DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT own the Justice League or any related DC Characters.

Intro: I have returned. It's been six thousand years since I posted anything, wrote anything, etc.. Sadly, real life got in the way badly and until recently, I truly haven't wrote a thing. But, then this came. Admittedly, I'm more Marvel than DC, but I needed something new to writ and I saw this as a challenge. The first arc is your typical team origin. Also, it won't be until the end of the 2nd or maybe even 3rd story arc that we have the full official Justice League roster.

ZEROBEN'S JUSTICE LEAGUE

The readings were off the charts.

S.T.A.R. Labs - an offshoot of the A.R.G.U.S. organization - was on the brink of an all-important possibly world-changing discovery. Lead by Silas Stone, a major excavation was underway. Roughly a month ago, there was an extreme weather event. Storms impossibly strong, meteor showers raining down danger, then bursts of strange out of place snow storms. Many people - resigning to ignorance is bliss - cast it aside as just odd weather in what was an already odd world. But, A.R.G.U.S. - specifically Stone's S.T.A.R. Labs division - knew better. A search commenced, any and everything... Find what caused this and what it caused.

The global search lead them here; Alaska.

Atop the designated dig site, you could feel it in the air... A static, a kick, something nipping at your skin. A strong energy radiating out from inside the ground. As the workers continued their progress well into the night hours, the anticipation built within Silas. Since signing on with ARGUS five years ago and starting STAR Labs soon after, nothing quite this exciting had happened. Yes, they had their share of discoveries and breakthroughs, but this was different. You could just tell... Something big was under the surface, something world-changing.

Then it came... The moment of truth...

1#

"Justice Begins"

Part I

She always believed that when it rained during a funeral it meant the one who died had been picked to become an angel. And if she would have been able to spot the cheery little Gothic girl that no one saw, she would know her belief was true.

Despite this being one of the saddest times he could remember, Clark couldn't help but hide a smile. Martha Kent - his adopted mother, if you will - was the one who believed that idea and found comfort in feeling the cool rain coming down steadily. Clark was relieved for her, but the turmoil still spun inside him. He would never see his father, Jonathan Kent, again. No more guidance... Words of wisdom... Tough love to build character. The sports on TV, the long days on the farm, Jonathan telling Clark to not rely solely on his super powers. For the Man of Steel, believe it or not, on this day there was deep heartache.

His colleagues from the Daily Planet were there in support; Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and a few others. Even the man himself, Perry White, had shown up, bringing a rose especially for the new widow, having gone through a similar instance of loss in his own life. The friendship and support they offered to Clark was greatly appreciated, but he'd be lying if he said it was enough to soothe the fresh wound. It stung deep inside him... The mere thought... Never seeing his dad again...

"I won't say something as contrived as it gets better as time goes on, but I will say... After awhile, you do start getting used to it. The pain, the little empty feeling in your chest, it all becomes normal. You live with it."

Clark glanced over his shoulder, none other than Gotham City's Favored Son, Bruce Wayne, trying to pass along words of encouragement. They had met before... They knew who each other really were... But now wasn't the time or place to delve deeper into their more heroic traits - or lack thereof, perhaps, "Thanks, but I'll manage."

"Your father was a valued employee at..."

"Save it, Bruce," Clark cut him off, "I know you mean well, but I can't listen to that right now. You didn't know him. If you did, you'd know he hated that word... Employee. He was a worker. And to billionaire Bruce Wayne, just another belt on the conveyor of Wayne Global."

Bruce cleared his throat, taking a step back, knowing when to...

"Clark Henry Kent," Martha had overheard the small exchange and was none too pleased, "You apologize this instant."

"No, it's all right," Bruce politely declined in advance, "I understand. I have to get back to work, anyway. Again, I'm truly sorry for your loss. If there's anything I can do, be sure to contact me. In fact," he pulled out a card, handing it to Martha, "That's the number to my main office in Gotham."

"Thank you," Martha nodded and gave Bruce a quick hug, "That's very sweet of you."

"I mean it," Bruce said as he began making his way to the limousine, his ever-faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth, holding the door open. Bruce flashed a subtle wave before entering the vehicle, Alfred closing the door behind him.

Martha smacked Clark's shoulder, giving him a stern look, and whispering... "Since when are city boys nicer than country ones?"

"I know," he sighed, "I'm sorry."

"You just remember what we always told you, Clark," she reminded him, "The kindness of others don't come often, so you best to take it when you can get it."

She was right, he couldn't argue. Bruce had just rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it wasn't even Bruce's fault, maybe Clark was just over-sensitive considering everything. Maybe he plain wasn't in the mood to accept kindness right now. Unfortunately for him, though, it seemed a bit more was on its way...

"Get yelled at by your mom?" Lois came to his side, a pleasant but fading smirk across her lips.

He shrugged, "Happens to the best of us, I guess."

"Listen," she straightened his collar, wiped away a few drips of rain from his jet black hair, "I know it hurts and I know this isn't what you want to hear right now - If you even want to hear anything - But, I'm here for you, okay? Talk... Vent... Cry... I'm here, Clark. You don't have to go through this alone and I don't want you to."

He sighed, surprisingly finding a bit of relief through Lois' words, "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

"I'm serious, Clark," she hugged him briefly, "And stay with your mom. Don't go back to that lonely apartment of yours. It's a frickin' fortress of solitude."

Jimmy Olsen approached next, Lois' personal photographer, as well as boyfriend. He extended a hand to Clark and they shook, though Jimmy wiggled his fingers and slightly winced after the fact, "I'm sorry about this, Clark."

Seconds later, Jimmy and Lois left together, Clark watching as they did so. Clark had worked at the Daily Planet for three years now, his eye stuck on Lois ever since he first saw her. But... What could he do? He wasn't in any condition to pursue a relationship, nevermind the recent loss he had suffered. Even on the brightest of sunny days, it just couldn't happen.

Just then, Clark felt a brush of air at his right side, the end of his shirt flapping in the breeze. Though, to be honest, he had already begun to hear the air being cut. He didn't even have to look to know what it was, "You're late, Barry. You, of all people," he couldn't help it, a small yet fleeting laugh slipped past, "Late."

"Okay, here's the thing," Barry Allen aka The Flash, wearing a once nice suit that hadn't held up to the demanding speeds too well, holding a can of - yes - his very own energy drink called Flashed, "... There was... Damn it... I forgot. I was busy last night fighting... Well... Eh screw it, it was Iris' birthday. We were... Celebrating. I'm sorry, Boss. I really am."

Clark wasn't going to hold it against him, "It's fine."

Barry placed a hand on Clark's shoulder, both of them turning to Jonathan's plot, "Losing a parent, you know? It sucks."

"Yep," Clark nodded sadly, "It does."

:::The Limousine:::

It doesn't get better. It does become a part of you, but it aches. And, at times, when that ache begins to soothe or you find relief in forgetting for a moment or two... It bites. Its teeth sink into you, remind you... That you're alone now, you'll never see them again. However, at the same time, you don't let it stop you, you don't allow the burden to weigh you into the ground. You remember, you hurt, but you fight. Because... If you stop fighting... If you lay down and let it crush you... Then they mean nothing. And his parents... Thomas and Martha... They'll always mean more to him than anything.

"This was a good gesture, Sir. I know Clark wasn't altogether receptive, but in the long run... He'll be thankful you were there in his time of need."

"When my parents were murdered, I was just a kid, Alfred," Bruce responded, a tad lost in his own thoughts, eyes wandering as the rain drops slid down the windows, "I was hurt, I was mad, I wanted someone or something to feel more pain than I was. But, I was a kid... I couldn't do anything. Clark's Superman... All the power in the world and heartbreak to go right along with it. I have to keep an eye on him."

"For his sake," Alfred said.

"No," Bruce corrected his butler, "For everyone's sake."

:::Special Interview:::

"From rags to riches? Not quite. But, along those lines, twenty-nine year old entrepreneur Diana Prince has worked tirelessly for the past three years to push Prince Restorations from a modest charitable idea to the worldwide leader in humanitarian relief efforts. And yes, she has received financial aid from partnerships with such names as Wayne Global and Queen Enterprises, but that does nothing to change the fact that for as much as our world has changed during this past decade, Diana Prince is helping to change it even more and for the better. Ladies and gentlemen, my guest at this time, the beautiful and intelligent beyond her years, Diana Prince. Diana, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing well. And, you're too kind."

"There's so much to get to and so little time, so let's start off with a bang. Three years ago; What's the first thought? What is the initial thought that births the idea behind becoming this now phenomenon? How did Prince Restorations come to you?"

"I wanted to help. I saw people suffering. People losing their homes because where they worked had been destroyed. I wanted to help... I wanted these people to know someone was looking out for them. I had the means to start the company and as that first month passed, I felt it more and more my responsibility to help because I knew I could do so."

"And, at first, the idea was to help solely those affected by meta human activities, yes?"

"Correct. But, when I gained more support for what I was doing, I was then able to reach further."

"And now Prince Restorations helps in natural disasters, city reconstruction, the list goes on. Now, I heard the ultimate goal for you is to, pretty much, help whenever and wherever?"

"Yes."

"Which has become somewhat a point of controversy, if I may. There are those who say - and I'm quoting this by the way - Those who say the following; Whether it comes directly from Prince herself or it's a collective decision amongst the higher-ups of the company... It would seem that especially in the past year, Prince Restorations picks and chooses where its effort goes by way of where said effort can ultimately be more beneficial to the company."

"That's false."

"Not true at all? Because - and this is for our audience - what that quote is saying is..."

"That I do this for recognition or money. And that's not true. Like I said, I do this to help people. Besides... We are a non-profit organization. I'm not charging anyone. Any money that is made is by way of donations and immediately used to maintain and expand. As far as our efforts not going to every single area that it could... That's what we are currently trying to improve upon. But, it takes an amount of resources and time that we don't yet have available to us."

:::STAR Labs:::

What was stronger? The mystery surrounding this bizarre box... Or the power you could feel eminating from it?

It was cube-shaped, rock-like in texture, but when poked and prodded, it would momentarily shift its appearance, providing a peek to its inside. Said inside had circuitry of some kind, but as of yet nothing had been capable of keeping it open long enough for closer examination. However, through everything established so far, one thing was very clear and very certain...

"This is not man-made. What we are looking at here is Alien-Technology," Silas Stone spoke to his superior, the head of ARGUS, Amanda Waller, the two of them peering through a sturdy window into a chamber where the mysterious box was being contained, "We've known for some time that there's more out there, but this is the first thing we've been able to physically get our hands on."

Silas had his team with him, including Rudolph Jones, and even his son, Victor Stone, who sadly had been confined to a wheelchair courtesy of a crippling muscle disease he had been born with.

"This is great work, Silas," Director Waller commended, flanked by security, one with a tag reading Johns, "I see we weren't mistaken making you Lead Scientist. Be proud of your father, Victor, he's a smart man and he's putting that brain of his to good use."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Silas nodded, patting his son on the shoulder, the two sharing a proud smile, "It's good to know my work is being appreciated."

"Now, keep running tests, do whatever you can to figure out how to keep this open. We need information... We need it now."

He hated to rain on his own parade, but better judgement was telling him to softly go against his boss's wishes, "With all due respect, I think it's best to take a subtle and slow approach," her expression told Silas she disagreed greatly, "I realize the importance in getting results as fast as possible, but I think its reactions to the shocks is defensive... It's defending itself."

"Defending itself," Waller repeated, "Silas... Finding out every last bit of information we can while it's in our grasp is absolutely imperative. We can't assume that we'll have plenty of time with this thing. Every second is precious... Every tiny little detail we uncover is even more so."

Silas took a deep breath, knowing full-well the importance of this discovery as well as discovering more about it. He didn't want to cross Director Waller, but he also didn't want to treat this box with disrespect and just ravage it. He needed time, he needed to be careful and precise. However... "I understand," he said hesitantly, "We'll begin a more agressive approach."

"Good," Waller was fair to her personnel, but she was also very tough, unafraid to apply pressure when needed, and all it took was a look, a curve to her lips, or even simply a movement of her head. She was a young but experienced woman on top of her world with every intention of keeping that place by any means necesarry.

The group watched as Waller and her security exited the room. Rudolph Jones was first to comment, a level of fear apparent in his voice, but trying to be brave, "We have to be careful. We can't just pry this apart like a shipping crate... Who knows what it's capable of."

"I know," Silas sighed, arms crossed, worry in his mind, "But you heard her and you know what she was really saying; If we don't figure this out now, she'll replace us with someone who will," he turned to his long-time partner, he and Rudolph even attending University together, his son watching on in the background, "We can't let this slip through our fingers, Rudy. We'd never forgive ourselves."

"But, damn it," Rudolph didn't like this at all, "Whatever this thing really is..." he searched for words, "... Things like this... They have a rhyme and reason. It has x amounts of knowledge and secrets... But it may also have x amounts of ways to keep that knowledge and those secrets from falling into the wrong hands. We... Need... To be very careful. You know that."

What to do... What to do?

:::Coast City:::

"'Ey, Green Lantern, how ya doin' buddy? Got a new one for ya, all right? The lean, green, mean, machine!"

"I'll give it a think, Sal."

Yeah... Right. Nonetheless, Hal Jordan had returned from another adventure in Space. The job of a Green Lantern wasn't an easy one, but one he took very seriously. It was his responsibility to attempt to fill the role left behind by Abin Sur, the Lantern that had crashed to Earth one fateful night. There was a steep learning curve, mountains of difficulty to climb, but Hal welcomed the challenge and with the weight of the world on his shoulders, kept flying forward.

Everyone knew Green Lantern was tied to Coast City, but no one - save for a very select few - knew Hal Jordan and Green Lantern were one in the same. One such individual was Hal's girlfriend, Carol Ferris. Girlfriend of now six years with no further commitment anywhere on the radar. And speaking of the lady, Hal found her in bed hard at work on her laptop, sorting through business pertaining to her family's airline, Ferris Air.

Hal was about to greet, his ring-powered suit giving way to typical civilian clothes, but was stopped, "If I wasn't buried underneath all this paperwork, I'd be staring daggers at you. Don't start... I don't want to talk."

Hal had his arms crossed, seeing right where this was going, a recent and continuous point of contention between the two of them lately was Hal always being gone. And, through their arguments, he had to admit she had made valid points. Though, at the same time, he felt she needed to understand where he was coming from and just how important this job of becoming a Green Lantern was to the universe as a whole.

"I know... I'm a bitchy mean selfish girlfriend. But... I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore."

Hey now... She had never gone quite that far before, "What can I do, Carol? It picked me! I can't just take a sick day."

"I know it picked you. I know it did because you say that every time. But, you need to understand where I'm..."

"... I do understa..."

"... No, Hal, you don't."

Hal sighed, shaking his head, "I can't have this argument for the billionth time. I just can't! I'd rather close that black hole again - Dinosaurs included - than go through this again."

Carol composed herself, closing her laptop, getting out of bed and walking up to Hal, looking him in his green eyes, "I miss your brown eyes."

Hal hugged her and touched his forehead to hers, "I'm sorry. I know it isn't fair. I know... You worry and I'm gone over and over days at a time. I love you, though. There isn't anyone else on Earth or any other planet - Firr-11 included, and you know what I told you about Firr-11 - that I'd rather be with."

A smile cracked, however faint and fleeting, but it wasn't enough to mend her heart, "I love you, too. But, Hal, I can't live my life like this anymore. I'm sorry, but I can't. I worry, I get scared, my heart feels like it's pulling apart. And what if something happens to you on some other distant planet whatever? I'll never know. I'll just be here, sitting in bed, wondering if the love of my life is ever coming back. When you were gone for four months... I went through Hell. I just... It's too hard and it's too painful."

He kissed her then pulled away to look in her eyes, the two of them realizing that this may actually turn into the end of their relationship, neither wanting to walk away, but both understanding why they should, "You're right," he spoke softly, seeing her tears causing him to fight back a flood of his own, "So... What do we..."

The Ring started vibrating and glowing brightly. One-hundred percent perfect timing. A perfect means to a perfect end. He wanted to ignore it, as she hoped he would, but they both knew that was a bad idea. They ended the embrace and Hal reached over to the ring, wiping away tears as he activated it, finding the image of fellow Green Lantern, Tomar Re...

"Yeah?"

"Yeah is not the proper way to greet a fellow Lantern, but that is besides the point," the hologram flickered, "Your planet Earth is in danger, Hal Jordan."

"What's the problem?" instantly upon hearing that, Hal dressed himself in the ring's armor, mask and all.

"You have been informed of the missing Mother Boxes, correct?" Tomar Re asked, Hal nodded, "Up until this point, we believed one hadn't reached Earth. We were mistaken. It has just been activated."

"Oh shit," Hal gasped, "Where... Where is it? Wh-What am I-I looking for? What does it look like?"

"We have traced it to a location named STAR Labs in your New York. Do you know where this is?"

"STAR Labs... ARGUS... Yeah, I know where it is."

"Go find it now. Bring it immediately to Oa. If we were able to sense its activation and track its whereabouts, then there are others - with less peaceful means - that also know where it is."

"Right... Okay, I'm on it." the transmission was ended, and Hal turned around to find Carol had already left the bedroom. In fact, she had already left the home, Hal spotting her just before she entered her car, the two of them sharing a sad glance before the door was closed and she drove away. He couldn't just let her leave like that... But the Mother Box... But... Carol... Damn it...

Lantern duties be damned, Hal broke through the open window, flying over Carol's vehicle until she stopped, him hovering over the front, "Hal, what are you doing?"

The road was empty, their cliff-side home out of reach of the busier sections of the city, "I'm not ready to let go of you yet."

"Look at us, Hal," she said, getting out, him still hovering, a breeze picking up in the night sky, "We both say how much we love each other, but do we even really know what's best for each other?"

"But we..." his ring started going off again, though he ignored it, "Listen... We made it this far. What's it say about us if we just give up? Carol, you have to trust me, and I know you feel the same... We can make it work. It's hard, at times it sucks, but we can make it work."

"You're..." ring going off again, Carol gesturing to it, "... You're the Green Lantern! You said it yourself, you can't neglect your duty. And it would be wrong of me to expect you to."

"Maybe I can get someone else to be one?" a stretch, but still an idea, "I've been doing pretty good lately, valued employee and all that. I might have some sway with management. I... I could split time, right? Every other weekend, something like that?'

Carol was about to laugh, but instead came fear. Her eyes lit up and she froze for a moment or two before finally summoning the strength to point behind Hal, "Uh... Uhhh... Green Lantern duties?"

Hal had already turned, discovering three Manhunters coming right for him. Manhunters being what could best be described as cosmic robots meant to destroy whatever their target had been established as. Right now it seemed their target was Green Lantern... At least it seemed that way considering the barrage of energy beams shooting toward him...

Tapping into his ring's great power, he built a green brick wall around he and Carol. It did the trick for the time being, but it wouldn't hold long, "Get in the car... Get out of here as fast as you can! Now!"

"Hal!" she screamed, finding three more Manhunters coming in from the opposite direction, "HAL!"

2#

"Justice Begins"

Part II