Chapter 33: Meeting
As Luka, carrying Aquaman, was about to break through the atmosphere, the pale-faced Aquaman instinctively hugged his trident tighter.
Luka couldn't help but find the sight amusing.
"Your muscles are even tougher than the reefs at the bottom of the sea. Falling from this height shouldn't kill you, right?"
Aquaman snorted in frustration. Up in the high heavens, he had lost his earlier jovialness, his gaze deliberately avoiding the rapidly shrinking sea below.
He hugged the trident a little tighter and instructed, "Once we're out of the atmosphere, pick up the pace a bit. Holding your breath in space is uncomfortable."
Luka grinned, tilted his head back, and gazed at the sky. With a sudden burst of acceleration, he pierced through the snow-white clouds. After a brief chill, the primordial, shimmering starry sky unfolded before them.
Soon, a massive steel satellite station came into view. Constructed entirely from a unique blue-black alloy, its shape resembled a soaring eagle, surrounded by a honeycomb-patterned energy shield.
As they rapidly approached, a wide metal gangway extended from a hexagonal entrance glowing with blue light.
Having been here before, Luka approached the gangway with practiced ease and gently set Aquaman down.
The latter immediately gestured a quick thanks, then jogged straight into the Watchtower.
Luka landed on the gangway but didn't rush inside.
Last time, he had been too pressed for time. This time, he paused to gaze back at Earth. Sunlight refracted through the atmosphere, bathing the half-visible planet in a shimmering, ethereal glow.
Rachel wasn't with him this time.
She had little interest in visiting places crowded with strangers. Moreover, a place like Olympus might cause even greater trouble. Her demonic aura would likely be impossible to conceal from the gods.
After a few seconds of quiet contemplation, Luka finally stepped into the Watchtower.
This time, most of the Justice League's core members seemed to be present.
In the conference room, Superman and Hawkman sat rigidly in their seats. Batman and Cyborg stood beside a smart computer, while Green Lantern leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He nodded in greeting as Luka entered.
A bright red butt was wiggling not far from Luka.
Taking two steps to the side, he finally recognized the owner of the crimson rear.
Shazam was pressed against the conference room's viewing window, his hands cupped around his eyes like binoculars. He gazed at the starry expanse outside, clicking his tongue in wonder as his butt continued to sway back and forth.
Where's Aquaman?
Just as Luka was feeling like something was missing, a sudden crackling explosion erupted behind him.
A figure in golden-red battle armor stumbled forward, appearing behind Luka.
"Whoa! First off, I didn't mean to be late. Two seconds before I got the call, I was in the bathroom at the Central City Police Department, but then I suddenly remembered Iris asked me to get her a special birthday gift. Her birthday's coming up, so I raced to Tennessee because she mentioned during our last picnic that there's a certain... blah blah blah... Then I got the call, but I saw... blah blah blah... on the highway. Finally, I remembered the Watchtower's in space, so I called Batman's channel again. He told me there's a teleporter in Gotham that can recognize my identity!"
After Flash rattled off a lengthy, rapid-fire monologue, the other members of the Justice League showed no reaction whatsoever, not even turning their heads, as if this were perfectly normal.
Only Luka, who was interacting with Flash for the first time, barely managed to glance back. He stared in stunned silence, his brain working overtime to process even half of the torrent of information Flash had just spewed.
Seeing Luka's completely blank, frozen expression, Superman sighed and offered a warning.
"Next time Flash speaks, you'll need to learn to filter out the useful information. Last time, he crammed tens of thousands of words into my ear in a fraction of a second. I didn't have time to activate my super-brain's full processing power, and the sheer volume of data crashed me for a few seconds."
Only then did Flash notice Lukas presence. He whipped his head around, gave a quick "Hi!" and then turned back to the others with a look of horror.
"Hello? Why is there a kid in the Watchtower?"
Shazam's swaying butt visibly stiffened. He tilted his head just enough to sneak a glance. After confirming the Flash was not talking about him, he coughed, straightened up, and walked calmly toward his seat as if nothing had happened.
Green Lantern walked over and slung an arm around Flash's shoulder.
"He's no ordinary kid. He comes from a very mysterious planet..."
The two moved aside, whispering to each other.
Only then did Luka shudder and snap back to reality, his brain having just finished processing Superman's friendly reminder.
Rubbing his throbbing temples, he asked, "Thanks for the tip. By the way, where's Aquaman? Didn't he come in before me?"
"Bathroom. He went to throw up." Batman's voice sounded flatly.
A little later, Aquaman returned, wiping water from his face, and took his seat in silence. Only then did Batman turn and settle into the head chair.
"Based on the clues provided by Queen Hippolyta, the kidnapper is likely Ares, the God of War. However, Zeus may be behind this. Ares alone couldn't have abducted Wonder Woman so silently."
Luka's gaze swept the room, noting that Cyborg, Green Lantern, and Flash were all standing. He casually tucked his hands into his pockets and stood quietly, listening to Batman speak.
Batman tapped the table lightly, and a projection appeared on the screen behind him: an image of a parchment scroll inscribed with a line of golden, unknown script. The angle of the photograph was slightly skewed, suggesting the photographer was unfamiliar with electronic devices.
"This parchment was discovered alongside the Godkiller Sword at the site of Wonder Woman's last known location," Batman continued. "Queen Hippolyta helped us translate the inscription, which is written in ancient Greek."
Cyborg took over, confirming Batman's statement. His voice carried a synthetic, almost robotic quality.
"I've cross-referenced the language databases. The meaning of this clue aligns with Queen Hippolyta's translation: Zeus is enraged by the thief who stole the Golden Apple. The thief must journey alone to the God Realm to face punishment, or Zeus's wrath will descend upon the mortal world once more."
A brief silence fell over the group. Visible concern was etched on Superman's face. The others had also become serious upon hearing the details. Shazam, however, turned his head back towards Luka with a somewhat carefree look.
"So this is the kid who stole the Golden Apple?"
Before Luka could respond, Shazam spread his arms wide towards everyone in the conference room, his face filled with compassion and righteous indignation.
"Guys, we absolutely cannot let a child go to the God Realm alone! My proposal is: we find the entrance to the God Realm and storm in together to rescue Wonder Woman!"
Most dismissed Shazam's words, but Green Lantern nodded thoughtfully. He opened his mouth to speak, but Flash, moving with blinding speed, elbowed him in the chest. Green Lantern gasped twice and fell silent, unable to utter a word.
Cyborg's electronic eye flashed blue for a few seconds before he picked up where Shazam left off.
"We lack sufficient intelligence on the gods of Olympus. We can't act rashly."
"The only god we have clear historical records on is Ares, the God of War. But Wonder Woman said the Ares in the God Realm is different from the Ares on Earth."
Superman's blue eyes were full of worry.
"I asked Wonder Woman about this once during a casual chat. She said even I might not be able to prevail against Zeus. Zeus is different from the other Olympian gods. The King of Gods possesses power that surpasses the other deities. It's unfathomable."
Having finally recovered his composure, Aquaman turned to Batman, who had remained silent since his opening remarks.
"I have a feeling you already have a plan, don't you?"
"Luka will enter the God Realm alone." Batman spoke hoarsely, his calm tone dropping like a thunderclap in the conference room. "We'll provide support from the outside."
The proposal was immediately met with fierce opposition from several members.
Aquaman's face twisted in disbelief, while Shazam practically leaped out of his seat.
"You're sending him into the God Realm alone? Batman, he's just a kid!"
Shazam then shook Superman, who was sitting beside him with his head bowed in thought.
"You can't possibly agree to this crazy idea, right? What's gotten into Batman today?"
Hawkman shot Shazam a disdainful look before turning to Batman.
"So they never actually read the intel you upload."
Upon hearing Hawkman's words, Flash frowned. His figure seemed to flicker like a dropped frame, and then his face turned as pale as if the blood had been drained from it. He looked at Luka in disbelief.
Luka, however, simply raised a hand.
"I have no problem with that. It's just… I don't know how to get to the entrance of the divine realm."