Chapter 153 - 4

Chapter 37: Consultant
Earth's Orbit
August 6, 13:21 EDT
Superman's ship pierced the upper atmosphere and glided into orbit, its thrusters barely a whisper in the vacuum of space. It docked with the Watchtower in one fluid motion, and before the clamps had even locked in place, the Man of Steel was already on the move.
Cradling the gifted bird in one arm, he stepped into the corridor and moved with purpose through the gleaming halls. He passed by teammates and support staff without a word, heading straight for the central communications hub.
With a swift motion, he brought the console to life.
"This is Superman. Emergency League meeting. All available members, report to the main conference hall. Immediately."
#
It didn't take long for League members to arrive—some teleporting in, others making their way from different sections of the Watchtower. The main conference room, located one level above and enclosed in reinforced glass and polished steel, sealed itself as the final hero stepped through the doors. With a soft hiss, the room activated its privacy protocols.
Gathered around the central holographic table were most of the founding members of the Justice League: Batman, Flash, Green Lantern John Stewart, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman.
It had been a day since Superman and Ark left to confront the bounty hunter known as Lobo. Shortly after their departure, John Stewart accessed the Lantern database and ran Lobo's name through the system. Unsurprisingly, the Czarnian was flagged as one of the most wanted criminals across multiple sectors—murder, destruction of property, smuggling, you name it.
The moment the others were briefed, concerns arose. John had offered to go after them, but Batman had been reluctant to send another Leaguer out solo. He reasoned that if Superman had encountered something he couldn't handle, he would've sent a signal. If another day passed without contact, then he'd authorize a search.
Thankfully, that search wouldn't be necessary—Superman was back. But now, there were questions. Lots of them.
Batman teleported to the Watchtower and entered the conference room. Superman was there, and he assumed Superman told Ark to wait for them to contact him for more details on their excursion.
A moment later, Wonder Woman walked in and sat beside him. "You don't call emergency meetings lightly," she said, her gaze sharp. "What happened?"
Martian Manhunter phased through the wall rather than using the door from the monitor room. 
Green Lantern, John Stewart, arrived next, as he landed and folded his arms across his chest. "Got the signal. What's going on?"
The Flash zipped in last, coming to an abrupt stop beside an empty chair, still munching on a protein bar. "If this is about the satellite's coffee machine again, I swear I didn't break it this time."
The team's attention drifted to the strange bird nestled in Superman's hands.
Flash arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Nice bird. New pet?"
"Not exactly," Superman replied.
Batman stepped closer, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the creature. "Is that a…?"
"Yes," Superman said.
Batman blinked at the sight. Superman returned from a space mission with a Dodo bird. "How?"
"It's a long story."
"One we're all going to hear," Wonder Woman added.
Superman gave the League a concise recap of the events leading up to now. He and Ark had been on patrol in Metropolis when they responded to a disturbance at the local police station. Upon arrival, they were ambushed by bounty hunters—Lobo and Bedlam. Strangely, the attackers hadn't come to kill them, but to capture them. At the time, neither Ark nor Superman knew who had issued the order.
Though they managed to drive the bounty hunters off, both Lobo and Bedlam escaped. Superman and Ark pursued Lobo, hoping to get answers—but instead, they were ambushed and taken by an alien entity known as the Preserver.
"Ark and I were captured," Superman explained, standing near the display screen. "The one called the Preserver specializes in collecting what he considers 'unique lifeforms.'"
Wonder Woman folded her arms, her expression hardening. "He thought you and Ark were trophies?"
Superman gave a nod, his eyes briefly flicking toward the looping hologram behind him—footage of containment fields and patrolling drones. "He locked us in separate containment cells. Like animals in a zoo. I don't know what happened to Ark after we were split up."
He tapped a few commands, pulling up another file. "As it turns out, Lobo was also taken. Apparently, being the last of his species earned him a spot in the Preserver's collection—though he didn't exactly get along with the staff."
Martian Manhunter gave a slow, thoughtful nod. He had sensed something was wrong when contact with Superman and Ark had gone dark for over a day.
"Bedlam never made it into the collection," Superman continued. "I managed to escape, even though I was depowered under red sun lamps. As much as I hate to admit it… I couldn't do it alone. I teamed up with Lobo to get out."
Flash leaned forward, eyebrows raised. "Hold on—you and Lobo? As in, galaxy's-most-wanted, space-biker-from-hell Lobo?"
A faint smile tugged at Superman's lips. "Let's just say we had a shared interest in not being part of a space zoo. Once we got out, he went his own way."
Green Lantern folded his arms. "And Ark?"
Superman's expression darkened. "After the escape, I—"
BWAHH-BWAHH-BWAHH.
The Watchtower's alert klaxons blared, bathing the room in a pulsing red light. Every head snapped toward the ceiling.
Batman raised his gauntlet, tapping into the alert feed. His eyes narrowed.
"Superman…" he said quietly.
Wonder Woman turned. "What is it?"
Rather than answer, Batman keyed in a command. The lights dimmed slightly as the central table flickered, switching from archived footage to a live surveillance feed.
The League leaned in.
The image stabilized, revealing the view from one of the Watchtower's external stealth cams, pointed at the surface of the asteroid to which the station was anchored.
A red-and-black winged figure had just landed on the rocky surface of the Watchtower foundation, scanning his surroundings.
Flash squinted. "Uh… is that—?"
Superman's eyes widened. "Ark."
Wonder Woman's brows drew together. "That's Ark?" She had never seen this form of his before.
Flash stood up abruptly, pointing from the screen to Superman. "Okay, more importantly—why is Ark on our front lawn? And how the hell did he find us?"
A beat of silence fell over the room.
Batman finally spoke. "The Watchtower is cloaked. And not just visually—it's shielded by Lantern-level stealth systems."
Five Minutes Earlier
Jetray streaked through the vacuum of space. Ahead, the curve of Earth grew steadily larger. 
Inside his headset, the Azmuth AI spoke. "I didn't expect we'd be tangling with galaxy-class collectors," Azmuth said dryly.
"Yeah, well, it's not like I planned for us to get abducted by a universal zoo manager," Ben replied, his tone casual. "Apparently, the alien exploits on Earth get around."
"Mmm. And I suppose that makes it better," the AI responded, unimpressed.
Ben shrugged. "For what it's worth, he wasn't trying to hurt anyone. Now, instead of all those creatures slowly aging to death in captivity, they've got a shot at actually living. Less cages, more cloning and ecosystem reconstruction."
"Oh, splendid," Azmuth replied in deadpan. "I'm absolutely thrilled."
Ben smirked. "You saw the files. A lot of those species were nearly wiped out by wars, solar flares… or, y'know, black holes."
"Yes, yes, very heartwarming," Azmuth muttered. "I am glad you showed restraint—and foresight—regarding the potential dangers."
Ben nodded. "Nothing classified was shared, so it's all well and good so far. I'm not dumb enough to hand out Galvan-grade tech to a guy who collects things in jars."
"Good," Azmuth said, nodding slowly. "Because the last time someone did that, we had the Galactic Plasmacrab Crisis. Still haven't recovered from the tourism fallout."
Ben laughed. "Okay, that one wasn't my fault."
His HUD pinged—a blinking dot appeared just ahead, keyed to Superman's DNA.
But as he neared Earth's orbit, Jetray frowned.
"That's weird."
The HUD zoomed in on what should've been the right location—just empty space.
"No ship. No Superman. He should be floating right... there."
Azmuth finally glanced up, rubbing his chin. "Odd. Stand by. I'm sending another scan pulse."
A soft shimmer pulsed out from the Omnitrix. A few seconds passed. Then Azmuth's eyes lit up. "There's something there. Large mass. Most likely cloaked with advanced tech."
"Cloaked?" Jetray echoed. 
Azmuth nodded. "And not some amateur job, either. It's blocking both standard and exotic sensors."
Jetray grinned. "Secret Super Hero Base in Orbit. Nice." Adjusting his course, he surged forward. The space around him shimmered faintly. Then, without warning, the illusion broke.
A massive station materialized before him on what appeared to be an asteroid. 
"Bingo," Jetray said, angling for a smooth descent.
He touched down lightly on the asteroid surface. Scanning his surroundings, he began walking toward a nearby structure, eyes searching for a hatch or access point.
"Let's see if they've got a doorbell," he muttered.
Unbeknownst to him, red warning lights were already flaring to life.
#
It didn't take long for the Watchtower's hangar bay doors to slide open with a low mechanical hum. A flicker of blue energy shimmered as the force field adjusted, allowing Jetray to pass through. His wings folded in as he glided into the chamber, landing with practiced ease. Overhead, the bay lights snapped on, casting everything in a sterile white glow. Behind him, the blast doors sealed shut with a hiss—the atmosphere slowly equalizing.
With a soft thud, Jetray touched down on the polished metal floor.
A moment later, a set of interior doors opened.
To Ben's surprise, several members of the Justice League entered wearing some mix of concern, suspicion, and mild disbelief.
Still in Jetray form, Ben raised a hand in a sheepish half-wave. "Uh… hey, guys. Nice place you've got here."
Superman pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ark… how did you find this place?"
Jetray shrugged with casual innocence. "You told me to meet you at Earth. So... here I am."
There was a brief silence.
Then, in near-perfect unison, several League members turned toward Superman, brows raised.
He gave a helpless glance around at them. "How was I supposed to know he'd take that literally?"
Batman crossed his arms, his voice low and dry. "Just one more question for the debrief. We were hoping to do this at the Hall… but that ship has clearly sailed."
With a green flash, Jetray's form disappeared, revealing Ark in his usual attire. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… okay. In hindsight, maybe flying into my friend's/ally's secret orbital space station unannounced wasn't my best move. Sorry."
Flash leaned over to Green Lantern and whispered, "Gotta admire the guts, though."
Wonder Woman stepped forward, her voice steady and welcoming despite the circumstances. "We'll get to the details shortly. For now… welcome to the Watchtower, Ark. Officially."
Ben gave a nervous smile. "Cool. Just, uh... point me toward the bathroom when you get a chance."
#
In the Justice League's main conference room, the holographic table cast a soft, pale glow across the serious faces gathered around it. Ark stood near the far end, arms relaxed at his sides, picking up where Superman had left off. 
Ark had made a bargain with the Preserver.
Batman's eyes narrowed beneath the cowl. "What kind of deal did you make, exactly?"
Before Ark could answer, Wonder Woman spoke—calm, measured, but with a quiet weight that came from long experience.
"A cosmic collector isn't someone we place our trust in lightly."
Ark didn't flinch. "I negotiated our release. Peacefully. No weapons, no threats. And he agreed."
He let the moment hang, letting that truth settle into the room.
"I offered my expertise in biology."
Flash raised an eyebrow, while Green Lantern leaned forward slightly, arms still crossed.
"You did?" Flash asked, half-curious, half-skeptical.
Ark gave a wry smirk. "When you've got my kind of transformations, you need to understand what's going on under the hood. Knowing how they work—and how they don't—has saved my life more times than I can count. It made me useful."
Batman's jaw tensed. "What kind of help did you give him?"
"First thing I told him: no weapons, no labs full of test subjects, no twisted science. That was non-negotiable."
Batman didn't blink. "And you trust him to stick to that?"
Ark shrugged lightly. "About as much as I trust a meteor not to change course mid-flight. But he kept his word. That's more than I expected."
John Stewart's gaze narrowed. "Even if you're okay with that, we're not. Not without more intel."
Ark nodded. "Fair. I wouldn't trust him blindly either."
Flash made a loose circling motion with one hand. "So... keep going."
Ark gestured toward the center of the room. "His current project ties into our new friend."
All eyes turned toward the creature nestled in Wonder Woman's lap preening its feathers.
Wonder Woman continued stroking its soft feathers. "I meant to ask... it's been a very long time since I've seen one of these alive."
Ark chuckled. "Depending on how things go, you might be seeing more."
The room stilled.
Batman narrowed his eyes at Ark. "Pallate aside. You're helping him bring back the Dodo bird?"
Flash grinned. "Sweet! Do they taste like chicken too."
Ark paused. "Huh. I actually didn't think about how they tasted."
"Wait. This means we can bring back the Galapagos tortoise."
Manhunter raised a brow. "Tortoise?"
"You know the Giant Galápagos Tortoise? They're basically extinct because people couldn't stop eating them. I swear, in all the old logs and journals from like… 18th-century sailors and explorers? They didn't shut up about how good it tasted."
John gave a knowing nod. "Oh yeah. Supposedly, it tasted better than lamb, beef, pork—everything. Everyone who tried it back then said it was the best meat they'd ever had. Like, almost unanimously."
Ark blinked, genuinely surprised. "Damn… now I want to try it."
John chuckled. "You're not alone. Thing is, it wasn't just the flavor. The tortoise evolved to store water inside its body. Like, a perfect biological canteen."
Flash grinned. "So when people ate it, they basically got meat and a drink. Nature's combo meal."
Wonder Woman gave them all dry look. Of course one of the first thoughts on bringing back an extinct animal was on how they would taste. Granted, even she was curious of how the Tortoise tasted.
"Among others. I'm helping the Preserver with a repopulation initiative. Placing extinct or endangered species from his collection into safe, viable environments."
Batman and Green Lantern exchanged a skeptical glance. 
"I dunno. That sounds like Jurrassic Park waiting to happen." John Stewart leaned back in his chair.
"That's what I said." Ark didn't look away. "I get it. I do. That's why I'm keeping it simple. Herbivores only. Nothing invasive."
Batman was already turning over the implications in his mind. Repopulation. Genetic engineering. Possible Cross-species biology. 
The capacity for good was enormous. So was the potential for abuse.
Ark wasn't a threat. Not now. But Batman was already modifying his contingencies. Just in case.
Ark shrugged. "That's why we keep him at arm's length. I'm not asking you to trust him. If he reaches out again or asks for another meeting, I'll keep you in the loop."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Around the glowing conference table, the Justice League exchanged quiet, thoughtful glances. Martian Manhunter's face was unreadable as ever. Flash distracted himself by fidgeting with a datapad. Green Lantern leaned back in his chair, his jaw clenched just slightly. 
Then Superman spoke, his tone firm but even. "We won't take action against the Preserver—for now. But we'll monitor the situation. Closely."
Batman gave a short, clipped nod.
Wonder Woman rested a hand on the table, her gaze unwavering as she looked to Ark. "We're holding you to your word, Ark."
Ark nodded without hesitation. "You should. I'm holding myself to it, too."
A beat passed between them—tense, but not hostile. A flicker of mutual understanding. The League wasn't sold. Not yet. But they were giving him space to prove himself.
In the end, The Preserver was added to the Watchtower database under Persons of Interest. At the same time, Batman added Ark.
#
Infinity Island
Date Unknown
Rich made his way down the stone corridor of the League of Shadows' stronghold. Just as he reached the door to the interrogation wing, a familiar voice piped up behind him.
"Uh, where are you going?"
Rich sighed before even turning around. "Larry."
Larry jogged up beside him
"Uh, Lord Ra's wants me to threaten the doctor we kidnapped into building that new weapon for us," Rich explained, trying to wave him off.
Larry's eyes widened. "Dr. Serling Roquette?" 
Rich gave a slow nod. "Yeah. I'm gonna be stuck in that tiny cell with her for like hours."
Larry hummed. "You know, Rich, uh, why don't you let me take this one? You've had a long day."
Rich frowned. "What do you—my shift started three minutes ago."
"Yeah. Yeah. I know." Larry waved his hand dismissively. "Assassin stuff. Cool, man."
Rich stared at him. "You just want to take this because you have a thing for the prisoner."
Larry scoffed, visibly offended. "What? No. Pfft. Come on. I am a professional."
Rich folded his arms.
Larry held up his hands. "Okay, listen, I just. I feel like I have a better vibe for this. You know? Psychological manipulation, mind games." He tapped his temple, giving Rich what he probably thought was a knowing look. "It's all about finesse."
Rich rubbed his forehead. "You once got locked in a broom closet for two hours because you were trying to intimidate a janitor."
Larry pointed at him. "And that janitor resigned, didn't he?"
"He was ninety-six, Larry. He was going to retire anyway."
"Yeah, well, I helped speed up the process." Larry clapped a hand on Rich's shoulder. "Come on, buddy. Just let me have this one."
Rich considered it for a moment before shrugging. "Fine. But if you screw this up, I'm telling Lord Ra's you spent last week's mission at the kebab stand instead of carrying supplies."
Larry gasped, clutching his chest as if personally wounded. "You swore you'd never speak of that."
Rich smirked. "Good luck with the Doctor." With that, Rich walked away
Larry grinned like a fool as he straightened his uniform and practically skipped toward the interrogation room.
#
Dr. Serling Roquette sat cuffed to the metal table. The heavy door creaked open, and Larry strolled in with misplaced confidenc. He pulled out a chair and sat across from her, tossing a notepad onto the table with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Well, well, well, Doctor. We meet again," he said, leaning forward.
Dr. Roquette blinked. "We've never met before."
Larry frowned, tilting his head. "Yeah, yeah, no, we did. Remember? The day you were kidnapped? The elevator was taking forever. I made a joke about it. Said I liked your hair and shoes." He nodded to himself, as if recounting a fond memory. "You were in my dream that night."
Dr. Roquette's face barely twitched, but there was a deep regret behind her eyes.
Larry clapped his hands together. "Anyway! As a loyal soldier of the League of Shadows, I will remain in this room with you for as long as it takes for you to give us—"
"It's in my portable hard drive," she interrupted.
Larry blinked. "What?"
"The Portable Hard Drive that you took along with me and my computer," she repeated. "The information you need is all in there."
Larry nodded slowly, absorbing the words. Then he straightened his back. "Uh. That's good, but I'm not leaving just yet. There's more to discuss. "
Dr. Roquette's head tilted. "What more do you want?"
"Well, uh, standard protocol says I have to ask you stuff."
"Like?"
Larry cleared his throat and looked down at his notepad. "How are things?"
Dr. Roquette's face remained impassive.
"What kind of music are you into?" he asked.
She started reevaluating her life choices.
He leaned forward slightly. "Your eyes are like sapphires."
Her gaze sharpened. "That's not even a question."
Larry blinked, then quickly corrected himself. "Your eyes are like sapphires?"
"That's creepy."
He cleared his throat. "It was rhetorical."
"That's not how rhetorical questions work."
"Hey!" Larry huffed, crossing his arms. "I'm the one asking rhetorical questions here."
Dr. Roquette's patience thinned visibly. "You really aren't. Do you even have any real questions?"
Larry hesitated, flipping through his notepad. Instead of interrogation notes, he landed on a surprisingly detailed doodle of the two of them riding a unicorn together. He quickly turned the page and nodded. "Yes."
Dr. Roquette pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's not reassuring."
Gathering himself, Larry cleared his throat and tried again. "Uh, your answer to making the weapon is… uh… is what again?"
Dr. Roquette stared at him, unimpressed. "That was your first question, and the phrasing was terrible."
Larry exhaled sharply. "Quit stalling! You have forced me to activate… intimidation mode!"
He slammed a button on the table. The lights dimmed dramatically, casting ominous shadows. Spotlights flickered to life, rotating in slow, deliberate circles. And then… smooth jazz began playing over the speakers.
Dr. Roquette's eyes narrowed.
Larry gestured proudly. "This is my band."
She winced as if she had just been physically assaulted. "You really shouldn't play this for people."
Before Larry could respond, the cell door swung open. Larry scrambled to turn the lights back to normal and silence the music.
"Did you guys hear a noise?" Rich asked, looking around.
"Nothing," Larry said too quickly. "Ongoing information collection. Looks promising. Very affirmative."
Dr. Roquette, clearly at her limit, slumped forward. "I was lying. The Hard Drive does have the data, but it's encrypted. If you access it without my passcode, it'll self delete. Please, I'll do whatever you want. I'll build the best weapon I can. Just—please—get him out of here."
Rich's eyes widened. "Whoa! Nice work, Larry! That's record time."
Larry leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, you know what they say. I'm great."
Rich clapped him on the shoulder before stepping out, clearly impressed. Larry stood, smoothing his uniform. As he reached the door, he glanced back at Dr. Roquette, his confidence somehow still intact. "Call me."
She stared at him in exhausted disbelief. "What?"
"Call me!" he repeated, pointing at her before shutting the door behind him.
Dr. Roquette stared at the door. This was somehow worse than torture. For the next few weeks, Larry would continue to pester the poor woman as she worked in the lab. She needed to get out of here. Where were the superheroes when she actually needed them?!