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Chapter 253: Red and Green Since Time Immemorial?
To be honest, when the warriors of Dehryan received the armaments of Apokolips, although many were forced into it, most of them became truly intoxicated by the incredible technology and immense power. They even fantasized that they could easily sweep aside the armies of major nations and unite the world.
However, this confidence didn't even have a chance to cross the border before it was smashed to smithereens upon encountering a group of strangely costumed gods.
Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, The Flash. It seemed like there were only a few of them, but their arrival instantly reversed the tide of battle. The hunters, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, now immediately became the hunted. Their weapons were utterly laughable before these overpowered individuals, offering no room for effective use.
Quickly and decisively, the conflict at the border was resolved. The Dehryan team dispatched there was swiftly and completely wiped out.
"Looks like we have some new faces." Diana sheathed her longsword, her gaze falling upon The Flash and Green Lantern.
This was the first time she had seen either of them.
Hal caught sight of Diana, raised an eyebrow, and let out a loud whistle. He floated down gracefully, wreathed in green light, and extended his hand with a broad smile. "Hello, I'm Green Lantern."
Diana politely extended her own hand to shake his. "Wonder Woman."
A grin spread across Hal's face. "Hey beautiful, want to know my secret identity?"
But before their hands could touch, there was a crackle of electricity. The Flash appeared in a blur before Hal and took Diana's hand, saying excitedly, "I've heard of you, Wonder Woman. Wow, is that Superman over there? And Supergirl, and uh... is that green fellow new? I don't seem to remember..."
Hal looked displeased. "Hey Barry, I was here first."
The Flash's eyebrows shot up. "I wear a mask for a reason, you know, Hal? Why don't you just grab a megaphone and shout my name in Times Square?"
Diana's gaze shifted between the two of them. "You two... know each other?"
Hal: "We do."
Barry: "We don't."
The moment the words left their mouths, they shot a look at each other.
Hal: "Hey, you're embarrassing me in front of the Princess!"
Barry: "You should have thought of that when you were about to reveal our secret identities."
The two spoke over each other, bickering and explaining, but eventually clarified how they met. They had run into each other while investigating a kidnapping case and even got into a fight. Afterwards, it was the classic "enemies become friends" scenario, and they teamed up to take down the kidnappers.
The process was rather cliché and not worth recounting. In short, it was a story of good guys having a misunderstanding and fighting, then burying the hatchet for a reason—like, say, their moms having the same name—before finally becoming cool buddies.
But as the saying goes, red and green have always been a bickering pair. The Green Lantern and Flash duo were two of the most interactive founding members of The League. They were good friends privately but loved to squabble whenever they met. It was an old tradition.
"Alright, you can save the adventure stories for later. For now, we've all gathered here for the same purpose: to resist the invasion and protect our home," Superman said, looking around at everyone.
"We need to work together, fight side-by-side, and form an alliance..."
"Like, the Avengers," Kara chimed in excitedly.
The others looked at each other.
"I'm not a big fan of that name." Superman scratched his head. "Revenge doesn't sound good. It's not very... sunny. More like a league fighting for justice, trying to help people and uphold what's right."
"Justice League, great idea," The Flash praised, clapping his hands. "Then we can tell the bad guys, 'You've just been 'justiced'!'"
Everyone stared at him blankly.
"Hmm... that does sound a bit silly," The Flash said, sheepishly retracting his hand. "Maybe we should reconsider."
Martian Manhunter had been silent all this time, his eyes flashing with a red glow as if he were sensing something. Only now did he raise his head and say to the others, "I was just trying to make contact with that... uh... Ultraman."
He only remembered halfway through his sentence that everyone seemed to prefer using codenames by default.
"Oh, him? I know him," Hal said, hands on his hips. "We're buddies."
"Huh, how come you never mentioned that?" Barry raised an eyebrow again. "I know him pretty well too."
"Huh?" Hal was surprised. "You mean the guy who can teleport, shoot energy blasts, grow huge at the drop of a hat, and goes planet-bursting on the spot when he's angry?"
"What, do you know a second guy named 'Ultraman'?"
"Haha, what a coincidence. Turns out everyone knows him."
Hal chuckled, but after tilting his head and thinking for a moment, he couldn't help but add, "Just saying, I've been to the other side of the universe with him. I think we're probably a bit closer."
Barry was immediately indignant. "He was right there with me when my powers awakened. We definitely met earlier."
Hal continued to protest, "Well, there was also the time we..."
"Alright, that's enough. You can continue this investigation when you see him in person," Diana interrupted. "We have more pressing matters right now—"
Then they heard Kara mutter from the side, "Even though this isn't a competition, I was definitely here first..."
Everyone's eyes turned to her.
Kara quickly covered her mouth and made a zipping motion, indicating she was shutting up and letting Martian Manhunter continue.
"Is he here too?" Superman looked at Martian Manhunter.
"He is, but he has another plan and won't be joining us for now. But he did give some advice... The situation is urgent, so I'll just show you directly."
Martian Manhunter's eyes flashed red, and everyone felt the scenery around them suddenly spin. Each of them felt as if they had been sucked into a vortex, falling rapidly through the void. When they came to their senses, they had each landed at a round table.
They sat around the table, the chairs and table itself suspended in mid-air. Beneath their feet was a real-time map of Dehryan.
On the desolate plain, a tower that soared into the sky was incredibly conspicuous. Its dazzling and cold shell, with a silver-gray surface reflecting the endless sunlight, made it look like a ghost from another world.
"Is this... are you in our heads?" Hal asked in surprise.
"My apologies for the intrusion, but in these special circumstances, this is the fastest way to communicate," Martian Manhunter said.
"What is this?" Superman asked.
"This is the information Ultraman just gave us. A commander among the enemy named 'Steppenwolf' has established three such facilities in three different locations around this nation. They are activation devices for a 'Boom Tube'."
"A Boom Tube? I've seen one. It doesn't require something this big, just a small, box-like device. I saw it when I was fighting Intergang," Superman said with a frown.
Martian Manhunter shook his head. "That's a 'Mother Box.' What you saw was just the personal version. This, however, was built to amplify the power of a Mother Box. It's not meant to teleport one or a few people, but an entire interstellar fleet. Once the gate opens, we will face the endless army from Apokolips and their leader."
"That doesn't sound good," said Barry. "So his point is for us to go destroy these towers?"
"Correct. He said he has already taken out one of the enemy's New Gods and got this intelligence straight from that New God, so it's absolutely reliable. The interstellar Boom Tube could activate at any moment. We must act immediately and destroy these Boom Tube towers before that happens. I have already marked the coordinates of each tower in everyone's minds."
As Martian Manhunter spoke, he withdrew his power, and everyone returned to reality as if descending from the clouds.
"Three different directions. That means we have to split up," Superman said.
Hal's figure flickered, and he appeared beside Wonder Woman, saying with a grin, "I'll team up with Wonder Woman."
They all shot him a look.
"..."
A minute later, Hal was pouting as he flew reluctantly toward one of the Boom Tube towers, with the rapidly sprinting Flash beside him.
"Ugh, this is no fun. Why is it always you?" Hal glanced at him, displeased.
"I was about to say the same thing," said Barry. "Don't slow me down."
"Hah, what a joke. I was just about to say that to you—"
(end of chapter)
To be honest, when the warriors of Dehryan received the armaments of Apokolips, although many were forced into it, most of them became truly intoxicated by the incredible technology and immense power. They even fantasized that they could easily sweep aside the armies of major nations and unite the world.
However, this confidence didn't even have a chance to cross the border before it was smashed to smithereens upon encountering a group of strangely costumed gods.
Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, The Flash. It seemed like there were only a few of them, but their arrival instantly reversed the tide of battle. The hunters, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, now immediately became the hunted. Their weapons were utterly laughable before these overpowered individuals, offering no room for effective use.
Quickly and decisively, the conflict at the border was resolved. The Dehryan team dispatched there was swiftly and completely wiped out.
"Looks like we have some new faces." Diana sheathed her longsword, her gaze falling upon The Flash and Green Lantern.
This was the first time she had seen either of them.
Hal caught sight of Diana, raised an eyebrow, and let out a loud whistle. He floated down gracefully, wreathed in green light, and extended his hand with a broad smile. "Hello, I'm Green Lantern."
Diana politely extended her own hand to shake his. "Wonder Woman."
A grin spread across Hal's face. "Hey beautiful, want to know my secret identity?"
But before their hands could touch, there was a crackle of electricity. The Flash appeared in a blur before Hal and took Diana's hand, saying excitedly, "I've heard of you, Wonder Woman. Wow, is that Superman over there? And Supergirl, and uh... is that green fellow new? I don't seem to remember..."
Hal looked displeased. "Hey Barry, I was here first."
The Flash's eyebrows shot up. "I wear a mask for a reason, you know, Hal? Why don't you just grab a megaphone and shout my name in Times Square?"
Diana's gaze shifted between the two of them. "You two... know each other?"
Hal: "We do."
Barry: "We don't."
The moment the words left their mouths, they shot a look at each other.
Hal: "Hey, you're embarrassing me in front of the Princess!"
Barry: "You should have thought of that when you were about to reveal our secret identities."
The two spoke over each other, bickering and explaining, but eventually clarified how they met. They had run into each other while investigating a kidnapping case and even got into a fight. Afterwards, it was the classic "enemies become friends" scenario, and they teamed up to take down the kidnappers.
The process was rather cliché and not worth recounting. In short, it was a story of good guys having a misunderstanding and fighting, then burying the hatchet for a reason—like, say, their moms having the same name—before finally becoming cool buddies.
But as the saying goes, red and green have always been a bickering pair. The Green Lantern and Flash duo were two of the most interactive founding members of The League. They were good friends privately but loved to squabble whenever they met. It was an old tradition.
"Alright, you can save the adventure stories for later. For now, we've all gathered here for the same purpose: to resist the invasion and protect our home," Superman said, looking around at everyone.
"We need to work together, fight side-by-side, and form an alliance..."
"Like, the Avengers," Kara chimed in excitedly.
The others looked at each other.
"I'm not a big fan of that name." Superman scratched his head. "Revenge doesn't sound good. It's not very... sunny. More like a league fighting for justice, trying to help people and uphold what's right."
"Justice League, great idea," The Flash praised, clapping his hands. "Then we can tell the bad guys, 'You've just been 'justiced'!'"
Everyone stared at him blankly.
"Hmm... that does sound a bit silly," The Flash said, sheepishly retracting his hand. "Maybe we should reconsider."
Martian Manhunter had been silent all this time, his eyes flashing with a red glow as if he were sensing something. Only now did he raise his head and say to the others, "I was just trying to make contact with that... uh... Ultraman."
He only remembered halfway through his sentence that everyone seemed to prefer using codenames by default.
"Oh, him? I know him," Hal said, hands on his hips. "We're buddies."
"Huh, how come you never mentioned that?" Barry raised an eyebrow again. "I know him pretty well too."
"Huh?" Hal was surprised. "You mean the guy who can teleport, shoot energy blasts, grow huge at the drop of a hat, and goes planet-bursting on the spot when he's angry?"
"What, do you know a second guy named 'Ultraman'?"
"Haha, what a coincidence. Turns out everyone knows him."
Hal chuckled, but after tilting his head and thinking for a moment, he couldn't help but add, "Just saying, I've been to the other side of the universe with him. I think we're probably a bit closer."
Barry was immediately indignant. "He was right there with me when my powers awakened. We definitely met earlier."
Hal continued to protest, "Well, there was also the time we..."
"Alright, that's enough. You can continue this investigation when you see him in person," Diana interrupted. "We have more pressing matters right now—"
Then they heard Kara mutter from the side, "Even though this isn't a competition, I was definitely here first..."
Everyone's eyes turned to her.
Kara quickly covered her mouth and made a zipping motion, indicating she was shutting up and letting Martian Manhunter continue.
"Is he here too?" Superman looked at Martian Manhunter.
"He is, but he has another plan and won't be joining us for now. But he did give some advice... The situation is urgent, so I'll just show you directly."
Martian Manhunter's eyes flashed red, and everyone felt the scenery around them suddenly spin. Each of them felt as if they had been sucked into a vortex, falling rapidly through the void. When they came to their senses, they had each landed at a round table.
They sat around the table, the chairs and table itself suspended in mid-air. Beneath their feet was a real-time map of Dehryan.
On the desolate plain, a tower that soared into the sky was incredibly conspicuous. Its dazzling and cold shell, with a silver-gray surface reflecting the endless sunlight, made it look like a ghost from another world.
"Is this... are you in our heads?" Hal asked in surprise.
"My apologies for the intrusion, but in these special circumstances, this is the fastest way to communicate," Martian Manhunter said.
"What is this?" Superman asked.
"This is the information Ultraman just gave us. A commander among the enemy named 'Steppenwolf' has established three such facilities in three different locations around this nation. They are activation devices for a 'Boom Tube'."
"A Boom Tube? I've seen one. It doesn't require something this big, just a small, box-like device. I saw it when I was fighting Intergang," Superman said with a frown.
Martian Manhunter shook his head. "That's a 'Mother Box.' What you saw was just the personal version. This, however, was built to amplify the power of a Mother Box. It's not meant to teleport one or a few people, but an entire interstellar fleet. Once the gate opens, we will face the endless army from Apokolips and their leader."
"That doesn't sound good," said Barry. "So his point is for us to go destroy these towers?"
"Correct. He said he has already taken out one of the enemy's New Gods and got this intelligence straight from that New God, so it's absolutely reliable. The interstellar Boom Tube could activate at any moment. We must act immediately and destroy these Boom Tube towers before that happens. I have already marked the coordinates of each tower in everyone's minds."
As Martian Manhunter spoke, he withdrew his power, and everyone returned to reality as if descending from the clouds.
"Three different directions. That means we have to split up," Superman said.
Hal's figure flickered, and he appeared beside Wonder Woman, saying with a grin, "I'll team up with Wonder Woman."
They all shot him a look.
"..."
A minute later, Hal was pouting as he flew reluctantly toward one of the Boom Tube towers, with the rapidly sprinting Flash beside him.
"Ugh, this is no fun. Why is it always you?" Hal glanced at him, displeased.
"I was about to say the same thing," said Barry. "Don't slow me down."
"Hah, what a joke. I was just about to say that to you—"
(end of chapter)
