Author's Note:
Last Saturday I watched the Fantastic Four movie, I can say that I liked that movie, it told me some ideas for future One-shots for the CCH / Earth-2126 series.
This Tuesday I watched the Superman movie, the first time I saw Superman in the cinema, the movie was beautiful.
Emotionally, I felt warm to the Fantastic Four, while Superman was a better film as far as heroism/action/plot goes.
I absolutely love this version of Lex, a true antagonist capable of fighting an Alien God and giving him a hard time.
Talking about my story, I hope you enjoy the chapter, there is no typical superhero action, but it will happen in the next chapter.
But I wrote some funny scenes and interesting interactions.
XXX
Story Arc: A Journey to America
Episode 1: Recruitment (III)
Chapter 3: Can I throw a punch?
Plot: Wonder Woman takes Shielder and Rider to the Hall of Justice, where they meet a couple of very interesting people. After a chat, something unexpected happens.
XXX
POV Narrator
[Date: June 5, 2010. Location: United States of America, Washington DC, Hall of Justice]
In a room in the Justice League public base is a Zeta-Tube.
A Zeta-Tube is a device that the Justice League uses to move its members and allies from place to place via the Zeta-Beam.
This apparatus consists of a long and wide cylinder, capable of accommodating large groups of people.
At the rear end is a mechanical iris that opens to reveal a projector that fires Zeta-Beam energy to teleport people into or out of the tunnel.
"03: Wonder Woman." A synthetic voice declares, coming from the machine, while it emits a yellow light similar to a flash.
The Amazon Princess has arrived at the Hall of Justice, even though just seconds ago she was in Athena, the Capital of Greece.
Wonder Woman has gotten used to this method of transportation
'The World of Man is certainly advanced, their science has reached the point of being compared in some respects to the powers of the Gods.' The Amazon Princess thinks, letting her mind wander for a second.
While the world outside Themyscira is full of misfortune and discord, it has some that Diana's house does not, something Wonder Woman is unlikely to want to admit to her mother.
Themyscira is a place of peace, harmony, honor, and sisterhood, a small paradise untouched by the World of Man.
But this paradise has existed since the time of Heracles and has shown no tangible progress forward.
While the World of Man is making small progress every day, becoming unrecognizable every few decades.
Diana's mind stopped thinking about the differences between the two worlds she lives in when the Zeta-Tube announced the arrival of its guests.
"A-01: Shielder." The machine's synthetic voice announces, bringing Galahad/Mash's heir into the Hall of Justice in a flash of light.
Galahad seems slightly dazed by the experience of using the Zeta-Tubes.
"Is it normal to feel like I just got off a roller coaster?" Galahad asks, placing one hand on his stomach and another on his head.
Wonder Woman looks at Galahad with a mix of amusement and mild concern.
"Some say the first few times with the Zeta-Tubes can be unpleasant, but you soon get used to it," Wonder Woman said, recounting what she heard from her colleagues.
"I learned something new today: there's car sickness, seasickness, airsickness, but there's also Zeta-Tube sickness." Galahad comments, leaning on the wall with one hand, needing a moment to stabilize himself.
"A-02: Rider." The machine's synthetic voice announces, leading Medusa to the Hall of Justice.
Unlike Galahad, the woman with long purple hair shows no signs of discomfort, probably one of the many advantages of being a Heroic Spirit, she does not possess the same sensitivity as a body of flesh and blood.
Medusa, seeing that Galahad is not well, quickly approaches him and turns to face the Amazon Princess.
"Did you do something to him!?" Rider asks, raising his voice, for once showing a hint of emotion in his voice.
Diana raises her hands to show that she has nothing dangerous in her possession.
'Rider is more protective of Galahad than I expected,' Diana thinks, glancing at Galahad, hoping he can resolve this misunderstanding quickly.
"Calm down, Rider, Wonder Woman didn't do anything to me, I discovered the existence of teleportation sickness." Galahad said, as he stopped leaning on the wall only to immediately return to relying on it.
The woman with long purple hair relaxes immediately, but remains close to Galahad, keeping him within reach.
"First the seasickness on the Black Sea, now this, maybe you shouldn't eat when we have to travel long distances," Medusa comments, running her hand up and down Galahad's back in a calm, soothing manner.
"In my defense, who would have guessed that going with Wonder Woman would lead us to an old photo booth that's actually a teleportation machine?" Galahad said, certain that no normal person could have predicted what was coming.
"You are good at many things, but predicting the future is not one of them," Medusa said, stopping her massage of Galahad's back.
The Black Knight detaches himself from the wall and walks away from it without returning, it seems that his Zeta-Tube sickness has passed.
"Are you feeling better, Galahad?" Wonder Woman asks, keeping an eye on the short Knight.
"Enough to walk in a straight line and not puke on the floor. Next time, we'll take the super-jet," Galahad said, looking like he doesn't want to use the Zeta-Tubes to get around anytime soon.
"We don't have a super-jet." Rider comments, knowing full well the vehicles their group has at its disposal—after all, she's the one driving them.
"We'll fix this in the next month. I just need to get some books on aerospace and aeronautical engineering, find an old plane to refurbish, and get to work." Galahad said, already starting to create a framework in his head for what he needed to do.
"Building a plane is a complex undertaking, building a plane for people in our industry is even more difficult," said Wonder Woman, recalling when she saw up close how complex Batman's Batplane is.
All of the Dark Knight's vehicles in Gotham City are beyond the reach of most men, both in terms of cost, and the skill required to operate them.
"If four penguins can build a plane with the help of lemurs, then a helicopter with the assistance of chimpanzees, I can build a plane in a month," said Galahad, showing his nerdy side, referencing a certain movie about Madagascar.
"Penguins and lemurs?" Diana asks with a confused expression, as if Galahad were an alien with a logic and language all his own.
Medusa also tilts her head slightly, and beneath the mask that hides her eyes is an expression of confusion.
'The young people of Man's World have become increasingly strange and indecipherable to me.' Diana thinks, raising an eyebrow.
The Amazon Princess added another unanswered question about the world outside Themyscira.
Is the difference between younger and older generations a good or bad thing?
"Sometimes I don't even understand what Shielder means with his strange language," the purple-haired woman confesses, sensing Diana's confusion.
Being blindfolded most of the time allowed Medusa to develop all her other senses, both common and special.
Galahad himself compared Medusa to a certain Daredevil.
Galahad didn't have to use his Sherlock Scan to figure out that the reference to the Penguins of Madagascar wasn't understood.
"'The price of being a Pioneer of the Stars, being misunderstood by the masses,' thinks Galahad, accustomed to not being understood by many when he talks about his hobbies or his work.
By clapping her hands, Wonder Woman drew attention to herself.
"Our first step as Justice League associates will be a tour of the Hall of Justice, with a little surprise at the end," Diana said with a smile, wanting to start this collaboration with something easy and fun.
Normally, when the Justice League officially and publicly accepts new members, they give a tour of the Hall of Justice as an unofficial initiation ritual, then take it to their real base, The Watchtower.
Of course, Shielder and Rider aren't actual members of the Justice League and won't discover the Watchtower's existence anytime soon. But they'll get a different kind of surprise.
XXX
For an hour, Wonder Woman led Shielder and Rider on a private tour through the Hall of Justice, offering a mix of public information and personal insights.
Rider was a silent woman who opened her mouth only to say a few words, often in response to the Black Knight's remarks.
Galahad, on the other hand, was quite cheerful about the tour, asking questions about various things and taking photographs with his smartphone, which he pulled out from who knows where.
"This is an area only accessible to members of the Justice League and their guests." Wonder Woman said, leading Shielder and Rider into a certain waiting room.
Inside are two important members of the Justice League.
The first is the fastest man alive, Flash.
His superhero costume is a full-body, all-red jumpsuit with two small yellow lightning bolts on his waist and wrists. The costume features a yellow lightning bolt logo on the chest and boots.
The second is the strongest man in the world, Superman.
The Kryptonian resembles a tall, muscular Caucasian man with vivid blue eyes and short black hair with a curl on his forehead.
He wears a blue uniform with his famous red and yellow "S" shield on his chest, red shorts, a yellow belt, red boots, and a red cape.
The first one to do something was obviously Flash.
The first one to do something, obviously, was Flash.
"Hi, Diana, I see you brought the Cavalerul Negru din România and…" Flash stopped speaking when his eyes caught sight of the purple-haired woman.
'Why do men of this age become silent when they see me?' thinks Medusa, unaware that she is a beauty beyond compare.
"If you don't shut your mouth, flies might come in," Wonder Woman said in a teasing tone, long accustomed to this side of the Flash.
The fastest man can't sit still or keep quiet for long, but when he sees a beautiful woman he stops as if frozen.
"Diana, who is your new female friend?" Flash asks, acting like a man who fell in love at first sight or a desperate man.
"This is Rider, my mate." Galahad said, his voice authoritative.
The Black Knight stood in front of the purple-haired woman so that she was in front of the Fastest Man Alive.
Despite the obvious height difference, with Galahad barely able to reach the symbol on Flash's chest, he manages to exude a subtle aura of intimidation.
Flash may be the Justice League's friendliest hero, with a sense of humor that makes him seem like the group's clown, but he's a hero with many years behind him, so he wasn't scared off by Galahad. But he got the message: flirting with Rider isn't a good thing for the Black Knight.
"You're a lucky guy, though a little shorter than I expected." As Flash, in a friendly tone, believing Galahad to be a short man and not a teenager.
'If Flash is ever compromised by outside forces, I will break his legs without hesitation,' Galahad thinks, slightly angrily.
The Black Knight is a little sensitive about his short stature, before waking up in the Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia laboratory, he was 190 centimeters, now he is 150 centimeters.
"Shielder, he makes up for it in intelligence and enormous defensive capabilities." Rider said, raising his hand and touching Galahad's head.
"You only become a sociable woman when I'm involved, one way or another." Galahad said, crossing his arms, not appreciating Medusa's teasing.
"Shielder? I thought your name was Black Knight?" asks the Fastest Man Alive.
"I never accepted the name chosen by the press. Black Knight is too simple and lacks charm. I am Shielder. If you need a more human name, you can call me Galahad." Said the heir of Mash Kyrielight, making it clear how he wishes to be called.
Galahad turns to the Amazon Princess.
"Didn't you tell your colleagues this stuff?" Galahad asks, sure he's told Woman Woman his name preferences.
"I kept the details of our conversation between the two of us; it seemed the most respectful thing to do," Diana replies, having a great sense of honor.
The last son of Krypton has chosen this moment to introduce himself to two new arrivals.
"Welcome to the Hall of Justice, Shielder and Rider, I am Superman." Krypton said, extending his hand to Galahad.
The Black Knight steps forward, releasing Medusa's hand from his own, then clasps Superman's hand.
"Wonder Woman wasn't kidding when she said she had a surprise for us. To meet the fastest man alive and the strongest man alive," Galahad said, ceasing to shake Superman's hand.
The Last Son of Krypton reaches out to Rider, she looks at Superman's hand, but doesn't touch it.
"The title of the strongest man in the world is wrong. For starters, he's not a man, but a being born outside of this world," the purple-haired woman comments.
Superman pulls his hand back, but doesn't seem offended.
"Rider is a woman of few words, with the tact of a wild beast," Galahad said, trying to explain Medusa's behavior.
"But I'm right, he's not human, he's a Kryptonian," Medusa said, not changing her mind.
"I cannot contradict Rider's words," Galahad said, starting to think about certain things.
"I don't want to sound racist or xenophobic, but Superman, despite being an alien, looks a lot like a human. Isn't that a little strange or disturbing?" Galahad said, looking at Superman and finding no outward sign that he isn't an attractive Earth man.
"Creepy?" Flash asks, raising an eyebrow.
Wonder Woman and Superman don't say anything, they just stay silent and let Galahad do the talking.
"If God made us in his image, who or what made Krypton and its people? The likelihood of two sentient species from different worlds having the same aesthetic is so unlikely as to be nearly impossible," Galahad states, highlighting an early warning sign.
"An entire super-advanced alien civilization was destroyed, leaving a single survivor, who was sent to Earth of all the planets in the universe, found and raised by a pair of saints. Once grown, he ends up in a city where so many tragedies would have occurred if he hadn't been there. This whole sequence of events is incredible. It makes you question the existence of destiny and the illusion of free will," Galahad said, exposing the disturbing things Superman's existence does to his mind.
"Shielder, reading philosophy books isn't good for you." The woman with long purple hair comments, patting Galahad lightly on the head.
"The price of intelligence is to think in a twisted way." Galahad comments, knowing he's not the most normal person in the world.
"Galahad's not entirely wrong. I don't even begin to understand the whole illusion of free will thing. But the fact that Superman ended up on our planet and became the Superman we all know and love is unbelievable," said Flash, knowing enough about science, mathematics, and astrology to understand how impossible Superman's existence would be according to the laws of probability.
"I get it, I was extremely lucky." Superman said, starting to feel a little uncomfortable.
Flash isn't the smartest man in the world, but he's very good at changing the subject of discussion.
"Galahad, besides knights, what do you like?" asks Flash, wanting to learn more about the new unofficial addition to the Justice League.
"I like books, detective stories and sci-fi." Galahad replies, trying to make conversation with the heroes.
"What do you think an alien should be like?" asks the fastest man alive, having seen far too much about cops and crime in his civilian life to discuss such matters as the Flash.
"In my head there are three types of aliens. The attractive and the unlikely ones.
like the Asari from Mass Effect or the Twi'leks from Star Wars or the Na'vi from Avatar." Galahad said, giving an example that everyone can understand.
"Do you like blue-skinned women?" Flash asks, half jokingly.
"I'm just giving some popular examples. Personally, I'd prefer an alien woman like Princess Allura from Voltron." Galahad said, smiling faintly.
Of course, the nerd is happy to have a nerdy conversation.
"Then there are the realistic aliens like the
Turians or Wookiees. The rational side of my mind says those are more likely examples of extraterrestrial life. Although the existence of Superman ruins that idea." Galahad said, casting a quick glance at the Kryptonian.
"I've been to space several times, and there are life forms of the most unlikely appearance. A good portion are humanoid, some are completely different," said Superman, having some experience with space.
"Finally, there are the True Aliens, the ones that look like they stepped out of HP Lovecraft books," Galahad said, not wanting to talk much about this category.
"I'm friends with Green Lantern, he's a space cop, I can tell you that there are attractive aliens and realistic aliens, but not Lovecraft-style aliens," Flash said, considering this third category pure fantasy.
'Tell ORT, when I think that somewhere in South America there might be an Ultimate One who could devastate human civilization if awakened, I can't sleep peacefully.' Galahad thinks, holding back a tremor brought on by certain nightmares.
"I don't know if the ignorance of the greatest heroes of this age is a good thing or a bad thing," the purple-haired woman thinks, being able to list numerous threats to humanity.
"If you two don't mind, we can leave the Hall of Justice and take a tour of the city," Wonder Woman suggests, wanting to see how Shielder and Rider fare in the field.
"I go wherever Shielder goes." Medusa said, acting as if she were Galahad's shadow.
'They're definitely a close couple, a little weird, but close.' Flash thinks, feeling good about these two.
"Before we go, can I ask Superman a question?" Galahad asks, wanting to know something before leaving the Hall of Justice.
"I've always been an open book," Superman said, waiting to hear a question about heroes or his abilities.
"Can I punch you?" Galahad asks, as if it were the most innocent thing in the world.
"What?" Superman asks, blinking, having never heard such a request.
"I want to punch you, nothing more, nothing less, it'll only take a few seconds." Galahad said, raising his arm and they formed a fist.
"I think you should ask why," Wonder Woman said, her expression puzzling.
So far Galahad has proven to be a reasonable person, certainly greedy and a little strange, but no sign of hostility.
"Isn't it obvious why? I want to see if I can make Superman bleed." Galahad said, in a calm voice, holding his fist close to his face.
"I can count on one hand the people who can hurt Superman," Flash said, quite confident in the abilities of his friend with the S on his chest.
"Then it won't be a problem if you try," Galahad said, wanting to see the result of his hypothetical punch.
"May I know the reasoning behind your desire to test yourself?" Superman said, not caring about himself, more interested in understanding why Galahad wants to do this.
"Invincible, Irredeemable, The Boys." Galahad said, quickly and concisely.
Three names, no, three titles that have a clear meaning for those who know them.
But to everyone in the room they make no sense.
"You're speaking in words only you understand again." Rider said, making a gesture with his hand, prompting Galahad to explain everything in detail.
"In my relatively short life, I've read a lot: The Arthurian Myths, classics like The Count of Monte-Cristo, lots of light novels and comics/manga," said Galahad, being a bookworm with a rather extensive menu.
"What does this have to do with wanting to smash your hand against Superman's chest?" asks Flash, convinced Galahad will be the one to get hurt.
"Let him talk and he'll get to the point." said Medusa, who knows him best among those present.
"In various materials, the strongest hero, often the guy in the cape who flies and lifts mountains with one hand, for one reason or another turns against the heroes and the entire world," Galahad said, more or less summarizing the plots of the three previously mentioned titles.
"Superman wouldn't do anything like that." Flash responds first, not liking what Galahad is saying at the moment.
"He's one of the best men I know," Wonder Woman said, finding the idea of Superman going against the Justice League and Earth ridiculous.
The Black Knight nods at the words of the Fastest Man Alive and the Amazon Princess.
"I agree with you two, Flash and Wonder Woman. From what I've been able to gather on the internet and in newspapers, plus what I see with my Sherlock Scan, I can say that Superman is a good person," Galahad said, agreeing with Flash and Diana.
"Although Superman is a good man, we all live in a world where mind control exists," Galahad said, somewhat concerned about the possibility of brainwashing through psychic powers or machinery.
"Unfortunately, it's true. Batman was once affected by a neurotoxin that made him believe everyone around him was infected, like zombies," Flash said, knowing more than one case where someone had been compromised.
The Flash himself was once even altered by one of his enemies, but was brought back to normal with the help of Green Arrow and his friends at S.T.A.R. Labs.
"How did you know such a thing? Batman doesn't strike me as a sociable person?" asks Galahad, quite sure that Gotham City's Dark Knight is less sociable than Medusa, and that means something.
"Kid Flash told me that, and he heard it from Robin." Flash said, having an indirect source of information in the Bat-Cave.
"Flash's words support my theory that a compromised Superman is the nightmare of many people, especially government agencies. I'd sleep easier if I had Kryptonite on hand or knew whether I could harm him or not," Galahad said, eager to know if he could act in the case of an evil Superman or just flee.
"Plus, it would really help me understand my level, I've barely had any chance to confirm myself with a Meta-Human or anything like that," Galahad said, having so far only faced normal humans or Wizards who can't do anything to him.
"We train together constantly, and I can say from personal experience that you are powerful, and that your head is as hard as a diamond, literally." Said the woman with long purple hair, contributing greatly to the development of Galahad's fighting skills.
"That still doesn't help me draw a fair comparison between me and all the other costumed lunatics. If I hurt Superman, then they're in the big league; if I fail, then I have to limit myself to B-rank threats and below," Galahad said, explaining his rationale.
"This is an easy way to see how strong you are." Wonder Woman said, crossing her arms.
"If this helps you, you can try." Superman said, pointing to the symbol on his chest, inviting Galahad to strike him there.
"I owe you a burger or something," Galahad said, preparing to punch Superman.
"As an official witness to this showdown, I too would like a burger," Flash said, being a greedy person himself.
"If you show me where the best burgers in town are, I'll buy the main course," Galahad said, agreeing to buy Flash a burger.
"Diana, I like the guy. I was expecting a little Batman, but instead we have a nice guy with a beautiful friend," Flash said, finding Galahad cute, without mentioning the beautiful woman Rider is.
Galahad, without being distracted, throws his punch at Superman, aiming not at the chest, but at the face.
SMASH
Galahad's fist hit Superman just below the nose.
CRACK
Something in Galahad broke, but Superman took a step back so as not to fall.
"For a blestemata dish from mere a bunici, doare !" Galahad exclaims in Romanian loudly, using his good hand to hold his injured hand.
"I think I broke my finger." Galahad exclaims, raising his hand towards Rider, showing his ring finger which is bent unnaturally.
"You complain too much." Medusa said stoically, not impressed by such a "wound."
"I'm sorry I almost forgot what it feels like to feel pain, Rider." Galahad said, feeling the sensation of pain for the first time in many months.
Rider grabs Galahad's wrist, holding it still, then grabs Galahad's crooked finger and squeezes it tightly, so that he is straight again.
Mash Kyrielight's heir expresses his pain in an animalistic grunt with the addition of some Romanian words such as: women, beautiful, cursed.
"You complain too much, Shielder, you're already healed." Medusa said, releasing her grip, freeing Galahad's wrist.
"I forgot that I heal quickly." Galahad said, in a light, painful voice, wiggling his finger, which was as good as new.
Wonder Woman and Flash didn't say anything about the little scene between Shielder and Rider, because they were focused on watching Superman.
The Last Son of Krypton has a split lip and...
"Superman, you're bleeding," Wonder Woman exclaims in a stupid voice. The Amazon Princess has only seen Superman's blood under dire circumstances.
"I think I'll have to use two hands to count the number of people who can hurt Superman," Flash said, making a point to never anger Galahad.
Superman touches his busted lip, then looks at his hand, seeing blood.
"Looks like Galahad you can compete in the big leagues when it comes to raw power." Superman said, joking about the situation.
'I'll sleep much more peacefully.' Galahad thinks, feeling a weight lift from his heart.
The Black Knight approaches Superman, his right hand engulfed in a green glow and covered in symbols resembling computer circuitry.
Galahad reaches out and touches the split lip, the green glow spreading across the wound and healing it in seconds.
"As good as new." As Galahad, withdrawing his hand and causing the glow and circuit-like symbols on his hand to disappear.
"What did you do?" Flash asks, having never heard of the Black Knight having healing powers.
"I told Wonder Woman that my main class is Paladin, with two subclasses: Lightning Elemental Mage and Healer." Galahad said, sounding like a nerd again.
"I think you'll be a good addition to the good guys," Flash said without thinking too much.
A moment later, an emergency alarm sounded in the room.
"I think we'll have time to buy those hamburgers," Galahad mutters, having a feeling he'll be busy the rest of the afternoon.
Continues ...
XXX
Author's Note:
On my to-do list as a writer are updating my two KPop Demon Hunters stories, writing the first chapter of Natlan, then creating one or two new stories for the Kaleidoscope Adventure series.
But before I work on my many writing projects, I'm taking a few days off. Genshin Impact has released version 5.8, and I want to play it.