Young Justice: Solstice

Seven

Lizard=happy because IF THIS THING WERE A MOVIE IT WOULD PASS THE BECHEDEL TEST BAM POW WHAT.

Two weeks later I was out of the hospital, and my family and Cassie's were slowly making our way back to the states. However, we had to make a pit stop in England to attend the opening of a gallery for one of Doctor Sandsmark's findings in Turkey. I understood from Cassie's fangirlish excitement that Wonder Woman would be in attendance as well.

Cassie and I trained whenever we could get away from the prying eyes of adults. In the airport parking lot during a layover, in the back of gas station rest stops, and on the roof of the hotel.

After multiple tries where I did not burst out in frustration, Cassie and I determined that my light was to intense and too free to turn into constructs, like a Green Lantern's ring. Instead I used my light like, as Cassie put it, "Artemis and Red Arrow's arrows!" I controlled light well enough to "throw" it or shoot it at a target. I could also use it to pick up Cassie and wrap it around ourselves like a warm and fuzzy blanket, and I could also use it to fly.

Though she didn't quite understand light, Cassie knew how to fly, and she was amazing at it. She taught me how to keep my body straight, how to steer, and how to use wind and breezes to my advantage. 

We gusted in the window of our hotel room with five minutes to get ready for the gallery opening.

"You know, Cass, we've done a lot of fun things together, but I think the most fun I've ever had with you is when we're flying." I told her, slipping a shawl on over my yellow tunic shirt.

"Wait until we start superheroing!" Cassie pulled her hair into a partial ponytail to keep it out of her face, and wore a backpack over her cardigan.

"Girls, are you ready? The taxi's here!" Mom knocked on the door. She and dad had the room on the left, and Doctor Sandsmark got a room to herself on the right of our room.

"Ready mom!" I threw the door open.

"Oh, Kira, you should really do something with your hair!" Mom lamented, staring down a split end.

"Ponytails are giving me a headache," I told her. "Honestly mom, I'm fine."

"Don't worry, Rani. Kiran will be the most beautiful girl at the gallery, if not in London," Dad assured mom, putting an hand on her shoulder.

Doctor Sandsmark met us at the taxi, pacing back and forth while she waited for us.

"Don't worry, mom. You've been practicing this speech ten times a day for the past week. You're gonna do great!" Cassie assured her

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Cassie and I mingled around the gallery, walking arm-in-arm around the items on display and the patrons alike while nibbling on treats from the buffet. Mom and Dad talked with their archaeologist friends, like Doctor Jones and Mr. Brody, while Cassie's mom and her partners on this project spoke with reporters about their finds and what it meant to history.

One erstwhile reporter shoved his microphone in her face as she tried to answer question after question. "Is it true that Wonder Woman will be making an appearance to comment on the statues you found?"

The answer to his question was drowned out in the din of the crowd as they surged towards the museum's front door.

"Diana!" Cassie squealed.

"Who?"

"Wonder Woman! That's her real name!" Cassie explained. She draged me past her mother, who was relieved to be out of the spotlight, which had been thrust upon the Woman of Wonder.

The museum director made his way through the crowd to Wonder Woman, who smiled broadly, shaking hands with and waving at everyone. He led her to the lecture hall, and everyone followed. Cassie had to go sit up front with Wonder Woman and her mother, to give emotional support. Mom, Dad, and I were in the very front row.

The museum director spoke first, a cheesily officious man who thanked Doctor Sandsmark and her team over and over for their dedicated work, and Wonder Woman for her contribution and how lucky they were to have two such amazing woman with us today. Everyone applauded, and Doctor Sandsmark stepped up to the podium with her notecards to give her speech on the history of the dig.

"The Gigantes are earthen creatures from Ancient Greek mythology, who were frozen into stone statues upon their defeat at the hands of the Olympian gods. Though these are statue replicas of the monsters, probably left in the temple of one of the Olympians as a tribute to the victory." Doctor Sandsmark explained. "They were discovered in a series of caves on the coast of Turkey, which is where the city of Troy would have stood had it survived to modern times."

After her ten minute speech was finished and several questions had been finished, everyone applauded again, but the room went quiet and still as Wonder Woman took her place.

"Long ago, centuries before I was born, before my mother, Hippolyta, was crowned Queen of the Amazons, the Earth Mother Gaea was restless. Her husband, Uranos, had wrongfully imprisoned her children the Cyclops, and their siblings the twelve Titans, had continued this imprisonment after overthrowing their father. Finally, the Titans were overthrown by their children, the Olympians, Great Zeus, his brothers, and their three sisters.

"However, while the Cyclops were freed, the Titans were imprisoned in their place. Gaea loved all her children and would not let any of them be imprisoned, for whatever reason.

"Gaea sent trails upon her grandchildren in their throne on Mount Olympus. Threats of an end to Zeus's reign, Typhon, the mother of monsters, and the Gigantes, the Earth-Born.

"The Olympians proved themselves time and time again, and eventually they destroyed the mountain the Gigantes had created to rival Olympus. Upon their defeat, the generals of the Gigantes were turned to stone, like the ones you see here." Wonder Woman gestured to the blocky statues sprinkled throughout the hall.

"Smaller, less powerful Earth-Born were set to roam free, as trials for future demigods and heroes of Olympus. When my mother was a child, they attempted one more coup. The lesser Gigantes banded together, and fell at the hands of the Amazon army, aided by the power of the gods."

Wonder Woman shut her book, an ancient, leathery thing cover in Grecian letters.

"On that day, the last of the Gigantes were vanquished."

"Not all of them!" Screeched a high-pitched, nasally voice. Everyone spun around to find the source of the voice. It came from the ceiling, where a lanky young man sat cross-legged, floating in midair with an orange tabby cat wrapped around the shoulders of his prime suit.

"Klarion," Wonder Woman growled. The mischievous-looking guest cackled, and his kitty meowed.

On the stage, Cassie leaped to her feet, ready to aid her mentor, and everyone ran for the doors to get out of the way of the powerhouse fight.

It wasn't much of a fight, however. This "Klarion" zapped Wonder Woman with two electric red bolts of lightning. While she moved to block one with her silver cuffs, the other bolt took her out. 

With Wonder Woman out of the way, Klarion gathered red magic mana in his hands, glowing with a red aura that soon enveloped the Gigantes statues. Slowly, by by bit, they began to move. Coming to life with deep, groaning voices, and a dark look in their hollow eyes.

"Go, I'm right behind you!" I told my parents. Cassie was pushing her mom towards the door. She looked at me and nodded. I gulped.

It was hero time.