DC Universe Adventures of Validus aka Rick Jones

!SPECIAL EFFECTS! "THOUGHTS"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story takes place when Validus was in the DC universe right after the Leader sent him away from his space station near the moon. This happened in the second chapter of my other fanfic, Validus aka Rick Jones.

Chapter One

"I've been here for one month now. And it's kind of weird working with Superman and the Justice League whom only I saw as comic book characters while growing up as a child and teenager," Rick Jones thought to himself as he sat down in the Justice League satellite's cafeteria, chowing down on a large taco salad meal. Taco salad was a misnomer since it mostly consisted of spiced ground beef, four different kinds of melted cheese, tortilla chips, guacamole, sour cream, taco sauce, and some other ingredients. There were also some pieces of lettuce in there too. Some of the other heroes there had shocked looks on their faces as Rick ate and ate and ate. The big difference between Validus and the Flash's eating habits was that Validus actually ate a little less and a lot slower. Some of the other superheroes on the satellite were further amused by the irony of the fact Rick was drinking a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke.

"What are you eating, Rick?" Supergirl asked as she sat down across from him, setting down a plate of pasta salad. The long-haired blond stood at five feet eight inches tall, weighing a curvaceous 135 pounds with 38-24-36 measurements. She wore a dark blue tunic with a red and yellow S insignia on her chest that left her flat, moderately muscular stomach, ribs, and belly button bare. Her cape, bikini bottom shorts, and boots were red while her short skirt was blue like her tunic, her belt being yellow.

Looking up from her meal, Supergirl happily regarded the six-foot, four inches tall warrior who weighed 300 pounds of impressive, much-defined muscle while each of his arms measured 26 inches in circumference. As it was, his dark/green uniform consisted of only boots, a cape, wristband gauntlets, belt, trunks, leggings, and a V-shaped tunic that left the midriff of his muscularly well-formed, barrel chest, abdominal six-pack, and large arms bare. His dark/green clothes even matched his eyes and lengthy mane-like hair that went halfway down his powerfully built, back.

"It's a taco salad. It's pretty good," Rick answered in between bites. "I just can't get over how good the food up here is. This is the best eating I've done in a long time."

"Are you sure that's healthy?"

"Of course it's healthy. It's a salad, isn't it?"

Supergirl gave the jade warrior a sideways, quizzical look and started on her meal. However, now and then she would look up from her meal and admire the muscular chest of the man sitting in front of her with a happy sigh.

"You better be careful, Validus! That Diet Coke is fattening!" the Blue Beetle called out from several tables away, making Booster Gold and a few other heroes laugh.

"Is that so, Blue Beetle?! I doubt you got fat drinking diet soda! What were you devouring when you chunked up to 300 pounds, beer, and pretzels?!" Rick called back.

"I am not fat. I never have been fat! I was pleasantly plump!" the Blue Beetle answered back, embarrassed as he looked around and noticed more than a few other superheroes snickering at him as opposed to Validus.

Supergirl turned away from Blue Beetle and the others and back to Rick. "Um, I've been wondering about something."

"Been wondering about what?"

"Doesn't it bother you being cooped up here only leaving the satellite when you're needed to play a superhero or something like that?"

"I'm OK with it. I am a green-skinned powerhouse that came out of nowhere, so Superman wants to make sure he knows where I am at all times. I understand."

The statuesque young girl sat back, clasping her hands behind her back to give the object of her desire a better look at her bustline. She smiled in triumph as she noticed Rick admire at her chest for a moment.

"Good! He likes the way I look!"

"It's not so bad living up here," Rick stated, trying to change the subject and tear his eyes away from the slender yet curvaceous beauty before him.

"Really? Superman had me stay in hiding for three years. Three years! I'm glad you're taking all of this so well."

"That's nice."

"You're nice too. I like how you look, green skin and all. You have such a nice, gorgeous body. I bet I could put a quarter through your pecs," the young girl said with a smile as she centered on the young man's massive chest, actually imagining doing what she had just said.

Validus stopped for a moment, a little embarrassed as Supergirl lovingly gazed upon him. "Aren't I a little too old for you?"

"No. I'm as old as eighteen, so I'm perfectly legal if that's what you're worried about." Once again Supergirl leaned over towards Validus in such a way as to show the cleavage of her impressive bosom, but this time she took deep breaths in his direction.

"Well, um."

"Oh, come on, Rick. Haven't you been turned on by pictures of me in the comics? If the women of Marvel Comics are any indication, I'm sure I was a hot babe."

"You were a hot babe, and you are a hot babe now. I don't see why you need any approval from me. You're cute as a button."

"Cute? Is that all you see? You see me as a little girl, don't you? You've seen all those pictures of me like a hot babe but now you only see me as cute?"

"The pictures of you were hot but older. It's just weird seeing you in person and much younger. However, you're very attractive."

"That's so great to hear, Rick. You know all this time I've been on or near the Earth I haven't had a boyfriend. I was kind of hoping..."

"Harumph!"

"What's the matter? Don't like me?"

"What's not to like? You're Superman's cousin."

"Is that it? You're afraid of my cousin? I didn't think you were afraid of anyone, Rick."

"I just have a great deal of respect for Superman. He reminds me of another man I've known for years. And there's one thing I may never get used to," Rick said, changing the subject and tending to his food.

"What's that, Rick?" Supergirl tried to say in a sultry manner.

"It's how superheroes are treated here."

"Why would that surprise you so much?"

"In the universe, I came from people were suspicious of us. They loved us when we saved the day but more often than not they were hostile to us, mutants especially. We would often have problems with the government trying to control or hinder us."

"Did they hinder you to the point that you couldn't do your job?"

"Well, there were times when the government would hinder the heroes of our world to the point that the world was put in jeopardy, but we always came through. I'm been reading Marvel Comics online. And a lot of it's accurate, telling me things I had already known. But there were some things I didn't know that surprised me."

"Really? Like what?"

"I've found out in a comic book called World War Hulk how some of the smarter superheroes like Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, Dr. Strange, Ironman, and some others sent my friend, the Hulk, into outer space, banishing him to a planet several galaxies away."

"I've seen the Fantastic Four movies, the X-Men movies, and that new Ironman movie. Are those movies accurate?"

"They're somewhat accurate but the comic books are more accurate. I didn't see myself in the first Hulk movie, so it wasn't too accurate."

"Was there a movie about me?" Supergirl asked, leaning in closer.

"Yes."

"Who played me?"

"Helen Slater played you in the movie that came out the year before your death. After you 'came back to life' in another form, Melissa Benoit played you on television."

"Helen Slater? I think Christina Aguilera could do a lot better job playing me. Wait a minute. Did you say I died?"

"That was the pre-crisis Supergirl. You're the post-crisis Supergirl."

Supergirl gave Validus a frustrated look. "Did I die or not?"

"You didn't die; the other Supergirl died. She died about the same time Barry Allen the silver age Flash died."

"But the Flash is still alive!"

"Not the current one but the one before him. The current Flash used to be Kid Flash. It's a long story, Kara."

"True, and you shouldn't be telling it." Wonder Woman sat down next to Supergirl and gave Rick a rather scrutinizing look. She was wearing her usual red and gold uniform which bared her milky white shoulders and showed more than a little bit of cleavage.

"It's not a good idea to tell us all about our futures when you probably don't know what you're talking about in the first place."

"Well. I guess I don't know too much about your future since I didn't read your comic book all that often even though I looked at the pictures," Validus replied.

"Whatever. But I don't think you should be filling Supergirl's pretty little head with facts you can't back up. Now I..."

"Pretty little head? Listen, Wonder Woman, if I couldn't handle knowing about my possible future I wouldn't have asked. Besides he's simply telling me about a pre-crisis Supergirl that's not even me."

"Good! You weren't in the Crisis, so you don't even remember it. I don't exactly recall being there, but I have hazy and vague memories of it. Thinking about that time gives me a horrible headache, so I don't," Wonder Woman said in response.

"Hmm. Do you have memories of the Anti-monitor transforming you into some sand and sending you back in time?" Validus inquired.

Wonder Woman stared at the large man before her in shocked recognition for a moment. "I said I don't want to think about it!"

"Then don't think about it! I was one who was curious. No one asked you to listen," Supergirl said in retort.

"Now see here, young lady. I've been training as a warrior and fighting super villains since you were wearing diapers!"

"I never wore diapers! The food on Krypton was so sufficient as to make going to the crapper unnecessary. I hated having to do that when I first got here."

"Kara! I'll not have you speak to me in such a manner especially when we're talking about another wet behind the ears superhero and his inaccurate information."

"Now come on, Wonder Woman. It's bad enough I got disrespected by the heroes in my universe even though I've saved their lives and that universe as well more than once. But now so many of the superheroes here don't give me any respect. What do I have to do to get respect around here?"

"You'll have to earn your respect, Validus. I'd like to see how skilled you are."

"Rodney Dangerfield, eat your heart out," Validus whispered.

"What was that?" the Amazon snapped back.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure about fighting Validus, Wonder Woman? He's stronger than I am. He's almost as strong as my cousin, Kal-El, even surpassing him in brute strength if he gets angry enough. He also has superhumanly agility and reflexes backed up by impressive fighting abilities that could even give you a run for your money," Supergirl explained.

"I've sparred with Superman and fought him to a standstill, so I'm not concerned. I know my magic lasso told me you were telling the truth, Validus, but it's still possible you're mistaken on a few things. I doubt you're stronger than me, but I'd feel better if I could exactly gauge your abilities."

"Superman's a nice guy with a lot of class, so he probably didn't want to seriously hurt you. But if you want to fight me so badly, fine. Let's go and do it. I'm about done with dinner. I'll have dessert afterward."

A few moments later, Validus and Woman were in the main training room with a good-sized audience. Several superheroes were watching the two of them square off from the sidelines including Supergirl. Even Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle were watching.

"What a tacky uniform Validus is wearing. What's the V for, victory? Booster Gold asked to no one in particular as the amazon squared off against the emerald warrior.

"I agree, Booster. Does he think he's at the beach or does he thinks he's a professional wrestler in that getup?" Blue Beetle commented.

"I don't know about that. I kind of like what he's wearing," a middle-aged woman who worked as a technician on the satellite said from a few feet away as the other women watching the upcoming battle nodded and sighed in agreement.

"You mean what he's hardly wearing, Agnes?" another technician replied to her friend.

"You got me there, Tina. I could just lose myself in all that muscle!"

"Anyway!" Blue Beetle said, giving the two women a slight glare. "Wonder Woman's going to kick this guy's ass all over the place, eh Booster?"

"That's true. I doubt he can lift much more than a hundred tons. That's what I remember the Hulk being able to lift. He's strong, but he's not going to be any near strong enough to beat Wonder Woman."

"Yeah. He'll have to be more than a cross between Fabio and Lou Ferrigno to beat someone like Wonder Woman," the Beetle answered.

"Are you ready, Diana?" Validus asked.

"I'm ready. Hyaaa!" the powerful Amazon started the fight off with a fast-paced snap kick which Validus easily avoided. She then attacked the jade giant with several quick fired punches and kicks which only connected with air. "What are you waiting for? Attack me already. Or are you some kind of coward?"

"All right." Validus quickly backed up, gliding on the ground at an inhuman speed. This surprised Wonder Woman who tried to move in to attack but before she could reach him, Validus crouched on the ground used a leg sweep maneuver to knock her off of her feet.

"How did you move so quickly? Even the Flash can't get such an attack on me like that." Wonder Woman responded, doing an acrobatic flip that allowed her to land on her feet. She then came rushing Validus with impressive agility, but she still seemed to be moving rather slowly as far as Validus was concerned. While his opponent kept up her attacks, Validus moved in on her and grabbed her pinning her to the ground in a full nelson.

"All the Flash has is super speed. Even though I'm nowhere near as fast as the Flash, I have fighting skills he lacks. Give up, yet?"

"Ungh! No!" Wonder Woman threw the emerald warrior off of herself high into the air by executing an ancient Greco-Roman wrestling maneuver, causing Validus to do a flip to land on his feet.

"I've never seen that maneuver before."

"Gee, Rick. You put your hands all over Wonder Woman, rubbing up and down against her, and you won't so much as touch me? I know. Why didn't you tickle her breathless while you had her in such a compromising position? She would have surely surrendered to you then. Maybe I should challenge you to a wrestling match. Then you can get your hands all over me, tickling me pink, hmm? Just be sure to stop tickling when I beg for mercy, OK?"

At that moment Validus turned towards Supergirl, allowing Wonder Woman to get some well-placed shots in, knocking him back a little. "You shouldn't let yourself be so easily distracted, Validus. A true warrior always pays attention to his adversary."

"Ouch!" Validus counter-attacked with countless punch-and-kick combinations in a Dragonball Z fashion which surprised his opponent who stubbornly stood her ground even though she was getting hammered. Then Validus used his superior reach to box Wonder Woman's ears in while she was punching him at close quarters. This surprised the Amazon, causing her to be stunned and to shake her head, trying to regain her bearings.

At that moment the alarm went off. "There's a disturbance at the Long Island nuclear facility!" the Martian Manhunter called out through the satellite's loudspeakers.

"Long Island? We'll have to finish this fight another time," Wonder Woman said as she flew off towards the main area of the satellite with Supergirl, Validus and the other superheroes right behind her.

"Saved by the bell, eh Wonder Woman?" Supergirl said as she caught up to and eventually passed the Amazon who shot her back a glare.

"What's going on, Jonn?" Wonder Woman asked as she and the others ran into the main command center of the Justice League Satellite.

"Some of Darkseid's warriors have arrived at Long Island where there's a nuclear-powered facility. I have no idea why they're there but they're surely up to no good."

"All right." Wonder Woman looked over and saw Validus, Supergirl, Booster Gold, and Blue Beetle standing there. "I'm not sure about this."

"I know Rick's a loser but we need everyone we can get for this," Booster Gold said with a smile.

"I was actually more concerned about you, Booster. This is not the time for you to start playing to the camera for good publicity."

"Hey, I love the camera. But I'll do what is needed to stop Darkseid's cronies," Booster answered with a winning smile.

"There's not a lot of time. I need to send you over there right away!" the Martian Manhunter said with a sense of urgency.

"All right. It's time for us to go," Wonder Woman said as the heroes were teleported to Long Island.

As soon as the heroes appeared they saw the female furies, Kalibak, the Germanic looking Dr. Wunderbar, and some parademons, all being led by Steppenwolf who stepped forward and spoke to the heroes. "We were wondering when you'd show up. Come over here and we'll show you a thing or two." The other Apokolips warriors jeered and cursed as Wonder Woman lead her compatriots into battle.

XXX

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Send me a review, telling me what you think of this. If you like this you'll surely like my other fanfic, Validus aka Rick Jones.