The sky was a somber gray, mirroring the mood of those gathered below. A funeral was being held for the fallen heroes—Martian Man, Aquarius, Green Ghost, and Darkwing. Their names were legendary, their deeds known far and wide. Now, those names were etched into the memorial stones that stood before the grieving crowd.
Rows of people stood in silence, some wearing their finest black attire, others donning superhero suits in tribute to the departed. The atmosphere was heavy with loss, a collective grief that transcended the masks and capes that separated heroes from civilians.
The past two weeks had been nothing short of a whirlwind. The Global Defense Agency (GDA) had finally decided to release the information surrounding the tragic events, including Omni-Man's shocking betrayal. It sent shockwaves throughout the world. To think that one of Earth's strongest protectors, someone who was trusted implicitly, had been responsible for the deaths of his own friends was something no one could have predicted.
The only thing people weren't informed of was his reasons for doing so. If they did then there would be panic in the streets and that was the last thing they needed after losing half of the guardians.
As people gathered around the memorial, the immortal took the stage. His usually stern face was shadowed with sorrow. He had seen many things and had lost many friends over the years, but this was different.
Clearing his throat, his voice amplified over the quiet crowd. "We gather here today to honor the heroes who gave everything in the line of duty. Martian Man, Aquarius, Green Ghost, Darkwing, they were more than just my ally's, they were my friends. Each one of them dedicated their lives to keeping this world safe, and they paid the ultimate price for it."
A solemn pause followed as Immortal let the weight of his words sink in.
"Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. They stood against an unimaginable force, a betrayal that none of us could have foreseen. Omni-Man, someone we all believed in, turned his back on everything he once stood for."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. The betrayal was still fresh in everyone's minds. Some were angry, others confused. How could Omni-Man, a hero who had saved the world countless times, be responsible for such a heinous act?
The immortal continued, his voice steady but filled with an underlying resolve.
"Today, we mourn. But we also remember. We remember their bravery, their dedication, and their unwavering commitment to protecting us all. Let their sacrifice inspire us to be better, to stand strong in the face of adversity, and to never forget the cost of true heroism. We know that this loss might make certain characters think that they can take advantage of the situation but let me say this. It doesn't matter who you are or how powerful you think you are, we who remain will continue to fight the good fight"
As the immortal stepped down, a moment of silence was observed, broken only by the quiet sobs of those who had known the fallen heroes personally.
"Now we watch as every villain who thinks they're worth something comes crawling out " Warwoman said, already tired from how active they will need to be to keep stability.
"True but you guys have me now too" Brandon said confidently. They may have struggled before but he was faster than Red Rush at this point. Stronger than the Immortal and was more durable than Warwoman. If anything the villains would start having a harder time.
"Don't get cocky Mr Man of Steel"
Brandon lightly flinched hearing this title. He never called himself this nor did he instigate it but somehow the nickname still came up. It wasn't as well known as his main name Ultraman but it was picking up traction.
'Sort of ironic that they are calling me this. Who knows they might start saying "is that a bird, is it a plane?" Brandon joked to himself not really expecting to ever hear the phrase.
"By the way, why are you here and not with the others?" Instead of being with her team or supporting the families, the war woman chose to stand with him near the back where most people wouldn't notice them.
"I have no tears and will not grieve for my friends have already moved on to the fields of Elysium. Instead, I celebrate"
Fields of Elysium? Brandom thought about it for a moment and remembered it being mentioned once in school. Supposedly in Greek mythology, it was where the heroes went after death. But with the Greek pantheon being real it must also mean that this place also exists.
"Elysium sounds like a nice place"
"It is. The land is filled with joy and peace at the ends of the earth, on the banks of Oceanus. Personally, I've never been there but I grew up hearingthe stories."
After this, they continued watching the ceremony as many people got to speak and share their thoughts and memories but like all good things, this eventually came to an end as those present gave their fair wells. The guardians and many others also decided to leave but in reality, they were going to a separate location where the real ceremony would be held along with the burial. Seeing this Brandon got up from his seat to go as well when he felt War Woman tap his shoulder.
"By the way you mentioned a favor the last time we met but you never explained what you needed help with" He might have been busy recently but he never stopped thinking about what it was she needed help with. Warwoman was a naturally prideful person so her asking for help was a rare occurrence. Meaning whatever this request is, it must be important.
'Could it be the Flaxans? No, I don't think she'd ask for help with that but now that I think about it those guys have been oddly quiet. So much time must have passed in their world yet they haven't made a single return…' This honestly worried Brandon. The Flaxans while physically weak were pretty advanced and with how time worked in their world it gave them a clear advantage that aided Batman many times. 'Prep time'
'I'll have to talk to Zod about this later and figure out a way to get into their world' With a decision made he refocused on Warwoman.
"Good to see you remember. You see as a Demigod I only have partial access to my divinity but if I were to become a true god then I would be an even bigger threat than even Omniman" Warwoman said this with complete confidence but Brandon wasn't so sure but then again he knew nothing about the gods. For all he knew the Viltrumites could have been small fish this whole time with other greater beings simply being in other dimensions like the Greek Gods.
"To do this I need to participate in trials dictated by my grandfather Zeus."
Brandon nodded his head in understanding. So far he got what she meant and remembered that Heracles and other Demigods have gone through similar things but what he really wondered was where he came into all this. A trial is something meant solely for the participant, not the participant and friends.
"So where do I come in all this?"
"You're my deterrent… knowing my mother she may try to stop me and may even force me to remain but with you there, it'll be difficult to accomplish. I've seen your recent battles and I can confidently say your strength isn't far behind Heracles and your speed rivals that of Hermes."
"Wait so you want me to break you out of there if it comes down to it?"
Warwoman looked surprised by Brandon's question before laughing as if she heard the funniest thing in the world. "Hahaha no no not at all. We wouldn't even get far. You'll be there mostly to show my mother that I'll be fine beyond the gates of Olympus"
"When do you want to do this?" Brandon asked while trying to ignore her earlier outburst.
"Anytime is fine but preferably sooner rather than later so I can be at my best when the Viltrumites arrive."
"I have some affairs to take care of first like the team recruitment but I'll definitely make time for this"
"Good just let me know when you are ready"
.
.
.
Having finished his business at the funeral Brandon made it a point to return to his ship as soon as possible. He may have been busy looking into different heroes and preparing for his future departure with Warwoman but the Flaxan threat left him worried.
They could have just given up but Brandon really doubted this. Based on what he'd seen in person and in the show this was highly unlikely.
"Back so soon I half expected you to stay till the end" Zod said while looking at one of the medical instruments.
"It's not really my place to stay for the real burial. I barely knew them besides I have something to check on"
"The Smart atoms?"
"No but has there been improvement there?" Brandon asked in the hope that there was because if they figured out how the atoms worked then they could transfer it to him. Theoretically, this should lessen his weaknesses to things like Kryptonite and also make him stronger the older he gets without needing to rely on the sun.
"Some progress. I've been able to understand the atom's structure and some of its main principles but I'm still a good way away from transferring that to you. The ship's labs are good but as I've said before this was never this ship's priority so I am lacking. Not to add that I myself was never created for science either." Like Brandon, Zod was made with purpose. His very DNA meant for him to be a perfect general so science wasn't his strong suit.
Though this limitation has lessened due to him being digital and no longer bound by his genetic limitation but in cost, it made him less creative in thinking. "I hate to say this but to further progress we may need better equipment or perhaps someone talented though I doubt we can find someone trustworthy and skillful enough"
"Are you saying it's impossible then?"
"No I can still do it but like I said before it could take a year or more depending on what I discover in that time"
Brandon didn't really want to bring anyone else in on this but a person did come to mind… Caitlyn. So far she'd shown herself to be decently capable and from what he knew she was supposed to be his Lex Luthor so her smarts were definitely there.
'But we're still in no rush who knows we might make a breakthrough without outside help'
"Let's just keep this to ourselves for now but what I really came for is the Flaxan threat"
"The bugs? What of it" Zod replied. He may have started seeing humans favorably due to hacking the GDA but he still saw most other species as nothing. Especially those that didn't look like Kryptonians.
"Yeah them, don't you think it's strange that they haven't appeared? Wouldn't a lot of time have passed for them?"
"Yes… now that you mention it. They should have experienced at least 15 years by now." Zod said that as a time graph appeared comparing the change between the two dimensions. "Isn't this a good thing? Perhaps they realized their folly"
"I doubt it, they were conquerors and conquerors don't give up after the first try." Brandon said knowing his father would understand. When he himself was prepared to do all he could to conquer Earth.
"Is there a way we can check on their world?"
"The Flaxans dimension? Yes, it's possible in fact peering into other realities was something our scientists explored in the past. We even used one such dimension for our worst criminals. The Phantom Zone"
"Wait wait… you're saying that there are more Kryptonians? Why haven't you mentioned them" Brandon remembered seeing some stuff about the Phantom Zone but like he'd mentioned before. He was never really a big Superman fan and only recalled that Zod and his followers were sent there.
"Because anyone there has long lost their minds. The Phantom Zone was meant to be a kinder punishment that didn't harm criminals but in reality, it was a fate worse than death. There you are nothing but a ghost that can't affect anything around you leaving you as just pure consciousness.
And those that do somehow manage to retain your sanity are truly more dangerous than anyone you have faced. For they have faced the demons of their mind and conquered them. You my son are simply not ready for that no matter how badly I want Krypton repopulated"
Brandon was surprised to see his father's blatant worry and knew that if he was this serious about the subject then he really should hold off on it. But that didn't mean he'd hold off on it forever. The place was literally filled with plenty of Kryptonians that could possibly help him increase his people's population.
Without the Codex he'd eventually run into inbreeding or the bloodline becoming diluted if he didn't bring them out. Besides, there may even be some that never deserved to go there.
"Alright we can ignore the phantom zone for now but I still want to find a way into the Flaxan Dimension."
"It's simple, we already have the technology on board. I just need to recalibrate the coordinates to the Flaxan world. This is what may take the most time but finding it shouldn't be too hard either. I already know the rate of their world speed along with some other details so at most maybe a week"
"Hm, then I'll leave you to it. In the meantime, I'll begin sending invitations for the Guardians tryouts and finish making some final adjustments to the exploration suit."