(Powergirl POV)
Karen just got done with the phone call.
She sighed as she stretched. Her attention goes back to the book. It had been a gift from the aunt of one of her students, who had requested help with getting her son being integrated with her class.
Now, to the matter of the book. It was to be one of the rarest forms, a zero edition if you can call it that. She had continued reading it. And she had been captivated by each new page. There was no doubt in her mind that this story had the potential to be one of the best releases of the year.
She giggled to herself. She had a date with the author. Miss Ross had told her she was worried about his mental well-being. His work (which, in her opinion, was writing this book) was taking a toll on him. So, she had said yes to a meeting with him. There was also the matter of him looking after Ace all alone. She liked the child. Ace had been closed off when she had enrolled, but by the end, she had started to become more outgoing. She could see that her father was trying very hard to make that happen. His joking action of playing around with the children had opened up Ace more to her peers.
And so, Karen continued to read.
(After some time.)
Karen closed the book, her eyes closed. She could not believe that she had just read the entire book. She looked at the time. It was 2 am.
Why did it have to end? What's going to happen next? Questions she would pester Loki about.
Her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID. It was Lois Lane. Excitedly, she picked up the call to talk to her. She decided to tell her about her date. Unknown to her, Clark Kent was by her side listening. Super-hearing can do a lot, even if unintentionally.
(After the call)
(Lois Lane POV)
"Clark, she is not a child. She can take care of herself." Lois told Clark.
"I know, but this is unknown territory for her. This is not like Krypton," Clark explained. "I don't want anything bad happening to her."
Lois sighed. "She is not a little girl. She can take care of herself. Besides, you told her that you trust her. So you should."
Her eyes went to Clark, who was pouting. Lois could never refuse him when he was this down.
"Alright, we can spy on them. We also need to write an article on him." Lois closed her eyes. "No interrupting them, Clark. Is that understood!"
Clark nodded at her. "Understood, no interruption. No smashing faces if he hurt Karen."
Lois placed a hand on her head and sighed.
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(Loki's POV)
Loki and Banner had been called home for an emergency.
Both of them had teleported in using Kamui.
"What's the emergency?" Loki had asked as soon as he saw Betty.
"Miss Karen needs to have a meeting regarding Ace," Lois said, sharp eyes inside her look. She was looking down at Ace. A chastising look in her eye. Ace had her head down, and she was looking down on the ground. A few tears threatened to spill down her eyes.
"I am sorry, Dad." Ace looked up into Loki's eyes and gave him the lethal combination of puppy eyes plus teary eyes.
"Don't worry, I will talk with Miss Karen." Loki turned towards Betty. A solemn look inside his eye. "Where and When?"
"I told her that you will meet her for dinner. I managed to get a place at LeMarvin Bistro."
Loki closed his eyes, trying to remember that place.
He recalled some information from the guide to Metropolis.
One of Metropolis' hipper spots, LeMarvin, is in Park Ridge, just next to the exclusive Twin Oaks shopping center. The place for fine dining outside the hustle and bustle of downtown, LeMarvin features a candlelit ambiance and private dining rooms for its VIP guests. Even Lex Luthor was rumored to eat there at least twice a month.
Loki nodded at Betty. He went to his room to prepare himself for the long battle.
(After Loki left)
Ace's tears cleared up, and she high-fived Betty.
Banner, who had remained quiet during the conversations, gulped. He was never going to believe Betty or Ace ever again. It was good that his son Garfield was innocent. Banner paused as his mind went to Garfield. He looked around and could not find him anywhere.
In a panic, he turned to Betty. "Where's Garfield?"
Betty paused. She had been so busy arranging this particular prank. She did not even notice that Garfield had disappeared.
"I don't know." Betty began to look around, hyperventilating a little. "He was just here."
(Meanwhile)
Garfield was enjoying himself right now. The last thing he had seen was Betty and Ace giggling at each other. At that point, he had lost all interest and went to play outside.
He had gone to the beach and excitedly looked out at the sea. He took a deep breath in as he looked out to the horizon. Garfield turned into a bird as he began to fly. The air flowed through his body, and after a long while, he finally felt free. He looked into the ocean and saw a bunch of Dolphins swimming. With a laugh, he dived down and turned into a dolphin as he broke the water's surface.
He began to play with the dolphins, chattering with them excitedly.
Unknown to Garfield, a ship was fast approaching his location. An unknown adversary approached him.
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(Ana Kravinoff POV)
Ana took a deep breath.
This was it. Her first hunt had been successful. She was the youngest Kravinoff. There was a lot that she had to prove. She saw her brothers as fools. The hunt was a sacred endeavor. Not something to be celebrated. She looked down on her brothers, who went after weak prey and took joy in their pain. Her brothers spent time with their men, drinking and making merry. The Kravinoffs were leaders, not followers.
A hunt was about overcoming oneself. It was a challenge to go after the quickest and strongest predator you can. She was not interested in going after herbivores or the like. Before every hunt, she solemnly prayed, and after every hunt, she thanked her opponents for a good hunt.
"Captain, there is something strange." One of her lieutenants said.
She opened her eyes and gave her lieutenants her undivided attention.
"We can see a green dolphin." He had told her.
"Strange." One of the tasks that the Kravinoffs took was the preservation of nature. It would not do well if all of the greatest creatures disappeared from this world.
She knew that her father also hunted men, one of his attempts to hunt down Batman. She knew they had engaged in a duel before being interrupted by Killer Croc. This had resulted in a three-way fight in which her father had managed to snap the neck of Killer Croc. Killer Croc still somehow survived.
"Capture it." Ana Kravinoff ordered. No matter. It would be studied and kept safe within the various preserves that they owned. "No, I will personally capture it."
She moved towards one of the long-range guns on her ship. "Get me closer."
She took aim with the scope. A gun with a long range that fired a net. She would just need to change the distance at which the net is supposed to be released.
She fired, and as she looked through the scope, she saw that the green dolphin had been captured. The net had small floatation devices to prevent any creature from sinking.
"Bring us about and haul that dolphin in." She ordered.
(Garfield's POV)
Garfield panicked. He saw all the dolphins around him disperse in a panic as he was captured in a net. Some of the dolphins attempted to free him but were unable to.
Some tell him they are going to a bearded man to ask for help.
Garfield, however, had gone cationic. He was unable to move any of the parts of his body as he was getting flashbacks of his life before—one of being trapped in cages and tortured. A horn blew, and he saw a ship approaching him. Soon, the net was being retracted. A few dolphins attempted to fight against the motion but failed.
Garfield was on the ship, the net removed as he looked around. He had turned back into his human form. A teenager approached him, a hand on her hip. Her eyes were wide open in disbelief.
"What are you?" She asked. Her eyes were wide open in surprise.
Garfield looked at the men and women around him. He looked at the knives, the hunting guns, and the crossbows. Garfield felt helpless.
The girl picked him up by the back of the collar and brought him face-to-face with her. She smelled him.
Garfield took a deep breath. His father had given him a piece of paper he was supposed to destroy if he was ever in danger. He took it out and ripped it apart and in a loud voice yelled. "Dad, Help me!!"
Saying that he turned into a tiger and attempted to attack the girl who had let go of him in surprise.
But before he could succeed, he fell sleepy. The last thing he saw was the girl approaching him as he fell to the ground.