Terror Beyond”.
* Vandal Savage’s temporal manipulation can be seen both in “The Savage Time” and “Hereafter”.
* The name of Jean’s father was never given on-screen, nor was the name of his ship. However, the ship name, the Guerriere was actually a converted French sailing frigate that was stricken at sea in 1888, a year before the setting of the series and around the same His time that Jean’s father went missing (another little historical tie-in on my part).
* The incidents leading up to Diana’s exile can be found in “Paradise Lost”
* Andrea Beaumont and the Phantasm first appeared in the film “Mask of the Phantasm”.
* The animated Tim Drake’s foray into the Wayne den was seen in TNBA’s “Sins of the Father”.
* The archer in Star City is, of course, Green Arrow. Remember, at the time of this story, the JLU hadn’t’ been formed and thus Green Arrow wasn’t a member. His left-wing reputation, however, likely proceeds him.
Whee, story's back, and I got first post!
Edit: read the chapter. Nice to see the conflict between Leaguers and Jean and Nadia cleared up. Now, some action!
Edit: read the chapter. Nice to see the conflict between Leaguers and Jean and Nadia cleared up. Now, some action!
"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
That was part of the reason this chapter took so long to complete. I had writer's block on how to pen it and it took some major critical thinking on my part. Coupled with finals and such and you can understand the delay.Trogdor wrote:Nice to see the conflict between Leaguers and Jean and Nadia cleared up. !
Oh, don't worry; there's a reason why the next three chapters have the [working] title of "The Road to Ruin"...Now, some action
Oh, I can completely understand the delay. IIRC, you recently said you've just finished your finals. I've barely started with the damned things. Ugh.JME2 wrote:That was part of the reason this chapter took so long to complete. I had writer's block on how to pen it and it took some major critical thinking on my part. Coupled with finals and such and you can understand the delay.Trogdor wrote:Nice to see the conflict between Leaguers and Jean and Nadia cleared up. !
"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
Well then, I wish you luck and hope that updates to both this and BOBW aid your time of need.Trogdor wrote:Oh, I can completely understand the delay. IIRC, you recently said you've just finished your finals. I've barely started with the damned things. Ugh.JME2 wrote:That was part of the reason this chapter took so long to complete. I had writer's block on how to pen it and it took some major critical thinking on my part. Coupled with finals and such and you can understand the delay.Trogdor wrote:Nice to see the conflict between Leaguers and Jean and Nadia cleared up. !
-
Shroom Man 777
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KICK-fucking-ASS!!! KICKASS! More, please?
"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
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Thank you.JME2 wrote:Well then, I wish you luck and hope that updates to both this and BOBW aid your time of need.
"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
OMG! IT's an UPDATE!!
Great job, hon. Glad to have you back.
Great job, hon. Glad to have you back.
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