Issue 1, Chapter 3
Issue 1: Tower of Babel
Chapter 3
“I’ve forgotten how much I hate flying,” Green Arrow muttered, swallowing a lump in his throat as the Javelin shuttle ascended through the clouds. The ship lurched upwards and the emerald archer felt his stomach drop. He turned to Captain Atom, giving him a sneer to look away from the blackening void of the cockpit window. “Someone really oughta install some kind of barf bag system so I don’t lose my lunch every time we rocket into space.”
The nuclear captain smirked and chuckled at that, guiding the ship through the layer of clouds. The vast blue sky opened before them, granting them access to the stars and heavens above the planet. “Well, make sure you share that with Batman in your next diagnostic report,” he retorted. “I’m sure he’ll take your consideration into account... like that time you suggested they install cup holders for instance!”
Green Arrow scoffed at the remark and seemed to shudder visibly. He remembered that account all too well. That was the last time he asked Batman for any favors. He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “I’m just sayin’, Cap,” he remarked. “We have a floating fortress high above the Earth and no one’s thought about the little things! If we’re going to be like gods, we might as well live like ‘em!”
Captain Atom just shook his head and smirked again. He knew about Green Arrow’s fear of flying and quite frankly, it was no big surprise to him. Ollie had a reputation in the Justice League as a bit of a wiseass, even more than the original Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. While Green Arrow’s antics were never on par with those two jokesters, he was considered a valued member of the team even if his constant stream of one-liners got old after a while.
“You know we’re not exactly gods, Ollie,” the nuclear superhero remarked as he typed a few commands into the console beside him. “It wouldn’t be like us if we suddenly started muscling our might everywhere.”
Arrow scoffed at that, shaking his head. “Oh, c’mon, Nathan,” he said. “You’re starting to sound like Superman! You sure you weren’t a boy scout when you were a kid?”
The atomic captain chuckled again as he started the process of hailing the Watchtower. The massive space satellite was within sight, floating above the Earth like a massive floating fortress of hardened steel. “Never even earned my first merit badge,” he shot back before he returned to the honest truth of the matter. “I’m just saying, Ollie. Great power requires greater responsibility. It’s up to folks like us to set an example for everyone.”
Green Arrow shrugged and left it at that, crossing his arms and leaning back into the co-pilot’s seat. Captain Atom had a point. To have this much power and not use it wisely would spell disaster for everything the Justice League of America stood for, especially since their ranks have expanded so much in recent years. It wasn’t just the “big” heroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman anymore. Now they had reserve servicemen and even affiliate teams such as the Titans and the JLA’s International division. Things had surely come a long way since the old Justice Society days, that was for sure. This wasn’t just a group anymore. It was a police force. A global force dedicated to protecting humanity. They represented the inherent good in all of mankind. It only made sense for them to behave as such. They were heroes, not gods.
The archer’s train of thought was interrupted when the Javelin’s comms system beeped to life. Atom had been busy hailing the Watchtower for permission to land in his brief moment of thought. “This is Javelin-L84 QI requesting permission to land, come in Watchtower, over?” Captain Atom spoke as the shuttle began to slow towards to the giant orbiting tower of metal.
Green Arrow rolled his eyes silently as he rested back in the co-pilot’s seat. He let Atom go about letting J’onn give them permission to land. He was sure he had a lot of explaining to do to Dinah back home. He made sure to mentally prepare himself for that.
“This is Watchtower Command,” the deep voice of the Martian Manhunter said over the comms. His green, alien-esque visage came to life on the monitor between the two. “Welcome back. Superman is waiting for you in the hangar bay.”
“Copy that, J’onn,” Captain Atom acknowledged as he started the landing procedures. The winged shuttle began to slow as the giant, orbiting fortress of steel grew larger and larger as they approached it. The hangar doors slowly slid open in front of them as the Javelin was slowly guided inside. The ship landed into the metal floor with a dull thud. They had arrived.
Green Arrow exchanged a glance at his chrome-coated compatriot as they got up and made their way to the loading bay. “Wonder why Superman wants to meet us personally for this?” The archer muttered.
Captain Atom just shrugged as he grabbed the glass casing that contained the crowned alien device. It was the same one Parasite had attempted to steal from the S.T.A.R. Labs facility in Metropolis. “Beats me, Ollie,” he said. “But it’s gotta be important.” The three dots that made up the downward cleft shape along the front of the helmet were glowing a soft green as he did so. It had been doing that ever since Professor Hamilton gave it to them for safe keeping, but they had elected to ignore it and let Ray Palmer and his own science team worry about it.
The archer just shrugged again as the loading ramp slowly descended. Like J’onn had informed them, Superman was waiting for them. The shielded, red ‘S’ insignia displayed proudly on his blue costume. His red cape billowed behind him a bit as the Javelin’s pressurization gasses blew in a softening hissssssss. He had a warm and knowing smile on his face as the two approached him.
“Glad you two made it back in one piece,” the Man of Steel greeted. “How’d it go?”
“Had a tangle with Parasite,” Green Arrow quipped in his typical fashion. “But we bought you a souvenir!” He nodded to Captain Atom, who held the item in question delicately with both hands.
Superman looked over to the casing just to make sure. He could see the inner workings of the device with his X-ray vision. Everything seemed fine on his end, but he needed to make sure it was safe. Green Arrow and Captain Atom exchanged another glance with each other. Was this thing really that dangerous?
“What do you think, Ray?” Superman asked to seemingly no one in particular. “You sure this is what you need?”
“I’d say so!” A new voice said in the Kryptonian’s ear. A tiny spec then jumped off Superman’s shoulder before it enlarged into the costumed form of Ray Palmer, better known as the size-altering supergenius, the Atom. The scientist took the glass casing that protected the crown-shaped device and he looked its contents over thoroughly. He then looked to Superman with a smile on his face. “This is exactly what I need! I’ll have my team take a closer look at it, Superman. Don’t you worry!”
“Just make sure that it doesn’t get into contact with any of the Watchtower’s systems,” Superman warned the eager scientist. “We can’t have Brainiac’s systems running around.”
The emerald archer and the nuclear captain both shared a worried glance with each other. If Brainiac was involved, it was no wonder they were being so safe about this.
Ray simply gave Superman a slight smirk. “I’ll make sure the intelligence is purged before I do anything else, Superman,” he then nodded at the two heroes that brought the helm to them. “Thanks for doing this, guys. With the upgrades we’re giving to the Watchtower, I didn’t have time to ask Hamilton and S.T.A.R. Labs if I can take this off their hands. Hopefully now, our work will go by much quicker!”
Captain Atom chuckled at Palmer’s enthusiasm. “We’re happy we can help, Dr. Palmer,” he said. “You need anything else, you know how to contact us.”
Ray seemed to just brush the two off as he ogled the helmet. He quickly shook himself out of his stupor and flushed a bit beneath his mask. “Uh… yeah,” he said, now aware of his geek out moment. “I will. Thanks again, guys. Anyway, I’m gonna bring this over to the Tech Wing. I’ll let you guys know what I find!”
The three nodded as they watched the Atom walk off to the lift, the helmet secured in its casing. Green Arrow and Captain Atom then returned their attention to Superman. They had some questions.
“Okay, as much as I love seeing Ray geek out over stuff like that,” the emerald archer quipped. “Why did we need to retrieve a piece of Brainiac tech for him and his team of eggheads?”
Superman merely shook his head before he smiled at the two. He might as well tell them now. “Ray’s been working on a new teleportation system for us,” he explained. “It’ll allow us to instantly deploy League members anywhere on Earth. That helmet actually works in conjunction with the system he’s developing for it. He needs to purge the Brainiac intelligence from it to make it safe for testing.”
Captain Atom seemed to nod in approval as he crossed his arms. “So that explains why you’ve been so busy here in the Watchtower? Because you’ve been helping Ray and his boys? You sure you know what you’re doing, Superman?” He asked.
Superman nodded again and placed a reassuring hand on the chrome captain’s shoulder. “I’ve taken every precaution, Nathan,” he told him. “I know how dangerous Brainiac can be. As soon as Ray's testing is complete, I’ll have J’onn do a total reboot and diagnostic on the Watchtower. Trust me on this.”
Green Arrow scoffed at the boy scout’s remark. “Tell that to us when our bodies aren’t inside out or fused together, Supes,” he quipped. He then winced as his stomach growled softly, a sign that he was hungry. “Anyway, I’m gonna grab me some lunch. Hopefully, Wally hasn’t had the chance to dig into today’s special. You know how he is.”
The other two heroes shared a laugh at the emerald archer’s joke as he left the hangar. Captain Atom took his leave soon after, stating that he had to see Cyborg in the reactor core chamber to see how it was holding up. Superman nodded as the nuclear captain flew himself out of the hangar.
Clark was now alone in the hangar bay. He looked up at the Javelin shuttle and let out a heavy sigh. Who was he kidding? Of course he didn’t know what he was doing! This was Brainiac they were talking about! A sentient Kryptonian AI with the goal of assimilating and destroying all data in the universe. He had taken every precaution to prevent Brainiac from ever manifesting and taking control of Watchtower. Hopefully, those precautions would pay off soon.
What made it all worse was that he knew it too… and Clark didn’t need super hearing to know he was listening in the entire time. Not that it mattered anyway. He couldn’t pick him up at all during the entire conversation.
“You’re getting good, Bruce,” the Man of Steel complemented his seemingly invisible compatriot. “Even with my super hearing, I couldn’t pick you up.”
“When you spend as much time as I have with this team, you tend to learn a few things,” Batman said, his dark silhouette now at Superman’s side. “I hope you realize the potential danger in this plan of yours, Clark. Warping through the Phantom Zone is not the safest method of teleportation.”
“I know what I’m doing, Bruce. I trust Ray and his team to get the job done.”
“It’s not Dr. Palmer I’m worried about, Clark,” Batman said. “You know as much as anyone how much of a threat Brainiac can be. You’re playing with fire here, Clark. I hope you know this.”
Superman sighed and closed his eyes at that. A long pause lingered before he opened his mouth to speak. “Look, Bruce I know--”
The booming voice of J’onn J’onnz cut off Superman’s retort. “All hands be advised,” his voice echoed across the hangar. “There has been a security breach in the Central Hub! Be on the lookout for seven unidentified costumed intruders! First response teams are ordered to bring the targets in for further questioning! I repeat! All hands be advised! There has been a security breach in the Central Hub!”
Superman exchanged a concerned glance with Batman. Batman remained silent, his eyes slanted a bit into a slight glare. It was his way of saying they would finish this talk later. For now, they had a situation to take care of.
Superman took off into the air with Batman running after him. “J’onn, it’s Superman,” Clark said into his earpiece. “Batman and I are heading to the Central Hub now. What’s your status?”
“I am fine,” the Martian Manhunter responded, his voice slightly shaky. “Guy has been injured. He is being transported to the Medical Wing as we speak.”
“What about the intruders?” Batman asked. “Where are they heading?”
“They were last seen dispersing after Gardner frightened one of them. I am currently tracking their movements. They seem… confused or afraid of us.”
“Send that information to the response team,” Superman ordered. “We don’t want this to become more complicated than it already is.”
“Already done,” J’onn replied and paused for a brief second. “Nightwing just called. He and the Titans are currently in pursuit of the intruders. They will call if they require further assistance.”
“Got it. Keep us posted,” Superman said before he turned off his earpiece. He looked to Batman as they headed down the corridor to the Monitor Womb. “You think this is about the Brainiac helmet?”
“I doubt it,” Batman responded. “Would you feel intimidated by Guy Gardner?”
Superman rolled his eyes at that. Batman had a point. This wasn’t some organized attack. Whatever the case was, Superman was going to make sure he got some answers.
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Mane 6 vs Teen Titans.
LETS GET READY TO RUUUUUMBLE!!
Ah a classic first meeting. Confusion, fighting, then finally teaming up.
Edit:
Please tell me it was Rainbow Dash that decked Gardner!?
3663324 Well, it's not exactly the timing I find weird about the episode, my friend. I'll explain about that more when the next chapter comes along.
I'm not exactly up to speed on the DCU, but isn't Guy Gardner a Green Lantern? I'd think it would take more than a few freshly humanized ponies to put him down for the count.
Please please please, tell me that Guy went down with one punch.
3666391 Mmmmmmmaaaaaaybe~ You'll find out in the next Chapter!
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By the way this seems like a mash-up between the comics and the animations, whose characters will play a mayor role in further chapters?
I would enjoy the EG body main6 in the power pony costumes, can someone get to fan art-ing that. The power ponies name's have to many pony-puns and the main6's regular names work fine as super hero names for me.
It would be adorable if puppy Spike was in Humdrums over sized cape, I wonder how much of a fan of the power ponies he is at this point.
I'll give my take on the main6 + Spike, there basic powers and there power pony power ups, and how well they'd fair as superheroes
th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2013/356/4/9/power_girls__humdrum_by_12rey12-d6yxvbn.png
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Here is how I would think a Pony turned EGhuman in the DC universe, would differ from a normal human beyond techno colored skin and hair.
Ponies are a, vary hardy race to survive the many dangers of Equestria, so a pony (even in EGhuman or EGmagicalgirl form) on average is stronger than the average human, as a base line, I think Unicorn Twilight who got 5th place in the running of the leaves, is top human non-pro athlete range.
Earth-Pony strange and endurance put them in the super-human range I would think, but among superheroes isn’t the best supper strength, I believe that AJ is closer to the Captain America level then the Superman level and Pinkie isn’t as strong as AJ.
Unicorns in this setting should be abele to use their natural magic with their hands, but it might take a bit for them to figure out how.
Pegasi with their wings and warrior history, remind me of Thanagarians like Hawkgirl, so I hope they keep their wings. Beyond that, Pegasi are also naturally resistant to the elements, lightning strikes just daze them, and during the Windigo attack the Pegasi where mostly hungry, not freezing like the other two tribes.
More on each pony later today.
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Spike
fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/353/6/6/super_hero_spike_eg_by_ferrokiva-d6ylupa.png
I think puppy Spike in that oversized Humdrum cape is just adorable, that said, spikes sidekick blues would be kick up a notch if he is demoted to talking animal sidekick if you are interested in a side story like that.
But if he keeps his natural dragon ability he would be far from useless, thou it might come as a surprise to him as well as others that he can still belch flames and chew throe diamonds.
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Applejack
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Minus the pony-pun like so and Miss Marvellous is one of the few names that work better than their original.
It might take a bit for her to get on her two feet, but taking it slow, steady and level headed, she will probably tuff-it out better than the rushed and over-thinking Twilight.
Just on natural ability, AJ is the strongest, Dash can overpower her in the short run but can’t keep that up for long (see, run away cart, Mare do well). If they need somepony to hold up a collapsing roof or stop a train, AJs their girl.
Not going to touch the magic rope, let’s talk about the Horse shoes. With her being used to being a pony, she could probably throw those thing just as accurately with her feet, mouth or pony-tail as her hand if need be, and with their heavy build and her super-strength she could embed one of those puppies in a concrete wall across the street. Plus if they are anything like batarangs she probably has trick horseshoes, I can already image a badguy getting a pair around his wrists and then magnetizing together to form hand cuffs (Horseshoe magnets
)
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Rainbow Dash
th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2013/347/7/6/super_hero_rainbow_dash_eg_by_ferrokiva-d6xv5oq.png
Rainbow Dash makes a much better name then Zap.
As long as she keeps her wings I think Dash will be able to fly right out of the gate and stay airborne as need be in till she could stand on her own two legs.
As for her natural abilities I will refer to the research done over at deathbattle for her fight with star scream.
As for her Zap power up, it saves her a lot of time and energy, as regular weather work takes a lot of prep.
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Twilight Sparkle
th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2013/347/4/1/super_hero_twilight_sparkles_eg_by_ferrokiva-d6xv5ay.png
Not a lot to work with in the hero name department so Twilight it is then.
Twilight is going to be spectacularly awkward, she’ll have EG trouble walking, trouble flying, trouble with beam powers and maybe even trouble with her regular magic. So long story short, Twi is in for some deep trouble right out the gate.
But after she gets herself in order, she has the makings of a great hero, her regular spell list and raw magic power is enough, and being an alacorn makes her stronger and tougher then she looks.
Twilight probably hasn’t put as much time learning attack spells, so the power-beams are a boon. Spike said she had a lot of different types of beams, but she only played around with ice and heat beams in the comic.
3710490 As much as I appreciate your input, this isn't about humanizing the Power Ponies or applying them to EqG's setting. I began writing this fic long before I knew Power Ponies was coming as an episode in Season 4! So while you do have an interesting thought here, remember this is still about the DCU, not Power Ponies. Any similarities you see in this fic is purely coincidental.
3710508 k, looking forward to the next chapter. You can find the rest of this on the power pony HQ group
More please!
3793734 Workin' on it! Just on a bit of a break before class starts next week!