Chapter Text
The Justice League had been in a meeting-
No, that's not completely correct. Some of the Justice League had been in a meeting in the Watchtower; others had been protecting their respective cities whilst the rest were on an off-world mission.
Batman had stood at the front, cape obscuring his body as he spoke about a foiled drug ring. Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl were sat to the right side of the meeting room's table with Martian Manhunter, the Flash and Green Lantern sat opposite of them. Superman had sat at the very end of the table, directly facing Batman. Batman had curtly finished his report and as he was the last one to speak, it had signified the end of the meeting. Green Lartern and Flash had eagerly gotten out of their seats, chatting amicably about something, whilst the Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl leisurely got up.
And Superman? He'd been overcome with a sharp sense of wrongness as though the world had been tilted slightly off its axis. He had held onto the table for support as he got up, ignoring the crumble of quartz beneath his fingers. His legs had felt oddly weightless sa colours had burst across the inside of his eyelids. Existence itself had seemed... Unsteady, as though an acute bout of vertigo had struck.
But that's silly, Superman had thought, I fly over Metropolis and leap off of buildings on a regular basis and I don't get vertigo. Looking back on it, that probably should have clued him onto something being strange...
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"Guys... Does anyone know where we are?" Flash's voice breaks the silence. The Justice League is no longer in the meeting room of the Watchtower. Instead, they're in what looks like Metropolis yet... the buildings aren't right. There are flats where single houses once sat, sky scrappers in place of construction sites, and offices in strange places. Everything has a new sheen to it, brighter than Metropolis on the sunniest of days.
"I'd say it looks a lot like Supes' city, but... Something doesn't feel right. I've only been to Metropolis a few times, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I swear the buildings weren't this large," Green Lantern sceptically looks up at one of the flats. They are pillars of glass and concrete, spiralling into points like fractured crystals. There were several buildings of similar design, as though their sole purpose was to refract light until they formed stars onto the roads and constellations across bright billboards. Superman can imagine it what it would look like at night, as though galaxies had come alive and plastered themselves to the sleeping walls of this city.
"I can get a bird's eye view? Check out any buildings that stand out and come back. That way, we'll have a good starting point to figuring out where we are," Hawkgirl offers. The others unanimously nod. She spreads her wings and pushes herself off of the ground. Relishing the strong beat of her wings against her back, she weaves through towering buildings. Scanning the area from above, she notes its layout is remarkably like that of Metropolis with similar highways and main roads. Looking around, she spots a glimmering golden dome in the distance. She heads toward it, hoping to check it out.
The remaining Justice League sit on nearby dumpsters or lean against walls as they wait for Hawkgirl's return.
"So, Supes, what's your verdict?" Lantern says, back against the wall of a white, glossy building. "Is this your home turf or what?"
"No. It looks similar... but it can't be. There are so many buildings I don't recognise..."
Green Lantern raises an eyebrow, scoffing as he says,"because we all obviously know every building where we live, don't we?"
"That's not what I meant! It's just that..."
"It's just that what?"
"This looks a lot like the centre of Metropolis-" Green Lantern begins to interrupt Superman.
"Isn't that a point for it being Metropolis?"
"No. Well, usually yes but this time, no. I know Metropolis pretty well, especially this area and there are buildings that should be here that aren't which have others in their place," Superman explains.
Green Lantern runs a hand across his hair and mumbles something. He looks up at Superman, and simply says, "And you're sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Isn't how we got here most important?" Flash asks. He waves a hand beside his head. "Like, where we are is great and all but are we just going to ignore that we were just in the Watchtower and now we're... here?"
"Where we are is our immediate concern. How we got here can wait for a little while," Superman says.
"And figuring out where we are is easier than figuring out how we got here. Appearing here had no forewarning or obvious cause," Lantern reasons. Martian Manhunter mumbles something and Superman starts to speak.
"Maybe not no forewar-"
"Hawkgirl is coming back!" Wonder Woman shouts and points into the air where the silhouette of Hawkgirl's large wings can be seen.
"Great! Maybe she's found something that can tell us where we are," Flash taps his foot against the ground, smiling all the while. Wonder Woman beams at Flash before turning back to look at Hawkgirl soaring closer.
"I would not get your hopes up, Diana," J'ohn speaks up.
Wonder Woman looks over her shoulder, peering at J'ohn curiously. "And why's that?"
"She seems... distressed," he says simply.
"How can you tell? Are you doing your whole," Flash gestures animatedly, "psychic thing?"
"No," Green Lantern says. He walks forward from his place on the wall and looks directly at Hawkgirl's flying form in the air. "Even I can tell something is up. She's usually faster than this. Either she's injured, which I doubt, or she's got some bad news she doesn't want to tell us."
Superman raises his eyebrow,"Okay... And are you sure about that?"
"Sure as anything."
The Justice League waits with baited breath for Hawkgirl to come back. She lands steadily and locks her eyes onto Superman. She opens her mouth, pauses and then finally says, "You have a Daily Planet in Metropolis, right?"
"...yes? Why do you ask?"
"Does it have a gaudy, golden planet statue on the top?"
"I wouldn't call it gaudy..." Superman mummers. Hawkgirl sighs and breaks eye contact.
"I was afraid you'd say that..."
"What do you mean?" Diana asks. She puts a reassuring hand on Hawkgirl's shoulder.
"There's a building just like that only a couple of miles away... I think this might actually be Metropolis."
"But there's no way that's possible! Buildings don't appear out of nowhere," Superman waves an arm at the various new structures.
"The impossible has happened before," Hawkgirl shakes out her wings uncomfortably.
"Not in mere moments," Superman says. Batman steps forward.
"Hawkgirl is right," Batman announces.
A series of protests comes from Lantern, Flash and Superman. Diana simply rubs Hawkgirl's shoulder comfortingly while looking to Batman, waiting for him to explain.
"Everyone, calm down," Batman walks over to the exit of the alleyway they are in.
"B, what do you mean? How is that possible?" Superman walks forward, his cape dragging against the ground.
"Kal, you were right when you said that the impossible rarely happens in mere moments. The thing is, I don't think these buildings just appeared in a second."
"A cloaking device, maybe?" J'ohn speculates.
"An illusion?" Flash pipes up.
"No. These buildings have never been hidden... At least, I don't think they have. I recognise these buildings, although I've only seen their blueprints."
"You've seen their blueprints?" Superman asks.
"Yes. The buildings were due to be built in ten years."
"And when did you see these blueprints?"
"A month ago." Everyone turns to face Batman. His cape flutters slightly and he clenches the fingers of his gauntlets. "Which is why I suspect we have been transported...
...to the future."