Chapter 85: Important conversations

"Talking"

'Thinking'

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New Watchtower, June 21, 14:00, 2017

The meeting at the Watchtower had ended with bittersweet feelings. Now, Edgar, Batman, and the others had the task of going to convince Thor to help them go to Valhalla.

If they succeeded, then a suicide mission would have to be planned to go rescue Victor Stone. If they did not succeed, then other measures would have to be planned to address this situation. Specifically, to wait and prepare defenses against future attacks by the gods on Earth.

The other members of the Justice League, as they did every day, returned to their respective jobs to patrol, conduct missions, or simply stay abreast of the day-to-day problems they had to combat.

The metahuman world did not rest. Threats arose at every moment, and they, as heroes, had the job of defending and containing those dangers.

However, a small group stayed at the Watchtower to talk, taking a break from patrolling and hero work. For today was no ordinary day. John Stewart, Earth's second Green Lantern, had returned from his long stay in Oa. Months had passed since they had not seen their friend, and there was much to talk about.

In the recreation and relaxation room of the Watchtower, there were: John Stewart, Hal Jordan, Barry Allen (Flash), Arthur Curry (Aquaman), Mera (Aquaman's wife), J'onn J'onzz (Martian Manhunter), the pair of Hawks, Carter and Shayera Hall, Zatara, Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Oliver Queen (Green Arrow), and surprisingly, Selina Kyle (Catwoman), who had joined the group and became close friends with everyone.

Gone was the past as a villain. Now everyone appreciated her as a member of the Justice League. Being also a combat instructor for the Teen Titans. 

"Sigh. Every time I leave, trouble comes up on Earth" John Stewart said, as he sighed deeply and massaged his tired temples.

They had told him everything that had happened these past few months and the trouble with the gods and he couldn't help but sigh because of how much trouble they were in. This was funny, since the last time he had been in Oa for a long time, all of The Light's trouble had come up.

Now the threats were just as, if not more, troublesome than before. Group of gods threatening to attack, while they had their friend captured, while demons were gathering strength in the shadows.

John had been to so many planets in the universe, but he believed that Earth was the only one that could have such catastrophic problems arise overnight.

"And this 'Madame Xanadu', is she reliable?" asked John doubtfully, to which he was answered with looks of doubt. He had doubts about this woman. It was very obvious that it all started because of her. Martian Manhunter was the one who answered him.

"If you ask if she is a threat, the answer is no. But she's not without doubt either. Marie hates her and blames her for Victor's kidnapping. But Diana and Edgar defend her on the grounds that she was just a pawn in a bigger game. Anyway, I think we have divided opinions with her here. If you ask me, I have the same opinion of Diana and Edgar. She's not bad. She was just influenced"

"I see..., and you guys, do you have the same opinion?"

"I don't like her"

"I have no opinions about her"

"I think she's a menace in cahoots with the gods"

"I'm with J'onn's opinion. It's not her fault"

Opinions began to pour out of the mouths of everyone in the group. All, varied responses denoting their displeasure with Nimue. Others, showing they had no opinions and others defending her. Either way, one thing was certain. This woman had brought division to the former superhero group.

"But let's not talk about that anymore, John. Better tell us how your stay on Oa went. Did you manage to find out everything we were looking for?" Hal interrupted, changing the subject to something more pressing. John had a mission. To know or find out as much as he could about the situation on Oa, the situation with Starfire, and in general, the situation in the universe. Hal was curious because he hadn't patrolled the universe since John left.

John, however, did not answer him immediately, but instead made a complicated face and began massaging his temples more as if he had a headache.

"About that... we have a very serious situation, Hal. The situation on Oa is worse than we thought"

"What do you mean by that?" Hal asked almost fearfully. He was getting nervous about his friend's behavior. He felt he wasn't going to like what he was going to say.

"Before I tell you, I want to ask something first. That girl, the Tamaran princess, how is she acclimating, I think her name was Koriand'r, wasn't it?"

The one who answered him was Shayera. With a smile, she said.

"Oh, Kory is great. Her new identity is Kory Andrews and, truth be told, she acclimated quite well to Earth. She's interning with me at the Justice League of Africa under the superhero codename of Starfire. She's a very good fighter. Her power is also very powerful. And she's very smart, the result of years of learning on her home planet. Although I still feel she's a bit naive, but that will come off in time. I'm seriously thinking of nominating her as a new member of the Justice League in the next vote"

There was already talk of adding more members to the League, among them, adult members of the Teen Titans. Specifically three, Nightwing, Batgirl and Aqualad. All three had hard-earned membership in the Justice League. Hawkwoman wanted to add Starfire, who had proven in the short time, to be fit for hero work, to that group.

John was surprised by Shayera's words. But it was a pleasant surprise. He was happy that the princess had acclimated to this planet well. However, said surprise changed to a troubled face as what he was going to say next would bring uncertainty in the assembled group.

"I'm glad she is acclimating well. Since, what I found out regarding her situation is bad. Apparently, the princess's stay is going to have to be lengthened from an indefinite stay to a full stay"

"What do you mean by that John?"

"What I mean is that, Tamaran, the planet where Koriand'r comes from, has been destroyed. It has become what we call a deserted planet and unfit for life. Apparently, the princess is the only living Tamaran left…"

"It can't be..."

"Damn it!"

"That's horrible!"

Many exclamations of surprise and helplessness were expressed at John's words. However, it was Shayera who asked,

"Who was the cause of the destruction of her planet?", that question was on everyone's lips. Who was or who were the cause of that planet being destroyed.

"An old acquaintance of ours... Darkseid. Darkseid was the culprit. The purpose of his attack is still unknown. The Guardians have sent to investigate, but the investigation has not yet borne fruit"

When that name was mentioned, everyone became solemn. The room, once cheerful, now felt heavy with atmosphere. Darkseid was a name that instilled fear in the group.

The monster was unknown, but just by mentioning him, it was already synonymous with death, destruction and chaos. It was never going to be forgotten that the first alien invasion of Earth by Steppenwolf was in the name of Darkseid.

"We have to think hard about how to tell her. It won't be easy. She thinks it was just a fight on her planet and that she was only sent on the ship because of her safety. She doesn't know they slaughtered everyone" Mera contributed to the group upon hearing the girl's situation.

"I agree. When it's all over... we have to tell her. She must know the truth. And let her decide what she wants to do. Whether to stay or..." John concluded. To which the others nodded.

"Regarding the other thing, Hal. Carol's situation is already taken care of. I personally went to Sector 1314, the new Star Sapphire sector, and spoke exclusively with Queen Aga'po, her corps leader, and explained in detail her situation. She understood and said that, if Carol wants, she can return to them whenever she wants"

"Sigh. That's a relief" sighed Hal in relief. Carol Ferris hadn't picked up the pink ring again since Hal had forcibly taken it from her.

She didn't want to lose control again, and become a killing machine like before. She preferred to focus on her job as director of Ferris Air, and, in this time, had turned it into the largest jet manufacturing company in the USA.

She had also taken mandatory therapy with Martian Manhunter, to heal her mind from the residual after-effects the ring had left her. Something that brought her back to her old life. She simply wanted to forget about the Star Sapphire Corps.

This is how it happened after The Light. While some, like Selina, had joined the Justice League to use her skills against crime to atone for her sins. Others, like Carol, had simply tried to forget what had happened and avoid interacting again in the superhero world. 

Hal was obviously paying her regular visits. To him, Carol was special. It gave him relief to hear that she was practically free of her Star Sapphire Corps shackles.

Though it pained him that she never gave it a chance to learn how to control the ring. She was pretty good using it. If she became a heroine, she would become a great force to be reckoned with.

"Next week, I have a dinner with her. I'll give her the good news then" Hal finished, which made John nod.

"However, it's not all good, Hal. Oa has become a difficult place to be. On the surface everything looks good. The Guardians giving missions. Cadets patrolling the planet. Nothing unusual. But the atmosphere feels tense. And that is, the Guardians are in a 'civil war'"

"Civil war?"

"Yes. They split into two factions. Ganthet leads the 'White' faction. A faction that wants everything to stay the way it was. And Krona, he leads the 'Black' faction. A faction that wants the Lanterns to become more... tougher on criminals. Sinestro supports this faction. With what happened with Darkseid and the destruction of the planet Tamaran, I fear more Lanterns are thinking of joining this group.

There is talk of war, Hal. Krona wants to go to war against the New Gods and bring them to justice for the destruction of Tamaran. Something Ganthet does not want, as he knows that many Lanterns will die in such a suicidal mission.

They are still in talks, but things are getting more and more tense. That's why they didn't want us there, Hal. That's why they didn't want us on Oa. Ganthet doesn't want us to join Krona's faction. And Krona doesn't want the same thing with Ganthet. In short, they want us in the dark until a position is resolved"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait" Oliver interrupted John's conversation. "I know your conversation is Lantern Corps related and so I don't understand half of what you're talking about. But one thing I do understand...that you're looking at the possibility of war. How does that affect us on Earth?"

"Don't worry. Earth will not be affected. However, if we go for one faction, and the other wins, then they may make things difficult for us or change our guards. In short, we may be removed from guardians in sector 2814 just to piss off the Guardians. In the end, all it's mere politics"

" John is right. It's the only thing wrong with the Lantern Corps. Even the missions have to be reviewed in detail by internal Lantern corps politics. This is so that the power of the ring is not abused, but it also limits and restricts us in our patrolling actions. That's why I like being on Earth. The Justice League gives you a lot more freedom to maneuver than the Green Lantern Corps"

John nodded. Finally, he concluded.

"The last thing I looked into was the other Color Lanterns. There is no information on this matter. Although we now know that Star Sapphires exist, it is said that it was an isolated case. Although, one information broker says that such information can be found in the empty solar system"

The empty solar system was a dark and desolate solar system, where the sun had exploded. It was a lawless system, where the worst scum were to be found. Lanterns were forbidden to go to such places, as it did not belong to the jurisdiction.

"One thing's for certain, though. Sinestro recruited Lanterns to put together an elite group. They want to make a special group to avoid another Darkseid-like situation. A response group to fight against invasions of planets by the New Gods. However, it is said that this was a political move by Krona to create an elite group allied to his cause. They are said to be going on a special mission to find a lost powerful artifact. But that was a rumor Kilowog told me"

Hal was numb from all the information. He hadn't thought things would be so out of control these past few months. Elite group formed by Sinestro. Darkseid attacking planets for no reason. And information hidden in the empty solar system...it was a lot.

If he had a hard time, the others simply didn't know what to think anymore. They didn't understand half the information they were talking about. But hey, as long as it didn't affect Earth, they were fine.

"You know something, guys. All this talk has made me hungry. How about we order pizzas" Flash interrupted, as his gut rumbled from the hunger he was feeling. Everyone saw that suggestion as a good idea since they were starting to get hungry.

"Great"

"Yeah, I got hungry already"

With that, the very complicated conversation ended and they had better get to socializing like old times, while agreeing on how many pizzas and what flavors they were going to order.

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Yakutsk, Russia, June 21, 14:15, 2017

In Thor's hut, another important conversation was taking place.

At this time, the group of six, who had gone to talk to the god, were sitting huddled together in a large armchair, as they waited for Thor to serve them a hot drink he had just prepared.

When they came, they had sensed much hostility from the god. They thought there was going to be a fight. However, when they revealed that they knew he was Thor, and revealed their identities as members of the Justice League, surprisingly the god dropped his hostility and had invited them to talk inside the hut.

The hut was small. So much for a man over seven feet tall who, when he walked, made the wood rattle. It looked homey enough. It had the necessities for living. Nothing fancy. Armchairs. Kitchen. A sleeping room with a bed. That was all.

Thor, who had invited them to sit, returned to his kitchen and began boiling water with black herbs to make black tea. It was either that or Vodka, though he felt alcohol was not appropriate for the time of day.

"I hope you like it. I wasn't expecting any visitors this day. I only had black tea and Vodka. And it's still too early to drink Vodka, hahaha" Thor said, as he poured several cups with a rather black tea. The smell was intense of powerful herbal. It was a black tea made exclusively to combat the intense cold of Russia.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you Mr. Odinson" Clark said, as he sipped the drink. "And the tea is very good" that was a lie. The tea was not good. It was too strong and harsh for Superman's highly developed taste buds. However, it was rude to tell him that the drink he had prepared was bad.

In fact, they all expressed their displeasure on their faces. But they said nothing, as they did not want to offend this god. Thor, oblivious to this, simply smiled happily, and said.

"Phew. That's great. I actually lost my taste buds a while ago and was afraid it wasn't good. I'm glad you liked it. By the way, call me, Thor. There's no point in calling me 'Mr. Odinson' anymore when you know my secret identity"

'Shit' they all thought. That explained why the taste of the tea was so bad. And that was because Thor simply could not distinguish its taste.

In fact, this was true. In a fight, Thor was wounded by a frost giant and it made him lose many senses like smell and taste. The only thing he could taste were strong drinks or foods, such as alcohol or fish.

Bruce, who had stopped drinking, focused on what was important and turned to the god, who seemed too big for the very small chair he was sitting in.

"Thor, we appreciate your hospitality. But we come from so far away on an important matter. We need your help"

Thor straightened his huge body, and became serious. A different aura was felt as he did this. At this moment, the gentle giant man had disappeared, and the god of whom thousands of legends spoke had emerged.

"Tell me. What can I help you with?"

Quickly, they explained in detail everything that had happened with the gods. Those involved in the fight on Themyscira, and the kidnapping of Cyborg. Thor listened intently to everything. When they finished telling him everything, he just nodded and said.

"I see... so, you guys want me to help you get into Valhalla?"

"Yes. In short, yes"

The truth was that Thor had not been randomly chosen to ask for his help. From the information gathered, Valhalla was built by Odin and Zeus. Simply put, Thor had a special connection to that city. If anyone could know the secrets of this mythical city, it would be this god.

In addition, Thor had isolated himself from the world. According to the information, he did not even engage with his own kind. Thor was simply a loner.

Thor did not answer anything. He simply got up, walked over to an ancient looking chest, and from there, took a letter written in cursive in a language that looked like Scandinavian. When he returned, he placed the letter in front of everyone, and said.

"What you are asking of me is impossible. You are not only asking me to open the door to the mythical city that my father, with all his might, cared for. But you are asking me to betray my own kind. And if there's one thing we gods hate, it's traitors - why should I help you?"

Marie, to everyone's surprise, knelt down, and with tears said to the god.

"Because you are our last hope. My boyfriend (Cyborg) is being held by Ares and his group. Every minute that passes, my heart breaks more at the thought of the inhuman torture he is suffering. I ask you, NO, I beg you, help us to save him"

Thor revealed no pity, or sadness at the sight of this beautiful woman pleading on her knees. He expressed nothing. He just nodded his head, and said.

"I see...I want to explain one thing to you before I reveal my answer. It is something that will make things clearer to you about Ares and his group. Rather, about the gods in general. I want to tell you about the history of the gods"

(AN: this is Thor speaking)

"Myths there are many. The Amazons here won't let me lie when I say that the legends that exist today were bifurcated and changed throughout history from what really happened. However, what was captured in all the legends is that we gods are proud, combative and dangerous beings. We are not a race that surrenders to anyone.

We have had two important struggles throughout history. The first, and before I was born, was the fight of the Titans. That fight where Zeus dethroned his father Cronus, and where my father, Odin, banished Surtur to eternal sleep.

From there, the prosperous age of the gods began. More and more gods arose, influenced by the different cultures that humans were adapting throughout history. This caused territories to be divided.

We took the north. Zeus the West. The Japanese and Chinese took the East. The Egyptians the north of Africa, etc. The age of the gods had arisen.

We shaped the earth, the sea, the sky at our whim. Empires were created in our name. Temples, pyramids and ceremonial centers created just to worship us. We gods began to forget that we all came from the same place and began to defend our lineage. Asgardians, Greeks, Egyptians, Celts, and so on.

However, my father and Zeus, in order to seek the union between different cultures, and avoid internal wars between us, created Valhalla. A common city of gods where we could live in coexistence and harmony. A city of peace. In the end, no matter how different the culture was, we were all gods.

But not all was good. With the creation of this city, the division between the branches of gods began. Even among gods, there was discrimination.

The lesser gods were discriminated against because of their weak divine power and the 'diluted' blood they had, and they were abused by the greater gods, those who were favored because of their great power or because they were children of the direct branch of the main gods. This only fractured further when the lesser gods, wanting to change their situation, turned to my father for help.

Zeus did not see this well, since he felt that they took Odin to be wiser, and therefore more powerful, than he was. Jealousy began to rise in the heart of the Greek god. Their relationship of friendship, that relationship of friendship that made the age of the gods prosperous, began to fracture.

They began to talk that the solution to solve all these problems was to choose a supreme god. A leader who would rule all the gods and set rules to put an end to the discrimination and differences among the gods.

There was no doubt about it. There were powerful gods, but there were only two who could occupy that position. Zeus and Odin. And this caused what little was left of their friendship to simply break apart. Sides began to form. Those who were with Zeus and those who were with Odin.

There arose the second great conflict of gods. The famous Ragnarok. A fight between gods to choose the supreme god. A fight that Zeus won, when he killed my father. Zeus became the supreme leader of the gods.

As his first command, he sent to eradicate the remaining Asgardian gods. This was in order to put an end to a possible future rebellion. It was obvious, my father would have done the same to the Greeks.

Zeus had won. What he wanted was to consolidate his power. And if there were any Asgardians around, this would threaten his reign. All of us Norse gods were slaughtered"

"But you're alive" Edgar interrupted. "If you say they all died, you shouldn't be here" his question was very valid. If Zeus had the Asgardians killed, then Thor should be dead.

"Yes, I want to know that too. According to our records left by Zeus, all the Norsemen were dead. That's why I came. I wanted to know why you were alive when it says that you also died in the Ragnarok fight" Hippolyta chipped in. When it was mentioned that Thor was alive, she could not believe it. She thought all Asgardians were dead. She asked to come in this group to learn how he had survived.

Thor, amused by this, just smiled and said.

"Actually, that was a lie. Zeus manipulated the records to make them think I was dead. To the others, I simply... died. My father, and Zeus met one night before the fight. Because of the respect they had for each other, and because of the friendship they had, they agreed that whoever won would not completely eradicate the other's bloodline. That is, Odin would spare one of Zeus' sons, and Zeus would do the same for Odin. And I... I was the one who survived the massacre of the Asgardians.

But not without a cost. Zeus banished me to this land, forbidding me to return to Valhalla. All the acres of forest, the hut, the sea, and so on that you can see, is only my prison. It is not a lie when they say I am dead, because since I saw every one of my friends, family and loved ones die, simply... my soul died with them. I've been living all this time as an empty shell, just waiting to be reunited with my family again in the afterlife"

"And you haven't thought about...I don't know...suicide?" asked Edgar doubtfully. He understood how this god felt. He spent a lot of time feeling that way. And thus, at the time, he spent a lot of time looking for how to die so he could see his family again in the afterlife. That his power Rider, prevented every time.

"No. Although I've thought about it, I haven't and won't, for two reasons. The first. Suicide is the most dishonorable thing an Asgardian could have. We must die in battle. In the glory of the fight. Not by our own hand. Even when Zeus slaughtered everyone, they died happy because the death was due to a fight. A fight we lost honorably. The second reason is because of this letter" said Thor, as he pointed to the letter written in ancient Scandinavian. The language that the Asgardians once had and from which Slovenian, Russian and other existing Nordic languages originate.

"This letter was written by my father and left for me. In this letter he tells me that he foresaw that a new supreme leader would rise before the gods, bringing with him/her, a new era. A new era where humans and gods will live together in harmony and peace. My father told me that it is my mission to wait for this new regent and support him/her to consolidate his/her power before the gods"

Thor looked solemnly at everyone.

"Ares came a few months ago to recruit me to his group. Apparently, Zeus did not keep my stay on Earth a secret from his children as he knew where to find me. I did not accept his invitation and Ares did not insist on me either. But my mind wandered as to whether Ares was to become the new supreme leader. Nevertheless..." Thor looked carefully at each of them. He paused for several seconds looking at Superman, Edgar and Diana. When he looked at Diana, he smiled, "Now, I have my doubts..."

Thor rose from his chair eagerly.

"All right. I'll help you get to Valhalla. But, on one condition..."

"What is that condition?" Bruce asked.

Thor said nothing, but smiled mysteriously. He simply held up his hand and waited. Suddenly, a loud, "BOOOOOOOOM!" was heard.

From the ice, a small earthquake began to emerge. This caused the earth to crack and small cracks to form. With a loud, "BOOM!" a flying object emerged from this ice and began to fly at a thunderous speed toward the hut where Thor was. Destroying a wall, the object flew past Thor like a loyal soldier, following the orders of his commander.

Thor took it and there they saw that it was a rather large and heavy hammer made of an almost black gray metal. Although it was wet from the ice, Thor did not mind, who simply swung the weapon as if it weighed nothing.

It was the Mjölnir, Thor's divine weapon with which he could command the very storms.

Thor stood up. In his eyes was an excitement like that of a child visiting Disneyland for the first time.

"My condition is simple. I want you to beat me in a fight"

"We agree" Superman stood up, while cracking his knuckles. Edgar activated his Rider power and also braced himself. However, Thor, who saw this, interrupted their enthusiasm.

"No, no, no. I don't want to fight you, Kryptonian. You are strong. I can even admit that fighting you will be extremely exciting, but I didn't talk about you. Nor about you, Rider. I want to fight you, but that will be later. I mean her" he said, as he pointed his hammer at Diana.

"I want to fight you, Amazon princess. I feel the power of Zeus coursing through your veins. I want a divine fight. A 'gods' fight. If you beat me, I will help you. If not..."

Diana, without hesitation, stood up and said, earnestly.

"I agree"

Thor and Diana's fight had been agreed. An epic fight was about to break out.....

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AN: next chapter. Thor vs Diana fight

How strong is Thor?- Will Diana win?

Place your bets

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