Hall of Justice, Washington, D.C
July 5, 16:45 EDT
Across the world, the Hall of Justice was known as the headquarters of the Justice League. From what Ben heard, their HQ used to be secret, but it was discovered a few years back, so they had to move and decided to go more public.
About an hour ago, he saw Tora and Beatriz off on their flight. 'They certainly know how to leave a lasting impression. I hope they have fun in Europe.' The uniformed hero observed its grand marble structure. 'Much better looking than the Pentagon.' Turning to the steps, he saw several families taking pictures on the steps to the building. When Ben first arrived on the grounds, he got a few warry looks from visiting parents. Unsure who he was supposed to meet, Ben went with the direct approach, entering the Hall.
Immediately, the guard by the door noticed the masked individual and radioed it in. "Please advise. We have an unknown super on the premises."
"You know that I can hear you, right?"
He called in again. "The super is getting snippy with authority." Officer Johnson walked up to the man with suspicion. "Can I help you, sir?"
Ben sighed. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I have an appointment with the League."
Johnson raised a skeptical brow. "Oh, really. Let's see if you're on the list. This way, please." The officer led the alien hero past reception and toward the administration section. There, a Caucasian woman with green eyes and long black hair worked at her computer. He cleared his throat, bringing her attention away from the screen.
"Oh, Officer Johnson. How can I help you?" Looking behind the guard, her eyes widened at the masked man.
"Hello," waved Ben.
Cobert blinked at the innocent behavior. "Um, hi." She turned back to the officer. "I see that we have a unique visitor." 'I hope to God that we aren't about to get held hostage again.' "Are we having any issues?" she asked nervously.
Johnson crossed his arms. "He says that he has an appointment with the League."
"I'm sorry. Did I come at a bad time, miss...?"
"Catherine Cobert," she carefully replied.
"Uh... I'm Ark. I have a Five o'clock appointment."
"I see." She started checking her work calendar and found a new entry from yesterday. Reading it, she raised a brow. "I believe this is the right one."
Johnson huffed. "Looks like you weren't lying."
"Again, why would I do that?"
The officer crossed his arms. "You'd be surprised by the upstarts that try to sneak in here during the day, hoping to pick a fight with the League."
"Yup." Cober nodded slowly. "I've had to order rebuilding the south wall multiple times. In any case, I'll message the League's representative, and you can take a seat until they arrive. It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes for someone to come."
Johnson placed a firm hand on the young man. "Stay out of trouble, you hear. I know Superman." With that, the officer started walking back to his post.
At the admin section, Ark sat quietly, not wanting to upset anyone by accident. He saw other workers leading tour groups, and a few stares were sent his way again. It was interesting how the supposed HQ was partially open to the public. 'Maybe there's a secret elevator to an underground bunker.'
Catherine called out his name. "I got a response. Someone will be here shortly.
Like clockwork, one of the security doors opened, revealing the representative, Wonder Woman, or rather Ambassador Diana. Instead of her uniform, she wore business attire. Seeing her new ally from yesterday, she smiled. "I apologize for the wait. The session at the UN took longer than expected, and the others still have business to take care of."
Ben waved off her worries. "Don't worry. It's fine. Being both a government official and a crime fighter must take a lot of your free time. Similar things can be said for your friends."
She chuckled at her life as both an Amazon princess and a superheroine. "After many years in service, one learns better time management."
Ark checked if there was anyone in earshot. "So, how's Superman handling the new addition?"
"Similar to last night," sighed the princess. "Not that great."
"That bad?"
"He's not answering his comm, and he's been seen constantly patrolling Metropolis. I think he's just trying to avoid the problem altogether."
"He should really talk to someone about that."
"Don't worry. We have a friend working on that. Anyways, I welcome you to the Hall of Justice." She gestured to the building around them."
"I've seen pictures of it before online, but It's much different in person."
"I got to say, though. It really does look more like a
museum than a heroic headquarters."
Diana shook her head in amusement. "You're not the first to say that. Much of the building is dedicated to educating the public on the history of our relationship with world leaders."
Ben hid a wry smile under the mask. "I don't suppose you could give me the tourist experience?"
The princess rolled her eyes in amusement. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to educate a possible reserve member on our founding and principles. We still have to wait for the others to arrive?" Seeing Ark's expression, she elaborated. "You will be interviewed by me as well as three other League members."
"Ah, I see. In that case, I'm all ears. Lay it on me."
Wonder Woman nodded in approval and led the alien hero to the first room lined with bronze statues of several heroes. At the base of each of them was a plaque with their aliases and a personal photo and autograph.
The first statue was of a similar aesthetic to the Flash. Instead of a full-body suit, he wore a simple uniform, consisting of pants, a long sleeve shirt emblazoned with an upside-down lightning bolt, boots with small stylized wings, and a tin doughboy helmet that also sported stylized wings on the side.
The second one wore a cape with a high collar and a domino mask. His tunic had an emblem of a classic oil lantern on the chest.
The next one wore a golden helmet covering his entire head. He wore a long, high collared cape, fastened with two large buttons. Beneath is a shirt with an oval set in the chest. He also dons a large belt with a circle in the center, and pants with boots.
One wore a regular suit and tie with a cape and a fedora. He hides his face behind a gas mask.
The last human wore a monochromatic unitard with a cat-shaped hood with large lenses. It had tiny cat ears and a nose. The bandage around his fists and wrists signified the American boxing background.
The final figure was a familiar one, Red Tornado. He looked exactly the same years ago as he did just the other day. 'I'm still surprised someone built an advanced android in the 1940s without alien technology. Makes me wonder what else the world made during that time.'
Wonder Woman smiled nostalgically at the figures. "The JSA's origin began in the early years of the Second World War."
"I've heard a few snippets on the History channel, but it must have been a shock to everyone at seeing superheroes for the first time."
"Indeed. Seeing someone who can fly and break the sound barrier caused a major shift in society. Foreign powers thought so as well. The British informed President Franklin Delano Roosevelt of German Chancellor Adolf Hitler's plan to dominate all of Europe through rather supernatural means."
"Wait, are you telling me that Raiders of the Lost Ark was based on a true story?"
Diana chuckled at the memory of the film. "I can neither confirm nor deny those claims," she answered wistfully. "At the time, Congress wanted to stay out of the war. Contrary, FDR tasked two Mystery Men against the Axis forces, the first Flash and the first Green Lantern."
"That's one way to use the draft."
She shook her head. "It was entirely voluntary. They could have said no, but they accepted the opportunity anyway."
"That goes to show their dedication." Ark blinked in thought. "Is there any relation to the other Green Lanterns I met?"
Diana chuckled. "Interestingly enough, no. While both share similar abilities and names, their origins are different. Now, it wasn't until later that the one known as Doctor Fate joined the crusade against the Axis powers."
Ben nodded solemnly. "Must have made a huge change in the tide of the war."
"You're not the only one to think that. With the rise of superheroes came the rise of supervillains. President Roosevelt knew their foreign involvement was inevitable and proposed that they become a formal team to protect America's homefront. Thus, the Justice Society of America was born." The duo walked up to a large mural of everyone gathered on the white house lawn with FDR. "Once the Society was established, they started helping more domestically than overseas."
"Makes sense," nodded Ark. "After introducing superheroes to the nation, you want to show what they can do for society and attract people of similar ideals."
"Indeed. While there were other heroes appearing in the states, very few were able to join the society."
In another corner of the room, they saw a statue of a masked woman holding a flame with both hands. Below, her plaque stated the following: In loving memory of Firebrand. She gave her life to save another. She will be lost but not forgotten.
Ark noticed the Amazon's forlorn expression and connected the dots. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Diana sighed. "It has been years, but the feeling still lingers. She was a noble soul." She took a breath and spoke again. "Come. Let's move on."
The two would continue through the rest of the museum wing, absorbing the history. Members came and went. War pushed our heroes to the front lines. Wonder Woman and her people reconnected with the world. The World War may have ended, but the JSA was still under threat. The group returned to being the JSA, but they were under fire for allegations of communism. Politics and the threat of civil liberties ensued. Even though the Justice Society instead elected to disband, the public never lost faith in their heroes. Several ex-members of the JSA continued to serve the people on a smaller scale. It took more than 50 years until another group of heroes banded together against a global threat.
In the trophy room of the Hall, Ben examined the seven extraterrestrial husks through the plexiglass. Each case had their respective designations: Golden Roc, Wood King, Stone God, Crystal Creature, Fire Lord, Glass Man, and Mercury Monster. "So, these are the jerks giving Rath and Heatblast a bad rep?" Azmuth analyzed the remains within the Omnitrix, comparing and contrasting with samples already in the databanks.
"I apologize for any confusion between you and the other members."
Ben waved off her concerns. "No harm done. I've had to deal with my fair share of alien invasions."
"Really?" Diana raised a brow in surprise. "That would have been an interesting story to share with us over drinks last night."
Ark sighed. "Some of them are more complicated than I would like them to be." He shook his head. "In any case, tell me about the day you all saved the world."
Diana noticed the deflection, but she didn't press. "It was 2003 when they arrived. Each one descended on a different part of the country, overrunning entire city blocks to construct strange towers. In turn, Superman, Batman, myself, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter went to investigate. Unfortunately, they started attacking on-sight. While some of us were busy fighting, Batman and Green Lantern were able to figure out the purpose of the pylons. They were all transmitting hyperspace coordinates."
"They couldn't complete the invasion with just the seven of them. They needed reinforcements," deduced the Alien Hero.
Wonder Woman smirked. "Thankfully, Batman and Green Lantern traced the signal back to the receiver just before the signal stopped. Realizing that their plan was in jeopardy, all seven invaders converged at the landing zone with all of us on their tail."
"Huh. How did the first team-up with you all go?"
"At first, it was rocky. Upon reaching the interstellar warp gate, we inadvertently got in each other's way. It took Batman's and my own commanding demeanor to get us organized. Understanding the basics of our skills, we split into groups to hold off the Applexians and disable the teleporter. Thanks to our coordination and timing, we succeeded. On the verge of defeat, the aliens left their physical bodies and retreated back into space."
Ark blinked in surprise. "So they got away and are still out there?"
"Sadly. Last I heard from the Lantern Corps, they are still on the run with their homeworld being monitored. Since that little success of ours, we collaborated more often. By the time 2006 rolled around, we'd expanded and went public as the Justice League, commissioning this Hall."
"And now, I can become a part of it."
"We'll see." Her phone buzzed, and she read the notification. "It seems the others have arrived. We can get started now." Exiting the museum, Wonder Woman scanned her key card, opening the door to her office. Inside, there was the center desk along with three heroes in their own respective chairs: Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern.
Seeing the familiar faces, Ben smiled. "Hey, guys!" They all exchanged greetings before shifting to a little small talk.
"I would have thought Batman would be here."
GA laughed. "That's what I thought too, but apparently, a lot of crap went down in Gotham during the Eclipse."
"Bats found a lead on a cold case he's been working on and will be busy for a few days," added Canary.
"I like to think that he just trusts to be good judges of character," shrugged GL.
Diana cleared her throat and showed more professionalism at her desk. "Now that introductions are over, are you ready to begin your interview, Ark?"
"Ask away."
#
A/N: Special thanks to Jebest4781, Charles, vividlearner744, and Seana!
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