The first signs of trouble appeared as Enterprise hurtled towards the ISS, which usually orbited at around 200-250 miles above Earth. It was smooth sailing as the astronauts were ascending (or as smooth as could be); no problem to be seen except the usual slight motion sickness - but these brave men and women were prepared for that. What they weren"t prepared for was what happened as they had the ISS in their sights.
Devils had improved senses, especially when it came to seeing and hearing. However, they might as well have been base human when compared to Clark Kent. He could hear a person scream his name for help from the other side of the world; he could see through almost anything to the other side. He heard it first; a rattling sound coming from the booster rockets of the Enterprise. Two had discharged and fallen to Earth, but one was still there - peculiar, as it should"ve separated by now. Clark narrowed his eyes but didn"t react immediately. He knew these men and women were trained professionals; if something such as this came up, they could likely handle it. He had spent his life making sure that he could help people without them knowing it - but right now, the eyes of the entire world were on this launch. Making a move to early could lay to waste everything he had done. He looked at Elros and noted that he was frowning as well.
"The last booster… why hasn"t it separated yet? It should"ve done so by now," Elros said. Clark scanned to see if he could discern the problem but soon hit a roadblock. For all his strength and intelligence, this wasn"t even close to his area of expertise. There were so many small and moving parts, he couldn"t easily identify anything. The fact that there was still some ignition also masked something that could"ve hinted at a problem.
"Clark - can you make out what the astronauts are saying? Listen closely. Somethings not right," Elros said in worry. He didn"t have to say so; Clark was already on that and caught some troubling notes from them.
He heard them say that they jettisoned two boosters, but the last one wouldn"t discharge for some reason. They were working on the problem, but everything they tried didn"t seem to work. He could hear the elevated heart beats of the astronauts; they knew what would happen if such a problem persisted in s.p.a.ce.
"Let"s go in a bit closer," Elros said as he and Clark moved towards the shuttle, both worried about what was happening - and what could happen. They didn"t have to wait long.
The booster that was supposed to separate had a completely different reaction. Somehow, it began to reignite - something that should"ve been impossible right now. All of the fuel should"ve been used up; it should"ve been dead weight. But it wasn"t. Distanced from the International s.p.a.ce Station by no more than 50 miles, it thrust back to life - putting the Enterprise on a collision course with the $150 billion dollar s.p.a.ce station that housed six astronauts - each with a family back home.
-o-
"Ladies and gentlemen - there appears to be something wrong with the Enterprise, as we are being told. The s.p.a.ce Shuttle has three boosters that must be discharged before docking with the ISS. Reports indicate that two boosters have jettisoned, however, the third booster has not. Mission Control is working on the problem with the astronauts as we speak," a reported said in a grave tone, addressing the hundreds of millions that watched.
"A problem?" Rias asked, brow furrowed. She quickly reached for her phone and called Elros. To her surprise, he wasn"t answering. She texted him and waited but no response. She called him again, nothing.
"He"s not answering?" Akeno asked, worry in her voice.
"No. I"m sure it"s nothing, though. They"ve got the smartest minds in the world working on this. It"s probably just a glitch," Rias said, although they could tell she didn"t believe a word of what she was saying.
"What"s a booster?" Koneko wondered.
"It"s… I"m not sure, actually. I think it helps speed up the shuttle so it can get through the atmosphere. There"s a lot of weight to carry," Rias said. This wasn"t her area of expertise; she expected that Sona might know but wondered if they were even watching what was going on?
"Are they gonna be ok?" Gasper asked worriedly. Rias scooped Gasper up and brought him onto her lap, gently rocking the young vampire - who was still mostly scanning the screen for Elros.
"They"ll be fine, Gasper," she said soothingly. However, that comment was immediately dashed as the reporter spoke again.
"My G.o.d… we have… reports that the final booster has reignited. It"s… heading straight for the ISS," the man said, his face turning a chalk white as he said that, eyes wide as he licked his lips in fear. This was going to be a monumental event - for better or worse. The girls looked at each other in fear before turning their full attention back to the screen.
-o-
"Oh no…" Mr. Hyoudou whispered, taking his gla.s.ses off as he began to sweat bullets. This wasn"t how it was supposed to go down.
"It"s… heading for the station?" Issei asked, chalk white as he opened and closed his mouth multiple times, trying to think of what else to say. Kiba and Karlamine looked at each other before gulping, worry evident on their face.
"Oh no. Oh G.o.d in Heaven, please let them be ok," Asia began to pray, closing her eyes and folding her hands in front of her. She poured every bit of faith she could into this. If this happened in s.p.a.ce, these men and women would die without a doubt.
"Sweetheart," Mrs. Hyoudou said in fear. Her husband had no reply, however. There was no way out of this one. However, they couldn"t bring themselves to turn off the TV.
-o-
"What?!" Saji roared as he got on his hands and knees, eyes glued to the TV. The others girls were leaned forward as well, some of their eyes wide while others frowned. This wasn"t going at all like they hoped it would - or how it should.
"Oh no… If it crashes into the station, that"s it. All those people are going to die, aren"t they?" Momo asked as her hands flew to her mouth, her heart going out to the astronauts.
"That… is the case, yes. The s.p.a.ce shuttle has a combined thrust of more than 1.2 million pounds, with the ability to reach orbit in just six minutes. They can"t stop this," Sona said as she gulped.
"But Elros is up there, isn"t he? He can stop it, can"t he?" Tomoe asked. The girls looked at each other as they suddenly turned their fullest attention to the screen, making sure to listen to every word, watch everything that unfolded.
"I don"t know. He"s powerful, but this is harder than stopping a missile," Sona said quietly.
-o-
"s.h.i.t," Mazeikeen said as she watched the screen. She turned to Luke, who had an impa.s.sive look on his face. Finally, Luke sighed before taking another drink, swirling it in the gla.s.s before turning to the TV again.
"You know you can stop it," Maze said.
"I do," Luke said.
"Well? If you don"t, you know what will happen right?" Maze asked.
"I do," Luke answered. Maze was quiet before letting out a loud sigh.
"Of course. He wouldn"t want you to interfere in any way, shape, or form - huh?" Maze asked. Luke simply smiled and nodded before pouring himself a little more, watching how it would all play out.
-o-
Donna and Starfire were on their feet as they heard the news. Diana leaned forward, a frown on her lips as she listened intently as well. This was not good - not at all. Donna went for the door before Diana spoke.
"Donna. Stop," she said.
"Diana, I have to go he-," Donna said before Diana shot her a dark look and shook her head. Donna gulped before coming back to the couch and sitting on it, a frown on her face. Starfire got on her knees in front of the TV, watching it with a frown.
"There"s nothing you can do. You"re not fast enough, nor would you survive out there. This event is now in the hands of Elros and Clark," Diana said.
"But… if they help, then won"t they…?" Donna trailed off. Diana simply nodded.
-o-
Kara gulped as she watched before she turned to look out the window. She wondered if she would be able to make it out there in time? As though knowing what she was thinking, her mother spoke.
"Kara, sweetheart. I know what you want to do… but no. I"m not entirely sure you would make it there on time," Sylvia said uncomfortably. But was that the real reason she didn"t want Kara to go? Because it was a lost cause?
"I… I… don"t know," Kara said as she turned back to TV.
-o-
"Oh, b.u.g.g.e.r," John groaned. Zatanna was on her feet as she watched, nervous as to what would happen. Would the booster discharge? Could it at this point? Was there any way for the shuttle to turn around? No, of course not, she thought. It was too far gone at this point. It could try to avoid colliding with the station - but that would mean that the astronauts aboard it would forever be lost to s.p.a.ce.
"Can"t anyone do something?" she finally blurted out, shooting John a glare as she heard him scoff.
"Of course not! Those poor b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are done for," John said, although he couldn"t quite bring himself to turn the TV off.
"You"re a f.u.c.king ray of sunshine, aren"t you?" Zatanna asked. John shrugged as he took a drink.
-o-
"Oh, no," Carol said, gulping as she heard the reporter talk.
"Oh no?! That"s putting it mildly! c.r.a.p!" Guy said loudly.
"I think she knows, Guy," John said sternly, watching events unfold with a frown. Kyle reached down to Hal while Alex was focusing entirely on the TV.
"Elros is up there," Kyle said, gulping. Guy and John looked at each other while Hal and Carol exchanged a look.
"Yeah. Oh f.u.c.k me sideways," Hal said his face in his hands.
"But there"s no way he can stop it. It"s way too fast. It"s going to hit the ISS," Guy said.
"He"s… going to have to make a call," John said with a sigh as he rubbed his face with his hands. It wasn"t often that Elros had to use his powers so publicly on Earth, but there was likely no chance of avoiding that now. He would have to - but who would he save? The astronauts on the shuttle? Or the astronauts on the ISS?
"Poor kid," Guy growled, thinking of who the idiot was that didn"t make sure everything was copacetic before giving the launch the OK.
-o-
Barbara was chewing on her fingernails as she finally closed her laptop. The only thing that warranted her full attention now was what was going on with the s.p.a.ce shuttle. Jim was crushing the bottle of beer in his hands as he wiped some sweat off his forehead, panicking at what he knew was going to happen.
"s.h.i.t," he whispered.
"Yeah. Oh no," Barbara thought. Her quick mind worked out some of the ways this would go down; exactly none of the solutions appealed to her.
-o-
J"onn frowned as he continued to watch. Even with his speed, he couldn"t be there on time. The responsibility fell upon Elros and Clark.
"It"s time," J"onn thought with a sigh.
-o-
Alfred and d.i.c.k watched with looks of surprise while Bruce"s face remained impa.s.sive.
"Master Bruce?" Alfred said, noting his expression.
"Elros was right," Bruce said.
"About what, sir?" Alfred asked.
"The end of an age is almost here," Bruce said forbiddingly before he suddenly got up and went to the Batcave.
"Alfred - no disturbances tonight," was all he said. Alfred simply nodded as he had an idea of what was going through Bruce"s mind. d.i.c.k went after him but was stopped by the butler who gave him a stern look. He sighed before turning back to the TV.
-o-
"f.u.c.king h.e.l.l," Oliver said as he watched the shuttle. He quickly picked up the phone and began to make a flurry of calls. He had to know exactly what was happening.
-o-
From the time the booster reignited, Elros and Clark had almost no time to react. There was only one thing that was running through their minds now: the lives and the families of the astronauts on the s.p.a.ce shuttle and the astronauts on the ISS. What were thinking as they watched; their children thinking that their parent was the coolest person ever because they were in s.p.a.ce, likely not understanding the danger of what was happening now; their spouses were laden with worry that such an event might happen; their parents wondering now: would they even get the body of their son or daughter back? Would they have to bury them? How would they feel if they knew two men could"ve stopped it but didn"t.
Clark and Elros"s eyes went wide in shock. Whoever was manning the shuttle obviously knew what was going to happen if something wasn"t done quick. The trajectory was slightly altered so that the shuttle would go beyond the ISS, however, it was still too late.
As the shuttle hurtled towards the ISS, Elros could see through a small window with his improved vision; the looks of horror and fear on the men and women that watched the event unfold. He saw two of them praying while one had tears streaming down her cheeks; the other three gently levitated in zero-g, with who knows what thoughts running through their minds?
The s.p.a.ce shuttle knocked across one of the solar arrays on the s.p.a.ce station. Elros and Clark"s fear levels jumped as they saw the panels break off viciously while the s.p.a.ce station was suddenly sent into a ferocious spin. The astronauts inside hung on to whatever they could for dear life as it continued, while the shuttle kept rocketing into s.p.a.ce.
"I have the shuttle. Stop the ISS!" Elros roared to Clark. Within half a moment, each of them was heading in their direction. Elros rocketed to the ISS and quickly created a ma.s.sive protective bubble that coated the entirety of the s.p.a.ce shuttle. Elros tightened the leash between the ring and the construct and suddenly lurched forward as the s.p.a.ce shuttle continued to go.
"f.u.c.k!" he screamed inside his head; there was to much thrust coming from the booster. Keeping the bubble around it, hundreds of tentacles began to sprout from within the bubble. He tightened them around the orange booster and began sliding the light through the connectors, trying to pry it free. As a precaution, he coated the booster in its own protective bubble in case something went wrong and it exploded.
The concentration required was significant. Elros was already sweating beads as he had to exert his willpower to its max to solve the problem. He bit his tongue, drawing a bit of blood as he continued the work. They were heading away from the sun and towards black and empty s.p.a.ce, the sheer vastness of it overwhelming and terrifying. Failure was not an option; he had to save these people.
Finally, Elros had good separation between the booster and the s.p.a.ce shuttled. Keeping the booster close by and ensconced in a green bubble, he began to focus the rest of his power on stopping the shuttle. However, it was still too heavy and fast. Elros would need a boost. Gritting his teeth, he opened his pocket dimension and pulled out his blue ring, slipping it on.
"In fearful day, in raging night,
With strong hearts full, our souls ignite,
When all seems lost in the War of light,
Look to the Stars - For hope burns!"
Elros said, taking the oath that Saint Walker had taught him. The blue and green power rings suddenly began to mix. The bubbles that were green began to slowly change color into a cyan light, taking over parts of the green. Hope was considered to be one of the most - if not the most - powerful emotions on the spectrum. Elros could feel the hope that the astronauts had - however slim it was - that someone would help them. Concentrating further, he finally began to slow the shuttle down with his construct. Gritting his teeth, he began to reign the shuttle in until finally, it stopped. Elros let out a loud sigh of relief before his breathing became a bit heavier. He was used to stopping objects this big, but they almost never required this level of careful planning and finesse. If this were an asteroid, he or Clark could"ve simply shattered it; but people were on board and any wrong move could"ve been fatal. As fast as he was, if these people were exposed to the element, they"d be in trouble.
A pang of horror suddenly went through his heart.
"f.u.c.k!" he screamed as he began to pull the shuttle back and head towards the ISS. Clark had managed to stop it spinning, but there was still a ma.s.sive amount of debris. As the damage was limited to the solar array, Elros hoped that the astronauts inside were safely sealed in a different chamber. Upon seeing that they were, he was finally at ease.
As he approached, he saw them: looks of shock were etched into their faces as they locked eyes with Elros. He gulped before he saw a cyan light over his face; a mask. Clark hovered near him with a forlorn expression on his face as well. They looked at each other before turning back to the astronauts.
"What"re they saying?" Elros quietly asked Clark.
"Some of them are praying to G.o.d; other"s are wondering what the h.e.l.l is going on. All of their hearts are racing rapidly. We need to get them back down to Earth. There"s nothing more to do here now," Clark said.
"You want to head home? I can take care of this," Elros offered.
"No. There"s no more pretending now, Elros. The cat is out of the bag," Clark said with a sigh, suddenly aging several years. Elros saw the hint of sadness in his eyes. Life would be different now. Elros put a hand on his shoulder before nodding. Encasing the ISS in a cyan bubble, the two began to head back towards Earth - carefully and slowly to make sure everyone would be ok.
"They"re thanking G.o.d now. "We"re saved. Thank G.o.d,"" Clark said.
"They can thank whoever they want. They"re safe, CK. That"s all that matters," Elros said.
"Agreed," Clark said.
"Hey… reach into my back pocket. Call Bruce. Tell him everything. It"s… time," Elros said with a gulp. Clark nodded before doing so, although he had a feeling Bruce knew everything that was going on already.
-o-
"I can"t believe it," the reporter said as he hung his head in his hands. He was shaking his head, a look of disbelief and excitement on his face.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we"re… getting reports that… the astronauts are coming back to Earth. I don"t… know what"s going on, but we"ll be keeping you updated by the second," the reporter said.
"WHAT?!" Rias asked in shock as she heard him say that. How was it possible?
"They"re coming back? To Earth? But… how?" Akeno asked.
"Oh, my…," Yubelluna suddenly said in realization. Everyone looked her, surprised to her face chalk white.
"What is it, Yubelluna?" Mihae asked.
"I… a.s.sume… that this is Elros"s doing. We know he"s watching, so it stands to reason that he would help them. He wouldn"t leave someone to die," she said, her eyes glued to the screen. The reported was talking about how this could be possible, but everyone was only thinking of one man right now.
"He can"t do that! He"d be exposing himself to the world!" Marion said fearfully. While several people knew about the existence of Devils, it wasn"t something that was advertised. The effects on the world"s systems would be catastrophic if such a word ever got out. If Elros was seen using his powers, there would be countless questions - and no more peace for him, she thought.
"He would be, but does he seem like the kind of man to stand idly by and do nothing?" Yubelluna asked. Marion gulped before shaking her head.
"Let"s keep watching. Maybe… maybe it"s something else," Rias said, now on the floor as well. The rest of the world simply melted away as her anxiety towards her beloved grew further.
-o-
"THEY"RE COMING BACK?!" Saji yelled, halfway between relief and disbelief.
"How"s that possible?!" Tsubasa asked.
"I don"t know. It"s not by any natural means, that much is certain," Sona said, her mind working the problem. Finally, she sighed and took off her gla.s.ses, wiping them on her shirt as a look of contemplation played across her face.
"Sona? What is it?" Momo asked.
"I have a suspicion. But let"s continue to watch. I want to make sure," Sona said, looking sideways at Tsubaki. Her Queen nodded, having the same thought as her master. There was only one solution.
-o-
"Elros?" Maze asked Luke, who sighed as he heard the news.
"Indeed. With the a.s.sistance of Mr. Kent," Luke said, taking another swig.
"Poor kid," Maze sighed.
"The world is about to change, Mazikeen. Events shall be set in motion that none of the humans or the factions or Circles of h.e.l.l or Levels of Heaven or aliens beyond will be able to change. This is quite an exciting time, wouldn"t you say?" Luke asked.
"I couldn"t care less about that. All I know is Elros is going to be hounded now. I just hope he had the good sense to cover his face," Maze said.
"Quite. He"s certainly a trailblazer. Prepare an a.s.sortment of gifts for him. I daresay he"ll be needing a pick me up or two as he returns to his cadre of beautiful women," Luke said with a chuckle.
-o-
"They"re… coming back to Earth? How"s that possible?" Jim Gordon asked, aghast.
"Elros…," Barbara thought, the conclusion strikingly clear to her. There was no other way. She knew that Elros had a wonderful heart; that he would never leave someone to die even if it meant making his existence known to the public. This was it, Barbara thought; what Elros had once told her.
-o-
"The end of an age is coming, Barb," Elros said as he walked with her along a lake in Gotham, the cold wind nipping at them. Barbara smiled as she felt him put an arm around her and pull her close. Elros was extremely touchy-feely unlike Bruce, but he was able to do it in a way that made you feel comfortable. She leaned in before replying.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"It"s not like we"re going to be able to keep our existence hidden forever. One of these days… something is going to happen that necessitates publicity," Elros sighed.
"I have a feeling that"s pretty far off, though. And if it"s going to happen, it"s going to happen. No sense worrying about it, right?" she asked. Elros chuckled before he kissed her atop her head.
-o-
"Oh, b.u.g.g.e.r," John groaned again. This wasn"t going how it should.
"They"re coming back…. you don"t think that…?" Zatanna trailed off.
"Is it any doubt? You know how he is," John said with a sigh as he skipped the gla.s.s and drew a large swig straight from the bottle before lighting up another cigarette.
"s.h.i.t," Zatanna said, listening carefully to every word.
"Oh yeah. Just hope Elros threw a mask on," John said.
"Can you try to be a bit more sensitive?" Zatanna asked derisively.
"You know that he"d just laugh about a situation like this," John replied darkly. Zatanna was quiet as she observed his face; although he wouldn"t admit it, she knew that Constantine was just as worried about Elros as she was. After all, he wasn"t the type of person that easily made friends - yet Elros treated him like a brother. If there was anyone that John would go great lengths for, it was Elros.
-o-
"They are safe?" Starfire asked, brow furrowed.
"Elros," Diana sighed in worry. She knew the young boy"s heart; he wouldn"t abandon anyone to such a fate.
"But… if he does that, everyone"s going to know about him," Donna said, aghast as she looked at her mentor.
"If he doesn"t, those men and women will die," Diana replied. Donna gulped as she began to chew on her fingernails as well.
-o-
"Clark. Elros," Kara thought in fear. She knew there was zero chance either of them was hurt. But just as much, she knew that the lid would be blown off. She looked to her mother and father, both of whom had moved on to the floor with her, putting a protective arm around her back and shoulders. They understood the impact this was having on their daughter.
-o-
"Jesus Christ! WHO f.u.c.kED UP?!" Oliver roared into the phone piece.
"P-please Mr. Queen, we"re trying to figure out what happened," one of his subordinates said. However, Oliver was inconsolable. Queen Consolidated had been one of the companies to work on this shuttle launch - something that Oliver himself had been antic.i.p.ating eagerly. That something as terrible as this happened angered him. Was it someone in his department who dropped the ball? Was it another company? He would find out if it meant using every resource at his disposal.
"I want you to find out everything. EVERYTHING. Understand?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," came the reply before Oliver hung up, hanging his head in his hands. He heard the reported say that the astronauts were on their way back. There was only way that was possible. He picked up the phone again before giving his old friend Hal a call.
-o-
"Oliver," Hal responded, still watching.
"Hal. Watching events, I take it?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah. Olly… what happened?" Hal asked.
"I dunno, Hal. I"m trying to find out who dropped the ball. Rest easy that I will. But that"s not what I wanted to ask. Elros," Oliver said.
"He"s up there. I… imagine that he"s helping out," Hal said.
"c.r.a.p," Oliver groaned.
"That"s about the size of it," Hal responded.
"Alright. Thanks. We"ll talk later," Oliver said.
"Later, Olly," Hal said before looking at Kyle, John, and Guy. Each of the men looked as though they aged several years as they heard the news.
"It"s over," Kyle said.
"I know," Hal responded.
"Christ," Guy groaned.
"Poor kid," John sighed.
"You all should be a bit more confident in him," Carol said, her voice ice as she glared at the men. They paused before nodding.
-o-
"Clark," Bruce said.
"Bruce. We"re heading back to Cape Cape Canaveral with the shuttle and the station," Clark said.
"Understood. This is it, Clark. There"s no way around this anymore," Bruce said.
"I know," Clark said.
"I can be over there if you want," Bruce said. Clark told Elros and Bruce heard a faint no.
"No. I agree with him. We can"t all come out right now. Elros and I will suffice for the moment. He"s put on a mask to protect his ident.i.ty as well," Clark said.
"Which ring is he using?" Bruce asked.
"Green and blue. Cyan. Doubt anyone will a.s.sume he"s the Green Lantern. No doubt a couple will be surprised as well," Clark said.
"I"ll do what I can on my end," Bruce said.
"Alright. Elros wants to tell you one thing," Clark said.
"Go for it," Bruce replied. Clark held the phone to Elros"s head and Bruce heard the snarl in his voice.
"Find out who the f.u.c.k dropped the ball on this and pay them a visit," Elros said.
"Will do," Bruce said. He felt uneasy about the whole thing. Booster separation should"ve been comparatively simple; something was off.
-o-
"You ready, CK?" Elros asked worriedly as he looked back. Clark saw the look of concern on Elros"s face as he looked at him. He and Bruce were hesitant to come out in such a way; both were little more than rumors. After all, who on Earth would believe that man could fly? Or that a bat creature jumped from roof to roof in Gotham?
"I am. Are you?" Clark asked.
"Irrelevant, unfortunately. This is the how the cookie"s gonna crumble. I would"ve liked to do it on my own terms but you know what they say…," Elros trailed off.
"No. What do they say?" Clark asked.
"You"re not supposed to ask that. Just nod sagely," Elros said.
"Is now really the best time to make jokes?" Clark inquired.
"Might as well get them in now, because s.h.i.t"s about to hit the fan I think," Elros said as they broke through the clouds. Clark heard the screams and shouts of the people below as he and Elros headed towards the launch pad.
"Cameras?" Elros asked, closing his eyes.
"Hundreds. All trained on us," Clark said.
"Alright," Elros said with a sigh, continuing their descent and making sure that that the ISS and shuttle were safe intact.
-o-
"OH MY G.o.d!" someone below roared.
"WHAT THE f.u.c.k IS THAT?!" someone else yelled.
"KEEP ROLLING! KEEP f.u.c.kING ROLLING!" a reporter yelled as he hurriedly got into position. Everyone wanted to be first. Thousands of phones were out, watching the descent with looks of horror, terror, fear, disbelief, excitement, anxiety, and every other emotion that could be conjured.
"No… Oh my G.o.d. Is that… IS THAT A MAN!?" someone suddenly asked. Everyone went quiet as one by one, phones started going down. People had to see this happen with their own eyes.
"My G.o.d…," someone else whispered.
"It is. What the h.e.l.l?" another person said in a squeaky voice.
"aliens?" another asked. His friend was chalk white as he nodded.
"Jesus…," the reporter said, wide-eyed as he said a short prayer.
The cameras continued to roll.
-o-
"Elros…," Rias said, eyes wide and chalk white. She could clearly see the cyan light, remembering it from his fight against Elizaveta, Bastion, and Anders. The ISS and the shuttle were like behemoths, both encased in a cyan glow as Elros slowly descended with them.
"There"s someone else there!" Akeno shouted. Everyone"s eyes went wide as they saw the man. He was undoubtedly handsome and around the same height as Elros. He appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s with jet black hair and a red cape billowing behind him. On his chest was a red "S" emblazoned on a yellow background, set against his otherwise blue suit. He wore a frown as he descended with Elros, who had a face mask on. Elros"s body was encased in a beautiful skin tight, cyan suit. Even watching the TV, Rias could sense the power and surety that radiated from him.
"Who is that guy?" Xuelan asked with a frown.
"I"m not sure. It appears as though he"s a friend of Elros. Look," Isabela said. They saw Elros"s mouth moving before it was suddenly obfuscated by a cyan light. The man next to him nodded. They saw his mouth twitch into a smile before it was level again.
"He"s… not a Devil. There"s no f.u.c.king chance he"s a Devil. What the f.u.c.k? How the f.u.c.k is flying?!" Bürent asked, forgetting that Gasper and Koneko were there. The two children had their eyes glued to the screen, paying attention mostly to Elros, with their eyes flitting towards the man.
"I can"t believe it. Everyone knows about him now," Rias said, worry set deep in her heart. This would spread around the world like wildfire.
-o-
"My word…," Mr. Hyoudou said, on the floor with his wife. Both of them looked on in fear as they saw the events unfold. Two men were descending from the Heavens with the wreckage of the ISS and shuttle behind them. One of them was glowing cyan while the other simply levitated.
"Elros… and who is that?" Issei thought, looking sideways at his parents. They didn"t appear to notice that it was Elros, which put him at ease.
"Who is that man?" Mrs. Hyoudou asked.
"I don"t know, sweetheart. They look human, though," Mr. Hyoudou said.
Karlamine and Kiba looked at each other and gulped before turning back to the TV.
-o-
"ALIENS?!" Jim Gordon roared as he suddenly shot up, his hand going through his hair as he watched. He looked to his daughter, but she didn"t seem to have much of a reaction.
"Barb?" he asked.
"I don"t know, Dad. Maybe. It looks like it. It"s not really that different from the Batman, though, is it?" she asked.
"It"s completely different, Barbara! How do we know that these two didn"t cause the accident?" Jim asked.
"We don"t know that they did. But something tells me we"ll have the whole story soon enough," Barbara said. Jim sighed before taking his seat, taking several swigs to calm his nerves. He couldn"t overreact at a time like this - he knew that. He turned off his phone as he paid the TV his fullest attention.
-o-
"Ah! Elros and Mr. Kent. Right on cue," Luke said with a smile as he raised his gla.s.s in a toast.
"Handsome as ever," Maze said with a smile as she saw Elros. He was striking as he glowed a soft cyan, his eyes and presence looming over the people on the ground. He held the ISS and shuttle easily enough, she thought; measuring his descent to make sure no one would try anything, but making sure that everyone noted his presence. His face was covered with a cyan mask, hiding the scar - unless they knew it was there, no one would find it.
"That should keep people wondering who this mystery man is," Luke said.
"This will certainly make some people more brazen," Maze thought.
"Yes. Pity on them," Luke said with a chuckle.
-o-
"Elros…," Zatanna said worriedly.
"Looks like he"s not alone," John said, nodding at the man beside him.
"Do you think he"s going to be ok?" Zatanna asked.
"Probably. Worst case scenario, he gets a probe up his a.r.s.e," John said with a chuckle. Zatanna glared at him before turning back to Elros. What John had told her was going through her mind - that Elros was now a Devil and living with a bunch of beautiful women. She felt a pang of jealousy before sighing - he always did love the fairer s.e.x, she thought. And she was certainly as s.e.xually active as he was, so she didn"t quite have a leg to stand on.
However, over the past several weeks in the time they spent apart, she found herself thinking more and more about him - necessitating the visit to Constantine, someone she knew would have the answers she needed. All that would have to wait a day or two, though - Elros needed time to unwind after this.
-o-
"He mastered the Blue Ring already?" John asked in surprise.
"Mastered? No. But can he use it? Oh yeah," Hal said, a rush of pride going through him. When it came to learning, he knew that Elros was voracious. Amongst the Lanterns, he"d be one of the few that constantly wanted to push the limits of what was possible. En route to doing that, he learned how to use the Blue Ring.
"Jeez. At his age, I didn"t even know Lanterns existed. In fact, pretty sure I was just stumbling out of a bar or something," Kyle groaned.
"He"s always been rigorous. He"s got Johnny and Wog to thank for that. You guys put the kid through h.e.l.l," Guy said with a chuckle. All four retired Lanterns couldn"t help but smile, despite the situation.
-o-
"Cyan?!" Donna asked, aghast. She looked to Diana, who kept a neutral facade through it - although Donna could see the gears turning under the hood. No doubt she was as concerned as she was.
"It appears as though he has added another skill to his repertoire," Diana shrugged.
"Beautiful," Starfire said, the calmest out of everyone.
"I don"t get how you can say that so nonchalantly," Donna sighed.
"We cannot change what is happening, so we must accept it and continue," Starfire replied. Donna rolled her eyes; Starfire was sometimes a bit detached.
-o-
It wasn"t long until Elros and Clark touched on the ground. Immediately as they did so, they were swarmed by men and women in camouflage fatigues. They expected that the National Guard would be on the scene in case something happened. Hundreds of guns were trained on them now. As Elros looked around, he saw the fear that was evident on the faces of the people - they were beyond their minds.
Slowly, he put the ISS and shuttle down before flying over to the latch on the ISS and tearing it off. He went inside and helped out the six men and women that were allowed to be on the ISS at any given time. Most of them were shaken, not caring who it was that helped them - only that someone did. One of the men gave Elros a tight hug as he began crying onto his shoulder.
"My G.o.d, thank you. Thank you for saving me," he cried loudly. Elros patted the man comfortingly on the back.
"Don"t worry. You"re safe now," he said a.s.suringly. The man nodded before falling to his knees, kissing the ground that he was now safe. Elros quickly did the same for the shuttle, helping the astronauts out - all of them still in their orange suits. Several hugged and kissed him on the cheek before taking a seat on the ground, trying to get their bearings. It was a traumatic moment - for those involved and for those watching - and they needed to get grounded.
"You two! Put your hands in the air and get on the ground - slowly!" one of the men in the Guard said. Elros looked at Clark; neither complied.
"I said put your hands in the air and get on the ground!" he repeated.
"No," Elros told him.
"Y-y-y-you can speak English?" the man asked, aghast. Elros had to restrain a laugh that was inappropriate at this time - if the man was so surprised he could speak English, why did he ask them to put their hands in the air and get on the ground?
"Yes. As can my friend, Zor Bleep Bloop," Elros said, pointing at Clark who deadpanned.
-o-
"ARE YOU f.u.c.kING KIDDING ME?!" Rias roared.
"IS HE CRACKING JOKES AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!" Akeno asked. Gasper couldn"t help but laugh at that while Koneko struggled to not smile. The other girls had a mixed reaction between wanting to laugh and smack him - hard.
"I"m going to kill him," Rias groaned.
-o-
"Zor… Bleep… Bloop?" Sona asked dangerously, her power flaring slightly.
"I… that was slightly inappropriate," Tsubaki said with a grimace. She knew that he was relaxed, but in a situation like this - he should"ve been much more professional. Some of the girls giggled while Momo and Tsubasa sighed in disbelief. Saji let out a short chuckle but stopped as he saw Sona glare at him.
-o-
"ALIEN!" Mr. Hyoudou roared as he sprung to his feet.
"He speaks English, dad!" Issei said.
"ZOR BLEEP BLOOP?!" Mr. Hyoudou declared as though that settled it.
"How do you know an alien would speak like that?" Issei asked. Mr. Hyoudou opened his mouth to answer - but found that he didn"t know.
-o-
"HA!" Luke said, laughing heartily. Maze let out a short giggle as well. Yes, that was exactly what Elros would do in a situation like this.
"They won"t like that," she said, nodding at the National Guard.
"No, but this moment shall remain immortalized in human history. They chance across aliens, and the first sentence they exchange is a joke. This is wonderful. Oh, I wonder what Michael thinks of this?" Luke asked with a chuckle.
"Probably sighing in discontent like always," Maze said.
-o-
"Zor Bleep Bloop? I do not understand," Starfire said with a frown.
"It"s a joke, Star," Donna sighed as her head hung in her hands. Hundreds of millions - if not billions at this point - of people were watching Elros right now; h.e.l.l, this very broadcast was sending signals into s.p.a.ce. And what does he do?
Zor Bleep Bloop.
"A joke? This does not seem like a funny situation," Starfire said.
"No, but that"s just Elros"s nature," Donna replied, her lips twitching into a smile. Diana just shook her head.
"Diana?" Donna asked.
"I"m afraid I have no comment on the matter. I certainly would"ve been a bit more serious," Diana said, finally cracking a smile.
"Elros is smart! He should know to be more serious at a time like this," Donna groaned.
"Mmm, perhaps. But he"s in the position right now, Donna - not you or I. Perhaps humor is the best way to go about this. What good will graveness do besides put everyone on edge?" Diana asked.
"I… guess," Donna frowned.
-o-
Constantine was laughing raucously while Zatanna was aghast.
"Oh, that"s great," Constantine said, trying to calm down.
"DOES HE NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT"S GOING ON?!" Zatanna asked angrily.
"Relax, Z. Elros has this. Oh, mark this f.u.c.king moment. Zor Bleep Bloop. Legend," John said, wiping away some tears.
-o-
"Zor Bleep Bloop? He… speaks English?" Iris asked with a frown.
"d.a.m.n it, Elros! Was that necessary?" Barry groaned before smirking inwards.
Yes, it was. The situation needed diffusing somehow, and a joke would likely do it he thought. If it was Clark or Bruce handling the situation, the reaction might"ve been different - more grave and serious, with both sides tense. But Elros was the opposite; he wanted to lighten the mood and hopefully, try to make the best of the situation. While some wouldn"t appreciate it, if it worked - who was he to complain? He looked sideways at Iris before frowning again - he would soon have to go public as well.
"I can"t let Clark and E bear the brunt of this," Barry thought. Elros would likely be vehemently against it, but Barry knew if the shoe was on the other foot, Elros would happily bear the brunt of it all.
-o-
"I can"t believe he said that!" John said irritably as he heard Elros" joke. He didn"t find it funny at all. The situation was dire in his opinion - h.e.l.l, Elros had guns pointed at him! Hal and Carol were just as surprised while Kyle tried to restrain himself from laughing. Guy simply roared with laughter; this is exactly how he would"ve wanted his own public announcement to go down.
"I can"t believe he said that," Hal groaned, reiterating John"s point - although more exasperated than irate.
"What"re you two talking about? That"s great!" Guy said.
"ZOR BLEEP BLOOP?!" John yelled.
"You can trust him to make light of such a moment. Something monumental in human history… and the first thing Elros does is make a joke. I can"t decide whether to laugh or cry," Carol said with a fond smile; she was leaning towards laughing.
"You guys need to lighten up!" Guy grinned.
-o-
Alfred was chuckling as he tried to imagine what Bruce was thinking.
-o-
Bruce remained impa.s.sive. No smile or frown. Just observing. Suddenly, he spoke.
"Zor Bleep Bloop. Interesting first words, Elros," he mused.
-o-
"Oh Christ," Barbara said, shaking her head in exasperation. Her dad was speechless, surprised by the fact the alien apparently spoke English.
-o-
"Who are you?!" the man roared again. Elros looked at Clark before sighing. Suddenly, the fences that separated the crowd from the National Guard suddenly broke as thousands rushed through the perimeter.
"GET THEM UNDER CONTROL!" the man yelled while Elros put up a cyan barrier, separating himself, Clark, and the astronauts from the people who were trying to get a piece of them. Suddenly, Clark and Elros began to levitate a few feet in the air, silencing everyone immediately.
"Please - calm down. I understand that you all have questions, but first things first - these men and women need treatment. They"ve just been through a traumatic experience and need help. Please, bring some ambulances here. We do not have the medical ability to treat them," Elros said. As he spoke, nothing moved or interfered; the wind was still, the din of the engines stopped, and the people were silent. He looked at the National Guard. There was a pause before the commander barked an order to get some ambulances on the scene. Elros nodded but continued to levitate with Clark.
"Who are you?" one of the astronauts suddenly asked in a feeble voice. Elros smiled and set himself back on the ground, kneeling so that he was eye level with the woman. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he smiled back at her.
"Just a friend," he replied. She gulped before nodding, waiting for the ambulances.
"Did you cause the accident?!" a reported suddenly asked.
"WAS IT YOU?!" another asked.
"OR HIM?" another reporter inquired. It would"ve continued, but one of the astronauts got to their feet.
"Careful there, buddy," Elros said worriedly as he put his arm around the man to support them.
"I"m fine. These two saved us! I… don"t know what happened. The… the booster wouldn"t separate from the shuttle. We barely had time to change the trajectory, but it wasn"t enough. We grazed the station… my G.o.d, I thought we were going to be lost out there forever. Thank you," the man said as he embraced Elros. Elros smiled as he returned the hug to the man, before helping him to sit down again; he was struggling to stand.
"You saved them?" one of the audience members asked.
"Who the h.e.l.l are you?" another asked.
"Enough questions! Get these people back! You two - come with us peacefully!" the guardsman said. Elros turned to Clark before leaning.
"Well? What should we do now?" Elros asked.
"Let"s go with them. This isn"t the right forum," Clark said.
"I think you"re wrong. If we go with them, we both know what"s going to happen. They"ll try to muzzle us. Public might be best," Elros said.
"They won"t like that, either. It pains me to say, but this is a national security issue," Clark said.
"I"m a man of no nation," Elros said with a chuckle. Clark just shook his head before pondering the situation.
"Whatever your call is, CK," Elros said, deferring to Clark who sighed.
"Perhaps the best of both worlds? They can set up a secure facility here so we can still be in view of the public," Clark said.
"Agreed," Elros said. As he turned to the guardsman, Clark began to speak.
"We can understand your apprehension to trust us, but you must understand ours to simply go with you. We will not be seen showing any favoritism to any country - not the United States, Canada, China, j.a.pan, Russia, India, or any others. To that effect, we will not follow you anywhere. However, we will stay here to answer your questions - in full view of the public. These are our terms. Should relations warm, we can change them in the future, but today - at this moment - we will stay here," Clark declared. Guns were pointed at them again but they didn"t flinch at all.
"Put your guns down. There are children here," Elros said, a snarl creeping into his voice. As he said that, a child broke through. He rushed to one of the astronauts and embraced them, tears flying from his eyes as he did so.
"Dad! You"re ok!" he cried.
"Hey, kiddo! Yeah, yeah! I"m fine. Don"t worry. See? Not a scratch," the father said with a smile, hugging his son tightly. The tender scene was well doc.u.mented, bringing a tear to Clark and Elros. The young child looked up at Elros with wonder in his eyes.
"Woah," he said. Elros chuckled before kneeling down.
"How"s it going, kid?" he asked, ruffling his hair.
"You"re an alien!" the boy said.
"Nope. Human," Elros said with a smile.
"Are you an alien?" the boy asked Clark who just smiled.
"I"ve lived here all my life," Clark answered.
"Who are you, then?" the boy asked Elros.
"Just someone who tries to help out," Elros replied.
"Thanks!" the boy said, hugging Elros. He was surprised by the gesture but smiled as he gently patted the boy on the back. Elros noted hundreds and thousands of flashes, doc.u.menting this moment for future records - a child hugging a veritable alien.
-o-
The girls couldn"t help but sigh as they saw the tender moment play out. Elros was always gentle when he spoke to children. Even in a situation like this, he kept his cool and did his best to make sure the child was at ease.
"I wonder what our kids are gonna be like?" Rias thought, turning a blood red as she thought about it. Akeno looked and saw her friend blushing, knowing what was going through her mind - the same thought just struck her.
-o-
"Let go of the child!" one of the guardsmen shouted. Elros gently did so and got up, ruffling the boy"s hair once again before training his eye on the guns that were still pointed at him.
"Guns. Down. We mean you no harm," Elros said as he deactivated most of his powers, still keeping the face mask on.
"Remove your mask!" the man shouted.
"No," Elros replied. The guardsman was about to shout again when a voice came from in the distance.
"ENOUGH!" a woman yelled as she approached the scene. She wore business attire; a white dress shirt with a black jacket and a black pencil skirt that cut off just below her knees. She strode towards them in high heels, adding several inches to her already tall figure. She wore no lipstick and her reddish hair fell around her face, going just past her shoulders. She took off her gla.s.ses, revealing her blue eyes as she went through the crowd and towards Elros and Clark.
"You two are the aliens?" she asked.
"Earthlings," Elros replied.
"Not when you make an entrance like that," she replied.
"Super-Earthlings," Elros replied, eliciting a scoff from her.
"Charming. My name is Tess Mercer. You"ll follow us to a secure compound where we can debrief you," she said.
"No. You can debrief us on the site here, in full view of the public," Elros said.
"You"re in no position to make any sort of demands," she said, her voice cold.
"I disagree. Or I can put it another way," Elros said.
"And what way is that?" she asked.
"Would you people prefer us to go or stay?" Elros asked loudly.
"STAY!" they roared back at him. The National Guard began scrambling in a panic before Tess shot them a look.
"The people have spoken, Miss Mercer," Elros replied. She gave him an icy smile before walking away, phone pressed to her ear.
"Was that necessary?" Clark asked.
"Black and yellow will back me on this. We can"t let them dictate how this goes. We need to stay on top," Elros said.
"I"d argue with you, but I agree," Clark nodded. It was a few minutes before Tess came back.
"If I say no to your request?" Tess asked Elros.
"We leave this instant," Elros said. She bit her lip hard before sighing.
"My superiors will agree to your request. The public will be kept at a distance, but will be able to observe. Follow me," she said, leading Clark and Elros away. They looked at each other and followed, reporters still watching them through their lens.
"I can"t believe it," one said.
"This changes… everything. My G.o.d," another said.
-o-
Reporters watched from afar as Elros and Clark took seats in different tents, visible through the plastic but otherwise obscured. Tess took the room with Elros, while her partner took Clark.
"What"s your name?" she asked.
"Green Lantern," Elros replied.
"Are you colorblind?" Tess asked. Elros sighed and shifted back to his green. Tess didn"t seem impressed or surprised.
"Nope. And 20/20 vision as well," Elros replied.
"Where were you born?" she asked.
"Earth. I won"t simplify it further. I"m a human," Elros said.
"Prove it," Tess said. Elros sighed and got up, unzipping his pants - horrifying Tess. She suddenly pushed him back down, an angry look on her face.
"WHAT THE h.e.l.l DO YOU THINK YOU"RE DOING?!" she roared.
"What better way to show you than by my anatomy? Look, two eyes, two ears, a nose, lips, hair, and I speak perfect English. I listen to Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, and Run the Jewels. I don"t know what else to do besides the obvious," Elros said.
"You"re really starting to get on my nerves, pal," Tess snarled. Elros sighed before nodding.
"I… apologize, Mrs. Mercer. I didn"t mean to offend. You have to understand that I didn"t want this to happen. I just wanted to watch the shuttle launch - something I"ve wanted to see since I was a boy. And then this happened and I… am on edge," Elros said in a quiet voice as he folded his hands in front of him. Tess was surprised by the sudden shift in mood; the bravado and the facade just seemed to have disappeared, unveiling a more vulnerable person. Elros continued.
"I will answer your questions as best I can, but there are some things I will not tell you - to protect myself as well my loved ones. On this, I cannot negotiate. But other than that, consider me a mostly open book," Elros said.
"What were you doing before the incident?" Tess asked.
"Watching the launch, as I said - with my friend. A safe distance away for our own safety," Elros said.
"How long did you watch?" she continued.
"We started at T-minus 10 minutes. We followed it into orbit and were about to get settled as he watched it dock with the ISS. But that"s when we noticed the problem," Elros said.
"What problem?" she inquired.
"The final booster didn"t discharge. It was troubling, to begin with, but even more so when it finally reignited. That shouldn"t have happened," Elros said.
"Do you suspect sabotage?" Tess asked.
"I don"t know. Perhaps. But I don"t know," he answered.
"When did you act?" Tess asked.
"After the boosted ignited again. It was 50 miles away from the ISS and neither my friend nor I am that fast. The pilot of the shuttle changed the trajectory and only grazed one of the solar arrays, but that was enough to do significant damage. The shuttle continued hurtling away and I stopped it successfully. I got both the shuttle and ISS in a protective bubble before leading them both down here with the astronauts," Elros said.
"How long have you been active?" Tess asked.
"My life," Elros said.
"Excuse me?" she asked in surprise.
"A long, long time Miss Mercer," Elros said with a sad smile.
"And your friend?" Tess asked.
"I cannot say," Elros said.
"Sit tight," Tess said as she saw her partner exit. Elros nodded and did so. He saw them conversing outside, likely comparing and contrasting notes.
-o-
The hours droned on; night had pa.s.sed and it was morning by now. The gaggle of people in the distance, however, only grew - hundreds of thousands crowded the streets, hoping to get a look at the two men. Finally, Tess re-entered.
"Where do you live now?" she asked.
"That I cannot answer. However, I am on Earth," Elros said.
"There are a lot of people asking to detain you," Tess told him.
"This is something the entire world knows about by now, Miss Mercer. Enemies and allies of the States alike. If they even suspect that you have someone like my friend or me under wraps, they"re not going to be forgiving. You can"t detain us without destroying all the relationships the United States has - tenuous or otherwise," Elros said. It didn"t take a genius to figure out what the reaction of Russia, China, or North Korea would be.
"You"re not shy with your words, are you?" she asked.
"It wouldn"t do me any good to be as such. Just saying it how it is," Elros said.
"I had a feeling you"d say that, which is why I convinced them to accept plan B," Tess said. To her surprise, Elros chuckled.
"What"s so funny?" she asked.
"I dunno what birth control is going to do at a time like this, but I get the feeling that whatever you"re thinking, I"m going to like it," Elros said. Tess turned red before growling low.
"Sorry, sorry! What"s plan C?" Elros asked.
"This is a phone that only I have the number to. Your friend has one as well. Keep it on you at all times. We"ll contact you very soon. You can understand that a lot has to be discussed," Tess said. Elros looked at the phone before pointing his ring at it and scanning it. He handed it back to Tess.
"You can call me anytime and I"ll answer," Elros said.
"You need to keep the phone," she said.
"Why would I let you track me?" Elros wondered. Tess opened her mouth to speak before closing it again.
"Very well. You"re free to go - for now. Rest a.s.sured that we will see each other again," Tess said as Elros got up. She extended a hand to him as a gesture of peace. Elros smiled and took it.
"I hope so, Miss Mercer," Elros said, keeping eye contact as he kissed it. Tess went red before she quickly retracted her hand, walking irately out. Elros met up with Clark as he exited.
"Do you really have to flirt with her?" Clark asked with a chuckle.
"Lightening the mood. How was yours?" Elros asked.
"I believe the gentleman interviewing me was too afraid to push any b.u.t.tons. I told him he could ask almost anything, but it was little more than a basic probe. They gave me a phone, however," Clark said.
"Your fry the tracker?" Elros asked. Clark smiled and nodded.
"Is it just me… or was this far too easy?" Elros asked.
"I agree. But it isn"t as though they can rush this. I expect that whatever happens, it will be a slow and thought out process - and conducted on a world stage as opposed to just the United States. No doubt every country is watching the news now. Heads of state won"t be happy that we"re here; they"ll want neutral ground," Clark said.
"Mmm," Elros hummed.
"What is it?" Clark asked. He saw the sad smile that Elros had.
"I was hoping for a little more peace, a little while longer," he said. Clark put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"It"s not like you have to carry this burden by yourself. I"m out now as well. And I expect that others will begin to follow. What was it that you always said?" Clark asked.
"The end of the age is coming. But that"s incorrect now. The age just ended," Elros sighed.
He looked over the horizon. The morning sun was rising on a brand new day; on a brand new ag