Almost made the mistake of posting about wanting cereal but how ingesting milk rn would probably fuck me over, and in a rare moment of clarity realized this would only invite a host of well-meaning but annoying people to suggest dairy milk alternatives that either a) will kill me upon ingestion and I do mean that quite literally or b) require a trip to the grocery store which isn’t happening because it’s midnight or c) suggest water on my cornflakes and by all means, you do you, but absolutely not for me, thanks.
And then there’d be the bonus points people who’d get angry over dairy milk as a concept, but also the other people angry over the ecological ramifications of dairy milk alternatives.
So anyway, I saved us all some annoying bullshit and threw a frozen gluten free waffle in the oven 👍
i just noticed that hudson unbuttoned his fucking fly for whatever reason he had in mind while recreating the book's cover with connor WHAT A CERTIFIED FREAK
Late afternoon of the appointed day, the tension in the Watchtower’s largest conference room was thick enough to cut with a butterknife. By 6:30 PM, the core members available were all there; Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and a dozen associates, flipping through thick packets in a paper-shuffling chorus as they followed along the debrief presentation.
By 6:55 PM, the room had fallen into a disciplined silence. Every chair was filled, eyes alternating between the heavy blast doors and the digital clock on the wall. They were waiting for the Ambassador to arrive, the only missing critical member of the conversation to be had.
The clock ticked, the hour slot blinking forward on the clockface. 7:00 PM.
The doors remained shut. The hallway stayed empty.
"Did anyone actually inform them where we would be meeting?" Green Lantern asked, leaning back and scanning the table with a quizzical expression. "Or did we just assume they’d know where to go?"
Several of the Gotham crew opened their mouths to provide a rundown of the previous correspondence, and Cyborg started to check the transporter logs, but the air was suddenly ripped apart by a shrill noise over the intercom.
"Code: 304 - Abnormal energy readings at level seven, maintenance hall."
Predictably, Flash was the first to move, a blur of crimson vanishing before the automated message even finished. Several others followed in a surge of capes and focused urgency. The elevator felt agonizingly slow, though it shot them down to the engineering and storage decks at record speed.
Having taken the stairway, Flash was pacing a perimeter before the doors hissed open. Superman touched down a second later, his cape fluttering behind him as he transitioned from flight to a heavy, grounded stance.
It took another minute for the rest of the group to bridge the gap. Batman stepped out of the well-lit lift first, his eyes already narrowed behind his cowl, followed by Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, who settled into basic defensive poses.
They found the source of the disturbance in the center of the main corridor. A coinciding, threatening event was somewhat expected by the more paranoid of the group. However, this was not the case. It wasn't a breach or a bomb; it was a neon green line suspended, perfectly vertical and touching neither floor, wall, nor ceiling.
"Is this... expected?" Superman asked, his voice inquisitive.
"Somewhat," Batman replied, moving to the side for better visualization. "The color matches multiple descriptions of previous encounters.”
As they watched, the line began to move. It didn't crack, shatter, or stretch. Instead, it seemed to widen, the edges pulling back with a fluid, rhythmic grace, not unlike someone gently pulling aside a shower curtain to reveal what lay behind the veil.
The neon green rift glowed brighter in a momentary pulse, a rhythmic throb of energy that heralded the arrival. From the opaque glow, an amorphous mass of unidentifiable color poured into the air of the industrial corridor. It whipped and swirled like a storm cloud trapped in a bottle, frantically condensing as gravity and reality began to take hold.
The first limb to take shape was a foot. It looked almost human, toes and heel defined, yet the arch was encased in a stark white, stirrup-style shoe. As the form solidified upward, the entity’s attire bled into existence. What followed was a black, cinched pant leg, baggy and slightly sheer, featuring a sharp slit down the side that revealed a textured, white, skin-tight underlayer.
A hand emerged, its skin so pale it appeared translucent by human standards. A white wrist guard, matching the material of the shoes, bunched the poofy sleeve of a ruffled, black blouse. A white corset belt snapped into place, snatching the entity's waist and giving the swirling mass a definitive, elegant frame.
As the figure grew more distinct, a sheer shawl draped over one side, fastened by a delicate white pin at one shoulder. The fabric was a living map; galaxy patterns swirled across the material, shifting and breathing with every movement the entity made.
Finally, the head materialized. Wispy, glowing white hair streaked with various undercolors floated as if underwater, topped by a simple, shimmering, silver headdress that caught the Watchtower’s fluorescent lights. With the form complete, the League found themselves staring at a face that was both ethereal and uncanny.
Sharp teeth were pulled back into a placating, wide grin. Pointed ears, adorned with dangling star earrings, twitched with curiosity. But it was the eyes that held the group frozen: vibrant green irises set against bottomless black sclera, watching the heroes with a gaze that somehow felt ancient.
The individual drifted downward, the green portal snapping shut behind them with a sharp pop of displaced air. Their feet finally touched the cold metal floor. Many of the group remained tense, but Wonder Woman broke the stalemate. She stepped forward with the grace of a diplomat, her hand extended in a gesture of peace.
"Greetings," Diana said, her voice steady and resonant. She met the entity’s gaze with a respectful nod. "You are the Infinite Realms' ambassador, correct?"
The individual’s smile widened, revealing those rows of sharp, polished teeth. "Yes, I am," he confirmed, his voice carrying a slight, melodic echo as he shook Wonder Woman’s hand. "You may call me Phantom. And what is your name?"
"My name is Diana," she replied, her tone warm but professional. "I go by Wonder Woman. I am a princess of Themyscira."
Phantom’s expression brightened as they began walking toward the rest of the group. "Oh, Pandora has mentioned you! She is quite proud of your work."
"Really?" Diana asked, her eyebrows lifting in intrigue.
Phantom offered a non-committal hum of agreement. As he moved closer, the group's more observant members noticed more about his appearance. For fleeting fractions of a second, the Ambassador’s flesh seemed to thin, and a neon green, translucent skeleton superimposed itself over his physical form, flickering like a dying holographic projection before fading back to his more solid appearance.
"We are glad to have you," Hal Jordan stepped in, surreptitiously elbowing Flash in the ribs to get him to stop staring. "I am a Green Lantern. I’ve been involved in a number of successful intergalactic negotiations. If you need a rundown on protocol, I'm your man."
"Really?" Phantom turned toward Hal with an eager, almost youthful energy. "That would be a great help. I appreciate a source of expertise. This is all a bit more official than I am used to."
The elevator doors hissed open, and the group stepped inside, the transition from the open hallway to the confined lift highlighting the Ambassador’s strange, shifting presence. As the lift began its ascent, Diana looked over at the ethereal figure. "I assumed with such a title that you would have a wealth of experience in these matters," she questioned gently.
Phantom let out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle, shuffling further into the corner to make room for the others. "You would think that. Actually, my position as Ambassador is quite new."
He leaned back against the brushed-metal wall of the elevator, his shawl shifting to cover his front.
"The Infinite Realms haven't had a centralized form of government until now, as far as I know, anyway," Phantom explained. "There are regions with their own laws and individual 'haunts' scattered throughout the space. The Realms exist naturally in a form of chaos, and that’s reflected in the communities there."
Flash, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, blurted out, "How did you end up as the guy in charge of talking to us, then?" The speedster immediately received a dual glare, one sharp from Batman and the other a warning scowl from Hal, for his lack of diplomatic tact.
Phantom didn't seem to mind. He just shrugged, his earrings jingling softly. "I have a good relationship with a lot of influential people within the Realms, and I have more recent experience with this human realm in particular. To be honest, I actually spend more time here than I do there."
He looked around at the assembled heroes, his green eyes glowing with a serious intensity. "Situations like mine are a large part of why these negotiations are so important. The council knew I would fight for a good deal because I know exactly what's at stake on both sides."
