Chapter 84: Pre-battle preparations 1

"Talking"

'Thinking'

----------

New Watchtower, June 21, 12:00, 2017

At the Watchtower, in a meeting room that could hold more than 100 people, where latest generation monitors and projection equipment were located, the long-awaited meeting on the Cyborg situation was taking place.

A week had passed. An intense week filled with feelings of anguish, despair and sadness over the kidnapping of their friend Victor Stone.

And one thing was obvious. Wherever Victor was being held, he was not on Earth. They had already investigated every place on the planet and had found no clue to his whereabouts.

But also, the Justice League was not helpless. The information that Madame Xanadu now had access to was vital to the continuation of the mission. Profiles of gods. Key access points to Valhalla. Divine weapons the gods carried. There was a lot of information in Nimue's head that Batman and Martian Manhunter had compiled and summarized for this meeting.

In the meeting room was not only the Justice League. Hippolyta and her generals were also there. Being a divine mission, and having suffered losses in the war on their island, they had the right and duty to deal with this situation. The meeting room now held more than 60 people.

Michael Holt had also come as the world's legal representative, albeit unofficially for the time being, as this mission required the utmost discretion. In addition, Victor was his friend. He was also carrying quite important projects for the future development of mankind. More modern technology for everyone. It was essential to recover him.

The room was in an uproar. Murmurs and conversations could be heard throughout the room. Some of concern and others more cheerful, oblivious to the current situation. All conversation ceased, however, when Batman entered the room, accompanied by Wonder Woman and Superman. The famous trinity was in charge of leading this meeting.

Superman, bearing the heroic, inspiring and imposing demeanor for which he was known, began to speak. As he spoke, on the large monitor, various images of legends, myths, and stories compiled from different mythologies began to be projected. However, the images were changing to black and white photographs of men and women wearing clothes of the time.

Then the images changed to more current photographs, only the difference being that the people in the photos were identical to the people in black and white. In short, they were the same people through the passage of time.

"Gods among us. Beings of immense power from which are derived thousands of legends so far-fetched even to the exploits of today's metahuman world. These beings have been in hiding, living among us and blending into our culture over time"

Superman began passing out rather fat files to everyone present. Copies full of information collected from Batman with all the information that OMAC, Madame Xanadu and Cyborg, before he was kidnapped, left him. The information was much more complete than the information compiled at the time by The Light.

"The profiles I have passed on to you are the profiles of the remaining 14 gods left in the hostile group of gods. According to the information gathered, these gods are of 4 generation. Children of the previous regents in the age of the gods. In short, they are quite powerful gods, but not primordial. From the readings researched in the previous struggle, it can be seen that their divine power was diluted with the passage of time. That is, it fluctuates more than a first, or second generation god"

(AN: I had already mentioned it, but I remember it anyway. First generation: Gaea and Uranus. Second generation: Titans like Cronus. Third generation: Zeus, Ra, Izanagi. Fourth generation: Ares, Seth, Lugh, etc.)

"This is important to emphasize, as their fluctuating power makes them more dependent on faith. Power they use to fuel their divine power. Faith, though not dead, has been diminishing with the passage of time, as the current generations have moved into the technological, scientific and digital age. The gods became weaker with the passage of time. Simply put, they are strong, but they are not unbeatable. There are ways to defeat them. Wonder Woman, please continue"

Batman passed the baton of conversation to Wonder Woman. Diana nodded and gravely stepped forward for all assembled to see. Despite dozens staring at her, she never lost focus. She remained serious, with the regal bearing of a warrior princess. At this moment, she looked like a heroic leader, ready to command her troops into battle.

"Now, I'm going to tell you briefly about each god in the archives. Legends say there are many. In each archive come certain stories verified by us Amazons, which you can read. That is not important. I will tell you about their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses that each god possesses and that we now know"

Diana began to briefly recount each ability and domain that the gods possessed. Every divine weapon they wielded. Whether they were good at combat or magic. Whether they were warriors, strategists, or both. And even their weaknesses. Whether they were stronger on sea ground, or in the sky, or on land. EVERYTHING.

Pele, Bishamonten, Bastet, Perun, Lugh, Amaterasu, Susanoo, Olorun, Nüwa, Morrigan, Ishtar, Illapa and Tezcatlipoca. Each one was told in a concise, clear way, easy to understand for every person in the room who was not knowledgeable about the myths these gods held. Finally, she got to Ares, the leader of it all and the one she knew the most.

"Finally, we have Ares" Diana showed the face of a rather handsome blond man. But then she shifted to his divine form. A monstrous, giant form, with black Greek skin and armor. His giant sword accompanying him everywhere.

"My half-brother. Son of Zeus and Hera. Domain: War. This god grows stronger with every battle, fight or conflict that humans, gods, demons, or any creature has. He knew all fighting styles on Earth, and most weapons with absolute mastery, being that giant sword, his main weapon.

Although he is not known for his intelligence like Athena, he is an incredible strategist, the result of years of experience in both long and short wars. He is most dangerous in a fight of attrition, as his power grows stronger with the passage of time of the conflict and the destruction in the fight. The advantage is that he did not inherit my father's lightning power, or else he would be unstoppable.

Ares' main weakness is his temperament. A temper that is known to be very fluctuating. He loses his temper easily. This makes him lose his character as a strategist and fight for no reason. That's when he can be beaten more easily" Diana concluded. Every word she said was accompanied by statistics obtained from Batman.

Average strength. Average speed. Attack power. All measured by OMAC who had made an estimated average with the data collected and compared with the members of the Justice League. Now, they could see quite accurately, for example, that Ares was stronger than Martian Manhunter, but less than Superman. Faster than Aquaman, but less than Flash, and so on.

Batman, with his serious demeanor, unperturbed by any situation, took the baton of the conversation and said.

"Cyborg was kidnapped at the end of our fight in Themyscira without us realizing it. Whoever did it was quick and flawless in his recovery. He had already planned when to strike. We believe he is being held in Valhalla, mythical city of the gods, which, from our information gathered, is said to have a prison below the main castle" Batman began to pass around some sketches of the city, as they had no images for obvious reasons. The images showed drawings of a mythical and gigantic city. A city out of the most beautiful fantasies.

"This is an accurate plan of where such a prison would be. A prison created to house divine beings of great power. We do not know the security mechanisms of said prison, but I am already creating certain general strategies to be able to free Cyborg. We must get him back. That is our priority. There must be no failures. Now, I will answer your questions"

The first to raise her hand was Hawkwoman, who was standing next to her husband. The question she asked was one that everyone present had.

"The information is very complete. It is safe to say that we can now face them in an even, or near even battle, but a question arose in my mind. What do the gods hope to accomplish?" her question was simple, but inside she sought to find the most relevant information. What was their mission. Why they kidnapped Cyborg. What was the ultimate purpose of them.

"From what I gathered, the Motherbox, which is connected to Cyborg, has hidden information for the gods to end their dependence on faith and gain a power from another source. A greater power. The power that the New Gods obtained long ago and why they became so feared in the universe. However, it is thought that this is only a cover for a greater purpose that Ares has. A secret, macabre plan that only he knows about"

"So, what are we going to do? - What's the plan?" asked Green Arrow, finally.

Batman quickly typed in some commands and displayed a plan called: 'Invasion Protocol'. It was a plan that indicated attacking the city of the gods, and retrieving his friend. A plan similar to what the gods did on Themyscira. Distraction and attack.

"I think the best plan is to attack the city of Valhalla, without waiting for them to get stronger and attack Earth with all their might. It is known that they cannot attack Earth because of a divine covenant, but who knows if they have a way to eliminate that law that protects us. It is better to act first and make a coordinated, fast and effective attack to recover our friend"

Batman's plan was simple. With a specific group, that is to say, the most suitable to fight against the gods, they would attack the city and fight with the gods. While another group, a group fit for Cyborg's recovery, would go to rescue him. It sounded easy, but in reality there were many difficulties in such a mission.

Difficulties that Hippolyta, who was listening carefully to everything, could quickly see. Interrupting the Bat, she spoke for all present.

"That is a terrible idea. Valhalla is the city of the gods. That means that if there is one place where they can exert their full strength, it is precisely in that city. Besides, getting there is impossible. It is said that this city is hidden only for the gods. There is no way to get there without a god to help us"

"My queen is right. It is suicide to do that. I think the more strategic mission is to prepare ground defenses until we wait for the gods to move. To wait and bring the battles to a point favorable to us. It pains me to say it, but... your friend has no salvation" Artemis, the beautiful Amazon general contributed, enriching the queen's words. For her, it was safer to prepare, and wait for the gods to move to counterattack. Cyborg was simply lost. His death was certain at the hands of the gods. 

This last brought outrage throughout the Justice League members, who rose up in protest. The angriest was Vixen, who activated her powers and lunged to strike the red-haired Amazon. Her cheetah-like speed was such that the Amazon never expected it.

"How dare you say that, bitch" Vixen hit Artemis hard. Artemis, on the ground, could only throw a kick to push away the beautiful brunette, who looked like a force of nature. It would have escalated if the heroes had not intervened quickly.

Flash, Green Lantern and Aquaman quickly grabbed Vixen and calmed her down. Icon, Hawkman and Nubia did the same with Artemis, who had been very upset by such an attack.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, ARTEMIS. Your words only bring discord in a group that MUST work together. Now, SIT DOWN and keep quiet for the remainder of the meeting!" shouted Hippolyta authoritatively. Artemis, though unwilling, just nodded and said, "Yes, my queen"

Hippolyta turned and bowed her head slightly, "I regret my commander's behavior. We were invited by you and what she did was rude to everyone present. I promise you it will not happen again"

"It's okay" Superman dismissed it with his hand. "You are invited and have the right to speak. I only ask you to watch your words. The kidnapping of our friend is a sensitive subject for everyone" Hippolyta nodded and made Artemis sit down, who looked angry but calmed down anyway.

They all calmed down and sat back down. Although Vixen sat far away from Artemis. She didn't like that bitch one bit. Batman, not forgetting what Hippolyta and Artemis said, continued.

"Your concern is valid, your majesty. And, in fact, we have already begun containment protocol against this threat. If they attack Earth, we will be ready"

Michael Holt, wearing his trademark 'Fair Play' jacket, stood up and said. "Already Earth is in emergency protocol. It's secret, but the governments of the world are preparing to activate the isolation protocol if required. We will evacuate people to bunkers if there is a possible gods invasion"

Batman nodded and continued. "Also, we won't be bringing the entire Justice League. Just a few key members. The others will stay behind to guard the Earth as they always have. Also, I have found a way to counter the divine power (cosmic power). Those of us who go will be reinforced with suits, weapons, and technology fit to fight the gods. We will level the playing field in their house"

Batman showed sketches of custom suits for various members. Suits that would give them a power boost. Example: a suit that would store solar energy for Superman and protect him from kryptonite or the red sun. He also indicated that this suit would be made of new synthetic materials that had been under research for some time. Metals, carbon fibers and so on. 

In short, the heroes would not be defenseless. Yes, it was going to be a difficult mission. But they would be ready. There were even sketches of costumes for Queen Hippolyta and her generals. Batman, quite simply, had thought of everything.

Hippolyta, who had been doubtful before, with this new information shown, now nodded in a sign that she understood Batman's plan. If this was true, then they had a good chance of fighting on equal terms against the gods in Valhalla. Well, there was only one problem...

"So, how would we get to Valhalla?"

"You said it yourself, your majesty. Only the gods can get there. So, we need a god to help us and show us the way..."

The monitor showed the video of a rather large and strong red-haired man. He looked like a lumberjack for the way he was chopping wood from a forest with his axe. But when Hippolyta looked at him, she couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise.

"Him.... Impossible. I thought he was dead..." Hippolyta stood up. She couldn't believe her eyes. This man...he shouldn't still be alive. But there he was, shown alive and well in the eyes of the Amazon queen. Or well, at least that's what the monitor indicated. Batman, not caring about the queen's surprise, continued.

"We are going to ask this person for help. If he helps us, then we will plan the invasion of Valhalla. If he won't help us... then we can only follow Artemis' plan of containment and waiting. But let's hope it doesn't come to that. It's better to attack now that we know they are wounded and NOT expecting our arrival"

Batman turned and saw the man in the video.

"He...he's the key to everything..."

--------------

Yakutsk, Russia, June 21, 14:10, 2017

In a forest in Russia, which was full of snow, as the temperature always remained wintry in this place, a large, strong and sturdy man was chopping with a large axe several pieces of wood.

Less than 100 yards away, a remote cabin was visible, whose smoke from the chimney indicated that it was inhabited. This was this man's home.

The man was simply imposing. His physique was muscular, not like a bodybuilder but like a strongman, who trained to lift cars, trucks and so on. Even the axe he carried, and with which he chopped wood, looked quite large and heavy, but the man carried it with one hand as if it were nothing. He even easily chopped this wood as if it cost him no effort at all.

The man was handsome. His long, shoulder-length hair, combined with his thick, large red-haired beard, gave him a wild, masculine look. He had rather deep blue eyes, like a calm sea before the storm. His clothing was a typical lumberjack outfit. Plaid shirt, jeans and snow boots. 

The man was cutting several tons of wood. When he finished, he tied them with a rope and lifted them as if they were nothing. Despite his enormous size, he still looked small with the exorbitant amount of wood he was carrying. But the man did not flinch, complain or express any discomfort. He simply carried the said tons of wood on his back as if he were lifting a large amount of feathers.

He walked to his home. He left the wood outside his house. He would sell this wood to the nearby town that would use it for furniture or other vast wooden items.

However, when he turned to enter his home, as a tasty soup was waiting for him, he saw a group of about 6 people waiting for him just outside his home.

The group was dressed warmly for the snow. Like any tourist who would be preparing to camp in a forest. But this man knew they were no ordinary people. He could feel it. There were several powerful energies in that group.

"Can I help you?" the man asked in a deep voice, as he approached the group who stared impassively at him. He easily took almost a head off them all.

The group included Diana, Bruce, Clark, Edgar, Hippolyta and Marie (Vixen). As had been said, this man was the key of everything. They were coming to talk to him and convince him to help them get to Valhalla.

"You are Mr. Bjord Odinson, aren't you?" asked Bruce, who was wearing a rather expensive coat. He looked like a businessman coming to buy the whole plot of land from this big man.

"That's right, that's me. If it is about wood, I'm afraid I can't help you. All the timber I've cut already has a buyer and it won't be until next week that I'll be coming to cut more-"

"No, we're not here for the wood, Mr. Odinson. Actually, we're here to ask for your help. Specifically, we need your help because of your divine powers" the large man's eyes widened in surprise, however, he quickly calmed down and became serious. One could even perceive a coldness that did not exist before towards the group due to Batman's words.

"I don't know what you're talking about" the red-haired man wanted to walk in and close the door on them, but before that could happen, Bruce, with a smile, interrupted him. 

"Really, I believe you do, Mr. Odinson... or would you prefer me to call you... Thor"