J’onn surveyed each hero as they arrived. Though he should have been relieved, even joyous at the occasion, his face remained steady. He wished he would be able to call under better circumstances, but that wasn’t the case. Trouble was looming on the horizon, and he feared the Earth couldn’t withstand an assault like before. However, his troubles were alleviated somewhat when he heard the hiss of the double doors at the far end of the observation deck, that watched the world turn below, open. A familiar man limped – though he attempted to hide it as best he could – though the doorway.
The Dark Knight made his way over to J’onn, not bothering to greet anyone. He turned directly to the Green Arrow. “Don’t play coy, Arrow. You know why you’re here. We all do. All of you signed up for this and the beacon finally came.” He turned slightly, “And Nikolai, J’onn will be ready when he’s ready. The three minutes it takes for you to wait isn’t detracting from your day. I promise.”
“Someone’s testy today, Bruce,” J’onn mumbled to Bruce as the Batman straightened himself. He seemed uncomfortable in his costume and armor, no doubt a result of his last remaining injury.
“What are you talking about, J’onn? I’m positively delighted.” Bruce’s dry voice seemed familiar to the Martian as he turned to address the heroes, wading further out in to his proverbial uncharted waters.
Another flash of light met the group as the final two of the group joined their ranks, and J’onn couldn’t help but smile. Dianna and Zauriel, their resident celestial aid, approached the group.
###
Dianna surveyed the group, taking everything in all at once. Some faces she recognized, others she didn’t. One face, however, almost sent her careening over the edge. Standing in the midst of the heroes, as plain as the sun, stood him. An Amazon though she was, Dianna found herself feeling weakened at the site of almost a carbon image of Kal-El. Her hand met her face, in an attempt to cover her mouth and she shuddered violently. How was he here!?
‘Tranquility Dianna, it’s only Connor, or Superboy as he’s known to many.’ J’onn’s voice resonated in her head, sensing her discomfort. ‘He is not Clark. We’ll discuss this later, but for now…’
###
“Now that we are all here. I would like to begin this by thanking you all for your presence. I am well aware of the significance of this week, but it couldn’t be helped. Earth may need her heroes now more than ever.”
It wasn’t like J’onn to skip formalities, but he had the growing sense that something wasn’t right. He trusted Zatanna and her intel, which is why he had called the group together in the first place, but this was working out too well. In his time fighting various forms of evil, when had things ever panned out the way they were planned?
The white-paneled conical structure in the middle of the Observation began to hum and glow. Soon, a holographic image appeared for all to see. It was instantly recognizable as footage from that day.
“We’re all aware of the tragedy that struck us on that day and how close Earth was to being taken hostage by malicious forces. However, there are murmurs across the galaxy that things are taking a turn toward the same path yet again.”
The scene shifted, showing the entirety of the Milky Way galaxy. The swirling mass produced five red dots, all pulsing slightly.
“Strange activity has been observed by contacts and probes at these areas. Upon further inspection, these anomalies have been identified as attempts at a warp jump, some entity hoping to cross a vast space in little time. The attempts, so far have been either unsuccessful but no one is sure why.”
J’onn turned his attention to the rest of the group again, as they surveyed the image that was now showing a view of the Earth.
“Recently, Zatanna, one of the most powerful magical beings in the world has reported having visions. Her seer prowess has been somewhat reliable in the past. If you couple that with the frequency of the visions, it makes for concerning news.”
The images disappeared and J’onn took the attention yet again. “If Zatanna is correct, there will be an attempted repeat of the events from last year. Some force is hoping to seize Earth once again, and we must stop them. It will take the efforts of all of us to do so. Her visions don’t reveal all, but they all centered on tomorrow. If we can work together and place heroes in key areas, we should be able to minimize the damage and prevent the catastrophe of last year.
“Now, what I’m asking for,” the Martian continued, “is your cooperation and your dedication. Not to your city, state or even your country. But dedication to the world. Where others see this as frivolous, a pipe dream, I need you all to see this as the last defense against the end of this world, our world.”
Batman stepped forward at this point, taking advantage of the silence. “Let any of you who aren’t fully committed leave the way you came. Those rings have a one-time ‘Redo’ option of sorts by tapping it three times in quick succession.” He took a step back, giving J’onn the floor once more.
“If you choose to stay, you have the option of staying here. The Watchtower is fully functional and provides living quarters that are able to be customized. There is a gym, sparring area, eatery, hydroponics garden, meditation chamber, digital archive library, arsenal and an assortment of other things.
“For those of you who wish to leave, please do so now. For the rest of you: Welcome to your new base. Welcome to the Justice League.”
“Any questions?” Batman spoke again and J’onn had to hide the slight exasperation on his face. That man could never let him have a moment, could he?
Izurich,
Lord Wraith,
Crimson Flame,
Mixtape Ghost N