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Chapter 40 - The Cores of Reality 2: Unnatural Anomalies

(Aquaman POV)

Location the New Earth: Ocean; North Atlantic, Deep Underwater, the City of Atlantis: Royal Coral Gardens

As I swam towards the royal garden, that Mera usually spends her time in peace, as I demanded the handmaidens, which are barely keeping up with my speed, they'd told me that not a bit ago, as Mera was resting in the Coral Gardens, she suddenly stopped moving.

Going completely stiff, before her eyes rolled up the back of her head, and then the shockwave happen...this shocked me, Mera was the cause of that aquatic disturbance!?

Speeding up my swimming, passing through halls of underwater passage, as I head towards my wife and queen.

After swimming passed servents, and guards that upon me, passing them by they started following me as well.

After a bit more, he swam out another passage lite by fish and underwater material, swimming through the exit toward the underwater arch with coral, underwater plants, and much placed beautiful all around the royal gardening ground.

In the center was Mera, floating in the water almost lifeless, if not for some bubbles coming out of her mouth, my Mera...I swam over to my red haired, golden crowned queen.

Her green scaled full-body suit, when i got close to her, I saw her that her eyes closed, before I could say anything to Mera, the moment my gloved hand, brushed against her face.

Mera opened her eyes, glowing brightly green, soo intense the light that I'd have to back away and shield my eyes, as I wasn't the only one that was blinded by whatever power that is surging through Mera, as I managed to sense another disturbance.

Looking above, I saw a humongous whirlpool started to form, but instead of pulling anyone towards it current, I can feel the pressure of water raising, which meant more water was being added to my kingdom, this should be impossible in natural means!!

This force of water pressure, and current was pushing back many of my subjects, the handmaidens frightened, hide behind heavy coral spots, so they wouldn't be sweep away by this force.

Then I noticed Mera, starting to shift and move, floating slowly upward in the water, her long, beautiful bright red hair, flowing and floating on the water, as I noticed the water Bending and twisting around my beloved queen.

As she only said, "I am one with the heart of nature...", before fainting and stopping whatever is happening, she was slowly sinking down, I swam up and gently grasped her in my hands.

The only thought in my mind, "What is happening?", I swam over to Mera's handmaidens, telling them to take her to her chambers, and watch over her, they bowed to me, and gently took Mera from my arms, I need to tell the League about this, but first I must check if anything happened to Atlantis.

(Batman POV) Location Gotham, Wayne Manor: The Batcave

Inside my secret sanctum, a humongous, re-purposed cave system under Wayne Manor, I upgraded it to it's greatest capacity, with all my vehicles, weapons, gadgets, and some old...memories are store, like a giant Joker Card, a giant penny, and even a robotic t-rex, are stored behind me.

I was currently typing away on my Batcomputer, as something has happened to Gotham.

After barely starting to recover from Cyn and her drones, attack on my city, a massive surge of unexplained weather phenomena occurred on Gotham, cleaning the air and ports, as Ollie commented, it was like someone did a favor for Gotham.

Barbara, Damian, Luke Fox, Duke, and Jason investigating thing earlier than me, but those event weren't the end on what happened to Gotham.

If it did, it be a secret blessing for this city, when I left Green Arrow in his Star City, I immediately flew to Gotham, to see a great catastrophe happen.

From Arkham, a massive burst of floral growth burst fort, expanding and growing wildly across the island, tangling and crushing the bridge that connects the small island to the city itself, and spread out through the Ocean that divides those landmasses.

It was obviously the work of Poison Ivy, so I along with Red Hood, along with Red Robin, and Robin that came to visit from Junk City, to resupply some of their gear, and help in investigating and stopping whatever Ivy, was doing.

On that night, as we rushed into the asylum, as Ivy's attack was spreading further into the city, already the roads and bay at the end of the bridge to Arkham, have been badly damaged by these plants.

When we arrived, most of the island was overrun by Ivy's plants, with the main lock-up sector, having the most damage and overgrown, we entered the building, having massive green roots, vines, spore pods, flowers, and grass growing and overtaking everything.

Many cells, halls, and security doors were damaged and destroyed by these plants, as we rescued anyone trapped in this overgrowth, Jason and Tim informed me and Damian that many inmates' cells were broken open, meaning that many of my enemies have escape...amongst those missing Scarecrow, Riddler, Penguin, Two-Face, Clayface, and others.

When we've arrived at Poison Ivy's special containment cell, we found her, still inside a broken glass sealed cell, wrapped in a humongous, green and pulsing root, she was in her usual form, beautiful, green skinned, and red haired, but unconscious, I'd say in a comatosed state.

As we got Ivy out the plant, and checked on her, Ivy's eyes opened glowing bright green, and she'd said to us, "I am one with the heart of nature..." before going unconscious again.

We've transfered her to a new place, to be treated and try to make her revert the damage that she'd cause, regardless if it was purposely or not.

I looked up, at my computer screen, and the display showed that finally the surge of plant growth has stopped, and also showed signs that...the Ocean level has increased by 14%, I stopped typing on the Batcomputer keyboard.

I ponder, what is happening, and how it's connected to Ivy, that's when I've received calls from Aquaman, Nightwing, and Superman popping on my screen.

Seems what's happening to Gotham, is happening allover the world as well, could Mao's warning that the Cores awakening, causing these natural phenomenon?

We must pull our information, and get to the bottom of this quickly, before the Forsaken find Thompson, or the Cores, especially now, pressing a key I'd answered Dick, Arthur, and Clark's calls...

(Superman POV)

Location Antarctica: The Fortress of Solitude, Kryptonian Control Room

Standing in front of the Kryptonian computer, left behind by my late birth father, Jor-El, my fortress of ice and remnants of my birth world.

I'd just ended my briefing with Bruce, who also suffered something similar in his city, same with Arthur and Dick.

With Bruce being Poison Ivy, Arthur his own wife, Mera, and Dick his event was done by his own teammate Terra, all those women had a unconscious burst of power, that affect their own environment, and say the same phrase, "I am one with the heart of nature..."

In my case, it was Livewire, recalling what I'd just discussed with Batman and the others in call from before, floating away from the computer, and heading towards a glass container that kept one of the last alien creatures, that I've rescued from the Preserver.

The ryno like alien, gracing in his biodome, as I thought back on the incident that just happened in Metropolis.

After I'd heard chaos happening in Metropolis, I immediately flew in to deal with whatever is threating the people and city, I didn't need my supervision or hearing to figure out what was the problem.

A giant, out of control, thunderstorm was raging and striking everywhere in the city, only Luthor's tower, was the safest...figures, flying around the city, and saving people in danger of the lightningstrikes, I'd immediately assumed that Leslie was responsible for this, but I'd remembered that Livewire was still locked in Stryker's Island.

So I'd thought this might be a distraction, so she could escape, luckily, Supergirl, and Superboy came to help, allowing me to go to Stryker's Island without worry.

But what happened was something I wasn't expecting, a massive, twisting vortex of light blue and white electricity, was surging out and upwards from the prison, much of the prison was damaged.

I thought at that moment, that I couldn't go check for any escapee, I needed to stop Leslie, before she causes more damage to the city.

Flying down, and smashing through a wall, I found Livewire, and she was still in her cell, which should be designed to isolate her electric power, and keep her contained, but she was floating and twitching in place, in her special prisoner jumpsuit over her light bluish skin, and electric blue hair.

It was clear to me, at that moment that Leslie wasn't conscious, since she'd should have immediately escaped once her cell was destroyed.

She was still there, I had to use some quick makeshift isolation, to stop Livewire constant surge of energy.

Once I did that the storm and lightning, started to lessen over Metropolis, but Leslie was completely unresponsive, except for that phrase that all these women, have said, "I am one with the heart of nature...", I'd moved Livewire to a special facility in Star City, Batman suggested to all of us to send Mera, Poison Ivy, and Terra to the same facility for observation.

While I and the other understood Arthur's, reluctant to part with Mera, he agreed with Bruce at the end, and now all four women are going to Star City, already Green Arrow and Black Canary, promised to watch over them.

Just as I was about to rest, my superhearing caught another dam breaking, another surge of water on a reservoir, ever since these weather anomalies have been happening, I have been dealing with many accident like this.

Blasting out my fortress, the frozen landmass of the Antarctica all around me, before I start flying over the artic waters, heading west to save day again.

(Wolverine POV)

Location Salem, Westchester County; New York, 1407 Graymalkin Lane-X Manor

Man, as I'm drinking my beer in the massive, modern kitchen of the X Manor, things haven't been sunshine and smile around here.

Ever since Bobby's death, the X-men have been doubling down on the Forsaken, Beast and Forge went to help Fury and SHIELD study that black fog, crap around Chicago.

Still trying to save those people, trapped in the sick hands of those Forsaken bastard, I let out a small angry growl...I still, remember clearly what that bastard did to the kid, right in front of us.

He was beyond done, they'd brutalized Bobby, even tearing off his leg, then Mao killed the kid right when he let Bobby go, leaving impaled like a pig.

Taking another swig of my beer, I realized that I've already finished it, groaning I'd got up from my chair, and was about to walk over to the fridge to get another bottle when, I smelt something in the air...something wrong...

A massive blast of wind and rain, came out out nowhere, from everywhere in and out the manor!!

The kids were screaming and panicking, that's when the wind and rain started becoming more wild!!

Then I'd heard inside my head, Charles' voice, "Logan!!" answering back quickly, and demanding any explanation for what's happening, Charles told me, telepathically that Storm started causing this literal storm.

Scott, Jean, Kurt, Rogue, and Kitty, weren't in the manor, Jubilee, and Warren couldn't reach Storm, and Charles told me that his telepathic calls weren't reaching Ororo either.

Meaning only I can find and stop whatever is happening to her, lowering myself behind a counter, I sprout my adamantium claws, stabbing them into the floor.

Using them to move towards Storm, and fight against the winds that were becoming more and more violent inside the manor, as I'd crawled my way to one of the rooms, under Charles guide.

I saw Jubilee in her long, yellow long-sleeved jacked, her spiky short dark hair, blowing in the wind as she was desperately trying to shield some of the kids, I yelled out to her, "to get into another room", she'd nodded to me and tried to fight against the wind.

I continue crawling throughout the floor, using all my strength to pull myself with my claws, it took some effort but I found the room that Ororo was in.

Straining against the wind, and rain being made around Storm, her white spiky hair flowing wildly in the air, her light clay colored sweater, and beige pants soaked completely, as she floated almost lifeless in the middle of the room.

After finally managing to reach Storm, I've yelled out at her, but quickly realized that Ororo, she isn't responsive, I pulled out one of my claws, and stab forward.

Entering the burgundy and black themed break room, I continue to crawl, until I was just reaching Storm's leg, I used all my strength to reach out and pull her down, barely managing to bring her to the soaked rugged floor.

I'd even accidentally slammed her hard onto the floor, I'll apologize later, immediately when I've started checking on her, reaching for her face, she'd opened her eyes.

Completely silver like whenever, she uses her powers, but they'd didn't have the spark that they usually have, as she'd said to me "I am one with the heart of nature...", before fainting...what the Hell just happened!!?

While the storm literal died inside the manor, it was still raging from outside, as I look out the window, the sky still dark, with howling wind and roaring rain.

Charles, called me asking me telepathically "What happened?" & "Is Ororo alright?", getting up from the floor, soaked to the brim, I bent down and picked up, Storm, mentally telling the Professor to call Hank and Jean back, they'd needed to check on Storm, pronto!!

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