《I Reap Souls In DC ( Bleach x DC fanfic)》


 Hell Beckons

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The cold was barely noticeable. I inched in through the backdoor as the breeze ruffled my clothes once more. I looked behind me to make sure I wasn''t being followed. They weren''t expecting me to come but I couldn''t be too sure. They knew I was dangerous and I had a reputation for not letting shit slide and this...this was...

    "Fuck."

    I muttered, leaning on a post and letting the weight of emotion push me to the ground. My eyes burned with unshed tears. This, this was too much man.

    "You need to get up."

    I slapped myself on the cheek, psyching myself up for what needed to be done. My knees gave out and I stretched out my legs, looking up and allowing the tears to fall.

    "Real men don''t cry. They blame it on onions or the Lakers winning."

    I chuckled, remembering what Nick always said whenever he got too sappy from rewatching Friends. I swear, never met a niggah that...

    There was a ruffle from over the fence as I heard Max begun to bark before going silent. I immediately stiffened when torch light started shining through the small chain link fence.

    "There''s nothing there man, Max is tripping as usual."

    Marc''s voice was easily identifiable.

    "Yo Dre, check your dog before I put a bullet through the one eyed freak."

    There was a scuffle before I heard the solid thump of a fist landing on a body.

    "Don''t call him a freak!"

    Andre yelled back.

    "Hey! Hey! Stop this shit right now before Papa hears you two fuckwits."

    Serena, Andre''s sister and our ''girl''s manager'' said. She was and wasn''t a pimp. She liked to call herself a ''proprietor of pussy''. Shit used to make me laugh before I went in and did time. We even used to have a little something going on in the past.

    Now...all I could feel was hatred for Papa Fred and his kind.

    The torch disappeared and I heard them all enter the house. Tensions were high right now but it didn''t seem as if they knew that I had survived. That I had gotten out of the apartment alive. That I only had a bullet on my shoulder but was relatively okay. That I was okay only because Nick shielded me with his body.

    I wrapped my fingers around my trusty Colt 1911 and removed it from my pocket, only slightly wincing at the pain in my shoulder. The blood was leaking from the hasty glued wound and I could still feel the bullet inside my flesh in the middle of the arm and chest.

    I breathed heavily, studying the gun in my hand under the waning light of the moon. Then I grabbed it and placed it right next to my temple, clenching my jaw. I could do it here...right now. I could end it all.

    A shot to the head and a release from this life. It would be so easy. I wasn''t afraid of death. What I was afraid of, was living. Living without the most important person in my life. Bitches came and left, Nick always stuck by me. I was content to hustle for money the dirty way. Hitting up liquor stores with Dre and Marc before Papa Fred decided we were ready for the real shit.

    Nick never abandoned me. Even when I pushed him away.

    Fuck. All those memories reminded me of why I couldn''t pull the trigger. In many ways, Papa and the Gang had been a family but Nick, Nick had been real. Nick had been the brother I never deserved. And after taking a fall for Dre over allegations about an attempted Manslaughter, he had finally convinced me to get out.

    And I had agreed. I got out and my so called family tried to off me. It wasn''t anything personal either. Once you''re in this life, getting out wasn''t easy. But...they made it personal when they took out my best friend.

    That''s why I couldn''t let shit go. No. Most of the gang were not around. I had made sure of that. I knew how to stall them. They were over at 6th street owing to a call about our rival gang being spotted around our turf. But the ring leaders, the ones who mattered were around.

    I got to my feet and cocked the gun, slowly releasing it. You would be surprised at how much noise the cocking handle makes. I stretched my neck, swallowing the grunt of pain at the agony on my shoulder. Slowly unlatching the hatch holding the backyard door closed, I snuck in. I knew this place like the back of my hand.

    Max was on me in a second.

    "Shh boy...go get it." I threw the piece of meat out into the street and watched the hound run after the tasty treat. He trusted me and would be knocked out for about 10 minutes. Somehow that felt worse than what I was planning.

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    I secured the hatch and slowly walked towards the house. The stair boards creaked when I stepped on them, before I finally reached the door step. The buzzer did not work.

    Papa Fred usually made about 50k a week but he still chose to live frugally. Most of our...sorry. Most of the gang''s money was spent on the corrupt cops on his payroll. I also made sure to send a little gift to some high profile news channel about just how dirty the arm of the law was. By trying to kill me, Papa had caused what he was trying to avoid.

    I knocked on the door two times without a response. Andre and Marc were probably high already and lazing around on the couch while...I looked at my watch. Yup, Papa was probably watching game highlights as was his daily routine. Which meant...I felt someone make their way to the door while complaining.

    "I know y''all can hear me Andre. You better not show your fucking..."

    Serena''s words cut off once she opened the door and found a gun pointing towards her forehead. Then she looked at the person holding the gun. My cold dead eyes stared back unflinchingly.

    Serena''s breath hitched. Guilt and fear warred inside her eyes.

    "Davi...?"

    I pulled the trigger and blew her brains out. The shot rang out through the house and I had scrambling feet.

    "Serena!"

    Papa Fred''s voice was usually deep and menacing but today it sounded panicked and rushed.

    I raised a hand and waited. The next person to come running towards the door was Marc. See, I''ve never really liked Marc. And Marc knew it. The second he saw me, he said,

    "Shit."

    And tried to roll away.

    A scream of gut wrenching, ball bursting pain escaped him because, well...I had shot his balls off.

    "Marc!"

    Andre showed up just as Max begun to bark once more outside the fence.

    Andre saw Marc bleeding out on the floor and his sister dead under my feet and scrambled for his gun in anger, uncaring that I had one pointed at his face. Andre was a bit of an idiot.

    A large hand grabbed him and pulled him over the corner. Another shot rang out as my bullet managed to graze his shoulder and his cries of pain begun.

    "Papa...Papa its Davi! Davian is alive!"

    I could clearly hear the distress in his voice. ''Yes, you ugrateful prick, I''m alive.''

    "Davian! Impossible!"

    Papa Fred''s voice came out of the corner.

    "Fred what..."

    Serena''s mom, Missus M and Serena''s younger sister appeared from another room.

    "Martha! Get out of here now!"

    Papa was quick to say and Martha obliged with a scared look on her face. I had a clear shot of her back. All I had to do was pull the trigger and I could cause Papa the same pain of losing family that he had put me through.

    I breathed out and let them run through the front door. I was a monster but only to those who crossed me.

    "I''m disappointed Papa. You used to tell us you were in the Marines yet... you''re huddling behind the kitchen counter like a little bitch."

    I taunted, digging my hand inside my pockets and bringing out the little surprise I had brought with me.

    "You''re a dead man Davi! I will make you scream you little shit. I''ll fuck you up like I fucked your whore mother! I''ll shove a broken piece of bottle up your ass and cut off your dick and balls you fuckturd!"

    I tsked.

    "So many profanities. Where is the refined businessman who wears the hide of a crook? Oh my bad, guess it''s the other way huh?"

    "Please Davi! Don''t kill..."

    Andre started to say before I heard a resounding slap.

    "Shut the fuck up you useless piece of shit!"

    I stepped over Serena''s cooling corpse and arrived next to Marc who was trembling and lying on a pool of his own shit and blood. I put a bullet through his brains in disgust. His body slumped on to the ground. Max had suspiciously gone silent, I didn''t hear any barking on the outside. The tasty treat had been laced with a knockout drug.

    I stepped over Marc''s dead body.

    "So I''ve been thinking, Pops. I never really got to tender my resignation. I''m thinking of trying out a new career path. Subway''s hiring and although I hear the pay ain''t that good, it''s honest work."

    The door to the bathroom was now next to me. I knew Papa Fred. Fucker had a lot of patience. Too bad today it wasn''t going to save him. I pulled the pins off the grenades I had been carrying then begun to count to 5 seconds.

    At 3, I threw them towards the Kitchen before entering the Bathroom and jumping into the bathtub.

    "Fuu!!"

    I heard his voice as he realized my little surprise. The the curse was replaced by a loud boom that messed with my ears, left them ringing as I struggled to even breath.

    Dust covered the entire room and a chunk of the door was missing. I stumbled past the debris and made my way to the Kitchen, gun at the ready.

    What I saw was nothing but burnt body parts that smelled like badly cooked meat. I couldn''t even distinguish who was who.I bent down and saw a piece of an eye. It was blackened but I thought the eye was staring at me in anger and bitterness.

    I spit on his remains as I felt the anger and hate in me abate a little. Just a little mind you. I was still mad and I wanted to make them all pay.

    The back door was slammed open as the rest of my former gang walked in with guns. The pin from the third grenade dropped onto the floor as I turned around.

    "Hey boys, what took your asses so long?"

    ::---------------------------------------::

    As I lay there, feeling the cold metal of the bullets inside my upper body and the burn in the wounds left by a missing leg, arm and a huge chunk of my left chest, I couldn''t help but think about all the mistakes I had made. The crime life was all I had known and now it was poetically the thing that led to my downfall.

    The pain was unbearable, however I couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. My best friend was gone and the gang I had once called my family was now nothing but a distant memory. I had carried out my vow to avenge him and now it was time for me to pay the price.

    Darkness begun to take over, clouding my vision completely until I saw nothing...felt nothing. I let go of life. My soul detached from my body. It was all so light. Light and heavy at the same time. Then I begun to see something once more. A red hole that occupied center stage in the darkness. A darkness I wasn''t sure I was alone in.

    The red portal beckoned me and I knew that my fate was sealed. It was an instinctual feeling. I was headed straight to hell, but I accepted it with grim determination. The crimes I had committed, the lives I had ruined, the pain I had caused - all of it weighed heavily on my conscience.

    But even as I spread out my hands (if I had any) and allowed the pull, I couldn''t help but feel a twinge of regret. Perhaps if I had made different choices, if I had sought redemption earlier, things could have ended differently. My background was a contributing factor but it shouldn''t have been an excuse. But it was too late now. The only thing left for me was to face my punishment with as much dignity as I could muster.

    And so, I took my last breath and passed through the portal, ready for whatever lay ahead. Hell may have been my destination, but it was also my penance for a life of crime.

 Fuck, Im In DC

    (General P.O.V)

    "You got the Disruptor?"

    Queen asked Jack as she fastened her hair into a pony tail.

    Jack gave a nod in confirmation, patting the briefcase on the work table before him. He opened the case and a blue light washed out. The rest of the team who were busy wearing their costumes turned to look at him. They gathered around the table to discuss the final details of the plan.

    "Yeah but I don''t get it Queenie. We could have used something less expensive. This thing practically blew through half of our savings."

    Jack replied, grabbing the small ball on the case and turning it around his hand.

    The Queen walked over and closed the case with a loud snap.

    "Your run of the mill Jammer would not work on Waller''s convoys." Queen answered grabbing the device from Jack''s hand.

    "This little baby is as rare as they come. The "Jammer-X", a device that emits a powerful burst of electromagnetic radiation, effectively disrupting any communication and radio signals within a 500-meter radius."

    Ten whistled.

    "Additionally, it has a secondary function to release an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which can instantly shut off any nearby electric devices, including smartphones, computers, and even vehicles. Can you guess what we''re aiming for?"

    She smiled.

    "The Power Dampening cells and collars."

    Jack muttered in realization.

    Queen patted his back.

    "Exactly. Our job is shut down the comms and power dampeners, allowing King and the other convicts to use their powers. He will know what to do from there."

    Jack and the others nodded.

    "Any more questions?"

    Queen asked.

    Ten, a dark skinned man who was the heavy hitter, raised a hand

    "Just one, boss lady. Are you sure we should hit them 1 click away from Belle Reve? Wouldn''t it be safer if we did it before they neared the prison?"

    Queen nodded,

    "You''re not wrong. However, the League has a system for this. Batman is usually on standby, ready to jump in, in case of any interruptions mid-transit."

    She explained then pointed at the map on the table that the briefcase was on.

    "Then we have the Flash who trails after the transport truck up to 3 kilometers away from the prison."she added.

    "Why not protect it until it arrives?"

    Ten questioned with a frown.

    "The Warden, Amanda Waller. She hates anything to do with heroes or Metahumans." Queen told them as she pulled up the picture of a stern looking black woman on the screen of the computer.

    "They stay out of her way and she does the same. Kinda."

    Ten nodded in understanding.

    "Remember the plan." Queen straightened up, looking bat her teammates. Her gaze landed on the timid looking silent girl on Jack''s left.

    "Ace, you will distract the Bat and keep his attention away from our plans while the rest of us go and bring Daddy home."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Fear has a way of breaking the toughest of men.

    I had lived my whole existence in fear but never once did I let it break me. Instead I had honed it into a sharp blade that made me hit harder, run faster and take blows meant to keep me down only to stumble back up. Fear had been a friend. And scars had been the mark of that friendship.

    But it was only then that I understood whatever passed for fear back in the living world was nothing compared to the dread and terror of seeing that which you were not supposed to see. My pitiful existence was placed before the eyes of abominations and I was found lacking. The edge to total mind failure had never seemed so close.

    As I approached the Red Portal, the fear of the unknown creeping up on me only seemed to increase. Despite my tough exterior, I couldn''t help but feel small and powerless in the presence of these mysterious beings.

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    I could hear them, in the darkness. Whisper and reach out. Their hungry limbs of eldritch forms trying to grab me only to corrode and bounce off before an even stronger force. The red Portal, it protected me. At least so it could devour me itself.

    I realized that no matter how strong I thought I was, I was still just a human, weak and vulnerable. Helpless to do anything. Helpless like I was when Nick died.

    I let the hate and anger cloud the fear, changing it into an easier emotion, defiance. I found myself shouting into the darkness, cursing them out. For a second I felt their surprise. A mortal defying a higher power. I refused to bow my head and cower, I was determined to fight against it despite the futility. It had always been me vs everything. Even in death, that did not seem to change.

    I would pay for my sins yes, but I would pay for them my own way. Unbowed. No begging or pleading.

    As the Red Portal doubled in size, transforming into huge double doors that seemed to radiate intimidation, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of dread despite the anger that burned within me. My emotions were just a jumble of fear, despair, anger and hate.

    The doors were adorned with skeletons and blood flowed from the cracks, hell''s own version of a welcoming party. Ghostly gnarled arms reached out towards me, and a voice, unintelligible, begun to whisper in excitement. The sound made my soul shiver in apprehension.

    I found myself wishing for divine intervention.

    And for the first time in my life... something answered.

    Just as I was about to be touched by the ghostly arms, there was a sudden explosion of white energy. It quickly filled the void of darkness.

    I felt the abominations in the void hiss and cry out at the intrusion of power. A power that felt so majestic, I was awed by its splendor.

    The doors to hell broke apart like a shattering mirror and the light swallowed my soul, stealing me away. I knew without a doubt that what had happened was highly irregular. Something had stolen a sinner from hell. Something powerful and incredible.

    Feeling returned to me with a sudden jolt. I took a few deep breaths while gripping the dirt under me like a lifeline. My chest inflated with air and I let it out in fast exhales, trying to calm myself down. After a few minutes of this, I finally decided to see where I was.

    I found myself lying on the wet ground before a gravestone that read, "James Gordon."

    Somehow the name sounded very familiar. But apart from that, the location was a strange cemetery I had never seen before. It had a few sparse trees growing in the midst of hundreds of gravestones around the hilly landscape. Further than that was a grey mist that obscured everything.

    An owl hooted from afar and the light from the half moon above illuminated the surroundings enough that I could read the names on the gravestones.

    Back to the name. I rubbed away the grass and dust covering it''s text.

    "Beloved husband, father and friend."

    "1961-2009."

    I frowned in confusion. It was 2023. Despite the grave stone being covered by dust and overgrown grass, it looked fairly new. Not a decade old. This wasn''t something I could solve, so I decided to pay attention to something more immediate, my well-being.

    I got to my feet and patted myself down to make sure everything was right where it was supposed to be. Two hands, two legs, normal face...I breathed out a sigh of relief, sitting on the grave stone and taking a few more calming breaths.

    "I''m back...how?"

    I wondered, running a palm down my face. Could it have been God? I mean...why though? I was a murderer. I shook my head. The how did not matter. All that mattered was that I was alive. And all I needed to do now was keep it that way. I wasn''t ready to go back there. I wasn''t ready to even think about what had led me there.

    I sighed and got up, dusting off my clothes...

    Wait, why was I dressed in an orange uniform? And now that I mentioned it, I could feel something bulky on my neck. A collar of some kind. Trying to pull it out or look for the locking mechanism proved futile.

    What the??

    "Shit!"

    I cursed out, panicking a little while trying to look for anything that could help me get the collar off. I was not okay with whatever was going on. Was this some sort of weird sex thing whoever had brought me back wanted me to participate in? I was starting to think maybe hell wasn''t too bad.

    My eyes landed on a piece of rock and I grabbed it. The rock was jagged and sharp. I aimed the edge of it on the metal collar, counting down to three before slamming it down onto it. Hard.

    Clang!!

    There was a jolt of electric energy and I felt my entire body seize up in pain. It was sudden and acute. I fell to the ground in a fetal position and opened my mouth in a wordless scream. The pain...the pain was so great.

    It went on for a few more minutes before finally ending. I slumped back onto something hard as the after-effects caused by my the electric shock to my system ceased. With my body not coiled up in agony, I noticed my location had changed once more. I was now in a small cube shaped room with blue lights outfitted along the walls.

    I ran a palm along the walls to make sure I wasn''t hallucinating. First, I had escaped hell, then ironically I had found myself in a graveyard and now I was in a cell of some sort. I also caught the tail end of laughter coming from the walls of my cell.

    "Quiet You maggots!"

    A commanding voice shouted and it was only then I noticed the guards. Beyond the bars to my cell were 3 guards sat on a table with playing cards on top. I scrambled to my feet and ran over to the bars of the cell. Upon placing my palms on them, the same electric shock washed down from my neck throwing me down to the floor in painful jerks.

    The laugher came back full force.

    "Hahahaha."

    An ugly laugh sounded out from next cell to my left. Like how you would expect a snake to sound when laughing.

    "Stay away from the bars, kid."

    Another voice stated from further down on another cell.

    ''Kid?'' I was 26 years old.

    The pain finally ended without me pissing my pants. I placed a palm under me and tried to get up. My hand landed on something sticky, vomit. Nothing I hadn''t seen before.

    "Hey, neighbor! You alright in there?"

    This voice was female and came from the right.

    "I said everybody shut up! Don''t make me use the collar on you too. That goes double for you Clown."

    One of the guards from before warned, getting up from the table. I felt his steps come my way and turned around to face him. The guard pointed his club at me from outside the cell, a stern look on his face. He was middle aged and huge with brown teeth.

    "Keep your hands away from the bars and the collar. We''ll get it off once we reach your new home."

    "New home?"

    I muttered in confusion. The guard blinked, staring at me, unamused.

    "Belle Reve."

    He answered then left.

    "Belle Reve?"

    Why did that name sound so familiar?

    "I think ya fried his brains out Chief."

    An annoyingly high pitched voice with a brooklyn tinged accent spoke up. I recognized it as the one from before.

    "I warned you Quinn."

    The guard said, pressing a button on a device strapped to his hips. There was the sound of electricity zapping someone, followed by deranged giggles that came from my cell neighbor.

    And like bolt of Lightning, I immediately realized where I was and where I was headed.

    The clues came from the three distinct names.

    James Gordon.

    Belle Reve.

    Quin.

    Fuck. I''m in DC.

 Interception

    Chapter 3 Interception

    (General P.O.V)

    "Strange, update me on the progress of our prisoners," Amanda Waller barked as she strode into the Task Force X military operating office.

    It was a sprawling space designed for maximum efficiency and productivity. The walls were lined with state-of-the-art technology, from high-definition screens displaying real-time maps of locations of interest to the United States Government, to advanced communications systems connecting soldiers in the field with commanders back at headquarters. Though Waller''s brand of ''Soldiers'' were not usually the patriotic type or even the type to play nice with the authorities.

    The centerpiece of the room was a massive, curved display that spanned an entire wall. The display showed a 3D representation of Belle Reve, complete with surveillance feed of each cell block, individual inmate''s cell, levels and real-time weather data.

    Surrounding the display were rows of sleek, ergonomic workstations, each outfitted with multiple monitors and a suite of powerful software tools. From here, analysts and prison guards could pore over the camera feeds to monitor any unusual activity and prevent riots or escape attempts. Their duties also included, developing operational plans for when Task Force X was deployed on the field and tracking the movements of enemy forces in real time.

    In one corner of the room, a secure communications hub hummed with activity. Here, operators could tap into satellites, intercept enemy transmissions, and coordinate with military units around the world.

    And The person sitting on top of it all was Amanda Waller. She was ruthless, experienced and smart. Willing to make or break any rules to further her own goals. High risk missions that could only be carried out by expendable soldiers. Skilled and superpowered Criminals that the world wouldn''t miss were they to die.

    Hugo Strange, a bespectacled tall man with a bald held and beard, pulled up a reel on the display in the middle of the room.

    "Quite a roster we have this time around Ma''am."

    He told her.

    The first image showed a hulking, muscular figure with a heavily textured, scaly hide, sharp teeth and glowing red eyes that reflected an animalistic nature.

    "Killer Croc."

    Amanda muttered.

    "I was wondering when the prodigal son would return."

    The next image showed a blonde female, with white pasty skin and a deranged smile on her face. She was posing for her mugshot.

    "Ugh. Why am I not surprised?"

    Waller frowned in distaste.

    "The good thing is that Floyd is getting his teammate back."

    The reel changed to show a middle aged man with a scruffy beard.

    "Firefly."

    Hugo told her.

    "Next." She responded, uninterested.

    The next image showed a man dressed in a crown and a costume that carried a playing card motif. The literal King in the deck of cards.

    "King, a member of the Royal Flush Gang."

    That grabbed Waller''s attention.

    "We have one of their original team members here right?"

    She asked.

    Hugo nodded, pulling up a different image, this one showed a completely white figure, a large behemoth of a man with a sinister smile on his face.

    "Ace, an Android with superstrength. We keep him on sublevel Z. Unfit for Task Force X recruitment due to his mechanical nature."

    Waller nodded.

    "What about King, is he useful?"

    "Very. King, real name Joe Kearney possesses a metagene that allows him to control minds. He was captured by the League during a failed heist in Montreal. They also seem to have replaced Ace with a new member. A girl."

    Waller leaned back on her seat.

    "Interesting. Move on."

    "And last but certainly not least, your own personal pick."

    Hugo pulled up the next image on the reel and a note of nervous anticipation appeared on Waller''s face.

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    "Davian Mabuz, 19 years old, no codename, metagene unknown, troubled kid, went to Juvenile detention from age 13 when he caused a massive explosion in downtown L.A., responsible for the death of Gotham P.D commissioner James Gordon."

    On the monitor was a young African American teenager with silver hair. Waller leaned forward, examining the image.

    "The hair is a feature of his unknown metagene, correct?" she asked.

    Hugo shook his head, pulling up more images of a younger Davian. "He grew up in an orphanage, and as far as the matron can remember, he has always had the silver hair."

    Waller hummed thoughtfully. "Children can be vicious. He was probably an outcast for most of his early childhood."

    "Here''s to hoping Mr. Mabuz finds a place to belong in Belle Reve," Hugo said.

    Waller frowned, throwing a knowing look his way. "Well? Out with it then."

    She knew he had reservations.

    Hugo hesitated, adjusting his glasses. "Merely an observation, ma''am. Within him is an incredible power. A power that I am not confident we can control."

    Waller took a deep breath, letting it out slowly with a thoughtful expression. "That''s the thing, Strange. We don''t need to control it, we just need to point it at our enemies."

    Hugo wondered, "Is that why you hurried up the process of his case? It was highly unusual. It seemed as if the investigation was glossed over."

    Waller made a noise with her throat. "The state understands that no matter whether he was guilty or not, a statement needed to be made, otherwise we would have other criminals, both metahuman and normal people, thinking they could get away with killing a police commissioner. They were all too willing to place Mr. Mabuz under my care. This way, at least he is useful to the nation."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    10 minutes had passed.

    There was a clock above the table with the three guards on it. 10 minutes that I used to come to terms with my new situation. I was alive. And it only hit me that I was not only still breathing but doing so in a fictional world after 5 minutes. The rest of the 10 minutes were spent trying to think of a way out of whatever mess this body''s last occupant had gotten himself in.

    Yeah, that was the other thing. I wasn''t in my body as I had initially thought. For starters, I was missing a few notable scars. One on my left hip from a stray bullet and a long jagged one on my left arm. They had been the mark of my survival.

    I was also not as tall as I used to be. My real body has been cresting at 6''3, nothing to scoff at but nothing outstanding either. I knew guys who got drafted who were way taller. Most of them stood at 6''5 and above. The point is, I was a tall ass dude but from what I could see, this body was barely over 6''1. I was 6''1 at 18/19, which meant that this body was barely out of adolescence.

    I tightened my fist, seeing the muscles of my forearm ripple slightly. He wasn''t as built as I was either. I felt a certain lack of...strength.

    ''Tap.''

    I looked up, staring at the right wall of my cell.

    ''Tap.''

    There it was again. I looked at the guards and noticed that they were doing their own thing, playing cards. I dragged myself across the floor and leaned on the wall where the sound was coming from. Another tap sounded and I reciprocated.

    "Pst, can you hear me?"

    I was still not completely convinced that I was in a fictional universe. However, if this was a prank, then it was too elaborate. I glanced at the guards once more. They weren''t watching me.

    "Yeah, what do you want?"

    I responded keeping my voice low.

    There was a giggle followed by the sound of a body shifting.

    "Did you actually do it?"

    Harley Quinn asked.

    I blinked in confusion.

    "Do what?"

    "Oh come on! You Know what I mean! Stop stalling, pudding and I can maybe perhaps not really protect you from Batsy when he comes for your ass."

    What the fuck was she talking about?

    "Listen Clown, I have no idea..."

    "She''s asking if you''re a cop killer."

    A loud, deep and growling voice spoke up, interrupting me and filling the entire truck.

    The guards paused in what they were doing. A baleful look was sent my way from two of them.

    "shut the fuck up Waylon."

    The Guard from earlier told him in a low tone.

    "Or what?"

    Shit. Waylon? That''s fucking Killer Croc.

    I was in the truck with Killer Croc and Harley Quinn. This is not good. Not good at all.

    "Muhahahaha!! What did it feel killing him? Personally, I would have burned his body right infront of his wife and kids!"

    The mood in the whole truck turned sour.

    I don''t think I was making any friends with the continued implication that I killed someone. A cop no less.

    "Yo watch your mouth. I didn''t kill anyone, you sick fuck."

    My anger was flaring up as I tried to defend myself.

    "Hahaha."

    Harley started giggling.

    "Is he serious?"

    Another voice asked from a cell further down.

    Even the guards looked skeptical at my claim. It was clear no one believed me. And why would they? I was in a cell and they weren''t. In the eyes of the law and basically everyone else, I was a criminal. Even though I had no recollection of what this body had done.

    "You ladies need help with shutting up?"

    The senior guard asked, tapping the device on his hip. Everyone got the message and settled down. I ran a palm down my face. Yeah, maybe hell wasn''t too bad.

    ''I have no one to watch my back now.'' I realized, the thought getting followed by a stabbing pain.

    Nick would have told me to...

    I cut off that thought quickly, distracting myself by watching the guards. They usually sent scathing looks my way.

    The truck had been moving for the last 15 minutes, couple that with the time I had spent passed out and hopefully we would be reaching our destination soon. I didn''t like the way the guards were eyeing me.

    But first, I needed to know what was going on.

    ''Tap.''

    I listened carefully and a second later, a response came in the form of a tap.

    "Hey," I started off in a low whisper.

    "I didn''t kill anyone. And if I did, I don''t remember it."

    "Gasp! You don''t remember it!"

    Harley''s voice was almost loud enough for the guards to overhear.

    "Shh! Not too loud."

    I told her. Luckily, they hadn''t turned our way.

    "Sorry."

    She said sheepishly.

    "But how can you not remember killing Gordo?"

    My brain froze.

    Gordo?

    Did she mean James Gordon? Was that why I saw his gravestone in that graveyard? Because I was responsible for his death?

    Unaware of my preoccupied mind, Harley continued talking.

    "...he''s like the Bat''s eyes on the ground! He''s been a thorn on my and pudding si...oh wait."

    She abruptly went silent. That grabbed my attention.

    "What is it?"

    I enquired.

    "I think I hear something...uh Mr. Copkiller, I think it would be best if you ducked."

    I didn''t even mind the insult. This was DC, when a crazy bitch like Harley Quinn tells you to duck, you fucking duck.

    I didn''t care that I landed on my earlier vomit. There was a sudden vibration that passed through the walls of the truck and the blue lights from the power dampeners shut off. Which meant...I grabbed for my inhibitor collar and pulled it off my neck.

    The guards were just now realizing that something was up. Then the truck slammed onto something and I found myself flying face first onto the wall. Pandemonium quickly broke out.

 Timely Intervention

    (General P.O.V)

    "Flash, status update."

    The fastest man alive brought his fingers to the earpiece under his costume.

    "It''s like you said Batman, they were waiting. They are ready to intercept the trucks."

    He answered the Dark Knight.

    "Copy that. Prioritize the guard''s safety, then move in for primary target."

    The Dark Knight ordered.

    "Roger."

    The Flash increased his speed as he saw three high tech bikes break off from the deserted landscape and cover the sides of the middle truck. He had to let them stop the transport.

    "Batman...are you sure about this? It doesn''t exactly scream hero you know."

    He made his reservations known.

    "Flash, I need you to keep your head in the game."

    "Yeah I am, it''s just..."

    "Can you do that? This is important. We need to make sure that everything goes according to plan."

    Batman interrupted.

    Barry slowed down in his run before stopping on the side of the road. He removed his mask and ran a gloved palm down his face.

    "Look Bruce, we''re breaking god knows how many laws by helping a supervillain crew break out one of their own from a prison truck. So excuse me, if I''m not too keen to do this."

    There was a few seconds of silence from the other side.

    "I understand. You can abandon the mission anytime, Flash."

    Then the comms went dead.

    "Son of a..."

    Barry cursed out, his hand slashing out at the surroundings in a fast motion and slicing off the corner of a boulder by using a jagged steak of yellow lightning.

    "Flash, can you hear me?"

    Barry blinked looking around.

    "Yeah, J''onn. I can hear you."

    "Above you."

    The Flash wore his mask before turning his head skyward.

    The air rippled, Martian Manhunter appearing.

    "J''onn, what are you doing here?"

    Barry wondered in confusion. He thought only he and Batman knew about this ''off the books'' mission.

    "Back up. Batman sent me."

    Manhunter replied, descending onto the empty road.

    "Why am I not surprised?"

    The Flash rolled his eyes. That was such a Batman thing to do.

    Manhunter looked at the road ahead of them. The convoy could be seen a few hundred meters away. A blast of sound reached them as the first vehicle skidded on the road, derailed by an attack from the front.

    "The Royal Flush Gang have begun their attack."

    Manhunter noted.

    The Flash lowered his body, ready to use his superspeed to interfere.

    "Wait."

    Manhunter stopped him.

    "Do what you need to do, we''ll discuss everything after this is over."

    The Flash rose up.

    "Do the others know?"

    Manhunter made no reply.

    "This has the potential to break us J''onn, I hope you understand that."

    Streaks of lightning surrounded the Flash and he was off on his first step, blazing along the road in a red blur. Manhunter watched him to before taking flight and following behind him closely.

    "J''onn?"

    Batman''s voice came in through the earpiece.

    "We are moving in. Communications will be down."

    Manhunter told him while drifting along the air, quickly coming up on the three derailed vehicles.

    In the middle was the transport truck, ahead of it and flipped on the side of the road, was the lead car and behind both was the last car. The latter was parked sideways.

    The Flash had quickly come in and saved the soldiers on the lead car, running them far away to safety due to their injuries. The other soldiers hiding behind the last car had their weapons trained on Ten, who was standing on top of the transport truck.

    Queen and Jack covered the front of the Transport truck.

    "I''ll handle the Flash, cover Ten."

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Queen ordered Jack.

    Manhunter decided to go with Batman''s plan, waiting for the Flash to return. J''onn had his reservations but he knew that this would go much more smoothly if he was involved. He could only hope that the fall out from their actions would not be too great.

    (A few minutes earlier)

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Having your face slammed onto a metal wall was not in any way fun.

    I felt a sting on my upper lip and ran my tongue on the spot, tasting blood. It was busted.

    There was a loud thump coming from one of the cells, followed by shuffling feet and then a burst of gunfire.

    Shit.

    I ducked back onto the ground and scrambled further inside the cell, placing myself at the corner.

    "No! No! stay back!"

    One of the guards cried out, a heavy set woman who had looked at me as if I had stolen her lunch. From my position, all I could see was the overturned table they had been playing cards on and one of the guards huddling behind it, his gun shaking in his hands.

    We made eye contact and I could see the panic in his eyes.

    The gunfire intensified out of my range of vision.

    "Jefferson! Get off your ass and help us! Jefferson!"

    The senior guard yelled. I heard the telltale signs of a gun being cocked before a scream followed his words.

    "Fuck you motherfu... argh!!"

    Something smacked onto the bars of my cage, splashing red liquid across the vomit covered ground. I looked down and it turned out to be a hand holding onto a gun. The guard who had been huddling behind the table looked at the gun and then at me before raising up his weapon my way.

    What the?

    "No no no no... I''m not gonna pick it up! Don''t shoot! Don''t fucking shoot!"

    I raised my hands up to show him I was harmless, knowing in his current state, all logic had been thrown out of the window. Then his eyes went unfocused and he brought his weapon up to his temple and pulled the trigger, blowing his brains out.

    I gulped.

    This was DC.

    Mind control.

    It was easy enough to know what was happening. Along with Harley laughing like a mad woman and Firefly''s cries of ''let me out Man'', whoever had attacked the truck had managed to shut down the inhibitors and a few bars were not enough to keep someone like Killer Croc locked inside.

    He had gone on a rampage.

    There was a final gutting cry and the last of the guards, the senior one flopped onto the ground outside my cell, a chunk missing from his neck.

    "Ptew! Taste like day old bacon."

    The deep voice I had heard before commented.

    Holy...

    I was locked inside the truck with other killers. My next move was clear enough. I moved slowly and grabbed the hand holding the gun outside the bar and dragged it in as quietly as I could, taking care not to be noticed.

    Footsteps rang out inside the truck as I tried to ply the fingers off the handgun.

    "Hey copkiller, what you doing?"

    Harley asked in a sing song voice but I ignored her.

    There was the sound of metal getting bent and torn off before it fell onto the ground in a loud clang.

    "Bout fucking time, you walking eyesore." Firefly said.

    I was getting better at recognizing them by matching the names the guards had called them with their voices. There was at least one more guy in here with us that I didn''t know. He must have been the one with mind control.

    "Firefly firefly..." The deep and gravelly voice from before tutted.

    "Have I ever told you how fucking annoying you are?"

    "Hey what are you...let go of my hand!"

    There was the sound of a crunch, a very familiar noise that I identified as an elbow getting broken.

    "PLEASE DON''T KILL ME! PLEASE DON''T..."

    Firefly''s cries were pitiful.

    "Shut up. I haven''t forgotten what you did to a few friends of mine during one of your fights with the Bat. You''re going to die Firefly."

    "No Croc... please...I..."

    There was an audible snap and then the sound of vomit.

    "Hahahaha, Holy Shit Waylon you just tore his head off!"

    Harley commented while pressing her face onto the metal bars.

    "Too much gore for you, your majesty?"

    Croc asked the other convict. They didn''t answer, only the sound of their vomiting could be heard. I finally managed to get the gun off the dismembered limb, quickly getting acquainted with it. ''I might need it soon,'' I thought.

    It wasn''t a regular handgun but luckily it shared enough similarities that I could cock it and point it before me, waiting.

    "Hurry up and get me out of here, Croc!"

    Harley yelled.

    "Coming."

    Killer Croc answered in exasperation.

    "Oh and can you see my bat anywhere?"

    "No."

    Croc answered, along with the sound of another cell being torn open.

    There was a tap from the wall.

    "Hey, psst. Listen Copkiller, I don''t like that you killed Gordo, but I also don''t think that you should die. You talked to me even though you called me Clown, which I totally am not. So here''s the deal..."

    I leaned closer to the wall.

    "Gordo and Waylon have a past. He''s helped him and a few of the street folks out one or two times during winter."

    My eyes widened.

    "Which means..."

    "He''s coming for me."

    I muttered.

    "Yeah."

    Can''t wait any longer. I stopped leaning on the wall and breathed out. Then I pointed the gun at the lock and pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang. The kickback was not as forceful as I was expecting though.

    The door refused to budge. I shifted my feet and aimed the gun slightly at the corner. The second shot dug into the lock and tore off a section of the metal. The door swung open and I immediately ran out.

    The instant my foot was on the other side, I slipped on the patch of blood on the floor and I fell onto my back. Breath left my lungs from the slam but I recoverd quickly out of necessity. The fall had turned out to be a blessing in disguise as a large scaly arm had passed above my head, tearing off the corner of the cell in one single swipe.

    I didn''t think, I rolled away clumsily as my hand came up, aiming the gun at the huge hulking monstrous form of Killer Croc.

    The fear was there, driving my actions as I pulled the trigger.

    The resounding crack rang out along with his head getting knocked back. Killer Croc growled, the sound sending a fresh wave of terror down my spine. I quickly got to my feet, tightening my hand on the gun and refusing to show I was scared. Guys like Killer Croc loved it when you shit your pants.

    "That didn''t do a damn thing."

    He told me, his eyes looking at me viciously.

    It took a second for me to take in the scene outside my cell and understand the chances of getting out of here were incredibly slim. Different parts of the human body were strewn about haphazardly, both belonging to the guards and a middle aged man whose held was lying near my feet. And the thing responsible for all this was looking at me like a meal.

    Apart from Harley, Croc and I, there was another dude sitting inside a cell with a small smile on his face. He was at the furthest corner, which was weird until I realized his play. He was the reason why the transport truck had been attacked. He knew that he was being rescued and was sitting away from the middle of the truck because that was where...

    Oh so that''s how it is.

    I turned the gun towards Harley''s cell and put a bullet through the lock. She didn''t even flinch, merely giggling and saying,

    "Nice shot."

    Then the gun was quickly pointed back at Croc''s face.

    "I didn''t kill him, man."

    I told the angry and hungry metahuman.

    "Don''t care. Gordon was good people. Any last words kid?"

    He took a step and I shot at his feet.

    "Incase you didn''t notice, I''m a pretty good shot. I can have one in your eye before you close the distance between us."

    My tone was steady, my aim unwavering.

    I spared a quick glance at Harley. She looked exactly how I thought she would, dressed in an orange uniform, pale skin and blonde bleached hair fastened together in pig tails.

    "Hey Quinn, you mind talking to your friend and telling him to back off?"

    Harley laughed at my words, ignoring me in favor of looting through the dead bodies of the guards.

    "She ain''t going to intervene, the Clown and his crew stay out of my way and I do the same."

    Thunk.

    Something light, landed on the roof of the truck. More gunfire started ringing outside the vehicle. Any second now...

    I subtly moved back from the middle of the truck, still keeping a careful watch on Croc. So far my threat seemed to be keeping him at bay.

    "There''s nowhere to run."

    He liked his bloodied lips. Any second now. I reached the other wall of the truck and prayed I wasn''t wrong. I had been given another chance at life, at redemption. I wanted to avoid death for as long as I could.

    Here goes nothing.

    "Fuck you, you Groot looking m*therf**r!"

    Then I pulled the trigger, aiming the gun at his face.

    Croc snarked and jumped at me, clawed hands pulled back and ready to rip me to shreds. Right that second, the metal ceiling to the armored truck caved in, following an attack from purple energy blasts. The roof fell on Croc and buried him onto the floor in a timely intervention.

 Failed Plan

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The gun in my hand was immediately pointed at the new arrival. A woman, dressed in a tight outfit carrying a playing card theme.

    "Eyes up here darling."

    She said, her hands lighting up with purple aura. A conversation happened between our gazes and negotiations fell apart.

    "By the time you flinch, there will be a bullet in between your head."

    I threatened.

    "Careful Ten. This one has bite."

    The words came from the last convict, who up until then had been silent. He walked out of his cell with a certain swagger.

    "Glad to see you''re safe, my king."

    Ten greeted, her aurafied hands still aimed at me.

    "Yahtzee! Now I look awesome."

    Harley stated, calling attention to her self.

    I blinked in surprise, momentarily forgetting about the hostile environment.

    "What the fuck are you wearing?"

    Harley had exchanged her orange clothing for a guard''s uniform. She ended up undressing the senior guard, worn his blood soaked shirt and tied a belt around the mid section to keep it from flapping up. There was nothing much below her hips.

    "What?"

    She shrugged.

    "It''s an artistic approach to this beautiful moment! I''ve never had anyone break me out of the can before!"

    "Yughh"

    Ten recoiled at her cheerful attitude.

    "See what I had to deal with?"

    King told her, holding out his hand and receiving a bundle from Ten.

    "Did I say something wrong?"

    Harley turned to me and asked.

    I shrugged while lowering the gun but ready to spring up and defend myself. Harley shrugged back and turned away to continue picking through the guard''s items.

    I had no eyes on me. I needed to leave before that changed. I shrank my body onto the wall of the truck and looked around. There was the exit to the truck that looked like it needed a code to unlock. Fuck. Where am I...

    A brief sensation of the floor shifting saved my life. The roof over Killer Croc flew up as he threw Ten and King away.

    "Now where the fuck were we?!"

    Croc snarled angrily, sharp teeth on display and torn clothes peeling off his form. He raised a hand and brought it down on top of my head.

    The blow was too sudden, I couldn''t react fast enough. It felt like death was coming for me a third time.

    Bang! Bam!

    Purple aura blasts landed on Croc''s face, throwing off his aim, causing his clawed hand to dig onto the floor of the truck, which was now looking shredded. A small slit appeared on the hip of my uniform. I scrambled away.

    "Hey Toad face, no one fucks with me!"

    Ten had managed to land safely and immediately attacked. Then she added two more Aura blasts to the mouth of the angry reptalion.

    Croc was thrown away, causing him to stumble on to the wall and buckle the truck with his weight. I didn''t think. There was only one way out and it was through the roof. I took a step, kicked off Croc''s shoulder and grabbed the edge of the hole Ten had made when coming in.

    "Hey! wait for me!"

    I felt something grab onto my leg and I almost lost my grip. Looking down, Harley''s face was beaming up at me with a smile.

    "Hold on tight!"

    She said in that annoying sing song voice and heaved, pulling me down to push herself up in a flip. My eyes widened as I lost grip.

    "Whoaaa!!"

    I fell and landed on top of someone. I think I might have cracked a rib.

    "My Heroo!"

    Harley laughed and jumped away.

    That fucking bitch!

    "King!"

    Ten''s voice came from the left in a hurried shout.

    I rolled away just a snarl sounded out and Killer Croc slammed into the body I had left on the ground, missing me with just a few inches. He added to his momentum, launching himself right into Ten, before both burst out of the truck. The truck shook again and my head was slammed onto the corner of a cell, as it rose up into the sky before smacking down.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    I blacked out.

    A wet sensation crept down the back of my head, causing me to touch it and see blood. I was cut. My body was also lying on something rough and hot. The road. I was outside the truck and I think I had a concussion; seeing double vision and all that. My body was scuffed up too but thankfully there were no deep injuries.

    I crawled towards the side of the road. The tall grass would let me disappear and we could see about finding a way back to civilization, if I didn''t die in the wild first.

    (General P.O.V)

    Ten had miscalculated. Attacking Killer Croc had been a mistake. After her first few shots landed, Croc had shrugged everything else away using his tough skin. Growling out in fury, the animalistic villain had jumped at her.

    "Stop beast!"

    King luckily stood infront, using his mind control to hold back Croc.

    "Are you alright, Te...oof!"

    One of the convicts, the black dude with a gun, fell on top of him and Ten knew shit had hit the fan.

    "Eat you!"

    Croc snarled and ran towards the pair on the ground. Davian rolled away and Ten watched in shock and anger as Croc slammed into King''s body, stabbing through his belly with his claws before using his momentum to plow onto Ten while she was distracted.

    Ten instantly brought her hands behind her and shot out aura blasts that destroyed a hole on the wall of the truck, preventing her body from being squashed into paste. So when Croc slammed into her, both of them sailed out of the truck and onto the road. The truck rose up due to the force of Croc''s lunge, before landing hard on the ground, throwing Davian out through the same hole.

    Croc and Ten fell right into the middle of Jack''s assault on the soldiers hiding behind the final car.

    "King! Ten!"

    The aforementioned Jack let loose a thin laser beam that carved the range rover in half, an explosion ringing out soon after the laser touched the gas tank. Jack covered his face as the shockwaves managed to ruffle his clothes.

    He was then at Ten''s side the next second, helping her up from the ground as they watched Croc and who he had in his hands.

    "That''s...not good."

    Jack commented.

    Croc raised his hand, his long clawed fingers wrapped around King''s neck. King groaned, his arms around his mid section, trying to stop the heavy bleeding from Croc''s earlier attack.

    "You...pay for this..."

    King growled out in pain.

    "Shut up." Croc shook him, eliciting another wave of pain in his hostage.

    "I had no quarrel with you c listers. You jumped into my fight and so you''re gonna die."

    He threw at Ten and Jack.

    "Where the fuck is Queen?"

    Ten bit out low, swallowing a groan as she leaned on Jack. Croc wasn''t someone both of them could take down. With Queen their chances rose up dramatically.

    "The Flash or something. The mission is officially FUBAR. Let alone rescuing King, who''s bleeding out by the way, we would be lucky to escape."

    Jack replied.

    "Guess that makes me the leader." Ten smirked, before a serious look appeared on her face as she faced Croc. Her back straightened up.

    "Let. Him. Go."

    She threatened with false confidence.

    Croc squeezed King''s neck.

    "Make me."

    The mood was tense and charged, a fight about to break out.

    "Sup guys."

    Something or rather someone appeared in a flash between them.

    """Flash"""

    Three voices sounded out almost simultaneously.

    "What did you do with Queen!?"

    Jack''s eye lit up, a laser beam shooting out of it.

    His chin was immediately knocked towards the sky, the red beam cutting through the clouds above. The Flash had hit him with an uppercut at speeds none of them could perceive.

    Jack''s surroundings changed as he blinked, trying to think clearly after the stunning blow. He stopped and found himself restrained by power dampening cuffs and in the back of a police truck with Queen.

    "Get ready, Harvey. I''m bringing the rest in."

    He heard the Flash say outside before the doors to the truck closed.

    "Jack! Jack! Wake up!"

    Queen told him with urgency, slapping him with her restrained hands

    Jack shook his head but before he could say anything, the truck buckled as a restrained Ten and Killer Croc joined them inside. They had power dampeners on their hands except for Croc who was unconscious. His was on the neck. Ten looked around before raising a foot and slamming it down onto Croc''s face a few times. Then she spat on him.

    ''They had all been captured.'' Jack realized with a sigh.

    "What happened? Where''s king?"

    Queen demanded from the two.

    Ten and Jack looked at each other.

    "Your plan failed."

    They both answered.

    (Elsewhere)

    "Ma''am we just lost all communications with the prisoner''s transport convoy."

    One of the techies informed Waller. She rose up.

    "Pull up satellite imaging on their last recorded location."

    The over head display changed as a new window popped up.

    "That can''t be right. They are not showing up on the feed."

    Hugo commented.

    "Pan out."

    Waller gave another order that was quickly followed.

    "Dammit! Still nothing."

    She slammed a hand onto the table before looking up.

    "Our systems have been hacked."

    She concluded.

    "Initiate Priority level: Ultra Violet."

    She ordered with a furious expression.

    "Assemble Task Force X. No one fucks with the Wall."

    She hit the table with her palm again.

    The Flash had just dropped off King at the Gotham City General Hospital. The transport carrying the convicts was also headed to GCPD for due processing. He made it to where J''onn was, a couple of kilometers away from the location, the Royal Flush Gang had attacked the convoy.

    J''onn was seated on a rock while looking down at a passed out Davian.

    "He managed to run 4 kilometers in under a few minutes on a rocky terrain with a concussion. Lost consciousness soon after."

    Manhunter explained, making the Flash whistle.

    "For a normal human, that is impressive."

    An odd expression came over his face.

    "But he''s not normal is he?"

    J''onn smiled.

    "Correct, Batman showed me a clip of him in his...other form. He could move fast. Faster than your average speedster and his strength...he leveled an entire building merely from the initial burst of power. Was 17 then. Luckily, it was a Wayne enterprise project."

    "Bruce took care of it. Hid the culprit from the public."

    The Flash said.

    "And James Gordon paid the price."

    "Mmmh." Manhunter hummed.

    "The point is, he has powers and his other form. Why would he not use them to escape? Batman brought me in so that I could calm him down in case he lost control."

    "And to also wipe out the memory of him being there from the other convict''s mind."

    The Flash added

    "And of our involvement as well. Everyone who saw you, only knows that the convicts were captured while fighting amongst themselves."

    Manhunter told him.

    The Flash breathed out in relief.

    "Good. I don''t want Waller sniffing around my city looking for any trace of our guy here."

    The Flash looked up and frowned underneath his mask.

    "I can tell that something is still bothering you."

    Manhunter looked at him.

    "You too."

    The Flash looked away grimly.

    "J''onn, 4 people died. 4 people because we decided to hang back even when we knew they were about to be attacked. I...I know our hands are not completely clean, when I started, I hit too hard sometimes you know...but. But, today I felt dirty. I feel so... dirt...

    The Flash''s eyes glazed over.

    "What was I..."

    Barry asked himself, trailing off upon Manhunter''s voice.

    "Barry?"

    The Flash looked at J''onn.

    "Huh? Sorry I must have gotten lost in my thoughts, you were saying?"

    Manhunter blinked.

    "Its quite alright. I was just telling you how there is something strange with Mr.Mabuz''s mind. I can''t read it but more than that, it reminds me of an Union of psyche."

    "Ooookay, and I''m guessing this Union is bad?"

    J''onn lifted off the rock, flying up and looking down at the Flash next to an unconscious Davian.

    "Not bad...more worrying."

    "And that''s not ominous at all."

    The Flash quipped, grabbing Davian from the ground.

    "Let''s meet back at the rendezvous point. I might have to take a longer route around Gotham to avoid the cameras. Can''t be too careful."

    Manhunter nodded and left.

    The Flash looked down at Davian and sighed.

    "This better not bite me on the ass."

    Then he was off.

 A Man In Grief.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Elsewhere)

    Bruce Wayne stood at the podium in front of a sea of reporters, his face drawn with sadness and concern. He took a deep breath before he began to speak, his voice low and measured.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you today with a heavy heart. I''m sure all of you know why. But for those who are not yet aware, it is with great sadness that I must announce the passing of James Gordon, the Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department."

    There was a murmur of shock and sadness from the assembled press. Having it confirmed by Bruce Wayne of all people hit different. Bruce paused for a moment to let the news sink in, his eyes scanning the crowd.

    "Commissioner Gordon was a true hero of Gotham. He dedicated his life to serving and protecting the citizens of this city, and his loss is a profound one. He was a friend and ally to me and to many others, and his absence will be deeply felt."

    Bruce''s voice caught for a moment, and he cleared his throat before continuing.

    "I want to assure the people of Gotham that we will do everything in our power to find out what happened to Commissioner Gordon, and to bring those responsible to justice. I extend my support to all our officers as well as Harvey Bullock, the acting commissioner who couldn''t be with us today."

    The press was silent, hanging on Bruce''s every word. He knew that his words would be scrutinized and analyzed by the media, but he also knew that he had a duty to reassure the people of Gotham in their time of grief. This was what the Bruce Wayne persona was meant for. To be seen. To be in front of a camera and work in the light.

    "As a community, we must come together to honor Commissioner Gordon''s memory and to continue the work that he started. We must be vigilant in the face of danger and injustice, and we must work hard to make Gotham a safer place for all of its citizens."

    "To that effect, Wayne enterprises is working on new tools and weapons to help our officers better protect our streets. Stronger body armor on the level of what the military has will soon be issued to the GCPD."

    Loud cheers and claps rose up from the crowd.

    Bruce paused again, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.

    "Commissioner Gordon was a good man, a brave man, and a true hero of Gotham. He will be sorely missed, but his legacy will live on through the actions of those he inspired. I know that I speak for many when I say that I am honored to have known him and to have worked alongside him. Rest in peace, Jim."

    With those words, Bruce stepped away from the podium, his heart heavy with grief.

    The moment he was in the car, the Bruce Wayne persona washed off him. He pressed a button on the edge of his seat.

    "Go on, Alfred."

    "Master Bruce, the...package has arrived."

    Bruce narrowed his eyes.

    "I''ll be there in 5 minutes."

    (Later)

    Davian jolted awake, feeling groggy and disoriented. He tried to move his arms, but found that they were bound tightly behind his back. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. The room he was in was completely white, devoid of any decorations or furnishings. There were no windows, no doors, no apparent way out.

    As he turned his head to the front, he saw the Batman standing before him. The dark knight was clad in his signature black suit, his imposing figure looming over Davian. Davian felt a wave of fear wash over him as he realized that this was no ordinary encounter.

    Pulling on the zip ties holding his hands behind him proved futile. He wanted to be anywhere but there.

    The last thing he remembered was crawling away from the super-powered fight happening around him. His fingers felt raw from dragging his body across the rough ground. At least until he had the energy to start stumbling away. That''s all he recalled.

    "What do you want from me?" Davian asked after a while, his voice trembling only slightly. This was the friggin Batman! He was talking to one of the most beloved and iconic characters in fiction.

    The Batman regarded him with a cold, steely gaze. "You know why you''re here."

    Davian shook his head in confusion. "I don''t understand. What have I done?"

    He knew why he was here. And Davian would be the first to admit that while the gates of hell were terrifying, the thought of what an unhinged Batman could do sent a shiver down his spine. He was not going to admit to Killing Gordon.

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    The Batman stepped forward, his cape billowing behind him. "You killed Commissioner Gordon," he said, his voice low and menacing.

    Davian felt his heart skip a beat in that same bone chilling fear. "What?! I would never-"

    But before he could finish his sentence, Batman pressed a button on his wrist computer and the white walls of the chamber changed into a screen with a clip playing.

    Davian gulped at the sudden change. He felt as if things were soon about to turn from bad to worse. What if...what if he really did it?

    "Watch."

    Batman commanded causing Davian to rip his eyes off the floor and to the walls.

    The clip itself was grainy and shaky.

    However, it showed enough. There was a figure floating above a building. No, not floating. There was purple light under each of his bare feet. He was shirtless, displaying a chest that was littered with a few notable scars.

    Davian clenched his jaw. Yeah...this was not looking good.

    He was dressed in torn blue jeans that reached just below his shins. In his hands he held a huge sword that was shaped like scissors only thinner, sharper and longer. The sword instantly grabbed his attention. It was...immaculate. An aura of purple energy surrounded him.

    His most distinguishing feature was the white cat mask on his face, underneath which were purple eyes. The mask was smooth and bone like. Two small spikes in the shape of horns curved upwards from it and it fit his face perfectly. As of it was a part of him. Davian could not tear his eyes away.

    Apart from the scissors, that was the second thing that grabbed his attention.

    ''There''s that feeling again...that feeling of being heavy and light at the same time.''

    "Everyone hang back!"

    A voice shouted and the owner of the footage, who turned out to be a civilian, fled the scene along with dozens of others. Davian leaned closer.

    "Wait...what''s happening?"

    "You."

    Batman answered as the shaky footage reeled back to capture him raising the hand holding the sword to the sky. The civilian had reached the end of the street and begun filming from behind the corner of a Starbucks.

    "No...no, what are you doing?"

    Davian muttered. He knew what was coming.

    "We have you surrounded. Come down and surrender yourself Son. This can only go one way."

    The statement was delivered through the megaphone.

    "Oh Fuck oh Fuck oh Fuck... nobody''s gonna believe this..."

    The Civilian, a young girl whispered to herself. Any other time, Davian would have been wondering why she stayed back when everyone but the police was evacuating.

    For a few tense seconds all that could be heard was labored breathing and then the figure dropped the sword. Purple light bloomed across the evening sky.

    A massive shockwave caused the girl recording the whole thing to stumble and fall. There were people screaming and running by from something. Then the phone was reoriented to the source of the commotion and Davian''s breath hitched.

    The building was split into two. One section was a burning mess, the other was rubble.

    Davian watched in horror as the footage played out before him, unable to comprehend how he could have been involved in such a thing.

    "12 cops were admitted to the ICU. Commissioner Gordon was in the building, trying to reason with you when you decided to destroy it."

    Batman grabbed Davian''s hair, pushing up his face to stare at the whites of his mask.

    "No no no no...that can''t be true... You''re lying!"

    He yelled.

    "You caused the explosion that killed a friend!"

    Batman shouted to his face. This close, Davian could see the stubble on Batman''s chin. He wasn''t impeccable or put together...this was a Batman who was stressed. This was a man in grief.

    Davian begun to shake his head but the grip on his hair was too tight.

    "You''re hurting me."

    He told the Dark Knight, holding his gaze for a few seconds before Batman abruptly let him go. Davian exhaled forcefully, his gaze turned to the floor. He was trying so hard to call upon the memories of this body''s former owner but came up blank. It was just him.

    "I don''t know what to tell you anymore." He looked up at Batman.

    "I can''t remember anything."

    Batman scrutinized him, his eyes narrowing. "What are your powers?"

    Davian stared back, anger getting the best of him. He was hungry, cold and restrained in a metallic chair in a featureless room. That was also right after escaping from a dangerous situation. Suffice it to say, he was close to hitting his limit.

    "I don''t have any powers." He said curtly.

    "I don''t know half of what you''re talking about man!"

    He jerked in his seat, his face set in an angry expression.

    The Batman seemed unconvinced. "You were in that prison transport that was attacked. Do you remember who did it?"

    Davian shook his head. "I don''t remember anything. The last thing I recall is running away from Croc and a woman who could shoot energy from her fists! That''s it! Untie me!"

    The Batman regarded him for a moment longer before speaking again. "Are you afraid of me?"

    The change was immediate. Davian settled down in his seat. Was it a threat?

    He looked up at the dark Knight and hesitated before answering. "I don''t want to die, if that''s what you''re asking. But I''m not afraid of you. If I did kill Commissioner Gordon, I''ll do what needs to be done and go to prison. But without concrete proof, you can''t accuse me of a crime I don''t remember committing. You can''t do shit like this! It''s not lawful and I thought of all people, a hero would get that."

    He gestured around.

    "And even if you had proof, this is hardly a court room."

    Batman glared down at him, his expression inscrutable. Davian could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for the dark knight''s next move. He braced himself for an attack, but instead, the Batman simply pinched his neck and Davian felt himself slipping into unconsciousness.

    "Oh Fuck youu..."

    As he drifted off, he wondered what would become of him. Would he ever be able to clear his name? Or was he doomed to spend the rest of his life in prison, falsely accused of a crime he didn''t commit? The footage was also damning and concerning. It had taken some time to jog his memory but the cat mask, it was modelled after something very familiar. A hollow. A soul devouring creature from Bleach.

    The last thing he saw before everything went black was the Batman''s stoic figure looming over him, a silent sentinel in the empty white room.

    (Elsewhere)

    Deadshot groaned as he woke up, staring at a concrete ceiling. There was dull ache at the back of his neck.

    He sighed.

    "I hate this shit."

    He rubbed his eyes in frustration.

    "Where the fuck am I?"

    A voice said from beside him. He turned his head to look and immediately an annoyed expression crossed his face.

    Captain Boomerang rubbed his head as he got to his feet.

    "Oi, fancy meeting you here mate."

    He greeted Deadshot, spotting him lying on the floor.

    Boomerang held out a hand to the greatest marksman in the world but Deadshot slapped it away and got to his feet by himself.

    "Boomer."

    He nodded, looking around the both of them. 5 more people and a shark were waking up from the floor as well.

    "Here we go again."

    Captain Boomerang said from the side.

 Taskforce X.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Quite a group we have this time, mate."

    Boomerang commented,

    "Is that...a shark?"

    "King Shark."

    Deadshot corrected him.

    "And from the looks of those teeth, the Shark part is well earned."

    "Deadshot."

    A heavily built man with a Russian accent spat out, getting to his feet.

    "I told you that the next time we saw each other, I would tear you limb from limb."

    He threatened with a vicious look, fingers tightened into massive fists.

    Captain Boomerang whistled.

    "And here I thought I was your only friend."

    Deadshot stretched his neck.

    "Kgbeast. Still salty about Yugoslavia?"

    "You left me."

    Kgbeast said, walking forwards with aggression.

    "After you cut a deal with the fucking mob."

    Deadshot shot back, his own face hardening.

    "Face it, you betrayed me first. You can''t blame me for returning the favor."

    He added.

    "Argh...all this testosterone is going to make me gag."

    The female voice that was the source of the statement, had them all looking her way.

    Captain Boomerang smiled.

    "I''m loving this gig more and more."

    Killer Frost sneered at him, showing him the middle finger.

    "Bite me, Aussie."

    Laughter broke out from King Shark.

    "She''s feisty. I love that."

    "This better be a nightmare or else I''m Killing all of you fucks."

    A voice with a British accent groaned as the owner came to.

    "Oh you have got to be shitting me."

    Boomer said in a nervous tone.

    "Manchester Black."

    Deadshot followed up.

    "Wow, this must be one hell of a mission if Waller managed to pull you in."

    "Waller?"

    The tall, handsome white man wearing a black trenchcoat over a t shirt with the British flag emblazoned on it, asked.

    "That''s who I have to kill?"

    A slow smile worked it''s way onto his face.

    "Good to know."

    "Count me in."

    The final member of the team, told him.

    It was a girl, dressed in a purple costume with a hood over her head.

    "Who let the goth girlie in? She barely looks 17."

    Boomerang asked.

    "Hey sweetheart, where''s your mom and dad?"

    He walked closer, bending on one knee.

    "I wouldn''t do that Captain Boomerang. You are staring at arguably the most powerful thing in this entire complex."

    Amanda Waller''s voice came from the intercom system placed on the corner of the room.

    "Open it up."

    She gave the order and a section of the room withdrew into the wall, revealing a heavy set black woman dressed in a blue office attire with white pearls on her neck.

    "Waller."

    Deadshot nodded.

    "Deadshot, I would say it was good to see you but we both know that would be a lie."

    Waller replied.

    Deadshot smirked.

    "Trust me, it''s mutual. I''m waiting for the day when you won''t need me to come and clean up your messes."

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    Waller''s smile widened.

    "Nonsense, and keep you away from Killing bad guys in service to your nation?"

    "I think you mean your own self interest, Waller. But I''m not complaining, you can call me anytime if its about shaving years off my sentence, Love."

    Boomerang told her.

    "Argh. Kissing ass."

    Killer Frost rolled her eyes.

    "You should learn a thing or two from him, Ice Queen. I hold your lives in my hands, after all."

    Waller threatened.

    "Bullshit."

    Kgbeast spoke up.

    Every eye turned towards him.

    "Oh this is gonna be good."

    Boomer said, rubbing his palms together. Waller made eye contact with the mercenary and stood aside, showing him the door.

    "Please, step over this line and see if you won''t die. It''s going to be particularly...explosive."

    Kgbeast looked at everyone gathered and sneered.

    "Bunch of cowards."

    The Russian merc spat.

    King Shark bristled at the insult.

    "No one calls me a coward!"

    "Wait, big guy."

    Manchester held out a hand to stop King Shark from pouncing on Kgbeast.

    "She is not fucking around."

    He touched the inhibitor collar on his neck.

    "I might not have access to my powers now, bit I know people, she''s going to kill him."

    The rest watched Kgbeast''s next move. He walked forward, eyes set at the entrance.

    "You wouldn''t go to all this trouble just to kill us."

    He stated with confidence.

    "Are you willing to bet your life on that?"

    Deadshot asked but received no answer.

    "Fuck. What if he''s actually right?"

    Killer Frost asked just as Kgbeast made it past the entryway.

    "3, 2, 1...Boom."

    Captain Boomerang''s countdown coincided with a beeping sound on the back of Kgbeast''s head.

    "Wait I..."

    He had a fearful look on his face as he tried to turn back.

    A small explosion rang out and chunks of brain and bloody meat went flying out.

    "Holy..."

    Killer Frost gagged, looking away. If she had followed after him...she would be dead too.

    Raven''s eyes widened. Even after all she had seen, the casual brutality was surprising to her.

    The rest looked unperturbed.

    "Can''t say I didn''t see that coming."

    Deadshot commented.

    "Now then, any more questions or should we get down to why you''re all here?"

    The room had gotten somber. The notion of having a bomb on the back of their necks was...disturbing.

    Manchester Black frowned in thought. The Inhibitor collar would come off eventually, what was stopping him from using his abilities to remove the bomb? He then looked back at Waller''s unimpressed face. She did not look the least bit nervous to be standing in a room with killers.

    No, she had to have a countermeasure for that. It would be better if he simply waited for a chance to read her mind, maybe control her into disarming it.

    "Good."

    Waller finally said after no one spoke up.

    "Pull up the mission."

    She gave an order and a different section of the wall, slid away to reveal a wide blank screen.

    "Convicts, welcome to Task Force X, you jump when I say and bark when I say. Moving on, I introduce to you your target."

    The screen came on and showed an image of Davian.

    "Gotta say, I''m not impressed. Guy looks like the type you''d find in a Drive In."

    Boomer said.

    "I assure you, Convict, Davian Mabuz is not what he seems from the outside."

    Waller waved her left palm near the screen and the image changed to show something else.

    Davian, shirtless and holding a huge sword that undulated with a certain power. He had on an intimidating mask that covered his face.

    Boomer frowned as Deadshot crossed his hands before his chest, a thoughtful expression on his face.

    Killer Frost whistled.

    "Hello, snack. I love a man with scars."

    At her comment, King Shark begun staring at his body.

    "I have scars."

    He told her but she ignored him.

    "That mask...what is he?"

    Raven spoke up.

    "We don''t know."

    Waller answered.

    "What we do know, is that he has the capability to level an entire building simply by changing into this form. Which is when he loses his mind."

    ''He''s like me.''

    Raven realized. She had to always keep a tight lid on her emotions.

    "What do you want with him?"

    Raven followed up.

    "That''s for me to know and for you to watch your mouth before I snap a finger and paint the walls with your pretty little head." She threatened, then swept her gaze across the room.

    "Your mission, your only mission, is to bring him back to me, alive."

    Waller ended her statement with a commanding tone.

    "That building, the skyline behind it, it''s Gotham isn''t it?"

    Deadshot asked.

    "Oh I see it now, the smog."

    Captain Boomerang added then his face changed.

    "Fuck me."

    He turned to Waller,

    "You''re sending us straight towards the Bat?"

    "Not my problem Convict."

    Waller replied, turning around to leave.

    "Get in, find who I sent you to find and get out. Deadshot, you''re team leader."

    She threw over her shoulder.

    "Oh goodie."

    Captain Boomerang said in envy.

    "What? No clue? Come on Waller, you usually give us more than that."

    Deadshot told her.

    "Harley Quinn."

    She responded.

    "She might know something. Get to her and Manchester will extract information that might help you find the target of your mission."

    "Waller." Manchester Black called out, eyes narrowing.

    "This is far from over."

    Waller smiled.

    "Careful now, Convict. Don''t forget what you are, my hunting dogs. Stray and I''ll put you down."

    With that warning out of the way, she stepped over the line.

    "Send them to sleep."

    She ordered and the door closed.

    Gas begun to pour inside the chamber.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The next time I woke up, I was still tied up on the chair. My body stiff and aching.

    ''Fuck, so it wasn''t a nightmare?''

    At least the bruises on my elbows and hands, including the chipped nails were cleaned and my hands bandaged. I swept my gaze across the room and found myself alone.

    My bindings were still tight enough to hold me in place without being too constricting to cut off blood flow to my palms and fingers. I strained my legs and sighed in disappointment. My feet could just barely reach the floor.

    I was also not as groggy as before, and based on the fact that I could feel the refreshing after-taste in my mouth of water, it was clear to see that the Bat had fed me some medication. That was the only reason my head was not throbbing like before. I still had a headache however, which warranted a trip to the hospital but, it wasn''t as bad as before.

    Now that I was alone, this was my chance to leave.

    "Superman, If you can hear me..."

    "He can''t."

    A voice stated from behind.

    It was unfamiliar. Not Batman''s.

    "Who are you!?"

    I craned my neck to try and see, only managing to catch a glimpse of a green cape before I felt the darkness creep on the edges of my vision. I went unconscious for the second time.

    This time, something was waiting for me on the other side.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Did you get anything?"

    Batman asked the Martian Manhunter.

    They were infront of a console with terminals showing different camera feeds of a passed out Davian.

    "Negative. His mind is shielded from my mental probes. I''ve tried breaking through but it''s impenetrable."

    Bang!

    Batman punched the table in frustration.

    "You don''t really need confirmation, Batman, so what is this really for?"

    Manhunter asked the Dark Knight.

    "A hunch. There is much more going on here. I feel...I feel like I''m on the verge of seeing the bigger picture. Jim''s death, the fact that his body was never found and the kid," he motioned with his chin towards the high tech interrogation room. A chamber that was strong enough to withstand a nuclear blast and had an energy field that hid it away from most forms of detection.

    "He''s a victim as well. I can tell..."

    Batman removed his cowl, rubbing his eyes.

    Beep. Beep.

    The Dark Knight accepted the call coming in through his wrist computer.

    "Yes, Alfred."

    "Sir, you have been gone for 2 days. Dick and I have been worried sick, you didn''t even bother to check in."

    Bruce sighed.

    "Its been a busy 2 days, Alfred. Status?"

    "We might have a problem. I''m sending over the footage."

    It only took a few seconds for the data to arrive.

    Batman opened the file and immediately growled.

    "Waller."

 Power.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I was back in the graveyard.

    Knelt before his grave.

    I fell asleep in the real world and when I woke up, my surroundings had changed and I was no longer bound to a chair in the white room. Now it was the mist, the graves and...

    "It''s times like these that remind me of just crazy the world is."

    A voice said from behind me. I turned around warily, my feet spaced out, ready for action.

    My hand reached for my hip and I cursed. I had forgotten I wasn''t strapped. The man looked at the action and blinked.

    "Davian? What are you doing here?"

    He questioned, then looked around.

    "How...long have I been here?"

    He wasn''t doing anything so I calmed down. It was easy enough to know who this was. The moustache, brown coat over a generic white suit, glasses and a badge strapped to his hip...

    "Commissioner Gordon."

    I stated.

    My headache. The cause of all this.

    "Where are we Davian? The last thing I remember is..."

    He looked at me critically before sighing in relief.

    "You''re you. Thank God."

    He said, walking closer to me with an air of familiarity. Seems like he knew the last resident of this body.

    "And I''m dead."

    He stated, as if discussing the weather.

    I said nothing, studying him instead. He did not look hurt in any way. How was he here? Wherever here was anyway. Though I had an idea.

    "Yeah. You are." I finally answered, looking away to distract myself from the truth. That his death was in my hands. The mist covered the cemetery just like before, though it seemed a bit thinner. In fact, I could swear that there were a few more graves than before and... something was out there. Watching.

    The same feeling of being light and heavy took over.

    ''Call me...''

    "Did you hear that?"

    I asked Gordon who was knelt before his grave with a bewildered look on his face.

    "I''m dead. Barbs..."

    He muttered.

    "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry."

    Gordon whispered, leaning on the headstone.

    "I remember trying to make my way to you and then..."

    He went silent.

    "I''m... I''m sorry."

    I apologized. This wasn''t my fault but...I still felt liable in a way. Davian stole him from his family. How can I ever get past that?

    "Hey, are you okay?"

    I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

    The instant I did so, the entire world shook and collapsed from underneath my legs. I awoke to a burning building, scalding hot...smoke in my lungs...I can''t see anything...

    I stumbled as the whole building trembled, the walls around me cracking. I loosened the tie on my neck to catch a breath. ''Gotta stick to the floor, where the air is...'' The explosion from above caused the ceiling to cave in but luckily, I survived due to the frames of the metal staircase providing a cover for me.

    As a concequence I was stuck under it. I coughed and took a breath while covering my nose with my hand. ''Gotta call it in, get rescue.'' My hand went for the radio on my left hip and started patting around. ''Where is it?''

    The floor below me begun to splinter, the weight of the collapsed ceiling proving too heavy to handle.

    "Help! Help!"

    I called out, maybe Davian could hear me. Things were not looking too good. Wait...what?

    Davian?

    I bit back a scream while trying to extract my foot which was stuck between concrete debris. Then without a second warning, a purple flash lit up the sky, visible from the holes in the building and blowing down more of the roof to crash onto me.

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    I saw death, smiling at me, with a promise. I could have sworn she told me,

    ''Not today''

    But those might have been the delusions of a dying man.

    The last thing I saw was her face. My sweet Barbara.

    "Dad, promise me that you''ll always come home."

    I could remember her saying that and then, darkness.

    The next thing I felt after that, was a chilling breeze.

    "Quickly! We''re losing the subject."

    "They will not be happy."

    A few frantic voices spoke up. My body was mostly numb. The only muted feeling being a tightness in my chest. I couldn''t see. Something was covering my face. I tried to reach out with my hand and found both of them and my legs bound.

    "Wha..."

    My throat was scratchy and dry.

    "Shit, he''s waking up, professor!"

    "Shut up! Both of you!"

    Light hit my eyes underneath the eyelids as the sheet covering my face was ripped away.

    The mask of Professor Pyg revealed itself to me. There were two of his nurses/henchmen with all types of surgical procedures done to them, beside him. My gaze was stuck on Pyg''s cruel eyes.

    "Besides, our job is not to keep old Gordo alive. A precious waste of prime experiment material? sure. But our job is to collect enough D.N.A samples to create his replacement."

    No...

    "Batmuh..."

    I tried to call out but the pain on my chest increased as laughter escaped Pyg''s mouth.

    "Get ready Commissioner."

    He showed me a hack saw.

    "I promise to make your death experience...memorable."

    Then he started cutting.

    "Gah!"

    My shoulder slammed onto the corner of a grave stone as I was thrown away from Gordon.

    "Davian!"

    Commissioner Gordon called out rushing to my side.

    "What...what was that?"

    I asked myself, the weird feeling of being light and heavy at the same time gripping me. It was like I was swimming in a pool of murky water.

    "You''re... you''re glowing purple."

    Gordon spoke up from close, not quite touching me but hovering over my body in concern.

    "Purple?"

    I wondered, getting to my feet.

    I looked down and saw what he meant. My hands...they were covered with an aura of bright purple that was tinged with silver at the edges.

    "Reiryoku..."

    I muttered in realization.

    Which meant... I looked at Gordon as the memory of the burning building replayed itself in my mind. Except, it wasn''t my memory was it? They were Gordon''s. Somehow I had experienced his memories as if they were mine.

    "That was an ability."

    I added with confidence.

    This...this could be good or disastrous. I wasn''t 100 percent sure but, the fact that the previous host could apparently turn into a vizard and rampage meant...I might have the same abilities. If my speculation was true though...how did the abilities transfer? Reiryoku or Spiritual Energy comes from the soul. His soul was gone from what I could tell, so how?

    "An ability?"

    Gordon broke through my thoughts and asked.

    "Yeah."

    "You mean like the other...guy?"

    He asked and I narrowed my eyes in confusion.

    "What do you mean?"

    I wondered.

    "Come on Davian. 2 years ago, Joker''s factory. He used it to produce his laughing gas, with plans to release it on the city."

    He begun, frowning upon noticing the blank look on my face.

    "You went after a few orphan kids that his henchmen were using to threaten Batman. The whole Factory went up in flames. By the time I arrived, you were crouching on the ground, holding onto..."

    He looked away.

    "Holding onto three lifeless bodies."

    My lips thinned. Seems like the me from this world hadn''t had it easy either. I wanted to learn more about him but...not something like that.

    "I...huh... I''m sorry about all this, Commissioner."

    I told him, changing the subject.

    "Don''t worry about it Kid."

    He smiled at me, turning around to face his gravestone.

    "We all gotta go sometime."

    He added with melancholy.

    "I''ll just...sit here for a while, glow stick."

    He joked, referencing my aura covered body.

    Problem is, I did not know how to turn it off.

    I was still glowing and each passing second more of my stamina was being drained. Tapping into my Reiryoku for the first time was taking a toll on my body and I couldn''t keep it going for long.

    What was it that that Triad dude told me back in prison? I sat on the ground and closed my eyes.

    "Visualize the body, it''s place in the universe. Visualize the mind, it''s place in the body, visualize the intent, it''s place in the mind. Visualize until they become one."

    Or something like that.

    Going in, I had no idea if it would work. The first few minutes were spent with me trying hard not to let my mind wander. Getting control of whatever this was, would help me survive better. Maybe even escape Batman. Only 2 minutes in, I felt something new inside me. Something... different and then...

    Nothing. The feeling went away and I opened my eyes with a little frustration.

    "You''re thinking too hard on it."

    Gordon spoke up.

    "If you have an idea, share it."

    I shot back, annoyed.

    "Whoa, first of all, curb the attitude. Secondly, those are your powers. Just turn them off."

    "You think I''m not...?"

    I visualized flipping a switch and locking the Reiryoku away and immediately turned back to normal. Whoa...wait.

    "I can''t believe that actually worked."

    I said dumbly, staring at the bare skin of my palms.

    "You deactivated them. Good work, son."

    Gordon congratulated. I recalled the feeling and tried to recreate it.

    So, flipping a switch works but it''s more like pressing or pushing down on something. The opposite to that would be pulling. My body lit up with purple once again. I laughed in disbelief, the exhaustion was still there but...I had powers.

    I had honest to God powers.

    ...''not ready...''

    I turned my face around, ''that voice again...''

    "Someone''s happy."

    Gordon commented.

    "Yeah."

    I couldn''t keep the smile off my face.

    "If I learn how to control them, no one else needs to get hurt due to my carelessness."

    Gordon looked at me weirdly.

    "You really are different."

    How do I tell a guy that I apparently killed, I had no memory of our past encounters? Nothing.

    "After everything that has happened, It would be weird if I wasn''t."

    I told him, deactivating the Reiryoku cloak. My shoulders sagged at the exhaustion I was feeling.

    "I guess you''re right."

    He walked over and patted my shoulder.

    "For what it''s worth kid, I don''t blame ya."

    My eyes widened slightly. Growing up where I had, Cops were no better than criminals, so my trust in them had always been low but...Gordon was one of the good ones. That much was certain.

    "Thanks."

    I responded, meaning it. Right there, I decided I needed to make things right. Not just to clear my name but to also reunite Gordon with his family.

    "And...I don''t actually think you''re dead."

    The statement surprised him just as I was sure it would.

    "I''ve been thinking about it, Commissioner and something doesn''t add up."

    I couldn''t tell him that I had no memories but even with what I knew so far, a lot of it was odd.

    What had Davian been doing on that particular building?

    Why would he wait to attack? The clip had played for 2 whole minutes before he had made his move. If he was as unhinged as Batman tried to make it seem then he would have attacked almost immediately.

    And third, someone had taken away Gordon''s body. Professor Pyg. One of the worst villains in Batman''s Rogues gallery. This was DC. The chances that someone was behind all this was very high.

    "If I''m not dead...then where are we?"

    He asked, looking around.

    "This...is my inner world."

    I replied and the instance the words left my mouth, I knew it to be true.

    "I think I intercepted your soul."

    Gordon blinked.

    "Which means...its likely didn''t kill me, hell, you might have even saved me."

 No More Passivity.

    Chapter 9 No More Passivity.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Our asset is on site, just waiting for the green light."

    In a room with multiple screens, a man with an eye patch on one of his eyes spoke up.

    "Excellent. We should avoid mistakes from here on out. Our first plan was a catastrophic failure."

    A female voice stated from one terminal.

    "The Batman, as always, intervened."

    Another voice intoned.

    Deathstroke leaned in.

    "I told you to let me take him out."

    "No. He is still necessary for our plans. However, maybe a lesson on who not to mess with is in order?"

    The new voice was elegant and well spoken.

    "I agree."

    "Agreed."

    "Sounds like fun. I''m in!"

    "Agreed."

    A multitude of voices pitched in.

    "Good."

    The first voice said.

    "Deathstroke, inform the handler to be ready for both Assets'' extraction."

    "Red Dawn has proven to be... difficult."

    Deathstroke answered.

    "Difficult even for you?"

    The female voice wondered.

    Deathstroke rubbed the pommel of one of his swords.

    "Not if I kill him."

    He responded.

    "No, nothing that extreme. He just needs to be...reminded who he''s working for."

    The first voice instructed.

    (Gotham)

    "I have visual on the target. Boomer move in."

    Deadshot spoke into his comms, lying on the rooftop of a building overlooking the tin roof club.

    "Roger. She''s moving across the street. I''m following."

    Boomer adjusted his beanie and shrunk into himself, walking quickly after Harley Quinn as she strolled into an alley next to the lounge.

    There were crowds of people all around the sidewalk and entrance, waiting to enter the high class establishment.

    "I don''t understand why we have to hang back."

    King Shark complained, sitting inside an ice cream truck, outfitted with a wide range of communication and surveillance tech. The truck was packed at the end of the street, far from the view of the club.

    Raven looked him up and down at his large form.

    "Really?"

    She deadpanned.

    "I''m big boned."

    King Shark defended himself.

    "Sorry."

    Raven replied in a monotone.

    "So, what''s your deal?"

    Killer Frost, who was on the driver''s seat, enquired from Manchester Black. The latter was flipping through a magazine, feet placed on the dashboard on the front passenger seat.

    "Fuck off."

    He said in a bored tone.

    "Someone''s in a pissy mood."

    The ice meta commented sourly.

    "I have a bomb on the back of my head that I can''t remove because even trying to disarm it with my power is a no go. So excuse me, if I''m not chipper, darling."

    Manchester responded, staring at her with annoyance colored across his face.

    "Hey, both of you, play nice." Deadshot''s voice came through the comms.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Manchester threw the magazine out of the window of the car.

    "Just because you''re comfortable with being Waller''s lap dog, does not mean you can order me around, Deadshot."

    He then growled out.

    Deadshot narrowed his eyes, shifting his rifle from Harley to the Ice cream truck. Manchester appeared in the interscope.

    "Just one pull and you''re dead, Black."

    The master Marksman warned him.

    "Do it."

    The British supervillain fearlessly replied.

    "You''re not faster than a bullet."

    Deadshot shot back, finger on the trigger.

    "I..."

    "Wait! Deadshot, I lost sight of her, mate!"

    Boomerang interrupted in a hasty tone.

    He picked up speed towards the alley while Deadshot cursed and panned out his view, trying to locate the missing clown. Then he felt claws on his neck.

    "Not so fast, hot shot. This kitty has claws." A female voice said, adding a purr closer to his ears.

    "Very sharp ones."

    "Deadshot!"

    Boomerang called out through his comms.

    Raven and Killer Frost shared a look.

    "Maybe we should..."

    Of course that was when the truck tilted on its side, shaking as thick green vines broke through the asphalt and wrapped themselves around the vehicle.

    The windshield groaned and cracked. Screams rang out as civilians begun to run away from Poison Ivy as she revealed herself.

    "Guys!"

    Boomerang looked back, trying to contact the team through his ear piece, but the only thing he heard was grunts of exertion.

    "What in the hell?..."

    Boomer contemplated signalling to Waller. Two taps on his ear piece and he would be speaking with the loud, fat, murderous cunt.

    Boomer blinked, getting his ears blown up due to her loud voice did not sound fun.

    The others could handle the vine bitch, Boomer instead pulled out a boomerang and decided to go inside the dark alley.

    (General P.O.V)

    "There was a ping from the Watchtower."

    Batman informed Martian Manhunter, fingers flying across his wrist computer.

    "Something is wrong with the communication devices, I can''t get in touch with the console. Keep an eye on him as I go and check it out."

    Batman informed Martian Manhunter in a growl, leaving for the Zeta tube at the end of the room.

    "Of course."

    Martian Manhunter responded, casting a thoughtful look at the screen separating their prisoner and him. Davian''s shoulder''s were slumped, he was still passed out.

    Once the Dark Knight had left, Manhunter opened his palm to reveal a rectangular device that was flashing with lights and letting out various different sounds as it activated.

    A boom tube manifested next to him.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "...so the call came in and we managed to make it there within a few minutes. The rest you know."

    Gordon concluded with a sigh, removing his glasses and wiping them on his shirt.

    He was leaning on his gravestone, seated on the ground as we faced each other.

    "I still can''t believe that Batman has you locked away. Basic police procedure state you should be in processing. It''s the law. There is nothing legal about your imprisonment."

    "Batman is not a cop. He''s not subject to your rules or procedures."

    I answered.

    "Besides, he''s just lost you. It would make sense if he went off the deep end."

    I shrugged, understanding but still mad about the whole thing. I wasn''t going to just let it go. You fuck with me and I returned the favor. Thats how you built a rep as someone you don''t want to mess with.

    I could see that despite my words, Gordon still felt as if something was amiss. Maybe he was right. Maybe he was wrong. We wouldn''t get to find out while stuck in my inner world.

    We were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, I stood up, having made a decision. I had been too passive. Content to let things sort themselves out. I hadn''t truly fought for myself. That changed now.

    "Gordon, we have to find a way to let Batman know I''m innocent."

    The police commissioner looked up and ran a hand across his hair.

    "And how will we manage that? If you were right, then it means I''m stuck here in this..."

    "Soul form."

    I helped him, channeling a little Reiryoku into my eyes.

    It was hidden from his gaze but I could see a chain that connected to his chest. His soul chain was about 4 feet long, and the chain links were steadily dissolving into nothing. Gordon didn''t have long.

    "I just need to convince him that your body might still be alive. In that case, all we would need to do is get you there and I''m sure I can bring you back."

    I insisted, a plan already forming in my mind. I could see his soul degradation by channeling Reiryoku into my eyes, maybe that was the key to all of this.

    "What if...my body is not the same?"

    Gordon asked a question I had been trying to avoid considering. His voice was soft and almost...weak.

    "We both know Pyg''s M.O."

    Gordon insisted, a flame of resolve burning in his eyes.

    "I won''t be brought back as one of his playthings."

    He spat out.

    "I can''t let...I can''t let her see me like that."

    He choked up.

    "You mean your daughter."

    I sighed, crouching before him, establishing eye contact with the man I was quickly growing to like. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

    "You''re a good man, Commissioner Gordon."

    I smiled reassuringly.

    "And we can''t afford to have good men give up. Not in a place like Gotham."

    Gordon blinked.

    "Now, time is running out."

    I told him getting to my feet once more. A feeling of dread occupying my mind. Something was happening. It felt as if there was a blade at the back of my neck, waiting for a signal so that it could fall and take it off.

    "...not ready."

    And then there was that voice again. I held out a hand for Gordon to take. He stared at my calloused and rough palm before grabbing onto it and standing up as I pulled.

    "How should I convince Batman?"

    I questioned.

    "You can''t."

    Gordon replied, adjusting his glasses and patting his breast pocket for cigarettes. I knew because there was a time I had a smoker phase.

    "Shit."

    He muttered, folding his hands on his chest.

    "You can''t convince him."

    He reiterated.

    "What you can do is feed to his suspicions. He''s a detective. One of the best I have ever come across. He doesn''t view things in absolutes. If one single detail is off, he will pull on that small thread and unravel the whole thing."

    "So we stoke that fire."

    I said in understanding.

    "Yes. But if it fails, tell him this code, ''6-4802 Bravo Whiskey''. Its a phrase we have just in case an unlikely scenario happens."

    My speculations pointed to the Scenario being, in case Batman''s real identity was ever revealed to the public. The backlash would be immense. It made sense that Bruce would have measures in place.

    "That should give you a chance to talk it out."

    Gordon finished, stepping away as my body lit up in purple.

    I was ready to leave. The hour or so we had been stuck in conversation had been enough time for me to regain my stamina. I concentrated on the pull. The ebb and flow. I could feel something rise up from the bottom of my feet, to my legs, my belly, torso and finally my head.

    A rush unlike any other invaded my body. I felt... powerful wasn''t the right word. I felt immovable. Taking a deep breath, my eyes and ears seemed to change. I could see clearer, hear better. It was... incredible.

    I could finally see what was past the mist that covered the graveyard. Unsurprisingly, it was just more mist and more gravestones.

    "Incredible."

    Gordon whispered from my front, staring at my body in awe and fear.

    "I...I can feel your power."

    He added.

    I looked down at my hands. The scars and rough skin.

    Then I clenched them. No more. I couldn''t rely on anyone''s goodwill right then. If Batman wanted to act like an asshole, then I would show him that he had never met someone like me.

    I had power now. I was no longer weak. A smile worked it''s way to my face. And I was going to fucking use it.

 Rogue

    Chapter 10 Rogue.

    (General P.O.V)

    The Zeta tube lit up and Batman walked out to find the entire Justice League, with the exception of Martian Manhunter and Lantern Jordan who was offworld, gathered in the Watchtower.

    Batman stopped in place, narrowing his eyes.

    "What is this? I don''t remember having a scheduled league meeting."

    He asked to the confusion of the others.

    "Say what now?"

    The Flash wondered out loud.

    "Batman, you called for it. Sounded really urgent too."

    Superman informed him, rising from his seat. Batman''s hand inched towards his utility belt.

    "I don''t remember doing such a thing."

    He ground out, eyeing everybody with suspicion.

    "You did. Saying something about civil unrest in Markovia."

    Wonder woman insisted.

    Batman''s eyes widened under his cowl.

    "There has not been any civil unrest in Markovia for the past 5 years. The current ruling class have good relations with their people and neighbors."

    He said, quickly rushing towards his seat, activating the security alarm and putting the whole Watchtower on lockdown.

    "Okay, are we missing something here"

    Green Arrow asked Black Canary.

    "Civil Unrest in Markovia is part of an extensive code. In the event that my mind was ever compromised, I would forget to run the code through our systems and that would send a pre recorded message to all of you, to meet up with me in the Watchtower. The Code also had the function of remotely disconnecting my communication devices to the Watchtower..."

    "...therefore notifying you and causing you to come and check out what the problem was."

    The Flash concluded.

    "Damn, that''s genius."

    "So what does this mean, exactly?"

    Stewart enquired, checking through the camera feeds across the Watchtower.

    "It''s a countermeasure in case a telepath managed to get close to me and took control of my mind. It was meant for J''onn."

    The whole chamber became deathly silent as a serious atmosphere set in.

    "Bruce...you can''t be serious."

    Wonder Woman told him, sharing a stupefied look with Superman.

    Before Batman could reply they heard groaning sounds.

    The Flash grabbed his head, eyes wide and panicked. Streaks of lightning begun to wash off him.

    "Everybody! Get back!"

    Superman warned.

    Bam!

    It was too late. The Flash was quickly off, headed on a course for Batman with a murderous expression on his face. His hands blurred as he pumped the air.

    The symbol of a shield of red and yellow neatly intercepted him, Superman coming in between the two. His chest inflated with breath then he released the air in a fan of snowy winds, carpeting the floor to obstruct Barry from getting anywhere near Batman.

    The Flash increased his speed once more, moving too fast to lose traction on the ice sheet covering the floor. Then, he vibrated his molecules and passed through Superman''s body.

    Clark fell forward as momentum was stolen from him. The Flash sidestepped Wonder Woman''s Lasso, flicking it away to wrap around Hawkwoman and drag her to the floor before she could attack him with her Nth metal mace.

    Batarrangs cut through the air, so slow it was like decades had passed with the projectiles suspended in motion. The Flash found them inconsequential and so he dodged them with the slightest of margins. However, the moment he was 2 inches from one, something happened.

    The Flash seized up as a sheet of blue energy expanded from the Batarrangs in the air, forcefully dropping him out of his super speed and onto the ground on his knees.

    "What in the hell was that?!"

    Green Arrow asked, lowering his crossbow.

    Batman walked forward.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "A gravity bomb. A device that generates a localized field of gravity, strong enough to prevent a speedster from moving at high speeds or phasing through objects. By manipulating the gravitational field around the speedster, the device can effectively trap them in place, making it impossible for them to escape."

    "He''s okay."

    Canary told them as she checked on the Flash''s vitals.

    "Of course he is. It was meant to be non lethal."

    Batman told them, getting back to typing on his wrist computer.

    "We need to find J''onn."

    He told the rest who were still in various states of shock.

    "Batman."

    Lantern Stewart called out, hands crossed on his chest.

    "What is really going on here?"

    Batman stopped, turning to find his colleagues all staring at him with questioning glances.

    "I have reason to believe that the Martian Manhunter has gone rogue."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I blinked a couple of times to adjust my eyes to the bright light in the room. The first thing I did was to look around, making sure I was alone. That done, I got to work. I was done with being a prisoner.

    The bonds around my wrists were still tight and my shoulders ached from the strain. The good thing was that the headache and nausea caused by the concussion was gone. I could think more clearly right now.

    "There is no way I''m getting these zip ties off."

    I whisper in realization, ready to call upon my Reiryoku.

    "Not by yourself."

    A voice stated from somewhere to my right.

    My head turned to see Martian Manhunter walk in, a section of the wall rising up to opened.

    "Oh Fuck no. Stay away from me!"

    My muscles cried in exertion as I tried to pull my body on the chair away.

    "You''re supposed to be the good guys!"

    Where''s that feeling!?

    Heavy and light...push...pull...push...

    I could feel something brewing inside but it would be too late as Manhunter glided the rest of the way to hover at my back. His presence hang like an ominous cloud over me. Shit, I can''t get knocked out again!

    Snap.

    The zip ties loosened and I could move my hands again. I looked at the deep lines on my wrists, rubbing them while I got up.

    I took a few steps back as Manhunter and I watched each other.

    "Why?"

    I questioned.

    "You were right. We are supposed to be the good guys."

    He stated and a scowl was my response. A bit too late for self reflection wasn''t it?

    It was... surprising. Why was he really doing this? Was it all a scheme by Batman? But what kind? Then again, the simplest answer is often times the truth. Maybe J''onn was helping me out because that''s what Superheroes do.

    I wasn''t going to kick a gift horse in the mouth.

    "Can you get me out of here?"

    Preferably before the Batman arrived.

    Manhunter smiled, turning around.

    "Of course. Follow me."

    My fingers wrapped around the frame of the chair as I raised it up and brought it crashing down on his head. The metal chair deformed around the base as Manhunter went down on one knee.

    Fuck that trust bullshit. He could have been leading me to another trap. Better safe than sorry.

    I wasted no time, grabbing his head and slamming his face onto my knee. A meaty thunk! rang out, followed by a spray of blood as J''onn''s nose deformed.

    "I''m done playing your games."

    I told the downed Martian, stepping away and running towards the open door, not even aware of my flashing eyes. Later I would question myself on how I had been able to hurt someone that was basically Superman tier. Later, I would also question myself on why I hadn''t felt it fast enough. The wrongness under my skin.

    ''...not ready!!''

    Later I would regret a lot. However, right then, all that concerned me was leaving and there was no way I was just going to trust Manhunter after they had kidnapped me once.

    My bare feet slapped the concrete floor under me as a small breeze hit me. The smell of the ocean was easy enough to identify. The white room behind me turned out to be a holding area as it opened up into what turned out to be a long hallway, with individual rooms on the walls.

    I managed to open one, only to see a well spread bed, a few furniture and another door leading to the bathroom. There were 4 rooms like this. Guest rooms no doubt. I made it all the way to the end and stood before an elevator.

    My eyes widened when I saw it light up. Someone was using it, headed straight for this subsection. I ducked into the door next to the elevator which turned out to be a staircase and ran up the stairs fast. A few flights up and I peeked through the small window on the door.

    The next floor seemed different. It was a training room. Different weights and exercise machines littered the place. Luckily there didn''t seem to be anyone around. I pushed it and walked in. Maybe there was a change of clothes in the lockers and something for my feet.

    I walked through and immediately the air changed. My body reacted before my mind did. I found myself jumping away towards a set of dumbbells as a javelin bit onto the ground next to where I was. My back collided with something hard and I was tossed to the ground while groaning in pain.

    "Well well well, what do we have here?"

    A female voice, hummed with an undercurrent of violence. The sound of feet shifting and Cheshire held a Sai onto my neck, the point pushing slightly in to draw blood. I slowly scrambled to my knees, raising up my hands in surrender. Dammit! I knew something was up.

    "Hey hey, careful with that. You can hurt someone real bad."

    I spoke up with a calm I was not feeling inside. Cheshire cocked her head to the side, the mask on her face not revealing much.

    "What is that supposed to mean, you condescending little fuck? Think I can''t use it? That I''m going to stab myself with it like a c-lister, you dumb fuck?"

    She growled out, pulling in closer.

    Well that came out of nowhere.

    "No." I leaned back, gritting my teeth.

    "I meant no disrespect. But I gotta wonder, are all assassins so sensitive?"

    Someone else landed next to Cheshire.

    "He got you there."

    The villain I recognized as SportsMaster told her.

    "You''re lucky we need you alive."

    Cheshire growled menacingly. I couldn''t help but notice she smelled nice.

    "I wouldn''t mind carving you up a little though."

    Then my dick remembered she was a stone cold killer.

    Heavy and light...push, pull, push, pull...

    A ghostly figure rose up from the ground next to our little group. Manhunter had a serious look on his face as he appeared. I narrowed my eyes. Cheshire and Sportsmaster didn''t react in shock or surprise, telling me all I needed to know.

    Martian Manhunter was a traitor.

    "Nice of you to finally show up."

    Sportsmaster told him, removing an inhibitor collar from somewhere.

    "He managed to distract me enough for him to get away."

    Manhunter informed them, eyes locked on to me. I stared back without flinching.

    Heavy and light...

    "By your busted nose, I can tell he did more than distract you."

    Cheshire laughed.

    Yeah she was right. Couldn''t Martians heal fast?

    Heavy and light...

    "Enough talk. Let''s go before the Bat comes back."

    Sportsmaster told the other two, walking towards me.

    I took a deep breath as power suffused my entire body. Cheshire noticed the glowing purple eyes first. She didn''t hesitate, plunging her sai into my neck but the weapon bounced off. I stood up and pushed her off with a burst of Reiryoku.

    A few things happened next. Time seemed to slow down and more clearer than before...the voice returned.

    "You are not ready!"

    Then I understood why. My vision blacked out, something surging up to the forefront. Something that stole my breath away as it hit me.

    Anger! Anger! Anger! Anger!

    Then I lost it once more.

    When I opened my eyes next, it was to a scene I would never have expected.

 True Colors

    (General P.O.V)

    Cheshire landed on the wall behind a stack of yoga mats and flipped onto the ground, twirling her Sais.

    "Fuck."

    Sportsmaster backed up, going for the hockey stick behind him.

    "You stupid girl."

    He ground out.

    "Sportsmaster, Cheshire, we need to leave. I will incapacitate him while you create a boom tube."

    Manhunter''s form ballooned out as he changed shape. A second later, a White Martian was standing in his position.

    All three of the villains were facing a different Davian, one who sent a shiver of terror down their spines. He was crouched low on the ground, grunting as thick white liquid came out of his nose, mouth and ears, covering his face. Purple light pulsed out, an aura around his form.

    His eyes flashed inside the quickly materializing mask. They were cruel, dismissive but most of all, angry.

    "This was not the plan, little girl!"

    Sportsmaster grabbed the Fatherbox out of the air before using it to open a boom tube to the side.

    Davian in his hollow form leaned forward, his fingers, lengthening and changing to thin needle like claws.

    He took a step and blurred forward.

    Clang! Cheshire jumped in and tried to block the claws from getting to her father, but the collision sent her spinning back. A cry rang out as both her arms were slashed by what seemed to be invisible winds.

    Her shoulder clipped Sportsmaster and sent them both spiralling to the ground. Davian took a leap and came down on the both with his claws at the ready. A form tackled him out of the air, smashing onto the glass mirror above the treadmill. Both landed on the aforementioned machine and jumped away from each other.

    The White Martian sank to the floor while trying to send telepathic attacks Davian''s way. The masked Davian opened his mouth, creating a spinning energy attack then sent it flying towards the floor.

    Sportsmaster dragged Cheshire behind a weight bench. There was an explosion of concrete, revealing sections of the floor below the training room. Something sped up out of the ground from Aden''s back.

    The White Martian shifted his form into a rubber like state, wrapping himself around their target.

    "Sportsmaster!"

    The White Martian yelled into Sportsmaster''s mind.

    "Open the portal!"

    The previous one had deactivated after Cheshire had crashed into Sports Master.

    Davian flexed but found himself immobilized.

    "Calm Down! Calm dow..."

    A scream tore out of Davian, drowning the White Martian''s words.

    Sportsmaster activated the Fatherbox, aiming the boom to appear over Davian and the White Martian. The latter held on tight, before levitating towards the portal. Reiryoku begun to boil inside Davian and in a mighty jerk, an explosion of power slammed out of him, ripping the Martian into numerous pieces, patches of flesh that fell to the ground lightly smoking.

    Above his mouth, a cero formed that he aimed at the center of the boom tube. On the other side, was a courtyard. This courtyard was part of a compound in an island belonging to a very special group. The League of Assassins.

    The boom tube manifested right before Sensei who was busy meditating. He cracked his eyes open before they widened further. Sensei immediately ducked to the ground, avoiding the ball of purple energy that sped out of it. The ball landed on the side of the cliff overlooking the League of Assassins'' headquarters.

    The resulting explosion was massive, shaving a side off the cliff. Boulders and rocks fell on the buildings under it, destroying many of them.

    The Boom tube disappeared, leaving a stunned Sensei as he got to his feet. Behind him a contingent of Ninjas landed. Sensei scowled, shaking with rage.

    "Someone will pay for this."

    He promised.

    The masked assassin stood in the center of the room, her twin sais glinting in the light. Cheshire faced down the monster infront of her with a panicked expression underneath her mask. He had just killed the White Martian! Sweat dripped down her forehead, falling into her eyes.

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    She breathed out, trying to use her training to stay focused. To keep the fear at bay. The explosion had drove a bar through Sportsmaster''s side, her father shifting his body to take the blow meant for her. It was almost touching before the man groaned,

    "I''m...charging you 2 mil for the save little..."

    Cheshire chopped at his neck, sending him to dream land. Then she hit a few pressure points to slow down his blood pressure. She couldn''t administer first aid because of the danger Davian posed.

    Cheshire tapped at her ear piece.

    "Romeo One, we have a...major problem."

    She informed whoever was listening on the other side.

    "What happened?"

    A deep voice asked.

    "The asset went out of control. The Martian is dead, Sportsmaster''s out of commission too."

    There was a sigh on the other end. Almost inaudible.

    "Can you still incapacitate him?"

    Cheshire looked at the boiling energy surrounding Davian. His clothes were now burning away, the purple Reiryoku surging up, filling him with a rush that made him screech in anger, claws extending further out. Then Cheshire looked down at the pieces of the White Martian lying around.

    She narrowed her eyes.

    "No."

    There was silence for a bit.

    "Lethal force permitted."

    The voice simply instructed and Cheshire bit back an angry response. How the fuck did he expect her to fight something like this with only her Sais? Fuck it, at least she would get to go all bloody.

    Then an idea came to her. She didn''t need to fight with the intent to end this, she only needed to fight to draw attention to them.

    Cheshire stepped forward, fully revealing herself through the smoke and dust that had otherwise covered the entirety of the room.

    It only took a split second for her to be noticed by her opponent. Davian immediately jumped at her, hand pulled back and ready to rip her to shreds.

    The room was filled with various exercise equipment, giving the assassin plenty of options to evade Davian''s attacks. She flipped over a treadmill, narrowly avoiding a wide beam of cero that blasted through the machine and out into the surroundings, which turned out to be a warehouse near the docks, thankfully far from civilians.

    Davian charged again, swinging his claws in a wide arc. Cheshire dodged to the side, sliding under a weight bench and kicking it towards the similarly masked individual. He split the bench apart with a single swipe of his long nails, separating it into numerous pieces, but it gave the masked assassin enough time to launch a counterattack.

    She leaped onto a set of parallel bars, twirling around them to gain momentum. With a fierce cry, she launched herself at the main character, her sais flashing in the light. He parried her blows with ease, almost too aware of her next moves. However the assassin was too skilled for him to hit.

    The fight continued, the two combatants trading blows and dodges around the room. Davian''s attacks were wild and uncontrolled, but they packed a punch that could shatter stone. Cheshire''s movements were graceful and precise, her attacks aimed at the former''s vulnerable spots.

    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Cheshire saw an opening. Davian had overextended himself, leaving his body open for a split second. The assassin seized the opportunity, driving both her sais deep into his chest, then she jumped away, avoiding another uncontrolled cero that smashed the wall before him into non existence, revealing the ocean air.

    The sais plunged through his lungs slowed him down and Davian stumbled back in sudden agonizing pain. He groaned, falling to his knees, his shoulders slumping. From a perch on the ceiling, Artemis landed, breathing heavy and her body in pain.

    She had avoided direct attacks but the shockwaves produced by a single swipe or the powerful energy cloak surrounding Davian had managed to take it''s toll on her as well. Her hands were burned, slashed and her muscles ached.

    "You''re a stubborn bastard, aren''t you?"

    She commented, blood dripping down Davian''s mask, through the gaps in the mask''s teeth.

    "I apologize for the rough treatment handsome. But you know how it is..."

    She grabbed the handles of her Sais, aiming to remove them when her hands were grabbed by Davian.

    Cheshire''s eyes widened behind her mask, establishing contact with the purple and cruel glint in Davian''s eyes. Purple light begun to gather before her target''s mouth.

    "No..."

    She understood what was about to happen. The cero would leave nothing but ashes of her body. Cheshire tried to push him away.

    ''... little kitty has claws...''

    Her eyes widened in shock at the voice that came out of the mask.

    She slammed a kick on one of the Sais, hoping the pain would distract him enough that she could extricate herself.

    It started low. A screech of not pain as she had expected but one of savage sadistic glee. The purple cero grew to the size of a marble.

    ''I...I am sorry, Artemis.''

    Cheshire''s last thought was seeing the faces of her broken family. Her mother, sister, hell, even Crusher.

    The cero shot out...

    "Azarath metrion Zinthos!"

    A female voice announced, diving in from the hole on the wall with a dark aura covering her fists and eyes.

    In response to her chant, a black dome appeared over Cheshire, covering her entirely and protecting her from the cero. However, the attack proved to be a little too much and an explosion of both purple and darkness washed out across the entire room, shaking it''s foundations.

    The pressure blast slammed onto Raven, pushing her out of the air. She shook her head, standing up from a wrecked container that she had fell upon.

    She landed on the ground as a few more feet descended from the sky. Manchester Black had used his powers to levitate them the rest of the way after the Truck had been decimated by vines. That particular... altercation had almost led to one of them getting their heads blown up. King Shark had gone bloodthirsty for a few seconds there, after being hit on the nose with a baseball bat by Harley Quinn.

    "Hope we were not too late to the party."

    Deadshot told her, cocking his wrist guns.

    "No."

    Raven informed them as they watched the smoking hole in the building.

    "He''s not alone. I sense two more minds inside."

    Manchester told Deadshot.

    "I say we charge right in and kill every last one of them wankers."

    Boomerang growled out, nursing a broken jaw.

    "No, we''re not Killing anyone if we don''t have to."

    Raven denied that idea, though the rest did not look particularly bothered by it in the first place.

    There was a growl from inside the building and then in a spectacle that left them wary, the whole thing exploded in a haze of glory, flames burning the debris of the building as a figure appeared in the sky. Gone were the Sais plunged in his chest. Davian looked whole now.

    His mask was fully formed and on his back was a massive scissor-sword. His short silver hair, extended past the shoulders, rippling in the wind by an unseen current. The orange prison uniform was mere strips of clothing that did nothing to hide his toned body. Spiritual energy gathered around him like a vortex.

    "We. Are. Fucked."

    Killer Frost stated.

 Mobilize

    (General P.O.V)

    "So are we fighting?"

    Killer Frost asked.

    Everyone turned to stare at Deadshot.

    "Waller. Come in Waller."

    He exhaled in frustration.

    "Something is messing with the ear piece."

    He informed them.

    "One guess as to who is responsible."

    Boomer answered, pointedly staring at the god of death looking down at them.

    "You know, I once fought Superman."

    Manchester stated, stepping forward, eyes blazing with a barely restrained excitement.

    "Oh yeah, I heard about that. You''re the blokes who thought they could one up the blue boy scout."

    Boomer told him while laughing.

    "Got your can kicked that day, you did."

    Manchester glared at him from the corner of his eyes.

    "Look who''s talking. A grown man whose only gimmick is throwing Boomerangs at his problems. Boomerang this."

    Captain Boomerang''s eyes widened as a trail of blood crept down his eye.

    "Oh you son of a..."

    His head promptly exploded, sending blood and pieces of brains flying out. Raven stood with wide eyes as a piece of Captain Boomerang''s brain slid off the shield she had created almost instantly.

    "What the fuck did you do?!"

    Deadshot angrily grabbed Manchester''s trench coat.

    "Nothing. It must have been an accident." The British supervillain answered with a smirk.

    "An accident that might occur if you don''t let me go."

    He added with an undercurrent of violence.

    Deadshot pointed his wrist gun at Manchester''s neck.

    "Still want to bet you''re faster than a bullet?"

    The Marksman asked.

    "Shit. I got some of it in my mouth."

    Killer Frost gagged to the side while King Shark eyed Captain Boomerang''s body with a ravenous look.

    "Guys..."

    Raven came in between the two men about to fight, eyes pointed at something past them.

    "We have better things to deal with!"

    Her palms were covered by an aura of Darkness.

    "Azarath metrion Zinthos!"

    A dome appeared around them.

    (Gotham)

    A massive explosion rippled out across the Gotham skyline, painting the night in a purple glow.

    "There''s that explosion again."

    Ivy informed the other two.

    "Ooh oh oh let''s go check it out! We can do it as a team!"

    Harley gasped.

    "No."

    Catwoman quickly put that idea to rest, turning around to walk off the rooftop that they stood on.

    "Its bad for business if I leave the club unattended for too long. Besides, this is not our problem."

    "Oh come on Selina, quit being such a Batman! He''s the fun police!" Harley pouted, causing Ivy to snort at her antics. Catwoman merely sighed, not stopping for even a second.

    "We can call ourselves the awesome 3!"

    Harley added.

    Catwoman visibly shivered at the name.

    "How about, hell the fuuuuuck no!"

    She threw over her shoulder before her chest smacked into something hard. Harley gasped as Ivy readied herself.

    "It''s the fun police!"

    The former shouted, swinging her bat to point at the grey and black figure standing before them.

    Catwoman looked up, body tense. The image of Batman''s chiseled chest and square jaw made her purr.

    "I don''t mind you taking me in."

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    She said coyly, running a finger down his chest.

    Batman grabbed her hand.

    "I''m not in the mood for games tonight Selina."

    He growled.

    "When are you ever?" Catwoman responded, rubbing her body onto his.

    "I''m the one who does all the work."

    "Ummm...what''s happening?"

    Harley asked in a dumbfounded voice. Ivy merely face palmed.

    (At the docks)

    A dark dome appeared on top of a red container. Their previous position was torn apart and burning.

    "That was too close. What is this guy?!"

    Killer Frost yelled in panic. Panic that was well warranted.

    It was a scene of complete chaos. The wooden planks of the dock had been torn apart by the cero, that left a massive hole in the center of the structure. Overturned containers lay strewn about, some of them cracked open to reveal their contents, while others had exploded in the intense heat of the blast. Flames licked at the edges of the destroyed liners, sending black smoke billowing into the night air.

    "I can take him."

    Manchester told them, moving forwards.

    "Hey! we are not done here!" Deadshot yelled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

    "What is it to you?"

    The Brit shoved him off.

    "You hated the guy."

    "That doesn''t mean you kill him in cold blood."

    Raven interjected. Manchester looked at all of them.

    "Are you all fucking serious? You want to do this now? Bloody hell! The wanker had it coming to him, running his mouth with no concern as to who he offends. I say good fucking riddance."

    He turned around and kicked Boomerang''s body.

    Deadshot aimed the gun on his wrist at Manchester and fired. The bullet stopped before it could slam into his forehead. The telekinetic villain smirked.

    "Well what do you know. Guess I am faster."

    His smirk turned deadly.

    "You know,I''ve just about had it with you fucks. How about I kill each one of you and tell Waller the target did it?"

    Whoosh!

    Bam!

    Something landed behind Manchester, a purple light flashing out as a massive blade shot out of his chest. Blood sprayed out of his mouth.

    It was sudden and alarming.

    Manchester had his eyes wide open in rage and indignation. He turned his head around with a lot of effort, staring deep into the wrathful eyes of the creature behind him.

    "DIE!!!"

    An inhuman voice came out of it''s mouth.

    "DIE! DIE! DIE!"

    The Brit coughed again.

    "You...ghjj"

    He gurgled, chocking on blood. Psionic energy begun to gather around as Davian''s hollow form opened it''s mouth, screeching in anger.

    Deadshot groaned as something heavy slammed onto all of them, taking them to the ground. The purple energy washing out of the beast was immense and made all of them nauseous. Their visions swam. The heaviness was Davian''s spiritual pressure bearing down on all of them.

    Deadshot tried to bring his hand forward to shoot but felt his ears pop as their target opened it''s mouth and screamed.

    There was a telekinetic blast of power that threw everyone away from the pair. Manchester''s groan turned into a wordless roar as he stretched his abilities to their absolute limit. For the second time another explosion rang out. This one was more impressive.

    The shockwaves from it rippled across the atmosphere, causing a certain speeding object to shudder and groan.

    "Talk to me Alfred."

    Batman growled in the cockpit of his batwing.

    "Authorities are out by 5 minutes sir. I suggest you call for back up."

    "No time."

    The Bat replied, jerking his jet to the sky as the pressure blast from the explosion became a bit too much. He grunted at the effort it took, his eyes surveying the smoke and dust rising up from the location of interest.

    "I''m going in."

    Raven felt something drip from her forehead as she rose on one knee. Her demonic energy covered her like a cloak, making her eyes and the red gem on her forehead glow. She had saved her other teammates again but in drawing out so much of her power...she started hearing him.

    "Let me in daughter..."

    A voice sounded in her mind. Her father.

    "No."

    Raven replied stubbornly.

    "You need ME RAVEN! LET ME IN!!"

    "No! I don''t need you! Or your power! I WILL NEVER need you!"

    She yelled.

    Bam.

    Something hit the floor, blood splashed across Raven''s wide eyes as the dust and smoke cleared to reveal...King Shark''s headless form.

    The head was grasped, still dripping with blood in the clawed hands of their target. Raven knew monsters. She herself was a monster, but this...this was on a whole other level. Her heart pumped as she scrambled away, the monster taking steps towards her while the aura of the Reiryoku covering it grew bigger. It''s eyes, those beautiful deceptive eyes were narrowed in corruption. Narrowed in animalistic and feral anger. It wanted to kill. To destroy.

    "Snap out of it!"

    Killer Frost''s shout was accompanied by an attack.

    With a quick flick of her wrist, she conjured multiple small ice shards and sent them flying towards Davian''s chest. The shard pierced through the air, only to be blocked by the side of the blade in its hands.

    Then it swung the scissor-sword and a cone of wind burst out from its position throwing everything back. Or it would have if Raven hadn''t intervened quickly.

    "Azarath metrion Zinthos!"

    A shield of darkness covered her and the other two.

    "Hold that shield! Frost time to go all out!"

    Deadshot ordered, as bullets begun to rain out of his wrist guns, landing on Davian''s form and doing nothing. Killer Frost on her part, skated across the wrecked docks, heading towards Davian who seemingly waited as the barrage of bullets assaulted him.

    "Take this!"

    Frost quickly cleared the distance between them, riding on a slide of Ice, passing by his body and sending a freezing breeze of cutting winds that covered Davian''s position.

    "Azarath metrion Zinthos!"

    The shield that covered Raven and Deadshot sped forwards, shifting shapes into a drill construct aimed for the creature.

    Then a sonic boom sounded out as the very air was shredded apart.

    "Frost behind..."

    Killer Frost felt her spine shiver in fear. That speed. It was behind her.

    Winding quickly she created a shield of ice that shattered as a glowing sword cut through it, headed for her neck.

    Bang!

    The Batwing dove in and collided with Davian on it''s nose cone, speeding away and pushing the feral teen out into the sea.

    "It''s Batman! Fuck! This just got more complicated."

    Deadshot spoke up, tapping his earpiece two times.

    "Deadshot! Where the hell have you been!"

    Waller''s voice came through all their comms.

    Killer Frost and Raven shared a look as the Batwing wound in its trajectory, turning back towards them.

    "We need to go."

    Frost informed them, landing on the ground beside them.

    Deadshot held up a hand as he continued his conversation with Waller.

    "Finally! something was disrupting our comms. We are in a combat situation. Things have...derailed massively." Deadshot answered grimly.

    "We lost Boomer, the Shark and that dick, Manchester Black. He''s the one who took out Boomerang."

    Waller was silent.

    "And the Target?"

    She growled out.

    "He''s gon..."

    Before the words were fully out of his mouth, a huge beam of purple Reiryoku burst out of the boiling water, crashing through the wing of the Batwing and destroying it.

    The Batwing spun uncontrollably in the air before colliding on a warehouse near the docks, going up in flames.

    Batman had quickly ejected, his cape unfurling behind him, as he ran an electric current across the cloth, changing it into something hard. Something strong enough to glide. The Dark Knight was not out of danger yet. The monster appeared in the sky behind Batman, sword raised up.

    Before their shocked gazes, a huge purple sword aura burst out of the weapon, heading towards the Dark Knight.

    "Azarath metrion Zinthos!"

    Raven chanted, taking steps towards the pair. Her form rippled out, enlarging into a huge figure made up of pure darkness, over 50 feet tall.

    The figure''s hands gripped a sword and a shield that beared resemblance to Wonder Woman''s. It raised up it''s shield, tanking the sword aura. The crash made the sea churn and Batman was thrown away by the air blast, spinning away until he managed to use his grappling gun to bite into a crane, swinging away with the momentum.

    Batman tapped his wrist computer upon landing with a grunt. Maybe Alfred was right.

    "All available Justice League members, mobilize."

 Revelations.

    Chapter 13 Revelations.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Oh god, thank you! Thank you!"

    The guard said profusely, as Batman dropped him off outside the docks. Already, there was a cordon around with authorities preventing the news reporters from going in.

    The paramedics carted the man away for a check up as Harvey Bullock ran forward. There was a tension between Batman and the police after Jim''s death. Not all of them were as trusting of the caped crusader as he had been . However, Bullock could understand that this was neither the time or the place.

    "What''s the situation?"

    Harvey asked the Dark Knight before he could go back in.

    "Move the cordon further back. The fight might spill out into the main streets."

    Then Batman slinked into the Darkness, vaulting over the entrance before he started running on top of the containers, trailing after the fight that was happening.

    "You heard the Bat." Harvey turned to his officers.

    "Move the goddamn cordon."

    Raven took a few steps back, sea water sloshing around her knees. Her shield was pushing against one of Davian''s hands. The hollowfied teen screeched as his claws and sword landed multiple slashes on the shiped of darkness, steadily pushing back the gigantic figure. Sparks flew from the point of contact and every blow that Raven tanked seemed to grow in power.

    She gritted her teeth and held on to the spell. This guy was relentless.

    "Raven! Now!"

    Deadshot shouted from the top of Raven''s construct head. Raven slapped the ocean with the flat side of her sword, causing a tide to rise up headed for their target. Then on an ice platform near Raven''s feet, Killer Frost submerged her palms into the water, flash freezing it and the tide that was now covering Davian.

    Raven then yelled, spinning around for momentum before slapping away the frozen chunk of ice holding Davian with her shield.

    "Stay down!"

    Raven shouted at him.

    Davian''s form bounced across the ocean surface, covering a distance of more than 2 kilometers due to the force behind the blow.

    "Move in!"

    Deadshot ordered but Raven was already taking large steps deeper into the ocean. The ground shook from her advance. Only for a massive shockwave to explode out of the water, sending forth a beam of pure spiritual energy that could be seen and felt for miles.

    All around the country, supernatural entities turned to face Gotham. The spectacle gathered the attention of both good and bad forces. At ground Zero, Raven''s large figure was thrown away, feet rising off the water. Her body landed on more containers, further destroying shipments and liners.

    Killer Frost managed to create an ice slide under Deadshot''s falling form, saving his life in the process.

    The real Raven groaned from the middle of the huge Avatar. The strain on her abilities was immense. However, she knew that there was no one else to hold it back. She stumbled back up, pushing off the destroyed docks.

    Her eyes widened from within the Avatar when something fast and hard struck her on her chest. Raven jerked her real body to the side as Davian burst straight through carving a hole on the left side of her Avatar''s burst. Then he blasted out of her back, further destroying the construct.

    The darkness lost cohesion and Raven cried out in pain as she tried to regain control and failed, getting hit by the backlash. The spell destabilized, causing her to revert back into her normal form, falling from the sky and headed to the murky waters of the Gotham coastline.

    The Hollowfied Davian looked up, body tensing. A few figures grew bigger in the skyline of Gotham. No longer was he concerned about the falling Raven. He fully turned to face what it knew was the real threat.

    Meanwhile Batman swung on his grappling gun, managing to scoop Raven out of the free fall before landing roughly on top of a blue container. Deadshot immediately turned one of his guns Batman''s way, the other was aimed at Davian who was floating in the sky.

    "Step away from her Bats. You know I can shoot accurately even without line of sight."

    He warned.

    "You should be in Belle Reeve, Floyd."

    Batman stated, secretly tapping at his wrist device while holding onto Raven.

    "Yeah well, decided I needed some fresh air. Now let her go."

    Deadshot insisted.

    Batman narrowed his eyes while the Marksman clenched his jaw, eyeing him from the corner of his eyes.

    "I won''t tell you a second time, Batman."

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    An engine roared and Deadshot ducked onto the ground, evading the barreling vehicle that zoomed above him. Deadshot rolled away and begun shooting at Batman, cursing the while mission in the first place. Things had changed.

    Batman spun with Raven in his arms, hiding behind the Batmobile. A sheet of ice covered the corner of the vehicle as Killer Frost arrived and begun to try to kill Batman. The three of them begun their fight.

    Over in the sky, the figure of Davian screeched as it held up it''s sword. Spiritual energy begun pouring out of the weapon in a torrential wave.

    The figures fast approaching, turned out to be some of the members of the Justice League. Captain Atom, Lantern Stewart, Canary who was shrouded in a green environmental suit by the Green Lantern, Superman and Shazam. The rest were on console duty, handling other cases or in the case of Wonder woman, watching over the Flash to get rid of the mind control.

    "The amount of energy I sense in that weapon is enough to take out half of Gotham if he misses."

    Captain Atom informed the others.

    "I sense it too."

    Superman agreed with a serious look on his face. His gaze swept across the burning docks.

    "Let''s split up. I''m on damage control, we need to put out those fires before they expand. The rest of you, try to stop him."

    Superman said, changing course for the docks.

    Stewart looked at the others, a little of his military experience leaking out with his next statement.

    "With the threat of that attack he''s charging, talks are out. We need to take him down. Hard."

    Stewart said, moving in fast.

    "Canary and I will distract him while the two of you try to incapacitate him."

    There was no objection and Black Canary along with Stewart moved on ahead.

    Shazam and Captain Atom flanked their sides, increasing their speeds to cut off any of Davian''s escape routes.

    A construct that was a device sharing similarities to a choker, appeared on Canary''s throat. She faced Stewart with a questioning glance.

    "That''s a mega sound relay device." He answered.

    "It is used by Mongul in Warworld to announce and commentate the death battles. It should help you go louder, much safely without bursting your throat apart."

    Then the Lantern fully focused on the figure they were quickly approaching.

    "Ring, anything on the energy analysis?"

    "Negative, John Stewart. The database lacks any related information concerning this new type of power. I advise you approach with caution."

    Stewart''s frown deepened.

    "Yeah." He added.

    "We need to stop this. Fast."

    There was nothing he hated more than having no or little information.

    "Let''s do it."

    Canary replied, getting ready.

    20 meters away from Davian, and Stewart had to clamp down on his fear with willpower. Those eyes, they spoke of mindless rage and negativity. It was enough to make him falter. He wasn''t facing a regular foe, there was something different about this one. Stewart felt it in his guts.

    "Hey, don''t hold back."

    He told Canary, uncharacteristically serious.

    "Only up until he''s down."

    She agreed on condition.

    "Ring access comms: Superman, Shazam, Atom, brace for impact. This is going to be a big one."

    He then turned to Canary.

    "Now!"

    Stewart took a sharp corner before they could collide on Davian, The latter reaching out to swing his weapon at the two, only for them to split around him.

    Then Canary activated her metahuman ability, aiming it at Davian. The air was ripped apart as a sonic scream, much more devastating than anything Black Canary usually used, blasted out of her mouth, hitting Davian point blank.

    The eyes underneath the mask went wide. The whole space was trembling. Davian''s own body was trembling. The hand holding the sword was thrown back, the sword sent sailing away towards the ocean.

    ''told you ...not ready..."

    The clothes Davian wore were completely shredded, leaving him with only a modest pair of torn pants around his groin.

    The pressure blast completely threw the debris of the destroyed dock away, necessitating the need for Batman, Deadshot and Killer Frost to stop fighting and save themselves.

    Luckily, Canary had aimed the impact of the sonic scream towards the wide expanse of the ocean. So while the resulting wave was massive, enough to reveal the ocean floor, it wasn''t too unmanageable. Superman dove in and used his ice breath to freeze a major part of the water before it could impact the shores.

    Killer Frost helped as well, momentarily taking a break from fighting Batman to blast out chilling winds at the incoming Tsunami. The wave of water shifted states, becoming an ice wall. When she was done she looked behind her and heard a whisper,

    "5 minutes, then I''m coming after both of you."

    Back in the air, something had gone wrong.

    Davian had initially tried to endure the sonic blast, placing a hand infront of him to shield himself, but the shockwaves threw him back. The horn above his head cracked slightly. Spiritual Energy begun leaking out of the crack in a shocking amount. The Canary cry while not lacking in power seemed to be scarily effective against this brand of an opponent.

    Green metallic clamps enclosed Davian''s body fully, leaving only eye holes in the massive metal coffin. Green Lantern and Canary floated down towards the coffin.

    Canary rubbed her throat as the choker disappeared.

    "That was not pleasant."

    She commented, making Stewart chuckle.

    "I know. Luckily it''s over."

    The rest of the League quickly arrived.

    "Green lantern, well done. You guys didn''t even need us to intervene."

    Shazam commented with a smile.

    "It was all Canary."

    Stewart praised her.

    "Wow! that attack was wild, Black Canary."

    Shazam added, making the blonde superheroine smile.

    "Now then..."

    Stewart begun before he went silent. All of them did in fact. There was a sudden hum as the color pallet of the whole world went bleak. There was a feeling...a dawning horror that sprouted from deep within their souls.

    "WEAK!...HOW DaRE YOU BE WEAK!? NO WIELDER OF MINE SHOULD EVER BE WEAK!"

    The voice was angry, deranged and most of all sadistic.

    A pulse escaped out of the metallic construct holding Davian captive. A pulse that brought with it a fresh wave of Spiritual Pressure. This one was full of malice, painting the sky a deep purple.

    The effects this time were more devastating. Black Canary and Green Lantern immediately passed out, both falling off the sky.

    "Warning! Insufficient Willpower detected!"

    The ring on Stewart''s finger blared out.

    Captain Atom and Shazam on the other hand, could not move. With wide eyes, Shazam allowed himself to fall towards the coffin. He landed on it, feeling his arms flail like noodles, not able to leverage his immense strength.

    Luckily that hadn''t been the plan. All Shazam wanted was for this to end.

    "SHAZAAAAM!!!"

    A streak of blue Super hot bolts of mystic lightning fell from the sky, briefly covering their position. The shockwaves were enough to throw Captain Atom away, helping the former marine to break out of the spell and do something.

    He flew after Canary and Green Lantern, managing to grab both before they could impact on the surface of the ocean. Another body fell towards the sea at fast speeds but Superman was there to save the young boy.

    His eyes blinked in shock at the fact that Shazamz one of the few heroes who could actually give him a ran for his money, was actually a kid. He managed to bring him back towards the destroyed docks and over the massive ice wall.

    Passing over Batman to give Billy over to the parademics, Superman established eye contact with the Dark Knight.

    "You and I will need to have a talk after this, Batman."

    The Dark Knight looked back unflinchingly, then turned his attention to the purple energy covering Davian''s last position.

    "Let''s save the city first."

 We Have Much to Discuss

    I messed up guys, this is the real chapter 14.

    (General P.O.V)

    A few things happened almost at the same time. The eruption of power instigated by the clash of the divine and Spiritual energy would not have looked out of place in a battlefield. Streaks of lightning washed out, blasting everything at close range.

    Captain Atom being the only thing at that proximity, took the blunt of the attack. The energy was nullified by his own aura of nuclear energy, failing to really hurt him. What it did was obscure his vision. When the light show ended, it was to find that Davian was nowhere to be seen. Somehow he was gone. That took a backseat to something more immediate.

    Captain Atom wasted no time to dive after his teammates, their descent aided by the massive pressure blast caused by Shazam''s lightning and Davian''s own power.

    He managed to grab Green Lantern on his right hand and Canary was safely soon held by his left arm. The fall slowed down as Atom directed their flight path towards where he could see some of the other Leaguers.

    Atom went over the cordon before the eyes of the many officers, stopping next to Superman who was watching the child form of Shazam get attended to by the authorities. Welp, that was definitely going to be a problem later as the backlash from the public came in. No one would be okay with the fact that one of the League members was a kid.

    "Are they both okay?"

    The man of Steel asked in concern. Batman was there in a flash, kneeling over Canary and checking her vitals.

    "She''s fine. Merely unconscious."

    Superman''s eyes lost the glow as he deactivated his supervision to see past Green Lantern''s environmental cloak.

    "Stewart is okay as well."

    He turned around to face the sky.

    "He''s gone..."

    Captain Atom''s fists powered down. Superman was right. There seemed to be nothing in the sky.

    A different figure descended from the sky. WonderWoman looked at the devastation caused. The docks were no more, just a flat piece of space with broken and shredded metal, a few spoiled commodities and nothing much.

    "What happened?"

    She enquired looking around at the destruction.

    "A hundred million worth of damages."

    Batman growled out, quickly tapping on his wrist device.

    "I''ve called for the Batwing, it would not be wise to leave League members with the authorities in case their secret identities are compromised."

    He added, obviously referencing Shazam and the other two.

    Superman and Wonder Woman shared a look.

    "That''s obvious isn''t it?"

    The Themiscyrian princess wondered.

    "Mmmh."

    Batman grunted as he walked away, approaching Harvey who was standing around with his officers, before one of the only intact shipments to survive the fight.

    "How''s Flash?"

    Captain Atom questioned WonderWoman.

    "The same."

    She sighed.

    "I had to restrain him with my truth lasso and order him not to escape."

    "Wait, you can do that?"

    Superman wondered.

    A cheeky smile was all he got. Then Diana''s face changed.

    "What really happened?"

    The expressions on both Supermen changed.

    "A lot."

    "Batman! Batman!"

    A few reporters called out as The Dark Knight crossed the distance between him and the police.

    "Yes?"

    Batman growled at Harvey Bullock, not in the mood for small talk. He''d walked over after noticing how the Stand in commissioner was eyeing him. It was clear he wanted to talk.

    "We found something."

    Bullock replied before addressing the cops with him.

    "Rip it open boys."

    There was a grating sound as the metal was pulled apart by their combined effort, exposing something that made everyone recoil in shock. Bodies, pale and very clearly dead were revealed. Some looked to be no older than 10, young children exposed to the cruelty of life. Further in and the bodies were burnt or crushed into meat paste owing to the fight that had ensued.

    The smell was bad. Enough to make everyone around but Batman start retching in nausea. Batman on the other hand was not amused. Something had been going on. Something that had happened right under his nose.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    His mind was clearing up somewhat and that allowed him to see some inconsistencies with his memories. For starters, he did not remember having any base this close to the docks. It was too risky. Secondly, how had he missed this? He knew himself, he would have picked up on the clues.

    "Something isn''t right here."

    One question remained. Who was the enemy? And where were they hiding?

    (Elsewhere)

    Psimon and Deathstroke watched the scene from a different space entirely. A dimension created by mirror master.

    "What should we do?"

    Psimon enquired.

    "We not only lost the asset, the white Martian from Maalefalaak''s insurgent group is very much not alive. This is...bad."

    Deathstroke hummed, tapping the fingers of his left hand on the forearm of his other arm.

    "Nothing much. What we need to do is make sure that we erase our tracks. Deploy the agent."

    Back on the scene of the dead bodies, a green cloud of gas exploded from within the container.

    "Everyone get back."

    Superman informed them, flying in as the ground around the container was quickly devoured by the acid.

    "What about the bodies?"

    An officer asked.

    Batman straightened up from his crouch, holding up a swab stick, with a d.n.a sample from one of the corpses. The acid quickly ate through the bodies turning them into a gooey mess.

    "There''s nothing we can do. The acid is fast acting."

    He narrowed his eyes.

    "They were prepared."

    "I''ll grab Shazam."

    Wonder Woman informed them as the scene started crawling with more law enforcement agencies and reporters. The League might have been recognized by most but there were definitely outliers that chose to display their blatant dislike for them.

    "Sometimes I hate Gotham." Superman uncharacteristically told Batman as both watched the bodies dissolve.

    "It feels as if nothing good can come out of this place."

    The hum of the Batwing arriving cut off anything Batman was going to say.

    The Dark Knight had a lot of questions. And, he was only now realizing that maybe, just maybe, this was deeper than Jim Gordon''s death, deeper than Davian Mabuz, deeper than the Batman''s revenge of a fallen friend.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I''m floating. I don''t know where or why but I''m floating. Body suspended in zero gravity. A heavy and light feeling pressing and pulling on my skin and flesh. The weight of my own Reiryoku like a thick blanket, smothering and incredibly warm. Too warm.

    A pair of Torquise eyes, appear before me. Bright and mischievous. Following the eyes, white teeth set in a too wide smile become visible. Slowly the face becomes visible. A cat, a really huge cat. It''s gaze makes me feel like a mouse.

    "Oh stop it. I''m not in the mood to chase and hunt right now...hahaha."

    A deep voice rumbled out of the cat. I immediately wish I could get control of my body and just...escape this thing.

    It rolls it''s head in a complete 360 degrees.

    "I haven''t introduced myself and you are already spooked? Nice, I must be doing something right then."

    It states, disappearing into the nothingness of the darkness and appearing close to my left ear.

    "So...you want to know me?"

    It asks and I find myself nodding in response, despite the terror of the unknown before me.

    "As you wish, you can call me... ch!;''*$+((-"@@#. "

    It paused, the grin washing of it''s face as a disinterested look comes over it.

    "I thought for sure this time would work."

    It muses.

    "Oh well," I felt an impact on every single inch of my body.

    "Run along little mouse. You are not ready."

    My eyes widened as I sprang awake. Looking around, I panicked a little upon seeing the different environment. I was no longer chained to the chair as Batman''s prisoner. Then I asked myself why I was panicking over that. I was lying on a bed in a small generic room. It had a table and a wooden chair with a few clothes slung over it.

    I brought my palms to cover my face in relief. I was out...I was free. Kinda...

    What the fuck had happened? Then there was that dream...yeah you know what, let''s just forget about the dream.

    My body felt sore and achey all over. I removed the sheet covering me and found myself wrapped in bandages around my mid section. Pressing a palm over the tender flesh made me wince in a little pain. I swung my legs off the bed with another sigh.

    When I tried to stand on my feet, I was hit with a momentary feeling of vertigo, groaning before sitting back down on the bed.

    No...I couldn''t stay. Not without knowing where I was. All I wanted to do was go back inside the sheets and sleep for an eternity. Something forced me not to. I can''t explain it, it could have been self preservation or fear but I forced myself to stand up and wear the clothes.

    A simple button down shirt and grey pants. Then a pair of sneakers completed the look. I looked at myself on the mirror in the small bathroom inside the room. Good enough, if you consider that I had basically not had a moment of peace since coming to this world. There was a light stubble on my chin and my hair was singed in places.

    "Work with what you got Davian."

    I slapped myself lightly, before turning on my heels. I still felt the urgent need to leave and go... somewhere. A sort of pull that I could not see, merely feel.

    And so, I chose not to ignore it any longer, lest it got annoying. As I was walking out of the room, my legs tripped on something placed at the corner of the bed. I frowned, reaching down to grab... a...sword? The handle was matte black and the length from the cross guard to the tip of the sheathed weapon was about 3 feet long.

    I grabbed the body of the sheath and pulled out the blade, whistling at the straight, double edged Longsword. There was also the matter of the familiarity, I could feel from the sword.

    "I don''t know where you came from but I''m not leaving you alone in here."

    I muttered, instinctively placing the weapon behind my back.

    Somehow it stayed there without falling off. I hoped I wouldn''t need it to face whatever was outside the door. I pushed it open, expecting something crazy.

    The hallway revealed on the other side was at first glance, almost too normal. The walls were covered with renaissance-era styled paintings, depicting nobles, knights, and battles. As I walked further down the hallway, I noticed the style of the paintings change, and they depicted life in the 1700s, then the 1800s, and finally the 1950s.

    At the end of the hallway, I was met with a strange staircase, where going up meant going down, and going down meant going up. It was... uncomfortable for my eyes. Space seemed to warp and twist. This place was definitely not normal. I grabbed the handle of the longsword behind me and then stepped on the staircase.

    The world stop spinning but I found myself walking upside down. After what felt like an eternity, I reached the top/bottom of the staircase and pushed open the massive wooden door infront of me. I wanted to get as far away from the strange staircase as I could.

    To my surprise, I found myself inside a huge chamber outfitted with large suits of armor lining the walls. The suits all had the same color pallet and make. Weirdly enough, it felt as if something was watching me. The grip on the sword tightened. I wasted no time, crossing the distance to the end of the chamber, stopping infront of another door.

    I then pushed it open.

    This particular one was different. It swung open to reveal a massive library. One filled with books of all shapes and sizes. Books that were actually flying through the air, sorting themselves out on the shelves. My jaw almost dropped as I looked around, taking in the sheer size and beauty of the library.

    It was massive, almost too massive. Opulent chandeliers hang overhead on a ceiling that shifted color to show voluminous grey clouds. The walls were laden with flashing symbols, glowing with power. Power that made my skin shiver. I won''t lie, my hold on the handle of the longsword behind me was a vice grip.

    This...none of this was what could be termed as normal

    It was hard to believe what I was seeing. I has no idea where I was or how I got there. Suddenly, one of the flying books swooped down towards me, hovering in front of my face. I reached out to touch it, but it quickly darted away.

    "It''s like magic." I muttered.

    "It is magic. Oh and seems like you''re awake."

    I felt a presence to my side and quickly turned to face whoever it was, unsheathing the sword and pointing it their way.

    An older gentleman with gray hairs and a bright but mischievous smile looked at me. Next to him was a girl dressed in a purple leotard and a hood that covered most of her head. I blinked in realization. She was very familiar. I think I was staring at Raven.

    "We have much to discuss, Davian Mabuz. You can call me Kent Nelson."

    The man told me.

    Kent Nelson? Wait... isn''t that the identity of Doctor Fate?

 I Need Power.

    AN/ I Messed up the chapters. The Real Chapter 14 is up. Go and check it.

    ::-----------------------------------------------------------::

    (General P.O.V)

    "I guess...I don''t know what to feel. Everything happened so fast."

    Raven looked up at the wizened face of Kent Nelson.

    "A lot of people died."

    The older man hummed.

    "A lot of people die all the time. Why was this any different?"

    He asked, taking a sip of his own cup of coffee.

    Raven blinked.

    "I...that''s a bad outlook, isn''t it?"

    The older man laughed.

    "My dear, live to be as old as I am and you understand the value of speaking what''s on your mind."

    He pointed at Raven''s untouched cookies and milk.

    "I used my dear Izza''s recipe for the cookies. They''re mint. Go on, try them."

    Raven reluctantly obliged, biting on a cookie before closing her eyes and moaning at just how good it was. Then she flushed and looked away.

    "You haven''t answered my question. Why was this different?"

    Kent pushed.

    Raven took a sip of her milk.

    "Because... because I wish I could have done more. I wish I could have stopped Manchester from Killing Boomerang. I hoped that I could protect them. Instead I ended up being useless."

    The old man leaned back on his seat, shaking his head slightly.

    "Oh dear...Raven. There is responsibility and there is arrogance. You are a child, granted, one with incredible power and an unfathomable potential, but still a child."

    Raven''s grip on the cup tightened as Kent continued.

    "It is not your job to be responsible for every single person you come across. You, better than most know how draining that can be. You have been fighting a one sided battle with your father''s crazy cult while also looking for a way to get your mother back. That''s too much pressure on young shoulders, my dear. You cannot add more. You will break under the strain."

    Raven sighed.

    "I...I have this...terrible power for a reason. What does it mean if I can''t use it to defeat my opponent?"

    She looked up, establishing contact with Kent''s eyes.

    "Terrible it may be but its how you chose to use it that defines you. The both of you should learn that."

    Raven cocked her head to the side.

    "The both of us?"

    Kent smiled getting up.

    "Your ''opponent'' is up. I say we go meet our guest."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I finished munching on the cookies, pleasantly surprised at how good they were.

    "These are actually really good."

    I wiped the plate clean.

    "Thanks."

    I told the host of Nabu.

    Feeling Raven''s stare dig holes through my head, I turned to face her.

    "Yes?"

    "How can you calmly sit there and act as if nothing is wrong. After everything I''ve told you!"

    I narrowed my eyes, not understanding why she was so worked up.

    "Easy. That''s the life I grew up on. Motherfuckers..."

    Kent cleared his throat.

    "Oh, sorry."

    I apologized.

    "What I meant to say was that people have tried to kill me many times before. This is not the first time nor the last. Waller will get what''s coming to her. They all do in the end."

    I shrugged.

    Raven sucked in a breath.

    "So what do you plan to do?"

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    The younger teen wondered.

    "Go after her and kill her? Continue this cycle of death? As if that will bring back anything you''ve lost."

    This girl... She was getting on my nerves.

    "I only kill when it''s necessary. And only those people who deserve it. I''m not a monster."

    Our gazes crashed in mid air.

    "Hey now, everybody calm down."

    Kent tried to kill the tension.

    "Killing is wrong. You cannot justify it."

    Raven stood up to leave. Gah!

    "Are you always this stubborn?"

    Raven looked over her shoulder.

    "Only when I''m right."

    I rolled my eyes at her self righteous answer.

    "Sorry Raven, but you''re naive."

    "And you''re insufferable."

    The door shut behind her and she was gone, leaving me alone with Kent. He was giving me a look.

    "Fine. I''ll apologize."

    The old man nodded.

    "Later when she has calmed down. She is similar to my late Izzah in that way. Both are firecrackers."

    The two of us chuckled.

    "Hey Mr.Nelson. Can I ask you for a favor?"

    I finally worked up the courage. Recent events had shown me, simply having a bigger stick did not mean I knew how to use it. Raven was right about one thing, Waller would not give up. Not really. She sent the frigging Suicide Squad after me! That''s some next level bullshit. Hell naw, I need power. The kind that would show her not to mess with me. Her and Batman. I had a bone to pick with that fucking bastard.

    Kent straightened up in his seat. The lanterns on the wall cast a gloomy light on his visage.

    "Go on."

    "I need to know how to defend myself."

    I leaned in.

    "I''m used to guns or fists, but I realize that I''m playing on a different level."

    "From what I heard, you can handle yourself pretty well."

    He pointed out.

    I shook my head at his comment.

    "No, while I''m powerful in that form, it''s not really me at the helm. I lose control and start destroying everything wantonly. I need to learn how to control it."

    Kent hummed.

    "And why do you think I can help you?"

    "Oh come on." I gestured at our surroundings.

    "The weird staircases, the flying books. You are a wizard."

    "I have the ability to wield magic. I''m not a wizard."

    He corrected.

    "Sorry, I didn''t know there was a difference."

    He waved off my apology.

    "Besides, magic and whatever you have at your disposal are two different things. Why are you certain I can teach you how to control your power?"

    I couldn''t disclose that I knew he was the most powerful Sorcerer on Earth now could I? I would die before I revealed my meta-knowledge. With the kinds of villains running around, my memories would basically fuck the world.

    "Because I have no one else. I have no choice. Batman and the rest of the League think I killed Commissioner Gordon, I didn''t. I have his soul stuck in this...space of being that is the source of my powers. The only way he''s getting out is if I learn how to manipulate this energy."

    As an example, I fell into my mantra of push and pull. My hand began glowing with purple energy, sparks of power flashing off my fingers.

    "My word."

    Kent leaned in, grabbing his walking stick and hovering the hand holding it above the roiling energy.

    "So...pure. I have never sensed this kind of energy before."

    He stiffened, eyes narrowing before he leaned back on his seat.

    "That''s a problem."

    He scratched his chin, more serious than I''d seen him.

    I cut off the Reiryoku.

    "What is?"

    Kent looked at me dead in the eyes.

    "I don''t know how to say this but... you reek of evil."

    "Huh?"

    (General P.O.V)

    "We have been compromised."

    Batman began, looking around at the gathered Leaguers.

    The mood was somber. In part due to the new information disclosed by the Dark Knight. Inconsistencies that one might have ignored if it weren''t for the frankly astonishing betrayal.

    "The League begun as a way to save the world. 7 initial members. The founders. Then we inducted 7 more heroes. Or so we thought."

    Batman concluded, clicking something on his wrist computer.

    An image of a red colored android appeared above the table.

    "This is Red Tornado. An android created by T.O. Morrow to infiltrate the Justice Society. He turned away from his original programming however and became a member, helping the Society save the world multiple times throughout the 70''s 80''s and 90''s."

    Green Arrow whistled.

    "With a resume like that, let me be the first to vote yes on him joining the team."

    But his mood turned solemn as he added,

    "Especially with Barry''s current condition."

    His crest fallen look was shared by everyone present.

    "The Flash is getting all the care he can from the Guardians. Green Lantern assured that he would be back in no time."

    Superman said, trying to lift their spirits.

    But Batman cut in.

    "You misunderstood me, Arrow."

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    Green Arrow scratched his head in confusion.

    "Red Tornado is not a candidate. Red Tornado is a Justice League member. Has been for the last year."

    There was a brief silence as the news sunk in.

    "How?!"

    Hawkwoman and Zatara both wondered out loud.

    "The same way I gave the go ahead on a mission to break out Davian Mabuz from a prison truck headed for Belle Reve. The same way the memories of the 5 deaths that occured after the Royal Flush Gang hit the transport were erased from both the Flash and my mind. Mental Tampering. The Martian."

    He growled.

    "J''onn..."

    Superman muttered.

    "I still can''t believe he would do something like that."

    Wonder Woman said with a shake of her head.

    "No one did."

    Batman added.

    "That''s why I believe he wasn''t the real Martian Manhunter. D.N.A analysis from Star Labs indicate that while the genetic blueprint is from a Martian...it wasn''t a green Martian. The melanin is lighter."

    "A white Martian."

    Hawkman figured.

    "Exactly."

    Batman said, pulling up a black and white image of a white Martian, a humanoid alien with long limbs and white skin.

    "We have always kept minimal contact with our neighbors. This picture is from the era of the Justice Society. There are different castes and factions on Mars. As is the case with a sapient civilization filled with a free thinking and diverse people, racism is prevalent and The White Martians have faced the blunt of it for centuries."

    "God."

    Zatara rubbed his forehead.

    "Wait, so let me get this right, our Martian Manhunter, the real one, was replaced by an imposter. Then somehow that imposter managed to wipe away all of our memories about Red Tornado as well as cover any discrepancies by even wiping the database clean?"

    Green Arrow incredulously asked.

    "I mean, guys, let alone the skill you would need to tamper with the mind of the Flash, who quite literally thinks at the speed of light, how would you go on about erasing Red Tornado from the minds of the public?"

    The question was reasonable enough, but it wasn''t something that the Batman hadn''t asked himself as well.

    "Zatara?"

    The Dark Knight prompted.

    The resident magician sighed.

    "It''s not... entirely impossible with magic."

    He cast a serious look their way.

    "But that would require tapping into a force that is not of mortal origin."

    "Could it be divine?"

    Wonder Woman asked.

    "Because if so...I know of a few parties who wouldn''t mind throwing in their lot with whoever our enemy is."

    Batman grunted.

    "Diana, pursue that angle. I have a feeling you might be right."

    She nodded.

    "We now know of the problem." Captain Atom spoke up.

    "What is the solution?"

    The Dark Knight was silent for a few seconds, fingers stapled together. The situation was not...ideal. Batman did not know if he could trust himself or his teammates after the Flash debacle. He needed to make some plans just in case.

    "We need to begin a search on our missing members, Red Tornado and the real J''onn J''onzz. Then, we need to flush out our enemy."

    He explained.

    "And how exactly do we do that?"

    Black Canary wondered, the same as everyone else in the room.

    "We give them want they want. We give them...Davian Mabuz."

 True Strength

    (General P.O.V)

    The world''s deadliest marksman leaned on a tree. Or rather, hid behind it. Floyd craned his neck and saw the small form of his daughter as she moved about inside her room through the window on the second floor.

    He smiled. She was safe, just like the previous 2 weeks. Waller hadn''t gotten to her yet. He was arranging for a way to get them both out of the country and start a new life somewhere else. Maybe in Malta. With it having access to Africa, Europe and Asia, getting a steady job offing people sounded much better than messing with the kind of freaks the U.S had.

    Floyd rubbed a spot on the back of his head. Somehow the bomb had been deactivated. How? He had no idea. After the cluster fuck that was the mission had failed, he had woken up in a cheap motel in Bludhaven with a short note on the dresser.

    "A favor for a favor, we shall be in contact."

    The note said. That was all. There was no other information. No update on the status of the rest of the team. For a few days, he had gathered intel, understanding that they had failed. Waller had probably gotten her hands on Raven and Killer Frost. Both were probably languishing in Belle Reve, waiting for the next suicide mission.

    Floyd was free. Kinda. His freedom was tainted by the fact that he owed a favor.

    Floyd sighed, thinking back on the incident. There was practically nothing worse than owing a favor to a mysterious individual. Especially in his line of business. Oh well, he was a man of his word. When the time came, he would pay his dues. That was just the kind of person...

    Floyd stopped. He was a few blocks away from his daughter''s school. Someone had been following him and now they had lost all pretense.

    "Floyd Lawton."

    The voice was like a hiss. Floyd stiffened as red robed figures appeared all around the rooftops of the abandoned street. He sighed, turning around to face the new party.

    Someone stepped from the shadows. A man, wearing a red robe with a fanged hood mask in the shape of a cobra, hiding his face away.

    "Our Sublime master would like to have a word."

    The man informed Deadshot.

    "Please tell me it wasn''t you fucks that helped remove the bomb in my head?"

    Floyd asked in a tired tone.

    As if he relishing on his frustration, the Kobra Cultist smiled.

    "A favor for a favor."

    From behind, stepped a girl with a wild haircut. Half of her head was shaved while the other had long orange hair that was swept to one side.

    "It''s time to pay up, Deadshot."

    Then the world begun to spin. Floyd stumbled as sudden vertigo gripped him. The final thing he saw was the girl, Shimmer standing infront of him with a winning smirk.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I stood before Raven, sword gripped tightly in my hand while eyeing her warily. Raven''s eyes gleamed with a dark power that seemed to emanate from her very being. Demonic energy. She floated to the air, her cloak billowing behind her.

    It had been 2 weeks. 2 weeks where I had healed completely, having lost the bandages around my body a few days ago. The first week was spent trying to get my body used to calling unto my new power. It was a week spent almost completely alone.

    After asking Kent for help, he had locked himself inside the library, explaining he was doing research onto what kind of power I had. He would usually be around the kitchen area at meal times and apart for some late night sessions where he supervised my meditation, Kent was rarely seen. Our previous conversation stuck with me however. He had called my power evil. Or rather it''s essence.

    I already knew my powers followed a theme. I had been a casual fan of Bleach during my past life. It being basically the only Anime I had ever watched due to one of the most badass anime characters ever created, Yoruichi. While others had been there for the power ups and cool fight scenes, I had been there for the Waifus, or rather Waifu.

    I was a horny teen, sue me.

    Despite outgrowing that phase entirely, mostly out of necessity than intention, the power system intrigued me. It left a mark due to its...sheer versatility. Spiritual arts could be categorized into what they called Zakensoki.

    Zankesoki referred to the principle arts behind a shinigami''s power. Basic Shinigami fighting techniques. Zan refers to sword fighting techniques. Ken refers to unarmed fighting techniques. So refers to moving techniques. Ki refers to Kid��."

    It had taken a lot of time to remember the basics.

    What were Shinigami you ask? Basically what I wished I was. They were soul reapers. Beings from the afterlife charged with sending errant souls into the afterlife. They protected the souls from creatures of darkness called Hollows, which were basically corrupted souls. Unfortunately for me, I seemed to possess the powers of one.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    I was more hollow than Soul Reaper. Infact if it wasn''t for my human form, which presented the possibility that I might have simply been a Fullbring, which was a human touched by the reiryoku of a hollow, I might have thought my other form to be an Adjuchas. A humanoid hollow.

    It was all a complicated mess. Basically, I had spiritual energy (Reiryoku) and that Reiryoku leaned on the side of corruption more than a normal soul reaper''s Reiryoku. The real question was...could I bridge the gaps between the two species despite not possessing the genetic advantages of the main character or a powerful artifact like the Hogyoku?

    The second week was spent trying to find that out. For context, Soul Reapers had access to Zakensoki. They were trained in the use of a blade, Zanjutsu, the use of Reiryoku for binding and attacking, Kido, high speed movement, Soho, unarmed combat Ken and finally Kaido, the arts of healing. It was structured.

    In comparison, a hollow at the lower levels possessed heightened senses, the ability to instinctually open a portal to Hueco Mundo, which was like the dimension of hollows and maybe cero, a long range energy blast of Reiryoku. That was it. I needed power and that called for versatility. Hollow abilities alone couldn''t give me that.

    So the second week I tried to adapt my Reiryoku to work in a similar way to Zakensoki. Results had been so far... encouraging. Sorta.

    I tightened my grip on the sword, facing off against Raven. Amongst her wide range of her magical abilities, her most prominent skill was darkness manipulation. I knew I needed to be careful. One wrong move could mean my defeat.

    "So you can fly. Big fucking deal." I told her with a condescending smirk. It was a little game for us. I would try to antagonize her and she would respond in kind. Or act above the pettiness to show me she was more mature than I was.

    "Is that jealousy, I detect?" Raven mused. A dark smile forming on her lips.

    "Not Jealousy. No. I merely wonder why you think that will help you."

    I lowered my center of gravity, calling onto my Reiryoku. Push and pull.

    A purple outline of energy covered my body. Immediately, I could feel the difference. See, Zakensoki didn''t exactly work. It wasn''t a set of moves that I could recreate from memory. What I could do however was taken inspiration. And the first inspiration I got was reinforcement.

    By pulling onto my Reiryoku, I could cover my body with a layer for protection. That protection had led me into knowing how to apply the Reiryoku to strengthen my muscle strands, granting myself a measure of enhanced strength and enhanced speed to go along with the increased durability.

    Apart from that, my senses were heightened tremendously. I could feel the small flakes of dust touch my skin. I could hear sound bounce off the walls of the magical room we used for our sparring. It was a subsection under the armory that we were both forbidden from going inside by the way.

    The sparring room itself was according to Kent, formed by a mix match of small dimensions layered together. It fixed itself up whenever it sustained too much damage and through magic could be changed into a terrain to fit different battle scenarios.

    Of course with Kent poring over ancient texts and Raven being to inept in finesse mystical practices, the sparring room was eternally a wide domed room with brick walls on the sides and a hard sandy floor. The sand got in places that were annoying. Very annoying.

    Raven''s fists lit up with a dark aura.

    "You''re the one who''s been itching for a fight. Don''t blame me for indulging you."

    And with that the talk was over. Now the basic rule for fighting any mage was getting close range. I was eager to try some new styles I had been working on and hence took the initiative.

    I charged forward, sword blazing with purple energy. This particular skill was basically an extension of reinforcement. This time on an object rather than my body. It was seamless, the weapon itself allowing a steady input.

    Raven met me head-on, her darkness twisting and turning into various shapes and forms. The clash of our initial strike, which happened to be the edge of my blade against a a shadow scythe, echoed through the air. Sand rose up from our position.

    "You''re not bad," Raven said, parrying my sword with her darkness, flexing her arm to throw me back. I found myself pushed away, tripping over my own feet and transitioning into a clumsy roll. My face flashed when I heard Raven snicker. A little angry, I got up with the intent to show her...

    My eyes widened when an axe blade passed by my head, cutting off a few strands of my silver hair.

    "But you''re too reliant on that sword of yours. A sword you can''t even use."

    She stated landing on the ground.

    "What happens when you lose it?"

    She added.

    I tightened my grip on it. That had been close. Maybe this wouldn''t be as easy as I had initially thought.

    "I won''t lose it," I growled, pushing forward with my heels. The sand behind me jumped up from a brief flex of my power, a crude Flash Step pushing me forwards at fast speeds.

    "And even if I did, I would still kick your ass!"

    Raven laughed, evading my thrust by gliding away. Her darkness swirled around her like a cloak. "Is that so? Let''s find out. Azarath metrion Zinthos!"

    Spikes of darkness erupted between us, cutting me off from pursuit. My heart jumped to my throat as one of the spikes came dangerously close to skewering me. I snarled, slashing out at the constructs while running forward in a stumbling run. My sword felt no resistance. My Reiryoku aura protected me enough that I could leap off the side of a spike and jump towards Raven, sword held above my head.

    "You''re finished!"

    I yelled. There was no way she could evade this.

    Without warning, Raven lunged forward as well, her hands forming into claws that seemed to be made of pure darkness. My falling sword was blocked by the dark claws. I tried to react quickly, kicking out at her belly. The world spun around me and I was hurled to the ground.

    My back slammed onto the hard floor and I felt breath leave me upon the impact. Reinforcement prevented me from outright dying but the pain was something else. Now I had been hurt before. I consider myself a tough guy. The thing about surviving what should kill you however, was the agony it came with.

    I rose up from the ground, fingers patting around for my weapon that I had only let go after the fall. I grabbed the handle but before I could do much of anything else, a black blade was placed on my neck.

    "Yield."

    Raven ordered, standing above me.

    We looked at each other. Our eyes showing determination. None of us wanted to give up. Especially me.

    "You''re cocky and arrogant."

    Raven stated in that annoyingly monotone voice.

    I said nothing but an irrational anger started taking over.

    "You think you''re powerful because you can rampage around like a monster. True strength comes from the mind. Not from how much strength you have. Remember that and control yourself."

    She withdrew the sword and stepped away after her brief chastising, leaving me heaving.

    I was trying to calm myself down and then...all that anger washed out of me. I sighed, sitting cross legged on the ground. A thoughtful expression appeared on my face. ''She''s right'', I thought as Raven flew away.

    I had a long way to go before I begun acting with arrogance. The game had always been to move in silence. I guess I had forgotten about that...

 Ideal.

    (General P.O.V)

    (1 week later)

    "It''s done, Mr.Wayne</a>."

    Lucius Fox informed Bruce Wayne.

    The young Gotham Billionaire stood, looking out into the city with a forlorn expression on his face.

    "Tell me something Lucius, can a symbol meant for justice be absolutely corrupted?"

    Lucius Fox was an older black gentleman. He was donned in a grey suit.

    "Yes."

    Lucius wasted no time in answering.

    Bruce blinked.

    "I see."

    "Allow me to explain, Sir."

    Lucius cleared his throat.

    The younger of the two stood straighter.

    "Go on."

    Lucius pulled the seat before the desk of the owner of Wayne Enterprises and sat down, one leg crossed over the other.

    "I''m assuming this is related to our R & D department''s extracurricular activities?"

    "Mmh."

    Bruce gave a non-committal hum.

    "Well, it''s not a simple matter then, is it? You see Batman is more than just a symbol. He''s an ideal."

    Lucius leaned forward.

    "However, when an ideal becomes too absolute, it risks becoming corrupted by the very nature of its absoluteness."

    "For example, if Batman were to become too focused on instilling fear in criminals, he may begin to employ unethical or immoral tactics to achieve his goals, such as excessive violence or manipulation. In doing so, he would compromise his own ideals and become corrupted."

    He paused to gauge Bruce''s reaction, before ultimately continuing.

    "This highlights the importance of balance and flexibility in any ideal or philosophy. The world is not black and white, and there are often shades of grey in any situation. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a degree of flexibility in one''s ideals in order to adapt to changing circumstances and avoid becoming corrupted."

    Bruce chuckled.

    "Batman does not kill. That is his motto. His one rule. His essence. What does it mean when he causes the deaths of 5 people? Even indirectly Lucius, surely that is unforgivable to a degree."

    Bruce turned around from the view and Lucius could finally see the heavy weight in his eyes.

    "In that case, I would suggest a vacation sir. Maybe a week in the Bahamas would allow the ''Batman'' time to come to terms with his own mistakes, whether he''s truly at fault or not relies more on his future actions than the past. Will he take responsibility and make sure their deaths were not for nothing, or will he break down, stop being the ideal that Gotham needs. That is the real battle."

    Lucius stood up, looking at his watch.

    "Oh dear, I''m afraid the company is in need of my time Mr.Wayne</a>. I best be leaving."

    "Of course Lucius, thank you."

    Bruce shook his hand with an amiable smile.

    "Say hi to Alfred."

    Lucius smirked.

    "Inform him, I shall avail myself on Saturday for a little golf."

    Bruce snorted.

    "A chance to shake his old bones? I''ll make sure he''s not late."

    "See that you do."

    Lucius replied while leaving.

    "Oh and Lucius, the security overview for the CryoGen mutation Crystals...?"

    "I''ll have a report along with half of the safe combination code sent over to you later."

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    Lucius assured and left, closing the door behind him.

    Bruce turned around to face the city. Despite being on the tallest building on Gotham, from here he couldn''t see the destroyed docks. They were too far away. What he could see was the smog that covered parts of the industrial sector of the city.

    Take away that, and the almost tangible aura of danger in the air and Gotham could be considered a beautiful city. It was a complex and multifaceted place, characterized by both darkness and light.

    Bruce touched the window.

    These days it seemed to be more darkness than light.

    (General P.O.V)

    Kent looked at the helmet. Dozens of books, lost scriptures and archaic texts laid strewn on his desk.

    He stood up, feeling his body protest at the action. Kent was old and he knew it. He also knew his time was coming.

    He walked forward, approaching a section of the wall, below a mural of a larger than life man, facing the children of the creature from the stars. Facing, Starro.

    Next to the man were two other outstanding individuals. Both with a right to a legend just as illustrious. However, this mural in particular focused on Nabu, son of Marduk and brother to Ishtar.

    Kent stopped infront of the mural, looking down at its foot. The helmet of Nabu laid on a stand, spotlessly clean from the regular dustings he gave it.

    He lifted it up, running a palm across its face.

    His life flashed on it''s ornate golden form. And what an eventful life it had been. He''d seen everything. Well, almost everything... recently he had come across something new.

    Something he needed to wear the helmet for.

    "No sense stalling."

    Kent told himself, bringing the helmet down to cover his head.

    "It will be just like old times."

    His voice echoed out through the library.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The third week begun with a bang. Kent was still doing his missing-in-action thing and I was...stuck. See, I had all this potential but without a teacher, anything I came up with was a crude imitation of what I had seen on pop culture.

    So my need for a training partner had seen me challenge Raven for even more spars. And she had taken to the suggestion like a fish to water, hungry to lay the beating on me. It was painful but showed results.

    Already, I could move through a battle field with an almost uncanny intuition. I think this might have been a budding spirit sense. My strategy was move in, slash or punch then sidestep an attack, roll away from a pincer move (she was handy with controlling dozens of dark tentacles. I wonder where she learned it?) and then buckling down as an area of effect attack hit. I wasn''t fast enough yet, to evade such attacks.

    More often than not, I had my ass kicked.

    Case in point,

    She ducked a slash from my sword, disappearing into a portal that appeared on the ground. I immediately looked up, getting flashed accidentally as she disappeared yet again into another portal above me. The next rift had her land behind me on the ground with a resounding bang.

    She stomped a foot onto the floor and caused it to ripple in a dark flood of sand and stone. I lost my balance, falling onto my back only to get hit by the wave and launched onto the sky.

    My eyes caught a flash of black and I immediately crossed my hands across the chest area. The attack never came. Instead a cold wind passed by my body, causing actual black ice to form around me. My body temperature plummeted as my skin became numb. Breath came out in a mist. The cloak of Reiryoku around me failing to stave off the elemental attack.

    I fell to the ground, ice shattering around me as darkness claimed me shortly after landing.

    2 days later, I became conscious. I had no bandages on this time but that attack been dangerously close to killing me. I don''t even think Raven understood that. Or maybe she just didn''t care.

    "You have a death wish?"

    Speak of the devil. She was sitting next to my bed with an open book titled, ''Applications of dark healing to the physical vessel''. On the desk was another book, whose title I couldn''t read due to the angle.

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "Man, that last attack was vicious. I almost thought you were actually trying to end me."

    I told her, swinging my legs out of the bed.

    "Wait..."

    She had a hand up to stop me from standing and with the sheet covering me falling away, I understood why. I was naked underneath.

    Raven''s face flushed.

    "Jesus Christ Davian! Wear some clothes!"

    Then the door banged behind her as she left.

    "Hey wait! You left your...book..."

    I tried to tell her but she was gone.

    I looked down at the book and scrunched my eyebrows.

    "Effective counterattacks against close range combatants."

    My eyes narrowed.

    So that''s how she was kicking my ass. I opened the first page, it being the introduction, there was nothing really there to help. The next few pages however, introduced a concept I was kicking myself for not having realized before. I was weak if I couldn''t find a way to counter her ranged attacks.

    "Beat them up with sustained energy blasts from a safe distance. In cases where an opponent can block such raw energy attacks, switch to elemental, psionic or suppression attacks."

    I read out loud, face changing.

    That little...

    I smirked, closing the book. Now I knew what I needed to work on.

    The very next day I spent time alone in the sparring room. If Raven thought she could one up me then she had another thing coming.

    (2 days later)

    During practice, another thing had been made apparent to me. The move I wanted to develop as a counter to Raven needed me to be great at Zanjutsu or in simpler terms, sword fighting.

    I had a really sharp weapon in my arsenal and not using it properly was foolish. However, Sword training by myself was not really working out. I needed a teacher or a sword user to spar with. Raven was a Mystical practitioner and Kent was unavailable. Which meant I had to get creative and getting creative meant I unfortunately needed Raven''s help.

    Oh goodie.

    (Later at night)

    ''The old scars are there...but the new ones are gone.''

    I thought, looking over my body. Tonight I had decided to complete the meditation exercise earlier, so that I could talk to Raven before she fell asleep.

    A little of that extra time was spent trying to spot the differences between this body and my old one.

    I had been in this world for almost a month and it was still hard getting used to seeing this young version of me every time I looked in the mirror. I couldn''t help but wonder the kind of person he had been and the kind of life he had lived as well.

    However, the scars around his body were indication enough. My parallel self had not had an easy life either. I wiped the steam fogging the mirror, making eye contact with my reflection.

    Let''s try it one more time. I closed my eyes and imagined a tether of Reiryoku, connecting my mind with my inner space of being, the cemetery. Like it had been for the past 3 weeks, ever since I''d woken up in the Tower Of Fate, I couldn''t go there. I couldn''t access my soul space.

    Anger and frustration surged up within me. I felt ready to explode. Only for a shuddering breath to escape my lips. I couldn''t get mad. Getting angry brought him out. The negative side. I turned my back on the mirror. I had no choice but to keep on trying.

 Tour

    Chapter 18 Tour.

    (A few minutes later)

    I knocked on Raven''s door before immediately pushing it open.

    "Hey."

    I waved a hand at her as she looked at me in an expression between anger and surprise.

    "You can''t just barge into my room like that."

    She said in an outrage.

    "Sorry, this won''t take long."

    I placed my hands in my pants pocket, whistling as I looked around. Raven''s room was both what I would expect from a goth chick like her and also... not.

    There were chains hanging from the ceiling which was just an animation of the night sky, with a bright moon hanging over head acting as the light. The walls of the room were painted with occultist symbols and depicted strange creatures. Oh and also skulls. Lots of skulls.

    On the other hand, she had a ton of plushies on the huge pink bed at the corner of the room, an electric Guitar and crazily enough or not crazily enough considering she looked the part, a poster with the band Metallica above the bed.

    "Your room is... quite something."

    I told her.

    Raven sighed in frustration, closing the laptop before her and turning to face me fully.

    "What do you want, Davian?"

    I leaned on the corner of the desk.

    "I need to ask you for a favor."

    Raven rolled her eyes.

    "Oh really?"

    She asked sarcastically.

    "Yeah." I nodded, unperturbed.

    "But before that, I have a question. Where are we?"

    I gestured around us.

    That brought her up short.

    "What do you mean? You can''t be serious. How can you not know that, you''ve been here for 3 weeks now!"

    She asked in a disbelieving tone.

    "Exactly. I''ve been here for 3 weeks. I''ve not gone outside, and in case you forgot, neither you nor old man Kent really saw a need to answer that particular question."

    She stood up.

    "You never asked!"

    True, that was mostly my fault. However, between everything that had happened and the fact that I already suspected that we were in the Tower of Fate, there hadn''t been a need. But to sell the story of not knowing anything, I needed to cover my bases.

    "Look, I know I can be... difficult."

    I started.

    "Understatement."

    Raven quipped.

    I continued.

    "Maybe even unpleasant. Definitely rude. People steer away from me. I usually walk away before that happens. Before the respect turns to fear and the fear turns into hate."

    I sighed. Raven had gone silent.

    "But I don''t have that luxury right now. So you''re stuck with my rude, arrogant and unpleasant self and I''m stuck with you and that crazy old hermit."

    There was a silence.

    "Master Nelson is not crazy."

    Raven muttered without too much heat.

    "So you admit he''s a hermit huh?"

    We looked at one another for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter.

    "Come on then."

    Raven told me, getting up and moving towards the door.

    I cocked my head to the side in confusion.

    "Where exactly are you taking me?"

    "Well for the grand tour of course. You said you wanted to know where you are right? So let''s go find out."

    (General P.O.V)

    Self loathing was a powerful thing.

    Raven hated herself. She hated that she couldn''t just die because even the escape of death would only bring more problems as she was the only one standing between Trigon and the world.

    It''s part of the reason why she hadn''t tried to escape when Waller had managed to get her hands on her. Raven had reached the point of not really caring. She just went with the flow. Anything to fill the void inside her heart.

    Some members of the Squad had actually been fun to hang around with. Killer Frost had been a literal ice queen bitch. She had more than a chip on her shoulder, she had been actively antagonistic towards everyone. Everyone except Raven.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    There had been an inkling of respect there. However, the only true reason that she stuck around with the band of murderers and criminals was what Waller had said. That she was putting her up against another monster. Anything to save this fucked up world.

    That more than anything had led to her not blasting the heavyset woman to the wall. A bomb at the back of Raven''s mind was nothing compared to what she''d been through.

    Then she had met the monster and had realized he was nothing like Waller painted him out to be. Davian was a victim as well. The similarities between their fates was as clear as day.

    They both carried a burden.

    So she chose to save him, creating a portal after being blasted by divine lightning from Shazam''s attack, and falling unconscious. The only place she could take him was to Kent''s. She had known Kent from a few years back, when he''d saved her.

    And that had been how she''d spent the last 3 weeks.

    "And finally, this is the armory."

    Raven informed Davian.

    The older teen hummed in appreciation, looking up at the huge double doors before them. An Ankh symbol was imprinted onto the door. They''d already been through most of the Tower''s rooms.

    "Armory means he''s probably got a few awesome weapons inside, right?"

    A black whip formed from underneath Raven''s cloak and slapped Davian''s hand before he could touch the doors.

    "Ow." He looked at her with a frown.

    "Mind explaining what that was for?"

    Raven slapped her forehead in frustration.

    "Don''t just go touching everything you see! I thought we talked about it back in the Alchemy chamber."

    "The vial had "strength of 10,000 dragon warriors" written on the label. Who would pass up on that kind of power up?"

    Davian answered. In his mind, he wouldn''t have minded trying out some magical armor to increase his defense.

    "There''s more to life than power." She rolled her eyes.

    "Trust me. There''s not."

    Davian replied in a moment of seriousness.

    "Power allows you to impose your will on anything or... anyone. Its give you freedom. Life is all about freedom, Raven." He stepped closer to her.

    "And power gives you that freedom. The faster you realize that, the sooner people will stop fucking around with you."

    Both of them held eye contact. Raven''s right hand lit up and a bolt of demonic energy streaked through the air, slamming onto the door. The Ankh symbol on the entrance lit up with a shield of yellow energy that covered the door in it''s entirety.

    "Be careful. Next time you might lose a hand."

    She told him before turning around and walking down the hall.

    Davian followed her with his eyes. Then he glanced at the armory doors.

    "Maybe next time."

    He brought his wrist up before he remembered that he didn''t have his watch in this world.

    "The whole tour is taking longer than I expected."

    He commented, catching up to Raven.

    She shrugged.

    "Every brick making up the tower is individually carved with space expansion magic symbols. It''s no surprise that it''s so huge. And I haven''t even shown you the lower levels."

    Davian turned from where he was studying the tapestries on the walls to stare at her.

    "Lower levels?"

    "Don''t ask."

    She warned.

    "Imagine magic at its rawest form, twisting and roaring upon itself. The tower is sustained by a magical engine. Which in other words is pure mystical essence where all possibilities are within hand."

    She trailed the wall with her fingers.

    "The core of that magic gives the tower life."

    She stopped, grabbed Davian''s hand and then placed it flat on the wall. Davian found himself standing very close to her. He absentmindedly noted that she smelled good.

    "Close your eyes." Raven told him softly.

    "Can you feel her?"

    Davian let out a breath and did as Raven said.

    He focused on the feeling she was talking about.

    ''i...''

    He gasped, withdrawing his hand.

    "You felt it, didn''t you?"

    Raven smiled from underneath her hood.

    Davian wasn''t even sure what he had felt.

    "It felt like so much...light."

    Raven turned around.

    "Come, we can raid the kitchen for some fresh cookies before we get back to exploring, Dora."

    Davian stopped.

    "Wait, did you just make a funny?"

    He asked with a disbelieving laugh.

    "Ugh, just when I forget how much of an idiot you are..."

    The purple clad teen began to walk away.

    Davian chuckled, catching up to her again.

    "So about the favor I wanted to ask you..."

    Raven spared him a glance.

    "Yes, what is it? I won''t promise to help you though."

    Davian waved a hand, lightly brushing his left hand across the pommel of the sword strapped to his hip. He had taken to carrying it everywhere. Whenever he was stressed about something, he would catch himself brushing up against the handle.

    "It''s not anything bad."

    Davian assured as they arrived at the entrance of a maze. A maze of staircases. Davian always wondered how Raven could get from one place to another without getting lost.

    ''Its the Tower, she leads me where I want to go.'' had been her answer. Davian on the other hand always chose to stick to the places easily accessible or use the stairs with Raven. He spent 20 minutes confused a while back, walking up and down while trying to get to the library.

    He wrapped his hand around the sword and unsheathed it. Raven frowned. It must have been a trick of her mind but she could swear she saw the air get...cut for a second there.

    Davian twirled the weapon while stopping.

    "See, I''ve been trying to learn sword fighting."

    He swept the sword across the air, slowly. A glint bounced off the blade owing to the lanterns on the wall.

    "With a weapon like this..." He breathed out, running a hand across its flat side.

    "It would be a shame if I didn''t know how to use it now, wouldn''t it?"

    He asked.

    Raven couldn''t take her eyes off the sword. It looked so... unremarkable (except for the symbols on its sheath) yet, a cold feeling gripped her heart. It felt like a guillotine wire was wrapped around her throat, biting into the flesh at an agonizingly slow pace, before it slashed through completely.

    "...aven? Raven?"

    Raven blinked as she fell out of the trance.

    "Sorry."

    She shook her head, continuing with her walk, she needed to show him the final place they were allowed in, the observatory.

    It was a chamber where you could look at constellations. Astronomy helped in the field of magic a lot. Especially in divination. There were also magical spells that could only be performed according to the stellar calendar. The heavenly bodies movements would increase the spell''s power.

    "Ok, so what''s the favor?"

    Raven cleared her throat and asked, stopping before the first step of the staircase leading up.

    "Well, I was wondering if you could enchant a few suits of armors, there''s one standing around in almost every corner of the tower. The idea was to use them as training partners for sword fighting."

    It wasn''t a bad idea, Raven mused. She was purely a caster, only moving close range when it was absolutely necessary and Dr.Fate</a> was the same. Davian needed...

    An explosion of bright light was followed up by a massive golden Ankh forming infront of them.

    Raven brought up her palms to shield her eyes, while Davian leapt forward to shield her, holding his sword at the ready.

    From within the Ankh, Dr.Fate</a> floated out. He was in his full costume, cape flapping behind him as he cast a stern gaze Davian''s way.

    "Boy, you are not supposed to be here. Begone!"

    One second Davian was reeling from the sudden entrance of the lord of Order and the next, a sword made of golden light was passing through his chest. Davian felt heat. His eyes widened as large as saucers. The whole attack had been too fast.

    His body was picked off from the ground and thrown back the way they had come, the hallway. He smacked on the wall at the end and felt the concrete give way to his body. Then darkness claimed him.

    "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!!"

    A ray of purple light pushed past the darkness, forcefully bringing him back. Then the pain came, blood lurched to his throat and out through his mouth as he coughed. Something sticky dyed his face as instead of following down his body, the blood instead flowed up.

    ''What the?...'' He groaned, looking around with the light of the mystical sword still inside his chest. His sight was blurry and focusing through the pain too a major effort.

    What he could see however, filled him with more dread. There was a purple magical rope attached to his ankle, making his body hang over...is that Lava?

 Versus

    (General P.O.V)

    Raven''s quick thinking ensured that Davian hadn''t fallen to his death. She had a feeling that Dr. Fate''s unprovoked attack, would make the house a little too hostile to them. It was after all his tower.

    "Mr. Nelson!"

    She yelled, fists lighting up with power. She didn''t want to fight but the magical aura wafting off him told her it would be wise to get ready to defend her life.

    "Snap out of it!"

    In response, the hue of golden energy coating him seemed to get deeper.

    "Daughter of Trigon. Another threat to Order. What makes you think Kent is in control?"

    Fate asked, floating closer.

    Raven''s eyes widened, then a furious expression crossed her face.

    "Let. Him. Go!"

    She warned, eyes turning completely red.

    "No."

    Fate answered, slapping both hands together.

    The distance between the walls on either side of Raven decreased as the concrete collapsed into itself, with her in the middle.

    Raven spread out her hands, forming large claw constructs around them that pushed against the walls.

    "You''re going to try better than that!"

    She spat out.

    Dust rose up as a roaring phantom of a dark bird rose up from underneath her cloak. The phantom widened it''s beak and fell unto Fate''s position, dark flakes swirling inside. The Lord of Order looked unfazed as he flew forwards. A burst of white light leaving his form and killing the shadow descending on him.

    "You stand no chance."

    Fate told her. Magical circles appeared on both of his palms. Bigger yet copies of the same circles appeared on the walls and floor around them.

    "You''re severely outmatched. Did you forget I control everything here?"

    The concrete and stone rippled, turning into mud that pulled onto Raven''s feet, her ankles sinking down. She looked around, panicking.

    ''Calm your nerves child. Fear is a tool. Use it, don''t allow it to use you.''

    Azar''s voice spoke up from a memory Raven had of training to stay in control of her emotions. The world was closing in on her but a glint of determination appeared.

    "Not everything."

    She responded, a swirling dark portal appearing underneath her. She went through it and came out behind Fate.

    "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

    Raven called out, streaks of black lightning springing out of her hands and carving a path through the dust towards Fate. She poured all her energy into the attack to the point she could feel the strain on her soul self.

    A shield of yellow blocked the attack quite easily.

    "What?"

    Raven couldn''t believe it.

    "My turn."

    Fate pushed forward his hand and his own version of golden lightning jumped out.

    (Elsewhere)

    A sudden surge of heat assured yes that was Lava. Davian could hear the sounds of battle from the floor above him, through the hole he had created with his body. Knowing that Raven would be preoccupied, he twirled his sword, clutching the handle tightly before driving it onto the wall a few feet below the hole he had crashed through.

    Not a minute later, the rope holding him up unceremoniously unravelled. Davian felt immense relief. Had he been a second late, he would be cooking in that red blazing hot soup. He breathed heavily as he looked down and saw the level of the Lava rise up.

    "I gotta get out of here."

    He told himself, judging the distance between him and the hole above. Sweat dotted his eyebrows as the heat from the lava increased temperatures.

    (With Raven)

    Raven saw the attack blast past her multilayered shields and streak it''s way to her body. Then the ground rose up in a tidal wave of concrete rubble, dust and metal. A crescent arc of purple light smashed onto the ceiling of the very much destroyed hall, causing an avalanche of material to fall unto them.

    "*Cough* Davian...are you okay?"

    Raven asked out loud as her eyes found the figure of a glowing Davian stand at the front, his back to her. He was breathing heavily.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "I had to break through the floor below us."

    He caressed the walls of the tower.

    "I''m sorry for hurting you."

    Raven stumbled forward,

    "What...what was that?"

    She wondered, reaching Davian just in time to see the rubble before them tremble, golden light breaking through the mess of debris.

    Davian banged the sword in his hands at his hip, bringing Raven''s attention there.

    "Something I''ve been keeping as a surprise for you."

    "You can shoot energy arcs from your sword."

    She said, more as a statement than a question.

    "Pretty much."

    Davian craned his head to stare at her. Raven gasped.

    "Davian you''re...

    "Don''t worry,"

    he turned fully to her. On his face, a hollow mask was partially formed, encasing the corner of his left side and eye. The lone eye glowed purple under the white material of the bony mask.

    "I''m in control."

    He assured with a small grunt, eyes pinched slightly.

    The tower trembled before Raven could speak.

    "Petulant brats."

    Fate stated, the debris blocking the way rising up under a yellow aura. Then each individual piece, from a huge whole brick to a tiny grain of sand begun to combine or rather recombine, reforming the once destroyed hall.

    Fate stood in the middle of the lone pathway,

    "I can unmake...time."

    He announced with arrogance and flair.

    Davian stepped back with a nervous expression, hands rising up in surrender.

    "Dude is seriously flexing. Bruh chill."

    Fate looked at him in confusion.

    "Chill? Mmmh. I can sense the false bravado. You need a way out of this so you stall for time..."

    He floated closer to the pair.

    Raven''s feet touched the end of the hall. Past it and the maze of staircases hung in the air. She could fly but Davian couldn''t. What were they supposed to do?

    "You are not natural boy, you upset things. There''s a balance to be maintained here. I can''t allow you to cause more ripples."

    Meanwhile Fate kept on monologueing.

    "Raven, make the strongest shield you can, when I say ''now''."

    Davian whispered. Raven gave a short curt nod.

    "So I wonder, what hope will you cling to when you can''t run anymore?"

    "The only reason I endured that speech was to wait for you to get closer."

    Davian changed tactics. The fear washed off his face, as a confident smirk replaced it.

    ''Flash Step!''

    Davian shouted in his mind. The crude result was nothing like a Flash step. For instance, too much power was wasted. Reiryoku exploded out of his feet in a flash of white condensed energy, burning the ground and depleting more than a quarter of his full Reiryoku reserves. But Davian achieved his objective, getting pushed forward at speeds close to sound.

    In what was like an instant he was behind Fate. Davian, dug his feet onto the floor, using a thick layer of Reiryoku to brake, before spinning on one leg.

    Dr. Fate could only stay rooted as Davian slashed out with his weapon. Accompanying the move was a single word. A single word that seemed to resonate around.

    "Now!"

    Raven immediately took flight, thrusting her hands out.

    "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

    A shield of pure darkness layered itself over the entrance to the hall, blocking it fully.

    On Davian''s side, the minute he roared out the signal to Rachel, his whole focus was on the push and pull motioning happening within him. However, he pulled now more than he pushed, breaking the balance. The mask on his face crept to cover his entire face. He could feel the rapidly rising illogical hate towards life. And the hunger...the hunger was the worst part of it.

    None of that mattered now, for in Davian''s mind, he was giving it his all. His everything. The culmination of the bare specks of what he had learned.

    "Getsuga...Tensho!!"

    The sword aura eagerly launched out, purple and ominous. Enormous as it shredded the whole hallway apart, swirling with sharp winds that sliced the art and tapestry. The Chambers along the hall were fully exposed in the wake of the attack, the floor of the Alchemy chamber above them dropping on their heads.

    Dr.Fate</a> was drowned in the light and Raven was left reeling back as her shield cracked and groaned, but held on still. She had never known Davian was that powerful. And to think that sword attack had been created specially for her.

    Finally things calmed down and she deactivated her shield.

    Raven couldn''t see what had happened, she did not let her guard down as she floated towards the smoking hole.

    Through the dust she saw a form, standing up in rags, scratches and soot covering his body.

    "Davian?"

    Raven called out, pushing away the dust by flapping her cloak and producing a gale of wind.

    "Hey..." Davian replied while struggling to breath. His face was red and puffy.

    "I failed..."

    He bit out, grasping at his neck. That''s when Raven saw the full picture.

    Dr.Fate</a> was behind Davian, one hand wrapped around the back of his neck, squeezing it tightly. But this Fate was different. Half of the suit was burnt, leaving patches of holes that were covered by mystical light.

    "You hurt me. I can feel you trying to take back control of your body, it''s futile."

    Fate observed. Davian gurgled in response. He could feel the monster just a few layers under his conscious mind. It was hangry. It hungered for the soul of this being that called itself the Lord of Order. Something about him rubbed the monster the wrong way. It was angry because Davian was letting this happen.

    ''No. I can''t let you destroy this place. The tower is part of Kent''s legacy.''

    Davian was going to find another way out.

    That was all before the pain.

    Fate''s grip on Davian''s neck, tightened again, completely cutting off his air supply.

    "Its only right I pay you back for the pain twofold."

    Lightning washed down the Sorcerer''s palm, electrocuting Davian in yellow streaks. The teen opened his mouth wide in agony.

    "Stop this! You''re going too far!"

    Raven warned, ready to abandon all control and really hurt something. Her voice took on a deeper tone. Her eyes flashed a dangerous red.

    "Too far?"

    Nabu asked, cocking his head in confusion.

    "Too far is Kent allowing the both of you to exist in this realm. One, the daughter of a multidimensional demonic entity and the other an error, a mistake that should not see the light of day. I am only doing my duty."

    As of to punctuate his words, the lightning took on a darker hue.

    ''Do something!''

    Davian looked deep into Raven''s eyes and saw the plea. His palm tightened. His sword was lying a few feet away and Fate was doing something to his body. The lightning not only hurt, it paralyzed him. The only thing he could was call it out. And that was out of the option.

    Darkness was creeping on him very quickly.

    "Let him go or I will destroy you."

    Raven informed Fate, gliding to hover above them, a writhing mass of blackness rising up from within her cloak.

    ''...name...''

    The whisper came into Davian''s mind.

    ''Am...I...am I going to die again?''

    Davian wondered to himself.

    ''...you will if you don''t call my name..."

    A deeply arrogant voice spoke up, assuring with an air of confidence.

    ''Your name?...''

    Davian was losing consciousness.

    The response from the voice came after something jerked him away, a blast of blue magical energy that separated him from Fate.

    "Enoz gnisserppus cigam!"

    "I got you."

    Raven swooped in and...Davian was already on his feet, one hand braced against the wall, the other hand rubbed his neck, silently. Raven touched down and walked forward, only for a dark feeling to grip her heart. The energy coming off Davian...it felt like death.

    A few feet away, Fate was facing the new arrival.

    "Oh dear." Davian''s savior said.

    "And to think Kent was right about you getting out of control, Nabu."

    Giovanni Zatara addressed Fate.

    "At least he was smart enough to arrange for me to intervene."

 Make Arrangements.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Zatara, you interfere with matters concerning the safety of the world. Stand aside."

    Fate ordered, restrained by blue glowing chains.

    "Not until you tell me why you''re doing this."

    Zatara narrowed his eyes. He waved the wand clutched in a white gloved grip with exceptional grace.

    "Answer me, before I tighten the chains to the point you can''t breathe, let alone speak."

    The eyes behind the helmet of fate flashed golden. With a flex of mystical aura, the blue chain links snapped apart into numerous pieces.

    "Did you really think that that would hold me?"

    Fate questioned, looming over Zatara.

    "No."

    The resident Justice League magician smirked.

    "I was stalling for time. And now I can complete the banishment spell."

    He stepped forward pointing the tip of his wand towards Fate.

    "!htreE rehtoM fo seiretsyM what ekovnI I:!noislupxE niosnemiD "

    (I invoke the spirit of Mother Earth!: Dimension Expulsion!)

    The whole atmosphere changed. There was the brief sound of animal calls, the roaring winds across Stony peaks, a freezing chill from the north, the scent of rosemary, rain, soil and wood sap permeated the air. It filled every crevice of the destroyed hall. Zatara had evoked the power of the Parliaments to banish a Lord of Order from the very earth itself.

    A large awning dark portal appeared behind Dr.Fate</a>.

    "No! You bastard!"

    Nabu roared, the portal glowing completely yellow on the other side. Zatara could feel gazes on him as entities with Magicka he could not comprehend studied him, judged him.

    "You can''t do...this!"

    Fate spread his hands out, manifesting dozens of golden chains from his limbs. The chains were tipped with blades that pierced through the brick walls and tore in, helping him combat the suction from the portal.

    Fate looked up.

    "You are making a mistake."

    Nabu growled in a gruff tone.

    Zatara held his wand loftily.

    "Perhaps if it were another time, you could have done something to stop me from sending you back to where you came from, but you''re unlucky. I am backed by the planet."

    He aimed his palm, holding it flat towards Fate, a small smile on his face.

    "kcik esroH" (Horse Kick)

    An impact struck the helmet, causing Fate''s head to swing back at the force. Zatara knew that the helmet was very durable, so any of the impact would not be transferred to the host. (Hopefully) The helmet slipped off Kent''s head, the rest of his uniform streaking away to reveal a brown suit cladding his unconscious form.

    The helmet of Fate entered the portal along with the last of the black uniform burning away into pure energy. Zatara was there to hold up Kent before he could land.

    "I got you."

    He said softly, running a diagnosis spell on him.

    Zatara sighed in relief, sagging on his thighs.

    "Good. Nothing''s broken."

    He patted Kent on the hand.

    "Just rest old man, everything is fine now."

    His gaze swept out at Kent''s home.

    Zatara sighed in pity at the state of the tower. He had stayed a few nights here, some years back. It was still salvageable. There was little that magic couldn''t do. And that little was mostly because of the consequences.

    Magic took. It wasn''t a free power. There were repercussions and very real danger.

    He stood up. There was still the matter of addressing what exactly was going on before his mind begun to drift off, the exertion from casting a high order spell making itself known. Zatara was not as young as he had been.

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    "Now then, would the two of you..."

    Zatara stopped after turning around.

    His eyes slowly but surely widened.

    There was someone right infront of him. Head bowed down, silver hair hiding the upper part of his face. The whole chamber was dead silent.

    Raven blinked her eyes while in the dark. As if hiding in it. It was almost comforting.

    "There''s so much...hate."

    She whispered, wrapping her arms around her body and shivering. Her powers as an empath allowed her to see past the physical, into the emotional and mental side.

    The hate within Davian was incredible. It dislodged her own half forgotten memories. Raven could remember that night. The night she first dreamt of her father. There was a shroud of malice all over Azarath. She woke up sweating and frantic.

    This was like that time. But the source of it was Davian.

    "Mpmh."

    Zatara heard the figure infront of him snort.

    "So...this is...freedom?"

    He craned his neck, bones popping ominously. The voice sounded deep and gravelly smooth. Zatara stumbled back, as if rousing from a deep sleep.

    "What are you?"

    He gulped, wand lighting up at the tip, a serious look on his moustached face.

    "She asked the same thing."

    Davian raised his head, revealing a wide grin over a face with a bony mask covering the top side of the face. His eyes were slit like a cat''s, glowing purple.

    The thick liquid was conjoining both the upper and lower side, flowing to cover it. The bony material kept dripping to the ground in large drops. Then it would go up in purple flames.

    "Yeah well, I can''t exactly blame her now can I?"

    Zatara looked into the dark, wand still vigilantly aimed Davian''s way.

    "Hello my dear, are you alright?"

    There was no answer. Zatara turned to Davian, studying him some more. He noticed that his left hand was holding a sheath. It was immaculately carved onto. With symbols he couldn''t quite focus on. There wasn''t any doubt in his mind that it wasn''t normal. Something caught his attention. A question. Where was the sword meant for the sheath?

    "Looking for...this?" The voice that came out of Davian asked, holding up a normal looking Longsword. Zatara blinked.

    "Not really impressed, I see."

    Davian lowered his hand.

    "That''s the point."

    A small breeze seemed to pass by Zatara. The Top Hat on his head slightly fell to one side. A part of the right side of the rim was sliced off.

    Zatara turned with growing trepidation to his back. Then he frowned in both fear and anger. There was a rumble as stone gave way, falling onto the debris on the ground.

    A scar formed in the walls of the tower, exposing the real world. The scar was long, almost 10 meters. That piece of it was entirely shaved off. It revealed skyscrapers cresting over the night sky filled with stars. Zatara was instantly on guard. Davian had done that...somehow.

    That attack...he hadn''t seen him even wave the sword.

    "Yes. That''s the expression! The awe, the fear when they first see me in action."

    The voice from Davian stated, lifting the sword to aim it Zatara''s way, mimicking Zatara''s own action with the wand.

    "The real him would never hurt the tower."

    Raven stated from the dark with resolve. The emotions she was feeling from the monster inside Davian had almost overwhelmed her. However knowing that Davian was counting on her was enough. She was going to fight and knock some sense into him.

    "We need to get Davian back."

    She floated to Zatara''s side, orbs of black energy covering her fists.

    "What is your name, my dear?"

    Zatara asked in return.

    "Raven."

    She answered, her eyes illuminated under the hood.

    "And that''s Davian?"

    Zatara guessed, pointing his chin towards the young man.

    "It''s not. Think of Jekyll and Hyde. He''s Hyde."

    Raven told him.

    "I see." Zatara sighed.

    "We can''t fight here then. Kent is sleeping and I do not want to hurt your friend if he is really not in control."

    "So what?!"

    Raven yelled, her eyes flashing red, slightly alarming Zatara.

    "We just let him go?! Scott free?!"

    She yelled, her face warping. Another pair of eyes seemed to appear over her normal eyes.

    "Calm down."

    Zatara said in what he hoped was a gentle tone.

    "Hahaha."

    Davian laughed.

    "Why are you fighting it Raven? Just let the darkness take over. I can already tell you''re tired of keeping all of it hidden away."

    "What and become a sell out like you?"

    She shot back, squeezing her palms onto her face.

    "Ouch."

    Davian muttered.

    "That hurt."

    In another instance, Davian was in the middle of both of them, moving faster than they could react. He held the sword in his hand over Zatara''s neck while his left hand was placed next to Raven''s neck, a clawed finger held up in the air. The tip of it seemed to be holding onto something.

    Raven gulped, she could feel the ultra thin wire/thread around her neck, undetectable to the normal eye.

    "What does your empathy say? Am I going to kill you?"

    The voice inside Davian questioned, exceptionally polite and jovial.

    Raven''s mouth dried. She could feel he wouldn''t hesitate to kill either of them. Death had never seemed so real before. He would do it before shield could finish her chant. The purple eyes gazing down at her seemed impassive to anything.

    "Please..."

    Raven pleaded. Her anger washed out of her. She had faced her father''s numerous attempts to get her to join his side but this was the only time where she felt like losing her life was only one wrong move away. So she backed down, momentarily letting go of her pride and arrogance.

    "Smart."

    Davian leaned and whispered in her ear.

    There was silence. Even Zatara could barely say anything. There was a heaviness around the young man. It made his knees shake, his back seat and his skin shiver. His aura felt very real.

    This close to him and Zatara found it hard to clearly think let alone speak. He was about to cast a spell when the danger disappeared.

    Davian withdrew his weapons and turned to survey their surroundings. He whistled.

    "I would not want to be the one who cleans this up."

    He took a step forward, his body suddenly stumbling on the third step. The heaviness holding Zatara in place disappeared and the magician begun to take in mouthfuls of air.

    "Freedom... wasn''t too bad. But I like it in the Cemetery. I''m just going to go...back..."

    Davian''s body shuddered before it fell, like a puppet without strings.

    The air of terror disappeared and Raven immediately ran forward.

    "Davian! Davian! Can you hear me?"

    Zatara calmed down, running a palm down his face.

    "Zatara to Console."

    He tapped his ear, walking closer to the scar inside the tower, looking around at the debris. There were shattered glass, torn cloth, burnt art and so much more.

    "Zatara, I read you loud."

    A gruff voice responded.

    "Batman, just the guy I wanted to talk to. I need you to make some arrangements. I have a few...persons of interest accompanying me."

    Zatara replied, sitting on a block of concrete while watching Raven fuss over Davian''s sleeping form.

    "Copied and out."

    Batman agreed and Zatara clicked off as well. This wasn''t how the day was supposed to go. He was supposed to read his daughter a bed time story and kiss her goodnight.

    Dealing with inter dimensional entities was never in the plans.

 You.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Azarath metrion Zinthos."

    Raven chanted lowly.

    Black tendrils rose out from her cloak, washing through the ground to cradle Davian and Kent on dark stretchers constructed by her demonic energy.

    Zatara stiffened slightly at the dark nature of her energy but returned to carrying out scanning spells around the room. He was afraid that most of he magical materials spilled around would cause some unwanted issues. No one wanted a magical node of mystical energy with different effects just lying around.

    However he knew he couldn''t get rid of the demonic, mystic and whatever the boy, Davian''s powers were, completely. They were like a dark cloud, hanging around in the air. They twisted and clashed against one another. The air was tainted by mysteries. He was going to need an expert.

    Davian groaned at the slight jostle. While Kent was relatively fine, Davian''s body was covered by burns and other wounds that seemed to heal slowly. His enhanced healing seemed to be faster than a human but nothing to really write home about.

    "He''s in pain."

    Raven informed Zatara.

    "Help him. Please."

    She pleaded.

    Zatara gave a single nod and stopped whatever he was doing, kneeling infront of Davian. He placed a palm on Davian''s forehead, running the same diagnosis spell he had on Kent.

    Zatara reached for Davian''s torn t shirt, straightening it out to reveal a hole in the middle of the clothing. Raven gasped, gripping the material and tearing it away. A long red scar laid on Davian''s chest. She traced the edges with her fingers.

    "I can only boost his own healing."

    Zatara sighed, placing a comforting hand on Raven''s shoulder. She bit down on her urge to shake it off. Raven usually recoiled upon physical contact. She wasn''t used to it and the intention behind the contact usually wasn''t good. She had met alot of bad people. Most of them hid behind kind expressions. Except Kent, Davian and now Zatara.

    So she allowed it.

    "I remember this happening." She began narrating.

    "The two of us were walking down the hall. We were coming from the Alchemy chamber when all of a sudden, a portal appeared. Fate entered, declaring that Davian did not belong. And to some extent even me."

    She looked up at Zatara.

    "He shoved a glowing yellow sword through his chest. Davian burst through a wall and it''s only because I managed to attach a line to his ankle that I was able to save him from falling to his death."

    Zatara looked around, a thoughtful expression coming onto his face.

    "Fall?...ah, the magma pool. It''s still there?"

    "According to Kent, it''s important for forging. A Sorcerer''s tower should have an Alchemy chamber, a spell chamber and..."

    "A forge."

    Zatara added with a slight chuckle.

    "As old school as ever."

    He shook his head.

    Raven smiled a little, eyes passing over Kent''s sleeping form. The smile fell away.

    "This wasn''t right. Nabu got off too easy."

    She shook her head, anger flaring inside her.

    "He''ll get what''s coming to him. The Lord''s of Order do not tolerate failure."

    Zatara said, getting to his feet.

    "Right now we need to make sure we lock up tight before we leave the Tower."

    "Leave?"

    She wondered what he meant. Leave and go where?

    Zatara nodded.

    "There is no sense in staying here. Nabu could very likely find a way back and that would be a problem for you."

    She frowned at the logic behind his statement. To Raven though, it sounded like running. Running when they had already won the fight. She was tired of always running.

    "Fine."

    She muttered, eyes passing over Davian''s sleeping form.

    "But before all that, we need to handle this mess."

    Zatara gestured around them.

    Raven winced.

    "Yeah, I don''t suppose you can magic it all away?"

    "You remind me of my daughter."

    Zatara snorted placing his wand in-between his arm and chest before digging a hand into his pockets.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    "Magic it all away? No, no I cannot. Magic has rules. The magical artifacts and potions lying around are causing a...bonfire that I cannot absolutely try to add to. One strong spell cast, no matter the effect, would be like a fuse being ignited."

    Raven could admit she wasn''t a fan of the grim reality.

    "Fear not, my dear. I am not without a solution."

    His hand came out holding a tarot card. The fool.

    With a single snap of his finger, the card went up in blue flames.

    "Now we wait."

    Zatara sighed as the magic died down. His left hand opened the pocket watch on him, revealing his young daughter''s face beaming up at him from the small picture. He might miss her when she wakes up to go to school. Zatara shook his head. He was needed here.

    "Zatara to Console."

    He rattled off at the comms in his ear.

    "Go on Zatara."

    Green Lantern''s voice was there to answer.

    "Oh, Jordan, I thought you were off-world?"

    There was a frustrated intake of breath.

    "I got sent back forcefully. The Guardians said I was too... passionate about saving Barr...the Flash. Stewart was reassigned to him."

    "How is he?"

    Zatara wondered, sitting on the surface of a table that was resting on a mound of stones.

    "He''s... hanging on. It might take some time until the brain washing is undone."

    Jordan''s voice took on a grave tone.

    "They were surprised that something could do that to a speedster."

    There was silence for a short while between the two men. This job was not a safe one. Yeah year showed that. He could only imagine what Iris was going through. Or any of Barry''s family.

    "Batman thinks there is more to this than meets the eye." Jordan continued.

    "I think so too. If you ask him, it begins with..."

    "Davian Mabuz."

    A voice said from the shadows. Raven jumped up, standing before Kent and Davian, spheres of black energy covering her fists.

    "Console, I''ll get back to you. Calvary has arrived."

    "Okay Zatara, over."

    Green Lantern switched off.

    "Bloody hell." Another voice exclaimed.

    "I''m very glad we took the staircase. Portalling into this room with all this magic hanging around would not have been good for our health, Mate."

    A blonde, 6 foot middle aged man with a scruffy beard stepped out from within the shadows.

    "Say Zatara, you mind helping me out with a lighter, old chap?"

    He asked, holding out a cigarette between his fingers. Zatara raised his eyebrows. He had magic, why not do it himself?

    "I''ll need all my juice for this one."

    Constantine shrugged.

    "John."

    Zatara gave a nod before snapping a finger and lighting up the cigarette.

    "We need to talk."

    Another figure, the first one that had spoken, swooped down from the ground, falling next to Zatara.

    "What the...?"

    Raven exclaimed in surprise at the entry.

    "Yeah he does that..." Constantine chuckled, taking a drag of the cig. Then he felt someone''s intense gaze on him.

    "Wait... Raven?"

    "You... I''m surprised you recognized me."

    Raven bit back with a growl. Her tone was filled with as much Vitriol and hate as she could. Constantine was shocked, the cigarette falling off his lips. A hard expression appeared on his face. That day, a few months...

    "Raven I..."

    He stepped forward, holding out a hand towards her.

    "Stay back!"

    She refused, holding up her fists threateningly. Batman and Zatara shared a look.

    "You know each other?"

    The magician asked.

    Raven let out a bitter laugh.

    "Know each other? He''s the reason why I was captured by Waller in the first place!"

    Zatara threw a hard look Constantine''s way.

    "If it wasn''t for his obsession with contacting my father and making a deal to heal someone, then an entire town of Cultists would still be around somewhere. Granted, most of them were religious fanatics, but you indirectly caused the deaths of over a thousand people. Then you left me behind."

    There was a cloud of silence hanging in the air. Constantine had a regretful look on his face. Hearing his sins get thrown back at his face was jarringly off putting.

    "I..."

    "We don''t have time for this."

    Batman cut in, walking forward to stop infront of Davian''s sleeping form. Raven held his gaze for a second, stubbornly refusing to move.

    "It''s okay, Raven. He won''t hurt them."

    Zatara assured her.

    "Touch a single hair on their heads and you''ll know the true meaning of darkness, Dark Knight."

    She warned. Batman''s lips quirked up in a small smile.

    "I believe you."

    He told her, stepping around her form and crouching infront of Davian.

    His fingers ran over his wrist computer and a green scanning light washed up and down their bodies.

    "One seems to be healing, though it will take some time before he is back to full health. Mr. Nelson on the other hand, needs medical attention."

    He stood up, facing the group.

    "What happened here Zatara?"

    "Before that, I need to know. What is he doing here?"

    Raven interrupted, pointing a finger Constantine''s way. Zatara sighed.

    "We can''t leave the Tower like this. A lot of magic activity would spring from the energy signature hanging in the air. We need someone to expel the power. Someone to exorcise it all away."

    "The great John Constantine."

    Raven muttered sarcastically.

    "Raven you..."

    Constantine began but was interrupted by her glare. The mood was tense and awkward.

    The air above them begun to hum as the Batwing arrived to hover outside the scar formed by Davian''s attack. A ramp withdrew from the craft, providing them a way in.

    "Let''s go."

    Zatara said to Raven.

    She gave a nod, threw another scathing look Constantine''s way and left for the ramp, behind her floating on dark constructs, Davian and Kent followed.

    Zatara watched her walk off before turning to Batman.

    "I''m not sure how much I can tell you on the way. The helmet of Fate simply went crazy, it controlled Kent and tried to harm the children."

    "Mmh. But they''re safe. You did well Zatara."

    Batman responded.

    "Oh you flatter me Batman. Believe it or not, they were giving him a good fight before I arrived."

    Then he turned to Constantine.

    "John, you and I have our... differences but thank you for coming. Take care of the Tower in ''his'' absence."

    "Of course mate."

    Constantine answered softly.

    Then Zatara walked away too, leaving the Dark Knight and the expert exorcist alone.

    "Explain."

    Batman bit out.

    "What''s there to explain?" Constantine asked, removing another cigarette before lighting it up with a flame at the tip of his finger.

    "It''s the usual fair with me. I got cancer, tried to fight it how I know how."

    He shrugged.

    "By making a deal with the devil?"

    Batman growled out.

    "Hahaha, oh no. Not the real deal. The real deal is way cooler and an actual good friend... sometimes. No, Trigon...Trigon is a nasty bloke. A multidimensional mystical entity hellbent on conquering our dimension and taking over. In some ways he''s worse than your normal run of the mill Demon."

    "Why?"

    Batman questioned.

    "They have a lot of false bravado. Showmanship. He''s the real thing Bats. Full access to earth for 5 minutes and it''s gone. No ifs and buts, swallowed up by his dimension."

    Batman tightly grabbed his trench coat.

    "And you tried to make a contract with him?! Why?"

    He barked out.

    "I was desperate!"

    Constantine tore himself away.

    "Blimey mate! You have no idea how it''s like!"

    Batman shook his head.

    "Nothing can justify the deaths of over a 1000. If she''s right Constantine, then you and I will see each other soon."

    Then he shot a line and disappeared.

    The Batwing rose away and disappeared into the night air.

    "Well, Fuck my luck."

    Constantine muttered.

    (Central City)

    A steak of lightning passed through Gorilla Grodd''s left, swiping his legs out from under him. He tumbled before rolling right into a street light, head hitting the metal and disorienting him.

    A power dampening cuff found it''s way onto his wrists as he tried to get up.

    The flash of Scarlet light happened again. This time, the light disappeared to reveal a costumed older gentleman. He had on a signature metal cap and a blue and red costume.

    "Stay down Grodd."

    Jay Garrick, the first Flash advised.

 Inner World.

    Info dump chapter

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I came back. But things were different.

    My inner world was not the same.

    Something was wrong.

    Very very wrong.

    The cemetery looked even more unusual today.

    It was gloomier, covered by a thick layer of mist that completely shrouded everything in a white carpet. At first, I tried to go back to the real world. Raven was going to need me in the fight.

    Doctor Fate was not a B list character that she could solo on her own.

    Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried to pull on the tether connecting me to my body, I didn''t succeed.

    It was all by design too. Someone wanted me to stick around. Faced with no other choice, I decided to keep moving forward. I could only hope that Raven was having better luck surviving and protecting my body. That raised another question, what would happen if it died?

    My foot stepped on a dried branch. It broke but released a sour smell. I knelt and lifted it, black mist rising out of the branch. That''s new. I looked around again, noting that I was standing under the crest of a hill of gravestones. Visibility was very low but I could feel something watching.

    The black mist curled around my hand as I stood up. The whole ground, seemed to be covered by the same thing. It was concerning but not urgent. What was urgent, was knowing what the fuck had happened here.

    "Gordon?!"

    I called out into the cemetery.

    No one answered.

    I took another step and bumped into something. A small gnarled twisted tree. What made me stumble away was the numerous eyes, around the tree. All of them were crying blood tears, all of them turned to stare at me balefully.

    I gulped, steadying myself on the Gravestone next to me. I closed my eyes and when I opened them. The Cemetery was gone. Instead, I found myself in the middle of a plain white field of sand. A desert. There was a moon shining above me and for miles all I could see was the sand dunes. A lone crystal tree broke the continuous landscape once in a while.

    The change threw me out of loop enough that I started getting angry.

    "This is not funny."

    I called out into the air.

    All that answered was a lonely breeze blowing past.

    ''... name...''

    I narrowed my eyes. The word had seemingly been carried by the winds but apart from the sensation of being watched, I couldn''t see the source.

    I began walking aimlessly forward again. The feeling of someone watching you was not a good sensation. It sent shivers all over my skin. My body was tense with every step. That''s when I realized another unwanted detail. The push and pull had stopped working. I couldn''t access my spirit energy.

    I faltered on my step. ''That''s not good.''

    I sighed, suddenly feeling cold without the familiar hum of power inside my chest. Or the warmth in my wrists whenever I pulled on the Reiryoku. Despite the lack of power, I wasn''t weak. Not like before.

    Recent developments had shown I couldn''t use my normal skills, not without access to Reiryoku. However, my body had been steadily changing. I had baptized it by constantly using spirit energy to increase muscle mass density. It was only possible because of a theory I had.

    You see, Gotei 13 Captains have one distinguishing factor. As soul beings their bodies are constructed by Reishi. Training and honing their soul skills ensured that even after they died, their bodies did not decompose or break down.

    The reishi making up their flesh had grown so dense, even time could not wear it down. I had no idea if I was made from Reishi, but using that thought process, I had managed to enhance my base physical strength, durability and speed to peak human. Active application of Reiryoku to enhance my body took me to superhuman levels. Albeit nothing too exaggerated.

    So I might have been less dangerous but I was still dangerous. Speaking of danger, I looked at my right hand and the empty sheath I carried with me. A sigh escaped my lips, someone really wanted to piss me off.

    It wasn''t enough that I had no access to spirit energy while in my own inner world, I also did not have my primary weapon, my sword.

    Where was my sword? I had no idea. It did not seem to have made it to my inner world with me. So what was so special about the sheath? Well, apart from the squiggly golden cursive lines on it''s length, there wasn''t much more. Or so I thought, until I tried to channel Reiryoku through the sheath and it complied, glowing green instead of the purple I was so used to seeing.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    "Whoa."

    My face was illuminated emerald, as I stared at the softly dancing energy around the sheath. It seemed...gentler than what I was used to. I settled into a pose, lifting up the sheath before slashing in a downwards trajectory.w

    "Getsuga Tensho!"

    A green, slow burst of conical shaped energy escaped the tip of the sheath, then the energy seemed to disappear into the air.

    The sheath didn''t seem to do much than that. I couldn''t shoot out sharp sword arcs through it like I''d hoped. Instead any beam I managed to let out was blocky and slow. It was as if attacking was not it''s main point or application.

    Still, anything was better than having no weapon.

    A few hours later, I managed to reach the top of the massive dune I had made my goal and looked down onto the other side. I had probably cleared 6 miles from my starting point. Nothing had stood out during that trek.

    And then something did.

    A lone figure stumbled inside a wide basin at the bottom of the dune I was on. They were dressed in a grimy green shirt, a gray tie, black pants and spectacles covering a moustached face.

    "Gordon..."

    It was obviously the police commissioner. But what was he doing here?

    Infact what was I even doing here too? Why was my inner world so different? It wasn''t lost on me that it now looked similar to Hueco Mundo. And was I dead? Did Fate manage to banish me from Earth to where he thought I had come from? Hueco Mundo?

    I began to breathe heavily, on the verge of a breakdown. Grabbing the sand with my palm and watching it fall helped me center myself. I...no we needed to get out of here. This place was definitely not welcoming to the psyche.

    And if it was possibly modelled after Hueco Mundo, mental breakdown was the least of our worries.

    Luckily for both Gordon and I, while the terrain was similar that was about it. I had not come across any Hollow tracks while walking. And despite the fact that Hueco Mundo was effectively infinite, it was weird that there would be no signs whatsoever of it''s main residence.

    I finally got to my feet again and looked around. I was calm now.

    "I can tell you''re watching. Why don''t you come out and face me like a man?"

    I called out. As usual there was no answer.

    My gaze fell to the only other being I could see. Gordon probably had some answers.

    making sure that I wouldn''t be walking towards an ambush, I released a shunpo (Flash step) towards Gordon. Now a shunpo is the pinnacle of Hoho arts, which was basically, superspeed.

    But with conditions.

    From my practice, initial entry into the skill manifested in huge explosions of Spirit energy to push you forward. The speed was not too fast, and you could only go on a linear trajectory. It was very inefficient. Despite that, I could activate the skill just fine.

    I felt a pushback from the sand below me. As if it refused to allow me to move across it. It was...weird. Imagine trying to run towards a huge fan. There is naturally a lot of air resistance coming towards you. The feeling was similar.

    I tripped on my feet and started rolling down the sand dune uncontrollably, only managing to kill my momentum by stabbing the sheath on the loose sand.

    "Tew!" I spat out sand particles.

    "That was very annoying."

    On the positive side, Gordon was now only a few feet away from me. He was still shambling forward in an unsteady gait, not seeming to notice my entry.

    I rose to my feet.

    "Commissioner Gordon?"

    He stiffened in place at the call of his name. I tightened my grip on the sheath. I had gotten so used to my sword that I felt naked without it.

    "Are you okay?"

    I questioned, slowly walking towards him while looking around vigilantly.

    Gordon lowered his neck.

    "You..."

    His voice was scratchy and dry.

    "You lied."

    He said.

    My heart grew cold.

    "I didn''t. I tried to come back many times but there was always something blocking me."

    My answer was met with a laugh.

    "Not something... someone. It...''he'' comes when the moonlight is slow." His voice went low, unhinged.

    "With a blue curtain fall. He mocks my inability to keep my mind."

    Gordon''s knees shook as he fell. I immediately ran forward to help him up.

    "Hey it''s alright man. I''m here now."

    I touched his shoulder. The body underneath the shirt was bony and weak. How long had he been for?

    He jerked his head to stare at me and I instinctively jumped away. His skin was a pale pallid color, his eyes were unfocused and bloodshot, his glasses were cracked, hair shaggy and the most alarming thing of all, he had a chain. a 3 meter chain that dragged on the ground, attached to the middle of his chest. The end of the chain links were slowly disintegrating into the air.

    My lips parted, a hundred questions running through my mind.

    ''Oh no.''

    Something told me this wasn''t the Gordon I had known before.

    Week fingers gripped my wrist, commissioner Gordon looking up at me with a crazed expression.

    "I couldn''t get used to it. My mind...it''s all so silent. The desolation. He told me you were not ready to save me. That you''re still too weak. So I took a chance. I walked out of the cemetery. I''ve been walking and walking..."

    He moaned in horrifying sincerity. I swallowed, kneeling down before him.

    "Commissioner Gordon, what the fuck happened to you?"

    I whispered the question.

    "I...I miss my wife. I miss our little bundle of joy...Barb. My Barbara..."

    He responded with a tone of loss.

    A lump formed in my throat. I had fucked up. I should have tried harder to come back. No, not just come back, I should have put aside my hate for Batman and found a way to tell him of the possibility of Gordon''s body being alive.

    I hadn''t felt the need to because 1) Gordon hadn''t had his chain severed so I assumed his captors had needed him alive. The fact that it was now eating itself spelled nothing good for his physical vessel.

    Secondly, I had a grudge against the Dark Knight. The fear that had been there had steadily been honed into anger. I won''t lie, I had had nightmares about him for days after finding myself in the Tower of Fate. So did I hate him? Yeah. I hated him for being fake.

    That was that, what mattered the most was not letting down Gordon again. He talked about a ''he''. Taking into account everything I knew, there was only one possible being responsible for all this.

    It seems I had a very...troublesome Zanpakuto spirit. Granted, I had already suspected all that after the numerous whispers of ''name''

    "I know you''re watching. If you truly know me then you would understand, I hate playing mind games. What the fuck do you want?"

    It must have been a trick of the light but I swear I saw the world spin. Gordon''s shoulders stiffened.

    "He''s coming."

    I blinked my eyes and my vision changed once more. It was subtle, only catching up to me after a full second.

    We were back in the Cemetery. The White sands of Hueco Mundo exchanged for patchy ground with gray grass and mist.

    Gordon was on his knees, leaning on his own Gravestone. But we weren''t alone. On top of that same gravestone was a tall figure dressed in a white fur coat with a purple collar that extended into a large hood. The only thing I could see within it, covering his face was a devilish grin.

    I couldn''t move. I couldn''t speak. Whoever this was, my Zanpakuto spirit or someone completely different, they gave me the feeling of absoluteness. A strength that was Immeasurable. I couldn''t sense their spirit energy with my own budding Reikaku (spirit sense). That''s how far in power they were in comparison.

    One brief surge of spirit pressure from him and I could possibly die.

    I raised my sheath and without a word, poured in Reiryoku and held it in. Then I compressed the whole thing, creating a green bubble shield around Gordon and I. I hadn''t even known I could do that. My instinct just took over. Something in me realized that I was standing before something dangerous.

 Simple, We Fight.

    (General P.O.V)

    (An Undisclosed Location)

    Deadshot''s fingers drummed at his hip, a toothpick on his lips, one of it''s ends chewed through. The man himself was leaning by the entrance to what was meant to be the stage. A raised concrete platform overlooking the whole crowded courtyard.

    To his left was the back and to his right, Kobra stood infront of the masses, the torches in the wall illuminating him as he preached to his audience.

    "My Children, I come to you with a message of glorious purpose."

    The pale skinned leader of the cult of the Kobra began. His voice was clearly audible as he paced a little, before two kneeling men. Deadshot felt a shortlived pang of sympathy for the poor fools. Journalists who had tried to infiltrate the cult for a juicy scoop. Then he hardened his heart. They knew the risks. Job hazards and all that.

    Both shook in fear, eyes blindfolded and their mouths covered by tape. Besides that, they were dressed in Kobra uniform and had cuffs that restrained their hands behind them. The crowd of cultists, which looked to be hundreds cheered in glee.

    "A mission entrusted upon us by his majestic presence. We shall bring our lord''s plan to full fruition!"

    Kobra continued to the elation of hundreds.

    "An apotheosis, from mere humans to...gods."

    He concluded, turning his eyes to the two captives.

    "Do it."

    He ordered the cultists standing behind him in the darkness. The cultist had a briefcase as he walked forward. Deadshot frowned. They weren''t going to execute them like he had initially thought, adding more to the weirdness going on. Kobra was planning something.

    Infact, after Deadshot was captured, they had kept him locked up in a room with a 24 hour surveillance. They only allowed him to go to the gym and the gun range, in order to keep up with his skills. Any contact with the outside world was not allowed. Only pictures of his daughter made their way to him, taken from a distance. It was a message as clear as day.

    Any questions he had went unanswered, with Shimmer telling him, ''you will know when it''s time.''

    And now it seems that that time had arrived. He watched closely as the Kobra goon, placed the briefcase on a small table provided, opened it and brought out two syringes with a brown glowing liquid.

    Kobra stepped up as another goon joined the first one. He then positioned himself behind both captives.

    "Are you ready for ascension?"

    Kobra questioned, a cruel smile spread out across his face. The prisoners begun to fidget, trying to get away.

    Then the Kobra serum was injected into both of them through their necks. The change was apparent and fast. Deadshot''s eyes widened under his mask.

    Both captives jerked, their eyes and ears dripping with blood. The cuffs snapped off their massive wrists. Their bodies enlarged, the musculature bursting through the skin. Then that skin flaked off like a snake shedding and before long, 7 feet tall, hunched back snake-human mutants stood on the stage. They had yellow eyes, long fangs on their upper jaws and their necks flared out in a hood, like a King Kobra. A hiss escaped their mouths.

    "Arise my apostles. You have been granted a new lease in life." Kobra fearlessly addressed them.

    "Now bow down to your master and prove your undying loyalty."

    Both mutants immediately knelt before him. The crowd went wild.

    "Kobra! Kobra! Kobra!"

    Kobra stood in the middle, reveling in the praise, stretching out his hands to welcome it.

    ''Fuck, he changed them into monsters. I need to get out of here before I go the same route too.''

    Deadshot bit back a sigh. What had he gotten himself into? He now knew what Kobra had been doing and...he wanted no part it.

    He spared one last glance at the megalomaniac on the stage and secured his mask before walking away, deeper into the building. Now while they were distracted, he could maybe sneak out. Escaping to Malta with his daughter didn''t only sound like a really good plan, it was his only choice.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "You are not a true believer."

    Shimmer noted, her and her twin brother seemingly appearing from the shadows, blocking his way.

    Deadshot had his weapon trained to the middle of her forehead.

    "Anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on someone who can kill you with a sponge?"

    "Huh?"

    The gangly teen next to Shimmer made a sound of surprise.

    "He can''t do that, right sis?"

    Baran nudged Shimmer who stomped down on her annoyance.

    "If he knows what''s good for him, he will behave."

    "Behave? Hahaha you clearly have no idea who you''re standing before." A female voice stated, dropping from the ceiling.

    "Deadshot kills, he does not behave."

    "Cheshire."

    Deadshot narrowed his eyes, acknowledging the assassin.

    "And introducing...Black Spider everybody!"

    Another voice made themselves known, announcing his entry loudly while slowly descending towards the group on a long rope strapped to the ceiling.

    "What the fuck is this?"

    Deadshot questioned Shimmer, no longer pretending to pay attention to the spectacle happening on the stage.

    "Nothing you need to know, Floyd Lawton."

    Shimmer informed him.

    Deadshot narrowed his eyes. He was in full costume. Her calling him by his real name was tantamount to a threat, not to mention a sign of blatant disrespect. Deadshot''s fingers jerked a little. He was feeling the itch to shoot something.

    The way he glared at Shimmer made the mood tense and awkward. Sensing the aggression, Shimmer''s brother, Baran raised his hands.

    "H...hey now, we''re all on the same side here."

    "Really?" Deadshot bit out, pointing his other gun towards the teen.

    "How do you figure that?"

    The teen stumbled backwards.

    "Whoa! whoa! whoa! Wait man! They''re going to raid the Wayne Tower while you handle the Wayne mansion for the other half of the code!"

    He quickly revealed. Shimmer smacked him at the back of his head, staring at him with anger and disgust.

    "Sorry sis."

    He responded looking away.

    "Well, I guess the secret is out then."

    Cheshire said with a laugh, placing a hand on her hip.

    "Huh."

    Deadshot did not really know what to say to that. That wasn''t what he was expecting.

    "Codes?"

    "To a highly secure vault in the R and D department of Wayne enterprises. Bruce Wayne has half of the activation sequence we need to open it. We have the other half."

    Shimmer explained, seeing no other option now that the information was out.

    "You''re all crazy."

    Deadshot said, shaking his head. He lowered his guns and added,

    "Do you have any idea the backlash we can get from this?"

    "Cheshire, Black Spider and I are handling Wayne Tower, where we expect more trouble. You''re with Baran and..."

    "Fuck no."

    Deadshot immediately refused.

    "I''m leaving. You''re welcome to try and stop me."

    The mood got awkward again.

    "So anyway, I''ve heard so much about you Deadshot."

    Black Spider told him, landing in between him and Shimmer.

    "Are you going to try and stop me?"

    Deadshot ignored everyone else to address Cheshire. Out of everyone here, he considered her the biggest threat.

    "If she must, she will, Deadshot!"

    Shimmer interrupted, her tone angry.

    "She will follow her orders to the letter, something I advise you to...

    A Sai appeared at her neck.

    "Never presume to think you can speak for me."

    Cheshire threatened. Shimmer''s heart went cold. Her gangly brother blinked in surprise before an expression of anger appeared on his face, causing him to jump at Cheshire.

    "Leave her alone!"

    Thwip!

    He was immediately covered in webs, immobilizing him. Black Spider patted his shoulder.

    "Let''s stay out of it, okay buddy?"

    The surroundings begun spinning as vertigo hit everyone. Deadshot groaned, stumbling a little.

    "I feel like I''m gonna be sick."

    Black Spider moaned, leaning a hand on the wall.

    "Stop or you get another piercing. This time on the neck."

    Cheshire whispered lowly from Shimmer''s back, the point of her weapon digging slightly into Shimmer''s skin.

    "She means it."

    Another voice made its presence apparent. This time the man simply walked into the backroom by using the door like a normal person.

    The Vertigo disappeared and Deadshot clenched his jaw.

    "Do that again and I''m sending a bullet straight through your face. That is your final warning."

    He growled, throwing the toothpick he had been chewing on, straight through Shimmer''s earring and onto the wall behind her. Cheshire snorted, shoving the metahuman Kobra cultist away.

    Black Spider whistled, amazed at Deadshot skills.

    "I can see why they all ride your dick man."

    Cheshire snorted while Deadshot threw a fed up look the villain''s way.

    "That was impressive."

    The new stranger complimented, walking into the light.

    "Wow."

    Deadshot was taken aback.

    "What did they offer you to bring you out of retirement, Tiger?"

    "A lot, I''d imagine."

    Cheshire commented, twirling her weapons.

    "When I was trained by the Shadows, your name was a legend. Bronze Tiger, even Shiva respects you."

    She pointed the Sai at him, challengingly.

    "I''m yet to see you live up to the hype."

    "Cheshire. Don''t."

    Deadshot warned, eyes assessing the larger than life figure before them.

    Bronze Tiger was dressed in a red leather jacket that was unzipped, revealing a sculpted physique. He had on tattoos in the shape of stripes across his entire midsection. A necklace made of animal teeth hang of his neck, just over a chiseled chest. Black boots on his feet, similarly black pants and a pair of gloves completed his look. His outfit complemented his brown skin well. However, the most outstanding thing happened to be the two claws on the back of his wrists.

    He took a deep drag of the cigar in his hands and blew the smoke to the ceiling.

    "You''re confident. I like that."

    He told Cheshire.

    "Floyd."

    Bronze Tiger nodded at Deadshot.

    "Turner."

    Deadshot greeted back, biting the inside of his cheek. Bronze Tiger''s appearance complicated things. He couldn''t really escape now. Welp, seems like plan: Flee to Malta would have to be pushed back.

    "Umm...sorry to interrupt, but I have been wondering about something."

    Black Spider interjected. Every eye in the room fell on him.

    "Yeah, so...umm, it''s an open secret that the Bat is affiliated with Wayne. Most of his stuff is built by them. What happens if he we run into him?"

    Bronze Tiger stepped further into the light, a small smile on his face.

    "Simple. We fight."

    It would be great catching up with his fellow student.

 Oh Great Master

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The figure cocked their head to the side, as if finding my reaction to him a little funny. I could see his lips part underneath the hood and...nothing came out. He scowled his lips.

    I sensed that he was annoyed. He reached to his back and pulled out a red cross blade. It was a long sharp thin scissor like sword, glinting in the air.

    He twirled it, millions of spirit energy feelers in the shape of almost invisible strings rippling around the weapon. The energy was a dark purple. One that felt ominous.

    Then he swung it my way. The air cried out at being mercilessly sliced apart. I could do nothing but buckle down as the edge of the sword slammed onto the shield. The impact was too much for the bubble shield. It immediately broke through only for the Cross blade''s edge to collide with the sheath, strategically placed infront of my face just along my forearms.

    The force of the clash shook me to my bones. His strength...it was overwhelming. Enough to bodily throw me away, smash past a crypt and a few gravestones. Loose soil stuck to my back as I simply laid on the groove I had scraped out with my body, staring up at the gray sky in surprise. It was hard to breath.

    The attack... was so sudden and powerful. My hands could not stop shaking.

    I was sure of it now. I couldn''t beat this guy. He was different from any opponent I had ever faced. Speaking of which...it stung my ego that I had lost every single fight up until now, not counting the one with Croc.

    It grated but at least I was spared from physical agony of getting slammed onto the ground. The pain was fleeting. One of the benefits of being in soul form was that physical pain did not seem linger, as I was finding out.

    "You still cannot hear me when I talk."

    A deep and mellow voice spoke up. It was almost melodic. I groaned, getting to my feet while gripping the sheath tightly. It was the only reason I wasn''t dead.

    "You are so pitifully weak. So...unworthy of me."

    Gordon''s lips moved but the voice was not his. With his eyes glowing the same familiar dark purple, it was safe to conclude that he was being controlled.

    Reikaku (spirit sense) is very hard to use. And that''s because it only works on people with average spirit energy. Meaning, those who can see hollows but can''t necessarily control Reiryoku to give themselves combat abilities.

    With those conditions and the fact that not many people could use spirit energy in this world, training it had been not exactly hard but more like stumbling in the dark and recognizing things by running your hands over them.

    I would leave my sword a short distance away, cover it with a tarp, a bundle of clothes and anything else I could find and then try to sense it purely by Reikaku. Sometimes I could. It was like a pulsing node of Reiryoku. Trying to do so while on another room was the natural step up to that. I hadn''t had a lot of success in that as much as the first training instance.

    This was one of the rare instances that it actually worked. I couldn''t seem to pull my Reiryoku out of my body but by using the sixth sense that Reikaku afforded, I could sense spirit energy signatures with little to no effort, if there was something to sense that is.

    The sword in his hands had purple thin strings that converged on Gordon''s chest and both of his wrists. His mouth was slack, head tilted to the side slightly.

    "Let him go."

    I addressed the figure, wielding the only weapon in my arsenal.

    "Do it or I''ll beat you to a pulp."

    I growled, pointing the sheath at him. I was ready to make good on that promise too. It sickened me that this could be my Zanpakuto spirit.

    Don''t misunderstand, I wasn''t a good guy, but there was little I valued more than freedom. Grow up like I did, get sent to prison and you''d understand why.

    "Beat me to a pulp?"

    Laughter escaped Gordon''s mouth. The jaw was left open in an eerie manner as he turned his eyes towards me, light pouring out of facial features, his eyes bright underneath the cracked glasses.

    "Let''s see you try!"

    Strings of purple cut through the air, whipping towards my body. I jumped back, avoiding the thousands of individual threads meant to stab through me. The ground exploded into dust, a few graves around the impact went up in a shower of dust, stone and bones. The whole section caved in.

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    The dust settled and I blinked.

    "Oh come on."

    Seven skeletons, each with purple light glowing inside it''s eye sockets, claimed off the hole before shambling forward in a jerky motion. They had rusted weaponry in the hands. A sword here, a spear and a huge Axe that belonged to one of the Skeletons wearing a viking''s war hat. That made no sense. I thought this was supposed to be my inner world, how was it possible that he could seemingly manifest skeletal puppets anytime he wanted?

    I looked past them and enquired from the source.

    "Who are they?"

    The figure merely smiled.

    "No problem, I guess I''ll beat it out of you."

    I responded to his silence.

    Then stretched my body, getting ready for the altercation. The first of the skeletons, came in from the side, sword raised up to slash me from top to bottom. I raised the sheath to block, then immediately saw a flash of bright light. My mind caught up with me to offer answers when I felt my back collide with a crypt.

    ''He detonated the skeleton puppet.''

    I realized, extricating myself from the human shaped hole I had made with my body over 10 meters away from my previous position.

    It seems like I had underestimated Reikaku. Even before the next attack made it through the dust blocking my view of the cemetery, I could already feel the threads of spiritual energy connecting to the second skeleton making it''s way to me.

    I grabbed for my sheath only to feel my hand grasp onto a cold handle. My fingers wrapped themselves around a sword, taken from the dead guy in the crypt. Already I was parrying the head of a spear from the second skeleton. Then I kicked out and bone folded around my foot. My right hand was already around the sheath as this skeleton exploded as well.

    It was a good strategy. Something I could see myself adopting. Unfortunately for him, I wasn''t going down that easy. The dust cleared to reveal a green bubble shield around me. Rocks and stones fell on either side of it from the destroyed crypt.

    My left hand was pulled back, the sword from earlier exchanged for the last skeleton''s spear. ''So they explode whenever they sustain a strong blow, I can work with that.'' I thought, winding up for my first true attack.

    The bubble shield around me faded away and not a second later, the spear flew high and true. My target was...bad. I could point a gun and shoot really well but this was the first time ever, doing something like this.

    Somehow the spear managed to stab through the Viking skeleton''s war hat/helmet. The resulting explosion was glorious. Spirit energy rippled out through the surroundings, drowning the rest of the puppets under it''s power.

    Now that I was ready, I decided to use the opening provided. Strafing to the left, I jumped over gravestones, aiming to catch him off guard as I made it closer to him.

    I only needed a clear hit. Something to judge just how much he could take. My strongest punch. Like a ghost, I seemingly appeared to his left, a hand pulled back.

    This close to him, I saw his lips move. Then a word escaped Gordon''s mouth.

    "Shikai"

    Then I realized it was all a fluke. A plan to get me closer. He held his cross blade to the sky and it unravelled into a net of numerous purple Reiryoku strings around him in a grid like fashion. The grid entirely covered his front, back, center and sideways.

    My heart grew cold as I brought the sheath to the front and immediately created a shield. There was a clash of energy between green and purple and I lost the bout, getting thrown through the air, the sky and ground seeming to meld together.

    Until they didn''t. Something wrapped itself around my limbs, restraining me and holding my body captive.

    I looked down and saw the purple strings of energy around my wrist and ankles, the source being the ever present grid around his body.

    "Nice try."

    The puppeteered Gordon complimented. A flick of the figure''s wrist and my Sheath was snatched away from me by some more materialized strings.

    "That is not yours. It''s mine."

    He added, the sheath landing in his palm. I glared at him.

    "So I guess I was right. You are my Zanpakuto spirit."

    My words made him tilt his head inside the hood.

    "My turn to ask questions."

    He decided, and I found myself pulled towards him by the ropes. I fought, trying to move away, trying to access my spirit energy once more and failed. What I did get however was a sensation from the Sheath in his hands.

    I allowed myself to be pulled closer to him. Then the Sheath in his palm let out a burst of green energy. More like a flash bang than the usual bubble shield. It wasn''t enough to hurt him but it did provide me with the chance I wanted. This fight was far from over.

    The strings around me, fizzled out and snapped, allowing me free reign of my body. Then I let gravity do the rest. My fist was pulled back and using what I had learned from boxing back in the day to efficiently output as much force behind my blow as I could, the fist landed smack on his left cheek with a meaty thwack!

    The results could not have been more different from my expectations.

    Instead of hurting him, I swallowed a cry of pain as my fingers shattered, my hand breaking badly, shards of bone peaking out of the shredded skin and flesh. Blood spilled like water from a broken faucet. I felt his hand grip my neck, however my knee was already coming up before he could find purchase.

    The knee landed on his chin and agony gripped me once more. He didn''t even budge. A sharp pain assaulted my leg, telling me that I had broken another limb. In one instant, the grid around us exploded with thousands of not millions of rippling strings. They combined into thick braids stabbing through me and suspending my body in the sky above him.

    More blood bubbled out of my throat and sprayed out. I had dozens of braids through my my back and limbs.

    This pain was not fleeting. This pain was here to stay.

    I felt a hand land on my chest. Straining my vision, we made eye contact and I finally managed to see more than half of his face. He had a light white fur that covered the feline face and cruel eyes that seemed to suck you in and leave you unfocused.

    "Suketsu."

    He mouthed the words but the voice came out of Gordon. His hand on my chest, right above where the soul chain was supposed to be, felt unbearably warm.

    "I could take them all away. Your powers."

    He leaned in and added,

    "Maybe then... Maybe then I could be free of you. Free to change this...ugly place into my own image. All it would take is a little...Shu or Byakurai and I would carve out my own future."

    The threat sent a shiver down my spine.

    "So tell me, ''Oh great master'' what is stopping me from doing exactly that?"

 Cryptic Farewell

    (General P.O.V)

    Reiryoku is a special type of energy.

    It is produced by the spirit from something called the Soul sleep. In a Shinigami, Hakusui (soul sleep) and the Saketsu are very important. The former is the source of all Reiryoku for a soul. The latter is the boost for that same spirit energy. Saketsu is basically the location of the chain of fate on someone''s chest.

    With the soul being made of Reishi, one can argue that Reiryoku is just personal Reishi, only exclusive to an individual while Reishi is what makes up the world of the spirits.

    And taking into account the nature of Reishi to gravitate towards more of it''s kind to form what would constituent as physical objects from a Soul''s perspective, then it would stand to reason that Reiryoku would do the same. Reiryoku would try to get back to it''s owner. To rejoin.

    But what if that energy is then contained in a massive magical structure like the Tower of Fate? A place filled with not only magical energy but mysteries of the world. Books on Divine Magic, Spirit magic, artifact creation, sealing scriptures, ambiguous Sorcerer practices and introductory passages on Soul studies?

    In that case, you wouldn''t really know what to expect.

    After the Batwing had left, Constantine looked around the debris and whistled.

    "Aye, they did a number on you, didn''t they girlie?"

    He run his palm across one of the only dim torches around. A flash of yellow and the flame grew brighter, casting the whole chamber or chambers really, seeing that the hallway was no more, in low light.

    "Don''t worry. We''ll have you fixed up in no time."

    He relit his cigarette with the flame and brought it to his lips before inhaling the smoke.

    "I''m going to need help for this."

    He said to himself, using his leg to dislodge a picture with a broken frame.

    He crouched, smoke escaping his nostrils and wiped the dust off the broken shielding glass. The picture was of Kent Nelson and a beautiful black haired woman, his wife Inza. He used to talk about her every chance he got.

    "Get better sooner ya old codger, last I saw you, you weren''t looking too good, mate."

    Then he removed the picture inside the frame and folded it neatly before putting it inside his shirt pocket.

    "Let''s get started then."

    He hummed, getting to his feet, about to summon Trogowogs, nasty little buggers that made an awesome cleaning crew.

    Without the sheet versatility of Zatara''s magic, Constantine would have to make do with them. Besides, this was more his lane. The fact that he could exorcise so well meant that he could tangentially summon well too.

    "Been out of practice. I really hope I don''t fuck..."

    Constantine immediately stiffened, going silent as his back shivered. The torch from earlier went out and with only the light from the scar on the side of the Tower, providing a gloomy light, the whole magical building took on an ominous presence.

    Constantine''s hand went to his trench coat pocket.

    "I don''t know who you are or what you want. However, I am in a right pissy mood. So if you know what''s good...for...you..."

    His voice began to trail off at the end of his statement.

    Constantine couldn''t believe his eyes. He looked up at the softly pulsing purple light above him. The light was beautiful, in the form of concentrated smoke, it roiled around, combining with the magicks in the air, running down the walls and crevices. Reconstructing...no, healing itself. The Tower was healing itself.

    Davian''s spiritual energy had gone through a mutation and that mutation was so rare that not even someone as experienced as Constantine knew what he was looking at.

    "Bloody hell..."

    He muttered, witnessing the unprecedented event only made possible because that was the nature of magic. Unprecedented, untamable mysteries.

    Then something changed. Between one blink of an eye and the next, Constantine found himself falling through the air, expelled from the Tower.

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    "Bloody hell!!"

    This time he didn''t mutter, he yelled.

    The last glimpse he had of the tower before it warped away from the Earthly plane was the figure of old man Kent, standing on the hole formed on it''s side looking out with a small smile on his face.

    "She will need guidance my boy. When the time comes, guide her on how to help them."

    The words reached Constantine, just as the Guardian of the Tower unravelled in a misty blue cloak of light.

    "Goodbye Constantine."

    (Elsewhere)

    "I''m so sorry."

    The doctor in charge informed a shocked Zatara.

    The hospital hallways begun to feel crowded and stuffy. How...how could he...oh the doctor is explaining.

    "He was an old man."

    The middle aged medical professional told him with a sad and smile.

    "Well past his prime. Maybe it was his time to rest. I would rather take what''s up there, than what goes on down here any day."

    Zatara looked up at the green eyed doctor.

    "Christian?"

    He questioned.

    "Catholic."

    She corrected, waving away the expected apology.

    "I don''t really mind the distinction, we all serve one lord."

    Zatara smiled and thanked her, excusing himself as his mind refused to stay focused. He needed air, time to think away from the crowded halls.

    He sat on a bench and just covered his face with both of his hands. Kent was dead. Gone. Passed away in his sleep. It was unexpected but Zatara knew that wearing the helmet at Kent''s age was a risk.

    He might not have gone out the way he wanted but...

    "I know you tried to fight him off, old friend. Thank you for everything."

    Zatara sent a prayer for his soul, rubbing the cross on his neck.

    Now to inform the League and the few members of the Justice Society still alive. Diana would be heartbroken.

    (Constantine)

    The cold Salem air beat on him as he approached the ground at a high velocity. Constantine would be the first to admit he would normally scream while in such a situation but his heart had grown cold with one realization.

    Kent Nelson was dead.

    He knew a cryptic farewell when he heard one. Unfortunately, being John Constantine meant he lost very many people.

    The ground seemed to be ascending very fast to meet him.

    The British exorcist closed his eyes and contemplated not saving himself, getting the freedom he so fervently desired from the troubles of existence. Like the coward he was however, Constantine tapped his breast pocket 3 times.

    "Mother of Luck, mother of chance, mother of risk, Flying carpet manifest!"

    His trench coat changed form into an Arabian styled carpet that enabled him to float down to the ground at reduced speeds.

    The carpet landed on the grassy field that the tower of Fate had occupied previously. Constantine made an annoyed sound as he looked up at the empty sky. The Tower of Fate was nowhere to be seen.

    It had warped away.

    "And with it Kent''s gone too."

    John told himself as he stepped off the carpet and watched it be devoured by pink flames, dissolving into the air silently. Unfortunately calling on the mother of three faces, a god of Mongolian mythos meant that whatever he invoked her name on would be sacrificed.

    John looked at the spot with the ashes of his trench coat.

    "That was my favorite one."

    He sighed before patting his pants.

    "Got my smokes atleast."

    The cocky smile from before was nowhere to be seen however.

    Constantine felt his phone buzz on the back pocket of his pants and closed his eyes, pinching the brow below his forehead.

    He knew who it was. Sure enough, Batman''s caller I.D appeared on the screen.

    "Fuck. Me."

    (Elsewhere)

    The mood around them carried a general air of sadness.

    Despite that, Bruce knew Alfred was fed up with his obsessive behavior on the case he was dealing with. It was an old game of theirs, Batman would get lost trying to save a mystery and Alfred would call him out on it.

    "She has been constantly watching over him for the last week. Reading to him."

    Alfred informed Batman. Or rather Bruce Wayne as his cowl was off, revealing a handsome but tired face.

    "Mmmh."

    Bruce hummed, tapping away at the controls of the huge Bat computer. Alfred frowned.

    "Sir, should I remind you that you''re expected at the fundraiser to rebuild the Gotham city docks in 10 minutes?"

    Bruce blinked, pausing in place.

    "Wait, that''s today?"

    He asked in a confused tone.

    Alfred placed the tray on his hands at the table between Batman and the dozens of terminals before his eyes.

    "You have exhibited highly reckless behavior, Master Bruce."

    The British butler told him off.

    "Not only have you not showered for 2 days, you haven''t had a wink of sleep over a similar time period. You are running yourself rugged. Gotham needs a Batman who is well rested. But more than that, it needs Bruce Wayne."

    He finished his rant with an unimpressed expression on his face.

    Bruce winced sightly at the accusing tone.

    "I know Alfred."

    He sighed, a glint of determination appearing in his vision.

    "But I can''t help it. His D.N.A...its completely human. How is this possible? If he was a metahuman, I would''ve detected the gene. If he was alien, a chi practitioner... something would have stood out. Yet...to the best of my knowledge... he''s a normal human being."

    "I don''t believe blowing up the entire Ace chemical building constituents as normal sir."

    Alfred replied, referencing a news report from a few years back on one of the screens. Batman had come to the conclusion that Davian had been responsible.

    Not only that but he had a strange connection with Jim Gordon as well. His old friend had known the Kid. Batman intended to pass by Gordon''s office and do some more digging.

    ''There''s more than meets the eye to this.''

    Bruce thought, staring at one terminal that displayed Davian''s room where he was hooked to different monitoring machines.

    Next to him, Raven sat on the small seat, legs folded on her lap while reading a book. She was narrating it to Davian.

    "Mmmh... something about that location."

    Bruce rubbed his jaw, thinking about Alfred''s comment.

    The Old Butler raised an eyebrow before scowling slightly.

    "He''s gone."

    Alfred told him with finality.

    "How can you be so sure?"

    The detective asked the butler.

    "Because it''s been almost a decade. Most ghosts from your past try to come back earlier for revenge. The Red Hood is dead, Master Bruce. Don''t overthink this."

    Bruce nodded but said nothing else.

    "On other matters sir, when are you informing our lovely miss Roth about the sad news of Kent''s passing? The funeral is less than a week."

    Alfred''s tone underwent a more sad and serious change.

    Bruce sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. Maybe Alfred was right. Maybe he needed a break.

    "Soon Alfred. Soon."

 Secrets of The Soul part 1

    (General P.O.V)

    He had no sentience before that night.

    Just a bundle of aggression, pain and anger that manifested from a small boy''s hate for the world.

    A hate born out of having no one to depend on in a city that was rife with crime and suffering. Especially for the ones on the lower end of the spectrum. The less fortunate.

    Whether through the machinations of a higher being or a simple fluke, that hate would eventually grow into something dangerous. A tool that could be aimed at the enemy.

    What would happen then, if that tool were to gain understanding and reason...

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "No...a hado straight through the Saketsu wouldn''t simply take away your soul reaper powers, it would also outright kill you."

    Gordon''s mouth moved. The voice sounded nonchalant with a hidden viciousness to it.

    The spirit traced a finger to the left side of my chest, in between my shoulder and my sternum, digging his claw on my skin and drawing more blood.

    "I don''t want to kill you."

    He told me.

    I almost laughed. The braids of Reiryoku going through my chest begged to differ. I could feel them...hum infact, bringing out many questions. Like how was I not dead? Could the soul be that different from the Physical body? Actually yeah, Soul reapers in Bleach could sustain almost unreasonable levels of damage and be as right as rain the next day.

    "...I want kill you and be done with it but it''s not that simple! A part of me what''s you to live. To thrive! And I hate that part!"

    He spat out in disgust, part of the lips I could see curling down.

    "Why now? After all the pain of those years...you can''t just rewind all that. I am battling myself now and it''s annoying." The voice went slightly unhinged and desperate.

    "Death would take me with you if I took away your life. But I want to...live. To savor their pain, like they did mine... ours."

    The anger and dislike I carried for him faded slightly. His words... reminded me of the past. A past I had grown to accept but one that had left behind many old scars.

    The other thing I noted was the way he worded the first part. It was strange. He spoke as if Death was a real person.

    "Things are skewed now. So different from before."

    He pushed away from me, platforms of purple Reishi forming under his feet. His back to me, he fully faced the encompassing misty terrain of the cemetery.

    "Even this place has changed."

    He stated in a nostalgic heavy tone.

    "It''s only supposed to be me, yet I am not alone. This desolate ground. Ripe with the pain of all who dared take from us. This was supposed to be all you see, a never ending graveyard. Ones marked with the graves of everyone we killed and shall kill. That HollowLand, its not meant to be here. It''s so...empty. So hunger inducing."

    A throaty laughter escaped Gordon''s mouth.

    "Whatever made me possible...it also changed us. And now it feels as if you''re not you, but how can you not be you, when I am me?"

    He was making no sense.

    "You''re...insane."

    I wasn''t afraid to tell him either. His back stiffened upon my words, a clawed hand opening and closing in an irritated motion.

    "Aren''t we all?"

    He questioned through Gordon.

    The former''s body jerked, his limbs getting surrounded by strings from the grid, lifting him up to the sky next to me. I groaned, trying my best to ignore the raw sensation of pain my body was feeling.

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    It wasn''t the first time shit the fan. My rocky start in the DC universe only seemed to get even rockier and I was close to losing my shit. ''Power...'' I thought with a thirst born out of being so helpless. I kept on flexing my limbs and any other parts of my body I could, to try and escape the bindings.

    The pain stopped me from wiggling too much. The other thing I tried to do was connect to the Sheath. Use it for anything. No matter how much I tried to call it to me though, it failed to leave his grip.

    Everything seemed kind of hopeless, really.

    The gray sky reflected the bleakness of my situation. I had come from a fight straight to another one. This shit...I wasn''t ready for any of it. I was barely level 2, everyone else was either much more skilled or much more powerful or both.

    ''Its not over yet.''

    My gaze returned to study him. There had to be a way to beat this lunatic. And if he really was my Zanpakuto, then not only was beating him possible but I could make him submit. I was going to need the power of a Zanpakuto if I was to face beings like Doomsday, Superman and Darkseid.

    I had made a promise to Nick''s memory. There was no way I was going to squander this second chance.

    It didn''t matter that all of it reminded me of prison, one of the worst experiences of my life. I would beat it, just the same.

    When shit hit the fan in the slammer, you had to punch back as hard as you got. Then when the guards came in to break up the fight, the ass whooping and a trip to Solitary confinement was at least worth it.

    Through all that, I had built up a sort of mental practice where I could disassociate myself from the pain of bruised knuckles, tender joints from the cramped space of solitary confinement and the reality of my fucked up situation. Prison messes you up man.

    This body wasn''t as hardened but my will had never been stronger.

    "Gordon...can you hear me?" I looked at the police commissioner next to me in the air. He made no reaction.

    "Fight it! He can''t do worse to you than what any of the freaks in Gotham have tried. He can''t do worse than the joker!"

    Gordon begun laughing.

    "Oh trust me, I can."

    The Spirit''s voice said menacingly.

    My heart sank.

    The Zanpakuto spirit turned around.

    "Did you forget what I am?"

    Like a ghost, he drifted to my back.

    "I am your darkness. If you were a god, I would be your divine punishment. I understand how you think. You can''t hide anything."

    He grabbed the sides of my head.

    "I know how your mind operates..."

    That''s a lie. That can''t be true.

    A cold sensation gripped my soul. He couldn''t possibly...

    "You can''t read my mind."

    I replied confidently.

    While the relationship between a Zanpakuto and it''s master was very personal, to the point of each bringing out the best out of each other when working in tandem, it didn''t reach a level where one could read the memory of the other.

    None of the Soul Reapers I knew about had that sort of power. They could speak telepathically but accessing memories without consent was basically impossible.

    He let me go.

    One minute suspended in a world of pain, the next huh...

    ...still suspended in a world of pain.

    He had released me, loosening the hold the grid had on my body, only to slam me face first onto the ground. The only thing I could do was clench my jaw and let the taste of blood on my mouth grow as I accidentally bit my tongue and lost a tooth.

    His knee dug onto the small of my back.

    "I don''t need to read your memories to know you, Davian Mabuz. 19 years old, orphan, selfish, abandoned, hurt. You had to scramble for everything we got. The orphanage, they wouldn''t understand how cruel children, especially those who have grown up knowing no happiness, can be."

    I struggled as he ranted. 19 yrs old? Yeah I was an orphan and selfish and all those other things, however last I checked, I was 25. He was wrong...how could he be so wrong about something so obvious?

    Then my mind started going through everything he had said earlier.

    For starters, he seemed to have a split personality. As much as I was tempted to ask all my burning questions, I knew that it would have been much better if he revealed it by himself. Villains and monologues, am I right?

    A voice at the back of my head was curious to understand it all. One answer I landed on that was a big part of the mystery of what he actually was, was...maybe this wasn''t my Zanpakuto spirit.

    Then to match the answer another question made itself apparent, how could he not know that the real Davian was dead?

    The sheath! I can feel it!

    My hand snaked out to grab it but was instead was batted aside. But I was ready.

    A green bubble shield exploded from the sheath, pushing him off me and to the side. I rolled away, kicking out at the shadow I spotted from the corner of my eyes.

    My ankle was grabbed in a tight and rough grip, then the sky and ground switched positions as I was slammed onto my back, digging a small crater on the gray soil. Not only breath, spit and blood also exploded out of my mouth. The wound on my chest that had slowly been closing up opened again. Fresh blood added to the scarlet color on my t-shirt.

    Purple eyes appeared in my vision. I grunted, throwing a punch only to have it blocked and my nose flattened on my face. My vision swam as my head flopped back onto the ground. Everything was tinted red.

    "Are you done?"

    Gordon floated to my side, the voice coming off him still so alien.

    "Never."

    I spat before hitting the Spirit''s elbow to pull him close and smash my forehead onto his face.

    Blackish thick blood spouted off his hood as he backed away, grabbing his nose in pain.

    "Fuck..."

    With teeth died red, I started laughing. The Spirit turned to me angrily.

    "Oomph!"

    Breath left me as a foot landed on my belly. The pain was blinding. Then he grabbed the material of my t-shirt, shaking me a little.

    "But even!..." I jerked in his hold, throwing another punch at his throat that was stopped by his palm. Then he squeezed.

    "Aaargggghhh..."

    The pain from crushed fingers almost made me vomit to the side. I felt my face get grabbed roughly.

    "Will you stop fighting and just listen!?"

    I stopped, breathing heavily. With my nose as fucked up as it was, it sounded more like wheezing.

    I was in a bad state but it wasn''t anything new. My head rolled to the side and I saw Gordon, standing in place like a zombie, his will dominated. I needed to save us. There wasn''t an if...I was our only chance.

    Me trying to save a cop, how ironic.

 Secrets of The Soul part 2.

    Chapter 27 Secrets of The Soul part 2.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Brown eyes met purple in a clash of wills. He had me beat but I conveyed as much conviction as I could through my look. I was going to get out of here, one way or another.

    "But even without the happiness, you tried to make something work. You tried the rules." His voice settled back to it''s confident tone. There was an underlying edge that I sensed though.

    "And then, they took something from you. A gang dressed like a bunch of clowns decided to fuck with us. That first time you let me out... hahaha!!! IT WAS GLORIOUS!"

    The glee I could feel in his tone at the thought of hurting them was too much. It took me back to ''that'' time. Back when I was younger and didn''t know better.

    And I hated it enough to begin my struggles anew. My muscles strained at the effort of trying to buckle him off. The strength he could exert unfortunately turned out to be much greater.

    "Struggle and fight...it won''t make a difference."

    I felt claws clutch my throat.

    "You were horrified by what you did. I couldn''t understand it then. I wasn''t equipped with what I know now. I wasn''t equipped with the sentience to understand that I was a sharp tool wielded with blatant carelessness by a hurt child!"

    His chest rose up and down with heavy exhales.

    A trail of blood fell down my neck from the claws.

    "Hahaha, oh but with the horror came this...justification. You had power and you could use it to save that rotten city."

    Ok, new plan, let him talk as I heal up and when an opening arrives, I''m taking it.

    He patted my head.

    "But you were smart. You knew Gotham had long been a cess pool of corruption. And with your power, getting corrupted would have ensured the death of a lot of people. Naturally, I wouldn''t have minded. But that''s just me. I was fine with not knowing what good was."

    "You see, you couldn''t control me. Hell! I couldn''t control myself because I knew no better! So you decided to ask for help and who better than Commissioner Gordon?"

    "He was the epitome of truth and fair justice, working within the confines of a law filled with biased, greedy and corrupt law makers."

    The fact that he was using Gordon as a medium, ironic as it was, added another layer of ''Fucked up'' to the situation.

    ''Gotta keep him talking, my eyesight is getting better...''

    "He provided you with the perfect foil."

    He pointed a clawed finger at Gordon. "Someone who could tell you when you were too close to the edge. Someone who could do what needed to be done when it was needed."

    "Someone who could...kill the Joker. Gordon was not above the savior complex." He chuckled.

    "If it meant saving a population of 10 million from a mad man then surely...one pathetic life was worth it, right?"

    He trailed off.

    The last part made my mind buzz at the revelation.

    My head was roughly shoved down as he rose up, breathing in deeply.

    "So you see, I know you. I know all about the secret meeting. The mission to save Gotham from the Joker and the other genocidal maniacs running around...but it''s never quite easy is it?"

    He laughed lowly.

    With every single word I heard, I questioned what I knew of DC. For the most part, villains were villains and heroes were heroes. Yet...if Gordon really compromised the no kill rule for the sake of the city, without Batman''s knowledge then...it wasn''t all black and white.

    It wasn''t fiction. This was their reality and now, it''s mine too.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "What would Batman do if he realized that one of his best allies could fall to the darkness just as fast a regular goon? Then again, the easy way out is always the...easiest."

    More laughter bubbled out of him.

    "You see, I don''t even need your memories, Davian." He continued.

    "I have mine, I just couldn''t understand what I overheard or saw back then. But everything happening around you, I stored it in some deep recess of my being. I couldn''t understand any of it in the past, but now I do. Which is why I don''t understand you!"

    I felt a kick connect to the side of my chest, throwing me away. Breath left my body as I clipped my shoulder on another gravestone, breaking it under my form. ''Not yet.''

    "I could take the scared, cold yet decisive you over this cocky, cool, moral code, know it all version. You''ve lost every fight you''ve been in because you don''t understand your role. It''s why I want to kill you so bad! You need to stand back and let me do the Killing. That was the deal!"

    He snarled.

    "But the real you seemed to die that night! That night the Joker decided to fuck with the Bat, by kidnapping a few kids from the Orphanage. You let me out...and it was...so freeing, I got a little...carried away."

    He paused looking lost.

    "The city shone with so much...ripe pain. It was beautiful. My mind...I could feel it increase as I understand a fundamental truth to life. I was on the cusp of something profound...And then I woke up here. And nothing was the same."

    He grabbed me off the ground by my neck.

    "The Cemetery. Home. I had a neighbor...tell my what you did that night."

    He growled out, advice grip on my neck.

    "I could think, I could review, I could feel. No longer was it all mindless. Whatever happened that night, changed everything. Even you. But more than that, it showed me the difference. I need to know why I...look...like...THIS!"

    He gripped the edge of his hood and tore it off completely. I inhaled in shock. Most of his face was cat like, but the other part of it, was a writhing mass of worms. The disgust on my face earned me a sharp punch to my belly.

    "You have no right to stare at me like that."

    He pointed at the writhing mass of worms on the side of his head.

    "My real form was efficient and now... I''m changing into...this."

    He trailed a sharp claw over the fur covering all of the right side of his head.

    "My Home is splitting into two and while I can think, my mind is not exclusively my own."

    The eyes were wide as his voice seemed to echo all around us.

    It came out in a rush of information.

    "Something else is taking over. Things leaking over to my mind that I am not supposed to know. They''re not my memories. I don''t remember ever being a Zanpakuto before, so why do I feel so strongly that that is what I am? A sword that is the manifestation of a soul reaper''s powers. Instinctive knowledge that was not there before. How do you explain all that?"

    He released me, stumbling back and pressing his palms onto his head.

    "Why do I feel like I''m not your..."

    Immediately, I called the Sheath he had dropped during this...panic attack? Over to me.

    It landed in my hands and with the creation of a bubble shield around me, I slumped to the ground in relief. The shield would give me a little time to recover and plan.

    More than that however, everything finally clicked into place.

    He''d given me the clues.

    Just as I had taken over the real Davian''s body, the change seemed to be spiritual as well. His abilities...were they even Soul Reaper or Hollow powers in the first place? I don''t know. Maybe they changed to accommodate me. My mind, coming up with its own interpretation to what this potent energy inside my soul was.

    Even that made little sense.

    But I think I understood everything now.

    Parallel Davian had had a power. One that in my eyes resembled that of a hollow. After I found myself in his body, my soul had also been influenced by his Reiryoku, in turn enabling me to gain my own Reiryoku.

    And with that and getting a Zanpakuto in the form of a longsword, I simply assumed that the spirit before me was ''my'' Zanpakuto spirit. But what if instead of that being the case, Parallel Davian''s abilities and my own would fuse as our energy signatures started vibrating at the same frequency. We were alternate versions of each other after all.

    His ''Hollow'' spirit and my ''zanpakuto spirit'' fused into this...unholy combo.

    That was why my inner world was split into two, a cemetery and now the hollow like landscape. Then the Hollow thought I was 19 when I was 25 and finally, he claimed he was changing forms from a mass of worms to adopting cat like features. I saw it as an upgrade though.

    The same ones I had come to associate with my hollow powers before I even knew everything about my situation.

    He wasn''t my Zanpakuto.

    He wasn''t Davian''s hollow either.

    What I was seeing was an incomplete fusion. One that had come out...wrong. A merger between two similar souls.

    Two Zanpakuto spirits. Mine and Parallel Davian''s. It made sense why a part of him wanted to kill me and another didn''t.

    The only difference being parallel Davian was dead and I was the one holding the leashes.

    And as I blinked the haze of pain away, I could detect through Reikaku, with the spirit being as close as it was, a phantom behind him. One of a boy with Silver hair, staring blank faced down at me.

    I closed my eyes. I see.

    "You never really moved on." I muttered, laying a flat palm on the shield.

    I coughed, feeling the heaviness in my chest steadily reduce.

    "You can''t accept the truth because you have given yourself wholly to hate. Davian...your Davian, a part of him has never left your side."

    His body stiffened. Only to slump as the phantom of Alternate Davian placed a hand on the Spirit''s shoulder. He went silent, face looking out to the Cemetery.

    I knew what I needed to do. Looking down at the Sheath in my hand then back at the phantom hanging around the spirit, it was clear that I was getting only one chance at this.

    "You let me take over didn''t you, Davian? You saved me from hell...you traded places...why?"

    I needed to understand why anyone would do that.

    The phantom of the teen, dressed the same as I would have been, blue T-shirt, black jeans and some worn out sneakers smiled a little.

    That smile told me everything I needed to know.

    I took a shuddering breath and released the bubble shield. With a firm grip on the Sheath, I stood behind him...no,it''s ''them.''

    Time to earn my keep as a Soul Reaper. Time to perform the Konso.

 The Power Goes Out.

    (General P.O.V)

    Dull sounds rang out across the training room. Fists rained down on a punching bag with a ferocity and speed that was surprising to see in a 12 year old. But Dick Grayson was no normal 12 year old, he was Robin.

    "Mmmh."

    Someone cleared their throat from the entrance of the gym.

    "What do you want Alfred? You''ve been standing there for the last 5 minutes."

    Dick said, narrowing his eyes at the punching bag.

    "Oh so you noticed?"

    Alfred asked in a sarcastic tone.

    "Hard not to, when I can feel your judgemental gaze at my back."

    Robin was only too quick to counter.

    "No, not judgemental sir. I surely wouldn''t dare."

    Alfred replied, placing a tray with a towel and a misty glass of orange juice on top of a rack.

    Dick made an annoyed grunt as his frown changed into a scowl.

    "Just say it. You''re disappointed in me."

    The young boy punctuated his words with a heavy punch to the bag, jostling it back roughly.

    "Sorry Alfred, I didn''t mean to be rude."

    He begrudgingly but quickly apologized with a sigh.

    The Butler said nothing. Then a palm gently landed on Dick''s shoulder.

    His hands went slack as he turned towards the older man with a confused expression.

    "A glass of Orange juice, Master Dick?"

    Alfred offered.

    Dick blinked, the confusion deflating out of him. He smiled.

    "Yeah, I wouldn''t mind."

    (30 minutes later)

    "And remember, manners maketh a man."

    Alfred told the young boy as they stood before a door.

    Dick rolled his eyes.

    "Yes, yes. I''ll be careful not to ruin the Wayne family reputation."

    He replied in an over the top British accent. The unimpressed look Alfred sent his way made him straighten his shirt and clear his throat.

    "Sorry."

    He muttered.

    "Stop fiddling with your bowtie."

    Alfred simply huffed at him before stepping forward and knocking politely.

    "Yes. Who is it?"

    Raven''s bored voice asked from within the room.

    "You have guests, miss Roth. The polite thing would be to answer the door."

    Alfred response was soft but firm.

    There was silence from the other side.

    A few short seconds later, the door swung open. Raven stood in the doorway wearing...

    "He got you too, huh?"

    Dick snickered at the Purple dress, a silver necklace and short heels that Raven was in.

    The goth girl narrowed her eyes.

    "I hate myself for agreeing to this. And I hate you for reminding me of it."

    Robin chuckled. Then a hand landed on his shoulder and he tensed.

    "Ah...you look good."

    He lamely corrected himself.

    "You look lovely, miss Roth."

    Alfred added with more genuine honesty, slightly pushing Dick forward.

    The meaning was very direct. Introduce yourself.

    Robin gulped,

    "Uh...hi, Dick Grayson. Bruce Wayne is my adopted Father."

    The younger boy offered his hand for her to shake.

    Raven took a minute before answering, studying his face with a slight suspicion.

    "You can call me Raven. I have never seen you before. Not once since Zatara abandoned us here."

    Raven shook his hand.

    Dick looked at Alfred from the corner of his eye. The Butler was as silent as ever. It was up to Dick as the Wayne scion to give a proper answer.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "He...didn''t abandon you. Zatara is a Justice League member. He''s probably too busy dealing with crazy sorcerers trying to take over the planet."

    Raven crossed her arms over her chest and snorted.

    "Doubt it."

    Then she turned to Alfred.

    "I wouldn''t really care about it that much, but he''s the only one who can tell me anything about Kent, because apparently you don''t know anything."

    The statement was delivered in a dry monotone.

    ''Oh crap''

    Dick tried hard not to spare a look Alfred''s way.

    "Huh..."

    Dick shook his head.

    "Details about League affiliates are kept under tight security. There''s not much to tell."

    Dick tightened his hand into a fist to the point the nails almost bit into his skin.

    Raven studied his eyes for any falsehoods before looking away.

    Dick sighed, stepping forward.

    "Hey look, I''m sorry about all this."

    Raven nodded, smiling slightly.

    For Dick, the smile only made him feel worse. He hated they were lying to her but...Batman had decided to keep the news of Kent''s passing a secret. Why? Dick understood that it was because he didn''t trust Raven and Davian but according to him, it was wrong not to tell them.

    It was why they had gotten into a shouting match that had ended up with Dick shouting at Bruce, telling him that he wasn''t his real dad. Bruce''s taciturn eyes had flashed with hurt and anger, then he had turned away and left.

    Dick felt bad about that but he still hated that he had to keep such a secret.

    "We must make haste. I think I left something on the timer."

    Alfred clapped his hands and turned to gesture at the hall.

    "If you wouldn''t mind, The dining room is just this way."

    Raven looked unsure, glancing at the door right next to her room. It had been almost been 2 weeks already and Davian was yet to wake up.

    "I assure you miss Roth, your friend will be fine. We have measures in case of anything."

    Alfred told her.

    With one final glance, Raven shrugged and followed after Dick, catching up to him as Alfred walked on a little ahead.

    "Hey, I''m sorry about your friend." Dick expressed his understanding.

    "It sucks to be stuck in a bed."

    "Mmh." Raven hummed, thinking about how crazy her life had gotten. Just over a week ago, she was part of a suicide group with killers. Now she was in the home of one of the richest men on the planet.

    "You never answered why I''ve never seen you around before."

    Raven told Dick as they rounded up the corner before taking the stairs to the ground floor.

    "Yeah... Sorry about that." The dark haired, blue eyed boy scratched his head.

    "Between school and huh...extracurricular activities, I had a really packed week."

    He laughed a little. ''Kicking Clayface on the face after he escaped Arkham.'', he added to himself.

    Raven stared at him weirdly before she decided to be ''nice''. Davian had told her she needed to work on her people skills.

    "Believe it or not, I can relate."

    She replied neutrally.

    Soon they arrived at the dinner table and while Raven was used to such opulence settings back in Azarath, she was still surprised by the set up.

    There were scarlet curtains framing a huge window that looked out into the Wayne Manor''s backyard, a huge long table that could seat 10 people at a time. Then on the ceiling was a chandelier that reflected light beautifully from the dozens of scented candles in the middle of the dinner table.

    The walls of the room were covered in all manner of art. Raven even recognized some famous art pieces despite knowing nothing about art.

    ''It looks like a fancy ball room.''

    The most outstanding thing inside the chamber was the massive chair at the head of the table. Polished black with beautiful cursive decorations, there was no mistake that the ''throne'' was meant for the head of the house, Bruce Wayne.

    She took one of the chairs, pulling it out before Dick could do it for her. The boy shrugged and took the seat next to her, vaulting over the table in a backflip, when Alfred''s back was turned.

    "I saw that."

    Alfred stated, setting up a few cutlery. Dick threw up his hands.

    "I swear, it''s like you have eyes at the back of your head."

    Alfred held up a plate.

    "They''re called reflections, sir."

    He delivered in a tone dryer than what even Raven could make.

    Raven tried hard not to smile.

    "You do acrobatics."

    She noted, placing her hands on the table. She needed to have free range of movement in order to quickly cast a spell in case of an emergency.

    "Yeah. Since I could remember. My family used to work in a circus."

    He replied with a fond smile. Then it slipped off his face.

    Raven understood without Dick saying more. Anyone who had lost someone important knew that look.

    "Is there someone else joining us?"

    She asked, motioning with her chin at the plate set before the chair at the head of the table.

    "Master Bruce is occupied at the moment. He should be joining us in about an hour."

    Alfred answered, standing at a spot next to the chair with a few napkins folded over his arm.

    (Watchtower)

    "I scouted the place."

    Canary informed the room as she pulled up images of a small manor, standing in between a portion of land, covered by a small woods.

    The hall itself was less than half occupied. Most of the Justice League members were not present. Superman was dealing with a tsunami situation in Japan, a couple of others were off world to see the Flash.

    Those who were around, 5 in total, sat around the meeting hall, listening as Canary explained her findings.

    "The Orphanage was founded over 30 years ago. Though it used to be a summer home belonging to one of Gotham''s elite families, the Crowne family."

    A reel with a few pictures showing a family of 3 standing infront of a large black gate appeared on the holographic projection. Behind the gate was a relatively small manor.

    "Then it was procured by a very interesting party after The Crowne''s family downfall."

    Batman frowned as a picture of a certain crime boss appeared on the display.

    "The Calabrese crime family. It was supposed to be a high end casino due to its location near the outskirts of the city."

    ''Selina''

    Batman frowned. Catwoman, real name: Selina Kyle was the daughter of Rex Calabrese. Batman hoped there wasn''t a connection between them and whatever else was happening. His worries were put to rest upon Canary''s next words.

    "The city officially acquired the property after the Calabrese family was destroyed and some of it''s members imprisoned, during a gang war in 1977. The city decided to turn it into an Orphanage."

    "Quite the history lesson but forgive me for asking what this has to do with anything."

    Captain Atom spoke up.

    Canary nodded in understanding, her eyes briefly gazing at the gloomy looking Dark Knight.

    "19 years ago, a basket with a baby was left at the doorstep of the orphanage. The matron remembers the gate being closed and in the morning there were no discernible steps around the Orphanage grounds. So the case was pretty strange."

    The display changed yet again to show a picture of a brown parchment of paper with a few words written on it.

    "Then it got even stranger."

    Canary breathed out.

    "Well, for me at least. You see under the blanket was this note, which if you read..." She magnified the image.

    "To the man who fears the bats, you will kill him again."

    Aquaman read it out loud, every eye snapping towards Batman.

    The Dark Knight interlocked his fingers.

    "A message. For me."

    He growled out.

    "Let me guess, the word ''bat'' gave it away."

    Green Arrow joked, smirking while blocking the quick slap to the back of his head from his girlfriend. Then he was flicked on the forehead by her other hand.

    "Ow."

    He rubbed the spot and glared at her.Black</a> Canary turned to Batman.

    "The message is from 19 years ago. Before Batman was ever a thing. It''s sound like this boy and you are connected to something deeper, Batman."

    "Maybe we can..."

    "Beep beep"

    "Beep beep"

    Batman was up on his feet in a split second, fingers running across his wrist computer.

    A hologram of floor plans appeared in 3d above his arm. He frowned, turning to leave.

    The others who had watched the whole thing looked at each other.

    "Wait, Batman..."

    Green Arrow tried to stop him.

    "We''ll continue this later."

    The Dark Knight said, approaching the Zeta tube, cape flaring behind.

    "What happen..."

    Canary tried to ask.

    "Security Alert at Wayne Tower. The power went off."

    "Recognized Batman: 02."

 Awakening

    (General P.O.V)

    "Shadow them. Ensure that Kobra does not mess this up. He underestimates the Detective."

    Ra''s Al Ghul informed Deathstroke. The latter stood behind the Demon''s Head in a straight posture. His hands were crossed over his huge chest, the pommel of his signature swords jutting out from his back.

    Two handguns were strapped to the belt on his hip, completing his arsenal. The weapons while lethal, were not as sharp and cold as his one visible eye, staring at the leader of the League of Shadows.

    Ra''s was looking towards the cliff side. The view was different now. The cliff used to shield the first rays of the sun from hitting the training yard. Now the light was too glaring for the students, disrupting morning practice.

    Naturally they knew who was responsible and under normal circumstances, his Shadows would have had their heads on a pike. But this time, it was a special case. The one responsible, according to Cheshire''s report, was an uncontrollable rage monster.

    Davian Mabuz.

    The boy had seemingly disappeared into thin air. Not only that but losing the Martian agent had hurt their dealings with their ''friend''. Not that the Light had put a considerable amount of effort into making sure there was never a fallout between them and the White Martians. However mutual benefits were never a bad thing.

    They had to answer to that and that meant hurrying up some of their plans. Davian Mabuz needed to be brought in, yes. But more than that, the bigger picture took precedence.

    On a personal level, Ra''s had his men looking for the boy.

    That kind of power in the hands of the Light or to be more specific, the League of Shadows would be invaluable. Place the boy under Ra''s best tutors and he could fashion him into a weapon that could be utilized to guide humanity into the right path.

    It the boy proved himself exceptionally well then, maybe he could become what Ra''s had been looking for all this time, a heir to inherit his Legacy.

    That was his big picture. The members of the Light were just lucky they all had a common enemy.

    "Are you really concerned about Kobra or is this something else, master?"

    Sensei, an old man enquired from opposite Ra''s. That old man was but a child in the eyes of Ra''s.

    He''d watched Sensei grow up in the dark halls of the League of Shadow''s headquarters. To him he was but a young boy. A young boy who could almost best him in chess, owing to the board in between them.

    "Mmh..."

    Ra''s hummed, giving the impression of thinking about his next move.

    Deathstroke snorted softly.

    "It''s about ''him'' isn''t it?"

    "Watch your tone boy. Do not forget your place when you address the Demon''s Head."

    Sensei admonished in a cold voice.

    Deathstroke narrowed his eye at him. Before any tension could form, Ra''s waved a hand.

    "Enough."

    He made a move, picking off one of Sensei''s pawns.

    "Out of all I have had the privilege to instruct, even in passing, only a few truly stand out. Lady Shiva...she''s the most deadly. A cold hearted executioner."

    He moved his Queen around, taking away most of Sensei''s pieces.

    His finger tapped on the Rook.

    "Slade Wilson, Deathstroke the Terminator...he''s the best Assassin. The most efficient."

    Deathstroke made no reaction while Sensei snorted lightly. He had never hid his displeasure for him. Deathstroke had been his most arrogant Student.

    Ra''s grabbed the Knight and held it up.

    "The Detective, the most willful, the most resourceful."

    His tone was laced with an undercurrent of pride.

    Deathstroke tightened his fists.

    Ra''s hesitated on the Bishop piece, his hand hovering over it.

    "Ben Turner...The Strongest."

    This time his tone went deeper, more serious.

    Ra''s stood up, running the piece through his fingers as he walked forward, looking out into the sea.

    "I respect him because more than all the others, he has earned that respect."

    Sensei and Deathstroke looked at one another.

    "Bronze Tiger will stay in line because he knows what I can give him. Her."

    Ra''s stated.

    A brief silence reigned.

    "Do not antagonize him."

    Ra''s told Deathstroke.

    The latter understood the clear dismissal and turned to leave. His eyes briefly flashed towards a Raven haired woman standing off to the side.

    Talia Al Ghul, the daughter of Ra''s Al Ghul sneered.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    (Elsewhere)

    There wasn''t a lot of traffic this way. First owing to the fact that it was the late evening and also that this was mostly a private residence sector. Home to some of the richest of Gotham''s elites.

    The slow drone of the vehicle quieted down as Deadshot, parked it by the side of the road near a junction that led to Wayne Manor.

    "So what''s the plan?"

    Baran asked, stepping out of the car with the other two. Deadshot checked his gun first, cocking it before aiming it straight at Baran''s head.

    "I''ll give you one warning. Don''t try to follow us."

    "Whoa! Whoa!"

    Baran stepped back with fear in his eyes. The jangle of keys made him throw his hands out by reflex.

    "Be ready."

    Bronze Tiger informed him. Baran opened his eyes and found himself alone. He looked at his palms and saw the car keys.

    Anger marred his features. They were basically calling him useless. His hand went to his pant''s pocket, bringing out with it a glowing brown vial. He was going to show them.

    On a tree, a couple of dozens of meters away, Deadshot pressed the side of the cybernetic eye on his mask. The expert marksman sucked in a breath.

    "Motion detectors, heat sensors and hidden security cameras covering the entire compound. Not to mention any other security measures I can''t detect." He whistled.

    "This is not going to be a walk in the park."

    "Keep them busy while I try to locate what we came for."

    Bronze Tiger''s voice rumbled from next to him.

    "And how are you going to do that?"

    Deadshot asked, loading up his rifle.

    He looked around and found himself alone.

    (Elsewhere)

    "...in the British royal army. So Alfred and his team take a detour, following the civilian''s directions to try and sneak up on that particular terrorist cell."

    Dick narrated.

    "Ah."

    Alfred sighed.

    "Could we not talk about this at the dinner table, Master Dick?"

    "What, and bore Raven with meaningless small talk?"

    Dick asked, leaning closer to the table, his food barely touched despite the tantalizing smell of the soup wafting off his plate.

    Raven''s own plate was empty, the steak devoured cleanly. She, better than anyone knew what hunger was.

    "So there they are, looking into this small building. Alfred gives the signal, this soldier walks up, opens the door...and over a hundred chicken come flying out! The soldier falls down and starts screaming wildly!"

    Raven frowned, not really invested in the talk but wary of the stern glare Alfred threw her way when she started fiddling with her phone. It wasn''t anything special, just a small gift from one of her mom''s friends. That''s where she''d gotten the picture she carried of her as well.

    She found her mind drifting when Dick started snapping his fingers on her face.

    "You couldn''t looked more bored if you tried."

    "What?" Raven responded, realizing her mind had drifted away.

    Before he could answer, the glass shattered and something fell through, bouncing on the floor of the chamber.

    "Get down!"

    Dick jumped off his seat to tackle Raven when an explosion went off.

    "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

    As the table was pushed back and up, it struck a dome of black energy, breaking in the middle with both parts getting flung away to either side.

    Dust and the smell of burning wood permeated the room.

    The dome rippled away as Raven appeared, standing infront of Alfred and an injured Dick.

    "Master Dick!"

    Alfred called out in urgency. The young boy hadn''t escaped without harm. There were a few light burns across his left side.

    Alfred breathed a sigh of relief when the young boy groaned, getting up.

    "I''m..."

    A shot rang out, going through the chain column of the Chandelier.

    "Get back!"

    He shouted once more, pushing both Raven and Alfred away from him while sliding back on the floor.

    The huge chandelier smashed onto the ground right where they were. Glass shattered and rained out, one of them biting into Raven''s cheek and causing it to bleed.

    Without the light from the candles bouncing off the Chandelier, the room was washed in darkness. It was only for a single second before multiple electric lamps lit up on the walls, a function of the room so as to give a calm atmosphere.

    Dick narrowed his eyes, he''d seen a shadow move through the darkness.

    Raven looked around the room with her fists enclosed in a black sphere.

    "Miss Roth are you okay?"

    Alfred enquired from her, standing close and before them, protectively.

    "What was that?"

    Raven instead asked her own question.

    "Grenades. I knew you were going to block it with one of your shields."

    A voice said from the frame of the window. Deadshot jumped inside and patted his forehead, his rifle pointed at the sky.

    "Hello Raven."

    He greeted.

    "You."

    Said Raven, her posture tensing.

    "What are you doing here?"

    Deadshot chuckled, looking around and noticing that the boy had disappeared. His eyes narrowed. How had he slipped away?

    "Oh you know the usual. Getting paid to off some interesting people."

    A cold light flashed across Raven''s eyes.

    "I won''t let you or anyone else harm them!"

    She couldn''t let it happen. They had been good to her despite hiding secrets. Alfred had been a godsend when taking care of Davian and she would not let them face danger.

    "Alfred step back."

    Raven instructed.

    The Butler began to protest when Raven created a swirling dark portal under him that sent him to the kitchen. He would only get in the way.

    Her eyes flashed red and Deadshot''s eyes widened under his mask. He didn''t really want to shoot her but his gun was pointed at her head when a burst of darkness slammed into him.

    Deadshot''s body slammed through the window they had used to come in and he careened to the ground while flailing his arms. The fall was not too bad. He simply rolled on the green covered yard once his back touched the ground. Then he came up in a crouch, raising his gun.

    He pulled the trigger and a few bullets bounced off the shield Raven had created. A flat circular construct. The young girl cocked her head to the side.

    "Really? You knew that wasn''t going to work."

    Deadshot shrugged, getting up from the ground.

    "I shoot bullets, honey. That''s my deal. Doesn''t mean they always work on a target though."

    "So what do you do when you''re faced with someone like me?"

    Raven asked, her body floating down towards the ground.

    "Well I..."

    Before he could answer, a hiss sounded out and a green figure came lumbering out of the dark. Deadshot''s rifle was immediately aimed at that direction when, his face changed.

    "Oh you have got to be fucking with me."

    A huge snake man jumped over him, pulling back a clawed hand to try and smash it across Raven. The window of the third floor blasted apart into small shards of glass as something fast sped through it.

    "Getsuga...Tensho!"

    A purple arc of light flashed and the entire night lit up. The arc cut through the air screaming as it landed on the chest of the huge monster and sent it flying far away into the dark. The attack was strong enough to carve a groove on the immaculate yard, scarring it.

    In between Raven and Deadshot, something landed.

    Raven blinked, her fists losing power.

    "Davian..."

    She muttered, seeing the strong back of who she would call her friend. He was shirtless in true Davian fashion. His silver hair had grown longer during his sleep, falling to just below his shoulders. And his back was littered with small scars that only seemed to add more gravitas to his presence.

    He had his long sword in his right hand, while the left held onto the sheath. Was it just her or did he seem...bigger?

    She''d never really noticed it before but...he wasn''t bad looking at all.

    "Hey Goth girl."

    A smooth voice called out. The source, Davian smirked and looked over his shoulder.

    "Miss me much?"

    Raven found herself smiling.

    "Don''t flatter yourself Mabuz, I had peace when you were asleep."

    Deadshot narrowed his eyes. Things had just gotten complicated. He had been initially surprised to find Raven here but even ''he'' was here? The mission Intel had ever said anything about this. Deadshot could remember the Cluster fuck that was the mission to bring in Davian. That had not been a fun day.

    To make matters worse they were flirting before him.

    He aimed at the chest of the new arrival and pulled the trigger. The gun crackled as a spray of bullets escaped the weapon only to slam into a green shield around Davian''s body.

    "That isn''t going to work Deadshot."

    The younger man coldly said, the point of his sword aimed at Deadshot.

    In response, Deadshot lowered the rifle, discarding it to the side as he checked on his wrist guns.

    "This is so not what I signed up for."

    The Assassin muttered, getting ready to fight, he only hoped that his ''partner'' was having better luck.

 Chesha Neko part 1

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    (Inner World)

    (Some Time Back)

    Sweat matted my eyebrows as the spirit released a potent aura of Reiatsu. I sank to my knees, face looking up in fear at the intimidating cloak of power covering his form.

    Breathing became hard. The resolve I had held on till then washed out of me, leaving me a husk of hopelessness. It felt like the end of the world. My first time being exposed to spirit pressure and I completely understood why it could kill. This felt as if the air was squeezing into me from all sides.

    ''Get it together...''

    The whisper came from the deep recess of my mind. It reminded me of who I was. Of what I had gone through. I clenched my jaw and butt cheeks.

    The sheath in my hands glowed green and more spirit power was released, saturating the space between us and enabling me to atleast block the worst of the aura.

    I inhaled large amounts of air while stumbling to my feet. Luckily I had Gordon behind me, so he was saved from the blunt of the Spiritual pressure.

    As if unaware of me, the spirit began ranting, palms pressed on his head from the sides.

    "It''s not fair...I should have it all! It''s mine! I was first here... No! You lie! Kill you! I need to end it!"

    The mutterings continued as he faced away from me. Unhinged and Nervous. The phantom on his shoulder held a hand above his head.

    My Parallel self, like a sentinel floated around the spirit. A worried look was on his face. He looked at me and silently asked me to do it.

    I had no idea where to start from. Konso was basically cleansing a soul by using a Zanpakuto.

    So how do you perform a Konso without a Zanpakuto?

    I knew that a Soul Reaper pressed the pommel of the weapon on the forehead of a plus (dead soul) to send them to the other side, but that was about it.

    ''He is in pain."

    A voice, different from the Spirit spoke out.

    Mine. Only younger. Softer. My Parallel self''s lips had not moved but I knew that it was he who had spoken.

    And if it were up to me, that pain would have been tenfold. I held no love for the spirit after everything that had gone down.

    The way my Parallel stared at me felt...not exactly judgemental but something along those lines. It felt as if he was accusing me of not seeing the bigger picture.

    My chest tightened, whether from the pain of my injuries or the heaviness of his gaze, it mattered not. I ran a hand across my injuries. The skin under the wounds felt tender but something was actively healing me.

    "I''ve never had anyone."

    He added, seemingly patting the Spirit''s head to appease it. It was distracted.

    ''I only needed to get close. Things would sort themselves out afterwards.''

    I took a step forward and the Spirit pressure coming off the spirit doubled.

    The world warped around me. My soul shivered as the sky begun to rain down with millions of worms. I deployed a shield but none of that seemed to work.

    My body was splattered with dead bugs and green blood. I felt like retching, the stench was horrible but my gaze never left his back. I only need to get...close.

    I took another step and his body changed.

    The back deformed, becoming too large for his chest. The White outfit he wore begun to tear apart, revealing more worms that spilled out and fell to the ground, squirming and digging into the cemetery floor.

    What the...the hailstorm of bugs ended but the nightmare seemed to have only just begun.

    "Aarrrghh..."

    Moaning sounds begun to ring out from the graves dotting the Cemetery. A grey, skinny arm broke through the soil.

    "Oh Fuck... don''t tell me..."

    Before I could say anything else, the hand was joined by more.

    I jumped back, standing before Gordon. I was seriously getting tired of all this crap. My face was set in a permanent frown. I had no idea how much time had passed but I would be pissed if I''d wasted more than a few days on this particular issue.

    Dead bodies begun to rise around me, each with purple eyes, and dozens of worms digging through their slouching flesh as they stumbled my way.

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    "What the fuck is this, night of the living dead?"

    I leaned forward and created a small green platform under my feet that enabled me to burst in quickly. The first Zombie, a man who was...

    Wait. I stopped, my feet braking hard on the ground.

    That face...it was disfigured with worms moving under the grey rotting skin but I recognized it.

    "Andre?"

    I asked out loud, sweeping my gaze out to the rest of them.

    My heart faltered, hand shaking as my old gang appeared before me. But I had killed them! I remember each and every single shot I''d taken.

    That plaid shirt could only be Papa Fred, Serena looked as if she''d seen better days and Marc moaned with a green sludge falling down his lips.

    My hair hid my eyes away. If that''s how he wanted to play this then...

    "Kill Him!!"

    The Spirit had fully turned to me and along with the hate and negative feelings, I saw a spark of fear underneath it all.

    He had resurrected my old Gang. No pressure, I just needed to kill them again. A wide grin appeared on my face.

    Leaning forward again, I jumped at Andre who was closest to me. Up close and the stench was horrible. I paid it no mind as I slashed out with my palm. His head flew up to the sky, the skin on his neck offering no resistance.

    Papa Fred was next. I won''t lie, I enjoyed this part. A lot. My enhanced kick tore through his huge belly, exploding him from the back, his organs a putrid mess of intestines and torn flesh that flew towards the spirit only to be vaporized by the grid of strings around him.

    Serena clawed on the shield I timely deployed. I enlarged it, throwing her through the air and causing her to slam onto a Gravestone. Her head splattered easily on it''s hard surface. Marc was last. The little shit. I reiterate, I hate Marc.

    I bitch slapped Marc''s head off and exhaled in relief. That had felt good. I looked at the dead bodies once more. Whether they were an illusion or not, I had killed them again and it felt... therapeutic.

    "That all you got?"

    I asked the spirit. Shit, I wouldn''t have minded bitch slapping Marc around a couple more times.

    A second later, I realized my mistake. In response to my taunt, the Spirit powered up.

    His limbs grew uneven, the hands lengthening to long claws covered with a white fur that reminded me of the monster, Slenderman. Pair that up with the worm creatures falling off his body and he was like an incomplete Chimera creature. Within seconds, he was unrecognizable. One lone purple eye stared down at me, the other a mass of black worms.

    He was now more than 8 feet tall.

    Like a broken record, Gordon kept on muttering,

    "Kill You."

    The Reiryoku coming off him became darker. The deep and evil aura I had come to associate with my ''Hollow'' abilities consuming the last bit of Reiryoku and turning it completely grey. Getting close became impossible.

    The soil and grass around him floated to the sky as his whole aura undulated. It made me wonder if I could do the same. I hadn''t had Reiryoku for long but I knew of it''s possibilities. Take for instance Kido. I could have blasted this bastard a long time ago with a Hado 96.

    "I''ve only ever had myself."

    Parallel Davian''s spirit said, his voice cutting through the haze of confusion and wariness as I faced the Behemoth.

    ''Join the club.'' I thought, pulling everything I had in me. The Konso...how do you purify a spirit? Do you just imagine it happening or is there a particular practice to it? Would it work without a Zanpakuto?

    I groaned, rubbing a spot on my chest as I warily watched the Spirit, ready to deploy a shield the minute the grid appeared. Yet despite it''s rants of Killing me, it only observed. As if waiting for something.

    The uncomfortable feeling in my chest intensified, starting as a low heat.

    It was brimming, quickly becoming a hot furnace that I could feel deep in my chest and on my wrists. A groan escaped my lips.

    A power I couldn''t see or sense through Reikaku burst from my chest to encompass every single vein in my body. It was pure.

    "I couldn''t trust anyone. Or rather, I hated everyone. Including myself."

    The soft voice of my Parallel self came again, full of sadness and a quiet pride.

    "Don''t get lost in the hate and self doubt. I did the same and I don''t want that Path for you."

    He went on to say.

    I realized why the Spirit was yet to attack, he was keeping it bay. Somehow. It''s lone eye was focused on me yes, but it wasn''t really seeing me. But that wouldn''t last for long. I stopped fighting the heat.

    Taking a deep breath, I lifted the Sheath. ''Don''t get lost in hate huh?...''

    Hard not to do that when the whole world is out to get you.

    The faces of my Old Gang appeared in my mind. It was so easy to hate them. Even if they were dead. But carrying that hate would do me more harm than good.

    I let it go. Probably the hardest thing I had ever done.

    The heat stopped consuming me as I allowed it free rein to wherever it wanted to go, free of my influence. It showed me a connection to everything around. The graveyard, Gordon''s eroding Spirit, My own Reiryoku, the Spirit''s and his.

    "I wanted to destroy the world."

    The voice came again, this time in a wistful tone.

    "Trust me, I can relate."

    Another step and my head swam but the effects of the Reiatsu were not as bad as before.

    "It was my fate. My purpose. My ultimate payback to everyone who trampled on me. On my dreams. Then I realized I was too far gone. So when the time came, I chose to trust myself. You. "

    With every word, I felt my flesh knit back together. The heat had slowly receded, the pain was abating and I was healing at a faster speed. Power filled my body.

    "Fight."

    This time it was a command. One that went deep into my soul. It implored. I understood what I needed to do.

    The Sheath in my hands pulled my gaze into it. Into the language of it''s cursive lines. A sheath without a weapon. A sheath missing it''s Zanpakuto. Yet, now I knew. The Zanpakuto was not missing. I just needed to call for it. I just needed to release the power from within.

    The sheath spoke of a power that was eager to be used. A power that was mine and mine alone. I tightened my hand on it.

    Spiritual energy that was unlike anything I had ever felt before, began to roil inside me. I wasn''t a hollow or a soul reaper or a bount or a Quincy. I was...Davian Mabuz, and my path was whatever I wanted it to be.

    "Huh!?"

    The ranting Spirit stiffened.

    "Impossible!"

    Gordon shouted, the grid appearing around the three of us. The strings combined, forming into one giant purple fist that fell towards me with little fanfare.

    The speed of the construct was almost too fast. Covering my whole vision with it.

    I held my ground, there was no reason to be afraid anymore. I wasn''t wrong to be here. I was exactly where I needed to be. Nick was dead but his memory would live on. I had taken revenge on who had been responsible. Twice even.

    I guess...I could let it all go now. The hate, the Self doubt...I finally handled that trauma.

    My entire life was taken from me but I had been compensated. I had power now but more than that, I had life. A second chance. And I would cherish the gift given to me. Undeserving or not, this Davian saw something in me. Let''s prove him right.

    That was the last barrier I needed to close.

    "Call out my Name..."

    With my sheath raised to the sky, the words came naturally.

    "Come forth from the weave of eternity, Chesha Neko: Release."

    The whole realm begun to shake with power.

 Chesha Neko Final Part.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    We know ourselves best when there is nothing to shield the truth from us. When we can''t hide behind the white lies or unspoken secrets. When we have no choice.

    The environment around me was blackened from burnt grass. Smoldering skeletons halfway out of the grave and others caught in the flames while attacking me laid around. The fire was dying down but the damage was extensive. One of those trees with multiple eyes kept popping as they exploded from the heat.

    A dark cloud covered the sky, adding more gloom to the area. I coughed out blood, something that had steadily become a routine. The pain was yet again not as bad as it should have been. Which was great for me because of the state my body was in.

    I was missing a hand, blood pooling under my body. One of my eyes was taken out along with a massive scar going down my face. The cut on my ear, having been split into two, was healing. In fact all my injuries were steadily healing.

    My soul seemed to regenerate any injury in a few minutes. I suspected it was due to the fact that I was in my Inner World.

    The healing far outstripped what my physical body could do. It made me wonder if I could somehow take advantage of what allowed my soul to regenerate so fast and apply it to my body. Making sure I didn''t die was top on my list for this new life.

    I crouched back, the small of my back leaning on a broken gravestone. Chesha Neko in its Shikai form lay next to my hand, caked with blood. The blade had changed completely.

    I had thought it would change forms into a Cross blade, the same one the spirit had attacked me with earlier. But this blade was different. In its sealed state, my weapon was a simple Longsword, the most outstanding thing being the decorative symbols on the sheath.

    In its Shikai form, it was bigger. A Greatsword, with a metal that glowed a deep purple sheen. It''s reflective side seemed to shift light and almost meld into obscurity. Then if you turned it around again, the reflective side would bounce back light in a brief flash that could blind the enemy.

    That''s not to mention it''s main Shikai ability.

    Releasing My Shikai seemed to have dealt with most of the issues with my abilities. I had back access to my Reiryoku and wielding it felt much easier.

    The negative aspect of it was somehow still there though. Even to my own Reikaku, my spirit energy felt evil. And Chesha Neko had refused to say a word even when I had called out to him. I could sense his presence. Just like I could sense my inner world much more clearly.

    speaking of which, Gordon was...somewhere far to my left. About 4 miles away. My fight with the Spirit had destroyed a large part of the Cemetery. The Gravestone I sat on overlooked a crater. At the center of that crater, he lay.

    A boy of 19, his chest rising up and down shallowly. My final attack had speared past the Spirit''s Saketsu and with a massive explosion of power, Reiryoku had rushed out of the wound, wrecking the surroundings in a burst of purple plasm. The energy then found it''s way to the sky in the shape of a wide beam, spearing past the mist and clouds.

    Then I felt it, the separation between Chesha Neko and the Unnamed Zanpakuto was over.

    A bright sun had momentarily shone. The energy broke apart into sparks of light, like fireworks lighting up the sky.

    I could still see wisps of blue embers falling through the gloomy clouds.

    "I have nothing...in this world."

    I told him, looking down at his broken form. A face that was so me, it was almost disturbing.

    He said nothing. Then again, with his spirit energy slowly leaking out into the surroundings...I would expect the same. I got up, the worst of my bleeding now slowed down and walked towards the crater, almost tripping at the loss of balance due to my missing limb.

    A brief survey of the crater and I saw the blackened stump of flesh that was my hand, just a small distance away from the Spirit. The limb was burned to crisp.

    Fuck.

    I had no idea if I could regenerate a limb but given the fact that my destroyed eye could now spot blurry images of things...maybe I was worrying for nothing.

    I reached him and knelt on the ground.

    "No family,"

    I explained, before shrugging.

    "Maybe two friends. One is a hot psycho clown,"

    The description was pretty obvious. Everyone in Gotham knew Harley Quinn.

    "...and the other is a Goth, she''s even more anti-social than I am."

    I laughed thinking of Raven. She really needed to loosen up.

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    His fingers trembled. A sigh escaped me.

    I gently grabbed his palm in mine.

    "You were never separate."

    I told him.

    "I can see it in your eyes. You know what I''m talking about."

    His eyes remained far off. They were the same brown I saw when I looked in the mirror. What I called ''The Spirit'' was basically the part of Davian that exists over the edge of Self control. The other side of the coin. The darkness that wins if we gave up.

    Nick helped me stop my Darkness from winning.

    This Davian hadn''t had a Nick. But he had been strong enough to try to fight back. A piece of him had died. The one that remained was the Dark side.

    His eyes widened.

    A trail of tears fell down his cheeks. My eyes burned as well but I refused to look away from his pain.

    "Goodbye Davian."

    I whispered.

    He gave no reaction.

    Alright, it was time to finally end this. I grabbed Chesha Neko and pressed the end of the pommel onto his forehead. My eyes closed as I turned my attention inwards.

    Push and pull.

    Push and... pull.

    Reiryoku roared in my veins as Chesha Neko''s whole broad side glowed.

    Nothing happened.

    I tried again and the result was the same. What was I doing wrong? Or rather what was the right way to do this? I wondered, holding Chesha Neko in my hand.

    "...Sheath."

    He muttered, almost too low for me to hear.

    Sheath? What could it have to do with...oh.

    Oh! How didn''t I see it before? When Batman showed me the Clip of Davian destroying an entire building, Chesha Neko had been a cross blade. Basically a huge Scissor sword.

    However we had established that somehow Davian''s own power had melded with mine and with the Zanpakuto spirits fused like they had been...what if the weapons had done exactly the same? Two blades. The Sheath and Chesha Neko had both been fused into the Cross blade.

    That made a lot of sense actually. Still, all this was pure speculation. I could poke holes in the theory quite easily but if I was right then...

    I nodded, grabbing the sheath strapped to my hip by a very thin patch of Reiryoku and placed it flat on his chest.

    A green shroud covered his body, head to toe. I pressed Chesha Neko onto his forehead once more and this time, something immediately happened.

    Even without coaxing, my Reiryoku roared to life, rushing through the sword. I gasped at the beauty of it all.

    "Save...the kids and...Gordon."

    He exhaled with a gasp.

    "I can...I can see..."

    The Zanpakuto spirit/Davian closed his eyes for the final time.

    I clenched my jaw, staying in that position and looking on as his form slowly broke into motes of blue light.

    Where would he go? The real Davian had died over weeks ago and now the piece of his soul that had remained behind, holding onto hate and the unfairness of life was released to rejoin the whole. I felt like I needed to say something to honor his memory.

    In the end, I didn''t. I used Chesha Neko to push myself to my feet, then the grid manifested around me, a string holding up the Sheath. I pushed the weapon in, my form falling out of Shikai.

    My body was immediately hit with a feeling of dizziness. I stumbled, losing balance.

    "I got you."

    A voice said from behind me. Then a long furry tail wrapped around my midsection, holding me up.

    "Oh dear."

    A playful voice intoned from over my shoulder.

    "Missing a hand, an eye; though that particular injury seems to be closing up quite beautifully, You must have ran afoul something nasty."

    I took a few seconds to catch my balance before answering.

    "Thanks."

    I told the furry blue cat floating in the air around me.

    "Where were you?"

    I had called for him after the fight but he''d been silent.

    Cheshire Cat phased through my body, his form from neck down disappearing to leave a head with a wide grin.

    "Missed me?"

    I sighed, turning to leave the crater. I needed to find Gordon so that we could see about getting out of here.

    My Zanpakuto spirit appeared from a grave stone just as I reached the top. He stared at his claws.

    "I wanted to give you some privacy. It looked...personal."

    He answered, his tone heavy.

    "Yeah well." I looked at the sky, not knowing what to follow up with that.

    "I need to find Gordon."

    I turned and begun walking towards the direction I knew the Police Commissioner was on.

    "You know I can warp space and take us there right?"

    Cheshire...no.

    I stopped and looked at him in his torquoise eyes.

    "Hey what do you think of the name Chase? Chesha Neko might reveal your abilities to our enemy and Cheshire Cat is..."

    "Shameless Plagiarism?"

    Chase asked with another wide, unnerving smile.

    "Chase..."

    He muttered before I could reply, flying ahead through the sky, swimming as if he was under water.

    "You like it?"

    I wondered as I kept on walking. This being my inner world, I could also probably appear where I wanted but...after everything that had happened, I needed a walk to clear my head. Plus, I didn''t want Gordon to see me injured like this. By the time I got to him, most of my injuries would already be healed, but that was if I chose to walk.

    ''Can''t say the same for my arm though.'' I thought looking at the stump.

    "Mmh Very Well, my wielder, I shall accept the name, Chase."

    Cheshire Cat or rather Chase said.

    "With that out of the way..."

    Suddenly he was in front of me.

    "You can feel it right. Your soul feels...bloated."

    I rubbed my chest. He was right.

    "It''s nothing."

    I stated, moving through his illusory body.

    "You were not ready for the Shikai release, Davian. Usually a Soul reaper goes through 6 years at the Spirit Academy, then decades after before they can release their Zanpakutos."

    Chase quietly explained.

    I stared at him as he sat on my shoulder.

    "You know about that?"

    "Of course I know about that. Who do you think you''re talking to?"

    He snorted.

    "And stop trying to change the subject."

    I stopped. More gravestones marked the flat landscape, the fires hadn''t reached this far. The cemetery seemed to stretch out further than the eye could see. Past the hill infront of us and we would be back where it all started.

    "I''m not trying to change the subject. I already know what you''re going to say." I told him.

    "You want to suggest I stay here for a couple more days while my soul gets used to the higher Reiryoku I seem to have awakened?"

    Chase floated.

    "Wrong. I suggest you stay here for no less than 6 months as your body and soul adjusts to the Lieutenant level Reiryoku reserves you now seem to possess."

    "6 months!"

    I asked in surprise, grabbing him from my shoulder by the back of his neck.

    "That''s way too long!"

    His body exploded into mist as he popped up above me, palm flat on his cheek.

    "That. Was demeaning. Please never do that again or I will gouge out one of your eyes as you sleep."

    He threatened with a sadistic smile.

    I smiled.

    "I can see it in your eyes, you would actually do it."

    He exposed his claws.

    "Try me."

    The mood became tense then we both burst out laughing.

    "Still..."

    I ran a hand across my face as the laughter ended. My hair was matted with blood. I''ve always wondered why I was born with silver hair...

    "6 months is a long time, Chase."

    I told him.

    He popped to my shoulder.

    "Then you''re in luck." I looked at him as he smiled next to my ear.

    "I happen to have an idea."

 I Need To Wake Up.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Cheshire Cat''s idea had more to do with his sadistic tendencies than actual help. You see I had to spar with him. Constantly and without rest.

    What this would do was force me to a position where I had to exhaust my reserves over and over again without stop. My soul would then adapt to the increased difficulty each time I replenished the Reiryoku.

    The plan was working. I felt a difference each time I woke up from my near death state. One thing I''d come to learn was that I was weak. Or rather, Cheshire Cat was powerful. And cunning.

    Already my battle awareness was on a whole other level. The spars were enough to curb any growing pride over my win against Parallel Davian''s Zanpakuto spirit. And that was because, even with my notable progress, I was still unskilled, and my Zanpakuto spirit had an uncanny ability to exploit those openings.

    I knew how to shoot. I knew how to street fight and I had taken boxing lessons back in the day. But fighting with superpowers was a very different affair.

    I lacked that fine tuned skill to chain attacks well. Not to mention, energy wasn''t like throwing a punch. There wasn''t a... physical heaviness. It was harder to control.

    "Mind the face!"

    I shouted as I leaned back, escaping a large paw with claws the size of daggers. Shunpo had been getting easier to perform. A burst of purple jet explosions propelled me away from the position, evading a sink hole created by spindly black vines. The black vines were tightly woven purple strings joined in huge and sharp tentacles.

    The surroundings passed in a blur and my position changed to behind Cheshire Cat in almost an instant.

    My foot slid on the sandy ground of the desert as I slashed out with Chesha Neko, a very basic attack but it was fast. The air literally screamed, the blade moving quickly towards the damn Cat''s neck.

    There was no resistance.

    His body and head separated, the head popping to the sky.

    "Oh look at that, you got me."

    He stated with smile on his face. I mirrored the expression. A chance! Damn cat was being too smug.

    "Getsuga Tensh..."

    Boom!

    His headless body exploded into a million threads flying across the desert in a whipping motion. Blood escaped multiple injuries across my chest and hands before a green bubble appeared around me for protection. I huddled and touched the sheath on my hip.

    ''That was too slow.''

    I thought, crouching inside the dome, sharp threads slashing and failing to breach the shield.

    A laugh bubbled out of me, at least I didn''t lose a limb this time. Regrowing one took days. I opened and closed the palm of my left hand in quiet reminiscing. That had been close.

    "Watch the ground."

    Chase voice came from all around me.

    Sharp strings exploded from the sand under my feet.

    Push and Pull.

    Almost instinctually, another Shunpo escaped my feet, the Shield around me disappearing as I was launched into the air. My trajectory was brought to a halt as a winding string managed to grasp my ankle, pulling me to the ground and ripping through my pants.

    "Watch the sky."

    Chase'' smug voice this time rang from behind. I turned, deploying the shield when over a dozen flaming yarns of strings the size of a baseball smashed onto my body. The shield fizzled out as they blew right through my chest.

    The world flipped around me, a sand dune appearing above, moving awfully fast as I clashed onto the ground. Hard.

    Oh I forgot to mention, to make the training more efficient, I was only limited to Reiryoku manipulation and Physical skills. Chase on the other hand could use the Shikai and his own strange weird powers.

    A groan escaped my lips as I woke up aboit a half hour later. My body felt sore, especially the neck.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    "He got you again."

    Gordon muttered, staring up at the moon above us. He looked better. His soul chain had stopped dissolving into the air. Chase had done something to slow down the erosion.

    Gordon was also a big part of the reason I didn''t want to give up. I had promised to save him. We had been doing this for over two weeks with only a hour a day to rest. Gordon occasionally watched from a far distance whenever he wasn''t at his grave Stone. I was worried about his mind. He spent an awful lot of time there.

    "You''re like a racing horse."

    He muttered, spitting on the ground as he chewed on a straw, a shadow cast over his eyes. His hands trembled ever so slightly.

    "Hey are you okay?"

    I questioned in concern, sitting up.

    Gordon looked at his trembling hands and hid them inside his trench coat.

    "Smoking addiction, guess it affects even the Spirit."

    I sighed.

    "Hey man, I never meant for any of this to go down the way it did. Just give me a couple of days and I''ll get you out of here, okay?"

    He looked at me and chuckled.

    "It''s okay. This is not my first Rodeo with superpowers, kid. You just do what you need to do."

    I looked at the soft embers of a flame burning in between us, most likely Chase''s work. The color of the fire was purple. I had an hour before that lunatic showed up.

    "What did you mean when you said I was like a racing horse?"

    I asked him, pulling Chesha Neko to me. I was trying to make meditating a daily habit. It was supposed to improve the connection between a Soul Reaper and his Zanpakuto.

    Bankai was pretty far away into the future for me, but it didn''t hurt to begin meditation.

    "You put the blinkers on." Gordon answered, chain links ringing as he stocked the flames with a stick.

    "If you focus too much on what''s happening before you, you lose sight of your blindspots and then the enemy, strikes. Like a racing horse, you have your eyes firmly stuck on the finish line."

    "Ah."

    I pulled a leg towards my chest, placing a hand on the knee. I guess I could sort of understand what he meant.

    "And with you too focused on the enemy, you don''t give yourself space to react to sudden ambush. Basically, you''re thinking too much."

    I but my lip, pulling onto my Reiryoku.

    "I wonder it I can use Reikaku like Observation Haki?"

    Reikaku only helped when the opponent could manipulate Spirit Energy as well. Otherwise, just about everyone else was blind to me.

    Pesquisa had a more general use but I was yet to master any Hollow skill besides Hiero which was a thin layer of compressed Reiryoku that protected hollow skin from getting injured. Mine was more a crude application of my Reiryoku than actual skill in the ability.

    "What?"

    Gordon called out.

    I shook my head.

    "Nothing. It''s just an idea I have."

    "Mmmh." Gordon hummed.

    "You know, one thing I''ve realized over a long career of fighting bad guys, your body reacts. You forget the moves."

    He looked up.

    "Trust in your gut."

    He raised a hand, his finger''s shaping themselves into a gun, aimed at my forehead.

    "Don''t hesitate. Hesitating gets you killed in Gotham. You have to match the ferocity of the other guy or you will lose."

    I frowned. Don''t hesitate? I breathed out. Okay.

    "I was wondering about something Commissioner..."

    The words dried up in my mouth.

    I could sense something. Evil Chi aimed at...not exactly me but the area around me?

    Chase popped up just as I got to my feet, a serious expression on my face.

    "What is going on?"

    Gordon asked nervously, looking in between us.

    "You can feel it then?"

    Chase enquired, floating about in the air. I fastened my Zanpakuto then stared at him, brown eyes meeting torquoise globes as I stood in defiance.

    "I need to wake up."

    "Stubbornness. Humanity''s most annoying attribute."

    Chase clicked his tongue.

    "Wake up?"

    Gordon got to his feet, his face lighting up with hope. I smiled slightly, one hand on my hip while the other snaked out to capture Chase by the neck as he popped behind me.

    The cat growled in annoyance while I brought his face closer to mine.

    "Put. Me. Down."

    He snarled.

    "Not until you listen."

    I shook him slightly.

    "How do I get out of here, Chase?"

    He phased through my hand, blinking over to Gordon''s shoulders. The Police Commissioner stiffened as Chase glared at me.

    "You owe me an eye."

    He stated, reminding me of the promise he had made.

    "And you can get it after I save my friend."

    I was a fool. I should have foreseen this happening. With so many people after me, it made sense that no matter where we hid, they would find us. This was DC after all.

    I only hoped Raven was okay. The teen didn''t deserve any of this, she already had a lot on her plate.

    I grabbed the handle of Chesha Neko and unsheathed it.

    "Come on Chase, don''t you want to see the results of your labor? Don''t you want to see how strong I''ve become?"

    "Fool." He shook his head.

    "You push yourself too far and your Spirit pressure will stun, if not kill anyone around you. You are not ready."

    He insisted.

    "Then make me ready!"

    I could feel it. They needed my help.

    Chase and I stared at each other for a few more seconds before his owlish eyes blinked.

    "Perhaps..."

    He stated.

    "Perhaps what?"

    I asked jumping into his line of thought.

    Cheshire Cat smiled.

    "It''s going to hurt..."

    (Later)

    I underestimated the pain.

    My body felt like locking up as I unhooked the medical devices on my body.

    Gordon''s spirit hang next to me like a long shadow, still invisible to anyone else''s eyes.

    "It actually worked. You look bigger."

    He told me as I sat up, hand gripping Chesha Neko.

    The feedback from all my sensory organs hitting me at once became almost too overwhelming. My body felt sluggish. But that was quickly changing. With a burning sensation inside the veins in my body, I could feel a surge of power.

    Chase'' idea was to create a grid of small treads along my veins that would actively shovel excess Reiryoku to my flesh, organs, blood and bones. Feeding them energy directly.

    Hence the size upgrade. I got up, looking around at the strange room. Then...I felt it.

    A ball of negative energy approaching...Raven!

    My body moved, two steps pushing me through the window and out into a yard of some sort. My body smashed down onto the ground, in-between Raven and someone else.

    A Getsuga Tensho left my blade, the energy slamming onto a humanoid snake mutant that was approaching the two.

    What the fuck was going on?

 Spoiling A Scheme part 1

    (General P.O.V)

    "The security guards are down."

    Shimmer spoke into her comms, foot laid on the back of a blue uniformed man.

    "I have control of the surveillance room. Your call, Cheshire."

    Black Spider called in.

    The lid on the ventilation chamber was silently pushed out as a lithe body dressed in green, and a white mask, landed inside a hall way that read Sub-level 11, the R and D department.

    A huge metallic door, as thick as a safe blocked her way inside.

    She tapped the side of her mask and a red grid of lasers appeared in her vision. She snorted, then removed a small can from one of her pockets. She first shook it and then sprayed it at the grid. More scarlet lasers appeared, these ones humming ominously.

    "Impressive."

    She said, one hand on her hip.

    "How did you get here so fast?"

    She addressed a shadow at the corner of the room.

    Batman dropped from behind her.

    "Cheshire. What are you doing here?"

    He growled.

    The Assassin turned around to him.

    "I don''t suppose ''sight seeing'' is a believable enough excuse, is it?"

    Her hand struck out and Batman quickly blocked the Sai she had thrown on his wrist guard. The weapon clattered away. Cheshire followed up by lobbying the can in her hands towards the lasers.

    There was an explosion of smoke. Batman quickly crouched, shielding himself with the cape.

    The smoke cleared away as Batman sounded the security alarm. He had stopped them from getting inside but something didn''t add up. On the ground before him was a playing card.

    He grabbed it off the floor and read the message.

    [Wayne has a package we need. You know where to find me. P.S: Did you know that the Gotham Zoo has the third largest reptile section in North America?]

    Batman''s eyes widened as he turned it around.

    On the other side was the picture of a bird.

    A robin.

    Just at that second, a prompt appeared on his wrist computer.

    (Sentinel Program initiated.)

    ''Smart boy.'' Batman thought as he ran towards the R and D department, he now knew what they were after.

    Luckily there was a Zeta tube relay deep in Wayne Tower. He had to get to the Manor quickly, they were going to kidnap Robin.

    (Elsewhere)

    "Robin to Batman, come in..."

    Dick frowned, biting his lip as he hid outside the window to Bruce''s study.

    There was the sound of shuffling feet inside. A shadow moving through Bruce''s things, looking for something. A tiny almost inaudible click rang out as the guy stepped infront of the book case.

    ''Oh no.''

    Robin could only watch as the intruder found the entrance to the Batcave and opened it.

    ''Crap. This is bad.''

    He tapped his wrist computer and cursed again. The communications were still jammed.

    ''Standard Operating Procedure says, I try to reach out. With the comms down, I have no choice but to engage.''

    Robin thought, narrowing his eyes at the blurry figure though the window pane. The figure was still standing at the entrance to the Cave, not moving in.

    Now was Robin''s chance. He couldn''t wait for Batman to realize that something was wrong. Realistically speaking, these were professionals and if it wasn''t for Raven fighting the other; owing to the sounds of battle happening, he wouldn''t be able to hold them back. However...if he could slip inside the cave first, then he could think of a few ways they could fight back.

    The door to the study swung open just as Robin was coming up with a plan. Alfred walked in.

    "Shit."

    Robin bit out, moving to the left side of the ledge while preparing to intervene.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The Old Butler and Bronze Tiger froze, staring at one another wordlessly.

    "Don''t."

    The mercenary warned, holding up his sharp claws for Alfred to see. Alfred''s hand went for an old sword placed inside a case near the entrance of the study.

    "This is private property. I''m going to have to ask you to leave."

    Alfred chided with a stern glare before smashing his elbow on the case.

    The sound of breaking glass covered the noise of the window latch being opened.

    Robin kicked in with his foot aimed at Bronze Tiger''s neck. The mercenary struck out like a snake, his forearm raised up to block the attack. The short boy felt his heart rise to his throat as his opponent lashed out with his other hand, aiming to grab him by the neck.

    Robin put strength on his left leg, pushing off Tiger''s arm to create more distance between them. Bronze Tiger was relentless, reaching out towards the Boy Wonder with his palm in the shape of a claw.

    Then Alfred was there, slashing down at the offending hand. A kick aimed for the Butler''s chest was instead received on his shoulder as he leaned to the side.

    The glancing blow was still powerful enough to push Alfred away, his body smashing on the book case along the wall.

    Then the whole room was filled with smoke as Robin threw down smoke pellets to cause a distraction.

    Bronze Tiger looked around, his forearm placed over his face to avoid inhaling the smoke. Both Alfred and Robin were missing. He quickly turned to the entrance of the Batcave just as two birdarangs dug themselves on the ground below him.

    "Shit."

    Bronze Tiger said, ducking under the desk just as a massive explosion occured.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I could feel Raven''s shock. Her eyes probably widened at my back.

    "You''re...up?"

    She said asked.

    "Fuck this shit. I never signed up for you."

    Deadshot cut in, hoisting his rifle and releasing shots towards Raven. The ground under me cratered from a hasty Shunpo as I appeared infront of her, my own body blocking the bullets.

    "Cheap move, Deadshot."

    I told the Merc who was already running away.

    My skin smoked as the metal bounced off it. The Reiryoku being funneled through my skin and body blocking every single bullet with only minimal puncturing.

    "Azarath metrion Zinthos!"

    A black cloud of flame washed out from beside me, cutting off the mercenary''s path. Deadshot cursed and jumped away. The black flames unfortunately turned the immaculate lawn into a blackened patch of land.

    From behind a tree, I could hear Deadshot hiss in pain. Raven took to the skies.

    "Don''t carve him up too bad."

    I called out.

    "I make no promises."

    She answered, then immediately staggered as something hit her on the side. There was an explosion and Raven fell to the ground, body smoking.

    My heart stopped. I stepped and appeared infront of her, a green shield already deployed around us.

    "Hey! Hey you okay?!"

    She groaned, coughing slightly while cradling her side.

    "Let me..."

    I told her, pulling her arms away. A sigh of relief escaped me. The skin was blistered and burnt but luckily there was no puncture wound. The only thing left would be to see if there was any internal bleeding.

    "How did you even survive that?"

    I asked, part in anger at the one responsible and awe at the fact that this hadn''t taken her down.

    Sweat already matted her forehead. She tried to say something but it came out as a whimper of pain. I clenched my jaw, leaving the Sheath on herbchest while straightening up.

    "Stay here. The Shield will protect you."

    I walked out of the dome while twirling Chesha Neko.

    Then I roared,

    "Show yourself coward!"

    Something lumbered out from the darkness, a hiss escaping it''s scaly form.

    "I''ll kill... you. Ssss."

    The mutant snakeman promised, body coiling in tension as his muscles bunched up. Getsuga Tensho seemed to have left a large slash wound from his shoulder to his hip. Oh and also made him angry.

    Chesha Neko''s broad side received the smack of it''s tail, only pushing me back slightly due to my lesser weight.

    "Are you the one who did this?"

    I asked it, staring deep into the serpentine eyes.

    "Kill you..."

    It grunted, tongue slithering out into the air.

    "I guess not."

    I ducked a fist and twirled Chesha Neko, digging it''s hard pommel straight at the side of the Snake man. It hissed in pain, blindly throwing both it''s hands around me, pulling my body close to try and squezze the life out of me like a Python.

    Even had your nose flattened by someone''s forehead? Yeah, I''d rather take a gunshot instead. The adrenaline keeps you going before you notice the pain. A broken nose on the other hand? It''s loud and it''s agonizing.

    A spray of blood exploded out of it''s nose as it staggered away from my forehead landing on his face. Hard.

    I stepped up closer, the blade in my hand twirling in preparation to end this. I wasn''t like Batman or the League. Leaving your enemies alive only had the prerequisite that you were okay with them getting revenge on your ass.

    It wasn''t about morality for me. No, it was about getting rid of the problem at its root. The Snake man''s eyes widened underneath his pain, fear coursing through him as I stalked up to him like he was prey.

    "Say your prayers..."

    I advised and he swallowed.

    "No... pleassssee... don''t kill me."

    He begged.

    "Too late for that."

    My words only made him shiver some more, especially the purple shroud of energy that started roiling above my skin.

    A gun was pointed at the side of my head as I loomed over the fearful creature.

    "I can''t let you do that, friend." Deadshot told me, his costume a ragged mess of burnt fabric.

    "His death will create problems for me with his people."

    "The Snakemen?"

    I wondered, not really aware of all the minor c list villains in DC.

    "What?" Deadshot briefly blinked in confusion and I jumped on the slight opening.

    Then a bullet rang out, my palm was enclosed over the gun as it went off a few centimeters above my head. Strands of my hair fell down. Deadshot and I stared at each other.

    Then a foot connected with my knee, tripping me up during my step. His own knee rose up to connect with my chin in a devastating blow. The knee brushed past my cheek as I rolled onto the ground.

    Bullets rippled through the ground of my previous position as a Shunpo, quickly threw me away. Chesha Neko dragged onto the ground as I ran around Deadshot.

    "Why are you here Deadshot?!"

    I shouted as he took a picosecond to reload and start blasting shots at me, that I ducked and dodged through the trees.

    "I should be asking you the same."

    Rifle fire ate away at most of the back of the tree next to me as he tried to find my location.

    With Chesha Neko in hand I wanted until he stopped to reload, knowing how many mags were usually used in a rifle like that and counting.

    ''Now!''

    I sprang from my hiding spot and quickly Shunpo''d to behind Deadshot. My sword cut through the air towards Deadshot''s unsuspecting back, when an explosion from the side of the building produced a shockwave that messed with my footing.

    "Raven!"

    My feet hurt as another Shunpo took me to her. Luckily the shield held. Unluckily, Deadshot seemed to be gone. The snakeman as well.

    I sighed, turning my gaze to the burning side of the manor. I could hear the sounds of fighting even from here.

    ''You should probably go check that out, My wielder. We still have no idea where you are.''

    Chase spoke to me from my inner world.

    I looked down at Raven. The shield would protect her.

    "You''re right."

    I responded while standing up.

    "Besides, Gordon seems to have disappeared. I gotta look for him before the chain wears out and we have a hollow situation."

 Spoiling A Scheme part 2

    (General P.O.V)

    [Green Lantern Corp headquarters]

    "Everyone ready?"

    Lantern Stewart addressed his teammates behind him. They all stood on a lift off pad, the huge Green Lantern structure looming over their heads.

    "Do it."

    Zatara spoke up for the rest. He hated staying away from his daughter for too long.

    "How''s our passenger?"

    He asked Hal, who was standing next to a levitating stretcher. Inside lay a young man with blonde hair who was dressed in a white baggy outfit.

    Jordan''s ring pinged.

    "Barry Allen''s vitals are stable."

    Hal smiled, patting the side of the streacher.

    "You heard the ring. Sleeping Beauty here is fine."

    "Good."

    Wonder Woman said, stepping forward.

    "Then it is time."

    She gave the go ahead.

    Light left Stewart and Jordan''s rings as around them, a ship begun to materialize. The inner workings forming around their forms. Instantly the noise from the outside disappeared. Hal sank his weight onto the flight pilot''s chair.

    "Well then, let''s go home."

    (Elsewhere)

    "The explosion collapsed the entrance but I''m not too sure that will keep them away for long."

    Boy Wonder informed the older man as he jumped over the railing to get at the Batcomputer.

    "He seemed to know about this place Alfred."

    Boy Wonder informed the butler as he quickly moved down the stairs, headed towards the Batcomputer.

    Alfred on the other hand, passed the huge Dinosaur on a display along with a massive mecha and arrived at a bar section.

    "That guy managed to find the entrance to the Batcave on his own."

    Dick added, wondering why his caretaker was quiet. He turned to see Alfred behind the bar.

    The young boy frowned, pausing his fingers as they moved through the console.

    "Huh Alfred, what are you doing?"

    Alfred smiled, pressing something. The liquor shelf withdrew into the wall as a new section, filled with weaponry of all kinds appeared. Alfred grabbed an SA80 and begun to arm it.

    "Not to worry sir." He replied to Dick.

    "These are rubber bullets."

    Dick blinked.

    "Oookay." Robin turned to the computer. "Anyway. We have an information leak. Someone knows Batman''s true identity." The young boy said gloomily.

    "I''m hoping you won''t mind if I take charge of the situation?"

    Alfred sighed.

    "Master Bruce left you in my care. However, seeing as this is something you were trained for, do you have a plan?" Alfred then quickly added,

    "A safe one."

    Dick''s fingers flew over the keyboard of the batcomputer.

    "Already ahead of you. The comms are down but I am working on disrupting the jammer signal. In the meantime..."

    The young boy narrowed his eyes, pressing a button.

    "I have a little surprise for our intruders."

    [ Sentinel Program initiated]

    The batcomputer signalled.

    "And what would you have me do sir?"

    Alfred wondered, hoisting his weapon as he approached the console.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Dick pressed another button on the wall next to the Batcomputer, before turning to Alfred.

    "The police use an analog security alert system. I just signalled to them on the home invasion. If we can repurpose the system to accept my...Duck!"

    Robin yelled suddenly.

    His young body tackled Alfred to the ground as Bronze Tiger landed in between the two, claws flashing and digging onto the ground.

    Birdarangs cut through the air but the mercenary simply blocked the projectiles with his claws while straightening up. Both birdarangs dug onto the wall of the Batcave before exploding. Dust covered the surroundings as Dick and Alfred got to their feet cautiously.

    A shadow flashed before Alfred''s eyes.

    "Master D..."

    Alfred went silent as Dick jumped over him to block the claws with his deployable staff. He hadn''t seen the mercenary even move.

    "Alfred! get out of here!"

    The young boy shouted in urgency.

    His distraction cost him when a foot was rammed onto his belly. Spit exploded out of his mouth, air leaving his lungs. Robin''s chest burned. His eyes then widened when a hand managed to grab onto his throat.

    "Master Dick!"

    Alfred shouted, letting loose a few bullets that missed their mark when Bronze Tiger hid behind the back of the batcomputer, turning his grip into a chokehold. Robin found himself helpless against the man''s superior strength.

    "Keep struggling and I will break your neck."

    The mercenary warned Robin, who immediately ceased moving. Strangely enough, Boy Wonder didn''t seem to be afraid.

    Alfred got to his feet, creeping to the left to find a good angle to shoot. A chop to the back of his neck and his body slumped to the floor. Out from behind him, Deathstroke appeared.

    Bronze Tiger frowned, rising to his feet, hand still held around Robin''s neck.

    "I should have known Ra''s would never trust me. I feel insulted, he should have known to trust in my skills, at the very least."

    "You have to admit." Deathstroke replied, the two men facing each other inside the Batcave.

    "This is a very sensitive...matter."

    "Regardless." Tiger snarled.

    "I refuse to be made a fool of. This is my mission, tell Ra''s to keep his end of the bargain instead of sending a babysitter."

    Deathstroke narrowed his eyes at the blatant dismissal.

    "As for you..."

    The Tiger themed Merc addressed Robin.

    "Oh don''t mind me." The young kid smiled, trying to talk through the vice grip on his throat.

    "I''m just trying to stay whelmed."

    Just then, Deathstroke''s instincts screamed at him. The Merc felt something hard connect with his back in a blow whose force was only lessened due to his quick reaction. The mercenary allowed his body to go slack as he was thrown away by a metallic fist.

    He hit the ground and rolled, standing up next to the staircase with his swords drawn out of their sheaths.

    "Who dares?"

    Two glowing white eyes emerged from the darkness. Something huge stepped around Alfred''s unconscious body, standing at 7''0, the Batbot glared at the two mercenaries.

    "A robot?"

    Bronze Tiger wondered out loud. It was a collection of grey metal panels covering electric inner components in the shape of a human. A glowing bat symbol took up most of it''s chest. It radiated power, an electric charge humming around it.

    "Not just any robot. The Sentinel. A robot programmed with Batman''s ability matrix. His skills and martial arts."

    Dick was quick to answer.

    What Robin refused to tell them was that the Sentinel had an adaptive fighting program. It was the last resort incase the cave was ever compromised by hostiles.

    "You''re trespassing."

    Batman''s harsh voice sounded from the bot.

    It raised it''s hand and shot something towards Deathstroke''s general direction.

    The one eyed mercenary growled as he diverted the attack with his swords, a clash of metal ringing out around the room.

    "You missed."

    Deathstroke gloated.

    "No, he didn''t."

    Robin said, slapping the electric buzzer he had concealed on Bronze Tiger''s wrist. The electric charge made the mercenary''s body spasm.

    Deathstroke turned to see what the Boy Wonder meant, spotting a line whose end was rammed onto the massive figurine of the Dinosaur on display. The huge structure begun falling on him as the Batbot pulled.

    Robin managed to slip out of the hold. Then he slammed his feet onto Tiger''s belly. His young flexible body extended into a flip which would shift into a roll and a cartwheel to get him out of range. The plan failed as the next second Robin knew pain when his back met the ground in a devastating blow. He passed out immediately.

    Bronze Tiger watched the young boy go unconscious, his palm flat on the boy''s chest. He had used it to slam Boy Wonder into the floor.

    Deathstroke on the other side, sprang out from the dust with a snarl, swords flashing as he tried to decapitate the robot. A blade extended out of the Batbot''s wrist, blocking the skillfully executed attacks from the flurry of slashes. Electric energy begun dancing along the Batbot''s blade. Deathstroke grunted, his suit was fortunately resistance.

    One of the swords was discarded as his hand went for his handgun. Then his feet was pulled out from under him before his body was launched off into the air, swinging from a zip line attached to the ceiling of the cave. He had been baited, Deathstroke realized.

    The Batbot looked up.

    "Make yourself at home."

    "I like the way you think."

    Light clapping could be heard from Bronze Tiger. The robot turned and it''s eye holes seemed to narrow somewhat. Robin was slung over Tiger''s shoulder.

    "See, I Know you Bruce. I knew that no matter how prepared we thought we were, breaking into the Batcave and getting what we want was almost an impossible task."

    Tiger spoke up.

    "It was a complicated set of guidelines and plans that would have probably never worked. No, what we needed was a sure fire way to get the other half of the code. A guarantee. A bargaining chip. Threatening to expose your identity is not enough."

    "Turner, let the boy go. You and I have no quarrel."

    The Batbot demanded.

    Bronze Tiger''s jaw clenched.

    "Really? Would you say that to my face if she was here? You''re programed to think and act like Bruce. Does that mean he truly believes he''s blameless?"

    Up in the air, Deathstroke uncapped a small pen, revealing a red dial at the top.

    "Hey, you forgot something."

    He called out, bringing attention to himself.

    "This isn''t the first time I''ve fought Batman."

    With that, the Merc pressed on the dial and the Batbot''s side exploded in a shower of metal and wiring.

    "I guess he didn''t feel the bomb I placed on him."

    Deathstroke chuckled, blade flashing through the zip line to deposit him onto the floor.

    "We don''t have time to argue. We need to leave before the real deal gets here."

    Deathstroke then proposed, sheathing both of his swords.

    "Real deal? I hope you guys are talking about me. I feel like I need a bump in my street cred."

    Standing on top of the staircase, Davian looked down at the two mercs with his sword gleaming dangerously.

    "You."

    Deathstroke muttered, hand going for his gun.

    "Me."

    Davian twirled Chesha Neko. He knew these two. He knew how dangerous they could be.

    "Come forth from the weave of eternity, Chesha Neko: Release."

 Spoiling A Scheme Final Part.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Everything was messed up. Raven was out for the count and the second I stepped through the opening left by the missing chunk of the manor, I cursed myself.

    There was a portrait behind the study that had remained unscathed despite the wreckage around. The portrait was of a young Bruce Wayne with his father and mother flanking his sides.

    I could recognize that chin from anywhere. And although his mask covered half of his face, the blue eyes left an impression on me. It was like De javu, a half remembered memory.

    I sat on top of the broken desk, Chesha Neko held loosely in my hand. There was a doorway that was half covered by debris from the book case; ruined books and shattered glass.

    Someone had attacked the Wayne manor. Better yet, someone had attacked Batman''s hq. The same Batman I wouldn''t have minded seeing choke on his morals. But I like to think, I was past the unreasonable hate. Bruce might have done me dirty but if there was a chance of Alfred or whoever Robin was, getting hurt...

    I sighed. I can''t let it happen.

    "You don''t need to look at me with such judging eyes, Gordon. I can see past my grudge." I addressed the Spirit as it hovered around me.

    "There are two of them, Deathstroke and Bronze Tiger. Mercenaries who only go for top dollar. They are highly trained and highly dangerous."

    He warned as I stood before the entrance to the Batcave.

    My palms were sweaty. This would be a real fight.

    "Hey Jim, I gotta ask."

    I turned to the disembodied soul.

    "Did you know that Bruce Wayne was Batman?"

    "I do now..."

    He answered as his form faded from the room.

    ''Mmh, did you see that? Someone is getting really good at manipulating their soul.''

    I noted, addressing Chase.

    ''Its more instinctual yes, but you''re right. After more than a week exposed to your Reiryoku, It would be more surprising if he didn''t attain a small measure of control over his spirit energy.''

    Chase answered.

    (Elsewhere)

    Deadshot managed to get them both to the van without a tail. The huge form of the Snake man lay unconscious back in the woods after Deadshot had tried to carry him and failed.

    Shimmer would not be happy. Deadshot on the other hand gave zero fucks. He was definitely getting out of here.

    "I traced the jamming signal here."

    A voice could be heard from outside the car window. Batman''s glare made Deadshot''s heart skip.

    "Oh fu..."

    The glass shattered as he was roughly grabbed out of the car through the window. Deadshot bit down a scream, his hand wreched out of it''s socket before he could aim his wrist gun.

    "We need to talk."

    The Dark Knight growled.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Purple light bloomed from my sword, the Zanpakuto going from a generic longsword to a long bastard blade with a violet metallic sheen.

    Similarly my body underwent changes. Reiryoku boiled inside my Saketsu, filling me with increased strength and speed.

    A long white sleeveless shihakusho clad my body tightly, held together by a couple of purple strings above my chest. My belly was left open, showing strong shifting muscles underneath the skin. The Shihakusho flapped in a non existent breeze, the only item of clothing unchanged being my pants.

    "We don''t have time."

    Bronze Tiger told Deathstroke.

    "Can you handle this?"

    Shunpo placed me in-between them, Chesha Neko flashing out towards Tiger''s neck at fast speeds. There was a clash of steel on steel as my blade was blocked by his claws. I flexed, throwing him away towards the huge Batcomputer.

    His back smashed onto the screen as Robin''s unconscious form was ripped away from his shoulder.

    A shot rang out, whizzing under my chin, only missing my neck by a few inches.

    "How?"

    Deathstroke wondered, surprised he had missed. His wrist was tightly grasped by a very thin wire that went over a metal frame above us before falling down to the pointy end of Chesha Neko.

    "One move and you''ll lose your hand. And then you''ll be the one eyed, one handed Deathstroke the Terminator."

    I smirked.

    "Not really threatening, is it?"

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    And that''s when he saw it. All around him, strings sharper than any ordinary blade and tougher than tungsten carbide. Chesha Neko''s Shikai, millions of thin threads made up of reiryoku, glowing in the almost dark cave, all connected by the tip of my blade.

    The strings also held Robin aloft in the air above, far from both Merc''s hands. Yay, my first hero gig and I wasn''t messing it up.

    I straightened, watching Bronze Tiger rise to his feet, murder in his eyes as he held his shoulder.

    "You''ll pay for that."

    He promised, pointing a claw at me.

    "Ooooh I''m so scared."

    My response was followed by a small pull on my sword. The tip glinted with thousands of strings before they seemed to blend into the environment.

    Tiger stopped, foot raised as a wire hummed right before his neck. We held gazes. His challenging look meeting my unyielding eyes.

    "You have no clue who you are messing with. Leave before this get''s dangerous."

    Said Bronze Tiger.

    The nerve.

    "I respect that you''re badass enough to say that with something sharper than a skinning knife, placed right under your balls."

    He looked down, frowning at the thread going in between his legs.

    "That sword."

    Deathstroke called, his body stiff and motionless like a statue in the middle of a jungle of strings.

    "It''s what you''re using to create these strings."

    He touched one with his finger and a cut appeared on his skin. Blood dripped.

    "I don''t need to warn you to stay put or get sliced apart right?"

    I asked.

    Deathstroke burst out laughing.

    "Oh you think you got us huh? Trust me boy, many have jumped to the same conclusion."

    His smile sent an uncomfortable feeling across my spine.

    Bronze Tiger''s silence told me this was off the script.

    "We knew coming in that things would not be easy. This is Batman himself after all. A code was broken. We brought the fight home. Made it personal."

    A voice inside me was screaming to kill them and be done with it. These two were not enemies I wanted to leave alive.

    "You''re stalling."

    I realized.

    "It''s quite simple. We were on a deadline. And that deadline just passed."

    I felt it through my strings. A hum that pushed them away from a zone in space. There was a loud ping of noise as a yellow portal manifested right behind me. Without a second thought, I pulled on my strings and collapsed the grid around the two mercenaries. I''d rather face an angry Batman than let the two of them.lesve</a> here alive.

    A whoosh of displaced air, blasted right past me as something moved in speeds that I could NOT react to. Shunpo was designed for mostly linear trajectories. At higher levels I could use the skill to push myself in omnidirectional paths but for now, Shunpo was just a grounded instant leap. It couldn''t hold a candle to a real speedster.

    The grid compressed into black spools of strings that converged on both mercenaries'' positions.

    The speedster moving in a blur of scarlet and yellow saved both of them. They stopped and I looked down to find my Zanpakuto gone.

    "What is this?"

    I heard Bronze Tiger demand from my back.

    "A change in your initial contract."

    A female voice answered.

    I turned around to face them, making a small annoyed grunt at the back of my throat.

    Then my breath hitched. My eyes widened and I couldn''t keep the surprise out of my eyes. A raven haired woman stood next to Deathstroke and Bronze Tiger. Next to Tiger however...

    "You have no fucking clue what you''ve done."

    I shook my head at their stupidity.

    Standing beside her was a man with a huge cranium, the top of his head was transparent, revealing his brain. On the other side...was The Flash.

    Barry Allen. His eyes the color of red. Red lightning seemed to flash around his boy. Lightning the same color as Reverse Flash.

    "Oh and why would you assume that?"

    The woman asked, stepping closer to me, Chesha Neko held in her grip. She was beautiful in a deadly way. Smug too. But the way she held herself...she was a fighter.

    "I don''t know what''s going on." I began, also running my gaze around. Deathstroke had his hands crossed over his chest, Bronze Tiger was expressionless but the tightening of his jaw told me that this was something he hadn''t anticipated.

    "But believe me, whatever this is, you have escalated things. They will come at you with everything they have. ''He'' will come at you with everything he has."

    I told her.

    There was no fear in her eyes, instead a look of excitement flashed in them before she hid her emotions behind a lazy smile.

    "I can hardly wait."

    "Talia...what is this? The deal with your father..."

    Bronze Tiger was silenced by a mere snap of her fingers. Wait, Talia? As in Talia Al Ghul? This shit just got too complicated.

    "My father has been offered mandatory retirement in his reclusive island. The League of Shadows is under me now. Under...Leviathan."

    She replied.

    "We should get going."

    Deathstroke informed her.

    "Get the boy."

    She ordered and the Flash wordlessly complied, lightning flashing across his body.

    Only to slam into a wall made up of compressed strings.

    "You can phase through a lot but what about compressed spirit energy?"

    My question was followed by a massive pressure slamming down onto all of them.

    They all sank to their knees, groaning at the load of Reiryoku acting on their souls.

    "How is...this... possible..."

    Deathstroke ground out, glaring across the room at me.

    I stood on a single wire, staring down at the group.

    "I only let you think I needed the sword in my hands to control the strings."

    I held my palm in the air and Chesha Neko, still on Talia''s hands unravelled into energy. The strings around me formed the Zanpakuto anew in my hand. I wrapped my finger around it''s hilt, pointing it at them.

    A serious look appeared on the woman''s eyes.

    "I don''t like Batman."

    I said.

    Somehow that sounded wrong.

    "I hate Batman."

    I amended.

    "You ask me, he''s an egotistic bully who looks out for the little guy but does it in a way you can''t help but despise the dude."

    Strings tightly bundled each one of them up. They had to have used something to portal in...I found it clutched in the Cranium dude''s hands. My strings folded over the small rectangular device. I kept my face blank but inside my mind was running at lightning speeds.

    The device was alive. I had gotten good at sensing disembodied souls. And the device had a strange soul. It''s consciousness felt artificial yet not.

    And then there was something about Cranium dude that bothered me.

    "So yeah, I hate Batman. However, I sorta hate you guys more. You disrupt the peace. You make it so people like Batman are a necessity. Basically, you''re done. Whatever this...scheme was meant to be, I''m spoiling it."

    None of them could speak now.

    ''Be careful, they look ready to pass out. I''m not to sure killing them inside the Batcave will make your host happy. Especially the woman."

    Chase said from inside my mind.

    "You have made one very big mistake."

    A voice stated from the ceiling. Batman seemed to glide down to the space between us, landing with his cape clasped around him, his hands hidden under. He loomed down like a dark cloud.

    My fingers twitched. He was so close to a string...

    I narrowed my eyes.

    "Chase, is it just me or does he seem unaffected by my spirit pressure?"

    I asked of my Zanpakuto.

    "Mmmh...look deeper into his body... he''s possessed. Those are two souls."

    He replied, a note of curiosity in his tone.

    "Two souls?"

    I said, sending Reiryoku into my eyes while also activating Reikaku.

    The answer came in an instant,

    "Gordon."

    Jim Gordon''s apparation was like a blue cloak of energy around Batman''s body.

    "How is that even possible?"

    I wondered.

    Chase snorted.

    "This is not Bleach. It makes sense that the universe would react differently to Spirit Energy. Especially in a world with an abundance of mysteries."

    Gordon knew I wasn''t a big fan of Batman. And he also knew my skills. It was a betrayal. The bitter pill was hard to swallow.

    The Dark Knight seemed to ignore me completely, facing Talia and her group in palpable anger.

    "1 hour ago, there was a security breach at Wayne Enterprises. 50 minutes later, I lost communication with Wayne Manor. 35 minutes later, the Flash was mysteriously kidnapped from his home as he healed. Talia, what HAVE YOU DONE?!!"

 Theres Nowhere to Run

    (General P.O.V)

    "The damage to the compound is extensive but nothing your bottomless pocket can''t handle."

    Green Lantern joked, descending onto the group. Batman sat on a piece of broken concrete which used to be a part of the fountain in the middle of the courtyard.

    Now the fountain was gone and a massive sink hole that revealed the system of caves under Wayne Manor was left behind. It acted as evidence of how a small temper tantrum could have devastating consequences.

    Around him from the left was Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Superman, Aquaman, Black Canary and Green Lantern. They were the first of the Leaguers to respond after the Jamming signal went down.

    The bat suit on the billionaire was mere strips of clothing, the hard plates and kevlar weave making up the midsection seemed to have been worn down with multiple slashes. The Detective also carried cuts on his body. His face was in his hands, looking down.

    "We need to bring him in. We need to convince him to join the League. Somehow."

    He told them, his gaze looking haunted. That kind of power, in the hands of anyone else...

    It was the first statement in the 5 minutes after they had all arrived. The paramedics had taken in an injured Alfred and Dick and the dead...

    Bruce clamped down on that thought.

    "Can you rephrase that?"

    Canary said as if she hadn''t heard him right.

    "I propose we induct Davian Mabuz into the Justice League."

    Batman''s formal words left everyone speechless.

    Standing in the wreckage of the Wayne Manor, the 6 league members who had arrived stared at the Dark Knight as if he was insane.

    "Bruce... you''re standing in the ashes of your family home. Half of it is destroyed. And while no one can blame the boy for going as far as he did, proposing to bring him into our ranks is not a good idea. Someone... someone died Bruce."

    Superman trailed off.

    Batman inhaled, stopping himself from running a hand down his face. His hands were caked with blood.

    "We need to find a way. Talia and the others, they saw what he could do."

    He rubbed his head.

    "They''ll try to use him."

    He looked up.

    "If he joins her group and they train him properly, there will be very few people who can stop him."

    The conviction on the face of Bruce Wayne, a face with over a dozen shallow cuts left them all speechless.

    Batman on the other hand... couldn''t shake the image he had briefly seen.

    "...You will kill him again."

    He mouthed the words to himself. Had the note been talking about Davian? If not then who?

    The most terrifying thing was that if it came down to it...Bruce could see himself making that tough call.

    (A half hour earlier)

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "They call themselves Leviathan. The brunette seems to be the leader of this little group."

    I explained, landing next to the Dark Knight as he faced off against Talia Al Ghul and the rest of her mercenaries.

    "Whatever you''re doing, stop it."

    Batman growled.

    I looked at him, askance.

    "Bruh...you do understand they''ll try to kill us if I let them go right?"

    Batman turned to face me.

    "How familiar are you with your powers?"

    I blinked at the unexpected question.

    "What do you mean?"

    "You used to lose control and destroy everything before you. How do you expect me to take the risk that you won''t go haywire once more and kill someone?"

    His words made me grit my teeth.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    He had a point. Still, I doubled down. Batman he may be but it didn''t mean he as always right.

    "Mmmh...he might be blinded by... compassion for the female."

    Chase voiced out. He wasn''t wrong but how the fuck did he know that? Could he see something I couldn''t?

    Oh wait, in the future Batman and Talia would have a kid right? Shit, I have her tied up like a common thug who''s messed with Spiderman. Not to mention the Reiatsu that was up until now stopping them from talking or moving.

    All they could do was glare. Beads of sweat matting their skins.

    I narrowed my eyes at Batman, my thumb tapping on the handle of my sword. I hoped it would come down to a fight...I owed him payback for our last session.

    And to think he can talk to me like that...

    "Calm down. Remember who your enemy is. You''ll handle your issues with the Man of Bats later on."

    Chase voiced out.

    "Don''t worry." I assured the Dark Knight with a tight smile.

    "I can control my powers now. Letting these guys go on the other hand, is a bad idea. It carries more of a risk than I do."

    I looked at my prisoners.

    "You can organize transport and take them to where you take other Villainous fiends."

    I added with a chuckle. What I had thought was going to be a dog fight had turned out to be my easiest fight ever.

    Maybe I had overestimated...

    "Aaahhhhhhgggff!!!"

    I sank to a knee as excruciating pain ripped through the center of my brain. The Spirit Pressure I had on Leviathan disappeared as I failed to keep it active.

    A guttural scream of pain then escaped me and I felt more than saw the strings of Reiryoku fall off their forms.

    No no no no...Fuck!

    "Did you really think I came unprepared?"

    I heard Talia''s voice echo across the Batcave.

    From the corner of my eyes, Batman was on his knees as well, clutching his head.

    Killing intent that made my hair stand on it''s ends filled the chamber. It''s origin being...me. Or rather Chase.

    "A telepath! You DARE intrude in my domain?!!"

    I had never heard such fury from anyone before. The rage was potent to the point my own emotions were influenced. Reason escaped me, as the target of my anger appeared in my mind. A beautiful face, raven hair...Talia.

    My jaw clenched. Wait...Chase... don''t...

    She took a step back, suddenly afraid at my rage filled eyes.

    "Your pitiful lives are forfeit! Go to hell, or I promise to make you suffer a fate even worse!"

    Chase'' voice was layered with my own, followed by a blast of Reiryoku from my body, depleting half of my reserves as strings surged out, destroying the surroundings even more and throwing back my opponents.

    I took care to exempt Batman from the wild attack. Kinda. A few strings made it through.

    A small part of me protested Chase'' tantrum. I didn''t want to prove Batman right by losing control.

    Immediately, cold logic fell upon me. An icy fury that filled my veins. These people had tried to kill me. Unprovoked. Without good enough reason. They had put Raven in harm''s way.

    And Talia had given the command. Ergo... she''s the one responsible. She''s the one who needs to pay.

    "What is happening Psimon?!"

    I heard Talia demand of the Cranium dude, whose body had gone slack, staring up at the ceiling. A trail of spittle ran down his chin. His mind had become useless. He had sent out the telepathic blast, only for Chesha Neko to answer by breaking his mind for entering my inner world.

    ''Damn, Chase is terrifying when he wants to be.'' I thought.

    Shunpo escape my heel. I was then immediately infront of Talia, having cleared the 10 meters between us instantly. Chesha Neko flashed, poised to split her into two.

    My Zanpakuto rang out as it clashed with Deathstroke as he blocked the blow with a cross guard. The mercenary cried out, my superior strength driving the Zanpakuto right through his block, shattering his weapons and cutting into his shoulder while he stared up at me.

    "You have a tell."

    He chuckled.

    "You bite your lip... before you move."

    Oh, so that''s how he could react to my moves.

    I pulled back my leg and landed a kick smack dab on his chest.

    Multiple ribs folded under the blow and his body was thrown back, colliding against the Flash or rather, it would have, if the fastest man alive hadn''t phased through Deathstroke.

    Breath escaped me as we collided, sending both of us careening off the edge of the inner premise of the Batcave. My earlier Reiryoku explosion having revealed more of the place. Strings appeared at my back, stabbing onto the walls and holding me up as the Flash fell off the edge, lightning disappearing into the depths.

    A few short seconds later, bats screeched, surging up like a dark cloud from beneath.

    Then a beckon of light grew from under, before a streak of red electric energy was launched from the bottom. I received the blow on the yarn of strings I formed around my body, blocking the blast before conducting the charge through the strings to fry any of the Leviathan group near my threads.

    I gasped...the world freezing around us.

    My reaction speed went through the roof. I blinked. Everything I was seeing moved in slow motion...yet, I wasn''t seeing but more like sensing through my strings. Somehow, they seemed to have absorbed the speed force energy and adapted to it, changing color from a very light purple to red.

    A 3D map of the Batcave appeared in my mind, read through the strings. Bronze Tiger was escaping through a hole on the ceiling that allowed moon light to stream right through.

    Batman was mid jump towards Talia. Deathstroke was reaching out towards something that had fallen in the commotion and the Flash was running up the wall to come up from behind me.

    "Aaahhhh!!"

    Deathstroke and Talia seized up as lightning jumped from my threads to fry them.

    One thing you should understand about Chesha Neko''s Shikai was, I could form strings from any part of my body...or any part of an existing thread.

    Chesha Neko''s Shikai was not the sword. Instead...Chesha Neko was the zone around my body. This entire cave complex filled with millions upon millions of sharp thin threads that I could add on to.

    It didn''t matter how fast the Flash was, when I could cover the same distance simply by branching off more strings into however many directions I could, at an instant. Add the effect of the speed force to them, and I was effectively controlling the battlefield.

    "There''s nowhere to run now, Talia Al Ghul."

    I whispered from beside her.

    What the...that hadn''t been a Shunpo...did I just travel through my strings?

    Her eyes begun to slowly widen, her lips parting in slow motion. Is this how the Flash sees the world? A quiet scene. Like a moving picture before T.V broadcasts were a thing.

    Chesha Neko flashed. Cranium Dude''s head fell in slow motion as well, drops of blood just beginning to form from his severed neck.

    In that same instant, the trap I had set for the Flash sprang. Threads that were stabbed onto the walls of my previous position collapsed around the speedster, containing him in yarn of threads with his own speed force aura gyrating around each individual string... draining him of his speed more and more.

    "You can''t hold in that much power, Davian."

    Chase informed me.

    I could feel it too...my Reiryoku reserves, with more than 90% spent...would run out before I completely drained him. My body was also not equipped to be a conduit for the dimension of energy called the speed force. It chose speedsters, I wasn''t one.

    All that energy needed to go somewhere.

    So I aimed it at the ceiling.

 Aftermath

    (General P.O.V)

    The boom tube opened up into a darkened room.

    A white haired, one eyed man and a Raven haired woman rushed out.

    Talia hit the ground just as red streaks of energy ran rampant inside the hotel room. She took cover behind the bed just before the room begun smoking. The sheets caught on fire as the boom tube portal collapsed.

    She didn''t waste time in making her move. Her body vaulted over the bed, weapons glinting in the low light.

    Deathstroke was already up, his one usable hand, diverting the stab of the small blade in Talia''s hand. He sidestepped a knee to the groin, but could do little to avoid the leg sweep.

    He hit the ground and rolled, escaping the knife that tore into the mat on the ground. Talia snarled, throwing a punch to connected with Deathstroke''s cheek. Then the dagger was placed under his chin.

    "You promised partnership!"

    He growled out.

    "We could never be partners! I promised you a seat at my table! And you failed me."

    Talia was quick to interject.

    "I had no idea of the boy''s presence, Talia. I tried..."

    Deathstroke begun only to be cut off by her.

    "Your job was to not try...it was to frame Turner and keep Leviathan''s involvement with the Light''s mission secret! And now that Bruce knows, he''ll investigate. The mole will report back and the Light will find out. And that cannot happen before we are ready!"

    She pushed the blade against his skin.

    Deathstroke begun laughing.

    "If you wanted to kill me, you''ve already missed your chance."

    Talia felt something hard poke her on the ribs. She snorted, moving away, revealing the gun in his hand.

    "If I wanted to kill you, Slade, You''d be buried in the snows of Siberia."

    She got up, walking towards the bathroom.

    "Always gotta remind me of that contract."

    Deathstroke shook his head, rubbing the cut on his neck.

    "I''m taking a shower." The daughter of the Demon''s Head threw over her shoulder.

    "Peek and you''re dead."

    She warned.

    (General P.O.V)

    There was no indication he was up.

    His eyes remained closed, his breath even and his body prone. He took note of his surroundings. The air on his skin was damp and cold. There was the distant sound of rocking waters and...hushed conversation.

    He smelled the air. A slight sewage and ocean scent. His mind ran through the different locations in Gotham. There was a tarp under him. Below that was a hard cold pavement.

    The Gotham tunnels.

    "I know you''re awake."

    A deep but young voice said with a note of humor.

    Tiger''s eyes opened. A purple flame softly burned next to his head. Past the fire, was a young black man with silver hair, body covered by a long fur coat. He was sitting on a rock. Something budged from the hip underneath his coat.

    He occasionally stroked the flames with a small rusted rebar.

    Next to him on his left was a fully cloaked figure. The only thing that stood out to Bronze Tiger, was that the figure was vaguely female.

    "You saved me. Why?"

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    The mercenary asked, holding a hand over his bandaged torso. Nothing seemed to be broken but he had no true way of knowing without a good meditation exercise. He still had his claws though, a foolish mistake for anyone who knew he could turn a blade of grass into a weapon.

    "The name''s Davian." The young man introduced himself then pointed at female figure.

    "That''s Raven."

    The figure made no reaction.

    "As to why I rescued you, well...let''s call it a favor that shall be repaid in the future."

    Davian explained while getting up.

    Bronze Tiger narrowed his eyes.

    "We fought. What makes you think I will honor that deal?"

    "I know who you are. Bronze Tiger, a Merc for hire but you''re also a honorable man."

    Davian breathed out, his breath slightly fogging. Raven got to her feet as well.

    "Whether you honor it or not, I don''t regret taking the chance."

    Davian shrugged, walking towards Raven.

    The latter chanted in a low tone, her palms lighting up with a dark energy. Darkness pooled under them.

    "See you whenever, Bronze Tiger."

    Davian saluted as they disappeared.

    (Elsewhere)

    "Your boldness knows no limit, boy."

    Ra''s spoke into the darkness.

    "Sneaking into this island uninvited is a death sentence. I could make my shadows stalk you day and night until you''re dead."

    He said, staring at the swirling red liquid in his cup.

    "You would lose more. My death is...very expensive."

    The Dark Knight said, almost materializing from the darkness.

    Ra''s placed down the goblet, grabbing the hilt of his sword and unsheathing it. He pointed the tip at Batman''s neck.

    "Should we test that fact?"

    A brief silence fell between them as they faced each other.

    "Your move detective."

    Ra''s told him.

    Batman pushed the blade away with a finger.

    "I did not come here to fight. It''s about Talia."

    He replied.

    Ra''s lowered his sword, turning back to the shrine before him. One with a few bouquet of flowers framing a very old painting of a woman. She was beautiful. No one knew who the painting was of. Not even Talia.

    Ra''s bowed his head towards the painting while lighting a few candles below it. Batman wordlessly waited as the Demon''s Head completed his ceremony.

    "My daughter is very much like her grandmother. Persistent and willful."

    He finally said, turning away from the painting.

    "How has she defied me now?"

    He questioned, walking out of the chamber.

    "An attack. One made on my manor. My people. She crossed a line."

    Batman growled out, following after the leader of the League of Shadows.

    "I see." Ra''s told him, his hands clasped behind him as they passed two guards, standing before a doorway.

    "However, I fail to understand how this concerns me."

    "It does. There are certain rules that should not be broken. She violated the agreement by targeting my home. It concerns you because you understand better than most what we are capable of."

    Batman ended his statement by stopping infront of the entrance to the courtyard.

    "Oh yes." Ra''s nodded.

    "You and your group of... superheroes."

    He mocked.

    Shadows appeared all around the two. Batman looked around him fearlessly.

    "Yes. Me and my group of men and women who can each take on 20 of your men in a fight."

    The Dark Knight affirmed.

    "You want a war...let them think that you can you harm their loved ones."

    Ra''s Al Ghul and Batman watched each other. All their meetings were like this. A check and balance.

    "I suppose I have had enough taste of wars."

    Ra''s conceded, snapping a finger. The League of Shadows'' Ninjas disappeared.

    "Tell me what you''re really here for. You hardly need me to find my daughter. You''re a detective. The Detective. So what is it that you really want?"

    The Demon''s Head asked.

    Batman''s back straightened.

    "Jim Gordon''s body. I know he''s alive. And I also know where he is. Here."

    Ra''s merely smiled.

    (Elsewhere)

    "It''s done sir! We have his location."

    A young man, probably around 17 told the army official.

    "Excellent, Ullyses. With him I can test my Batmen project. He is the opportunity we have been waiting for."

    Colonel Kane smiled as he watched a replay of a clip of Davian tearing up the surroundings in his hollowfied state.

    "Do not forget one thing Kane, I want him alive."

    Amanda Waller stepped into the room as if she owned it.

    Ullyses, the genius computer expert stared at Colonel Kane in confusion.

    "Colonel..."

    He started only for the Colonel to cut in.

    "Amanda Waller. You must have really done your best to let the Top Brass include you into the program."

    Colonel Kane snidely commented.

    Amanda threw the folder in her hands at the table between them. Colonel Kane made an annoyed grunt, flipping through the file.

    "It''s called cooperation, Kane. Your Batman initiative and my Task Force X are very similar."

    She told him.

    Kane held up a picture.

    "You can''t be serious. Leonard Snart..."

    He grabbed another picture,

    "Michael Merlyn...Bloodshot..."

    Amanda smiled.

    "We both serve our country, Kane. You do it with dedicated men and women while I tap into another resource, useful convicts."

    She shamelessly said.

    "What if we combined both?"

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    There was a chill in the air. Winter was coming. It was crazy to think that it had only been a few weeks and I was already so deep into the shit that was DC''s schemes.

    Raven shifted in her sleep. She was laid out on the couch, one of only two furniture in the cramped room. The other being the chair I was sitting on, Chesha Neko on my lap. The room itself was a storage unit near Chinatown that Raven confusingly enough...just happened to possess a key of.

    I let out a breath of frustration, meditating wasn''t as fun as I thought it was going to be. After using my Shikai in a real fight with real supervillains, I had realized there was much more I could do with Reiryoku.

    Zanjutsu was immediately out until I found a good teacher.

    ''You have a tell...you blink before you move.''

    Deathstroke''s voice sounded out in my mind, reminding me that I hadn''t won the fight exactly.

    The second the ceiling came down on us, I didn''t waste time escaping. Chase was right in convincing me to retreat and face Batman on my own terms. He and I still had a lot of unfinished business.

    But that''s besides the point. Zanjutsu was out, so was Shunpo (hoho) this was a hide out after all, there wasn''t room to move. Hakuda was not my strongest suite but I could handle myself. What I finally settled on was Kido.

    Or rather, Reiryoku manipulation. And boy was it hard.

 Kido

    Chapter 38 Kido.

    (3 weeks later)

    "3 weeks in and Gotham city is still reeling from the devastating 6.9 Earthquake that levelled a number of historical buildings in old Gotham. Wayne Manor was also affected, with Bruce Wayne, the son of the late Thomas and Martha Wayne, promising housing, food and warm clothes to those affected."

    "The billionaire has been known to set up charity funds to help the less fortunate. This will mark another achievement for him as he lives up to the legacy of his late parents."

    Wearing a black coat over her red pant suit, the reporter stood in a construction site of an old Opera house. The workers were digging through the debris as snow fell around them.

    "This not being the first time Gotham has had to drag itself out of the mud, it remains to be seen what crisis will hit our beloved city next. Back to you Austin."

    She concluded.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Bleach power system while complex due to the different ways each of the races could use Reiryoku, still retained some similarities across the board.

    Different from the power afforded by the Zanpakuto, Kido was the other way for a Soul Reaper to achieve great power.

    Kido was basically magic spells.

    The Kido corps commander stood on the same level of both power and importance as any of the Gotei 13 Captains.

    Take for example Getsuga Tensho, which was a very very simple application of Reiryoku. It was basically a wide beam of Reiryoku that required no extra control. That being the only reason I could perform it in the first place. Yet the attack was powerful that I could probably destroy a bus in one fell swoop.

    A seated officer, hell, any soup reaper who had graduated from the academy could probably kick my ass even without trying. Kido was a cheat code. And manipulating Reiryoku this way was not entirely exclusive to Soul Reapers either.

    Hollows had Ceros which could be argued to be a blast of Reiryoku similar to Getsuga Tensho that only aimed to cause destruction and required no prodigious control. It could be scaled by ''Control'' or the amount of Reiryoku one put in the attack.

    My Spirit energy was on the same level of a Lieutenant level Soup Reaper, who were directly under the captains in the Gotei 13 squads. I didn''t lie to myself though. While my Reiatsu could be used the same way, my true level of power, at least in Kido was lower than that. It all still came down to ''Control''.

    Quincies on the other hand, had the ability to shoot out arrows by taking in the Reishi from the air. Not to mention they also had Blut. A system of applying Reiryoku through the veins of the body for different effects.

    I was working towards that the first time I thought of using Reiryoku to enhance my body. However I ran into the same issue. My ''control'' sucked. I was probably wasting too much energy, even when using it internally than was needed. The enhancement therefore was similar to Reinforcement, a skill that Magus in the Nasuverse used.

    Unfortunately, I had no way to actually train my control. Spirit energy was not like Chakra from Naruto. No amount of sticking leaves all over my body seemed to work.

    The only way I was going to get my control where I needed it to be was through hard work.

    Copying the Kido spells I remember from Canon.

    Kido could be separated into two categories.

    Bakudo, way of binding and Hado, way of destruction.

    Bakudo spells had the basic application of being support spells meant to incapacitate an enemy or their power. An example that I could remember was Bakudo no. 4: Hainawa. Or rather, Slithering Rope.

    The spell creates a rope of spirit energy that can tangle up an opponent, such as binding their wrists, their ankles, or anything else that the user can think of. Often, it''s a good way to buy time for another attack.

    Other spells in the Way of Binding were, Bakudo no. 9: Geki, which caused complete paralysis in an opponent. Such a spell would be very useful for me in a place like DC where the Heroes did not kill.

    I was determined to do what needed to be done to look out for Raven and I but that didn''t equate to needlessly clashing with the Justice League.

    Except Batman, cause fuck that guy.

    Hado was the category I was mostly excited about. Way of destruction sounded and looked cool as fuck.

    "Concentrate."

    Raven said from the side.

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    I breathed out slowly, my warm breath fogging in the air as I stared at the target before me. A can placed on top of a rusted car in the Junkyard.

    The Junkyard contained alot of wrecked and shredded car parts and metal that made it convenient for the kind of training I was doing. Target practice.

    "Shift your feet slightly apart. Balance is important because while energy doesn''t have physical weight, the rebound effect is still there."

    I followed her advice. Raven''s main attacks came from casting spells, if anyone could give me pointers, it was her.

    Rebound effect huh? So like a gun. I could shoot a gun. I was good at shooting guns.

    We were both wearing normal clothes. Raven had been adamant on not changing out of her costume, however. Then after explaining to her that she stood out too much, she reluctantly agreed.

    She settled for a large black hoodie, purple yoga pants and white sneakers that blended into the snow under our feet. We were also lucky that the Junkyard was devoid of human presence. Otherwise the noise would have been too much.

    My palm was laid flat in the air, pointed at the can that was less than 100 meters away. I had decided to start small. While I could basically shoot out Getsuga Tensho like it was nothing, the energy consumption for that particular skill was too much.

    "Any day now."

    Raven said impatiently. Granted it was cold outside and while my body could now endure extreme temperatures to a limit, I didn''t know if Raven could say the same.

    "It''s called focus." I replied.

    Push and Pull...

    Pull...

    The surroundings faded away.

    My Reiryoku roared to life within me. It was indescribable. The closest I could come to explaining it was, a burning purple flame inside my chest, spreading out to my wrists and legs.

    I then pictured what I wanted.

    "Hado no. 1: Sho!"

    An invisible pressure blast escaped my hand, throwing me a few steps back with a great amount of force. The rebound effect.

    Clang!!

    I missed the can but a dent the size of a basketball appeared on the door of the rusted Honda, breaking the last of the glass remaining on the windshield. The can tilted and fell towards the ground.

    A single blast of black energy slammed onto the can, ripping it apart. I shielded my eyes as Raven smirked from next to me, 2 fingers outstretched towards pointed the target.

    "That''s how it''s done."

    She bragged.

    I rolled my eyes.

    "I asked you to help me train, not to show off."

    She snorted, blowing the smoke out of her finger like you would a gun.

    "It''s not my problem you suck, Davian."

    I narrowed my eyes.

    "Oh yeah?"

    Despite missing the can, I had still managed to shoot out a Reiryoku blast. All that was left to do was to get good at aiming. I could do it with a gun, how hard could it be to do it with my own energy?

    I changed targets to a stack of tires that we had placed next to the Honda. Saying the incantation out loud was kind of slow. Any smart enemy would realize what I was trying to do.

    The only way I could think of ensuring that the attack landed was by incapacitating them long enough. Yup, I''m talking about Bakudo. If I could get good enough that I could do it wordlessly, they wouldn''t know what hit them.

    Unfortunately I wasn''t quite there yet, so I was stuck with the incantations.

    "Bakudo no.4: Hainawa!"

    A yellow rope of energy sprouted from my palm. It was thicker than any of Chesha Neko''s braids and energy crackled around it. The rope landed on the tire stack but instead of wrapping around it, it tore a chunk off the stack.

    "I totally meant to do that."

    I coughed.

    "I''m sure you did."

    Raven replied, placing her hands inside her hoodie with a small annoying smile plastered on her face.

    My control still sucked but I still managed to complete the combo. So...yeah.

    "Sho!"

    The blast of invisible pressure this time was more compressed. It cleared the distance between the tire stack and us fast. There was a loud crack as the tore stack was thrown away to smack on a shack next to the entrance of the Junkyard.

    I winced at the loud noise.

    "We should probably leave."

    Raven told me as she hastily created a portal under us.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Now you might wonder...how did we survive 3 weeks alone without a source of money in Gotham? To blend in we had needed new clothes and food is essential to... anyone.

    Fortunately, turns out people with ''extra skills'' like Raven and I could take advantage of the Status Quo and make some quick buck.

    In other words, we had been robbing Criminals.

    I stared at our target of the day. The rooftop I was in had a wide view of Chinatown and it''s denizens.

    "Are you sure this is wise?"

    Chase'' voice sounded out from my inner world.

    "No."

    I replied.

    "You keep asking me the same question everytime we steal from bad guys."

    I had gotten better at Shunpo, the blast of Reiryoku from my feet as I moved was only slightly noticable. Though I still had problem with sudden turns and shifts in trajectory and direction.

    I was on the next building''s rooftop in almost an instant, careful not to lose the supply truck carrying massive amounts of decorations for the festival happening below.

    However, our connections had assured us that within that supply truck was a cache of drugs being transported somewhere. I hated drugs with a passion but if there was a deal going on, we could get the money and leave the drugs for the cops to find.

    "They are rounding up the corner. Raven should already be..."

    My speculative words were cut off as a huge explosion went off under the supply truck.

    My eyes widened as with the screams from normal civilians, the burning truck was poised to land on a restaurant that would no doubt cause many casualties.

    Not to mention, that was my paycheck! We needed the money to leave this city behind!

    Shunpo escaped my feet, rocketing me forwards. The ground of the roof underneath my foot broke apart in a shower of stones.

    "Bakudo no.4: Hainawa!"

    I chanted just as I landed on the store front with the flaming truck coming down on me. Luckily, Hainawa was easy to perform due to my experience with Chesha Neko''s Shikai.

    The yellow spirit rope wrapped around the truck before it broke off into six individual ropes that stabbed into the walls of the building around us.

    The Bakudo spell strained but managed to hold onto the truck before it could land.

    "Whew! That was..."

    Bam!

    Something hard and heavy landed on my side, the impact picking me up and throwing me through the sidewalk that was quickly becoming devoid of people.

    I picked myself up while rubbing the spot in pain. I felt that even with my enhancement active.

    "Goddamnit Chase, you are supposed to warn me about things like that."

    I growled at my Zanpakuto.

    "Oops."

    The damn cat replied, totally unbothered.

    "Oh, what is this? A new hero?"

    A deep voice said while laughing. I looked up and came face to face with a red skinned, white haired massive dude cracking his fists with a sadistic smile.

    "I know you."

    I told him, dusting myself off. Luckily the small Oni mask on my face was still intact, keeping my identity hidden.

    "Brick."

    I touched the pommel of my sword, lowering my posture slightly.

    "You''re going to pay for that."

 Just A Normal Day At Work

    (General P.O.V)

    The last few weeks had been crazy.

    Raven would be the first to admit she would never have expected to get inducted into a squad with convicts to perform suicide missions. Then in a fluke, she had saved the life of their target and brought him to one of the only people she trusted.

    Then that had gone awry when the powerful Lord of Order had decided that Davian was too dangerous to be left alive. A fight later and they found themselves in the home of one of Gotham''s elites.

    She had wondered why Zatara had brought them there specifically. In the beginning it had seemed planned. Only after Davian had filled her in on all that happened did she understand.

    Bruce Wayne was Batman. And being possibly the most paranoid man on earth, it made sense that he would try to keep them close. Raven would never have thought close meant right in his home.

    She remembered the fight with Deadshot. Davian had informed her the one responsible for shooting her with a frickin rpg was Deathstroke.

    That had hurt.

    After waking up, Raven had promised herself she was going to kick Deathstroke''s ass the next time they met each other. But first, they had to handle the matter of where to stay.

    "Batman will be looking for us. And that means the League will as well."

    Davian had sighed, leaning on the beanbag, which if you counted the couch and a metal bed at the corner of the storage unit, was all the furniture inside.

    He had a red rubber ball in his hands that he bounced off the metal walls of the unit. It made a dull thunk that Raven was steadily getting tired of.

    "At this rate, leaving Gotham is the only option we have."

    He mused.

    "Though I don''t know where we would go."

    Raven closed the book on the Mind arts she had snagged back from the Tower of Fate before they had left. The book held interest to her due to her unique situation. The red gemstone in the middle of her head.

    Speaking of which, Davian had not even once mentioned or asked about it. It was one of the things she liked about him. He never pried.

    Her recent rotten luck in finding herself in fights however, proved that having a better lock on her emotions was important. Especially when she could hear him, banging on the walls of her mind. Her father.

    "Of course we do."

    Raven spoke up.

    "Remember Kent? we never really checked up on him."

    Davian sat up straighter.

    "Oh yeah...the old guy who helped us out when I was in a coma."

    He sniffed in distaste.

    "That reminds me, I seem to pass out after every major fight."

    "I''m guessing that''s not good for your ''Street cred''?"

    Raven smiled, using air quotes. The other thing about Davian that she had learned was that he was unabashedly prideful.

    No, he didn''t brag and nor was he arrogant. He just, according to his own words, ''knew and respected his worth. If you didn''t fuck with him, he didn''t fuck with you.''

    Oh and he liked cursing. A lot.

    "It''s not funny. I could die while taking a nap. What kind of badass would I be then?"

    He countered.

    "Anyway, I have no idea where the Tower of Fate is located."

    Raven''s eyes turned black as her shadow spat out a long parchment of paper. Davian jerked a little in surprise.

    "Whoa, you have a pocket dimension?"

    Raven looked at him as if he was crazy.

    "Umm...yeah. where do you think I kept my stuff?"

    With a very unimpressed stare, Davian pointed at the leather bag on the bed.

    "Oh."

    Raven blinked.

    "I asked the butler for your stuff when you were playing sleeping beauty."

    Davian replied, fully aware of the irony while he moved over to her.

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    Oh yeah, he did, didn''t he? That bag carried what she wouldn''t mind losing. Plus, it was a convenient excuse for when she pulled things out of her Shadow Space.

    "It''s called a shadow space."

    Raven explained.

    "Dumb name."

    Davian commented, leaning over to peer at the map.

    "You think I could learn it? It looks useful."

    Raven thought about it while also poring over the map. She hadn''t sensed the space where the Tower had occupied, which meant if they really had to go to Salem, they needed to do it the old fashioned way, flying. Okay maybe it wasn''t the old fashioned way, but it was the quickest.

    A shadow space of his own would help Davian hide the very noticeable weapon strapped to his hip when the occasion called for it. The problem was,

    "I don''t know if you can ''learn'' it. The space inside is small and it''s one of the hardest spells to master because it drains magical energy to sustain itself."

    Raven''s answer made Davian hum.

    "Wonder if there is a Kido spell like that..."

    He muttered.

    ''What''s Kido?''

    Raven was tempted to ask what Kido was but hadn''t wanted to be nosy. She knew that Davian also possessed a spirit of some kind within him. At times he would stiffen in place and seem as if he was talking to the air.

    "... I''m thinking we can get there in a couple of days. The problem is money. Raven? Raven?"

    The half demon-half human blinked realizing her mind had wandered off.

    "Sorry, got lost in thought."

    She had told him.

    "It''s cool. Anyway, about the money, I have an idea." He smiled, leaning back on the bed.

    "We could kill two birds with one stone."

    He winked at her, a devilish smirk on his face.

    That''s how the idea of crime fighting as a job had been born. And over the course of the weeks, Raven had realized it was a lucrative one.

    They already had 4200 dollars from robbing those who robbed or hurt people. This would have made Raven''s stomach churn in disgust but the real world had shown her how bad it could get if you were alone and unprepared. The worst part was that she couldn''t go back to Azarath. It was too big a risk.

    So they stalked the dark alleys of Gotham. With Raven''s abilities, portalling in and out was easy. That was literally her job. She never accosted anyone. And after seeing the type of criminals they came across, she never intervened even when Davian became a little too...excited.

    He had broken a man''s arm after the guy had tried to rape a small girl.

    This particular day hadn''t been any different. During one of their many ''activities'', they''d met a budding hero. Was that the word?

    And after saving her life from a sneak attack, Artemis had become sort of an acquaintance/informer. Anything she wasn''t able to handle she would call them in as back up. Kinda. This was actually the first time she had called them in on something resembling organized crime. Usually Raven and Davian stuck to the petty goons who never seemed to learn.

    With Artemis in play, things changed.

    She had started out by telling them what drug houses to hit. Nothing too big. Just small time criminals.

    Then today had happened. A supply truck carrying drugs on it''s way to an exchange. Raven had been unsure but Davian had eased her worries by telling her they could get out anytime they wanted.

    So she had agreed. Artemis seemed to have knowledge about the criminal underworld of Gotham, so it wasn''t like they were going in blind. That eased Raven''s worries about being played, it wasn''t the first time someone had tried to use her for her power.

    This deal would be their ticket out of here.

    Raven was leaning on a wall as the truck rounded up the corner, just like planned. Wearing a purple chinese dress with a black hood over her head, she looked no different from the throngs of people making their way up and down the street.

    Then the transport truck had exploded. The screams begun as people begun pushing on each other, escaping the scene.

    Within the span of a few seconds, pandemonium broke out. Raven threw her back to the wall, going through the inky portal she had created, and coming out of the door leading to the Chinese place that the truck was poised to land on.

    The black portal disappeared as she stepped out into the streets, immediately taking stock of what was happening. The truck was suspended in yellow glowing ropes; no doubt Davian''s handy work and a red skinned and white braided haired man was facing off against her partner.

    Only Davian noticed her. The red skinned brute ran towards Davian in a speed that was highly unexpected from his lumbering form. Raven got out of her surprise quickly and pushed out her hands.

    "Azarath metrion Zinthos!"

    Black whips as thick as tree trunks, smacked Brick away before he knew what was happening. The supervillain felt something heavy and hard land on his left arm, breaking it. Then his back was planted onto the canopy of the outdoor restaurant.

    Davian smiled, showing a thumbs up to Raven. Then the smile fell away. A small audible bang escaped his position and with an displacement of air currents, Davian was almost instantly to her right, blocking bullets with his body.

    ''He''s getting better at moving in superspeed.''

    Raven realized, her own hands covered in shadows.

    "Don''t get too distracted. You handle angry ketchup man while I get rid of the goons." Davian quickly came up with a plan.

    "Something tells me our ''friend'' wasn''t entirely honest with us."

    "Angry Ketchup man?"

    Raven asked but Davian was already on the move.

    Shots rang out across the street, Brick''s men closing in on the pair. They had hid at the junction, waiting inside a Dragon Dance Costume, that they had used to blend in.

    Davian ran forward without using Shunpo, the street having cleared enough that a fight wouldn''t harm the civilians. His foot struck out and hit a table, throwing it towards two of the men at the corner of the store front.

    The table distracted them enough that his Shunpo was not noticed by three more of Brick''s men, these ones providing cover for the other two. Davian found himself in the air, falling towards a black minivan with the three goons huddling behind it.

    He smiled.

    "Hado no. 1: Sho!"

    He whispered, this time the Kido spell exploding out of the bottom of his soles as he landed on top of the vehicle.

    The minivan folded in on itself, the metal exploding outwards with the tires hitting and throwing the three men away onto the pavement, groaning in pain.

    "I hope you guys have a good health insurance."

    Davian quipped.

    Raven on the other hand, had Brick restrained with black tentacles coming out of her Shadow. Police sirens could be heard from afar as Davian walked up to her, the Bakudo spell holding the truck unravelling and allowing it to land on the sidewalk.

    The other two goons had placed down their weapons the minute they found themselves outmatched. Davian noticed a fair amount of people hiding inside the buildings, taking videos of both of them but did nothing about it.

    "So what did he say?"

    At Davian''s question Raven held in a groan.

    "Oh, you know, the usual stuff. ''You have no idea who you''ll messing with'', ''you will regret this'', ''let me go and I''ll make you rich.''"

    She rolled her eyes.

    Brick spat on the floor next to their feet. His face set in an angry snarl.

    "You''re done. Do you know who I work for? The offers off the ta..."

    Then Davian''s fist plowed into his cheek, turning his head to the side with a meaty thunk.

    The Supervillain was immediately knocked out.

    Raven blinked as Davian begun whistling, ruffling through Brick''s pockets, as if everything was normal.

 Artemis

    (General P.O.V)

    "The mission was a complete failure and we all know who to blame."

    A voice came out of the left most terminal.

    "Speak your mind woman. Do not prance about what you mean to say."

    A different voice, this time from the right end of the screens responded gruffly.

    There was a brief silence.

    "Talia Al Ghul, is your daughter, is she not, Demon''s Head?"

    The female voice countered with a question.

    "Yes. She is. And she takes after her father. Smart, ambitious and dangerous."

    Lex Luthor finally deigned to speak, leaning back in his chair as his assistant hovered next to him.

    "She has cost us much. Batman knows his secret identity is no longer so...hidden."

    This time the voice had a heavy french accent.

    "The League will be even more cautious. Especially if you add in the Davian Mabuz Fiasco."

    "I understand."

    Ra''s Al Ghul told them.

    "And I have prepared the necessary... reparations for the unforeseen circumstances. A package has been delivered to each of you."

    His terminal went dark.

    "Ho ho ho...I gotta say, I like old beard''s style. Come Teekl, this put me in the mood to kill something."

    Another terminal went dark.

    One by one the members of the Light left the meeting until finally only one screen remained lit up before Lex.

    "The boy."

    The voice from the other end was much deeper than any of the others.

    "I have people watching him."

    Lex replied.

    "Without the CryoGen Crystals, we might need to look for other solutions. I was thinking, a certain factory in Santa Prisca."

    "I see."

    The voice hummed.

    "Can you still stabilize the formula enough so the benefits outweigh the side effects?"

    Lex was ready with an answer.

    "No."

    He steepled his fingers together.

    "However, we have Deathstroke. The mirakuru within him..."

    "No."

    The voice immediately refused.

    "Deathstroke is still of major use to us. We cannot blow his Leviathan cover. His children on the other hand..."

    Lex smiled at the implication.

    "Yes, I can see it working."

    The bald supervillain nodded, then switched gears.

    "When should we move in on the boy?"

    "The Justice League will be suspicious after the recent activities. Let him think he''s safe."

    Lex touched a pad on his desktop. Amanda Waller''s image appeared on the screen.

    "We''re not the only ones after him either."

    "She is of no consequence. Our man on the inside assures me that Waller will not be an issue."

    The voice concluded. Then without another word, the terminal went dark.

    "Sir, a package has arrived for you."

    Mercy Graves, his assistant spoke up from the side. Lex turned his attention to the brown box she had placed on the desk.

    Mercy lifted the cover to reveal...Kobra''s severed head.

    "Mmmh, seems like I got the head of the snake."

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    He mused, getting up.

    "Put it on the private display."

    He waved his hand, buttoning his tux while smiling devilishly.

    "I hope I''m not late for the Wayne fundraising Party."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The snow wasn''t letting up it seems. Gotham in the almost wee hours of the morning looked...bleak.

    "I know you''re there."

    Artemis said without looking back.

    "I wasn''t trying to hide."

    I replied, pushing off the wall to the entrance of the roof. She was dressed as she always did, green costume with a mask that covered the upper portion of her face.

    "Where is..."

    She started but I interrupted.

    "Not here. Let''s talk somewhere else."

    I told her before using Shunpo to leave the rooftop.

    "Wait!"

    I felt something stab onto the roof of the building I was on and slowed down. She wasn''t like Raven who could fly after all.

    And so we went, I led her around a few city blocks just to make sure no one was tailing us. The run in with Brick showed me that we needed to be more careful. We also couldn''t trust Artemis as much as we thought we could.

    Finally, after ensuring no one was coming after us, I led her to the underside of the Crown point Bridge that connected Downtown to Tricorner Island.

    The river was frozen and a hazy mist hid the other side of the bridge from view. Things were also quiet as most of the homeless had left for further inland to escape the cold.

    I pulled on my Reiryoku to keep myself warm just as Artemis swung down from the bridge, landing before me.

    Immediately, she notched an arrow and aimed it at my face.

    "That''s not going to work."

    I told her easily.

    "Yeah well, I''ll take my chances."

    She replied, muscles tensing in preparation.

    "What exactly do you think this is?"

    I asked her, my eyebrows raised. Artemis clenched her jaw as I walked closer to her. The end of the arrow was pointed at my neck.

    The Archer had to look up to stare at me.

    "You brought me here."

    She answered.

    "To a secluded bridge with no witnesses. Either you want to kill me, in which case good luck or...you sold out and are working for someone who hired you to take me in."

    I couldn''t help it, I laughed.

    "That''s quite the imagination."

    "You wouldn''t be the first person to go dirty."

    She answered in a strange tone. I could see her subtly glancing around at us, probably looking for an escape route.

    "We were followed?"

    I asked.

    "What?"

    Artemis looked at me in confusion.

    "No, we''re good."

    Raven was the one who answered, coming in from behind Artemis. The latter immediately turned around, ready to fight. Then she blinked.

    "Wait..."

    Artemis lowered her bow slightly.

    "What''s going on here?"

    She asked, looking in between the two of us.

    "The info you gave us was wrong. It was supposed to be the usual, beat up some goons, get the money and leave the drugs for the cops."

    I answered, pulsing out my Reiryoku to make sure that no one was around, along with training the skill.

    The range of the Reikaku had steadily been growing and now I could sense spirit power in a zone of 100 meters. It wasn''t precise though, most humans possessed spirit energy that was basically undetectable due to how low it was.

    That said, I had noticed that peak humans contained a bit more spirit energy that weakly registered in my senses.

    Superhumans like Brick had slightly higher reserves but still not enough to see ghosts, let alone awaken spirit powers.

    "She''s freezing."

    Chase'' said from my inner world. I raised an eyebrow.

    "I''m surprised you care."

    The Zanpakuto spirit snorted but said nothing else. Weird.

    "We should go."

    Raven told us, her soul self, in the form of a massive Raven, rising up like a cloud from the ground. Artemis stumbled back in surprise, looking ready to book it or fight.

    "Chill."

    I told her from the side.

    "Raven is only going to portal us somewhere a bit more...private."

    The young Archer closed her eyes, exhaling. Then to my surprise she agreed with a small nod. The Soul Self engulfed us and a second later, spat us out into the Junkyard.

    The only other option was the storage unit and that was our base for the moment. I still wasn''t sure that we could trust Artemis.

    Raven snapped her fingers at me, motioning at my coat. I narrowed my eyes. What exactly is she trying to pull?

    "She''s shivering."

    My friend/partner in crime insisted. First Chase and now Raven.

    I rolled my eyes, removing the coat before trying to place it around Artemis. She backed away with caution, making me raise my eyebrows.

    "If we wanted to harm you, why go to all this trouble?"

    "I don''t know. Why do people do anything? We literally have a supervillain whose superpower is flying on a kite."

    She snarkly replied.

    "I like her. Can we keep her?"

    Chase asked but I ignored him.

    "You have a point."

    I conceded, throwing the coat over to her. She draped it over her shoulder, before copying Raven and finding a perch to sit on.

    As for me, I leaned on my target practice, the tire stacks from two days ago. This place really had no visitors if the thing was still standing with the marks from my Kido spells.

    "You gave us the wrong information."

    Raven immediately accused. Her monotonous voice rang out dryly in the space between Artemis and us.

    "I didn''t!"

    The Archer vehemently refused, almost getting up from her position. That''s when I saw it. She had winced. It was almost unnoticeable but for someone like me who was used to such injuries, I could see that she was hurt.

    "What happened?"

    All traces of humor were gone from my voice.

    Artemis wrestled with indecision, her eyes averted to the side.

    "There''s a friend of mine missing. I ran into some trouble while looking for him."

    She answered.

    Raven and I looked at each other.

    "Okay. Not to sound like a dick but what does that have to do with Brick?"

    At my question, Artemis sighed.

    "The info I gave you? I got it from him. He''s..."

    She trailed off, shaking her head.

    The cold Gotham wind blew across the junkyard.

    "He''s a street kid."

    She finally replied.

    "Fuck."

    I cursed out, anger rising within me.

    "Why the hell would you drag a kid into this shit?!"

    Artemis stiffened at my tone. Even Raven seemed surprised.

    "I..."

    "No. There''s no excuse for that. You wanna go out and play hero? Then that''s your choice. Your life on the line, but pulling in a kid? That''s low."

    At my words, Artemis stood up, shaking with fury.

    "You think I don''t know that! You think I don''t blame myself?! But Jason is stubborn! At least with me I could stop him from jumping into the more dangerous stuff!"

    She yelled back.

    Wait. Did she say Jason?

    "Jason?"

    Raven asked before I could.

    "Yeah, Jason Todd. I saw the Brick thing on the news and figured something had gone wrong. I tried to find him but..." She shook her head.

    "Someone took him and a couple more kids. I tried to ask around and got my ribs bruised as a result. That''s when I knew I needed help."

    She told us.

    "Our help."

    Raven concluded.

    The name Jason Todd changed things. If he was the same kid that would become Robin and then Red Hood... maybe it wasn''t such a bad idea to help out. Having someone like that owe you a favor wasn''t a bad thing.

    Plus, he was a kid. Just like I''d been when my life changed. I couldn''t allow things to go down the way they did with me.

    "Okay. Let''s do this. Let''s go save him."

    I decided.

    Raven said nothing but I could see a small smile at the corner of her lips.

 The Old Goon

    (General P.O.V)

    Things had quieted down after everything that had happened.

    The Manor''s repair was almost done and Bruce had added more security features to the entire Wayne compound. Nothing short of an invisible, untraceable, silent breeze could go undetected.

    And even that, with some cutting edge technology from Kord industries that was under the blanket of Wayne enterprises, small scale weather manipulation features were also installed in the new and improved Batcave.

    Yet Bruce felt it wasn''t enough. For every win they could claim, they had similarly suffered some losses. His identity being chief among them along with Barry''s break from the Justice League.

    He exercised as he thought. The strain in his muscles helped his focus.

    A trail of sweat ran down his forehead. Bruce was benching something that even professional weight trainers would think twice about trying. And all he had to show for the exertion was a little sweat.

    Bruce completed the bench press and sat up. Alfred offered him a towel from the side. He wiped his face, his breathing steady, not at all strained from the workout.

    The Butler then cleared his throat.

    "Sorry to disturb you, Master Wayne but you seem to have a guest."

    Bruce looked up at Alfred''s words but the Butler simply pointed at the door.

    Giovanni Zatara stood on the door, his hat placed under under the crook of his arm. Bruce immediately knew what this was about.

    A short half hour later, Batman and Zatara were in the Batcave poring over a disturbing report.

    "Kent Nelson''s grave was dug into. His corpse is missing."

    Zatara told him, the fixed screen of the Batcomputer showing a news report from Salem, Massachusetts.

    "He''s not the only one, a lot of dead magic users graves and crypts have been defiled."

    Zatara shook his head.

    "It''s a wonder someone was able to break through the spells in most of those graves. Magic practitioners understand that even death is not the end all be all."

    "You need help with this?"

    Batman asked but Zatara shook his head.

    "No, I''m actually here for something else. Two things, infact."

    He pushed his hand inside the top hat and brought out...a newspaper.

    Batman''s eyes narrowed.

    "What is this?"

    He asked.

    "Look at the front page."

    On it was the picture of a tall, white haired man with a longsword strapped to his hip. He stood on top of a wrecked SUV, bent down while looking at a few armed men on the ground.

    The figure had on a red Oni mask covering his face but Batman immediately knew who it was.

    "Davian."

    Bruce ground out.

    "It seems like you didn''t know about this."

    Zatara observed.

    "You''re usually on top of things, are you okay Batman? You have been awfully distracted."

    The Dark Knight looked at Zatara over his shoulder before turning his attention to the screen.

    "I''m fine."

    Zatara didn''t seem like he believed it but to Bruce''s relief, he didn''t push.

    "Yes. Well, seems like our young friend has taken a liking to crime fighting."

    The magician then mused,

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Maybe your idea to make him a part of the League isn''t as farfetched as we initially thought."

    "Mmh."

    Batman made a sound. A brief silence fell in between them.

    "Bruce, I know what''s troubling you."

    Zatara begun, tentatively.

    "And you were doing so well not prying Zatara."

    The Dark Knight responded, pulling up a feed of a hospital ward in Gotham.

    Zatara huffed.

    "It''s clear to see you blame yourself for the shadow war going on between Leviathan and The Legion of Shadows."

    Batman''s hand stalled. A sigh escaped his lips.

    "I am. The only reason Talia did this was to spite her father... because he sees me as more of a worthy successor than his daughter. Doesn''t matter how many times I refuse to become his offer. Talia is too far gone, she wholly believes she has something to prove and innocent people are the ones to suffer."

    He abruptly stood up from the seat.

    Zatara nodded, knowing the conversation was over.

    "Are we taking the Batmobile or teleporting there?"

    The magician asked, then before Batman could answer Zatara was already walking towards the supercar.

    "Of course we''re taking the Batmobile."

    He said with a small smile.

    "I''ve always wanted a ride on it."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Gotham''s architecture comprised of old buildings that had been converted into high class establishments or tenements that occupied an entire block. Alleys being the only break in a row of dirty tanned bricks and carved marble.

    The place we were was definitely not part of the commercial district we had to cross to get here. The streets were dilapidated. It was very different from the reflective glass panes of the skyscrapers.

    People were scarce and more often than not, gang members hang around, smoking what I could tell was weed and carrying firearms. The last part was easy enough to deduce. It was in the way they walked.

    Guns gave you a certain level of confidence that could be spotted in amateurs. The smart ones projected an air of menace without actually trying. They were the ones who were silent, eyes periodically scanning their surroundings.

    The street then broke off into a small path to the dingy club. A light bulb flickered dangerously above the service door of the establishment.

    We had been on stake out for 40 minutes already. Taking into account we had met up with Artemis at 2 in the morning, it meant that dawn was quickly approaching.

    And the cold was still very unforgiving.

    "How long do we..."

    It seems Raven had begun to get impatient too.

    "Shh! He''s coming out."

    Artemis shushed her before she could complete her statement. Raven looked at me and I raised my eyebrows, stomping down on the laughter trying to bubble out of me. No one shushed Raven. She had on a death stare. Oh Artemis, get ready for payback later.

    "That''s him?"

    I asked the archer, leaning my head slightly over the metal frame of the condenser on the roof of the building.

    The target was a short, stocky man who walked with a limp. He was old, probably in his 50''s with graying white hair.

    "Danny Fulio. A goon for hire."

    Artemis confirmed.

    "He''s worked for Mr.Freeze</a>, Scarecrow and Riddler. Word on the straight is that Two Face knows him personally. He might look harmless but the sheer amount of things he knows about the underground makes him very dangerous. Even without considering that he is a good boxer. Retired though. If anyone can tell us what we need to know, it''s him."

    Artemis said with a small measure of respect.

    And I could see why she respected him.

    This was a legit tough guy.

    Artemis grabbed my hand just as I prepared to go in. Every second we wasted those kids could be anywhere. I looked at her questioningly.

    "Let me talk to him."

    She requested.

    I nodded.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Yo, Fulio!"

    The old man heard from behind him. The cigarette in his lips remained unlit as he looked for his lighter.

    "Yeah, Sarge."

    Danny chanced a look at his back and saw a lighter flying towards him, thrown at by one of the gang members. He said thanks and lit it. Immediately the tangy poisonous goodness of tobacco made its way down his windpipe.

    Danny took a moment to savor it.

    "Thanks kid."

    He told Sarge, lobbying the lighter back and continuing to walk down the street.

    "Thanks for the help last Thursday."

    Sarge yelled at his back.

    Danny ignored him.

    His steps were light and unhurried. He broke out into the deserted main street knowing that in a few hours this entire road would be full of cars.

    Danny stopped, his cigarette halfway smoked.

    "I know you''re there. You should know, I hate it when people sneak up on me. This is Gotham, I''ve killed for less."

    Danny spoke into the air.

    "I bet you have old timer."

    A female voice intoned sarcastically, the darkness from one of the corners rippling to reveal 2 individuals.

    "Where''s the other one?"

    Danny asked. That gave the girl pause. The guy however took it in stride, shrugging as he casually approached the older man. The latter made no reaction at the intimidating Oni mask on the former''s face.

    "Can I get a smoke?"

    This new individual''s voice was deep but young.

    Danny shrugged, handing over an unlit cigarette from his pocket.

    "I don''t have a light..."

    On the tip of the man''s finger, a purple flame flashed, lighting up the cig.

    Danny felt a flash of unreasonable envy.

    "That looks handy."

    He commented.

    "It is."

    The guy said, unaware of the glare his companion was giving him, the first girl who had spoken.

    She was almost his opposite. Dressed in a green costume and wilding a bow. Jittery yet trained well. The guy on the other hand seemed to belong in the streets. He was casual about it but Danny could see it in the way he subtly had his back to the walls of the building, a dead end that no one could use to sneak up on him.

    "We need to ask you a few questions. About a few kids that were kidnapped."

    The girl turned her attention to the old man.

    "I don''t know nothin."

    The habitual answer slipped out of the old Goon''s mouth.

    The young man chuckled slightly.

    "Come on man, it''s important. You know what happens to street kids out here. I figure with how crappy Gotham is, it goes double for them."

    He looked up and Danny saw brown eyes staring at him from the eye holes in the mask.

    The eyes, were so much like his. The old man turned to walk away.

    "The old run down Cathedral. We don''t deal in kids. Nobody short of actual assholes who deserve way more than a Batman ass kicking do. Be careful, Man-Bat is involved."

    "Thanks."

    The voice reached his ears but once again, Danny Fulio ignored them.

 Progress

    (General P.O.V)

    No one stopped the two heroes as they walked through the hallway. A middle aged woman dressed in a doctor''s coat, met them before the door to the room.

    "Gentlemen."

    She greeted.

    "Follow me."

    "How is he doing Dr.Baits</a>?"

    Batman asked as the doctor pushed the door to the ward. The nurse inside finished collecting the sheets, folded them up and excused herself.

    "He''s...stable."

    The doctor answered, handing over the reports to Batman. Zatara raised an eyebrow.

    "Is that allowed?"

    The doctor shook her head.

    "No, it''s not. But I figure there''s no harm done. Commissioner Gordon is loved by many in the city. It''s sad to see him like this. If you''ll excuse me."

    She left the both of them inside.

    "Lovely doctor."

    Zatara commented with a small grin.

    "Dr. Baits has always been sympathetic to the cause."

    Batman said under his breath, flipping through the report.

    "Mmh. His body is...strong enough. There are no lingering traits from the Lazarus Pit."

    Batman told Zatara, handing over the file. As the magician read it for himself, The dark knight pressed a series of keys on his wrist computer.

    "I have the camera on loop."

    He informed Zatara.

    The magician sighed, handing back the file.

    "I''m not entirely sure we should perform it here, Bruce. In a hospital."

    Despite his words, he stretched his hand inside his shirt pocket and came out with a large medallion.

    "I hope you also understand how important this artifact is."

    He pointed out, stepping closer to the Dark Knight.

    "If it''s money..."

    Batman begun with a small smile.

    "Important Bruce, not valuable."

    Zatara retorted.

    He held the medallion by the chain before placing a palm over it.

    "nekawA nocaeB luos" (Soul Beacon Awaken)

    The words that escaped his lips were followed by a pulse of yellow light from the gemstone in the middle of the medallion.

    The light washed over Batman, causing the faded silhouette of one Jim Gordon to flash over his gray clad body. The light retreated back into the medallion.

    "There. Done. Now for the second part."

    Zatara said, walking around the bed to stand at Gordon''s other side.

    He held the medallion above the sleeping commissioner''s bed and uttered the spell.

    "nekawA." (Awaken)

    There was a flash of blue light that quickly disappeared, the energy cutting off before the spell could completely manifest. Zatara frowned heavily.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "Oh dear."

    "What happened?" Batman asked in a serious tone.

    "The transfer of his soul from the medallion failed."

    Zatara replied.

    Batman looked at Gordon''s body, lying on the bed.

    "Plan B."

    He stated, looking as if he''d bitten into a bitter lemon.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The Gotham Cathedral was the very definition of archaic and Grand.

    Well, grand was a bit of a stretch actually. It was a massive tower that shot up towards the sky near the outskirts of Broad Avenue.

    Gargoyles stuck out like spurs at the top of the Cathedral, looking down at the brick road and stairway leading to the belfry like silent guardians. Like the rest of Gotham, a white carpet of snow covered the ground.

    The portal emptied us out below the stairs. Street lights spaced out along the road giving us enough light for it to be visible. The sound of breaking glass clued us in on the homeless person sleeping on the bench next to the wall running around church grounds. The shattered remains of a beer bottle laid on the ground.

    The sound then sent black forms that turned out to be crows flapping away into the night sky, abandoning the dry tree they had been perched on.

    "First impression: not good."

    Raven said quietly.

    "Let''s go."

    Artemis replied, reaching for her bow while stretching her shoulders.

    "Wait."

    I stopped her.

    "We need a plan. Rushing inside blindly is not smart."

    Especially because of the feeling the place gave off. A sort of gloomy atmosphere that permeated the stone making up the entire structure. This was not the aura a place of worship was supposed to exude.

    Inside my Inner World, I could feel Chase'' restlessness as well.

    "Be careful. Something is not right."

    He warned.

    "Ok." Artemis accepted with a snort.

    "What''s the plan, o'' fearless leader?"

    Before I could answer, the bell at the top of the church begun to ring. The sound was ominous, sending a noticeable shiver across the Archer''s back. To her benefit though, she shook off the nervousness easily.

    "Yeah, maybe we need a plan."

    She said, more agreeable this time.

    "Raven?"

    I asked my partner, palm closing around the pommel of my weapon.

    "Yeah, I can see it too."

    Raven replied, the three of us staring up at the silhouette crouched on one of the gargoyles.

    The figure had sharp long ears and red eyes that glinted with menace. Then with a mighty flap of it''s leathery wings, the Man Bat rose into the air with a screech.

    The sound bounced around the air, layered with something that stirred at the edges of my spirit sense.

    "Get ready."

    I told them.

    Then the ground rumbled. Reikaku spread out of me as I scanned our surroundings.

    "Guys what''s..."

    Artemis words were cut off as Raven lunged for her, just as Man Bat swooped down, the claws on his feet glinting in the air.

    I left him for the girls to handle.

    Something had registered in my scan, moving through the tunnels underground. Whatever it was, it exploded out into the air like a sludge of mud. Dirty water splashed around as the mud tsunami expanded, trying to drown us but I was faster. Chesha Neko flashed through the air, splitting the thing in two.

    Mud fell on either side of us.

    A shocked yell sounded out as Artemis was grabbed off the ground. Shunpo gave me a boost while I jumped up at her, hand stretched out to grab her arm. Something thick and cold gripped onto my left leg and begun pulling me back.

    I snarled in frustration, looking down.

    "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

    Raven chanted, sweeping past me. Her fists glowed with black aura, hot on the heels of Artemis and Man-Bat. She fired energy bolts that the bat creature ducked.

    Meanwhile I had found out what the thing on my leg was. A long muddy hand that was connected to a humanoid muddy figure with red eyes in its droopy face.

    "You''re Clayface."

    I realized, with narrowed eyes. Then the mud limb was sliced apart with a single swing. Landing on the ground, I rolled to his left, escaping a sweeping blow from his clay hand.

    Now that I was this close to him, my palm was laid flat in the air under his torso.

    "Hado no. 1: Sho."

    A repulsive bolt slammed into his chest, blasting the torso and head portion to nothing. The mud splattered out into the surroundings. He lost form, dropping and spreading into the ground or coalescing into clumps.

    Was that really it? I couldn''t imagine Clayface could give off the gloomy aura I had felt earlier.

    "That is not the danger I sensed."

    Chase said.

    Then the danger made itself known by tearing apart the doors to the Cathedral. They went flying away as a large hulking form jumped, clearing the stairs to land infront of me.

    The ground shook from the impact caused by the new enemy. His hulky form looming over me. There was something familiar about him. He opened his mouth and I realized who it was. Killer Croc.

    ''What is Croc doing here?'' I wondered, my body stiffening in preparation for a fight. I had to crane my neck to actually stare at him. Was he always this tall? Or big?

    Croc roared in my face. His red eyes looking animalistic. Faster than I was expecting, his claws sped out towards my neck.

    I blinked, my mind taken back to a few weeks ago. I had had to duck then. Needed to dodge. I hadn''t had a choice. Because one single contact would have given me broken bones and torn organs. One single blow and I would have been done for.

    That was then. This is now.

    Chesha Neko''s sheath was in my hands in the the blink of an eye, held along my forearm. Reiryoku expanded into a shield that received Croc''s blow without a problem. The impact only slightly moved me, my feet dragging onto the ground before I ground my teeth and pushed out with my own enhanced strength, blowing his hand back.

    The cloak over him fell off his shoulders and Killer Croc, bigger than the first time I had seen him, with Man Bat ears and fangs on his face was fully revealed. A long thick tail swished behind his back.

    The new and improved Killer Croc paced around me, suddenly wary after seeing me tank his attack. I faced him feeling a strange sense of accomplishment. My weapon''s sheath was gripped on one hand while the other had Chesha Neko pointed at him.

    "I''m not as weak as I was before, Croc."

    My words set him off and he roared, exposing more sharp teeth in rows along his wide jaws.

 Jaznoz Valentine

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    From the corner of my eyes I saw Artemis, who had swung on a line connected to the top of the Cathedral, land on a Gargoyle. She signalled to me that she was going inside before disappearing into the building.

    I heard the snow crunch as Raven landed with a captive.

    Man Bat was covered in purple glowing chains that tightly bound his huge form. He also seemed to be knocked out, with a green powder substance around his nostrils. Must have been the knockout gas arrows Artemis carried around. I''d seen them in action one time a few days back.

    We''d been hitting a crack house and...

    "A new friend?"

    Raven asked, levitating above Man Bat.

    "No. An old enemy."

    I answered, thinking about our situation. I wasn''t afraid to fight but we couldn''t drag this out.

    One of us needed to distract Croc while the other ran in to help Artemis rescue the kids.

    "I can handle them." I told her confidently.

    "Leave Man Bat and Croc to me and go give Artemis some back up."

    The sooner we found the kids the sooner we could escape. This wasn''t an assault mission, it was a rescue.

    Raven frowned but rose into the air.

    "Ok. Be careful."

    Thankfully she didn''t argue, no doubt trusting me to handle it.

    "Don''t pass out."

    She added with a small grin.

    "Haha."

    I responded sarcastically. Was that going to be a running gag with us?

    Croc faced her, hissing before a small rumble begun to rise from his chest. I aimed at him with a finger and released a small blast of Sho. It was weak. Kido spells lost power when one failed to use the incantation.

    Despite that, the Hado was still strong enough to make him stagger a little. But that accomplished my goal. His attention was back to me. Anger clouded his eyes. Anger and a bestial hunger.

    "Youuu..."

    He growled out.

    "Flesh. Devouuuurrr. Paybaaack."

    Spit flowed down his jaws.

    Reikaku registered another movement.

    On the ground, Clayface begun pulling himself back into one piece, flowing through the floor to reform behind me.

    And just like that, I was caught in the middle by two of Batman''s strongest enemies. Something had been bothering me however.

    "Chase. Can you sense anything off about them?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto while cautiously watching my two enemies.

    "I can''t accurately say but something tells me they might not be acting of their own accord."

    He answered, increasing my suspicions. All this screamed ''Supervillain Scheme.'' They all had red eyes and my man Waylon seemed to be missing a few brain cells. The Killer Croc I remembered, while not smart, spoke normally. This one was only concerned about making me a chew toy.

    This means that I can''t get anything out of them on who was really responsible. I can''t waste time here, so no use in talking.

    Shunpo threw me at Croc just as Clayface''s limbs turned into maces that fell on top of my head. I was behind Killer Croc in an instant, reorienting my form and ducking over another blow. Then I swung out Chesha Neko.

    His back arched in pain, a long bloody injury appearing on the tough skin from his shoulder to the small of his back, Chesha Neko''s blade barely meeting any resistance. The tail wound up and came at me from the left, only for Chesha Neko to slice the limb apart.

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    Blood sprayed out of the wound and Croc released a scream of pain, the severed piece of the tail flopping in the ground. He lost balance, stumbling around.

    That was when Clayface lumbered forwards, his form rippling into mud.

    "I will choke you out!"

    This being the first time I had had his voice, Clayface wasted no time in covering both Killer Croc and I with his body.

    But I had known how to defeat him from the start.

    "Hado no. 4: Byakurai."

    A concentrated bolt of lightning escaped my index finger. The smell of ionized air was followed by a discharge of electric energy that vibrated along the air, landing on Clayface''s body and ripping him apart.

    I couldn''t help but think that this was one of the coolest Kido spells from the bleach source material.

    His form lost cohesion and the villain slumped onto the ground once more I''m a viscous liquid state. Croc took that chance to jump at me with his mouth wide open.

    I crouched onto the ground. Push and pull...

    Little by little I was learning.

    My powers hadn''t come with a manual. Everything I was doing was based off what I created or copied. But it was working.

    This was progress.

    My fist crackled with power, reinforcement at max. An uppercut landed on Croc''s wide jaw, the impact immediately bouncing his head back. A pressure blast escaped into the air, cracking a few bricks on the ground as his body was lifted, a hulking mass of almost a ton. He flipped onto his back, landing on the cracked ground with a resounding bang.

    The street light near me burst apart.

    I took a second to inhale. Then I realized that I beat them without even using my Shikai.

    A smile worked it''s way onto my face. My training was paying off. Now to...

    An explosion ripped through the foundation of the Cathedral, destroying the entrance and a portion of the ground around it. Only for a huge Raven construct to break through.

    I stood there wide eyed as Raven, in the middle of her soul self fought a swarm of Man Bats. The construct held something to it''s Torso, protecting it. A black shield bubble of energy.

    Inside was Artemis and the kids. I didn''t think.

    "Come forth from the weave of eternity, Chesha Neko: Release."

    (General P.O.V) (With Artemis)

    Cages lined the wall of the huge room. At the center of the chamber, a table was set with different chemicals in beakers and containers, bubbling and releasing varying gases into the air.

    The overhead lights barely covered the entirety of the make shift lab.

    A slim form was leaning over the controls of a large machine that was shaped like a capsule. Inside was a massive incubator with a clear glass exterior. Red liquid swirled inside around the body of a small boy who looked about 10.

    Beside the incubator was something horrifying. Stacks of dead deformed bodies. Some had large scaly oversized limbs. Others had tails in place of their legs.

    Behind the large incubator were rows and rows of more capsules, these one''s were tinted but seemed to contain something inside.

    The man straightened up from where he was fiddling with the machine. He ran his palm on the glass exterior of the incubation pod.

    "You will become my magnum opus! Using both the Kobra serum and d.n.a from Langstrom''s Man Bat formula, I have created something that not even my waste of a father could imagine. Something above his precious Dollotrons. While My human-animal hybrids are a simple combination, you shall be the first with true perfection!"

    Jaznoz Valentine, the son of Professor Pyg laughed hysterically.

    He wore the same mask his father usually did, the face of a pig. But he considered it a reinvention of the identity. He wanted to beat his father at his own game. To become what Professor Pyg could never be. His eyes flashed crazily underneath his mask. His coat was dirty and his face was covered by a small stubble.

    Red alerts started flashing across the computer screen. Professor Pyg turned his attention from the incubation pods and ran over.

    "No no no..."

    He muttered, seeing the fight going on from the security cameras that had been installed outside the Cathedral.

    "I need more time! I can''t disrupt the process before it''s done!"

    He paced around, hands holding onto his head as he thought of what to do. Then he straightened, looking at the over dozen pods lining up the walls behind the Incubator with the small boy.

    "Yes...yes that will work."

    The genius supervillain ran over to his work station, quickly typing out commands on his computer.

    Then an arrow speared through the back of his palm and into the keypad of his computer. A pained yelled escaped his lips, red blood gushing out of the wound into the keyboard. Professor Pyg looked back to see a girl, dressed in a green costume holding a bow that was aimed at him.

    "Make one move and the next one goes through your throat."

    She warned.

    Behind her was a scared group of how about 6 children. They were from the latest batch.

    "No no, what are you doing with my test subjects?! I need them! Get them back in their cages or..."

    A second arrow whizzed towards him, burying itself into his thigh with a meaty thunk.

    Pyg begun screaming as Artemis hurried forward to try and release the kid trapped in the incubator. Anger gripped the villain. No one would need this up for him. Not a stupid little girl playing at being a superhero! Pyg''s right hand went to his pocket. To his last resort.

    He pressed the dial on the device inside and leaned back onto the table, blood pouring out of his wounds and gathering onto the ground.

    "It doesn''t matter... now. I''ve won."

    He laughed at Artemis who was trying to open the incubator.

    From the speakers installed all over the Chamber, a sonic frequency lower than what a normal human could perceive begun to play.

    The kids noticed it first. Their screams of fright caused Artemis to look up, only for her eyes to go wide as the pods behind the Incubators were destroyed from the inside.

    Glass shards fell to the ground around them.

    Creatures that looked like Man Bat, only with scales instead of mammalian flesh took to the air with loud screeches. Then they dove down towards Artemis and the children.

    "All for Leviathan..."

    Professor Pyg muttered with a sadistic grin.

    (Elsewhere)

    "Batman, we have something happening over at Broad Avenue."

    Robin''s voice came through the comms.

    Batman looked at the tracker blinking in his wrist computer and narrowed his eyes. That was where they were going.

    "I''m headed there right now. Rendezvous at the location."

    He informed his protege then cut off communication.

    Zatara sighed from the passenger''s side as the Batmobile sped down the abandoned road.

    "I''m guessing this is related to our friend? It can''t be a coincidence."

    Batman said nothing but it was clear he was thinking the same thing.

 Never Meet Your Heroes

    (General P.O.V)

    The first thing Artemis had done was scout the place. The belfry was nothing but a place that housed the huge rusty bell. She made her way down and reached the Nave, the part of the church where the congregation sat.

    The aisles were covered by a thick dust with broken furniture. In addition, the room was scorched with nothing of worth. A few cardboards that looked laid on were stashed away on the corner.

    The real price came from the basement. Or well, the cavern she found below the Cathedral. Sneaking in was easy for her. She was the daughter of Sportsmaster and Tigress after all.

    What she saw inside instantly enraged her while also easing her worries. The kids were okay. But they were locked in a cage. Like animals. She swept her gaze around the room, descending onto the ground on a darker section of the chamber.

    Past the cages, she saw the back of a man with long hair and a mask that covered the top back of his head. He was kneeling below a glass cage with a red liquid, cackling.

    Artemis quickly but silently worked her way to the cage with the kids. One of them saw her coming and pulled on the shirt of another child, a girl that looked to be the oldest. She had on a blue coat.

    "Shh. I''m here to help."

    Artemis assured them as they huddled at the corner of the cell. Their faces were puffy from crying and their eyes were widened in fear.

    "S s...stay back."

    The little girl dressed in a blue coat said in a shaky voice, as she pushed the rest behind her small form.

    Artemis felt her heart break. The cruelty they had seen before she and the others got here must have been traumatizing. She didn''t blame them for looking at her with such suspicion.

    Artemis bit her lip, her fingers working quickly to pick the lock. The doors swung open and she held up her hands, careful not to make any sudden moves.

    "Hi, I''m friends with Batman who''s part of the Justice League. He sent me."

    She said to appease them.

    Hearing that Batman himself had sent someone for them, made most of the hostility abate. Still, the girl from before was cautious as they were all ushered out.

    "I need you all to be quiet, okay?"

    Artemis informed them.

    There was a chorus of nods as the kids understood the type of danger they were in.

    Artemis frowned as each of the kids lined out and she didn''t see who she had specifically come for. She didn''t see Jason anywhere.

    "Wait, how many of you were there?"

    She asked the girl, holding her by the shoulders.

    The girl blinked.

    "6. We''re from the orphanage. Jason saw the bad men grab us and tried to stop them but...but they got him too. He''s inside that thing!"

    The girl pointed at the front.

    The man had straightened up and was now punching a series of keys as the security alarm sounded. He was frantic, alternating between looking at the Incubator that was holding Jason and the screen.

    Artemis didn''t know what he was doing but she knew it wasn''t anything good.

    "Quickly! Find somewhere to hide far away from here!"

    She told them, turning around and burying an arrow at the back of Pyg''s hand.

    After that, things were a blur.

    The second the enhanced Man Bats escaped out of their pods, Artemis immediately knew that the situation had gone up a level that she alone couldn''t handle. She pressed a button on the bottom of her quiver while pulling out more arrows.

    The party of Man Bats screamed as they dove down towards her and the kids. She used an arrow to spear through the Incubator glass, making the red liquid inside start to pour out. Cracks spread out across the glass but she was already moving.

    She drew back an arrow and let it fly at one of the creatures flying ahead of the group. The arrow went wide due to Pyg''s hand grabbing onto her shin.

    "Dammit!"

    Artemis yelled, quickly pulling out another and letting it fly with precision. The arrow exploded in to a red thick liquid, restraining the enhanced ManBat''s flight.

    The rest pulled back wide, changing trajectory to escape the Archer''s line of sight.

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    The Man Bat that was taken off the air by the arrow, crashed on one of the empty cages, bending nthe metal under it''s huge scaly form.

    "No!" Pyg cried out.

    "I won''t let you destroy everything I''ve bui..."

    Before he could say anything else, Artemis'' foot landed on his cheek, head whipping to the side as he was knocked out.

    "Shut up."

    Unfortunately that was enough time for the Man Bats to fly in for another round. This time they came at Artemis from multiple directions.

    Artemis ducked under the sharp claws, her heart hammering inside her chest. She smoothly notched an arrow and let it fly towards the creature diving for one of the smaller boys. Its claws gleamed in the small light of the wide chamber.

    The arrow tore through its wings, before burying itself onto the earthen ceiling. Then it exploded, sending stones pelting the rest of the group after the kids, who were now safely hiding behind a few extra capsules.

    Artemis felt a fire along her forearm as she barely dodged a claw. The Man Bat passed by her but then another grabbed onto the strap of her quiver and lifted her up.

    She buried the end of the arrow in her hands, deep on it''s shin and felt it drop her, only for the strap of her quiver to get tangled in the claw. It snapped and the Archer felt her heart sink. She begun to drop towards the ground at fast speeds.

    Just before she landed and break half of the bones in her body, a black portal swallowed her, emptying out near the kids. Artemis felt her back land on something elastic but tough.

    Her eyes opened up to see her and the kids surrounded by a purple-black shield. On the outside, their enemies were relentlessly trying to break through.

    "Hey. Back Ups arrived."

    Raven told her, floating infront of the group, looking out as the ManBats numbering around 20 harassed the dome with slashes of claws and bites.

    They roared, barring rows of sharp teeth behind the fangs.

    "Thanks for the save."

    Artemis told her friend/acquittance.

    "Don''t mention it."

    Raven replied, eyes completely black as she readied a spell.

    "You know Artemis. I never told you about an ability of mine."

    Raven begun.

    "One that can sense other peoples emotions. Especially hostility..."

    As she spoke, a chill spread out across Artemis'' veins. She knew. The Archer discreetly pressed the button at the bottom of the Quiver once more.

    "I don''t trust people..."

    Raven continued.

    "Or well, I used to not. Then I met Davian and he was like me. Lost."

    Darkness washed out of Raven, the shadow of her Soul Self appearing below her. Artemis grabbed one of her last remaining special arrows.

    "Then we met you. It was too convenient. At the time, I never suspected you weren''t who you say you were. But I could immediately feel the caution and determination in you. You never were there for the money or the drugs. No... someone sent you to keep an eye on us."

    Artemis tensed in preparation.

    "After this... we''re done. Leave Davian and I alone."

    The half demon looked behind her, at Artemis. The archer''s heart skipped a beat at the cold glare.

    "Don''t give him a reason to suspect that we had this conversation either."

    Artemis'' arm, notched arrow strung on the bow and aimed at Raven''s back, lowered. She couldn''t fight with the kids here. She didn''t want to fight at all. But she was determined not to be her father or sister.

    "Good choice."

    Raven replied, before turning to the ManBats outside the dome.

    "Azarath metrion Zinthos."

    She chanted, channeling her energy.

    The basement exploded as something huge and black broke through the chamber, sending the stones and the bricks on the road leading up to the Cathedral steps flying away.

    Raven''s soul self, the huge construct held the dome shield to its torso, a wordless cry escaping it''s beak.

    The enhanced ManBats escaped through the hole from the ground, flying into the night sky before reorienting and diving down towards the Raven construct.

    Then something ripped through the group. Behind them, Davian appeared, standing on a string as he held something in his hands, a torn limb and a long beautiful sword on the other.

    A Man Bat cried out, blood splashing out of it''s injury as it fell to the ground. The rest flapped their wings in terror, turning to face off against the new enemy.

    His Haori flapped in the non existent wind. 19 of the Man Bats left considered the young man. Davian narrowed his eyes at the creatures that were like an unholy mix between the Man Bat from earlier and the Snake creature back in Wayne Manor. Someone had to be responsible for this. It couldn''t be a coincidence.

    His eyes swept over Raven''s soul self. He could tell through his Reikaku that the Construct seemed to be protecting them from the assault. Which meant...it was time for him to make a move.

    He raised Chesha Neko and Reiryoku roared out of him. The ManBats were blasted with the full effects of his Reiatsu. Their eyes rolled to the back of their heads, their limbs lost strength and they begun to fall off the sky.

    A purple grid of strings flashed in the air, whipping through the night sky to grab onto the Man Bats. Each individual creature found themselves hanging in the air, limbs locked up by purple strings that were connected to the surroundings, like the street lamp and the gargoyles along the Cathedral.

    In one fell swoop, he had defeated them.

    Artemis grit her teeth as Davian walked through the air, stepping on a string and using it as a medium to extend Reiryoku out, creating a platform for him to step on. It was like walking down the stairs.

    He landed infront of the group just as Raven released the construct and the shield.

    "Is everyone alright?"

    Davian questioned out loud.

    Raven turned to stare at Artemis who swallowed and quickly answered,

    "There''s still a kid inside."

    Davian saw she was pointing at the hole on the ground. Then something came flying out, stabbing onto the brick road under them and locking in.

    The hook was connected to a zip line. A second later, Robin landed on the ground with a young boy held in his arms. The boy was covered in a gray cloak.

    "Jason!"

    The kids cried out, running towards the pair.

    "Well I guess that''s that."

    Davian said, relieved that the mission had gone splendidly but now cautious. Robin''s presence meant that Batman was around. He made eye contact with Raven, a silent conversation going on between them.

    She was telling him that they needed to go. He on the other hand simply pointed at the air, at the restrained Man Bats. They couldn''t leave without ensuring they were brought in, otherwise they risked letting monsters loose on Gotham. Besides...he needed to talk to Batman. Their conversation was long overdue.

    "Is anyone else hurt?"

    Robin asked as he cleanly dressed a cut on the small boy''s knee.

    Artemis was looking over the kids but Davian sensed that something was off. Her back was to them but he could see the arrow held loosely in her hands, ready to be used.

    Before Raven could bring a counterargument to Davian''s argument, the rev of an engine announced the arrival of the Dark Knight. The Batmobile turned around the corner, before stopping at the entrance of the ruined Cathedral.

    Davian however did not watch the car. Instead, his attention was pulled elsewhere. He turned around to stare at one of the Gargoyles carved onto the Cathedral. Batman straightened to his full height on top of it, staring down at him.

    Both men maintained eye contact for a few seconds. Then it was like a switch was flipped inside Davian. All the anger came rushing out. Batman had been his hero. But it''s true what they say, never meet your heroes.

    "I am going to kick your ass."

    Davian promised.

 The Truth Gets Exposed

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    ''Man oh man, was I fired up.''

    Shunpo!

    I blasted off towards the Gargoyle, Batman jerking back as I appeared infront of him in instant.

    My hand wrapped around his throat, slamming him onto the wall of the Cathedral. Breath left his chest in a sudden exhale and I heard a loud ''No!'' from below.

    I leaned my head out of the wall of a battarang. The projectile dug into the stone and let out a brief discharge of electric energy.

    "Raven?"

    I called out.

    "Got it!"

    My Partner shouted back.

    Batman''s fist impacted my face. I didn''t move an inch, instead the Dark Knight groaned as he cracked his fingers on my nose.

    "See I know what you''re gonna..."

    He landed a neck chop to my neck, before following it up with a knee to my solar plexus. The latter was designed to make me lose the breath in my lungs. It was a brutal attack that would see someone in agony.

    None of those hits did a thing except piss me off.

    See, I''d learned my lesson. A thick layer of Reiryoku suffused my flesh. It was a secondary function of my crude Reinforcement. Meant to copy Hierro, a hollow skill that made their skin and flesh tough and resistant to damage.

    I called it crude because it was wasteful. It was also meant for only combat situations, so if a sniper wanted to put me down, I had nothing to rely on except my own enhanced durability that I wasn''t sure would block high caliber bullets.

    I was still working on leaving it on full time. Control was still the issue I faced.

    But for this? It was more than enough. For all his strategies and countermeasures, it was easy to forget that the Bat was just a human.

    I tightened my fingers around his neck, cutting off the blood flow but easing up before he could pass out.

    "Here''s a little tidbit about the streets Bats, to hurt someone you need to be willing to take the hits yourself."

    I whispered.

    Letting go, I backhanded him across the face. His head whipped to the side along with blood dripping down his tone lip, some of it splashing on the stone walls of the building. My fist then landed on his belly and he coughed out in pain, falling to his knees.

    "That''s for keeping me hostage for no fucking reason, you lunatic."

    Something fast cut through my Reikaku and I grabbed it out of the air. An arrow. It exploded, releasing a green gas right infront of my face. Batman already had a gas mask on as the gas disappeared into the air, revealing a purple clothe over my nose and mouth. I had used Chesha Neko to create a mask by combining threads into a clothe that filtered out the gas for me.

    I jerked my head to stare at Artemis, narrowing my eyes with an unspoken message.

    ''Stay out of this.''

    Artemis hands shook...then she lowered the bow, looking away in shame.

    The brief reprieve was enough for Batman to reach for something in his utility belt. Strings ran up his body, binding it. I raised a leg and kicked his chest, pushing his back to connect with the wall again.

    "Stop it my boy. I believe he''s had enough."

    A man dressed in a tux and a top hat said, appearing in the air beside us.

    I turned to face him, waving a finger and stringing Batman up with the threads connected to the Cathedral. The dark knight let out another moan of pain, the threads tightening around his limbs and neck.

    "Do you even know what he did?"

    I asked the man who could only be Zatara.

    "I don''t."

    He shook his head.

    "But beating him up when he''s not fighting back is dishonorable."

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    He was quick to admonish.

    Bitter laughter escaped me.

    "Where were you when I was defenseless against him? When I couldn''t fight back?"

    I snapped a finger and with an audible snap, Batman''s left hand broke at the elbow.

    To his credit the Dark Knight let out a guttural growl, clenching his jaw and staring up at me in an expression I couldn''t quite read.

    "Batman!"

    Robin yelled from the bubble shiled holding him afloat, courtesy of Raven.

    "Enough!"

    Zatara stated, power rolling off him in waves.

    "I''m not afraid of you."

    I told him.

    My threads combined to form a purple sword, Chesha Neko.

    Zatara and I shared a look. Then a sigh escaped him and he backed away slightly.

    "Look kid, I understand that you''re angry, vindictive. But this is not the way to do things." His eyes landed on Batman who hadn''t spoken up from the start.

    "Batman will face his crimes the right way and get the punishment he so rightfully deserves."

    He sighed in something akin to shame.

    "Sometimes we are forced into situations that force us to act like..."

    "Spare me the lecture, Magician."

    I brutally cut him off, turning my attention to the Dark Knight. I knelt before him. The strings lifted his head so that his eyes were staring at me.

    "Look at me. I am a product of your Paranoia Batman. You were my hero. Until you showed me that I wasn''t wrong to look out for myself. Until you betrayed the expectations heaped up on your legend. You see, a friend of mine used to worship you. Called you the greatest superhero to exist because you were willing to walk in the dark and resist the temptations."

    "You...you are responsible for the death of...14 people."

    He ground out and I pulled back slightly. My hand tightened on the handle of Chesha Neko.

    "I had no control over my powers when they first manifested. You condemned me without knowing the full story. A hero is supposed to save people. The only reason I haven''t fully gone down the route of a villain...Bruce..."

    He sucked in a shocked breath at the fact that I had used his real identity. I smiled, continuing.

    "Is because I don''t need a man dressed in a Bat costume to tell me who I am."

    I straightened up.

    "I am Davian Mabuz, a Soul Reaper. Wielder of Chesha Neko. And as long as there''s breath in me, my blade will never rust or be tainted by pretentious ideals. The worst part about all this...is that you lost your biggest fan."

    I let him go. The strings unravelled into energy and I turned away.

    Zatara gazed me with a complicated look on his face.

    "He''s all yours."

    I smiled, dropping from the perch towards the ground. My descent slowed down while in mid air, I was working towards creating a flight skill.

    I had noticed that any Reiryoku, I expended out could be recovered by using my strings. It wasn''t a full skill yet, but Strings covered my body in a thin fabric of interconnected threads that I could manipulate to help me glide.

    I touched down on the floor and established eye contact with Raven. She smiled sadly.

    "You want to get out of here?"

    I looked up at the Gargoyle and saw Zatara help Batman up.

    I swallowed the lump in my throat. Truth be told, I wanted to make him feel the same humiliation I did. The same sense of betrayal. Breaking his hand did not feel enough.

    However I was aware of how close to the edge of the darkness, I walked. Nick''s face flashed through my mind. My hair fell over my eyes as I turned my head down, walking towards Raven and passing her by.

    "Yeah...let''s go."

    She undid the bubble shield and I heard Robin land on the ground.

    "You monster! He welcomed you to his home!"

    The boy cried out.

    I looked at him sideways.

    "Ask your father what he did. Then we''ll see who the monster is."

    Darkness pooled under our feet. Then before we could leave, something stopped us. A portal of swirling yellow appeared before us and Zatara walked out along with Batman, stopping below the steps to the staircase.

    "Wait."

    The magician held up his hands.

    "I mean you both no harm. We just...we need your help."

    Raven and I shared a confused look.

    "Why would I help you?"

    Was he right in the head? After everything?

    Batman crazily enough, stepped forward, holding onto his arm.

    "I can''t say that I was not wrong. I was. And I apologize for..."

    "What is this?"

    I cut in.

    "Don''t you know how hard it is to only leave you with a broken hand? Why push your luck? Why!"

    The shamelessness!

    Raven grabbed my arm and I closed my eyes, stomping down on my anger.

    "Don''t. Test. Me. Batman. I will break you if you push me hard enough."

    I managed to bite out.

    We had saved the kids. There was nothing else for us to do here.

    "Let''s hear them out. At least for Zatara''s sake...we owe him."

    Raven said. She had told me what had happened after the Doctor Fate attack.

    "Fine."

    I agreed, crossing my hands over my chest. For Zatara''s sake.

    "What do you want?"

    Zatara didn''t seem put off by the hostility. He reached into his chest and pulled out a medallion.

    "In here lies the soul of one Jim Gordon. We managed to recover his body but are unable to return his soul back into the vessel. We were hoping you would help out."

    Then everything clicked. I''d been wondering where Jim had ran off to. I''d even thought of going to check his house to ensure he didn''t turn into a hollow. However...

    "Old Gordo jumped ship. Smart. Disloyal but smart."

    Cheshire Cat snorted from my inner world.

    "He''ll get what''s coming to him soon."

    I answered.

    Loyalty was everything. I guess that wasn''t the same for everyone. He could have told us what he was planning...instead he left us in the dark. That to me was disloyalty.

    "I don''t understand how that''s his problem."

    Raven responded.

    "She''s right."

    I backed her.

    "The Justice League has plenty of resources and capable magicians who can take care of your little problem. I''ll even recommend someone. Get Kent to do it... he''s doctor Fate after all, if anyone can take care of it, it''s him."

    An uncomfortable silence fell between us. Batman stiffened as if hit by a lightning bolt. I could see the frown on Zatara''s face.

    Then he said something that made Raven mad. Truly mad.

    "You don''t know?"

    Zatara asked in shock.

    "Kent is...gone. He''s dead. Has been for a month. His funeral was 3 weeks ago. I''m sorry."

    He added sadly.

    "What?"

    My companion staggered back, shaking her head with an horrified look on his face. Then...her eyes glowed black.

    She turned towards Batman.

    "You..."

    The word was said in such...hate and Vitriol.

    It was clear we weren''t dealing with the Raven we knew. Batman had known about Kent''s death and despite Raven living in the manor at that time, he hadn''t seen it fit to inform her.

    And now she was mad.

    Scratch that, she was furious. The tight control she had on her emotions snapped and with it, all hell broke loose.

 Too Late

    (General P.O.V)

    Off on the coast of Mexico, 50 miles away from Playa Zipolite, the ocean roared under the massive storm sweeping towards the mainland.

    A small sailboat struggled to stay afloat under the large waves and churning seawater. A man dressed in a yellow raincoat cursed as he pulled on the sails.

    With expertise born out of years of sailing, he managed to line the sail boat to go up into the waves. He then dropped the anchor from the bow, ensuring that the waves wouldn''t swamp him.

    Just as he was about to sigh in relief, the turbulence suddenly increased in tempo. The water rose up in massive ripples as something huge broke through the surface. The sailor looked up, then up some more as the ''something'' revealed itself to be a huge squid like creature.

    It had a dozen huge tentacles, each the size of a red wood, waving around in the air. Spikes adorned the creature''s numerous limbs. And a row of sharp teeth as big as the sailor, were arranged inside a jaw that looked strong enough to snap a cruise liner into two.

    The man managed to catch a glimpse of something even crazier, which was saying something considering his situation. Inside a red shield, two men, stood on top of the creature, looking for all intents and purposes, comfortable.

    Then one of them said something and the creature roared, whether in pain or anger, the sailor had no idea. His answer was answered in the next second. The creature''s tentacles whipped through the air, towards the pair on top of it''s head.

    It aggressively rammed the tentacle onto the shield with a crack of sound. The tentacle rebounded of it, and in retaliation, one of the men did something. Arcs of red lightning fell from the dark sky, hitting the creature and causing it to howl in pain.

    The tentacles splashed water away as they heavily landed onto the surface of the ocean, birthing waves that pushed back the sail boat. The sailor could only watch in horror as huge waves hit his ship. The sails snapped and the sailboat capsized. The sailor yelled, falling into the deep dark ocean.

    A second later, a pale blue man dressed in a red Costume, flew out of the ocean.

    "No no! No! Dammit!"

    Deadman cried out, horrified as he tried to look for the sailor''s body. The body he had taken over to investigate the anomaly here.

    But he couldn''t see anything. Couldn''t do anything. The waves were too strong and while possessing someone he didn''t have access to most of his abilities like flight.

    The ocean rocked as the Kraken released a loud screeching noise. Deadman turned his attention to the pair on top of it. Vandal Savage and...

    "Klarion."

    Deadman growled out, flying under the surface of the water while aided by his intangibility, all in order to pull in closer. Not too close however, otherwise a Lord of Chaos like Klarion would immediately sense him.

    "...No Teekl the big bad Kraken doesn''t want to play with you. We''re not here to make friends!"

    Deadman heard as he entered the body of the beast but didn''t possess it.

    "Mmm." Another voice hummed.

    "Why is it not working?"

    Vandal Savage''s.

    "I don''t know. It''s supposed to." Klarion complained just as Deadman arrived near the brain of the creature.

    He was again thankful for his abilities. While his soul form was lacking in all biological functions, that didn''t mean he couldn''t perceive stimuli. Infact, he could selectively enhance his senses by this...field that was at all times around him.

    That was what allowed him to hear the conversation through the layers of flesh separating him and the two. Too bad the range wasn''t that big.

    "Shut up you stupid Cat, of course I didn''t mess up the spell!"

    Klarion''s voice sounded out once more, his tone was irritated.

    There was a meow sound and then Klarion begun speaking again.

    "You think I don''t know what I''m doing?!"

    Klarion raged.

    "The spell was supposed to take the boy''s stored spirit energy and use it on the Kraken''s soul to initiate a change."

    Stolen novel; please report.

    There was another meow.

    "Of course I know what follows after that." He remarked in frustration.

    "Once that was successful, we would move on to phase 2. Using the spirit energy on stupid Nabu to bring him to our side."

    He begun giggling.

    "I can''t wait to see Mordred''s face when they realize I have done something none of them could ever do. I bridged the gap between chaos and order! It will be priceless and so chaotic!"

    There was an unimpressed meow.

    "Just you wait Teekl. You''ll see. You''ll all see."

    The Lord of Chaos swore dramatically.

    "Has it gotten too quiet?"

    Vandal Savage questioned out of the blue. Deadman''s widened as he realized...he had possessed the Kraken without even knowing.

    Suddenly, the tentacles of the creature whipped out at the red sphere. Deadman then rolled it''s huge form, to crash into the water, submerging Savage and Klarion.

    The creature sank on it''s back, then a red light bloomed on it''s belly. With a powerful explosion that sent huge pieces of the Kraken''s body flying for hundreds of meters, Klarion and Savage floated out on a flat disc construct.

    "We had an eavesdropper."

    Savage growled, stern eyes narrowing under the scars on his face.

    (Elsewhere)

    Miles away, Deadman flew out of the ocean onto the shore, escaping after jumping from one fish to another to hide his soul signature. Klarion was a master of magic and magic was one of Deadman''s weaknesses.

    He looked out into the turbulent clouds far into the distance.

    "I gotta talk to Constantine. He''ll know what to do."

    The late Jason Brand, now Deadman took off into the early dawn.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The ground rumbled slightly.

    Raven rose to the sky.

    "You kept this... from us. From me?"

    She questioned in an icy tone. Colder than I''d ever heard her.

    Batman''s jaw clenched. He stood still, staring back into Raven''s eyes without fear.

    "I had to. I couldn''t trust that you wouldn''t have tried to see for yourself. I couldn''t let you leave. Not after..."

    "Grandale."

    Raven said in realization.

    Batman narrowed his eyes underneath the mask.

    "No. Waller. Task Force X. Grandale, Massachusetts would have come up later. A population of over 2000 died, the town was burnt to cinders."

    Raven''s cape flapped as her aura broke out of her in wide jagged streaks of power, striking the surroundings and tearing up the ground below.

    "That was not my fault! I was the victim! They were the bad guys!"

    I grabbed her hand. She turned to glare at me.

    "You believe me? About Grandale?"

    I looked into her completely black eyes and saw the pain there. The desperate plea.

    "Yeah. I do. Completely."

    I answered without hesitation.

    "Batman, maybe we should..."

    Robin begun but was interrupted by his mentor.

    "Regardless. I couldn''t risk it. You are the key to getting Waller."

    I tightened my hold on Raven before she could jerk back.

    "Stop."

    I told her but she didn''t hear.

    Raven grit her teeth, palms lighting up as she glared at Batman. I reinforced my palm before the skin was burnt away by her aura. She pulled her hand away.

    "That''s it! I''ve had enough..."

    Everyone started readying themselves. I head whimpering at the back from the kids watching us. The sun was already appearing over the horizon as well. People were waking up and fighting out in the open was not a good idea.

    "Everybody stop!"

    I came in between them.

    "Raven."

    She calmed down, breathing heavily. We stared at each other. And with her left side exposed to the light from the sun, she looked vulnerable.

    "I know your worst fear."

    I told her shaking my head.

    "You''re not like me. You''re afraid of hurting people. So don''t give ''him'' a chance because he will hurt people. Don''t lose control."

    Raven looked stunned. Truth be told, she hadn''t told me anything about ''him''. I only knew the bare bones. Everything else was from my past life. And now from the way she stared at me, I could tell that we were in for a long discussion after this.

    I turned to face Batman and his posse. Knowing him, he''d already decided we weren''t leaving. He had probably called in back up which is why he was antagonizing Raven. To stall for time. It was scary how much he had a read on how we would act or react. Pushing Raven a little because he knew I would try to calm her down.

    "You had a chance to apologize but instead, you made things worse."

    I said to Batman then looked at Zatara.

    "This is who he is. Arrogant and..."

    "Shut the fuck up!"

    Robin yelled.

    "Spare us that bullshit!"

    He snarled stalking forward.

    "Robin."

    Batman called out in a warning tone.

    I kept quiet, something didn''t add up.

    "No! they need to know that it''s not your fault."

    He looked back.

    Batman stepped forward.

    "It''s not essential. Justice League secrets are there for a reason. You hacked the computer again, didn''t you?"

    Robin refused to wilt under the glare.

    "We''ll talk about this later."

    Batman promised.

    "No. I want to hear what he has to say." I cut in.

    Now I was curious.

    "I saw a report on brainwashing in the log. It was considering different counters to mind control, menticide, coercive persuasion, thought control, thought reform, and forced re-education."

    Robin explained, turning to stare at me.

    "Your blame is misplaced. Whatever happened, Batman was being mind controlled. So don''t act like the victim..."

    A palm landed on his shoulder.

    "That''s enough."

    Batman told him sternly.

    He was mindcontrolled? Really? Even if that were true...it didn''t lessen the hate, nor did it wipe away the past. It only made me conscious of the fact that even the heroes, no, especially the heroes got dealt the worst hand. It made me question what I wanted to be. What my place was in this crazy Superhero and Supervillain world.

    As for being understanding, I snorted.

    "Was that supposed to make me forgive him?"

    I turned around, leaving a speechless Robin.

    "Let''s go, Raven. We''re done here."

    I stopped a little behind her, her feet level with the back of my shoulders. She wasn''t saying anything or moving. I frowned.

    "Raven?"

    I called out, staring over my shoulder. She was hunched, her cloak around her form. Then darkness, deeper and more hollow than anything she had produced fell down to the floor.

    "Raven?!"

    I jumped away, Chesha Neko held before me. Batman, Zatara and Robin also made distance. I looked at Artemis who was shuffling the kids away through the Cathedral''s side entrance. It led to a wide cemetery that arrived at a chain link fence that over looked a skatepark. This was all according to the map we''d read before coming here.

    "Haha..."

    Raven laughed.

    "Raven''s not...here. Right now..."

    Fuck. Dammit. It''s too late.

    It was like time stopped and the world lost all color.

 Unexpected

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The rays of the sun disappeared behind ominous clouds.

    "Get out of my head!!!"

    Raven''s real voice sounded out.

    "I sense something. You need to act now."

    Chase immediately warned.

    "And do what? I can''t attack her!"

    I shot back.

    "Then try talking to her! Maybe she can fight this."

    ''I wasn''t Naruto! Gah! Fine''

    I sheathed Chesha Neko, raising my hands and approaching her slowly. The waves of demonic energy rippling out of her was awe-inspiring. Enough to almost overwhelm my knockoff Hiero.

    "Raven? You can fight it..."

    I yelled.

    She let out a scream cradling her head. Her body remained afloat.

    "I...I can''t! Davian... I''m... I''m sorry."

    "No...Raven!"

    I grabbed the edge of her cloak.

    Red beams of energy exploded out of her eyes, breaking through the clouds in one magnificent ray.

    "You''re too late."

    The same voice from before said to me. My grip on her cloak slackened.

    "Noooo!!"

    Raven screamed. Then the scream suddenly cut off.

    Her body floated to the ground, though not all the way down. The tip of her toes was level with my shins, hair floating in waves on the air behind her, head slumped down. I placed my hands under her form, just as she fell to the ground, like a puppet without strings.

    "Raven..."

    I called out.

    Something cut through the air, headed towards her.

    I knocked away the Batarrang by throwing up a barrier of strings around Raven and I. My eyes blazed with anger.

    "What is wrong with you?!"

    I directed at Batman.

    The string wall cut them off from us before he could answer.

    (General P.O.V)

    The magician whirled up ok Batman.

    "Why did you attack first? What is going on Batman?!"

    Zatara yelled, grabbing the Dark Knight''s shoulder. Even Robin was looking at his mentor in concern.

    Everything had happened so fast. One minute they were de-escalating the situation, the next, something possesses the girl. Giovanni had felt the demonic energy coming out of her. It had been a malicious and evil thing. He had frozen, just like the others except for the boy.

    Then Bruce had attacked and the boy had created a yarn of strings that were around the whole street and entrance to the Cathedral, blocking the road. Thankfully this area was mostly used by joggers and cyclists. Who were scarce due to the season.

    "Now is not the time, Giovanni!"

    Batman shouted at his face, unstrapping the wrist computer from his broken left hand.

    "According to the report, that girl is a gateway to another realm."

    He explained.

    "Whenever she loses control, something comes out. It briefly came out in Grandale. The whole town died. She''s a walking nuclear bomb."

    Zatara blinked, understanding the danger the city was in. He looked at his hands and saw what Batman had handed him. The wrist computer.

    "Use it to..."

    "Already done."

    Robin spoke up from the side, using his own wrist computer to analyze the properties of the strings.

    "Whoa." The young boy said in awe.

    "I can''t scan the material but the tensile strength is off the charts. This small thread is stronger than a composite material made out of Tungsten, titanium and steel. Breaking through will not be easy."

    "Zatara can handle that. However, We might still need to call in the rest."

    Batman informed Zatara.

    Then he took a knee, closely watching the yarn of strings holding in Davian and Raven. Batman reached into his utility belt and removed a vial of blue liquid. He used a syringe, sinking in the needle at his left hand bicep with a grunt.

    "Allow me."

    Zatara told him, bending to his knees and performing a spell. A sling formed out of magic appeared over Batman''s hand, holding it close to his chest.

    "Maybe you should sit this one out."

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    Zatara said.

    "I don''t have a choice. This is my mess. Had I done things differently..." The Batman shook his head with a sigh.

    "The minute those strings unravel, we are fighting. I won''t let Gotham get burnt to the ground."

    He said, determination pouring out of him.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I turned my eyes towards Raven and froze. She was no longer in my arms. My eyes were level with her thighs. Usually I wouldn''t mind enjoying such a sight. However, my skin crawled with fear.

    This smoke... There was dark smoke on the ground, pouring out of her cloak. Red eyes and whispers sounded out from the darkness. I gulped, getting to my feet. Raven was unnaturally still.

    I stood up fully, making eye contact with her eyes.

    They were red. And there were four of them. Her face was twisted in a evil grin.

    I found myself frozen in place. I couldn''t move. My limbs were locked up. My hand shook, my heart sped up and terror gripped me. Within those eyes, I had felt the calls of billions of sinners. The evil of countless worlds. They say the eyes were the windows to the soul.

    The only thing I saw in Trigon''s eyes was pure unfiltered evil. It was filthy energy.

    "You''re weak boy. But my daughter chose well for a companion. There is... something in you."

    He spoke, walking around me in the little space inside my dome of strings.

    "You can''t even tell it''s strings. What is this power?"

    He asked, studying the dome.

    My jaw was locked up tight. I couldn''t even speak.

    "I see potential. And so, I give you a choice."

    Raven appeared from the corner of my vision, running a finger over the purple shield.

    Then she turned to me and I established eye contact with Trigon once more.

    "Join me boy. You can rule under me. Become my daughter''s servant. After a little reeducation of course. She needs to learn whose purpose she exists for. Mine."

    He added.

    Despite fighting literal bat monsters, mercenaries and snake men, this was the only time I had stood before something so alien, it defied common sense.

    I could die here. I could die and go back to that place. To those gates.

    "Snap out of it!"

    Chase yelled.

    "It''s not you, the smoke is producing a fear inducing aura."

    But something Trigon had said pissed me off. Re-education. There was no limits this fucker wouldn''t go to have Raven do his bidding. Torture, brainwashing. I was suddenly relieved I had grown up without a father.

    The anger gave me clarity. The fear wasn''t real. I didn''t have control of my body but I had control over Chesha Neko.

    Sharp strings twined together to end in pointy ends that broke out around the handle of the weapon, in spikes. The spikes dug into my skin painfully. Easily piercing through because I had briefly deactivated reinforcement.

    The pain was like an electric shock through my system. My hand rose up, about to release a Hado 4 straight at her chest, then follow it up with a wide Getsuga Tensho. But I stopped. This was Raven''s body, I couldn''t hurt her.

    "Can''t do it, can you?"

    It seems Trigon knew it too as Raven''s body floated there smugly, hands crossed over her chest.

    Chesha Neko unravelled around my hand, forming a thick purple glove that I slammed onto Raven''s chest.

    The strings washed down her body, covering her completely. Her eyes widened but it was too late, the strings forming around her face as well. I clutched my palm into a fist, tightening the fabric around her, only leaving a few holes for her to breath through.

    The shield of yarn around us unravelled and immediately I found myself surrounded by the entire Justice League.

    To my right Captain Atom, floated in mid air, hands lighting up with energy. Then on the roof of a building overlooking the Cathedral was Green Arrow, crouching. Then Aquaman, wait... who''s the old guy in the Flash costume?, Black Canary, Green Lantern Hal Jordan I think, Hawkwoman, Hawkman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Zatara and finally Batman.

    Wonder Woman hovered to the ground with raised hands.

    "We''re not here to fight."

    The demi-god addressed me in a soft tone, no doubt noticing my tensed muscles.

    I was about to answer when I saw the artifact on her hips.

    "Your Lasso..." I realized.

    "You can help her..."

    The Lasso of Hestia compelled any and everyone to speak the truth, without fail. If she used it on Raven then Trigon would lose his hold on her.

    "Hurry. Use the Lasso on her. We don''t have a lot of time."

    I pushed forward the bound Raven. The strings around her made it seem as if she was a mummy.

    Wonder Woman looked at Batman and Zatara. The latter nodded.

    "We will need you both to come in after this, son."

    Blue costume, red cape flapping behind him, black hair and baby blue eyes. Not to mention the impressive physique. ''Comic book pretty'' set some unrealistic standards. Superman looked more like a model who had decided to hit the gym 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for a decade without fail.

    "Can we talk about this later?"

    The minute Raven was back to her normal self, we were fighting our way out of here. There was no way I was going to allow myself to be captured by the League. Not after the Batman fiasco.

    Wonder Woman used the Lasso, looping it around Raven before tightening it on her. I undid the strings covering her head. Raven opened her four eyes and laughed.

    "I see we have some uninvited guests."

    Her lips moved but the voice that came out was Trigon''s.

    Zatara did the sign of the cross. The rest of the League were also serious as they regarded her.

    "Who are you?! The Lasso of Hestia, compells the truth out of you."

    Wonder Woman commanded.

    The Lasso glowed brighter. Raven''s mouth opened.

    "I...I...am He who has swallowed the sins of billions of worlds! Gods tremble at my presence! I am Trigon! The conqueror and the earth is mine!!"

    "Be careful my wielder, something is very wrong."

    Chase spoke up in urgency.

    "...Speak the truth! Who Are You!?"

    Wonder Woman shouted once more, the Lasso''s light growing brighter.

    Raven''s body jerked within my strings.

    "It''s not working..."

    I covered her head with strings once more. Maybe I could suffocate her?

    There was a streak of red lightning flashing across the sky.

    Something fell on the back of my palm. A burning red clump that fizzled out and broke down into ash above my hardened skin. I looked up.

    Snow was falling but it wasn''t white. It was red.

    "Is it just me, or is it raining burning snow?"

    Robin asked from his mentor''s side.

    The clumps fell to the ground, covering the whole street, melting the snow on the ground and breaking apart the bricks.

    "Aah! Ow! Be careful. This snow burns."

    Black Canary informed the others.

    A green umbrella construct formed above the group to block the falling snow, courtesy of Green Lantern.

    "Trigon." Zatara muttered.

    "If that''s who we are dealing with, then we might need more than the League."

    Zatara told the rest in a grim tone.

    I stared at the Justice League. The World''s premier superpower team.

    "This is exactly what I was trying to avoid."

    I glared at Batman. If only he hadn''t pushed..

    "For those who don''t understand she''s being possessed by an Inter-dimensional demon hellbent on world domination."

    "Oh, that''s uh...bad. I''m not feeling too whelmed right now."

    Robin muttered from the other side.

    "Whelmed?"

    Zatara wondered.

    "It''s a whole thing."

    Boy Wonder shrugged.

    "We probably don''t have time for me to explain."

    Meanwhile I was deep in a conversation with Chase. I looked at Raven. Trigon still had a hold on her. She wasn''t moving yet...

    "The lasso clearly isn''t working. Any ideas on how we can break her out of it?"

    I asked Chase.

    "You don''t have a choice...you will have to fight."

    What about the Konso? Wait...that could actually work.

    Right at that moment...an ominous circle flashed above the sky and the ground under us.

    "That''s what the snow was for..."

    I finally understood. I didn''t know much about magic but Raven had showed me a couple of things. The clumps of red snow were used as a medium to cast a spell.

    "He was stalling for time! Everybody get back!..."

    I grabbed onto my sheath, a green shield appearing around me as the explosion blasted through the air, destroying everything in one massive fiery wave. I was pushed away by the pressure blast. My back slamming through something hard, the sound of breaking glass muted by the roaring fires.

    Light bloomed under my eye lids. Luckily my shield managed to hold.

    I opened my eyes after what felt like 2 minutes.

    I couldn''t believe the sight infront of me. The bridge was in shambles, having fallen to the frozen river. The whole city...Gotham was nothing but a dark smog rising above the broken remains of burning skyscrapers and buildings.

    I could hear over millions of screaming voices. The death...

    Shadowy forms flew above the skyline, tending to the injured...no, not tending, the cloaked forms were waiting for them to die.

    They were DC''s version of Soul Reapers.

    I looked around and saw nothing but destruction.

    "Chase...what the fuck just happened?"

 Let Them Go

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The city was burning, the flames casting an eerie orange glow against the dawning morning. Smoke filled the air, making it difficult to breathe, and the sound of sirens and screams echoed in the distance.

    I floated down towards the ruins of the bridge. A few Shrouds broke off from the white blobs floating above the water. Those were the souls of the dead. We had caused this. My hand on the handle of Chesha Neko tightened.

    I had dropped out of Shikai because the form was energy intensive and also using both the sheath for defence and my Shikai for offense was too much for my body to handle. The sheath was the only reason I escaped that blast.

    I thought I''d been teleported but the reality was that my shield had been blown away for tens of miles by the shockwaves. I didn''t harbor any hope that the others, barring the durable members of the League, had escaped the blast.

    Artemis. And the kids. I closed my eyes, a lump of bitterness appearing in my throat. The explosion...seemed to have come out of Raven as well. Maybe she was ripped apart, maybe she was alive. Right there and then, the weight of failure was almost too much to bear. This was my reality now. I hadn''t realized things could get this intense.

    Trigon had been too powerful. And the city was destroyed. Atleast half the population was dead. If not, then they were going to. Fuck! Why did I allow Batman to antagonize her like that?! I should have...

    "It wasn''t your fault."

    Chesha Neko spoke into my mind but I shook my head. It felt like it.

    I closed my eyes, even this far I can still hear the echoes of screams and cries from victims.

    Maybe I can help save those alive? The water under the bridge was icy cold with sheets of ice floating about on the surface. I wouldn''t be enough but...

    "Chase, you have an idea how I can locate those still alive and extract them with my strings?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto while looking at the dark waters.

    "I suppose you can use the spirits of death hovering about. Just follow one. Can you handle it?"

    Chase asked at the end.

    I grit my teeth looking at my Zanpakuto. I hadn''t completed the training to completely master the Shikai. Too long in the form and I would feel a strain.

    "I don''t have a choice. Let''s help who we can. When the authorities get here, we''ll leave it to them and make it back to the Cathedral. We''re going to crash straight through that thing."

    I said out loud, staring at the black dome over the Gotham horizon.

    It seemed to suck in the light from the sun. ''I''ll save you Raven. And if I can''t, I''ll make sure to kill him for you.''

    I held Chesha Neko before me in one hand. The metal on the longsword reflected my disheveled form. I had dark circles under my eyes. An effect of not getting enough rest due to training so hard. Am not even sure it was worth it, ''that'' particular skill was still incomplete.

    I shook my head. Can''t get lost in thought. Luckily only a few seconds were lost. But those were precious too.

    "Shikai!"

    There was a flash of purple inside the green sphere.

    I ducked under the bridge. A portion of the left side was hanging precariously. I used my strings to reinforce the metal and straighten it up enough that people could get out of their cars and help those injured.

    Luckily there wasn''t a lot of traffic yet. I could hear people taking pictures while I flew down nearer the water, going anywhere the Shrouds were gathered. I sent strings inside the water, creating a web that crawled through the metal panels and plates of sinking vehicles, grabbing anyone alive and sending them to the people on the intact part of the bridge.

    This was the first time I had ever stretched myself out like this. At one time I saw a blur of red cut through the air from the east. A news chopper arrived along with a contingent of emergency services vehicles soon after. This coincided with my strings saving 56 people and recovering the bodies of 23.

    By the end, my strings looked like a purple wire mesh built along the length of the bridge. They glowed in the morning rays of the sun. I left immediately.

    Then I begun sweeping across the city, headed towards the Cathedral. I dove down after any Shroud, checking for any people trapped or hurt. My strings helped me pull away the chunks of debris and if I wove them into fans, I could blow out the fires still burning.

    More often than not, I found hurt people on the street, cradling injuries or the bodies of dead relatives. Most would look up and stretch out their hands towards me. I kept my face impassive as I flew deeper in, only helping those who absolutely needed it.

    I passed over a residential stretch of buildings. There was a school bus parked on the roadside and people were already setting up an emergency zone to help those injured.

    I increased my speed, diving down. I forgot that there were still people here who could help others. I landed on the ground, spooking the crowd. I stalked over at an old man walking towards me.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    "Please leave, we do not want any trouble."

    He said, holding a shot gun.

    Immediately, most of the men manning the perimeter produced guns, pointing them at me.

    I raised my hands, noticing the gang colors.

    "Sorry. I don''t mean any harm to your community. I was just wondering if I could direct those hurt here. The bridge is destroyed so it might take time before help arrives from the outside. The whole city was destroyed."

    The worst part was that this was the outskirts of the explosions and there were buildings that were caved in. I had also found more bodies than I did people alive.

    The old man looked behind him at the rest. A silent communication seemed to pas between him and an older woman in a wheelchair.

    "Aight. Ma says yes."

    I saw his eyes flash behind me and a brief surge of irritation coursed through me. He couldn''t see it but he could probably feel it. The gloomy aura of death that hang around me.

    A literal cloud of Shrouds followed after me from the bridge. They were yet to say anything and it was pissing me off.

    I could sense them through my Reikaku. They were like tiny pinpricks of light. He handed over a walkie talkie.

    "Just in case you need to coordinate with a few of our guys. The radio can also tap into the GCPD channel. Might help you figure out where you''re needed."

    "Alright."

    I nodded at the man.

    "Thanks."

    From there, I ascended once more, locked inside my shield bubble.

    "Hey Chase, I wonder, can I use the Shikai to stop bleeding or heal injuries?"

    It was something I had been curious about.

    "You would have better luck simply using the sheath for such a thing."

    I stopped in place at his answer.

    "Fuck, I feel like slapping myself for not seeing such an obvious thing."

    Before I could do anything else, the Shrouds became restless accompanying the sounds of battle.

    (General P.O.V) (a few minutes before)

    A teleportation circle flashed on a smoldering park. The nearby trees were reduced to burning cinders and the pond to the far right was almost dried up.

    "We''re too late."

    John Constantine said, covering his mouth with a white handkerchief. From within the circle another figure flew out. Deadman''s eyes widened upon the destruction.

    "Oh my god...it''s all destroyed..."

    The ghost hero said.

    Constantine spat on the ground, staring up at the sky.

    "Bloody Shrouds are everywhere."

    He commented seeing the grim reapers on the sky.

    One dove down towards a retail store and Deadman begun hurrying after it.

    "Come on, we might save some before they die."

    Constantine didn''t move.

    "We can''t. You know we need to stop ''him''. And the only way we can do that is by calling in the big guns, we can''t get through that shield without some help."

    Over the burning buildings, news choppers flew above a huge black dome, covering an area of about a few hundred miles out of the 302 square miles that was Gotham City.

    Constantine surveyed the park. He''d chosen this as the target of his teleportation because of the size of the land.

    "This park will do. We just need to call him. Maybe he can rewind time or kick Trigon''s ass or point us in the right direction. I need you to lend..."

    Constantine stopped.

    Deadman was never this quiet.

    "Brand?"

    Constantine asked, looking back. He sighed, Deadman was gone.

    "That heroic idiot!"

    Constantine shook his head.

    The exorcist pulled out two white gloves with occult symbols from within his trench coat pockets.

    He wore them before clapping his hands together, a magic seal appeared above the symbols on the gloves.

    "Ok, here we go. This spell will leave me weakened for a few minutes but as long as I can get him here then..."

    A rumble, as something crashed down next to him, disrupted the spell. The ground broke apart and Constantine struggled to keep his balance. The magical energy he was holding on to, went out of control, causing a powerful discharge that pushed Constantine away, sending him straight through the remains of a tree trunk.

    Constantine groaned in pain. His palms were covered in burns and his chest was exposed, lacerations and soot from burnt clothes on the skin. The gloves were destroyed.

    "Bloody hell. I feel like I just went 20 rounds with Etrigan."

    He said, dragged himself up, leaning on the frame of a bench while patting his chest pockets.

    "Bullocks...that was my last pack."

    He mourned the loss of his cigarettes, sitting on the bench while breathing heavily.

    Magic backlash wasn''t something you could just shake off. The pain went deep into his soul. He decided to take a breather but something grabbed his attention.

    Before him, inside a crater, 2 pairs of red glowing eyes appeared. The dust settled revealing Superman. He had the fingers of his right hand wrapped around Green Arrow''s neck.

    The Archer was struggling to get away but couldn''t budge, sweat matted his forehead and his costume was frayed and burnt.

    He grabbed an arrow from his quiver, twirling it in his palm before trying to plunge it through Superman''s side.

    A streak of red lightning passed through the park and The Flash, Jay Garrick appeared, holding up the arrow. He too had 2 pairs of red glowing eyes. He sneered, looking at the arrow in his hands.

    "Kryptonite."

    Superman''s frown increased as he turned his attention to the Archer.

    "Typical, you and Bruce are the same."

    His red eyes begun to glow.

    "Hey big guy!"

    Constantine called out, leaning on the bench.

    "Why don''t you pick on someone your own size? I think you might find Solomon Grundy''s lumbering form in the swamps."

    Constantine would be the first to tell you he was a reckless individual. There was a reason he didn''t have friends. Most of them died along the way. At times like these even he cursed his own reckless. Provoking a possessed Superman was a bad idea.

    The two possessed heroes turned to stare at him.

    "You..."

    The Flash growled out.

    "Lovely morning. John Constantine, notorious conman, grifter and exorcist, at your service. But for you, the last part is what you should be worried of."

    Superman narrowed his eyes.

    "Your reputation precedes you."

    The demon inside said.

    "We know who you are. Hellblazer, The Laughing Magician. Lord Trigon would be happy to meet and torture the man who outsmarts and rebukes gods."

    The Demon inside the Flash said.

    Constantine frowned.

    "If you really knew me...you would have already killed m..."

    Time slowed down as the Flash slipped into his superspeed, headed towards Constantine with his vibrating hand pulled back in a Killing blow. Keeping Constantine alive for long was a bad idea.

    He got within distance in the space between heartbeats.

    Then a blast of light exploded outwards as the Flash slammed into a shield. His body bounced off, the cloak of lightning around him clashing with the spiritual energy along the shield.

    Lightning sparked out, washing through the ground and creating another crater at the epicenter.

    The dust died out as Superman let go of Green Arrow to face the new threat. Constantine''s eyes widened as a crowd of Shrouds floated around a figure.

    Purple light glowed and with a sudden flash of light, strings covered Green Arrow and pulled him through the ground, pulling him away from Superman.

    "Show yourself coward!"

    Superman announced, floating to the sky as his four red eyes glowed with power. The dust settled, revealing a young man, white hair waving around in the air.

    He was crouched inside a green shield, a sheath on the chest of Green Arrow, healing him. Davian stood up to his full height, just a little over 6''1.

    He twirled the sword in his hands, a blast of Reiryoku rippling out in a pressure wave. The shrouds seemed to hover around the raised sword. Then he brought it down, pointing it at Superman.

    "Let them go, Demon. I''ll only say it once."

 Chesha Neko: Life Fibers!

    (General P.O.V)

    The reporter''s voice crackled over the radio in the helicopter as they flew over the devastated city of Gotham.

    "Good morning, this is Rebecca from Channel 7 News, reporting live from above Gotham City. As you can see, the city has been completely decimated by an unknown explosion that occurred earlier today. Witnesses on the outskirts of the city, report flashes of purple and black energy in the sky above Gotham just before the explosion. The cause of the explosion is still unknown, but the devastation it has left behind is undeniable."

    The camera panned out to show the full extent of the damage. The once-bustling city was now a sea of rubble and destruction. Buildings lay in ruins, some still burning. The smog and smoke covered the skyline completely and the streets were filled with debris and dust. The camera then zoomed in on the collapsed bridge that connected Gotham to the mainland.

    "As you can see infront of me, the bridge that connects Gotham to the mainland has collapsed. It appears that the explosion was so powerful that it caused the bridge to cave in. Emergency services are working tirelessly to rescue those who are trapped, but it''s unclear how many people have been affected."

    Rebecca''s voice was filled with emotion as she continued to report on the devastation.

    "What is that?"

    The pilot asked, diving closer to the bridge. There was a man floating inside a green bubble shield, around him was an intricate web of purple strings that were reinforcing the bridge and saving the people stuck inside cars that were submerged in the water.

    Rebecca leaned forward.

    "Follow him!" She commanded, scooting closer to the edge of her seat. She had on an awed expression. The purple mesh of strings glowed beautifully in the morning sun.

    "You''re seeing it first here on Channel 7 news folks! The first responders and it''s not the government or emergency services. Whoever this metahuman is, villain or hero or vigilante, he''s putting himself on the line to save those he can."

    The man who had on a red Oni mask and white hair waving behind him, briefly stared up at them before zooming past, leaving them behind.

    He was too fast to follow so the pilot banked right again, showing more of the burning city.

    "People across the world are saddened and surprised by what has happened here in Gotham today. It''s a city that has already suffered so much, and now this. We don''t know who or what is responsible for this attack, but we will continue to investigate and bring you the latest updates as we receive them."

    The camera continued to capture scenes of the destruction, showing the people of Gotham picking through the rubble of their once-beautiful city. The reporter''s voice grew quieter as she struggled to find the right words to describe the scene.

    "It''s hard to put into words this devastation. The people of Gotham are strong, but I can''t imagine how they must be feeling right now. All we can do is hope that those who have been affected can find some comfort and support in each other during this difficult time."

    With that, the camera panned out once more, showing the full extent of the damage caused by the explosion, in doing that, the black dome that was over the commercial district appeared on the edge of the camera''s line of sight.

    Rebecca nudged her news crew mate with her heel, motioning towards the black dome stretching out for over a hundred square miles.

    The camera man understood, lining up the camera and zooming in on the dome.

    "The only conclusive report we are sure of is that the explosion has something to do with that Black Dome."

    Rebecca''s voice was ominous.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "And who are you supposed to be?"

    Superman asked.

    "Does it matter? Another weakling casualty."

    The Flash snarled, picking himself off the ground and streaking towards the shield.

    He landed over a million punches across the length of the shield in a matter of seconds. The shield rippled and trembled but held.

    I placed a palm flat on the interior of the shield.

    "Hado 5: Akai Inazuma!"

    If Hado no.4 was pale lightning then I came up with my own variation. I didn''t know a lot about Kido. During practice I had decided to pour more energy into the chant than usual.

    The result was while Byakurai could be controlled, Akai Inazuma (red lightning) was a wild and uncontrolled blast of lightning.

    The lightning covered the shield jumping over to the Flash. The speedster released a loud scream, his body locking up painfully before the Akai Inazuma seemed to be absorbed by him. he opened his four eyes in glee. His mouth opened up in a gasp.

    "Such...power..."

    "Well, that clearly didn''t work. I think you supercharged him instead of dealing damage."

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Chase said, the Flash''s body begun vibrating and producing dark red lightning. The punches this time were harder and faster.

    "I''m going to rip you apart boy!"

    He promised.

    The shield rippled dangerously, and I could feel the mental strain from using so many abilities at once.

    ''Fuck. I''m more tired than I thought if I slipped up like that. Stupid! Of course a speedster can absorb lightning in some form.'' I thought, pulling in more energy from the core to reinforce the shield.

    "Stop panicking."

    Came Chase''s voice.

    "I''m not..."

    My words died out as another punch landed in a tenth of a tenth of a second made the shield tremble. My hands were heavy and my knees weak. I realized, yeah I was panicking.

    "The Flash and Superman...they scare me more than anyone. One is busted due to possessing so many powers. The other has one ability. Speed taken to the limits. He could kill me before I even knew it. And both of them are possessed by demons."

    I told Chase.

    Not to mention, my shield, one that had survived a massive explosion just a couple hours before, was now on the verge of breaking under the onslaught of a speedster. Superman was yet to even make a move. He hovered in the sky, looking down with his arms crossed over his chest. His face was set in a mocking expression. As if I was nothing but dirt under his shoe.

    "Good. You have assessed your situation." Chase started in a confident tone.

    "The only thing left is to defeat them. Right now you''re too weak to fight a direct battle. So use your head."

    I looked up at the rippling shield.

    ''Use my head huh?''

    My eyes narrowed. How can you beat a speedster? Incapacitate them. Or restrict their power. If that fails...deny them traction. The red streaks continued landing blows on my shield. I reinforced my eyes as much as I could. I still couldn''t see his form as he moved. But I didn''t have to track him. I only needed to see what he would do once in a while.

    "The Archer is stable."

    Chase told me and I grabbed the Sheath off Green Arrow, dismissing the shield at the perfect time.

    That instant was just as the Flash''s vibrating hand passed over my shoulder. Chesha Neko swung out, there wasn''t time to avoid killing blows. The Flash had regeneration so he could handle fatal blows.

    The sword passed through him like a hot knife through butter. There was no resistant. His body faded away into an afterimage. Even at such close range he was still fast enough to avoid me. I had accounted for that.

    Reikaku didn''t work on anyone with low spirit energy. The Flash''s ability allowed him to tap into the Dimension of power that governed time. It was entirely different from spirit energy. So it didn''t show up in my Reikaku as much as you would expect. The solution to this was a different application of my strings.

    A few strands of spirit energy threads, inter spaced above my skin like thin caterpillar hairs, vibrated as they sensed the distortion of air molecules. Something was speeding towards me from the left.

    ''Now.''

    I sent as much power as I could afford to my legs, the pants ripped apart. My Purple Reiryoku briefly flashed blue from the heels. I felt myself briefly connect with something foreign. A power that clashed against my spirit energy. The collision seemed to manifest as purple streaks of lightning.

    ''Shunpo.''

    Time seemed to stop.

    My body was vaulted to the side of the Flash as I escaped his bullrush. I reached out with a finger, touching one of my strings hanging in the air, it seemed to undulate with power. A power that was exuded by the speed force aura coursing through The Possessed Flash.

    The shrouds above me had increased in number. When before they were over a dozen, now there seemed to be over a hundred. As if I was the eye of a massive typhoon formed by their black robed forms.

    I looked around again. Superman was still hovering in place. Like a dictator looking down at those he deemed unworthy to breath the same air as him. On the other side was Constantine. He was still on the bench but this time his face was set in an intense expression. His eyes were sharp and he seemed to be staring at my previous position.

    Time had really stopped. My hand seemed to be covered by a boiling energy, sparks of power blazing through the air. My whole body and any strings connected to it seemed to vibrate. No, time hadn''t stopped. I was the one who was too fast. Then my body decided to remind me that it was already under too much strain, not including the speed force.

    I started to slow down. The Flash''s legs begun moving. His unfocused eyes followed me, beginning to widen in surprise. Then the trap was sprung. His feet tripped on a few invisible wires. The thin strands cut through his speed force aura before slicing through skin, flesh and bone.

    The Flash tumbled through the ground with a wordless scream. His legs bled profusely. His feet from the ankles to the soles were cleanly detached from his shins.

    Time begun moving normally. A dark red shadow escaped from the Flash''s mouth with a screech.

    Strings covered The Flash from head to toe, creating a cocoon before I pulled him towards me. I placed the sheath above the cocoon and begun the process of healing the speedster.

    I sped up the process by using thin wires to attach the feet to his shins. Blood loss was the only thing he had to worry about.

    Fortunately for me he seemed to have experienced a shock and passed out. Either because of the demon leaving him or the pain, we were spared the screams of agony one might expect from someone who had just had their feet severed.

    "Bullocks mate. That was decidedly cruel."

    Constantine commented from the bench, through my Reikaku, he appeared as a large bonfire. I felt him shift in place before standing up and walking towards me.

    Even while doing all that, my eyes never left The Man of Steel''s own. There was nothing I was more wary of than an attack from the Kryptonian. If Constantine was a large bonfire, Superman was like the sun. I felt insignificant before him.

    "Don''t worry. The sheath will heal him."

    I told Constantine who was watching the green glow suffusing the cocoon with the Flash inside.

    I felt movement through my Reikaku, that same sun that made me feel insignificant was descending to the ground. Superman''s cape flapped behind him as he flew down.

    His descent slowed and mere inches from the scorched grass, his soles stopped. Constantine tensed, left hand going inside his trouser pockets.

    "I can exorcise it but I''ll need you to keep him busy, lad."

    Constantine stated.

    "How do you take down an unstoppable force like Superman?"

    I asked Chase, standing up and preparing myself.

    "He already underestimates you. Play off that."

    Chase advised.

    "I''ll have to use ''that'' skill."

    I told him, stepping around Green Arrow.

    Chase was silent for a while before speaking.

    "Normally I would call you stupid. However, I don''t think you have a choice. However, you know what this means right?"

    I nodded.

    "I do."

    I called every string I had created or branched off. The whole park begun flashing with glowing threads that converged in my position. The Shrouds flew higher to escape the strings. Superman still watched me impassively.

    Then I felt the first of the strings pierce through my skin. The network of threads spread out across my body.

    I gritted my teeth at the pain. My eyes never left Superman''s. Such arrogance. To stand and watch an enemy power up.

    My eyes flashed purple. Reiryoku roared around my body as new intricate clothes formed around me. A skin tight costume made up of Chesha Neko''s strings, stretching through my body, going deep into my cells. Into my mitochondria.

    Power unlike nothing I had ever felt before suffused my entire body.

    "Chesha Neko: Life Fibers!"

 Hiya, Copkiller

    (General P.O.V)

    The ground was hit by tremors along the street, shaking the concrete and the burning rubble above it. Sirens sounded from far away. The sun''s rays pierced through the smoke, highlighting the devastation. A huge piece of a skyscraper blocked the street, glass from the windows covering the tarmac.

    There was a shift in the debris and a ghostly figure dressed in a pale white tuxedo with coattails, a top hat and a monocle above a non existent face, phased through the wreckage.

    Gentleman Ghost watched the ground as a small vine sprouted through. Then the vine grew, pushing away the debris. Concrete rumbled as the wreckage rolled off the entrance to the Tin Roof Club.

    Something covered the doors. The remains of a pod, the outer skin scorched by heat from the explosion. A creation by Poison Ivy to protect the glass doors once they saw the utterly massive fire mushroom blooming from afar. Then the shockwaves had hit and it was all Ivy could do to reinforce the interior with multiple vines.

    "That was too close."

    Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman said while walking out. Then she jumped, using her whip to grab onto a rebar from a piece of concrete sticking out. Then she pulled herself up onto the roof of the Tin Roof Club. And at such a height, Catwoman had a wide view of the city.

    She removed her mask, her face set in an expression of immense shock.

    "Oh God."

    Selina didn''t have a lot of close friends, but those she did, she treasured. With the state the city was in, most of it''s inhabitants would likely be dead.

    For her personally, the news didn''t get any better. There was a massive hole at the back of the tin roof building.

    "This is bad..."

    She brought a palm to her face. After all the effort she had put in to this...

    "Wait up!"

    A cheerful voice called out from within the club. Catwoman wiped away a lone tear, her face hardening.

    Ivy and Harley broke through the entrance riding on top of a massive vine.

    "Hold on."

    Poison Ivy told Harley.

    "Wheee!!"

    Harley screamed in glee as she held onto a spike.

    The vine begun stretching towards the sky, crawling along the length of the collapsed Skyscraper towards Catwoman. An emergency services aircraft whizzed past their heads just as the vine crested over the broken building, depositing them onto the roof.

    "Oh..."

    Harley blinked. Her grip on the baseball bat she had with her, tightened. Harley was mad. The back portion of Selina''s club was missing. Harley knew how much this place meant to Selina.

    Her anger only increased as she saw the collapsed sign of her favorite restaurant a street over. Julio didn''t care that she used to roll with Mistah J. And he had really good Tamales.

    "Someone''s gonna pay." She said hoisting her bat.

    "I loved Julio''s!"

    "Who else thinks this destruction has something to do with that Black dome?"

    Ivy pointed out.

    "Maybe. But the Justice League can handle it."

    Catwoman said coldly, scrolling through her phone.

    "No cell service."

    She told them.

    Harley could see the slight working of Selina''s neck muscles. Selina was mad as hell. She was just hiding it better. Harley also knew she was sad.

    "Pardon the intrusion, but I believe the cell towers must be down."

    Gentleman Ghost said, floating towards them.

    "Now that I have ensured you ladies are safe, I best be going. I am not particularly useful in these types of situations."

    "Thanks Jimmy!"

    Harley shouted after him in false cheer. Gentleman Ghost stiffened.

    "It''s James, miss Harley. You can address me by Gentleman Ghost if you prefer to be more formal."

    He replied like he had a few times before. One might think he would give up. She was Harley Quinn, craziest broad in Gotham!

    "Ok Jimmy!"

    Harley called out as the spirit flew away.

    "What are you thinking?"

    Ivy crossed her hands, staring at Catwoman, who was sitting on the edge of the roof. The latter sighed, getting up to her feet.

    "Obviously this is less than ideal. Business will slow down as the insurance company rebuilds this place. They''ll fight me on it. Which means, I might start relying on my...''hobbies'' for a short period of time."

    She recited but there was no real passion behind it.

    "Huh guys?"

    Harley called out but the other two ignored her.

    "No. Selina. I know you."

    Ivy shook her head.

    "Don''t use that excuse to close shop. I know how hard you have worked for this place. You''re not going to give up on it."

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Catwoman shrugged.

    "Maybe it''s a sign. I''ve only had this place open for a month and we''ve already had a few incidents. Maybe I''m lying to myself Ives. I''m no good with the quiet life. I haven''t earned it."

    She said, turning around to walk away.

    "We should leave before the rest of the club caves in."

    "Huh guys..."

    Harley called out again.

    Poison Ivy grabbed Catwoman''s arm.

    "The Selina I know wouldn''t give up that easily."

    "The Selina you know would tell you we have other things to worry about. The city is in shambles. By the time they organize rescue services it might be too late for some. We need to help. There''s no one else Ivy. Batman is one man. He can''t save this dump alone. We have to help."

    She concluded, wearing her mask.

    Ivy knew this was Catwoman''s way to change the subject.

    Harley tugged on Ivy''s sleeve.

    "Huh guys? There''s something headed..."

    Before the statement was over, a heavy impact smashed onto the skyscraper.

    The three of them found themselves thrown to the air by the resulting pressure wave. A shower of metal, concrete and glass exploded outwards.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "You can''t stay in this form for too long. You have no mastery of it. You risk death."

    Chase warned.

    I looked down at my hand, everything was tinted purple. That was because I wasn''t seeing through my eyes, I was seeing through my strings. Perceiving the fine strands waving in the air, reacting to any movement. Paired up with Reikaku and I acquired a sort of enhanced Proprioception. I knew where everything was.

    Enhanced senses, check.

    I made a fist with my hand. The skin was clad in a fine layer of strings woven together in a costume that covered me completely. The costume was similar to what a Black Panther would wear. Only mine was purple and lacked any aesthetics. Like I said, it was an incomplete skill. That''s not to say it was lacking. The outfit was padded in places where I compressed the strands into tough plates to block attacks.

    To complete the look was my red oni mask and my white Soul Reaper Haori which flapped in the air.

    I felt Constantine place a card on the ground. Then through Reikaku, magic power was funnelled to the soil of the park as he chanted too low for me to hear. He was doing his part. Time for me to do mine.

    People were already pouring out of the buildings. I even spotted a man on a kite gliding through the air. The streets over were blocked by collapsed buildings but those who could were headed towards the bridge that would take them out of the city.

    I constructed two huge stop signs on either side of the street. I was hoping they would notice it and stay away.

    Superman and I were about to break Gotham again.

    "You allowed us to take down your companion. Why?"

    I enquired.

    "Why not?"

    He shot back in dismissal.

    "He was a weakling. A weakling that turned out to be less than useless for our master''s plan. If you hadn''t dealt with him yourself, I would have."

    To punctuate his statement, his four eyes begun glowing.

    "The other one was impulsive. This one is arrogant. You can use that to your advantage."

    Chase advised. With the Life Fibers skill, I could probably tank a few blows before Constantine managed to exorcise him. Play off his arrogance huh.

    I tilted my head to the side.

    "You might have Superman''s body, but you''re just a poor imitation to what he can actually do."

    I shrugged and continued,

    "Your friend might have been a weakling but at least he had the speed working for him. What have you done instead of floating in place with a giant stick up your ass?"

    I mocked.

    "I know I said use his arrogance to your advantage but I didn''t mean make him furious."

    Chase pointed out.

    "Trust me."

    I replied. There was no reason to...

    Oof! One second I was upright, facing off against the Man of Steel and the next I was breaking through the remains of trees as the mad Kryptonian slammed into me faster than I was expecting.

    His eyes lit up as we cleared the length of the park. Then my back was rammed against the wall of a wrecked Target store. Cracks spread out from the impact in a spider web formation.

    "You will die for your insolence!"

    He roared in my face.

    Superman pulled back his fist and brought it hurtling towards my head. I brought my forearms together, thickening the padding and creating a small diamond shaped shield. There was a loud bang as I received the attack easily.

    He looked shocked for a second before clenching his jaw.

    "Diee!!!! Human!!!"

    His eyes lit up and I immediately extended the shield to cover my whole body. The impact this time, made my ears bleed. The heat from the heat vision scorched my strings and I found myself pushed through the walls and into the store.

    I tore off a chunk of the counter, my body shredding a piece of the wallpaper lining the walls before I broke through to another room.

    Cries sounded out as I quickly scrambled to my feet.

    "There''s people here."

    I told Chase seeing a few staff hiding behind the couch in the break room.

    "You can''t afford to have a fight near them."

    Chase replied.

    He was right. Not to mention, I was steadily growing more confident. I could take his punches. Which means, I could now start retaliating. The instant four glowing red eyes appeared through the dust covering the hole I had created with my body, I made my move.

    ''Shunpo!''

    My body launched forward. This time the Shunpo was clean and more than that I was faster than before. It was almost a double increase in speed.

    I slammed onto his chest and pushed the two of us out of the store, controlling my strings to both propel and hold me in the air by way of telekinetic control over them. A streak of blue and purple cut through the morning air, ascending to the sky.

    Then he simply decided to stop. It was jarring and almost caught me off guard. His double fist landed on my back and the blow was like nothing I had ever felt before. Breath left my lungs as I crashed onto the street, carving out a wide groove.

    "Get up!"

    Chase''s voice came in not a minute too late as I flipped away, dodging the stomp that made the ground cave in. The whole section fell down into the tunnels under Gotham. I stomped down on my shock. If that had been me... I shook my head, hanging in the air with an arm pointed down at him.

    "Hado no 4: Byakurai!"

    A jagged piece of lightning streaked out towards him, humming with power. The attack landed, pushing him back slightly. I dove after him, pulling my fist back and landing a punch to his jaw.

    His head whipped to the side. I leaned out of the way of a haymaker that was literally world breaking. A pressure wave erupted out of the fist.

    "It''s like you said, he doesn''t know how to use that strength."

    Chase told me.

    It was true. These devastating attacks were terribly telegraphed. I dodged another punch that easily destroyed a part of a collapsed building. Each miss was making him madder.

    "Stop running away!"

    He shouted, his chest inflating. Oh shit.

    The entire street was awash with freezing breath, causing ice to form along the whole street. It had the consequence of putting out the fires though.

    Kido was the only thing that had shown to be effective even just a little. And Superman had a weakness for magic right? Maybe that''s why he got hurt. I evaded the attack by taking flight.

    "Hado 5: Akai Inazuma."

    Predictably, Superman followed after me. His body plowed through the red lightning but he wasn''t unhurt. His body smoked, the erratic and wild red electric energy causing him pain to the point he howled. And that gave me a chance to come down on top of him with an axe kick.

    He hit the ground face first and formed a crater. I landed on his back with both knees.

    "Hado 5: Akai Inazuma!"

    Another blast of Kido and his body locked up. Even his suit was lightly scorched.

    "Hado 5: Akai Inazuma!"

    Another blast and he went limp. I dragged myself away from his body, breathing out a sigh of relief.

    Wait, where is the red smoke...

    "Got you!"

    My leg was pulled out from under me. Then I was slammed face first onto the ground. Then again. And again.

    Superman wound up and threw me away. I flipped uncontrollably through the air. My back bloomed with heat, no doubt from his heat vision and I did my best to reinforce the strings, creating more to take the place of the ones destroyed.

    "Dammit!"

    I could only manage to slow down somewhat before I crashed unto a collapsed Skyscraper, metal and glass giving way until I landed on something hard. I lay inside the wreck of what might have been an office space for a few seconds, stunned.

    "You let your guard down. You shouldn''t have done that."

    Chase tskd.

    "He tricked me. Didn''t think his arrogance would let him play possum."

    I hadn''t seen that coming. In retrospect, I should have. He''s a demon after all.

    The piece of skyscraper started groaning as something pushed through the open window panels.

    "Is that a vine?"

    Chase asked.

    On the other hand I was internally groaning. My attention was stolen by who was standing on top of the vine. Harley fucking Quinn.

    "Oh hiya Copkiller?!"

    She waved from a far.

 Times Up

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I got up to my knees quickly. There wasn''t time to waste.

    "What are you doing here Cop killer?"

    Harley asked, sliding off the vine to land on the floor which if you take the collapsed Skyscraper was basically the wall in a horizontal inclination.

    "Get out of here Harley! Now!"

    I yelled at the clown, eyes cast to the sky at the sun rays stubbornly cutting in through the smog covering the city.

    "You just need to get him back to the park."

    Chase told me.

    "Don''t fight him, just lead him there."

    "I know."

    I replied. My body was starting to feel the effects of keeping the Shikai active this long. My Reikaku was stretched as far as I could. I knew he was coming. I could feel the shiver going down my neck. For a minute everything was silent.

    "What do you..."

    Before Harley could complete her sentence, the floor erupted as something burst through. He came from the ground while I was watching the sky!

    Superman snarled, punching out and nailing me on another cross guard. My arms were painfully slammed onto my chest and we both flew towards the ceiling.

    "Bakudo 8: Seki!"

    His fist was halted by a blue ball that appeared along the second punch''s path. The force was repulsed back to him and he bounced back to the ground, landing on the floor and causing the whole building to shake.

    "Whoa..."

    Harley said trying to keep her balance.

    "Get her out of here."

    I called out to Poison Ivy while pointing a hand down at Supe''s position.

    "What are you doing?"

    Chase asked in alarm as he could feel the massive amounts of power I was funneling to my arms.

    "Just an experiment. What would happen if I were to mix different Kido spells together? My repertoire is very lacking. I only know no more than 5 spells in the first category. I can''t seem to go above level 10."

    Was it highly dangerous? Yeah. Did I care? Not really. Not when I was desperate to survive.

    Chase said nothing. However a split second later I felt his essence.

    "This is foolish. But I shall help you shoulder the burden."

    He answered.

    Could he even do that? My thoughts were interrupted as 4 glowing eyes appeared down in my vision. Here goes nothing.

    " Hado combo 1 and 4: Sho Byakurai!"

    My body was rocked back as a straight beam of plasma with lightning streaks around it''s length shot out of my palm. The kickback slammed me back onto the ceiling but it still managed to complete it''s function and Superman could only stand and take the blow head on.

    There was a shockwave that rang out, vines formed a wall infront of Harley, protecting her from the worst of it. When everything settled down, I floated to the ground slowly.

    "Did we get him?"

    I asked Chase.

    "You should know the answer to that yourself."

    "Fuck."

    I muttered as the dust cleared, revealing a massive hole that went down into the tunnels. I blinked. Where could he have gone?

    ''Shunpo!''

    The skill threw me 20 meters away from my previous position. Superman came in through the ceiling this time, stomping down on where I previously was.

    His costume was in tatters and his face was set in an ugly sneer.

    "Impressive. I didn''t think anyone could hurt me in this body."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    He said.

    Then his body begun exuding heat and a red energy.

    "But no more games. Get ready to be crushed Insect! Raawgh!"

    This time I could barely react to his speed. His punches came in heavy and fast, landing on the massive shield that I constructed to hold him off. The thick plate of ultrathin threads buckled and folded.

    He was hurt but not really going down and I was slowly getting overwhelmed and pushed back. At least until a massive Vine batted him away. He broke through the collapsed building, carving a groove onto the street before taking flight and rounding up towards the building.

    I looked at Poison Ivy.

    "You just made yourself a target. I thought I told you two to leave?!"

    The queen of all things green sneered.

    "You are in no position to order me around."

    "Aaw let us help you kick Big Blue''s ass. I''ve always wanted to land my bat right on that perfectly manly face."

    Harley grinned maniacally from beside Poison Ivy.

    "You''re crazy."

    I shook my head.

    "Both of you."

    "He''s preparing something."

    Chase warned.

    I ignored the two Supervillains and immediately flew out of the building.

    "I feel like that''s enough time for Constantine to be done with his preparations. I don''t think I can take more of this."

    I told my Zanpakuto.

    "Maybe."

    I broke through the morning air using Reikaku to track him. That''s when I came face to face with a truck on a collision course with me. With quick thinking, I created a long bastard sword and swung, separating the vehicle into two parts.

    "Did he just throw a truck at me?"

    "Heads up."

    Chase said and I groaned. It wasn''t one truck either, multiple wrecked cars fell down on my head. I spread my hands out, creating a web of strings by anchoring them to the surroundings. 2 minivans, one police car and an old Truck landed on the web and held.

    But he wasn''t done.

    "Is that a fucking 12 wheeler? Where did he even get it?"

    I wondered out loud.

    "He''s fighting smarter. He started out by underestimating you but now that he sees you can hurt him, he has decided to keep his distance and attack from afar."

    Chase intuited.

    How was I going to handle a 12 wheeler? If strength was what I lacked then...I only had to give it to myself.

    A huge Avatar of Strings emerged around me. By basically creating more and more strings then adding them to my mass, I grew to over 20 feet. A huge Purple humanoid with no discernible features. Superman threw the truck down but I simply punched through the metal before my fist was intercepted by his block.

    A shockwave ruffled the web holding the cars together. Heat vision landed on my shoulder, making me stumble back before he dove down and slammed onto the huge Avatar''s knee. I couldn''t control the fall and found myself looking up at the sky.

    Ok, note to self, huge constructs equals heavy and slow. Superman came down on me but before he could slam me through the ground like I had done, a thick vine landed on his side. The vine raptured into smaller pieces and green sap. It also threw him across the street.

    I let the strings fold into my body, compressing more and more strands into the armor I wore, reducing the huge size but also creating a more ideal form. One that was balanced in strength and speed.

    At the end of the street Superman touched down on the cracked tarmac. His cape was in tatters, his costume was burnt and seemed to have seared into the flesh of his midsection and his perfect hair was loose and messy.

    Similarly, my body ached and I felt dead on my feet. We had been fighting for some time now. It was a miracle the surroundings were not destroyed as much as they should have been.

    "Let''s end this."

    The Man of Steel stated.

    "I couldn''t agree more."

    I replied, taking a step forward.

    Then a sudden pain hit my chest. I struggled to breathe as I looked down. An attack? How? I hadn''t seen it...

    "I have some bad news my Wielder, your time is up. Your body is seizing up. The Shikai was too much for it to handle."

    Chase delivered the news in a grim tone.

    "Oh Fuck."

    I muttered, taking a knee.

    It''s over now.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Take this!"

    The sky briefly lit up with wide streaks of hot white lightning, falling down towards Wonder Woman.

    The demigod brought her arm bracelets clashing together. The effect produced was a wide beam of divine energy rippling through the skies, dissolving Shazam''s attack and throwing him back, his back bounced off the side of the massive dome.

    The champion of the gods was too slow in his reaction and an uppercut from below launched him into the sky. Back in the air the channel 7 news chopper spun out of control from the pressure wave produced by the clash of the two god legacies. They had closely been filming the events as the fight had happened closer to the dome.

    From what the world could see, Wonder Woman was possessed. She had four glowing red eyes and was standing protectively over the black dome.

    Breaking through the clouds, Shazam found himself staring at the dark void of space. The fight was not really going the way he wanted. He had to hold back not to hurt her but Shazam had forgotten one thing. Even at his best, Wonder Woman still kicked his ass.

    Shazam found himself being pulled back by a glowing rope. No not a rope, the Lasso of Truth. The artifact was wrapped around his chest and he felt his body get spun to face the earth. Something then landed on his back.

    "It''s over boy."

    Wonder Woman told him as she tugged on the lasso, ensuring he couldn''t even wiggle.

    They started to fall. The heat from re-entry hitting his face unimpeded. Even with his durability, Shazam knew the fall could hurt him. Seeing no other choice but to take her out, Billy opened his mouth.

    "Shazam!"

    Huge streaks of Lightning stronger than the attack from a few minutes ago fell upon the pair. Wonder Woman was hit point blank. The move had been so unexpected that she didn''t put up any guard and hence felt each individual streak strike her body.

    Then the unexpected happened.

    Laughter rang out as Billy Batson found himself slowing down in the air, the Lasso painfully biting into his chest now that he wasn''t in his Shazam form. The smoke dissipated showing a grinning Wonder Woman.

    "The power of Zeus used on the daughter of Zeus? Thank you for the power up."

    Then she begun spinning the Lasso and him with it.

    The wind whipped around the young boy as he found himself launched out. His environment moved so fast, messing with his perception that he couldn''t concentrate on calling his powers.

    Luckily, before he could smack onto the ground, a yellow glowing portal appeared, transporting him somewhere else. Billy landed on a green inflatable balloon bouncing house. The construct folded around him, arresting his impact.

    "Shazam!"

    Billy yelled and a lightning bolt tore through the concrete ground and into the tunnel, striking him.

    Shazam walked out into the tunnel, ready to take flight once more when he noticed he had company.

    "Green Lantern? Batman? Robin?"

    He called out, spotting the three of them. Batman was leaning on Green Lantern''s shoulder and Robin stood next to both of them. The latter had his Eskrima sticks pointed at Shazam but eased up with a confused expression on his face.

    "Is it just me or are you a kid who can turn into a giant dude with cool abilities?"

    Robin asked a suddenly nervous Shazam.

 The Plan

    (General P.O.V)

    The chamber glowed ominously, with an almost skewed beauty to it. For instance, the ceiling was an image of outer space.

    Stars gleamed in constellations that would boggle the mind of any Astronomer. That was because this view of the sky was from a different dimension.

    "Azarath."

    Jaznoz Valentine, Doctor Pyg reached out greedily towards the sky. His hand flashed with red tattoos that coated the whole arm in fire. He pulled back his hand with a wince. It wasn''t time yet. He was still barred from making any contact with the dimensional barriers guarding Azarath. The flesh of his arm slouched off, leaving behind blackened bone attached to the elbow.

    "This vessel is weak. But no matter, once the stars align then I can begin the ritual."

    His deep voice rumbled, four glowing red eyes flashing. It was clear that this was not the real Jaznoz Valentine. His body had been taken over.

    Jaznoz leaned back on a massive throne with green Lava pouring out of it.

    The throne was strategically placed in an island floating on top of the green lava, inside a wide Crater.

    The illusion of Azarath''s night sky ended where the edges of the crater begun. Then the walls of the hole were covered by an array of sheared off pipes and the tunnels under Gotham. Lower than that and the remains of an ancient city under the surface level became evident.

    Dark powers swirled in these depths. All concentrated at the pool in the center of the crater. Gotham seemed to harbor a dark secret. One that Trigon would exploit for his own ends. Here in the most accursed city in the world was where his ascension would happen.

    He stood up as a magical formation flashed in the sky.

    The points of the pentagram matched with the placement of ten stars. The glowing sphere went around the points connecting all the line segments.

    "It is time. With the heroes fighting amongst themselves, they shall be too late to stop me."

    He announced. Red eyes begun opening along the walls of the crater.

    "Bring the sacrifices to me. Bring them all."

    There was a multitude of screeching and as one, a large colony of enhanced Man Bats rose up, before plunging into the tunnels along the crater.

    It hadn''t been a total waste for Trigon to occupy this body. It was the only one available after his dear daughter had sacrificed her own body, to ensure Trigon got access to the Lazarus Pool under Gotham. He would have much preferred the Dark Knight. Alas, the detective had had a countermeasure to that.

    But not all was lost.

    Combining the real Jaznoz Valentine''s Man Bat creations with Trigon''s dark spirits had seen the birth of something new. Phantom Man Bats. They could navigate through the darkness or through shadows and they could breath dark flames. Sufficient for what he needed. Sacrifices to pierce the veil around this world and allow him to come through it.

    Speaking of sacrifices, his daughter''s had not been done willingly of course, but she would understand. It was her destiny. The remnants of her magic was what powered the dome around the ritual zone.

    It unfortunately did not spare him her spirit haunting him.

    "Where did you send them?! What are you planning!"

    Raven looked bad. Her form was ghostly and the aura of power that usually prickled along her skin was silent.

    She was inside a cage with dark flames running along the bars. The cage hang from glowing red chains connected to the wall of the crater, hovering above the pool of green liquid.

    "The creatures are under my command to bring me sacrifices to overpower the barriers blocking me from entering this dimension." Trigon explained.

    "You see daughter, by taking advantage of Azarath''s unique stellar signature, I can stabilize the rift. Enough for my armies to join me in this glorious conquest."

    "That''s...an Azarath spell system. How did you..."

    Raven asked in shock. Using the stars to stabilize magic spells was something that high priestess could do.

    Jaznoz walked over to the cage.

    "Tsk there is so much you don''t know. So much they have hidden from you. I created Azarath."

    "Lies!"

    She yelled, glaring at him through the bars. She had to remember, this was what Trigon did. Corrupt and poison minds.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    "The Justice League will stop you. My friend will come for me."

    Raven said confidently.

    "Your friend? Ah you mean the boy."

    He laughed.

    "I am counting on it. Me vs the heroes of this world...we shall burn the planet to the ground. Only then can it be reborn into a perfect Utopia. My Utopia."

    He turned away from Raven.

    "Worry not Raven. Just sit tight and watch the show."

    Jaznoz walked towards the Lazarus Pit. The shoe on his feet went up in flames as he walked above the boiling pool. A foreign language that made the shadows in the crater crawl along the walls, started coming out of his mouth.

    Raven tried to concentrate. To call upon her power and break out but...she was useless without her soul self.

    The cage she was in was suspended by red glowing chains strapped to the walls of the crater. The cage was lined with flashing symbols that cut her off from her soul self.

    The explosion had carried two functions. The first was to unearth the Lazarus Pit, the second was to create a special dome around the area.

    Raven knew this was her fault. The whole city...her empathy was the only ability she had access to in this ghostly form. And she could feel the pain and suffering coming from the city.

    It was almost too much to bear.

    She only hoped Davian, Artemis and the kids were okay.

    (Elsewhere)

    "Yeah, I got him." Green Lantern spoke into his earpiece before levelling an unimpressed look Shazam''s way.

    "Zatara says ''stop being reckless''."

    Shazam wilted under the narrowed eyes. Yeah, maybe transforming back into a human boy while falling from the atmosphere wasn''t such a good idea.

    "Bats, please tell me Robin is wrong and that we don''t have a kid in the League."

    Green Lantern turned the stare towards the taciturn Dark Knight.

    "What!? Pfft...you...are wrong. Why would a kid...be in the league, right?"

    Shazam cut in, laughing while backing away slowly.

    "Yeah. That was pretty convincing."

    Robin responded to him sarcastically.

    "No time."

    Batman ground out as he shifted his weight to lean on the walls of the tunnel. Green Lantern narrowed his eyes at him. Of course Batman would keep a secret like that.

    "Geez Bats, what happened to you?"

    Shazam asked in concern, walking closer.

    "Nerve Toxin."

    Robin answered for him.

    "Something tried to possess him after the explosion so he used the toxin to cause temporary paralysis to his body."

    Boy Wonder explained.

    Shazam latched on to one part of the statement.

    "Wait. You saw it? The explosion."

    He asked in surprise.

    "I was having breakfast with my uncle when we saw the news. The whole city, gone up in a massive explosion. I came here immediately."

    He further explained.

    "Yeah. We were at ground zero." Robin answered giving a quick glance to his mentor.

    "The only reason we survived was Green Lantern. He elected a massive shield around the squishier members of the League. Superman and the other heavy hitters tanked the explosion well enough though. Unfortunately, those red phantoms got to them before we could stop it."

    At the last part Robin visibly shuddered. He could remember the four glowing eyes on the face of Aquaman as he jumped at them.

    "So that''s why Wonder Woman was acting weird! She attacked me out of nowhere when I got closer to the Dome."

    Shazam said, putting two and two together.

    "Yeah. They''re really sensitive about the dome."

    Green Lantern said, using his ring to scan the walls of the tunnel. He frowned as the tunnel shook slightly. What was causing it?

    "Wait. They?"

    Shazam asked.

    Instead of answering him, Green Lantern knocked on the walls of the tunnel before turning to Batman.

    "I can''t say I''m a fan of hiding away like this, Bats. Something doesn''t feel right."

    "Its the right move." Batman answered, he could almost move his body again, he had trained himself to filter out any toxins from his bloodstream faster.

    "We can''t take on Captain Atom, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman and Superman all at once. Our best bet is to cause a distraction big enough for someone to enter that dome. Us."

    He stood up to his full height with a grunt, turning to face the three of them but most specifically, Shazam.

    "Hawk-man and Hawkwoman are dealing with Captain Atom, Black Canary is on Aquaman and Green Arrow has Superman. The Flash was supposed to help with civilian evacuation, but he hasn''t checked in for a a while now. You will assist with evacuation. Be careful as you move the debris around. Robin will help you coordinate with the emergency services. Green Lantern and I will go on."

    Batman laid out the plan while tensing his muscles.

    Something was strange about this. Out of everyone inside the shield, the demon had tried to possess him and him alone. Coincidence?

    "Well Zatara was on Wonder Woman watch but that didn''t exactly go according to plan now did it? Besides wouldn''t it have made more sense for the Magician to sneak into the dome with you and for me to distract the Amazonian princess?"

    True.

    But Bruce had already seen what had happened to the city. Zatara was needed on the outside incase they failed on the inside.

    With Kent dead the number of mystical practitioners the League could call upon dwindled drastically. Plus if there was someone he could count on undoing the possession of their heaviest hitters it would be Zatara. Not to mention, Trigon would be expecting a mystical practitioner to be with them.

    "Our priority is not saving the League, it''s stopping Trigon from doing whatever he''s doing."

    Batman explained, taking a shaky step forward.

    "Wait, are you..."

    Robin tried to help him up but Batman shrugged of the hold.

    "I''m fine. What have you found out?"

    Robin''s fingers practically blurred as he typed on his wrist computer.

    "With Green Lantern''s initial scan, I''ve mapped out a route that should take you through the dome without calling attention to yourselves."

    A holographic projection showing the underground tunnel system appeared. There was a red line indicating a curving route through the underground system of tunnels.

    "This route takes you to a closed off section. It was meant to undergo renovation by the city council to add an extension to the skating range by the Cathedral. That''s how you go in. I estimate it will take you about an hour of walking fast to get there. In your condition, an hour and half."

    "I will be fine."

    Batman waved off his concerns. His hand had take time to heal but with Zatara''s help, he didn''t really need the sling anymore. He removed it as they all watched.

    Green Lantern meanwhile was in deep thought.

    The tunnel was part of a underground railway abandoned a decade prior after the Red Hood gang first begun terrorizing Gotham. They had planted bombs all over the tunnel system in a bid to sink Gotham but Batman had stopped them.

    His scans showed that the reinforced beams could hold up immense weight that wouldn''t budge except in the case of a massive earthquake. The trembling could be associated with the explosion that had occured. But...the tunnel shook once more.

    Glowing red eyes appeared at the front of the dark tunnel and Green Lantern found out what was causing the trembling.

    "Heads up!"

    Green Lantern called out, creating a massive flame thrower.

    "Man Bats?"

    Robin asked.

 Instinctual

    Chapter 53 Instinctual

    (General P.O.V)

    "Ahh... replacing this stuff is always a headache."

    Constantine said, unwrapping a small bundle of dry ginseng. He removed the trench coat, his shirt had a hole on the torso and the morning air was a bit chilly but that was fine. It was better he wasn''t slowed down by anything.

    He knelt on the ground, quickly drawing a small magic formation with a triangle in the middle of 3 circles. He placed the ginseng above the formation and chanted, placing his hand open. The Ginseng started burning in a white flame.

    A small breeze blew through the park, carrying with it, a single strand of hair to Constantine''s open palm. The exorcist grinned. Just because the kid couldn''t beat Superman, didn''t mean he didn''t damage him. No matter how small the damage was.

    "With this..."

    Constantine begun, only to blink in surprise when the strand of black hair went up in a gray flame.

    He looked up, a sneer appearing on his face. Constantine''s fingers shook, he needed a smoke to calm down coz this shit was just too funny.

    "I''ve been calling you for the past week. You have the gall to show up now?"

    The exorcist demanded.

    "Gotham is up in flames!"

    The Phantom Stranger did not respond. Instead he stared at the Sheath lying above The Flash.

    "So it''s true... Fascinating."

    The Stranger finally said in a mutter, white eyes widening beneath his hat.

    Constantine breathed in. Then let out his frustration with a single breath. Eyes on the mission. Prevent Trigon''s arrival.

    "What''s are you blabbering on about?"

    Constantine asked, walking forward while rubbing his chest in pain. That magical backlash was wearing off but he wasn''t at his peak.

    A clock tolled from afar.

    "Constantine, I knew sooner or later we would meet."

    The Phantom Stranger finally addressed him.

    "Can you recall the Item I relinquished to your care? It''s time to use it. The rider will be nearby."

    Constantine blinked and the Stranger disappeared. The exorcist snorted.

    "Asshole."

    Then he reached into his neck, revealing a black necklace with a small vial hanging. Inside was tiny shards of bone that looked like wood.

    "This is madness."

    Constantine said, shaking his head.

    He used his foot to destroy the magic circle he''d drawn on the ground. Change of plans. The kid would likely not be able to lead Superman here. And time was of the essence. With the Stranger advising him to use ''that'' it meant he had to hurry up.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Dammit."

    My sight wavered.

    Everything was spinning but I could see as the purple strings covering my hands unravelled. Immense exhaustion hit my body from out of nowhere. Turning my head up to watch out for Supes was hard.

    The man of Steel''s eyes lit up as he watched me.

    "Chase, any ideas?"

    I called out to my Zanpakuto.

    No answer.

    Had he... abandoned me? No. That''s dumb. It''s my Zanpakuto. We''re linked.

    Still... it was worrying. For the first time in weeks, I couldn''t feel him.

    Chesha Neko was entirely silent. I was in it alone. But that''s how it had always been so I was already used to it.

    Realistically, I couldn''t block Superman''s next attack because a, I was missing the Sheath and b, I fell out of Shikai, which meant no access to my strings.

    However. Defeat was far from my mind. Raven was depending on me to make this right. Somehow. If she were here she would be blaming herself for this shit. But it wasn''t her fault. I hated that this world was like this. Unforgiving and cruel.

    Dishonest too, my expectations of a hero like Batman were different. The Justice League was supposed to be the good guys but so far, I wasn''t convinced. I couldn''t see the good. If there was anyone to blame for this...it was the League. It was...Batman.

    Speaking of which, Superman was content to watch me stumble a step forward.

    There.

    Chesha Neko lay clattered on the ground before me. I reached for it and got to my feet. I wasn''t a swordsman but I''d been forced onto this path. If I was going to fall, I would do it with my sword in hand.

    Bravado aside,things were still bad. I had no energy to perform a Kido or escape with Shunpo. I still had enough energy to reinforce my body completely though, so Maybe I could tank the heat beam.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    I breathed out, holding the Long Sword steadily before me.

    I could see it in his eyes, this was the Killing blow. He was tired of fighting me. Mad that it had taken this long. So he was determined to end it in the next blow.

    Was I scared? No. Look at me, from a simple human being a few weeks ago to tricking the Flash ( of course Jay Garrick was much slower than the other Flash family but still...) to fighting against Superman. Lately, something had been hatching inside me. A new feeling.

    "I''m not dying here today."

    I promised myself.

    "Any last wor..."

    He begun.

    Then the ground under his feet gave out, the cracked street collapsing into a sink hole.

    Of course nothing happened to him, he could fly. But a large open maw belonging to a plant monster shot out and swallowed him.

    ''Well That was unexpected.''

    And also cathartic. I breathed out a sigh that was part relief and part disappointment.

    That had been too close. I was prepared to fight and die. It wasn''t the first time I''d had my life on the line. But somehow, this time everything had felt different. It had felt impending. As if the collision would have forced me to become something else. To evolve...or die.

    I looked at the sky. At the Shrouds hovering above me. What if...what if they had followed me because I was going to die? Suddenly I wanted to run. To escape this...

    "Hiya Copkiller!"

    Harley greeted me and it was like an electric short went through my body. What the fuck was I saying? Nothing was written in stone. What mattered is that I had to survive. No matter what awaited for me at the end, I had no choice but to move forward.

    Fuck all the regrets.

    Fuck the fear.

    My body protested heavily as I turned around to face my saviors, a tired smile on my face.

    "How about now? Still want our help?"

    Poison Ivy asked, riding on the head of an animal-plant hybrid creature. She had on an arrogant smirk. What grabbed my attention was her ride.

    It''s skin was a light purple covered by tree barks. A wild mane of green grass was spread out across the back of it''s huge head and neck, going down the spine. It''s head resembled an Anaconda. Two fangs shot out of it''s mouth as it hissed, staring down at me with green ringed eyes.

    "Yeah. I wouldn''t mind a little help."

    I shrugged but even the action sent pinpricks of pain through my body. However I hadn''t lied.

    If Superman was the sun in my Reikaku sense, then the Plant Serpent was a supernova. It had these branching networks of energy, that interacted with anything green. It was enough for grass to lightly grow underfoot.

    The connection between the Serpent and Poison Ivy was powerful. There was also a minor but denser connection between the Serpent and Constantine who rode on it''s back. The Flash was sleeping inside the green dome created by the Sheath. The cocoon had of course disappeared after the strings had unravelled.

    Poison Ivy stood on top of it''s head like a queen, beside her was Harley who was holding onto the Serpent''s horn.

    "Yahtzee!" Harley cried out joyfully as she slid from the head of the serpent before skipping towards me.

    "You''re alive! Yay!"

    The enthusiasm she had as she hugged me reminded me of crazy white girls. I mean...

    "What happened to the plan?"

    I questioned Constantine, pulling myself out of Harley''s hold.

    "The plan mate, got fucked the minute Trigon decided to hurry up his ''plan''." The magician replied from above the serpent.

    "I don''t understand." I told them turning away to face our front.

    "But we need to take care of him before we talk."

    I motioned to the Kryptonian.

    Grabbing Harley I pulled the both of us onto the back of the snake with a smooth leap.

    "My hero."

    She swooned, leaning on me.

    I stepped back. She was hot as fuck and closer to my real age. However, never stock your dick in crazy.

    The Serpent begun slithering on the street towards Superman who was fighting the other plant monster. The snakes powerful muscles seemed to produce exotic energy as it moved.

    Maybe they really could buy me some time as I caught my breath. Of course I couldn''t stay out too long. Taking Superman down was priority. And even together it wasn''t going to be easy. Otherwise, if we failed to contain him quickly, the fight would balloon to the civilians.

    The only problem was that the fight was not going to plan.

    No matter how strong a plant could get, Superman had an array of superpowers that were uniquely suited for dealing massive damage. The only thing holding him back were his morals and he was currently not the one in control.

    So in his possessed state he was ruthless. He tore off pieces of the vines and vaporized the monstrous plant''s bulbous root under his heat vision. The air was filled with shrieks and the smell of burnt kale.

    Then he snarled, turning towards us.

    "Is that all the power you have! Weak!"

    Ivy did not take kindly to that.

    "You killed my babies!"

    She yelled her eyes glowing green with fury.

    "Destroy him!"

    Ivy commanded the Serpent and the monster opened it''s mouth wide. Energy begun brimming inside it. From within the open mouth, a clear jet of liquid shot out and splattered onto Superman.

    "Gah! My eyes!"

    Superman floated back, his skin smoking while grabbing his face in pain.

    Only loose patches of his costume remained, most of it having been eaten through and dissolved by the strong acidic venom.

    "Careful with that."

    Constantine called out in a warning.

    "Poison from the spawn of the Mid-gardian serpent is very dangerous. Too much and it will spread out across Gotham like it''s eating through flesh. I wouldn''t have summoned it if it wasn''t necessary."

    He informed the plant Supervillainess.

    "You said that already. Stop bugging me or I''ll kill you."

    Ivy shot back, annoyed.

    Spawn of the Mid-gardian serpent huh? Interesting.

    "Our priority is to get through him and enter the dome. Follow the plan Ivy."

    Constantine insisted.

    "You have a plan?"

    I asked Constantine.

    "What went wrong with ours? I was getting my ass kicked out there as distraction for you."

    He patted me.

    "First rule about this gig Lad, whether you''re on the side of light or darkness, always adapt. And if you can''t, learn how."

    Adapt huh?

    Adapting meant improvising on the spot. You see a problem and you find a way to deal with it.

    What was holding me back? Nothing.

    I grabbed the Sheath off the Flash and immediately, my exhaustion abated. Internal injuries begun healing and my Reiryoku started replenishing faster. Yes. Adapt.

    Constantine looked at me with an undecipherable expression.

    At the same time Superman broke the sonic barrier as he dropped towards us. Ivy swept out a hand and along with the horn on the head of the Serpent glowing, sharp wooden spikes shot out of the ground speeding towards the enemy. Superman barrelled through them, leaving behind sawdust.

    "Here we go. "

    Constantine said, using a small stick to draw a sentence of weird symbols on the back of the Serpent. Then he spoke. The language sounded like bells and whistles and the roaring of beasts. It made my ears hurt. The craziest part was that I could just barely understand what it was.

    "Enochian script."

    I muttered.

    Constantine finished chanting and the symbols lit up. There was a sudden cooling breeze around us. Superman increased his speed and collided straight through the Plant Serpent. But instead of getting hurt, the serpent unravelled into a green wind and us with it.

    The spell Constantine had used had turned all our molecules into structured air format. Superman passed through us with a confused look on his face. The Serpent wound up to face him releasing another acid breath. However, this time it came out in a mist that blocked his visibility.

    And just like that, the Man of Steel lost.

    We won.

    How?

    I''ll explain, after Constantine''s spell, for a second I was without a body.

    I realized two things while in that form. First, my body was holding me back. I came to this conclusion because my Reikaku range was increased without a physical vessel limiting it. Without a physical body, I could sense the entirety of Gotham.

    I could sense Raven.

    She was the Black Dome.

    And secondly, Constantine was a master Strategist. He had positioned Superman in the perfect spot for a Kryptonite arrow to shoot from the roof of one of the few buildings still left standing.

    The shot was made by Green Arrow with Catwoman standing by his side. And it speared right through Clark''s side.

    For a second, the Man of Steel stared at me as if he couldn''t believe it. Then a dark red ghostly form escaped out through his mouth.

    The next part was instinctual.

    I raised my sword at it and gave the command.

    "Destroy it."

    The Shrouds in the air all swooped towards the Spirit...and tore it apart.

 He Owes Me

    Chapter 54 He Owes Me.

    (General P.O.V)

    "This is a fucking nightmare."

    Perry White, chief editor of the Daily Planet muttered to himself as they watched the news feed.

    The camera panned wide to show the devastation of the most crime infested cities in Gotham.

    "Oh my god."

    One of the interns gasped in shock.

    "This is getting out of hand."

    Whitman one of the longest serving reporters commented. Perry couldn''t help but agree.

    "Excuse me! Coming through! Perry!"

    A voice called out from a far and his best journalist, Lois Lane arrived with documents in hand.

    Perry brought his coffee mug to his lips only to find out that it was empty. He sighed, rubbing his chin. Days like this he wondered...

    "Perry!"

    Lois broke him out of his thoughts. He already knew what she was going to say.

    "It''s a no, Lois. For starters it''s too dangerous and secondly I need you on something else. Let Dane handle this. Speaking of which where is Kent today?"

    Perry asked, turning from the news feed to walk towards his office. Lois followed.

    ''She looks stressed.'' He couldn''t help but notice.

    "I have something for you Perry."

    She said the second they were in his office. Then Lois opened the file and Perry stiffened in place.

    "I''ve been doing some digging and one of my contacts led me to something. The explosion that happened in Gotham 4 hours ago, it didn''t just leave Gotham a landscape full of rubble, it took down the communications. Arkham Asylum went dark. You know what that means."

    Lois told him.

    Perry jumped to his feet, heading towards the door.

    Outside, he clapped his hands to get attention of everyone in the world space.

    "Dane, you''re benched. Lane, I want you on the news chopper in 5 minutes. We need to cover this, not just for the story but to ensure people don''t get hurt."

    (Elsewhere)

    The facility had its own source of power, a huge generator kept below the sublevels. The whole place was in lockdown. Or it was supposed to be. The truth was, the inmates had already seized most of the floors.

    Only the Control room was left. And from the looks of things, it would hold out for long. At least until reinforcements arrived.

    Three guards stood inside the control room, guns trained on the bunker like door. The only way in would be if someone from the inside unlocked it.

    "No matter what happens, we are not opening those doors." The Chief Guard, a huge man with long sideburns informed the other two.

    There was a bang on the door, one that reverberated across the entire room.

    "H-hey...I just had a daughter. what if we let them in? They...they could let us..."

    The youngest of the trio, a pale white guard nervously asked.

    The Chief Guard was on him, grabbing his shirt with a glare.

    "You think any of these animals is that kind?! They will kill us the moment they breach those doors!"

    There was a buzz from the intercom.

    "Is this thing on?"

    A gravelly voice asked. It was oily and carried an undertone of danger that made everyone''s back shiver.

    "I like to think you can hear me. Otherwise I''d be talking to myself and that''s simply insane. Hahahaha."

    "That''s the...Joker."

    The final guard, who was wearing glasses muttered.

    "I have a friend here. His name is Bane. And Bane...likes to crush things."

    The Joker continued.

    There was a heavier blow on the door. A dent appeared on it.

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    "Oh Fuck..."

    The Chief Guard whispered letting go of his colleague. He walked to the door and spoke into the intercom.

    "Let it rest Clown, we are never going to open this door. It''s a titanium alloy. Let''s see if you can put your money where your mouth is."

    He replied in confidence.

    "Ooooh I like you. You remind me of a certain Bat dude. Uncompromising with attitude problems. I wanted to make this interesting and in exchange for playing my game...I promise I won''t kill you."

    The Joker responded.

    The other two guards looked at one another.

    "I told you clown, it''s not happening. Give up and return to your cell. Backup is already on it''s way."

    The Chief Guard was quick to respond.

    "A little Birdie told me that communications are down so..."

    The Joker said in a sing songy voice.

    "Here''s the deal. I will let two out of the three of you live, if you open this door."

    His tone went through a sudden change. Now it was gleefully cruel.

    "You are cr..."

    There was a sudden shot. Something impacted the Chief Guard from the back. He turned around in shock, his mind still struggling to catch up to reality.

    "You..."

    He bit out, blood flowing up his throat. The pale white guard was standing with a smoking gun, a wild look of disbelief was in his face.

    "I...I..."

    A second shot rang out and the chief guard''s head rocked back.

    "Annoying prick, always bossing me around. I''ve wanted to do that for a while."

    The guard in glasses told the other.

    (Elsewhere)

    Gentleman Ghost was in a bind. True name James Craddock or Gentleman Jim to his close associates oh and Harley, somehow she insisted on being so familiar with him despite only knowing her for a short time.

    He had been in the Tin Roof Club on official business. Looking for a new place to call home. His past had caught up with him back in England. Selina had been his contact. And then the explosion had happened and his prospective new home had been destroyed in an instant.

    The patrons inside the building had only survived due to the owner''s foresight in reinforcing the structure. Still, it had barely endured. The back portion was caved in.

    Being the gentleman he was, he helped Selina find a way out. And then promptly left. His other option had been Bludhaven, Gotham''s neighboring city with the same crime rate. Fortunately or unfortunately, Bludhaven didn''t have a Batman.

    Jim had flown off, his form invisible to normal eyes but before he could leave Gotham behind...he started seeing them. Shrouds, dark spirits that lead sinful souls to hell. Nasty lot. They would view Jim as an abomination.

    He swooped down and hid behind a collapsed sign with the words ''Julio''s Tamales.''

    Shrouds were one of the few things that could harm him. He needed to wait it out until they passed.

    What Jim wasn''t excepting was a group to pass right behind him, in his blindspot. He rose up in panic, thinking they were after him.

    Gentleman Ghost gaped as the shrouds sped right by him, not even giving him the time of day as they chased after something. Gentleman Ghost grew curious.

    Shrouds were far from mindless but they solely existed for one purpose, their job. So to completely ignore a soul like James ''Jim'' Craddock was insane.

    It made him curious enough to follow after them. The sounds of battle rang out from afar as he arrived within close proximity of the Tin Roof Club.

    From there, each meter he cleared in the air became harder.

    A heaviness settled on his shoulders. Breathing became hard. What was this? Gentleman Ghost had never felt this way before.

    And cresting above the collapsed Skyscraper, Jim saw something truly incredible. The shrouds were floating above a massive snake. No, that''s wrong. They were actually hovering around the young man on the snake''s back.

    His eyes were magnetically pulled to his form. Jim ignored everyone else as he faced...the monster. Because that was what he was. No one else brought out this feeling of awe and fear at the same time. Whoever this person was...he was not human.

    The young man stood tall, clad in a leather jacket, black pants, a sheath and a long sword. He cut an impressive figure, his silver hair waving in the air as he pointed at something.

    Then the Shrouds in the air moved according to his command. Jim heard it even from the distance. Two words.

    "Destroy it."

    What happened next was terrifying. The shrouds tore into the Dark Spirit, destroying it completely. The spirit howled but was soon silenced as it was devoured.

    Into nothing.

    Even the humans next to the boy could feel it without seeing. The ominous air in the surroundings. The young man''s eyes were devoid of mercy. He didn''t seem to enjoy it. It was... nothing to him.

    Gentleman Ghost gulped. Yeah...maybe Bludhaven was a better choice. He sank through the roof.

    Unknown to him, Davian could feel him through his Reikaku. He just assumed it was one of Gotham''s crazies scurrying about.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Before my widened eyes, the Shrouds made short work of the dark spirit. It''s energy was plundered and devoured. They then returned to hover above me. As if they were subservient. Just waiting for my next order.

    It was...

    I couldn''t even describe the feeling of power I got.

    "I wish you could see this Chase."

    I muttered lowly.

    "I can. And what do you think I''ve been doing all this time?"

    Chase unexpectedly spoke up.

    "Chase!"

    I called out in relief.

    Before I could ask him where he''d been. Flashes of images appeared in my head. His memories. And in them...I widened my eyes. So that''s how it is. Chase had used one of Chesha Neko''s string to grab onto one of the Shrouds and pull it into my inner world. Then he had put up a barrier around it to stop the Shroud from leaving.

    All in a bid to understand what they were and why they were so attracted to me. And the answer? Nothing. The only thing Chase could glean from them was that they listened to me. Or rather, they couldn''t help it. Something about my powers made them puppets for my use. It wasn''t a matter of telling them what to do...they existed for me to control. To use.

    I had dominated them without even knowing.

    "This is a boon for you my Wielder."

    Chase informed me.

    It was. But it was also a big problem. Why? The attention it would bring from the mystic community.

    I could feel Constantine''s eyes at my back. Judging. Trying to understand why and how I could control Shrouds. I didn''t want to deal with this now.

    A clean Shunpo made me clear the distance between the spot Superman''s body had fallen and us in an instant. There was no discharge of excess energy. I had grown faster. And it was all because of the fights. They had forced me into a corner.

    ''Progress through battles.'' I thought, looking down at one of the most powerful beings in the universe. He was beaten. Even surviving him was an achievement. Something to be proud of.

    I wasn''t proud. Not really. And I was glad for it. Because it meant that I was setting my sights further.

    Maybe that was how I could get stronger faster. Training was all well and good but I was the sort of person to thrive in conflict. I could become a mercenary. Take on jobs that would put me up against powerful opponents.

    I grabbed the Kryptonite arrow plunged in his side while thinking.

    You know that''s not such a bad idea. Bronze Tiger owes me.

    I pulled out the arrow, the Kryptonian glowing only less bright than my sheath as I placed it above the Man of Steel''s chest.

    Now, the only thing left is to save Raven.

 Constantine, The Bastard.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Nice shot."

    Ivy told the Archer as he and Catwoman jumped onto the back of the Serpent.

    "Thanks. I owed him that arrow for almost snapping my neck."

    Green Arrow replied, rubbing his throat. Finally it was over.

    "Ohh that sounds like fun!"

    Harley clapped at thought of snapping necks.

    "Don''t mind her." Catwoman patted the Archer, passing him by.

    "Or do. She probably won''t care anyway."

    She said, headed straight for the magician.

    "We need to talk."

    The feline inspired villain addressed Constantine, hands tightening on the handle of the bullwhip in her possession.

    "Something tells me you know what''s going on here."

    Constantine didn''t turn from his position, seeming to be in deep thought as he looked out into the destroyed city. ''With the Serpent, breaking through the dome will be easy. The problem is ''them''. The other Justice League members. Bollocks, you would think Zatara would warn them that this side of the world is much darker than what they''re used to. They could invest in protective charms. Wayne''s deep pockets can surely afford it. Then again...''

    Constantine finally shrugged at Catwoman''s statement, hands inside his pant''s pocket.

    "I might have an idea."

    But he didn''t have the full story. So Trigon uses his daughter to cause mass destruction and unearth the corrupt energy node under Gotham, then elects a dome around the area most likely in a bid to create a way through that is stable. The missing piece to the whole thing was, Why does the ''he'' seem to be in the center of all this?

    His eyes spotted what he was looking for. Or rather what he couldn''t ignore any longer. The huge crowds of Shrouds orbiting around Davian. And then the boy himself, standing beside something. That was the missing piece to the whole picture. The Boy and the almost impossible powers he wielded. Powers that should not be under any mortal.

    "Hold that thought, Luv."

    Constantine faced Catwoman.

    "I''ll be right back."

    A magical circle flashed under him and he promptly disappeared. Catwoman watched as the light faded away.

    "That''s going to get annoying quickly."

    Catwoman sighed.

    "C, where did you run off to?"

    Harley asked, jumping and slinging an arm over Catwoman''s shoulders.

    "It was so epic. Copkiller was like bam! Take that! And that! And..."

    Catwoman rolled her eyes while Ivy snorted from the head of the snake, her back was to them but she could hear the ruckus Harley was causing.

    Between them was Green Arrow, crouched before the Flash with his palm under the older man''s nose.

    Arrow sighed in relief. ''Thank god. He''s breathing steadily. This was what I meant. I''m all for diversity but I don''t like that we are putting Jay at risk. There should be an age limit.''

    "Thank you. The League owes you guys."

    He addressed the 3 of them. Harley, Catwoman and Poison Ivy.

    "Don''t get used to it."

    Catwoman told him bluntly.

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    "Promise not to bust my ass if I see a shiny ring I like and take it?"

    Harley asked, cocking her hip.

    "Ummm nope."

    Green Arrow snorted, getting to his feet and facing the incredibly beautiful women who were the best definition of a rose: gorgeous but thorny.

    "I was thinking something along the lines of, ''you should be in jail but I''ll look the other way this time.'' thing."

    He said pointedly.

    Harley shrugged.

    "Fair enough Robin Hood."

    Green Arrow shook his head, pressing his fingers on the earpiece in his ear. There was brief static from the other end. Luckily these ear pieces were connected via Satellite.

    And while most communication devices were affected by the E.M.P caused by the explosion, they were sturdy enough and shielded from the effects that he could contact the others.

    If it were any other time, he would have ensured Dinah was safe. However, he knew she could take care of herself. What he needed to know now was his the plan was going.

    "Green Arrow to Batman."

    He spoke into the device.

    "Her...arrow...get. where...Flash and Superman..."

    Green Arrow frowned. Batman''s group must have already moved deeper underground while on their way to the dome. That, or something else was messing with the connection.

    In any case, he just had to make his way to the rendezvous point. Arrow looked at the dome. He hoped the rest were safe.

    He tapped the earpiece.

    "Green Arrow to Black Canary."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Watching the Sheath work it''s magic, my thoughts drifted from the mercenary training to my roster of powers.

    "Hey Chase, I have a question. The Sheath, it''s the manifestation of my Fullbring powers isn''t it?"

    Chase hummed.

    "I thought that was obvious."

    He was right. I had a hunch about the same. But the Sheath hadn''t started out like that. It was only when I entered my Inner World that the change finalized. Hollow energy had influenced my own spirit and body. And a Fullbring was created when a human was affected by Hollow Reiryoku.

    Fullbrings were humans who could pull on the souls of matter. The name Fullbring could be loosely translated to Full Manifestation Art.

    It worked off the concept that everything, even rudimentary objects like a candle or a spoon had a soul. By ''Pulling'' on that soul, you could alter the object''s physical characteristics like shape and size or change its movement.

    For example by pulling on the soul of water, you could walk on its surface. There was so much that Fullbrings could do. Not to mention the specialized techniques each Fullbring had access to. They were versatile as hell.

    Superman''s wound finally closed up. I stood up, strapping the Kryptonian arrow to my side, then enlarged the healing cocoon around the Kryptonian, to better carry him.

    The shrouds still hovered above me. Infact, it felt as if their numbers had increased. A pensive look appeared on my face. Now that I think about it, we could use some assistance.

    "You''re insane. I like it."

    Chase told me after I shared my idea with him.

    "Well." I smiled.

    "It''s not like they''re busy doing anything else."

    "I beg to differ. They have a purpose. A job. I wouldn''t advice letting the souls of sinners hang around in the physical world, Lad."

    A voice said from behind me.

    "Constantine."

    I acknowledged his presence but didn''t shift my attention to him. I needed to know of this was going to work. Okay, focus on them.

    Prolonged contact with the Sheath had brought me back to 70%. I wasn''t ready for Shikai just yet but I could focus better. And there, just at the edge of my perception, I could feel a new awareness. I could feel them. Just like the time, I had sent them to destroy the dark spirit.

    It had been instinctual. Born out of a hunger to destroy my enemy.

    In other words, I tapped into the side of me that was negative. The side of me that was uncompromisingly cold. Memories that I always kept under lock and key surged up.

    "Remain in control Davian."

    Chase spoke out.

    This was not like before. I had accepted my situation. And I had a mission to complete. Kick Trigon''s ass. For Raven. I opened my eyes.

    "Can you see it, Constantine?"

    I asked him. It was beautiful. The sight before me.

    "Davian, your eyes are glowing purple."

    Chase pointed out.

    "See what? The shrouds? Yes. But I''m guessing you can push further. See what lies beyond most of us."

    He replied, circling me.

    "Oh you have no idea..."

    I replied.

    They were like strings. No, they were strings. Pitch black strings. And they connected each Shroud together into a massive web. Then they extended out into the world only to fade in the air a couple of inches away from the Shrouds'' billowing cloaks.

    I could hear them now. Like whispers in the air. They kept on chanting, ''Death''

    "They''re lines of death."

    I told him.

    "They connect them together. Each is like a small piece of death. A doorway into the other side. That''s why you can''t kill them, only drive them away."

    "Kid!"

    Chase called out with an urgency I''d never had before.

    ''Shunpo.''

    I grabbed Constantine''s wrist before the piece of yellow paper in his hands could fall onto the ground, activating the magic circle under us. The magic circle he had sneakily drawn with his feet, hoping I didn''t notice.

    The paper fell from his hand but a black wind swept down, grabbing it and materializing into a Shroud. The paper in its hands flared blue and in a flash the Shroud was banished to hell.

    I looked back at Constantine. Raven was right. If I hadn''t been carefully monitoring him through my Reikaku...

    I motioned to the spot the Shroud had occupied previously.

    "Some sort of demon expulsion talisman right? And then the magic circle under us was supposed to amplify and focus the energy of the talisman through me, to send them all away. Clever."

    I complimented him.

    "The only problem I have with that plan Constantine, is that you would have sent me along with them. Banished me to hell. So that''s how you screw people over? I saved your life and this is how you thank me?"

    I squeezed his wrist, making him groan and fall to his knees.

    I should have foreseen this.

 The Final Showdown part 1

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    One small squeeze and I could break his wrist easily. But...no, if he thinks he can use me, then I can use him. I let go of his hand, turning back to my...to the shrouds.

    "Are you sure turning your back on a man like him is wise?"

    Chase asked and I had to admit his concern was warranted.

    "It''s not. But he is also useful. Very Useful. I am going to need him for a very special project."

    I replied through our link.

    "I feel like I know his type. Keep your guard up."

    Chase cautioned.

    I spread out my hands, looking at the sky.

    "Come to me!"

    The Shrouds begun flying in a tighter formation around us. Constantine stumbled to his feet.

    "Trust me Lad, you don''t want to do this! You cannot control them. Some things are not meant to be controlled!"

    Constantine desperately warned.

    How hypocritical. I wasn''t a massive DC fan but Constantine was infamous for his risky and dangerous gambits that usually ended up bad for almost everyone involved. Almost because somehow, he always seemed to be the one to survive.

    His greatest tool was not his magic. It was his mind. I wasn''t afraid to admit I was wary of him. One, because he was grayer than gray. An utilitarian when it served his goals. And two, he was shrewd as fuck.

    "Maybe you''re right. But maybe you''re not."

    I told him, strengthening my connection to the Shrouds.

    "Regardless, you''re not the boss of me. No one is."

    "I''ve seen stronger men than you succumb to the allure of power. You have no clue what unholy powers you''re dealing with."

    Constantine responded.

    I chuckled.

    "You''re preaching to me about meddling with unholy powers? You of all people?"

    My hands fell as I turned and pointed at the snake taking up the entire street.

    "That serpent is the perfect example of your hypocrisy."

    He blinked.

    "What kind of creature is it?" I prodded with a raise of my eyebrows.

    "I know it''s not normal, even taking into consideration that Phantasmal creatures exist. It''s too powerful. I also know that it wasn''t meant to deal with Superman, so what are you planning, Constantine? What ''unholy powers'' are you meddling with?"

    Chase chuckled from within my inner world.

    The exorcist and I stared at each other, the mood between us filled with a tension you could cut with a knife.

    "I propose a compromise. You keep your secrets and I promise not to take revenge for stabbing me in the back."

    I offered.

    "Almost stabbing you in the back. You''re still here mate."

    He counter argued.

    My face sent carefully blank as I made my displeasure known.

    "Funny."

    Constantine frowned.

    I snapped a finger and the crowd of Shrouds scattered into different parts of the city. Their number being over a 1000. There were even more Shrouds in the city, only they were too far away from the range of Reikaku.

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    Only one Shroud remained before us, waiting for my orders like a dutiful soldier.

    "Where are you sending them?"

    Constantine enquired, staring up at the sky.

    "I''m not telling you to trust me Constantine. I''m only saying that you don''t jump to conclusions." I said concentrating on the task.

    "And if you must know... I sent them out to save people."

    "Save people? That''s impossible."

    He shook his head.

    "They cannot interact with physical objects."

    I smiled.

    "True. But to me, they are much more than simple spirits. They are like an extension of myself. Extra limbs that I can move like puppets."

    I pulled my hand back, clutching something in my palm, The line of death. The black string was attached to the Shroud''s chest. It hummed as Reiryoku begun pouring into the Shroud through it. That energy would then be channeled to the rest of the Shrouds under my control, giving them enough substance to touch material objects.

    "I can''t believe that worked!"

    Chase exclaimed as a whole new world opened itself to me. From that single string, I could perceive the rest of the Shrouds entirely. I could see from their eyes.

    To them the world was cast in black and white. Black only applied to zones of death. There were these black vortexes of what I could only call, death energy, all around the city. Everything else was white or gray.

    My own eyes were closed as I parsed all the information I was gleaning from each individual Shroud. Constantine had gone suspiciously quiet. He was no doubt watching and planning. Maybe to make sure the next scheme he came up with would work.

    I controlled the Shrouds to move towards the death vortexes that only they could see. The deeper the color of the death energy miasma, the closer the victim was at death''s door. It was almost poetic then, that the agents responsible for transporting souls to hell were also the ones saving them.

    Then the shroud would phase through the debris and rubble to get to anyone trapped and in need of help. Interacting with huge pieces of concrete to move them was easy, though the drain on my reserves was faster than before.

    Large groups coordinated with each other almost entirely autonomously. They reacted to situations according to what I wanted. It was almost unnervingly easy to control them.

    The first victims the Shroud reached was a pair of twins huddling in the corner and crying over a collapsed man. He was bleeding from a cut on the head. The twins shivered as the invisible form of the Shroud appeared in the confined space. Somehow they could detect that the man was about to die.

    Not today.

    I placed a hand on the green shield around Superman.

    Healing energy passed through my arm into the man. The cut healed right before the two kids'' eyes.

    "Angie, look! Look!"

    The boy tugged at his sister, pointing at the quickly closing wound. The man blinked his eyes open.

    The girl gasped, and both kids hugged the fully healed man while the family of three all cried.

    The huge piece of concrete blocking their way was moved away, and the first rays of the sun broke through the hole. The man held his children closer to his chest.

    "Thank you, whoever you are."

    He said, speaking into the open air.

    The Shroud left for others who needed the help.

    And like that, I worked through the city very quickly, saving anyone I could. The Shrouds provided a better view of Gotham. They were unobstructed and could fly.

    "Bloody hell, you''re actually doing it."

    Constantine exclaimed, somehow sensing what I was doing.

    "Still want to stop me?"

    I asked.

    Before he could answer, the ground trembled.

    "An earthquake?"

    I wondered.

    "No, it''s something worse. Trigon has begun. Shit! I''ve wasted too much time!"

    Constantine growled, a circle lighting up under him before teleporting away.

    "I still don''t like that you let him get off so easily."

    Chase told me.

    "In Constantine''s own words, he''s a bastard. A man who sold his soul to three demon rulers because he had terminal cancer. To avoid a war between the three of them, they healed him and he showed them the middle finger as a way to say thanks. We need a Bastard like him. Don''t worry he''ll get what''s coming to him. I''m more worried about what that rumble was."

    A second later I had my answer.

    The destabilization caused the ground to shake, debris shifted as cracks appeared on the ground.

    I first saw one of them through the Shrouds. They were huge, gray and right in the middle of their huge muscular chests, was the only other fourth color that Shrouds could detect. A burning red soul.

    "What in the hell?"

    I wondered as ManBats possessed by Trigon''s dark spirits flew out of holes on the ground. They crested above the black dome, flying down before starting to grab people and plunge through the holes once more.

    I had no idea what Constantine told the rest but the huge Serpent begun slithering towards the Black Dome.

    "I suppose it''s time for the final act."

    Chase said and I couldn''t have agreed more.

    ''Shunpo!''

    I had never tried Shunpo before while carrying something else. In this case the bubble shield around Superman. I noticed a decrease in speed but my increased control saw me, pour Reiryoku through my souls to give myself a platform to jump off.

    Catwoman and the rest were startled by my sudden appearance.

    "Point that arrow away from me. It''s not gonna work."

    I told Green Lantern as the Sheath flew into my hands from Superman''s chest.

    "I''m going on ahead."

    I said before any of them could reply.

    "Someone please wake up the Kryptonian. I think we''re going to need him."

    Another Shunpo and I pulled on ahead by a few hundred meters, clearing the distance between us and the first of the ManBats.

    "I think you should keep the Shrouds focused on saving people. Trying to use them to fight these creatures will only lead to overdrafting your energy."

    Chase advised.

    "I agree. Which means..."

    I started, Chesha Neko in its Long Sword form slashing out and taking the head off a ManBat. The woman clutched in its claws cried out as the creature fell towards the ground.

    "I''ll just have to take care of all of them myself and then move on to Trigon. We have delayed this thing for too long."

    ''Shunpo!''

 The Final Showdown part 2

    (General P.O.V)

    The once-great city of Gotham lay in ruins, a smoldering wasteland of twisted metal and shattered concrete. In the midst of the destruction, a group of National Guard officers had set up a command center to coordinate the search and rescue efforts.

    Colonel Erwin Dean, a high-ranking officer, was busy briefing his team on the latest developments when agents from ARGUS arrived on the scene, disembarking from the black colored armored chopper.

    Sasha Bordeaux, a stern-looking woman with dark hair and a sharp chinned face, strode purposefully towards the command center, her eyes were hidden behind black glasses. Her gaze fixed on Colonel Dean.

    The Colonel looked up from his briefing and frowned in confusion at the party led by the woman in a black pantsuit.

    "Can I help you?" he asked, his tone curt and businesslike.

    "Greetings Colonel. My name is Sasha Bordeaux, and I''m with ARGUS," the agent replied, her voice cold and clipped. "We''re here to take over jurisdiction of this operation."

    Colonel Dean looked taken aback. "Excuse me? I ask for reinforcements to deal with those freaks and they send me the Superhuman FBI to take over my command?"

    Sasha''s expression remained impassive.

    "Yes, Colonel. You need to understand, this is no longer just a national emergency. It is a global threat. We need to ensure that all necessary resources are being utilized to find out what caused the explosion and turned the Justice League hostile."

    ''ugh, they didn''t even warn me!''

    The Colonel bristled. "I understand the gravity of the situation dammit! The Amazon almost took out one of my squads for getting closer to the Dome. Not to mention soon after, we had reports of Superman going on a rampage, a huge snake slithering around and more Leaguers fighting. Regardless, I have kept it all contained."

    He smacked the table.

    "I have search and rescue teams combing through the rubble for any survivors and we''re working with what''s left of the local law enforcement to do more. My people have also set up a perimeter to secure the area around the dome. So who are you to come in and tell me what to do?"

    Sasha nodded, her gaze unwavering. "That''s all well and good, Colonel, but we have resources and expertise that can help speed up the process. Rescue people faster. We can bring in more advanced technology and intelligence gathering methods, translation: we can deal with the dome and the League while nothing you throw at thise problems will work."

    She looked around the tent.

    "We need to ensure that every possible avenue is being explored and no offense but your men are not really equipped to deal with whatever this is. You''ve done a splendid job, but now let us take over."

    She snapped a finger and the men behind her, spread out through the room to begin setting up.

    The Colonel hesitated for a moment, she wasn''t wrong. Over 2 decades in his career and he''d never seen something quite like this. Even the Apellaxian invasion was tame in comparison to this. An entire city, destroyed.

    Still, he wasn''t just going to let someone swoop in and take over his command.

    Colonel Dean sighed.

    "I understand you have your orders, but we have a duty to the people of Gotham to see this operation through. We''ve been working around the clock to save as many lives as possible. You only just got got here. After all the heavy lifting."

    Sasha''s expression softened slightly. "And we appreciate your efforts, Colonel. But this is bigger than just Gotham. We need to make sure that this doesn''t happen again."

    "Fine. I am not opposed to cooperation between us."

    The Colonel finally laid his cards on the table.

    Sasha frowned in thought.

    "I agree just as long as you promise to keep me in the loop. Also, I''ll be taking full command while on the field. The priority is getting to that Black Dome. Now what do you know about that?"

    The Colonel shrugged, pointing at the map.

    "Not much. I was in the middle of organizing a second team after the first one ran into Wonder Woman and came back with more than a few broken bones."

    "Possession?"

    Sasha asked, walking to stand next to the Colonel.

    "They said she had four red eyes and pink skin with black lips. If that''s not possession then I don''t know what is."

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    The Colonel said.

    ''I do.'' Sasha thought to herself. They could be imposters. Clones or parallel versions.'' Her job allowed her to come across many weird things.

    "And is it the whole League that is acting strange?"

    She questioned.

    "No, so far we have confirmed that the Hawk people are on our side. Then footage from the Daily Planet News crew showed Black Canary fighting the Atlantean king..."

    ''That''s a political disaster.'' Sasha thought.

    "...And we also have more footage showing Superman fighting an unknown Metahuman."

    "And then there''s the snake."

    Sasha said, looking at the choppy video footage showing a massive form slither past the camera.

    "Wait, back up a little."

    She told the soldier, pointing at the huge display near the walls of the tent. The Colonel nodded to the soldier.

    "There. stop."

    On the screen was a figure clad in a purple one piece costume, a long white half coat and a red mask on his face.

    "We''ve designated him as the Scarlet Demon."

    Sasha Bordeaux removed the glasses on her face.

    ''Bingo.''

    "That''s a high level target Colonel." She addressed the old man.

    "Any chance you get, take him down. Alive."

    "Who or what is he?"

    The Colonel asked with genuine interest. This was the only instant the unflappable agent had shown a real reaction.

    "That''s classified."

    Sasha replied, taking the offered seat before leaning back.

    "Ok Colonel, what''s your plan of attack?"

    Clearly he wasn''t going to get any more clarification on who the figure was. They could go up against Superman and hold their own. The Colonel wondered what Sasha meant by ''taking him down''?

    The Colonel tapped the table, swiping his finger on it. On the screen display, a 3d map of Gotham appeared. A yellow route begun pulsing through the destroyed streets.

    "The first group only got within 120 feet of the Dome. The second Alpha team, will use the underground tunnels to go under the dome."

    ''If it''s even possible. The dome could extend through the ground and form a perfect sphere. Then again, maybe it didn''t.''

    "What about air support?"

    Sasha asked.

    The Colonel sighed, swiping the screen once more. Another footage, this one taken from the air showed Hawk-man crash into the rotor of the chopper, after being thrown by Captain Atom. Hawk-woman snarled, moving in from Captain Atom''s blindspot to attack. The image froze.

    "I decided to hold back on the air support for now."

    He reported.

    Sasha could understand why.

    "Most of our intelligence is gathered and pieced together from my men on the ground and the News crews filming."

    The Colonel added.

    "I see. What about communication? Have you tried to reach out to the League members on our side?"

    The stern Woman asked.

    "No. I was more focused on ensuring we rescued everyone we could. Let the Gods and Monsters fight it out."

    He huffed.

    Sasha''s unimpressed stare made the Colonel frown.

    "I''ll have my people begin broadcasting a radio signal. Luckily with the transmitter and generator, we can cover the whole area."

    "Good."

    Sasha said, getting to her feet. There was work to do.

    "Get that broadcast airing. They should pick up on the frequency. Meanwhile I''ll need to see your mission log and speak with your team to get a better understanding of the situation on the ground."

    10 minutes later, a squad of Argus agents were dropped into Gotham.

    The drop of point for Alpha team was a street away from an emergency zone. A group of local authority from the Gotham hospital had managed to use a bomb shelter to set up a relief point. Few places survived the explosion.

    There was the Stadium and the GCPD building. Any other notable building structure in Gotham was behind the dome, like Wayne Tower.

    There was a rumble from the ground and Alpha team stopped.

    The first encounter they came across was not any of the possessed Leaguers, it started when hundreds upon hundreds of Man Bats rose off the ground and started terrorizing everyone they could find.

    "Hold!"

    Sasha told the soldiers at her back as they crouched behind the corner of the building. Screams begun ringing out afresh from the emergency zone. Bullets sang from the officers manning the perimeter. But it was doing little to stop what was happening. The creatures were grabbing anyone they could find and carrying them away towards the direction of the dome.

    "How far away are we to our destination?"

    She asked her second in command.

    "About 3 blocks."

    The soldier answered.

    ''What do I do? Should I abandon the mission and help save these people? It will surely be a blow to ARGUS if it gets out we left people to die.''

    "Okay listen up..."

    Thwwoop!!

    Something shredded the air above them.

    "What the fuck was that?!"

    Suddenly all of them were shielding their eyes from the dust, hearts hammering in high alert.

    The severed head of one of the creatures fell on the street right before them, bouncing away. Then something else landed with a wet smack. This time they got a good look at one of the creatures. It was gutted with it''s entrails hanging out.

    It mewled pitifully.

    Sasha blinked, her hands tightening on the repulser rifle as she raised it up and pulled the trigger, blasting apart it''s brains with a blue bolt.

    "Control room to Alpha team. Come in."

    There was static from the radio. Two clicks and the radio went silent. They were in a combat situation after all.

    Sasha looked around the corner and saw ''him.''

    He was nothing but a blur. The dozens of Man Bats couldn''t hold it against him. His sword flashed out and every instant one of the creatures would be dead. In 3 seconds, the whole area around the Emergency Zone was covered in flesh and gore. He took them out singlehanded.

    Never materializing enough for someone to see who he was but Sasha knew. Argus knew.

    And it was only a matter of...

    A pair of boots appeared before her. That speed. It''s like he''d teleported.

    Davian''s hair swayed in the gentle breeze as he looked down at the team of agents hiding behind the corner. In his hands was a struggling Man Bat, held by the neck.

    His eyes swept across the 15 of them before they landed on who he thought was the leader. The woman with short black hair at the lead.

    "Coordinate with those people to set up a perimeter. I''m going to try and deal with the bulk of the creatures but you will have to pick off the stragglers."

    He immediately begun speaking, not even taking the time to ask who they were.

    He pointed at an unfinished building.

    "That perch right there is a perfect vantage point for snipers. Regular bullets don''t work on their tough skins, so you''ll need to have something powerful."

    The Man Bat''s claw raked across Davian''s face but failed to penetrate his skin. A cold light flashed across the young man''s eyes underneath the red mask.

    "Annoying."

    There was an audible crunch and it''s neck folded, head popping into blood and brain matter.

    He threw it''s body away like trash.

    "If you see a giant snake, it''s on our side. Oh and stay out of my fucking way."

    After saying, that Davian disappeared in another burst of superspeed.

    Sasha Bordeaux blinked.

    "Ma''am?"

    Her second in command called out.

    Sasha looked back and saw the faces of her men.

    "You heard him."

 The Final Showdown part 3

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "That was harsh. I liked it. Shows a different side of you, my Wielder. One that is worthy."

    Chase commented about my encounter with the soldiers. They weren''t regular soldiers either. Dressed in black combat gear with the symbol of an inverted Triangle, the base being an eyehole. They gave me the SHIELD vibe from Marvel.

    "I was annoyed. People were in danger but those guys were hiding like cowards."

    I answered, jumping off the roof to the wall of a shattered brick house, a hundred meters away. I was approaching the Dome really quickly, getting to the edge of East End.

    The Dome stretched out across Coventry, Gotham Proper and a small section of East End. Past Coventry was Gotham river which had a small island attached to Gotham''s larger landmass by bridges.

    The high walls and strong structural build had probably prevented the explosion from destroying Arkham Asylum. However, the inmates inside were some of the most dangerous people in the world. Geniuses, serial killers, psychiatrists...Clowns.

    I had no doubt that they would have taken advantage of the incident to escape. Either way, it wasn''t my problem.

    "Up ahead."

    Chase called out, cutting into my thoughts.

    "I see them."

    I replied, shattering apart the roof below me, while unsheathing Chesha Neko.

    A wall of Man Bats were in formation before the dome.

    "They seem to have been waiting for you. "

    I would have noticed them earlier if there were any Shrouds this way but, this close to the dome... everyone probably died too fast that the Souls moved on before I gained control of the Shrouds. There were lesser buildings here as well. The ground evened out from concrete and tarmac to dark scorched soil.

    A platform made of Reiryoku appeared under my foot. I pushed off it as I approached them.

    A frown marred my features the minute they got within my Reikaku range. The Man Bats must have been an upwards of a hundred but that wasn''t what had grabbed my attention. Below them, was Wonder Woman. She had a dark scar that looked like a nasty burn going up her right arm.

    Through my Reikaku the scar had a necrotic energy signature. Like a rot.

    "Must have been a spell from the magician."

    Chase said, bringing into my attention Zatara, who was ensnared by the Lasso of Truth. The Amazon had a foot on his back, looking up at me with her four eyes narrowed.

    "I believe she wants you to go down to her."

    Chase pointed out.

    "I say we humor her request."

    I replied, hair whipping at the back of my head as I descended.

    Reiryoku surged through my legs as I landed, fracturing the ground and producing a dust cloud. Then I pushed through with the fastest speed I could go, using the dust as cover.

    "I don''t have time for this!"

    I yelled just as Chesha Neko clashed against Wonder Woman''s bracelets, producing a loud clang that made the very air vibrate.

    She ground her teeth, getting thrown back through the air. She arrested her momentum, flying down over hundreds of meters away. She had her arms held up before her face in a guard.

    "Are you okay?"

    I turned to the magician, while untying him from the Lasso. Zatara blinked. He seemed to have seen better days. There was a large red bruise across his neck and his clothes were caked with blood from his own scratches. He gave a small nod but even the action made him wince.

    "You''ll pay for that boy."

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Wonder Woman snarled from the distance, taking a step forward and blurring. Behind her the sound barrier popped like an inflated balloon.

    "Hold on."

    I told Zatara then similarly moved at fast speeds.

    We met in the middle, both of us going at it in supersonic speeds. Chesha Neko rang out, the slash blocked by a swipe of her forearm. I leaned to the side, as her other hand launched out in a fist. The punch whizzed past my nose, causing a pressure blast to crack the air behind me.

    I pushed of my heel, flash-stepping to her back and immediately going on the offensive. Somehow her reaction was good enough that she blocked every attack that I threw.

    "She''s more coordinated than you. Not to mention faster too."

    Chase observed just as a mule kick from the Amazon landed on my Zanpakuto. I took the chance to put more strength to my legs pulling away from her while my palm was placed right infront of me.

    "A little help here."

    I asked him.

    "Hado combo 1 and 4: Sho Byakurai!"

    A straight beam of blue plasma surged out of my hand, our voices in perfect intonation. Wonder Woman''s eyes widened as she hastily put her guard up. The Hado hit true, pushing her back due to the intensity.

    My feet landed on the wall of the dome, the dome itself was meant to absorb any force and reflect it back at twice the intensity. My boots and pants ripped apart. A burst of kinetic energy surging up my body from the dome.

    "Here goes nothing."

    I pushed off.

    The was a streak of purple lightning around me. My surroundings washed away into streaks of lines passing by my vision. I sent every single dreg of energy I could safely spare onto my fist. ''You know, come to think of it, I''ve not really punched someone since coming to this world. Not a body shot either. Just an old fashioned right hook.''

    A dull thunk of hard flesh meeting harder flesh rang out, resounding through the area as Wonder Woman''s head whipped to the side. To her benefit, she only stepped back twice. Her neck cracked as she turned to me in anger. Eyes blazing with red energy.

    "That didn''t work?"

    I asked Chase in more than a little surprise. I mean, I had hurt Superman during our fight. Defeated him even. What the fuck is up with this uneven power-scale?

    "You were in your Shikai at that time. Shikai is not just specialized. When you release your Zanpakuto, your parameters similarly shoot up by almost a 1000% increment in power."

    Chase explained as I brought my hand forward.

    "Bakudo no 4: Hainawa!"

    A yellow rope bolted out of my palm, cracking through the air to ensnare her. I read somewhere that to defeat Wonder Woman, you only needed to tie her up.

    The electric energy surrounding the rope of energy made her seize up before she gritted her teeth and broke apart the rope.

    "Any more tricks up your sleeve?"

    She growled out dangerously, walking forward.

    Then a glowing yellow Lasso managed to wrap around her, humming with divine energy. Zatara looked at his teammate in no small amount of concern, pulling on the Lasso of Truth with determination. Wonder Woman tried to jump away, her face tightening in panic as she found herself unable to extricate herself from the bind.

    Zatara held onto the Lasso and the Amazon fell to the floor in a thud. Zatara and I made eye contact. I could see the unspoken words there. The regret. He knew that if it wasn''t for them...if it wasn''t for Batman...maybe none of this would have happened.

    "We have company."

    Chase dutifully informed me. With a loud unison screech the Man Bats flew down towards us, red eyes gleaming, sharp claws flashing and snarling teeth.

    I snorted, turning away from Zatara to focus on the enemy.

    "If she escapes it''s your fault. I''m not cleaning up your mess again."

    I threw over my shoulder before crouching and flinging myself towards the sky in one lunge.

    A vicious smile appeared on my face.

    "Hey Chase, how fast do you think I can dispatch them?"

    My Zanpakuto took a split second to think about it. But a split second was all I needed. A platform of dense Reiryoku manifested under my foot as I Flash stepped towards the sky in a straight line. The air around me cried at being torn apart.

    I wound my hand back and threw Chesha Neko at the creatures in the lead. A shower of blood followed by screeches of pain that sounded like nails across the board sounded. My Longsword carving a path for me to come in with my palms glowing in power.

    "Hado 7: Akai Inazuma!"

    The nature of this particular Kido was such that it was effective on a large number of enemies. The red streak of energy surrounding the ball that sped forward was indiscriminate in its destruction.

    It was wild and unpredictable, jumping from one creature to another in a rough pattern.

    The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air as over a quarter of them were turned into blackened bodies that fell, leaving behind a wet splat on the blackened ground. My hands lashed out like strikes from a king Cobra, making short work of any stragglers around me.

    Each blow I landed left behind pulped flesh and shattered bones. One particular elbow made the chest of a Man Bat cave in. Still, despite that there was still over a half of them left. But I had a plan for that.

    Chesha Neko wound up through the air like a boomerang, carving another path around me before I grabbed the sword and spun. A large funnel of wind formed around my form, the force pulling in the Man Bats trying to flee. However, I had had enough. I was saving Shikai for when I needed it but that didn''t mean I was weak.

    The funnel of wind around me became colored red. The scarlet tint a consequence of shredding every single Man Bat into strips of flesh. I was delivering slashes at dizzying speeds, Chesha Neko''s bladed edge parting flesh and bones easily.

    To keep the blood and flesh away from me, I covered myself in a green shield just as the wind died down.

    (General P.O.V)

    Zatara forgot about his the pain in his throat as he witnessed what was happening. Talking hurt and his body ached all around from his battle with the Amazon.

    Yet...the boy had done what he couldn''t.

    Zatara couldn''t imagine what he was seeing. Was Davian always this powerful? He managed to take down Wonder Woman. It could be argued that it was mostly because of his quick thinking that allowed Zatara to take advantage.

    But this, this was something else entirely. He was merciless. Like a god of slaughter.

    ''What did you do Bruce? Why did you alienate such a formidable ally?''

 The Final Showdown part 4

    (General P.O.V)

    (An Island in the Atlantic)

    A Pagoda stood prominent inside a valley. The Pagoda overlooked a wide river snaking from the mountain range behind the valley into the ocean.

    Inside the tower,

    On a throne constructed out of marble, the leader of Leviathan sat in a relaxed posture, her palm was placed below her cheek as she watched the news report on the destruction of Gotham.

    "My father must be pleased. Gotham has always needed cleansing. It''s been a goal of his."

    Talia Al Ghul spoke up, addressing the man below the throne. He was dressed in a tight black t-shirt that showed off his fit body. He also had on camo pants and Dark sunglasses hanging off the v of his t-shirt.

    "The only problem I can see him having, is the fact that he wasn''t the one to do it."

    Maxwell Lord replied, a smile on his face as he watched the video pan over a destroyed park, the trees nothing but charcoal.

    "You know what this means miss Al Ghul right?"

    He asked with a Charming smile on his face, turning his head to Talia.

    "No, please enlighten me."

    The latter rolled her eyes.

    "It means," Maxwell continued, not even fazed by the mocking.

    "We can now initiate the second phase of the plan. Batman thinks you were there for the CryoGen Crystals but he couldn''t have been more wrong. Due to my modified microrobotic virus that Deathstroke planted in, I was able to get into his system and learn all we need to about the Brother Eye project."

    The screen paused as Maxwell Lord typed a few keys on the data pad in his hands. The screen lit up with blueprints to something that looked like a giant eye.

    "These are the specs but it would take more time than we have, to build it from the ground up."

    He said.

    "Why?"

    Deathstroke asked from where he was leaning on the wall, hands crossed over his chest.

    "Batman did it."

    Lord shook his head, chuckling slightly.

    "You''re wrong. The machine upgraded itself from its base code. And we do not have the necessary components to create something as advanced. Something that will take over and learn how to continue building itself."

    Lord walked over to stand infront of Deathstroke.

    "If we can''t create ours, we will just have to take theirs."

    The two men stared at each other as Maxwell Lord handed over a data pad with an image of a middle aged man.

    "Buddy Blank, former Wayne enterprises employee. He left Gotham after the project was shut down. He''s your next target. Bring him to me alive."

    Deathstroke''s eyes briefly landed on Talia. He narrowed them, grabbing the data pad and pushing off the wall to leave.

    "Great work ethic. Lousy conversationalists."

    Maxwell Lord commented, turning around to face Talia, only to realize that she was gone.

    "Neat trick."

    Maxwell Lord admitted.

    (Elsewhere)

    "Copkiller, is dangerous."

    Harley shivered, whether in fear or delight, no one really knew due to the wide smile on her face.

    "Crazy blondes aside, she''s not wrong."

    Green Arrow stated with narrowed eyes. The 5 of them stood on top of the Serpent''s head, looking on as Davian dealt with the Man Bats all by himself.

    "Should we help him?"

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Harley asked the rest of them.

    "Does he even need help?"

    Ivy cut in, watching the boy she had been quick to dismiss slash apart the entire pack of ManBats.

    "And where are you doing?"

    Catwoman enquired from Constantine who had turned around from the scene to walk towards the unconscious bodies of the Flash and Superman.

    "Trying to stack the odds in our favor."

    Constantine answered, his palms hovering above Superman and Flash''s bodies.

    "Anatu tuu ku la shama nu tu."

    The spell left Constantine''s hand in a green blast of energy. The energy washed down their bodies before Constantine stood up, running back to the horn of the serpent.

    Catwoman stared at his back with narrowed eyes. Then she knelt down and placed her fingers on the Flash''s neck.

    "Alright luv, keep her steady. The minute you get a chance, spray it''s venom across the wall of the dome, it''s corrosive nature will be enough to dissolve a hole for us enter through."

    Constantine told Poison Ivy.

    The green themed supervillain clenched her jaw. She hated taking orders. Especially from men. Not to mention the fact that Constantine was an asshole. She knew his kind. They were the weak ones, the ones reliant on lies and backstabs. They thrived on betrayal. But this was bigger than her.

    Constantine''s only saving grace was that he had summoned the creature under them.

    She reached through the connection between the Serpent and her. It was the spawn of the Midgard Serpent, Jormungandr. The world serpent was the personification of destruction, poison and death, yet, Ivy found herself bonded to it''s spawn so intimately.

    The serpent had a connection to what Constantine had told her was the World Tree. All she knew was that they could at least kill the Bastard responsible for taking away Selina''s club which had become a pseudo home.

    For her and Harley Gotham was more of a prison. Yet the tin roof club was like a small ray of light in an otherwise bleak world.

    Which begged the question did they even deserve to have their own small piece of the world? After all they''d done?

    She shook her head, focused on the task at hand. Destroy the dome while the mysteriously powerful guy was occupying the Man Bats. If they got inside, they could end all this.

    The serpent felt her determination and seemed to speed up exponentially. It opened it''s jaws wide, aiming for the looming dome and sprayed a large amount of venom at it.

    The venom was no longer colorless, this time it was black and seemed to release noxious gray fumes that covered their whole front.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The shield around me disappeared after the remains of the creatures splattered on to the ground.

    I was getting better. Slowly and surely.

    "Watch out, that cunning guy is back. And he''s not alone."

    Chase told me just as the ground rumbled under the passing of the behemoth Serpent. It slithered past me, towards the Dome. I frowned, flash stepping ahead of them to stand before the Dome.

    Immediately, I pulled upon my power after feeling the snake''s own energy channels light up. The green shield sprang to life before me. Only this time I felt that a dome wound not suffice. It took some thinking but I finally figured out his play. I flattened the shield, forming it into a green barrier that stretched out in every direction for dozens of feet.

    Just in time too.

    The snake''s venom splashed upon the barrier and the unexpected begun happening. The barrier sizzled as my spirit energy was eaten through by the venom.

    "So that''s what the Snake was for."

    Chase mused as my mind ran through different counters to the venom.

    "He knew he couldn''t break through so he summoned a creature whose venom has a corrosive effect on anything."

    Again, a brilliant plan if it wasn''t for glaring factor. The venom would definitely hurt Raven''s essence. Once again, Constantine had gone the asshole way. The venom was so potent, I was afraid of breathing in the fumes.

    I folded the barrier around the venom, adding more and more layers as each was was swiftly dissolved. But this was not a permanent solution.

    "Hey Chase, any ideas?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto.

    "You can''t let it fall to the ground as it might affect the land, you also can''t keep a permanent shield around it."

    He said making me roll my eyes.

    "I asked for ideas, not a recounting of my current situation."

    There was one thing I could try.

    "Hey, remember when I asked you if you thought the Sheath was the focus of my Fullbring abilities?"

    I prompted.

    Chase perked up.

    "Ooh. How clever of you my Wielder."

    He complimented, genuinely impressed.

    I smiled.

    "So I take it you believe it can work?"

    Chase chuckled.

    "We won''t know until you try."

    ''He''s right.''

    I raised the shield in my hand, pointing it at the barrier, then paused.

    "Huh, so how do I do this agai...wait i feel something."

    My stomach growled. Chase snorted.

    I sighed. My Fullbring abilities were still powered by Reiryoku. Maybe it wasn''t that different from using Kido.

    I called onto my Reiryoku but apart from my clothes ruffling under the torrent of energy I was wielding, there was no other indication that it had worked.

    What if I upended my thinking process? Calling onto my Soul Reaper powers felt more like I had to stem the flow or else the Reiryoku would escape from the energy nodes scattered around my body.

    On the other hand, using the Sheath felt more like I had to coax it out.

    It was more pull than the push. I focused on the venom, using my connection to the barriers to analyze the spit. A whole new sense opened itself up to me. It felt like the time I managed to see the lines of death connecting each Shroud together.

    There. Under the physical laws of the material world was another plane. The spiritual one. Souls had appeared to me as white balls of energy. The soul of the venom was almost the same. Formless yet glowing with an otherworldly light.

    "Your eyes are glowing again."

    Chase pointed out.

    "Are they now?"

    I asked, pulling on the venom''s soul, energy roiled around, blasting away the black miasma concealing me from view. I felt more than saw their shock at my appearance.

    My eyes never left Constantine as we faced off.

    "You really need to do something about him."

    Chase reiterated his earlier words.

    "I know."

    The green glow of the sheath overcame the dark and murkiness of the venom contained inside the sphere. with the soul under my influence, I lowered it''s toxicity, turning it into a harmless liquid, water.

    I turned to the dome, placing my palm on it. Now how do I break through?

 The Final Showdown part 5

    (General P.O.V)

    "Umm what''s going on, why is he blocking the way? I thought he was on our side?"

    Arrow asked Constantine, notching an arrow in preparation.

    "There are no sides." Constantine bluntly said, reaching into his pocket.

    Catwoman grabbed his hand.

    "Wait. You haven''t been straight with us. We need to know what we''re up against. is the kid an enemy or not?"

    Constantine wrenched away his wrist, running a hand over his hair as he stared at Davian.

    "I can''t answer that. All you need to know is that you have no idea what we are all dealing with."

    His words were eerie.

    Ivy made eye contact with Green Arrow.

    Harley then slung an arm over the magician''s shoulder, holding him tightly.

    "Copkiller is a bad ass. But that doesn''t mean he''s bad. You on the other hand Johnny, you remind me of someone. Someone too sneaky for their own good."

    Constantine stiffened slightly. They were all watching him with distrust. Even Arrow was no longer pointing his arrow at Davian, he had it trained on him.

    "Sorry Magic Man, Batman has you placed in the very very suspicious category. The kid has only been helpful so far."

    Green Arrow told him.

    ''And I''ve not?! Ugh, bloody capes.''

    The brit raged on the inside, outwardly he laughed.

    "We all have our own methods to deal with the darkness. Mine just require more discretion. Fine. You win, we''ll trust the Lad."

    "Speaking of which, he''s doing something."

    Ivy spoke up, urging the serpent forward.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "They''re coming your way."

    Chase told me as I studied the dome infront of me. The venom was no longer a problem. It''s changed state was inside a green sphere hovering above me. The only thing left was to find a way through.

    "I wonder what lies Constantine has concorted to them about me."

    I replied, trying to connect with Raven through her essence. I couldn''t feel anything there. It was just...empty.

    "The magician will not lack schemes. We need to be ready."

    Chase said.

    "I agree, which is why we need to break Raven out of whatever this is."

    I told him, mind running as I considered all viable options.

    "I might have an idea. How about you try a Konso?"

    Chase suggested.

    "That might actually work."

    I replied, finding the idea to be viable. Besides, it''s not like I had any other choice.

    I raised Chesha Neko, grasping it by the hilt then stamped the pommel on the length of the dome.

    A bright light flashed out from the contact, rippling along the length of the dome.

    The light escaped from the top of the dome, piercing right through the smog covering Gotham''s skyline.

    My sight was overtaken by another explosion. This time it was one of white light.

    (General P.O.V)

    A wide encompassing light shot out of the dome, swallowing Davian before spreading outwards towards the Serpent.

    "Hold..."

    Ivy said, trying to jerk the snake away from the path of the light. Unfortunately for all of them, it was too late and they were drowned under.

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    All that was left was a quiet environment and one lone Shroud floating in place, waiting for an order from what they had decided was the master.

    (Elsewhere)

    "Mmmh puddin don''t be so rough..."

    Harley moaned in her sleep.

    Constantine groaned as he rubbed his head, getting off the dusty ground.

    He jerked his arm away from Harley''s hold, looking around as the crazy blonde started sucking on her thumb, fast asleep.

    Before the Exorcist''s eyes was a view that was out of place with reality. The sky was dark pink and purple with shifting stars swiftly shooting through the night sky. What had Constantine concerned was the huge statue of a girl in a dark clock looming over them.

    "Raven."

    Constantine muttered, patting his body before he withdrew a compass hanging off a chain. The needle was aimed at one direction. The sky.

    "Ugh...I felt like I just went a few rounds with Croc. Wait, where am I?"

    Harley asked, rousing from her sleep. She patted the ground around her, widening her eyes and she failed to spot what she wanted.

    "Puddin?! Where are you?!"

    She panicked.

    "You mean the bat? It''s right behind you."

    Constantine answered while snapping the the compass closed and pocketing it.

    "Oh Puddin!"

    Harley squealed in happiness, hugging the bat.

    "Oh bugger. Why couldn''t I get the cat themed supervillainess?"

    Constantine bemoaned rubbing his eyes in exasperation. Harley wasn''t anyone''s first pick in surviving what was clearly a different dimension. One that had a giant of someone who had a grudge on him. They needed to find a way out. Fast.

    "Hey that''s mean."

    Harley called out, offended.

    "Just...follow me, we need to get out of here before..."

    Constantine said as he begun walking in one random direction. The magic attuned Compass was supposed to show you the direction to the closest leyline, which Constantine would have used to leave this place. Teleportation would not work of he was in a different dimension.

    Boom! Something crashed right infront of them, cutting off his words.

    Harley quickly got to her feet.

    "I''m guessing before that happens?"

    She told Constantine, pointing at the dark haired girl in a red outfit standing up from the giant crater she''d made with her descent. It was Raven, only the color of her costume was a blood red.

    Her face was twisted in an expression of anger, 4 scarlet eyes glowing from the depths of her hood.

    "You."

    She glowered, staring at Constantine.

    "I will kill you for what you did!"

    "That''s not the first time you''ve heard that right?"

    Harley asked him, hoisting her bat before her.

    (Elsewhere)

    "Just admit it Chase, you don''t know where we are."

    Davian spoke to his Zanpakuto, flash stepping off the top of a massive boulder onto a blackened tree a short distance away.

    "More red and black. The sky and the ground seem no different. It''s like they''re connected at the horizon."

    He said out loud.

    The sky was black with numerous red stars illuminating the surroundings, casting the land scape in an ominous light.

    "Keep it down, I''m thinking."

    Chase told Davian who sighed, sheathing Chesha Neko before Flash stepping away again. The last thing he had seen was that bright light and then... he''d woken up inside a crater, staring up at the red sky.

    That had been two hours ago. He wasn''t really sure but it felt like two hours.

    Whatever this place was, it seemed to warp with his perception of time. And distance too. He had been Flash-stepping across the landscape with no notable features around, to tell them where they were.

    "Man I wish something would happen. Where''s Murphy''s law when you need it right?"

    Davian sighed, his body streaking above a wide dark Crater.

    Snhikt!

    Dark red limbs shot out of the crater, speeding towards Davian faster than he could react. Suddenly there was a bright light from the sky. The light shone down on the creature below and it squealed, rushing back to the depths.

    Davian landed on the edge of the crater, staring down at it with narrowed eyes.

    "Well that plan failed. Without luring it out, we can''t really study it to know where we are. And now that it knows we''re aware of it, it will stay hidden."

    Davian complained.

    He''d started sensing things within the holes and craters filling the red and black landscape. Whatever those things were, they chose to stay hidden the minute they sensed him.

    All except for one of the more massive presences that probably saw him as prey. So Davian had tried to trick it. That plan had gone out of the window due to someone else''s intervention.

    Speaking of which,

    "Are you okay?"

    The brown-skinned girl dressed in black and yellow with dark wings behind her asked, descending towards him. Davian stiffened.

    Dawnstar paused in the air, a chill going down her spine. She raised her hands.

    "Sorry for scaring you."

    She apologized.

    Davian blinked. He found her words funny.

    "Scaring me?"

    "You were a bit startled, my Wielder."

    Chase pointed out, making Davian frown.

    "Whose side are you on?"

    The young soul reaper asked his zanpakuto.

    Dawnstar blinked and found the sword in Davian''s hands placed under her chin. she gulped in fear while also admiring it. It gleamed with a purple aura, just like the archives had showed...he truly was incredible.

    She shook her head, stay focused on the mission! Then again, things hadn''t turned out the way they had expected. Or wanted. Their target had seen her. She still had no idea where Karate Kid was. If he was still even alive.

    The mission had been fairly simple. Go back to the day it all started. The day Gotham''s explosion would set forth a chain of events that would end with the complete destruction of the planet. Whatever happened today... everything would change.

    The worst thing was that it was a recent shift. Someone had messed with the timeline. Something significant had shifted. Which was why it hadn''t needed a full mobilization unit. Just the two of them. With the Legion spread out thin to defend against the threats of the united planets, it had fallen to her and Val Ammorr to story what had changed to the timeline.

    (Elsewhere)

    "Kill you!"

    The red Raven snarled, lips spread apart to show sharp teeth.

    Constantine prepared a spell just as Raven jumped at them...

    Only for a foot to land on the side of her face, throwing her away to bounce across the rough terrain.

    The young Asian teenager who had seemingly materialized out of nowhere lowered their leg.

    "And who are you supposed to be?"

    Harley asked, slinging her bat across her shoulders.

    The stronger bowed.

    "Greetings. Forgive me for not announcing myself earlier. My name is Val Ammorr, pleased to meet you."

    Karate Kid introduced himself.

    (Elsewhere)

    Jaznoz Valentine looked up. It was almost time. Then the world would be is.

 The Final Showdown part 6

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Who are you?"

    I questioned with a glare, making her flinch a little.

    "You''re scaring the kid. Stop that."

    Chase admonished.

    I rolled my eyes internally, outwardly the serious look on my face served to make her squirm.

    "Once again, I am sorry for spooking you."

    She said in a panic.

    "You didn''t..." I begun as Chase started laughing.

    "Just go on."

    I told her lowering the sword.

    Dawnstar regained a bit of her composure.

    "My name is Dawnstar and I am from the future."

    She stopped to gauge my reaction.

    "And?"

    I raised an eyebrow. Time travelling was par the course here. I had known that sooner or later I would come across it.

    Dawnstar frowned.

    "Normally someone would assume I was lying. You barely reacted at all."

    I shrugged, turning back to leave. Every second I wasted here was a second I would be too late to fix this.

    "Hey wait."

    Dawnstar flapped her wings, flying after me.

    "So why are you here? Did Luthor accidentally unleash a calamity on the world?"

    I joked but a second later looked back at Dawnstar who had stopped in her tracks.

    The look on her face was one of shock.

    "Oh come on, I was only joking! Don''t tell me that''s what actually happened?!"

    I threw my hands up in exasperation. This world would be the death of me.

    "Sorry. It''s just that you are awfully close to the mark. It wasn''t Luthor. I should start from the beginning, that way you''ll understand."

    She replied, catching up to me.

    "Nope." I flash stepped to the foot of the hill we were standing on.

    "That was rude."

    Chase observed.

    "It was." I didn''t bother denying it.

    "But we already have too much on our plate. This has taken longer than it was supposed to. Every single time I think we''ve handled something, we get swept up into something else."

    I stopped as something occured to me.

    "Hey Chase, what if I tried to use Fullbring to...I don''t know pull on the soul of Space or something? Maybe I can create a doorway."

    The Zanpakuto spirit hummed.

    "I wouldn''t recommend it. The kind of spirit energy needed for that kind of feat with your terrible control would be reserves from an Advance Captain. You will be a husk, drained off all it''s energy if you attempt something like that."

    I looked at the red sky.

    "That''s annoying. Fine, let''s keep on moving. Eventually we''ll find a way out of here and get Raven."

    "Hey! That was rude!"

    Dawnstar entered my range, before descending to a space above me, hovering around like a vulture waiting for something to die.

    "She''s persistent."

    Chase said as I sighed in frustration.

    "I''ll just ignore her and hope she goes away."

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    She didn''t.

    It was when I had cleared 5 miles from the crater with the strange creatures that I saw something on the horizon. It was no longer so uniform. The red stars dimmed as a large form rose up from the ground in a familiar shape.

    "Oh my stars!" Dawnstar cussed in surprise, flying down and landing next to me.

    "What is that?"

    At the same time, Chase spoke up.

    "I just figured out where we are."

    And a second before that, I had an answer too.

    "Let me guess, we''re in Raven''s mind right?"

    "Huh? Raven? Who are you talking to?"

    Dawnstar looked at me weirdly.

    "How did you figure it out?"

    Chase asked.

    I unsheathed my sword.

    "The same way you did. The giant dark Raven made of shadows that is flying towards us."

    The Raven cried out in a sharp screech that sounded uncomfortable to my ears. It glared at us and descended, flaring out it''s wings to shoot numerous sharp feathers towards the ground.

    Dawnstar jumped, strafing to the right through the air and escaping the barrage. A bubble shield appeared around me, blocking all the attacks.

    "How was Raven able to pull us into her mind with our real bodies?"

    I asked Chase, widened the shield to block the claws on the feet of the Raven. There was a sharp sound created from the contact, sparks jumped but the shield held.

    "Your little friend has always been powerful. Even before, her potential was only held back by the fear of losing control of her powers. She would make a great ally otherwise."

    Chase statement made me wonder how we were going to get her back.

    And the Raven, was it a natural response to our presence? Like a security feature? But why would that be? She had pulled us in right?

    "Fuck! Shit! Dammit!"

    I cursed, jumping away from my position as the ground under me shot up in black spikes.

    "Don''t curse! It''s deplorable."

    Dawnstar told me from the side of the Reiryoku platform I was standing on. One thing I could say about this whole thing was that it helped me grow. I figured out how to compact the reishi in the air to step on it.

    "I just figured out something. Raven didn''t bring us here. I did! The Konso worked but instead of Cleansing her soul, it instead provided me access to her fractured mind through her essence."

    I yelled inwardly.

    "That is indeed plausible. Which would explain why the Raven is intent on attacking you. You are intruders."

    He replied.

    "I''m more worried about something else, if Dawnstar here, then it means she must have been close to us to get pulled in with too, which also means..."

    I trailed off.

    "Constantine and the rest might also be in here. You don''t want that guy snooping around her mind space."

    "I have to find them."

    I said to myself. And if Constantine tries something else that puts Raven in danger...fuck him being useful, I''m killing him.

    "We''ll need to work together to beat this thing."

    I informed Dawnstar as the Raven flew in for another attack.

    "Okay. What do you need me to do?"

    She asked, determination in her tone.

    "I need you to distract it."

    I answered, thinking back to the crater and what she had done.

    She flew forward, in a collision course with the Raven. Then her body burst out with an aura of intense white light. Like a mini sun in the sky. The Raven screeched in pain, backing away. As a construct made of shadows and darkness, bright light was a major weakness.

    Was that her power? Some sort of solar flare?

    Next up it was my turn. The distance between the Raven and I shrunk as I stepped onto it''s back, placing my sheath on it''s shadow feathery back. This was just an idea. The sheath was not just something to heal the body.

    Despite whatever my Fullbring had taken form as, it was incredibly useful atleast.

    I seemed to be able to cleanse something. Whether it was exhaustion or a headache, holding the sheath was like a balm. So what if I tried to use it on the Raven? I don''t know what I was going for. Maybe I wanted Raven to sense it was my energy. To sense it was me. And it worked.

    There was a burst of green light and the Raven noticeably calmed down.

    "I can''t believe that worked."

    (Elsewhere)

    "And where did you come from shorty?"

    Harley asked, pointing her bat at Karate Kid.

    The latter sputtered.

    "Sh...shorty?! I''m taller than you!"

    "If you two are down arguing, you might want to turn you attention to our front."

    The magician told them as he slapped his hands onto the ground.

    Red Raven shook her head, while getting to her feet. She snarled at them, eyes lighting up.

    "I will kill you Constantine! For what you did!"

    She lunged, only for the distance between them to increase exponentially.

    "What was that? Teleportation?"

    Karate Kid asked, looking around them.

    "No, I just increased the distance between us and her by over 1000 meters. However..."

    Constantine trailed off.

    "She can fly."

    Harley said in a deadpan. A loud furious scream sounded out as Red Raven wound through the air, rushing towards them with large and sharp clawed hands coming out from underneath of her cloak.

    "I''ll handle this." Karate Kid said.

    "Trust me. I know every single martial arts in the known galaxy."

    He let out a yell, placing his right leg before him while his arms settled in a basic martial arts defense style.

    Red Raven lashed out with a hand. The whole area seemed to undulate with dark energy as the arm construct sped towards them. Constantine and Harley jumped away just as the construct managed to land on Karate Kid''s position.

    There was a dull thunk. All the force contained in the magical hand seemed to vanish. Bled out upon Karate Kid''s block.

    "You will have to try better than that!"

    The best martial artist in the world snickered, flexing his arm. veins wildly appeared under the sleeves of his arm and then a lightning fast punch was thrown by him towards Raven.

    There was a thrum of power as a small concentrated shockwave smacked onto Raven''s chest, breaking her focus and causing the dark constructs she had created to dissipate in the air. Her body was also thrown back.

    "What. Was. That?"

    Harley questioned while staring at the groove caused by the pressure blast from the punch.

    "That is known as the one instant punch. You strike hard and strike fast."

    Karate Kid explained, still in a martial arts pose.

    Then his body relaxed, Red Raven had seemingly disappeared after that attack. Harley turned to Constantine with big dour eyes.

    "Can we keep him? please?"

    She asked in a sweet tone.

    "Good grief." Constantine replied, turning around to walk away. Why not the cat lady? Or the plant lady? Why was he stuck with Harley?

    "I''ll take that as a yes!"

    Harley called out after him.

    The exorcist ignored her for something else. He walked up and stood below the massive statue of Raven. In between the shins was a gateway hidden by an illusion. The air was somewhat distorted but would also take a keen eye to catch the distortion.

    Maybe this was the way out. Then again, when was Constantine that Lucky?

 The Final Showdown part 7

    (General P.O.V)

    Freddy was a security guard, manning the exterior surroundings of the Wayne tower. Which was the one of the few Gotham skyscrapers to survive the explosion.

    However the damage was still intensive enough that a section of the entrance had collapsed into the underground parking lot.

    He had been in the darkness for so long. And his leg was stuck beneath a collapsed piece of the concrete pillars. Freddy knew his chances of survival were not great. Whatever had caused this had also taken out communication. His Radio couldn''t pick up any signal this deep in the ground.

    His smartphone showed no bars and it was about to shut down. His fingers stalled above the blood caked screen where he''d been typing a message for his wife.

    Then a rumble sounded out along with rays from the sun cutting through a section above him.

    "I found one!"

    A voice said cheerfully.

    "Hey, are you okay?"

    Shazam asked in concern peering down at the man who looked at him woth reverence.

    Relief gripped Freddy along with tears of happiness. He would be saved. He would get to see his family once again. All thanks to Shazam.

    The batwing made a round above another collapsed building. This one was a Wayne shelter on the outskirts of Crime Alley.

    It was one of the many but despite the distance from the epicenter of the explosion, the building was basically rubble.

    Robin placed the batwing in hover mode and jumped down on a zip line, behind Shazam.

    The latter grabbed a metallic beam to the destroyed shelter and heaved, revealing the caved in walls of the shelter.

    Robin reached into his utility belt, his hand coming out with a few blue pellets.

    He threw them onto a few weak points, like a support column that was leaning dangerously on another metallic beam with one end on the ground. The other end was attached to what was left of the roof.

    The pellet exploded into a thick glue and cement like solution, reinforcing the structure by holding the support pillar in place. It would dissolve in an hour but that was enough time to get people out.

    There was a trap door in one of the rooms. Shazam grabbed it and tore it off.

    "You''re safe now."

    Robin told the homeless people hiding inside.

    There was a sudden blur and Kid Flash appeared from around the corner of the mountain of rubble.

    "This area is clear."

    He told him.

    "Aqualad and Speedy are working towards us from the Bowery."

    Robin spoke up, typing on his wrist computer. He frowned, watching the people they had rescued mill about them with hopeful and thankful expressions.

    "We can''t wait for the emergency services to make it to us. We''ll move anyone who can handle it towards doctor Leslie''s clinic for preliminary treatment."

    Boy Wonder concluded.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Steady."

    I told the Raven under me as it flapped it''s wings, descending onto the ground. Dust rose up under the shadow of it''s huge form.

    Dawnstar landed infront of us, head craned up to stare at the Raven in marvel.

    "You tamed it?"

    She asked, reaching out to caress it''s beak, only to pull back her hand before the bird could bite off a finger.

    "Careful. It''s still considers you as an intruder."

    I told her, jumping off the Raven''s back.

    I sheathed Chesha Neko, running a hand along the Raven''s side. It was one gigantic construct about the size of 2 Choppers. The dark feathers were soft but also hard, I noticed while walking towards Dawnstar.

    I arrived before her and crossed my hands above my chest.

    "Okay. Talk."

    She blinked at the seriousness in my tone, fidgeting with the sleeves of her palms. I narrowed my eyes on the ring placed on her right hand. It was gold with an L as it''s insignia. It also seemed very familiar.

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    "Uhmm right. As I already told you, I''m from the future. I was sent back to..."

    "Oh my god! I knew you would survive!"

    A familiar voice stated from the side. Immediately I was on alert. Whoever it was had not registered in my Reikaku. Which was impossible, even a weak human would be sensed. Their spirit would appear as bright as a firefly but they would still appear.

    My sword was out and a Flash Step had me standing next to the source of the statement, the edge of the blade at her neck.

    "Move and... Raven?!"

    My threat was immediately abandoned for an incredulous expression, as I saw who I was talking to.

    It was Raven. Only in Violet. Her cloak was the same color as the leotard and ruffled ankle-boots on her feet.

    She floated in mid air, looking at me with an endearing look and a wide smile with a slight blush on her cheeks. I hadn''t noticed it before but her eyes twinkled when she smiled. It was also a bit disconcerting.

    I found my arms around the girl before I even knew what I was doing. Then I realized and immediately took a step back.

    Raven sighed in contentment. I frowned.

    "Are you alright?"

    Chase asked.

    I shook my head.

    "Yeah. Just happy to see her I guess but something is different."

    "Mmmh. You should make more friends. I once read a book about co-dependency that..."

    I instantly cut him off from finishing his statement.

    Raven flitted to my left, flying in the air with a weirdly happy look on her face.

    "You were like ah! Take that! And that!"

    She said, throwing punches and kicks at the air.

    "I don''t think I''ve ever seen your friend this happy?"

    Dawnstar said, stopping beside me as we watched Raven do her best impression of Chuck Norris.

    "Me too."

    I replied. Yup something was definitely off. Raven was never this...cheerful. it was like looking at a cheerleader. One who had a crush on me if the looks she was sending my way were any indication.

    "It''s like she''s a different person."

    I sighed.

    Then a snort sounded from my left.

    "Of course she is. She represents the side of me that is happy and flirty."

    A sad and depressive voice said from our side. The Raven construct before us ruffled it''s feathers nervously, looking ready to fly away.

    The source of the voice was Raven?

    Forming up from the darkness of the bird''s shadow, this Raven was dressed in all grey. The color closer to graphite.

    She walked up to the huge bird construct and placed a palm on it''s beak, rubbing gently.

    "Calm down you stupid bird. No one blames for failing to destroy them."

    "After all, Davian''s charm is sooooooo charmful."

    The Violet/pinkish Raven said, giggling and throwing me glances while flying rounds around us.

    "Are you two dating?"

    Dawnstar asked while Chase chuckled within my inner world.

    "I admit, this is very funny."

    He said.

    Meanwhile I was confused out of my mind.

    "Wait, there are two of you. Why are there two of you?"

    I looked between the two and questioned. Apart from their cloaks, where one was wearing pinkish and the other grey, they were essentially the same person. And again, I couldn''t sense them through my Reikaku.

    "Wrong, there''s actually more of us than you could expect! and together, we shall defeat Trigon''s evil and show him who the boss is!"

    Another voice, this one confident and vibrant stated. This Raven wore a green cloak and she patted my shoulder as she passed me, headed towards Dawnstar.

    "Okay, I was wrong. This is even funnier."

    Chase cracked up in a way I hadn''t heard before.

    "You. Whoever you are. I need you to lend a hand in defeating my father."

    Green Raven reached out with her hand for Dawnstar to shake. The hero from the future glanced at me before taking the hand offered.

    "Excellent!"

    Green Raven clapped her hands together, turning towards me.

    "With the two of you and the rest of us...this will be a walk in the park!"

    "You''re so confident. What if we lose and never get to make it out of here? What if it''s all so...hopeless."

    Gray Raven muttered, shrinking into herself near the Construct.

    "Don''t talk like that silly!"

    The Violet one admonished, floating down to her clone and hugging her.

    "We have Davian here!"

    "Someone''s popular."

    Chase'' comment made me sigh. I wasn''t as unaffected as I tried to show. All things considered, Raven was gorgeous and those thighs...

    I shook my head, approaching the three of them.

    "None of you are the real Raven. You''re her personalities. Violet for Happy and Flirty, gray for sad and pessimistic and finally Green for..."

    "Power and bravery!"

    Green Raven interrupted me, her cloak flapping behind her in a non-existent wind.

    "Right. So how many of you are there actually?"

    I wondered out loud. It made sense that other sides of her personality existed.

    Green Raven smiled, jumping onto the back of the bird construct.

    "Roadtrip! You want to find out? come with us!"

    She offered a hand.

    (Elsewhere)

    "I''m out of ammo. Any luck waking up the sleeping beauties?"

    Green Arrow said, drawing his final arrow. This time he aimed it higher towards the huge stone statue of Raven with red eyes standing on guard next to a pitch black vortex.

    "No. And for the third time please don''t suggest for one of us to kiss them and see if they wake up. This is not a fairy tale."

    Ivy responded, using the serpent''s tail to smash the dark creatures coming out from the ground.

    The statue had six arms and held different weapons on each arm. Like a long sword, a glaive, a spear, a shield, a long chain with spikes and a mace. Each swing of any of those weapons was accompanied by the terrain undergoing massive change.

    Call him crazy and desperate but Green Arrow suspected that the vortex the statue was guarding was the way out. Oh it also helped that ''Raven'' had confirmed it for them. Only she was not how Green Arrow expected her to be. For starters she was dressed in a yellow cloak and wore glasses.

    Between them and the statue was a sea of dark spirits in the form of strange monsters native to the many thousands of worlds that Trigon had conquered. They had red glowing eyes.

    The arrow flew true, slamming onto the statue but getting destroyed without penetrating a single inch. But that was not the purpose of the arrow. The arrow released a thick green gas that quickly ignited next to the torches on the side of the vortex.

    There was a massive explosion that rippled out, drowning the closest monsters under the fiery blaze.

    The serpent they were standing on buckled as it''s muscles shifted. Ivy''s eyes glowed green along with the Serpent''s horn and it opened it''s mouth, spraying a large amount of venom at the monsters.

    "We can''t keep this up for long."

    Catwoman said, using her bullwhip to ensnare the foot of a vulture like dark creature. Yellow Raven adjusted her glasses, fists glowing dark as she sent a black energy bolt the vulture''s way, destroying it.

    "Well its a good thing Cavalry has arrived!"

    From behind them, a golden circle flashed as Harley, Constantine and Karate Kid materialized.

    Harley twirled her bat.

    "So, what did I miss?"

 The Final Showdown part 8

    (General P.O.V)

    The deeper they went the more man Bats they encountered. At the lead Batman noticed the air getting stale and dry. It was also getting hotter.

    Green Lantern covered their back, his green cloak of energy bathing the earth walls of the tunnel around them in an iridescent glow.

    "I see something up ahead."

    Green Lantern said causing both to stop.

    It begun with growls. Then hundreds of red eyes lit up in the darkness infront of them.

    "We should have taken the right turn we came across a while ago."

    The Lantern added, creating a machine gun with his ring.

    The bullets ripped right through the contingent of Man Bats with bullets. It wasn''t enough to kill them due to their increased durability but it did well to keep them at bay.

    Atleast long enough for Batman to thrown his batarrangs at the walls of the roof of the tunnel above the creatures. There was a massive explosion and the tunnel caved in.

    A few minutes later, a massive green drill attached to a tank dug a hole through the collapsed tunnel into a new area.

    The construct disappeared around the two heroes. The scene before their eyes was very surprising.

    "Has this always been under Gotham?"

    Green Lantern asked the Dark Knight in reference to the lake of green lava before them.

    They were at the mouth of a tunnel that was one of many along the walls of a crater. Above them was a beautiful sky only marred by one particular thing.

    Numerous red chains hang from the ceiling. The chain links seeming to be embedded in a star in the wide and plentiful constellations making up the sky. From those chains hang full iron cages and within them were dozens of people crammed inside.

    Taking into account that there were thousands of hanging cages, some still empty, there must have been tens of thousands of civilians held captive.

    Their cries of pain and desperation combined to form an unison wail that bounced off the walls of the crater.

    "Look."

    Batman said. Green Lantern followed his line of sight and saw more Man Bats fly out of the tunnels along the crater, carrying more people into cages.

    "This is crazy Bruce. They were grabbing people and bringing them here."

    The intergalactic space cop''s body lit up in anger about to fly and start rescuing everyone.

    Batman grabbed his arm.

    "Wait. We need to be careful. Go charging in and you''re dead."

    He told him in a harsh whisper, pointing down towards the lake.

    The Lantern looked down at the Lazarus Pit. In particular, the small island at the middle of the lake. A gaudy throne made up of obsidian black metal was constructed in the center of the Island. And on that throne sat, the one responsible for everything that had happened.

    It wasn''t hard to come to that conclusion either. With a white doctor''s coat, a face that was similar to a pig, 4 glowing scarlet eyes, red skin and long black hair, the man radiated a feeling of power and malice.

    "Welcome Batman! To my slaughterhouse!"

    Jaznoz Valentine stood up and declared.

    More Man Bats escaped through the tunnels, flying down to meet the two heroes.

    "How do you want to play this Bats?"

    Green Lantern asked as he primed his willpower, levitating.

    "I''ll handle Doctor Pyg, rescue the civilians."

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    The Dark Knight replied, jumping off the side of the crater.

    The fight officially begun.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Faster!"

    Green Raven urged the Raven below us. The bird let out a cry as we approached the fight from afar.

    I sat crosslegged with Chesha Neko on my lap. I exhaled a shallow breath, trying to meditate and conserve my energy. Also, I was communicating with Chase.

    "It''s unlike you to follow anyone''s lead."

    Chase commented.

    I briefly opened my eyes to stare at the group of Ravens huddled near the head of the bird whispering while throwing occasional glances my way. Dawnstar had flown ahead to scout out the portal that the Ravens had spoken off. The only thing standing before me and freedom was a guardian of sorts that they had said guarded the portal.

    He was supposed to be incredibly powerful. So, the Raven was to safeguard from intruders and the Guardian to stop things from escaping her mind? How harsh.

    Speaking of Chase''s comment,

    "Our best bet is to follow them. They know their own mind better than anyone after all."

    I answered.

    "Which is why they could be leading you to a trap. Just be careful my Wielder."

    He countered.

    He was right but we had already come this far.

    "I was wondering something. I need a plan for dealing with Trigon. Permanently. Can I get to access to his soul using the Konso just like it happened with Raven?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto spirit.

    Now that we were flying towards the portal, I was one step closer to Trigon. One step closer to the Endgame. I hated the thought of leaving him alive so that he could come back and attack us again in the future. From Gotham''s destruction, it was clear Trigon was not ''villain of the week'' type.

    ''You want to use the Konso on a trans dimensional being''s soul? One that carries the evil of billions of universes?"

    Chase asked incredulously.

    "No I want to use the Konso to kill him."

    I reaffirmed.

    The conversation between us went on before I felt a slight tap on my head. I opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by the Ravens.

    "What do you want?"

    I asked in a slightly annoyed tone. No matter what Chase and I considered, it had a small chance of succeeding or was too risky to try. Even for me.

    "So huh...who are you always talking to when you think I''m not looking?"

    Sad and depressed Raven asked shyly.

    I blinked. What?

    Brave/green Raven slung her arm on the sad one''s shoulders.

    "She wants to ask if you''re crazy?!"

    "Raven!"

    Pink snapped in mortification.

    "That''s rude!"

    "Umm...sorry, I didn''t mean to be rude like the two of them..."

    Sad Raven begun to explain as the other two continued their argument.

    Then in a flash of white light, Dawnstar appeared beside the Raven.

    "There''s a fight up ahead. They look to be into trouble!"

    She exclaimed pointing to our front, before her body lit up again and she quickly flew further ahead.

    I got up, relieved that I wouldn''t need to deal with the Ravens. I strapped my weapons to my hip and walked forward.

    "Okay, Chase. That''s our queue."

    I told my Zanpakuto, disappearing in a burst of speed towards our front.

    Now, you need to understand something about Shunpo. The better hang you got of it, the faster and longer you could travel. I was a novice at it. Scratch that, I was barely a practitioner. However, I was quickly getting good.

    The surroundings shifted around me in a blur as I appeared in the sky overlooking a battlefield.

    Without hesitation, I released a Hado 5: Byakurai at the enemy.

    (Elsewhere)

    With the addition of Harley and Constantine, the fight became only barely easier.

    The Serpent blocked the shield with it''s tough body while winding up it''s tail, sending it on a collision course with the Statue''s face. The tail was blocked by the Statue''s mace.

    Catwoman jumped off the Serpent''s back aided by the impact produced from the collision.

    She used her bull whip, cracking it and ensnaring the left arm of the statue. The raven statue roared, swinging one of it''s six hands to slice Catwoman apart.

    An arrow flew true, landing on the statue''s offending arm and ensnaring it in wild vines.

    "Yes! Magic arrows baby! Keep em coming."

    Green Arrow said in excitement. Ivy had created a simple twig, then with Constantine''s magic, that twig started sprouting arrows that could unravel into thorny vibes.

    The distraction bought by the arrow, allowed the snake to open it''s maw and spray a viscous venom on the statue''s legs. The statue lost balance as it''s lower body dissolved into a gray solution.

    "Now we''re talking! Hiya!"

    Harley yelled, running forward. Then she jumped off the Serpent, aiming her bat at the red gem embedded on it''s forehead.

    Suddenly, the fight shifted.

    Like judgement descending from the gods, the sky lit up in streaks of blue lightning, landing on the Guardian before Harley''s attack could connect.

    There was an explosion of light as the gem shattered. The explosion sent everyone and everything flying away. Under Poison Ivy''s desperate control, the serpent coiled itself around the group, blocking most of the wide attack.

    There was a few seconds of silence, then the snake uncoiled itself around the group. They blinked looking around. The explosion had been powerful enough to tear up the place. They were in the outskirts of a massive crater.

    "What was that?"

    Karate Kid asked, feeling dejected that he hadn''t been all that useful in a fight.

    Ivy and Catwoman begun looking around nervously. Harley was nowhere to be seen. After she had dealt that blow and then the subsequent explosion maybe...

    "Look at me Ives! Kitty! I''m like a princess."

    Harley''s voice stated from above them as Dawnstar descended to the ground, holding the clown in a bridal carry.

    "Dawnstar?!"

    Karate Kid exclaimed rushing forward as the two heroes from the future embraced.

    "Ow!"

    Harley rubbed her ass after Dawnstar had unceremoniously dropped to hug her teammate.

    "Did it work?"

    Catwoman on the other hand was more focused on if they had put down the statue.

    The dust settled, revealing Davian''s back to them.

    "It figures he would survive."

    Green Arrow commented.

    Constantine stiffened, hand creeping towards his pocket. Should he use the Raksasha straw doll now? No. It wasn''t time yet.

    Davian Mabuz had been key in getting them access to the portal. The lad would be even more useful in dealing with what came after. Trigon.

 The Final Showdown part 9

    (General P.O.V)

    "Colonel! You needed to see this!"

    A soldier barged into the command center, throwing up a salute and interrupting the meeting.

    Colonel Dean jumped to his feet as they all hurried out.

    "It''s...gone."

    Dean muttered looking at Gotham. The black dome that had crested above the skyline was nowhere to be seen. Only a long winding smoke trail seemed to rise up from the center of the location the black dome had occupied.

    The news chopper flew closer, the pilot careful and ready to pull away the second danger approached. They had come close to dying too many times before.

    Once had been when Superman''s heat beams had just barely avoided them, the heat washing across the news crew faces and frying their eyebrows.

    "That far enough?"

    The pilot asked over the site.

    The reporter looked at the cameraman who shook his head.

    "Pull in closer for a clear shot. The smoke is obscuring the crater."

    She informed the pilot.

    The pilot did as told, the chopper diving down towards the ground, to get clear of the smoke. Only for a massive red hand to break out of the green glowing crater.

    The Pilot''s eyes widened.

    "Grab onto something!"

    The massive hand tore off the side of the craft as it strafed to the right. Before they could breath a sigh of relief, the hand swiftly changed direction and clamped hard on the chopper, holding in it''s powerful grasp.

    "Fly us away!"

    The reporter yelled, watching long red fingers topped with black nails wrapping around the chassis of the chopper.

    Alarms begun blaring from the cockpit as the occupants were jostled around. The cameraman lost grip of his camera and dove after it. Unfortunately, the helicopter was rocked once more and the Cameraman bounced off the side and fell out of the chopper.

    For one second, his life flashed before his eyes. Then he blinked.

    "I got you!"

    The reporter yelled, managing to grab onto her colleague''s hand and pulling him inside the Chopper.

    Then the metal around them started bending under the huge palm. Maybe getting saved had only prolonged the inevitable.

    Things only got worse when the face of the thing responsible was finally revealed. Rising to his full height, Trigon walked among the Earth. The heroes were unsuccessful.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The statue crumbled under the Byakurai easier than I had expected. I mean, I had aimed it at the red gem on it''s head ( an obvious weak point but still...)

    "Is it just me or was that Kido spell stronger?"

    I asked Chase while flying towards the ground, where a massive crater had formed as a result of said spell.

    "You''re right. I have seen you use that particular spell several times. I estimate it was about 50 percent stronger."

    He answered.

    "Does that mean what I think it does?"

    I wondered, looking down at my hands with a greedy expression on my face.

    "Your control is finally getting better. You can move onto higher ranked Kido spells."

    Chase delivered the good news.

    Yes! Finally!

    Que a long training montage after this. I couldn''t wait to experiment with more Kido spells. But first...

    I stared at the inky darkness of the portal hovering at the center of the crater. My way out.

    "Wait, what about them?"

    Chase asked, causing me to look back at the serpent coiled near the edge of the crater. Specifically my eyes found his. The magician''s. He stood behind the rest of the group who were hovering around Dawnstar and Karate Kid.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    He held my gaze without flinching, even when my eyes begun glowing. Not the time.

    "They stay out of my way and I''ll do the same."

    I replied, looking away.

    "What if they don''t? What if ''he'' tries something else? Let''s not forget about the heroes from the future either."

    Chase pushed.

    "Then he''s done. I''ll kill him."

    I answered, walking forward to pass through the rift.

    "As for Dawnstar and her companion, the Justice League will help them resolve whatever issue they have. We''re staying as far from that as..."

    My foot paused in mid step as the ground before me grabbed my attention. The shadows below moved strangely. They crept up from underfoot, forming into the multiple Raven Emoticlones.

    "That was so cool! You really are powerful Davian."

    Pink Raven gushed with a wide smile. She tried to fly towards me only for Green/Brave Raven to grab her cape and pull her down.

    "Stick with the plan."

    A new Raven sighed.

    This one was wearing a yellow cloak and other attire that matched the color. She topped it up with with circular glasses on her face. It didn''t take a genius to guess she represented Raven''s intelligent part.

    "We can''t let you pass through."

    Green stepped forward and stated, hands on her hip.

    "Why not?"

    I asked them as they moved to block my way.

    From the left we had Pink Raven/happiness, yellow Raven/knowledge, Green Raven/Brave, Red Raven/ maybe anger, Gray Raven/timidity and finally an Orange Raven who seemed to doze off while yawning endlessly.

    "Because I told them not to."

    The statement did not come from any of them.

    And despite the voice being similar to all the Raven Emoticlones, the only person who could deliver a statement in such a monotone was...

    "Raven."

    The real Raven. I looked at the source of her voice. The rift. Was she on the other side?

    "No, I don''t think so. You ask me and it feels like she IS the vortex."

    Chase pitched in just as something begun to happen.

    The vortex before me started spinning. Following that, black tentacles shot out of it''s center mass, the end points of the tentacles touching the foreheads of each of the Emoticlones.

    Their bodies lit up with enough magical energy it instantly put me on edge.

    Chesha Neko was immediately out of it''s sheath as I settled into a battle stance. The Emoticlones bodies begun glowing as they rose up to the sky.

    "Bye..."

    Pink Raven waved, then they dissolved into red energy that flew back into the vortex.

    Rings of intricate symbols surrounded the vortex before the darkness burst apart.

    Like a butterfly unfolding from a cocoon, Raven, the real one, the one wearing a purple leotard emerged. Her feet hovered at level with my chest. Her eyes were closed, black hair waving in the air.

    Red tattoos crept up the bare skin of her limbs, burning with a strange power.

    And through my Reikaku...I swallowed, emotion gripping me. It really was her. It felt like her.

    "So, finally had enough of playing damsel in distress?"

    I asked, relaxing from my battle stance but not sheathing my weapon.

    However the relief I was feeling was heavy enough that I simply sat down on the ground, Chesha Neko next to me. It was apparent that I had mostly kept myself going through sheer will. Now that Raven was safe, I could breath easily.

    Raven''s eyes opened, revealing the same red eyes that I had seen from the possessed Leaguers.

    I stiffened a little as she scanned her surroundings.

    "Chase..."

    I called out with narrowed eyes.

    "She might be possessed but as this is her mind scape, the chances of that happening are low."

    He assured but that did little to ease my worries. I couldn''t imagine fighting the person I had come to rescue because she was possessed.

    The group at the edge of the cliff earned themselves a frown from her, but that frown eased when her eyes landed on me.

    I couldn''t read the emotion but I could tell she wasn''t about to start throwing shadow bolts my way atleast. I calmed down slightly.

    "I met a couple of you''s. Apparently a part of you thinks I''m crazy."

    I told her with a lopsided smile.

    The scarlet eyes dimmed as she blinked, slowly descending onto the ground before me. I felt the serpent with Constantine and the rest slither closer to us but cautiously stop halfway. At least they were considerate enough to give us some space.

    Raven folded her legs under her and sat infront of me, still without saying anything. Infact her mind seemed to be far away.

    I didn''t say anything as well.

    We just looked at each other. It felt like I hadn''t seen her in days and it had only been a few hours. Crazy how so much stuff could happen so quickly.

    Then she launched her body at me, tackling me in a surprising hug. I blinked, stunned. I was expecting a fight or a snarky comment but not a hug. Raven hated physical contact. And in a way I was the same. I loved my personal space but...

    This hug was different. It was warm and filling. She radiated immense relief and joy at seeing me that I had already wrapped my hands around her before I knew it.

    After a few more seconds, where she took a chance to sniff me when she thought I wasn''t paying attention, she sighed.

    "It''s so good to see you."

    She finally said.

    I tightened the hold on her.

    "Yeah...you too."

    We stayed like that for a few more seconds that felt like minutes, before she slowly but firmly pulled away. I didn''t understand why I suddenly begun missing her warmth.

    Chase laughing in the background didn''t help matters either.

    Raven got to her feet, facing me with a hesitant smile.

    "I saw you fight for me."

    She stated.

    "I saw you bleed. And I saw you hurt. The dome was not just a barrier, it was me. I could feel you defend me from harm."

    She revealed, hugging her body and shivering at the memory. I stepped closer but she took one step back.

    The message was clear.

    "Wait. Stop...just stop."

    She shook her head.

    I did as she said, frowning slightly. My instincts told me there was a reason she was behaving so strangely. One second she''s happy to see me, the next she''s distant.

    "Raven, what did you mean when you said you couldn''t let me pass through?"

    I asked.

    "I can''t let you leave." She said in determination, floating to the sky while the red tattoos flashed on her body.

    "Any of you."

    She added, announcing not just to me but to the others at my back. Her voice was loud enough to be audible.

    "This is interesting."

    Chase commented.

    "Uhh...are we missing something here?"

    Green Arrow asked the others.

    The crack of a bullwhip caused Raven''s eyes to shift to Catwoman.

    "We are needed on the outside. You can''t keep us here."

    Raven shook her head.

    "No you don''t understand, there''s..."

    "Billions who will be saved if we stop Trigon from coming through. You''re suggesting we hide away while the world goes to shite. Sorry Luv, not happening."

    Constantine cut in as the head of the snake lowered to the ground, depositing the group behind us onto the crater.

    "It''s too late!"

    Raven yelled, startling everyone.

    "He''s already here. Trigon won, We''ve lost. If I let you go, then none of you will live to see the end of the world."

 Decalogy part 1/3

    (General P.O.V)

    The fight had gone terribly.

    At first, things had started out well. Green Lantern had flown up and quickly started dispatching the Man Bats, leading them away from the cages and around the crater.

    The Lantern had caused a massive explosion behind him, causing the walls of the crater to crumble on the contingent of Man Bats after him. Then he took advantage of the distraction to construct a massive spider web that the rest of the Man Bats got stuck in.

    He followed up his creation with a large taser construct. One that caused an electric charge along the web, frying the Man Bats.

    Batman on the other hand had jumped onto the Island, cautiously but quickly walking closer to the throne on which Jaznoz Valentine stood infront of, a mocking smile on his pig face.

    "I might be my son''s father Batman, but don''t expect to take me down so easily."

    Jaznoz told the Dark Knight, removing a vial of a green liquid from his coat pocket.

    A batarrang broke through the vial before Jaznoz could gulp it down. The liquid splashed across his chest, face and neck, causing him to blink, stunned.

    The dark knight tightened his hand into a fist and punched the villain straight on the jaw. The head whipped back in a motion that definitely caused neck damage.

    Jaznoz Valentine''s body fell to the ground, his jaw dislocated and a quarter of his teeth on the ground under him.

    Breathing had instantly become a problem and he begun wheezing.

    "Rise."

    He heard a voice deep in the caverns of his depraved mind.

    "Remember...death... destruction... devotion. Serve me and I shall grant you everything, slave."

    A powerful and malevolent voice sounded in Jaznoz'' mind.

    Batman stepped forward.

    "It''s over Valentine. You were nothing but a pawn for whoever the real mastermind is. You have a chance to stop this now. Stand Down."

    Batman told him, looming over the villain like an executioner.

    Jaznoz body started trembling with laughter. His neck snapped in place with a crack. Then looked up with bloodshot eyes.

    "You''re wrong, Batman!"

    Jaznoz snarled, a wide crazed smile on his face.

    His eyes lit up, releasing a wide burst of red energy that was received by Batman on his dark cloak. The Dark Knight was thrown away. He used the momentum to transition his free fall into a flip, rolling onto the walkway towards the throne before getting up in a crouch. He groaned, his body smoking.

    Jaznoz Valentine''s body rose up in one motion, his eyes glowing red.

    "I am of no will now Batman!" He snarled with wide eyes.

    "I deal with a force unknown to man. Unknown to you, man of darkness!"

    In his palm were the remains of the vial.

    He looked at the sharp end of the glass in fascination before turning to Batman.

    "We all have a destiny to fullfil!"

    He brought the broken shard close to his neck, eyes shining in manic devotion.

    The Dark Knight eyes widened.

    "Witness as I supercede any of my father''s accomplishments!! Witness as I destroy the world!!"

    Jaznoz yelled, spit flying off his mouth just as Batman jumped in.

    Jaznoz'' fingers tightened on the remains of the vial before slashing the broken shard across his neck. His eyes widened further at the action.

    Clarity seemed to return to him in that same second. His life flashed before his eyes along with the blood splashing across his chest and neck. The green liquid that covered his torso begun worming itself through the slash on his neck and into his blood stream.

    Lava coursed through his body.

    What...had...he...done?

    Blood sprayed out of the Villain''s neck the same time Batman''s batarrangs stabbed onto the ground around him.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    There was a massive explosion, one that caused the small island the throne was on to crumble underneath the fiery green blaze, it''s remains sinking into the green Lazarus pool.

    Batman shot his zip line onto the wall of the crater, managing to hang on as the island disappeared into the green liquid depths of the Lazarus pit.

    With the aid of the zip line he swung across, managing to just barely take a leap towards the mouth of a tunnel. Then he rolled inside just in time to avoid the massive explosion brewing from the Lazarus pool.

    Batman huddled under his cloak as the red scarlet plumes of the fire ascended, destroying the walls of the crater and shooting towards the sky.

    He screamed as his fire resistant costume tried and failed to keep the heat away. His blood boiled within him as the green explosion reached through the tunnel and begun burning his skin. For the first time ever, the Dark Knight was sure of his death.

    And he gladly accepted it. All of this was his fault. If he hadn''t...if he hadn''t pushed Raven to the brink...if he had let go of his ego and apologized for his actions towards Davian...if he hadn''t fucked everyone over...

    Then Gotham would be alive.

    But Gotham was Dead. What use was a Batman without a Gotham?

    Green Lantern''s eyes widened as he looked down and saw the brewing explosion headed towards him.

    "Fuuuuuuccckkk!!!"

    He pushed his hand towards the crater and begun quickly chanting.

    "In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Beware my power, Green Lantern''s light!"

    A green shield enclosed him and everyone on the cages hanging from the non existent ceiling of the crater.

    The pillar of explosion burst through the crater barely a split second later. The blaze was barely stopped by the shield and Hal''s guttural screams were the only thing had as the light consumed everything.

    Hundreds of miles away from Gotham, a brown-skinned man stopped his truck on the side of the road that was headed to the city.

    He stepped out of the vehicle and immediately his body fell onto the ground like a puppet with cut strings.

    Deadman left the trucker''s body and flew towards the sky. A few seconds earlier, he had felt a burst of power.

    Then the horizon begun glowing red.

    "What is going on there?"

    Deadman wondered while flying across the landscape, only for a wide burst of light, unseen by the normal person, encompassed his vision completely.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "She wants to protect you. Once again I commend you on your talent to court powerful females."

    Chase complimented.

    "It''s not...arghh."

    I gave up, choosing to instead focus on the terse mood between Raven and Constantine''s group.

    I stepped in between the two groups as they argued back and forth.

    "Everybody shut the fuck up."

    I stated with a sigh.

    "First of all, you."

    I pointed at Raven. She blinked in confusion.

    "You know me better than anyone. If you think I''m just going to lay down and accept that we''ve lost, you have another thing coming."

    I pulled out Chesha Neko, twirling the long sword.

    "I am going to kick your dad''s face in Rae Rae. And I am going to make it hurt."

    "Rae Rae?"

    Chase wondered.

    "It just came out. Drop it."

    I told him tersely.

    Raven said nothing. Speechless at my bold claim.

    "Then there''s you."

    I turned to Constantine''s group.

    "You''ve been more pain than actual help."

    I could tell that that comment did not tide over well with them. The indication was Green Arrow''s tightening on his bow as well as Harley''s pout.

    "Who are you calling useless brat?"

    Catwoman asked, displaying her sharp claws.

    "Kitty got claws."

    Chase hummed in appreciation. Huh, I forgot he''s a cat.

    "Not useless." I shook my head, fully facing them.

    "Less than useless. And I''ll tell you why. Your friend over there tried to kill Raven."

    I pointed at Constantine. The magician barely reacted, he''d known I would call him out.

    "The venom from the snake you''re all standing on erodes everything. Even the soul. Had it successfully landed on the dome, Raven would be dead. There is no coming back from having your soul destroyed."

    That revelation certainly changed things.

    Every eye turned to look at Constantine. The brit narrowed his own eyes at me.

    "Is he speaking the truth? Were we about to murder a kid?"

    Green Arrow asked in a serious tone. The group''s aggression shifted from Raven to the Magician.

    Constantine looked down at the ground, his dirty blonde hair falling over his face.

    "Bollocks. What I wouldn''t give for a smoke."

    He reached into his pocket.

    "Now."

    Chase called out.

    I disappeared in a Shunpo, arriving next to him and gripping his wrist just as he pulled out a strange straw doll with two pairs of limbs and two heads.

    "Not so fast."

    I smirked, grabbing the straw doll from his hands.

    "I knew you had something up your sleeve. It was just a matter of waiting to see the trick."

    "The doll contains soul signatures from the ones you call Superman and the Flash."

    Chase informed me, shedding light on a few things.

    "Back off kid. I might not trust this guy but I certainly don''t trust you either."

    Green Arrow warned, a green arrow notched and aimed towards me.

    The others with the exclusion of the two heroes from the future, who decided to simply stand to the side and observe, looked ready to defend Constantine as well.

    "They have no idea."

    Chase bemoaned.

    Let''s change that.

    I held up the doll.

    "Do you know what this is?"

    Constantine''s back stiffened. I could easily pick up his increased heart rate through my superior senses.

    "You want to tell them or should I?"

    My question made him clench his jaw.

    "What is he talking about?"

    Ivy asked, the Serpent under her command hissing while glaring down at Constantine.

    "Well?"

    Catwoman prodded but the Magician remained silent, watching me intently.

    "Mmmh...it''s not like him to stay silent, right?"

    Chase wondered and I couldn''t help agree.

    "Fine, I''ll answer. This doll contains the soul signatures of Superman and the Flash. And taking into account all the Hollywood movies I have no doubt, you''ve watched and grown tired of, you can all guess what it''s function is."

    Catwoman inhaled sharply.

    "That''s what you were doing."

    She said in realization.

    "When you said that you were stacking the odds in our favor you actually meant..."

    "Controlling two justice league members who had been a few minutes prior possessed by demons."

    I finished the statement.

    "How heroic."

    Harley twirled her bat, gripping it threateningly.

    "You know, I hate heroes. Heroes ruin my fun. But I hate kid killers more. There''s something disturbingly wrong with you Johnny. And that''s coming from me."

    Then she swung out her bat. It thrummed through the air before connecting with Constantine''s head. Only to pass through his form. He''d duped us. Used the time while I was explaining to the others to create an illusion of himself. One that could even deceive my senses.

    A yellow circle flashed under all of us and then blackened chains shot out, wrapping around our bodies and bringing us to the ground.

 Decalogy part 2/3

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Davian!"

    Chase yelled in alarm as black flames roared along the chains around us. Then we started burning.

    The others screamed themselves raw while Harley laughed, seeming to enjoy the pain.

    "Those are hell chains. They burn your soul and mind without really killing you."

    Constantine''s voice sounded out from my left.

    I grit my teeth, enduring the pain while looking up at him.

    "Yes! I''m a bastard." He spread out his hands.

    "I make the choices that no one else has to!"

    He was just behind Raven, on the outside of the huge pentagram but far enough that none of us could get to him. Least of all her. Raven, like the rest of us was ensnared in hell chains, eyes wide with pain while her body shook.

    "Damn you Constantine!"

    Ivy snarled, the Serpent breaking free of the chains and speeding towards Constantine. It sprayed it''s venom towards the magician, who looked not even the least bit worried.

    "No!"

    I yelled for her to stop but I was too slow. Constantine stepped to the side, hands in his pocket as the venom landed behind him.

    The whole mind scape begun shaking when the Venom found a target. The huge Raven construct that had dove in to try to and rescue Raven.

    The bird screamed as darkness surged out of it''s form from the hole created by the venom.

    Raven''s screams turned even more agonizing.

    "Raven!! Fuck! Constantine Let her go!"

    I tried to get up by the chains seemed to weigh down on me. I couldn''t call upon my Reiryoku or enter Shikai. The pain was even preventing me from using my Fullbring.

    "Assero Animalis Vocare! I free your summons, Spawn of the World Tree! Return from whence you came!"

    Constantine chanted and the Serpent begun burning in green flames, before turning into ash and scattering away into the air.

    "Chase! Help!"

    I called out in desperation.

    "I can''t seem to take control of your energy to free you!"

    Chase answered, his tone hurried as well.

    It was our last resort and even that had failed. Damn it! I had played right into Constantine''s hands. I should have just killed him when I had the chance, instead of monologuing.

    ''No more. When I get out of here... he''s dead. Utterly and completely dead.''

    "You forgot what the lad said."

    Constantine grinned as he addressed Poison Ivy.

    "Venom from the spawn of Jormungandr can erode anything. Matter, energy even mental constructs designed to keep people out of someone''s mind. And with the Lass''s security feature down...one can enter or leave as they please."

    With one last cry, the Raven disappeared. In its previous position was an unstable rift.

    "Goodbye and..." he said as he turned around, throwing his next words over his shoulders.

    "I''m sorry."

    Then he jumped through the rift, causing it to collapse behind him.

    And just like that we were trapped. Things only got worse from there. The whole Mind scape begun trembling even more intensely.

    "You need to find a way out of here Davian. The destruction of Raven''s soul self is causing a collapse in her mind scape. I estimate you have about 20 seconds before we are all dead."

    Chase delivered the grim news.

    Dammit.

    (General P.O.V)

    Kalibak and Ma''ale''faak walked silently through the darkened hallway of Darkseid''s palace, their footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls. Ma''ale''faak''s eyes glowed with a fierce intensity as he spoke in hushed tones to Kalibak.

    "We must not forget my purpose here, Kalibak. And the wait is killing my efforts already. My people await action, and I am here to ensure the supremacy of our race, to rid my world of those who would stand in my way."

    The White Martian complained.

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    Kalibak growled, stopping.

    His massive frame towered over Ma''ale''faak.

    "Watch your tone, Martian. Ambition without the power to back it up is a double-edged sword, Ma''ale''faak."

    People took Kalibak for a fool. What they forgot was that he was a new god. He just liked handling things with his fists, that did not mean he was dumb.

    "Be respectful in the presence of my father. He will not endure your nagging the same way I have."

    The New God added, continuing to walk on.

    Ma''ale''faak''s lips thinned as he bowed slightly, cowed.

    "Of course. I have nothing but absolute respect for Darkseid."

    He quickly replied.

    In his mind however, he held nothing but contempt. To him Darkseid''s pathetic attempts to rule the universe, were just that, pathetic. For all his power, why stop at the universe? Why not below and above it?

    "I will play the game for now, as long as it serves my purpose."

    He thought.

    They soon approached the entrance to the throne room, which had two para-demons standing guard, mostly for show. No one thought Darkseid needed protecting.

    Kalibak took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. Then he pushed the huge doors in with minimal effort, walking in.

    The ornate but grim chamber loomed before them, the size of a football stadium and draped with valuables and opulence from billions of worlds. Yet everything was in shades of black or red.

    On a massive throne at the far end of the room, Darkseid sat, exuding an aura of power that made Ma''ale''faak''s skin crawl.

    Another New God stood by his side. A man long white hair and skin that was tinted purple. He seemed strong. But his strength was overshadowed by what sat beside him, as tall when sitting as Grayven was when standing.

    The light from the nearby fire pit, caused Shadows to fall inside the throne room, concealing Darkseid''s huge form. Only his scarlet eyes were visible. Sweeping across the two, judging and finding them unworthy.

    Kalibak bowed and Ma''ale''faak followed suit.

    And then he spoke. His voice was like a rumble. Ma''ale''faak felt the screams of trillions echo low under Darkseid''s words as they died over and over again under Darkseid''s Omega Sanction.

    And Ma''ale''faak finally understood. He wasn''t going after the heavens or hell because he didn''t need to. He already had control over countless souls.

    "Kalibak. And Ma''ale''faak, the white Martian supremacist. What brings you both to my throne room on this day?"

    Kalibak straightened from his bow. "We come to reaffirm our loyalty to you, father, to offer my services in any way you see fit. He on the other hand...has a petition."

    Darkseid laughed. The sound was harsh and unforgiving.

    "Martian. You dare stand before Darkseid so boldly? You confuse bravely for stupidity. All your thoughts are laid bare to me."

    Ma''ale''faak''s mouth dried up, his white skinned and long limbed body shivering under the attention of this...thing. His thoughts?! But how!? He was a Martian! No one could read his mind!

    Darkseid''s lips twisted into a cruel smile.

    "I see."

    The New God said, causing Ma''ale''faak to blink in surprise.

    "Uh excuse me?"

    He managed to say.

    "Your allies on Earth sent you here. Savage sent you here."

    Darkseid replied, turning to his son, while leaving a speechless Ma''ale''faak. How had he known that?

    "Their planet is undefended. The Kryptonian and his ''Justice League'' are in shambles. Give me the earth."

    Kalibak''s eyes gleamed with excitement.

    "I will do whatever is necessary to secure victory for you, my lord."

    The scion bowed.

    Ma''ale''faak''s expression darkened as the fear was pushed to the side by anger and desperation. A part of the Earth was promised to him. He had already moved some of his operations there.

    "And what of your deal with Savage Lord Darkseid? Will you not honor the deal you made with him?!"

    In one fluid motion, an hammer swept his feet from under him, before the handle was held under his neck.

    "Learn your place, Martian."

    Kalibak growled.

    "I apologize! I apologize for my disrespect Lord Darkseid!"

    Ma''ale''faak hastily hacked, finding that he couldn''t phase through the weapon on his neck.

    Darkseid''s eyes narrowed as he regarded Ma''ale''faak with a cold, calculating gaze. "I have no need for weaklings. Alliances are conditional. If you have enough mettle then your enemies will become Darkseid''s enemies. And they shall be crushed like bugs. Savage will need to prove to me that he can defend his claim for the Earth."

    The New God explained.

    "You came here seeking my forces for him to use to fully conquer his home world. How pathetic that you carry out his bidding whilst your own people are continuously under the rule of those undeserving."

    Every word was like a bomb going off the Martian''s mind. He found himself pushed away by Kalibak.

    Ma''ale''faak''s lips curled into a snarl as he laid on the ground, knelt before the Impossible.

    "Then I humbly request for a boon, lord."

    He implored.

    "You do not need your entire forces to conquer the planet. Let me do it for you! Honor me with that glory. In return, I offer my and Mars allegiance to Apokalips. To you."

    And with those words, the fate of two planets hung in the balance, as Darkseid''s laughter echoed out across the whole of Apokalips.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "10 seconds remaining."

    Chase informed me of the countdown to our demise.

    The rumbling had increased and cracks of wild black energy started ripping apart the space around us.

    "Well... this...is bad. Very very..."

    Green Arrow bit out from my side.

    "Shut up and let me think!"

    I snarled in irritation.

    How was I going to get us out of here? I strained, sweeping my eyes out at the rest. Everyone was in the same mess. Black chains with flames dancing along their lengths, reaching into their souls and burning them.

    Then my eyes landed on Raven.

    Yeah...that could work, I realized.

    "9 seconds remai..."

    I tuned out Chase and tried to get Raven''s attention.

    "Hey! Raven!"

    She managed to raise her head.

    "Everything...hurts Davian!"

    She screamed.

    "It''s okay! I can get us out of here but I need you to trust me. Can you create a small rift to the outside world?"

    I urgently asked, doing my best to ignore the pain.

    "I...I can''t."

    She groaned out, hands crawling over the chains to try and remove them.

    "We''re probably going to die here...guys. So, been nice Ives." Harley said in a clear tone, as if she wasn''t feeling the same pain we were.

    "Shame that I never got to play with your whip, Kitty. Or your longsword, Copkiller."

    "Raven! You can do it! I believe in you. Just a tiny rift. Don''t you want to get out of here and kill Constantine for doing this to us?!" I roared.

    "Do you want to let that bastard or your father win?!"

    My words seemed to lit a fire under her.

    "They...they should burn...as well."

    She stammered out, raising a hand and aiming it at me.

    The space between us started warping as a black vortex swirled into existence. The vortex was unlike the one before. The biggest difference being that it was small. Smaller than the eye of a needle infact.

    But it was more than sufficient.

    "What are you..." Chase begun, before pausing. Then he started laughing.

    Laughing in a way I had never heard before.

    "I see. You truly are a worthy master, Davian Mabuz."

    Through the small hole, a black string shot out, connecting me with the lone Shroud I had left outside the black dome. Through the string, I felt my awareness spread out to every Shroud in Gotham and then the county, then the U.S and finally...the entire planet.

    It was overwhelming.

    Overwhelmingly simple to give the command.

    "Feed me your strength. Your energy. Yourselves. I WANT ALL OF IT!"

    The world seemed to slow down as the string trembled in my hands. And then, in a never ending torrent came,

    POWER.

 Decalogy part 3/3: TRIGON.

    (General P.O.V)

    A GREEN RING streaked through the air.

    (Elsewhere)

    Constantine knew what he was. And, he never tried to hide it. If anything he embraced his reputation. It was easier that way. Those that stuck around knowing what a right bastard he was, were fools. His life was dangerous. That was a constant.

    And to survive what even the heroes couldn''t, needed more than a set of morals. It needed the inverse. A lack of said set of morals. And that worked. He had killed what couldn''t be killed, outsmarted that which couldn''t be outsmarted and outlasted everyone else in the same line of business.

    It was telling that one of his closest colleagues, Deadman had only stuck around this long because...he was already dead.

    But even for John Constantine, his current situation was something he didn''t think he would survive.

    He was up against a trans-dimensional being who carried the collective evil of over a billion worlds.

    What he wouldn''t do for a smoke right about now.

    "Trigon!"

    Constantine called out, standing on the edge of the crater, looking down and sensing a corrupt leyline node. The magic was tainted. The pool, sickly and a stain on the Earth. Even if Gotham survived Trigon, the land would still decay if the Lazarus Pit was not dealt with.

    "I know you can hear me you red skinned uncultured cunt. Show yourself and face me!"

    He bellowed into the crater, his sight obscured by the smoke covering the mouth of the deep hole.

    But he didn''t have to simply rely on his eyes. He muttered a spell under his mouth and his eyes briefly lit up with a white light.

    They peered through the smoke and Constantine instantly took a step back, eyes widening in both fear, anger and desperation.

    "No..."

    He muttered, looking around him. His surroundings changing drastically, the sky became pallid. The fire burning on the buildings turned pale.

    And the crater...

    The crater was not what he had expected. Or at least it was, only he had not portaled in the location he had aimed for.

    Instead he was in a mirror world, looking out or into the real world. And now that the veil was down, he understood just how fucked he was.

    The sky had turned red. His teleportation had been hijacked and he had ended up somewhere like Gotham but not Gotham.

    He was in one of the planes of the Underrealm, a dimension under Trigon.

    And immediately upon acknowledgement, everything went to it''s natural state. The air became stale as the wind begun blowing on the other direction. The color gradient of just about everything became grayer.

    And whenever he looked deep into the Cavern, his sight was folded into two contrasting views. One was the smog colored sky of Gotham.

    And the other was a wide view of the deep cavern from the sky, showing him Trigon, as he formed from tens of thousands of souls floating in midair.

    Trigon''s body started out as a mere shadow with four red eyes, then rapidly a skeletal structure formed, followed by Flesh and red skin. Before long, the Lord of the Underrealm flexed his demonic body, roaring to the sky in supremacy.

    The roar sent dust and debris near him sailing out.

    The roar transitioned into a low laughter that begun sounding out of him. Trigon turned his sights on Constantine, his gaze piercing through the veil of worlds.

    "John Constantine. Once again, you stand alone to face a foe. Only this time, your tricks will not save you."

    Trigon said.

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    His voice was commanding and authoritative, with a deep resonance that emphasized his otherworldly nature and intimidating presence.

    John brought his palms together and begun chanting at high speeds. He couldn''t allow it to end this way. Not after the many sacrifices he had made.

    Trigon''s form begun growing, looming over Constantine.

    Constantine spread his hands out and begun speaking in a strange tone.

    "Enochian script? Hahaha." Trigon laughed, finding the notion funny.

    "I am not like those petty demons from hell! I am Trigon the Terrible! Invoking banishment will not work on me. This form was constructed by the souls of ten thousand humans!"

    The entity lashed out with a clawed hand. His hand seemed to cut through the layers of space separating the Underrealm and Earth, headed towards Constantine. The claws phased through a yellow shield along the mouth of the crater.

    Constantine''s left eye lost color as he sacrificed it to bypass the restriction on magic on the Underrealm, phasing through Trigon''s attack.

    It gave the demonic entity pause.

    "Oh. So you still have your bite."

    "Nice try but sod off."

    Constantine grunted, a long trail of blood coming out of his left eye.

    "You might not be a conventional demon but evil is still evil. And I will defeat you."

    Constantine added, shooting back with a glare.

    Around Constantine, 3 shadows formed up into tall, red skinned humanoid beings that closely resembled Trigon.

    Trigon started laughing again.

    "Meet my sons, Constantine. Unlike you, I know when fodder is useful."

    "Oh bloody hell."

    Constantine looked around, stepping back as each demon hoisted their weapons at him, eyeing him with vicious glee.

    "You escaped death the last time my Daughter lost control to me." Trigon replied turning his attention to the sky, where the roar of engines sounded out. A few military jets passed over where he was.

    "Your inevitable fate has caught up to you Magician. You failed to save Grandale, you failed to save Gotham. And you will fail to save the most important thing to you...yourself."

    Constantine got to his feet. Behind the Demons and surrounded on all sides facing the crater were armies of demons, dark spirits and otherworldly creatures under the service of Trigon.

    "Any chance we could have a chat about this Lads?"

    Constantine asked, shifting his feet to face them all, while withdrawing a card from his trouser pocket.

    "I don''t know...how about you make it easier for us and just...die."

    One of Trigon''s sons suggested.

    As they mobilized to destroy the Magician, Trigon continued absorbing the souls hanging around in the cavern.

    The souls of the people who had been caged like animals.

    They...had failed.'' Constantine lamented, gritting his teeth as his eyes jumped from one Demon to another.

    Really failed.

    The strong back of a certain young man flashed behind his eyes. Maybe...

    No! He was Constantine. He didn''t need anyone, he''d faced worse.

    The situation might have been bad. Over tens of thousands of sacrifices was not a joke. That kind of Power-Up was enough to even make the lowest ranked demon, a Duke. At least for a short time.

    For a being like Trigon? One who could absorb evil? It would grant him a foothold on this planet.

    The odds had been worse. Still...

    "Well, let''s get to it then."

    Constantine told them with an upturn of the corner of his lips.

    The demons jumped in, only for him to throw the card in his hands before them. It flashed blue and released violent streaks of lightning across the first group of demons to jump towards him with snarls.

    The smoke and dust released covered the surroundings only for more of Trigon''s minions to push through.

    Constantine gritted his teeth, plucking out a single strand of his hair. Spatial magic was hard. Apart from the basic teleportation, he could only store objects on his own body. His hair became the perfect inventory. Each strand could store one thing.

    A spell incantation left his mouth and the hair strand changed into a stone knife with inscriptions of power on it''s length. John brought the knife to his forearm, folding up the sleeves of his shirt. Then he sliced his forearm from the crook of the elbow to the wrist.

    Instead of blood, a white mist escaped the wound and Constantine''s body turned pale. His cheeks became hollow and sunken and he fell to his knees wheezing in pain.

    If this didn''t work...they would all be dead.

    It was time for his final trick. It was time to call in The Spectre.

    (General P.O.V)

    Each soul absorbed brought him closer and closer to full materialization, fueling Trigon''s power. It was meager, unlike what he could access on his true form but that would soon be taken care of. He only needed to find a vessel to house his form, birthing him a body he could exert his full power through.

    There was a reason he had allowed Raven to stay alive, albeit as a shade of her true self. She would give him that.

    And then the world would bow down or suffer.

    "I told you daughter."

    Trigon informed the remnants of Raven''s spirit as the tornado of souls spun around him.

    "Nothing can stop me."

    He lashed out with a fully formed hand, the stones and debris around him shot out in a barrage of telekinetically controlled projectiles. They speared through the military crafts in the sky.

    "Not your armies."

    He then grabbed at a news Chopper that had flown too close. The metal groaned as he smirked viciously, then begun squeezing.

    "Let them go!!"

    A voice said from afar.

    Captain Atom, Wonder Woman, Shazam and the Hawk People flew in from the ruined city, weapons at the ready. They were what was left of the League. And they had mobilized right after the dome had gone down.

    Atom''s hands lit up, then he pushed them out, sending a long huge beam of energy at Trigon.

    It smashed onto his forehead. Only for the entity to absorb it. Then his eyes lit up and an even bigger beam of red energy shot out of them, drowning the heroes under the devastating attack. He had reflected their attack back at them.

    "Nor your heroes...villains...least of all you."

    He concluded, adding more power to the beam and razing the surroundings. Most of the buildings still left standing went up in flames.

    Raven looked on at the devastation she had caused and felt her heart break.

 Decalogy part 3/3 b: The Reaper

    (General P.O.V)

    Then Trigon turned his attention to the metal contraption in his hands.

    "They shall learn to serve or die." The smile on his face widened.

    "Death however will not be an escape. Your souls shall be devoured..."

    The reporter inside the chopper looked at her colleague who was frozen in terror, staring into the eyes of Trigon. Then red veins begun appearing on his face, spreading out from his now scarlet eyes.

    His skin turned slightly red and from his back blood burst out along with half formed black wings.

    "Mark?"

    Cat Grant asked cautiously.

    The Cameraman''s neck snapped to stare at her. He opened his now blackened and sharp teeth.

    "Caaatt."

    The Cameraman reached out with a clawed hand towards the reporter, Cat Grant who jerked away with wide eyes.

    "Mark! Mark! No!"

    The Cameraman lunged but Cat fell to her back, desperately pushing out with her legs. Her feet landed on the midsection of the Cameraman and sent him sailing through the hole in the craft.

    The reporter was devastated, she was the one who had insisted they pull in closer. She was the one who had signed their deaths. She looked down at the rapidly disappearing Cameraman''s body.

    "I...am sor..."

    Raven could only look on, unable to do anything.

    "The exceptional ones, re-educated and forged." Trigon continued.

    "Stripped of their morality. When put up against your friends and family...how long does it take for you to choose yourself?"

    The metal separating the cockpit from their compartment was shredded through as the pilot, now with sharp claws begun to tear his way through, heading for Cat.

    "No! Keith! Stay Away!"

    Her hand scrambled for something on her purse. Something she had taken to carrying after launching off her career by exposing a huge drug trafficking ring. A small Beretta Pico. She aimed the already loaded gun and aimed it at her long time friend.

    "No!"

    Raven''s spirit remnants dove through the chopper trying to carry the woman away, only to phase through her like she did everything. She hated this.

    "I... I''ll shoot!"

    Cat warned.

    "Do it..." A sinister whisper went through her mind.

    "Remember how he treated you when you first joined. They scorned you for your inexperience, dismissed you for being young...underestimated you for being a woman..."

    ''Yeah...they had.''

    She said, convinced and started putting pressure on the trigger.

    Then something fast sliced off Trigon''s wrist. There was a roar of pain as Trigon stepped back, cradling his dismembered hand. Black blood burst out of his arm falling to the ground.

    "Who dares?!"

    He roared, scanning the area.

    "That''s what you don''t understand father..."

    Raven''s left over essence spoke up from inside the chopper, a green shield around her and Cat. Trigon''s hand seemed to burn away, releasing dozens of souls whose energy was used to safely fly the Chopper away from Trigon.

    Raven looked at one of the souls, briefly touching it and this time her hand did not phased through. Instead she felt a gentle voice call out,

    "Hold on."

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    As the hunk of metal flew under the multiple souls'' power.

    She looked out through the hole, a relieved smile on her pale face. She could feel her other self. Her true self calling out. And she could sense something else too. Someone familiar.

    "I don''t need an army to stop you. Or a hero. Or even a villain."

    She affirmed, her voice growing stronger.

    "I only need a badass friend who wants nothing than to kick your ass for being the single most horrible father in the multiverse."

    Trigon followed his daughter''s line of sight and saw what she saw.

    "Impossible!"

    The trans-dimensional entity reared back as if slapped.

    "What is your KIND DOING HERE!? ANSWER ME GRIM REAPER!!!"

    the air above him burned with green flames. Flames that covered long chains that whipped through the air, wrapped around the Figure''s forearms.

    The being Trigon was so wary of was dressed in a black, tight fitting costume comprised mostly of leather and straps that echoed a straitjacket.

    The jacket extended to the ground, billowing out ominously. A flaming cat skull served at its head and face. For it''s eyes were deep dark holes that could induce madness the longer you stared.

    Trigon recognized this being from his travels across the multiverse. An Avatar of Death. Or rather...death itself.

    A being even he was wary to cross.

    Something sharp whistled through the air and a long double bladed scythe landed in it''s arms. ''That scythe....'' Trigon realized as he panicked slightly. It induced the feeling of the end. His wrist still bled from getting sliced off.

    The Reaper pointed it''s skeletal finger at Trigon, cloak billowing behind him like a tattered flag. It twirled the scythe in its hands

    "The souls of the condemned are mine to bear. The souls of the righteous must be allowed to pass on. You are not welcome here, Trigon!"

    The Grim Reaper''s voice was akin to billions of different voices, all adding up into one massive sound that bellowed through the heavens.

    Trigon turned his sights to his daughter.

    "You..."

    He growled, his anger potent enough to fill the air with his energy.

    "Do you have any idea what you have done!!!?"

    He barked out.

    "You have no business in this world, Father" Raven intoned, strength filling her as she spoke into Trigon''s mind. "You will leave, or you will face the consequences." She told him while staring at the figure in the sky.

    Davian.

    "Whatever those consequences may be."

    At the drop of her words, the Reaper moved. There wasn''t any outrageous display of power. They streaked through the air, silently. Like death coming for an ailing old man.

    Trigon roared in response, his eyes lighting up and firing red beams of energy. The scythe in the Grim Reaper''s hands begun rotating, blocking the beam and causing the attack to split off to the sides, destroying the walls of the crater.

    Then suddenly the Reaper was behind Trigon, a chain wrapped around one of his horns. Then the Reaper pulled and Trigon''s huge hulking body was sent sailing out of the crater and away into the wider city.

    Trigon''s huge form tore a groove on the ground as he bounced off, destroying multiple buildings. Luckily, it was a section of Gotham City that had already been evacuated.

    The trans-dimensional entity shook his head, getting to his feet.

    "You dare?!"

    He roared,his anger boiling as he grabbed onto the chain wrapped around his horn.

    Trigon cried out in pain as the chains burned him. The chains wound themselves around his hands and then his body. All under the control of the Grim Reaper behind him. Trigon''s head jerked to the sky as he sensed something approaching.

    "You... you''re mad!"

    A huge meteor fell towards the Earth, burning with green flames.

    A circle flashed and the Leaguers who were hit point blank by Trigon''s attack appeared, unarmed.

    Zatara breathed out a sigh of relief as the teleportation circle faded.

    The league members looked around finding themselves on the top of a building. They weren''t alone. Kid Flash, Robin, Aqualad and Red Arrow stood beside them.

    All of their eyes however were directed towards the sky. The League members followed their gaze just as Kid Flash spoke up.

    "Is...he allowed to do that? Is... anyone?"

    The young speedster muttered in shock.

    "By Hera."

    Wonder Woman cursed out, staring at the rapidly descending rock from outer space.

    "If that thing lands, then let alone Gotham, the whole world will be destroyed."

    Speedy muttered, strapping his bow as if it would have been useful against the incoming disaster.

    "How can anyone wield that much power?"

    Hawk-woman wondered, her grip on the mace in her hands tightening.

    "Everyone."

    Wonder Woman called out, crouching slightly.

    "Captain Atom and I will try to intercept it. Robin, use the ear piece to inform Shazam to break apart any hide chunks that will break off from the main..."

    "That won''t work. It''s not a normal meteor. Oh and Davian is not just anyone."

    A voice sounded from behind them. A pitch black dome formed from their shadows. The League instantly went on guard, moving to protect the sidekicks. Once the dome unravelled, Raven stumbled out, one arm slung over Green Arrow''s shoulder. The Archer''s eyes swept through the team, looking for one specific person.

    "Where''s Dinah?"

    He wondered.

    None of the League members answered.

    "Ollie..."

    Wonder Woman shook her head sadly.

    "She was injured while trying to take out Aquaman. Both of them are stable but under medical care."

    The Archer''s jaw worked like crazy.

    "Soon as this cluster fuck is over... you''re taking me to her."

    He growled.

    "No time to talk."

    Raven told them, pulling away from Green Arrow''s hold to stare not at the ongoing fight or the falling meteor but at something else headed towards them.

    Something only she could see. Her missing soul piece.

    The missing piece flew down as both her and the real Raven extended one finger out. She stared at herself. Both their eyes burned with hope. A hope that had been ignited by him.

    "He''s fighting for us."

    The Soul Piece told her.

    Raven smiled.

    "I know. So let''s fight for him."

    Their finger pads touched and a bright white light rushed out from the contact. The light formed into a large white Raven.

    The meteor finally landed. And with it came a massive explosion that a certain ghost hero, Deadman witnessed from the outskirts of Gotham, wondering what was happening.

 The Last Gambit

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Power.

    So much of it...

    With each pull, each Shroud I devoured, I grew to heights untold. The collapsing realm stopped heh... collapsing.

    Time seemed to slow down. I blinked and was suddenly looking at myself from a different angle, right where Catwoman was, body seized up in an expression of agony.

    Then my Perception changed again and I was looking at myself from Karate Kid''s angle. Huh.

    "...ian?!!"

    Someone was shouting. I blinked and this time, I found myself in the Graveyard in my inner World, right infront of a frowning Chase.

    "Never seen you make that face before. Wish I had a camera."

    I teased him while looking around.

    Yup. This was my inner world. How did I even get here? I mean the mechanics of how it worked was, I could only enter if my physical body was asleep or unconscious in the real world. But I wasn''t either of those.

    Chase popped to the left, draping his fat body onto a thin branch from one of the shrunken trees around the cemetery.

    He hummed, scratching his chin with one sharp claw, in contemplation.

    "You can sense the death in things. No..."

    Chase''s head turned in 360 degrees as he smiled. Almost as if he had stumbled upon a particularly juicy secret.

    "You are the death in things."

    He corrected himself.

    I shuddered at the way his neck twisted around.

    "First of all, gross." I told him.

    He rolled his eyes and the pupils fucked off to somewhere, leaving behind the yellow sclera and a creepier smile.

    I ignored that.

    "Secondly death? What do you mean?"

    Chase popped to my shoulder, blue mist wafting off his tail with a frick to coalesce in the image of a small scythe.

    "Death, the Grim Reaper. End of all things. You know buying the farm, cashing in your chips, pegging out."

    He rattled off.

    I shook him off in annoyance.

    "Thank you for the lesson in euphemisms but that doesn''t answer my quest..."

    I stopped, the realm was starting to collapse. Not this one. Raven''s mind space. Shit.

    "Later gator."

    Chase waved as I was launched out of my inner world and into my body.

    ''Wait...this is not my body.''

    And it wasn''t any of the others either. I was looking down at them after all. At all of us infact, me and Raven included. And I wasn''t just... looking down on them too. I sensed them from all different directions. It was weird.

    Chase said I could sense the death in things and with the realm collapsing from the Serpent''s poison, it was obvious I had no choice but to believe his wild claims.

    I was death, manifested in the conceptual end of Raven''s Mind scape upon it''s destruction. Let''s try prevent that.

    Maybe I could stop it. I willed for death to pause. Kind of. The poison from the serpent seemed to gather in a harmless pool of water, losing its threat value.

    I wished for the damage done to the realm to rewind and it did. The realm stabilized and Chase''s doomsday countdown ended. Still that was too close.

    Being the death in each of my reluctant compatriots was off-putting. Reluctant because the shared suffering caused by Constantine linked us.

    And as another awareness opened up, I found out I could see how many years they would live.

    Surprisingly enough, Harley would make it to 97.

    Catwoman was a solid 53, which given the risk of scaling up walls and jumping over rooftops was not too bad. I thought cats had nine lives though.

    ''They do. A blessing. But I come for all. Eventually...''

    A female voice whispered, the statement reaching my non existent ears somehow. I tried to seek out the source but sensed nothing.

    Karate Kid and Dawnstar would live well into their 70''s.

    Green Arrow was similar to Catwoman, the job he had was dangerous. He would die in battle at 57. Not too long away. In 15 years or so.

    Wait...no. It was in 1 year!? His countdown had suddenly changed out nowhere.

    ''Time travel shenanigans.'' I mused, not even the least bit amused.

    Fuck. I looked at the ones I already knew their death dates and sighed in relief. There wasn''t another unexplained change.

    Still...what the fuck happens in a year?

    Poison Ivy''s ''health meter'' almost made me whistle. If I could, I would have.

    She would live to an age of 678. That was 6, almost 7 centuries.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Then again, maybe it had something to do with her powers? Yeah most likely.

    Next up...

    I stopped at Raven. The realm shook at my shock. Shock that turned into anger. Her death was timed at precisely 1 hour, 38 minutes and 43 seconds.

    After all this...After all this and she dies!!!?

    Fuck. Fuck fuck fuuuuuuck!"

    "Use that information well. I like her."

    The same female voice from before stated. And then in a flash, everything disappeared.

    (Later)

    I opened my eyes with a start.

    "Raven!"

    Her name was out of my mouth before I even knew what was happening.

    I blinked, getting to my feet quickly. First of all, take stock.

    I was barefoot. And also half naked. The only piece of clothing on me was a burnt pair of pants that ended at my shins. And the most important thing, I was missing my weapon. Dammit.

    "Chase?"

    I called but received no answer.

    Next, I looked around, half in a bid to find my Zanpakuto and half to find out my location.

    Where was I?

    The surroundings were in a word, weird. Not in a bad way though.

    The sky was a molten bright green color and the edge of the horizon had the aurora borealis dancing. It was oddly beautiful. And calming too...

    Next, the ground was metallic and flat. Half of it shiny and the other an obsidian black. The obsidian seemed to suck in all the light from the sky. It spread out evenly across the furthest distance my eyes could reach.

    I bent to my knees, to better see what I was dealing with. I run a palm over it. The material used was hard and oddly smooth. Mist seemed to dance inside it coming from...

    Multiple skeletal faces flashed in its depths, bouncing off the obsidian before getting lost. They wore Shroud cloaks and had burning red eyes. The Obsidian seemed to fog over like glass due to their breath.

    What the?

    "How do you like the new addition to the realm?"

    A smooth voice said from my front.

    I got up, startled. My hand reached towards the hip but finding nothing there. I was still missing my Zanpakuto.

    The voice belonged to a huge flaming Skeleton cat. A mouthful but apt description of whatever this thing was.

    I raised an eyebrow and frowned when I recognized the wide smile on it''s face, showing a row of sharp teeth. Chase''s slow chuckle only made me sigh.

    "Really? You think I''d scare that easily?"

    I asked the stupid cat, walking towards him. The bones grinded upon one another as my Zanpakuto Spirit turned to fully face me, a long and bony tail with a purple scythe.

    "You should have seen the look on your face."

    He said, a flaming green tongue rolling out and running across his teeth.

    I stared at our surroundings. Going by his words, this was a new addition to the realm.

    "It''s...strange. different from the Cemetery or the pale sands of Hueco Mundo."

    I finally answered his earlier question.

    "And also...oddly familiar.

    "Oh come on... don''t tell me you haven''t figured it out. It''s so obvious."

    Chase said, amused.

    Up close I could tell he was super massive. And...

    I finally remembered everything. I had achieved a new form upon devouring over tens of thousands of Shrouds. A form that had apparently made a new realms to sprout out within me.

    "The sky represents the sheath." I said in realization. Continuing as my words felt true.

    "The ground is Chesha Neko''s bladed edge and the obsidian represents the power I had devoured from the Shrouds."

    "Bongo!"

    Chase stated.

    "It''s Bingo."

    I told him absentmindedly looking around. This place...

    But I shook my head, remembering there was something more immediate than exploring this new realm.

    Saving the world.

    So let''s deal with that first.

    "Well?"

    My Zanpakuto prodded and I found myself sweeping my hands across my head, tying the loose hair into a messy bun behind me.

    And then I breathed in...

    The flames surrounding Chase begun to spin around the both of us, extending out into long licks of fire that then crawled up my limbs.

    A new outfit formed from the flames and Chase, Chase laughed as his form shrunk before me. I held out a hand and pulled the floating double bladed Scythe in my hands.

    And then...I opened my eyes in the real world. Exactly on the spot where the shroud I had left behind had been. My Reikaku''s range expanded far.

    It was big enough to sense that Trigon had already been summoned and busy.

    The massive head and horns sticking out of the crater were particularly eye-catching as he destroyed his surroundings.

    "He''s not welcome here."

    My voice sounded off. Layered and scratchy. Still, I was right. Trigon would pay for his crimes.

    "WITH HIS LIFE!!!"

    I snarled, a sudden flash of unreasonable anger sprouting within me. He had killed and used the immortal souls of the mortals to give himself a foothold here.

    It was an insult. Only I got to decide whether a soul is reaped or not. NOT HIM! OR ANYONE ELSE!

    The flames around my body extended to my head, burning away the skin, meat and hair to leave behind a flaming skull.

    I twirled the new Chesha Neko, then wound my hand as far back as I could, before throwing the Scythe towards the sky.

    The air caught on fire behind the Scythe''s trail.

    Dark wings sprouted from my back and with a single flap, I was off, following closely after my Zanpakuto.

    It was time for the Grim Reaper to reap.

    (General P.O.V)

    "You''re mad! And Suicidal!"

    Trigon yelled, snapping as his anger got the better of him. This form was still too unstable, it wasn''t even a percentage of his true power. He couldn''t afford to lose this chance.

    The shadows below him coalesced into a large dome of energy, that protected him from the explosion of the Meteor. It sickened him that he was hiding away instead of taking the full blunt of the attack and showing them all who he was.

    Raven opened her eyes. They flashed with a bright light that was similar in color to the rest of her outfit.

    Her white cloak danced in the harsh winds caused by the meteor as she levitated infront of everyone.

    "Huddle closer."

    She informed them before the white Raven construct emerged from within her chest.

    Then with a cry, the white Raven covered everyone in a shield as the explosion finally reached them.

    The blast made everything shake. The roof below them cracked and was washed away under the shockwaves then the blaze that followed.

    The dome extended into a sphere that was left hanging over a scene of destruction that was even greater than before.

    "Even for me, this is way too much."

    Harley whistled, as they stared at what lay out there.

    Coventry was nowhere to be found. Now it was just an even layer of blackened soil that extended out from the crater which was the epicenter.

    Catwoman fell back, leaning on the walls of the shield before sliding down. She then removed her mask, showing them a defeated expression.

    "There is no coming back from this, is there?"

    She asked.

    No one said anything. The mood was depressing.

    Harley and Ivy moved towards her. The rest watched the three women hugged one another.

    Gotham was their home. And it was gone.

    And yet...the battle between the two entities raged on before them. Trigon had survived the worst of the meteor''s explosion by shielding himself.

    That shield was compromised when the Reaper slashed out, the pointy end stabbing into the shield and slicing through.

    The shield failed to hold and broke apart, revealing Trigon who was in a sorry state. The trans-dimensional being roared, sending out beams of eye beams that the Reaper begun dodging, weaving in and out, through the air while pulling in closer to his opponent.

    Trigon punched out towards him with his good hand, the other having had the wrist cut off.

    The Grim Reaper''s scythe swung out and the attack was blocked by the dull part of the blade.

    The pressure blast produced, destroyed the walls of the crater around them.

    "Damn you! This world is mine to conquer!"

    Trigon yelled out, straining but failing to push the smaller figure back.

    What was this POWER?!

    Tendrils of dark energy lashed out extending from Trigon''s shadow. However the Reaper was quick and agile, darting around the demon''s attacks, before slashing out and causing a huge swathe of green flames to contend with the shadow tendrils.

    "You cannot escape death. You cannot escape me!"

    The reaper announced as Trigon grit his teeth. Nothing was going according to plan.

    The tendrils were instantly destroyed and the flames fell upon Trigon.

    ''Fine.'' the Demonic entity thought as his back and shoulders were set on flame.

    ''I will resort to my last gambit.''

    His gaze sharpened and his face was split into a serious expression.

    Tendrils of energy had been extending towards the ley Line node blow him from the start. As stated earlier, dark powers raged in those depths.

    And as evil incarnate, he could feed on those dark powers.

    They wouldn''t know what hit them.

 Its Over, I Win part 1/2

    (General P.O.V)

    The ground around Constantine burst open, dozens of Golems lumbered forward, striking out with large swords at each of the Demons.

    One of Trigon''s sons tried to block the attack but the force behind the Golem''s attack threw him away.

    The rest of the Demons clawed forwards towards Constantine, snarling while trying but failing to get through the Golem''s defense.

    Constantine completed his spell, the cut on his forearm closing as the circle on the ground failed to channel the magic he had poured out into it. The summons had failed.

    "What?!" Constantine shouted.

    "When I need you the most you refuse to come!? That was a quarter of my vitality!"

    He punched the ground in anger, the skin of his fist breaking and causing blood to flow out. This...was it for him. The end.

    There was no way he could fight against a whole region of demons. Maybe if he were prepared...but he wasn''t. He had used a lot of his occult materials to deal with the fall out of Gotham''s destruction.

    The clash of steel against stone sounded out. The metal skin of the stone golem chipped, a burst of yellow light bursting through.

    "Fine you wankers. Come at me!"

    The Magician yelled in ferocity, as he tightened his palm into a fist.

    "Lapis bombae!"

    The spell left Constantine''s mouth just as one of Trigon''s son jumped over the stone golem.

    The golem exploded into small projectiles that pelted the surroundings.

    One of Trigon''s spawn let out a roar pointing his hands at their front, electing a red mystical shield.

    The other two allowed the small rock pieces to hit their bodies without a concern for injuries. Their skins were durable enough to protect them.

    Constantine slapped his hands together, letting loose a magical shockwave that rippled out in a wide burst of energy, striking the 2 demons point blank.

    They were thrown away but in return he fell to his knees. He wasn''t the type to ever have large reserves of power, there were of course rituals he could do but... Constantine shuddered at what he would become with all that power.

    So he was a strategist. That spell was a repulsion wave that would throw anyone away regardless of power.

    It struck the soul, and the soul gave the body form so ergo, the body would follow and be repulsed from the caster. However, it was highly intensive.

    He had already lost an eye, not to mention, his left thigh was encased in a layer of ice to stop the spread of the necrosis spell he had been hit with.

    However, the natural heat from the realm was doing it''s best to try and melt the ice. Magic or not, the concept of hot and cold was constant.

    Lastly, he was missing a huge chunk of his vital force.

    He couldn''t hold on like this. For all of Constantine''s ingenuity, you couldn''t slip through a dimensional barrier designed to specifically target you. Otherwise, entities like Trigon would make Earth their vacation spot.

    There was a reason they tried to use indirect methods to invade the mortal world. Most entities needed permission or an agent on the inside.

    Constantine flipped a coin, and with a flash the face of Winston Churchill imprinted on the coin burned away, turning the coin gray just as a blue dome appeared around Constantine.

    There was magic in meaning. The British invented the Tank, and the Tank was a symbol of defence. So the black electric burst of energy that left the third son''s hands bounced off the dome.

    Constantine gritted his teeth as the dome failed to hold up for too long. A battle of attrition was a bad idea.

    The shield disappeared and he was left on his knees, a clawed hand wrapped around his neck.

    "Be glad Magician. You die in the hands of Trigon''s sons."

    The demon said.

    Constantine laughed, staring at the demon with a mocking expression.

    "Don''t kid yourself mate. See, I know what you poor fools are. Corrupted souls under glamour. You''re the heroes of the worlds he has conquered. Enslaved to do his bidding. Prisoners. I would never be like you."

    The magic in his eyes allowed him to see what lay beyond.

    The demon shook with fury.

    "So what? Serving him gives me purpose." The clawed hand around his neck tightened as the glamour washed off, to reveal a green skinned creature with large tentacles falling off it''s head.

    Red veins covered his body from his black eyes down to his golden armor. They had 2 pairs of hands.

    The corrupted alien smiled sinisterly.

    "I gave into the darkness and it''s the best thing that has ever happened to me. My world could not see the glory of Trigon, so I destroyed it. I would offer you the same privilege to serve him, however I already know what you''re going to say."

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The fingers around Constantine''s neck tightened. His sight begun darkening around the corners.

    ''This is it...''

    He had tried to summon the Specter...but he had failed. Which meant... anyone else wouldn''t come.

    His mind went back to Trigon''s words. He stood alone, fighting a for he could not hope to defeat alone. Not when they knew of his reputation.

    Maybe...maybe he had been too hasty to dismiss the lad. Maybe they could have worked together to stop this...

    "Give him to me. I want to destroy him!"

    One of the other three Sons said.

    "No." The one who hand his hand wrapped around the Magician''s neck refused.

    "We kill him. We kill him now. He''s too dangerous to take him prisoner."

    Constantine chuckled amid the arguments.

    "Please feel free to fight over me you bloody posers."

    "Give him to me!!"

    The demon lumbered forward, energy building up within him.

    Then red circles flashed under each of the 3 demons.

    The surroundings had changed. All the demons, with the three Sons of Trigon''s at the head had been teleported around Trigon.

    "Quick fools! Distract him while I prepare!"

    A deep and commanding voice called out in a panic.

    The Son blinked owlishly as if he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Infact, Constantine himself was struggling with the same.

    "...master?"

    Trigon was on his knees. He was missing his wrist, black blood dripping onto the ground in massive drops and causing pools of corruption around.

    One of his horns was severed, he had terrible burns across the back of his head, neck and his shoulders.

    Lastly, one of his eyes was blinded, a long dried trail of blood fell down his cheek.

    Who would have caused their master to fall into such a deplorable state?

    "Snap out of it fools!"

    Trigon growled, his body flashing with a green glow. His red eyes changed to emerald orbs and Constantine''s eyes widened as he felt all the magic in the area get sucked away.

    "Attack! For Trigon!!"

    One of the Sons gave the command and the rest of Trigon''s dark army, responded in a cacophony of shouts and yells.

    The red skinned creatures rose up in a wave towards one particular spot in the sky.

    "No..."

    Constantine struggled to say, eyes manic wide as he reached out towards Trigon. He couldn''t allow it.

    If Trigon used the Lazarus pit to give himself a boost then all would be lost. There was still a chance, he could make this right.

    He had to stop it. His fingers lit up with the last of his magic reserves. One last spell. A fireball to the face was better than anything.

    Then before the spell could leave his lips. Green lightning fell from the sky, frying hundreds of demons and shredding their skin and souls apart.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    A meteor. Why did I even think that was a good idea?

    No. I had had to do it. The best way to free the souls was complete and utter destruction of Trigon.

    Wait, when did my priorities change? The plan had been to save Raven and in the process the world.

    Looking at the destruction caused by my Meteor...I had destroyed what was left standing from Trigon''s initial attack. I wasn''t helping...

    No. Sacrifices had to be made to ensure...

    "Hold on... I''m trying something."

    Chase informed me.

    And I immediately realized I hadn''t heard him ever since I started my fight with Trigon.

    Instantly, it was like the haze around my thoughts disappeared.

    "Chase what the fuck was that?"

    I asked him, opening and closing my fist as I retained full control of my body.

    I needed to jump back into the fight. This time with a plan. I don''t think it would be good for anyone if I simply called down another meteor. Is that...can I even do that intentionally?

    "The drawback to absorbing so many agents of death, was that you started prioritizing what they do."

    My Zanpakuto answered.

    "I blocked most of the influence but be careful, if you lose control you might do even more damage."

    He added.

    It was like I had been dreaming. Every action I had taken was done instinctually. All in a bid to destroy this thing before me.

    I had been slashing out wildly, feeding strength into the Scythe to cut better. And it had been working.

    My scythe could cut anything.

    Case in point, Trigon''s scorching hot eye beams. I had started out by avoiding them, wary to let even a single attack pass through.

    But that hadn''t lasted long. I gave in to the influence from the Shrouds. I had become reckless. They didn''t need to avoid attacks because they could phase through them.

    I had adopted the same mindset, deflecting what I could but mostly blocking the attacks with my body, trying to take advantage of the openings to fly past him, slashing out with the Scythe and inflicting mortal damage.

    Despite all that... Trigon still stood. I was Death and I couldn''t seem to kill him. He was evil incarnate.

    That was the kind of immortality that was not dependent on having a surviving soul or body. You would never truly die as long as a certain concept existed.

    It was a massive cheat.

    And I made sure he paid for it.

    Now that I was back on the driver''s seat, I fell back on my training and small experience.

    Slicing off his horn was as a result of getting better at fighting him. His large size was a big disadvantage. I could use that and cut him down. Maybe this time, I''ll go for the head.

    He swiped a hand out and the ground rose up in a wave of rocks and stones headed towards me. I brought my palm forward, a torrential spray of green flame washing out of it and burning everything away.

    "Whoa...what is that?"

    I directed at my Zanpakuto spirit.

    The answer came in a split second.

    Turns out the green flames were a mutated ability caused from the combination of hell flames and my Fullbring. Hell flames targeted a sinner''s soul.

    Although a Shrouds'' job was to deliver souls to the afterlife, that did not mean they possessed no combat abilities.

    Pair hell flames with my Fullbring powers and you got green flames that were harsh on dark beings and favorable to souls of the innocent.

    It brought into question my own moral standing. I was gray. Maybe leaning on the side of bad more than good. So why did the flames work for me?

    Regardless, they were effective in dealing damage to Trigon.

    The flames washed away to reveal him down on his knees. His body smoked from the scorched skin. But in return, he had concluded the activation of a spell.

    With a flash of power, an army of red skinned demon like creatures appeared around him, numbering in the thousands.

    Trigon himself had this green shroud of energy cloaking his form.

    "Be careful, he''s feeding from the pit."

    Chase warned.

    The connection between Chase and I also seemed stronger. He could even extend his senses further than my Reikaku''s range, which is why he was able to find out Trigon''s plan.

    Something about this form.

    I think I''m going to call it the Spirit King form. It enhanced every single soul reaper ability I had in place. Speed, strength and durability.

    "Hey chase."

    I called out to my Zanpakuto spirit.

    "What would happen if I used any of my Kido spells in this form?"

    I asked, flexing my black wings and pulling away towards the sky as the red creatures rose up towards me.

    My speed was crazy. And I hadn''t even used Shunpo. What if I did? I was thinking small. If some abilities were enhanced then maybe it was all of them?

    "That''s a good question. How about a practical demonstration?"

    My Zanpakuto''s statement made me smile. The action must have looked weird on a burning Cat''s skull.

    "Let''s start light. Hado 4: Byakurai!"

    I chanted, one arm pointed at the literal army flying fast towards me.

    The build up of energy, made the space around me shake. And then faster than I was expecting, green lightning bolts descended towards my enemies like judgement from Zeus himself.

    The streaks met no resistance, they ripped through the advance group, jumping from one red skinned creature to the other, frying them till they turned to ash. A significant chunk of the horde disappeared.

    I blinked.

    That was not Byakurai.

 Its Over, I Win part 2/2

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Hado 1: Sho!"

    The spell was similarly different. Instead of a repulsive force acting on an area in the size of a basketball, the pressure blast produced was like a gale of shockwaves.

    It swept everything in my path away, reminding me of the Hulk''s thunder clap.

    "This certainly seems like overkill."

    Chase commented.

    "Not that I''m complaining, let them keep coming."

    He added.

    "I have a better idea!"

    Maybe it was the influence from this form but...I wanted to cause some mayhem.

    A clean Shunpo, aided by my wings saw me clear the distance between them and I instantly. I pulled my hand back, the burning chain wrapped around the forearm, extending to cover my fist.

    The first punch I landed caused the target to explode in a burst of green flames. The impact consumed half a dozen more creatures behind it.

    Flash stepping around the area, saw more and more deaths pile up.

    I materialized in one place as the horde pulled in close to mob me. Bad idea.

    Spinning, a chain around the shaft of my Scythe, I mowed them down, slicing past skin, flesh and bone to form a blended mess of dark blood, ripped limbs, torn organs and guts floating about.

    "I will kill you!!"

    One of the creatures, this one green and wearing a golden armor, jumped towards me, sword pulled back.

    A shield of green flame blocked his sword. I whipped my hand out and the chain whipped through the air, striking him and destroying his body instantly. It wasn''t a hassle.

    The Scythe landed in my palm as I growled, staring at the ground at something. Or rather, someone. The kneeling figure looking up at me in shock and surprise.

    Constantine.

    That asshole.

    ''No, now''s not the time.''

    Trigon was feeding from the pit and that kind of power on top of what he had at his disposal would make him even more annoying to kill.

    The problem was the almost shield like formation his army had taken. After seeing the kind of threat I was, they had pulled back.

    I twirled my weapon. There was an attack I had been neglecting due to how destructive it was. However, to burst through the shield of bodies, it was perfect.

    I jumped, spinning to add more power to my swing.

    "Getsuga Tensho!"

    The air popped.

    Spirit energy ripped through space and distorted it. The wide beam of green energy had specks of purple starlight within it, making the attack beautiful.

    It escaped me in a wide arc. It would be a lie to say I was in control. This was a ''fuck you'' ability. Just point it in the right direction and it would fuck up anyone''s day.

    Some tried to flee by flying away, others drew upon all their power to block the attack but failed. The whole area was hit by earthquakes as a massive groove was formed before me.

    The groove was in the shape of a Chinese fan, the narrow end being where I was.

    The shockwaves had also blown away most of the clouds in the sky, allowing the first true rays of sunshine to burst through.

    There was a rumble from the ground and the walls of the groove started crumbling. I flew up, staring down at the impact of a single move.

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    "That was very effective. But maybe next time, try something that doesn''t risk shifting Gotham''s tectonic plates."

    Chase pointed out.

    I narrowed my eyes when a green light begun pulsing from the depths of the groove.

    "No, that wasn''t me."

    I told Chase, feeling the build up of dark energy from the depths of the groove.

    "Your little friend is up to something."

    My Zanpakuto spirit pointed out. I had told him to keep an eye on Raven ever since she had teleported in while I focused on the fight.

    She had left the others, who were safely out of the devastating zone of the fight, and begun flying towards the groove.

    "Why is she dressed in white?"

    I wondered.

    Better yet, what does she think she''s doing?

    I shook my head, blasting forwards and blocking her way.

    She was started a little before breathing a sigh of relief.

    "Davian..."

    "Where do you think you''re going, Raven?"

    I asked.

    She blinked at my harsh tone, her face changing to reflect her frustration and annoyance.

    "To fix this. To fix my mess."

    "And in the process die."

    Chase added off handedly, reminding me of Raven''s oncoming death. I wouldn''t let it happen. Even if I had to do something drastic.

    "I''ll handle this." I told her, turning around to face the groove.

    "He''s my father! It''s my fight!"

    She stubbornly responded.

    "And you''ll die if you try to contain him like before."

    I replied, calling out her stupid idea.

    "He''s fed from the corrupt energy pool that was under Gotham."

    The process was already done. I could have stopped it but I had a better idea. Let''s call it plan b. What was plan b? Let him power up. Yeah...plan b wasn''t a very good idea either.

    "Chase you think the other thing will work?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto.

    "Normally it wouldn''t but the new boost essentially makes you a bridge between the physical and the spiritual, maybe you can bypass that restriction."

    He answered.

    We were discussing if I could send someone to my Inner World in their physical form, the same way we had been pulled into Raven''s Mind - Space.

    The rumbling from the ground increased.

    "Last I checked Davian, you''re not the boss of me."

    Raven said, flying around me towards the Groove.

    "I''m not. But I''m also the only one you can count on. And I''ll save you, you stubborn girl. Even if it''s from yourself."

    I told her, flash stepping forward, and pinching a spot on her neck.

    Raven gasped slightly before her body slumped in my arms.

    I cradled her gently to my body.

    "Do it."

    I gave the go ahead to Chase.

    "She is going to hate you for this."

    The spirit pointed out somberly.

    "I know, but she''ll be alive."

    I replied.

    Green light covered Raven''s body and she disappeared into wisps of energy. I could instantly feel...a weight inside my inner world.

    It wasn''t the same as when I had had Gordon''s soul inside. This time it was more pronounced and I could tell, I wasn''t going to be able to keep it up for long.

    The weight of someone''s soul in my own was heavy.

    "I''ll tend to your friend. You have a battle to win."

    Chase promised as I stretched my body.

    With a final rumble, the ground burst apart in a massive explosion that threw super hot chunks of rocks out.

    The rock''s momentum ceased as they were held aloft by dark magic surrounding him.

    The dust settled and Trigon was revealed. Bigger, greener and meaner.

    All his injuries, everything I had inflicted upon him was healed. The aura of power coming off him...

    I whistled.

    Now you might wonder, was it smart to let him to power up? Well it wouldn''t if it wasn''t for plan B''s second part.

    While I didn''t know much about DC''s specific details about certain issues, I knew what the green liquid under Gotham was.

    A substance that could heal anyone by regenerating any part of their bodies. It could also heal diseases and bring back the dead. There was only one drawback.

    It made the user mad.

    Even if it was only for a short amount of time, all mental acuity would be thrown out of the window, causing the user to go berserk in madness.

    That short time frame was what I needed.

    "Come forth from the weave of eternity, Spirit King Chesha Neko: Release."

    And so the last question was answered...what would happen if I were to activate my Shikai, while in my Spirit King form?

    The answer, not much. And A lot.

    For starters, a bony crown with a purple gem at the center appeared on my head, fitting on my cat skull perfectly.

    The Scythe changed into a massive Obsidian sword. It was bigger than my body and over 40 feet long (12 meters) and 2 meters wide.

    It was also in a shape similar to Yoru, a weapon belonging to a character that even with my limited weeb knowledge I was aware of. Dracule Mihawk from One Piece.

    The most outstanding thing about Chesha Neko''s new form was the thousands of Shroud''s flying inside the flat side of the blade, wordlessly screaming. It gave the weapon an aura of death.

    This was a true Reaper''s weapon.

    Trigon''s eyes lit up with green power as he roared out with savagery.

    Green. That''s my thing.

    I bent, holding the massive sword behind me in a tight grip.

    All the energy I had at my disposal was poured into one incredible body reinforcement. Reiryoku roared within my body, my veins. My blood sang with power.

    "Your eyes are glowing again."

    Chase pointed out.

    "I know."

    I smiled.

    I released the tight control I had over my power. The surroundings changed into a blur as I moved faster than even my brain could track. But I didn''t need to process any of it.

    I only needed to swing. To swing and reap.

    There was a brief contact, where the sharp edge of the blade cut through his neck.

    Trigon''s head separated from his body as I appeared behind him in a flash of green.

    There was silence and then...the body exploded into tens of thousands of white souls, all flying towards the sky, following the ray of sunshine that had broken through.

    It was over. I had won.

 Aftermath

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Every single soul that Trigon had held within him had been released, allowed to move onto the afterlife.

    Konso could normally only be administered through stamping the forehead of a spirit by using the pommel of your Zanpakuto. But it wasn''t necessary. The practice only held ceremonial significance.

    I had found out that I could use the Konso from any part of the blade. That ability had come in handy as I had used it to free the souls trapped within Trigon.

    Performing it however was intensive on the soul. It felt akin to forcefully scrubbing off all their grief and attachment to the physical world using your own soul.

    It was more intensive than 10 seconds of continuously spamming Getsuga Tensho.

    Which is why I immediately dropped out of Shikai the second his head separated from his neck.

    The crown of bone on my head disappeared as I gently glided down towards the ground.

    Something was waiting there for me however.

    On the ground was a head wearing a pig''s mask, lying a few meters away from a headless body.

    Professor Pyg.

    "Trigon must have used his body as basis for a complete possession."

    Chase spoke out.

    "Yeah..."

    I replied, staring at the wide eyes forever imprinted on his face. He was undeniably dead and his soul was a living proof of that.

    A grey ball of soul energy that floated above his dead corpse. It was a dirty thing.

    Still...

    "Are you sure?"

    Chase asked as I stepped forward to perform the Konso on Jaznoz Valentine.

    "Evil or not, its my duty now. This poor bastard needs to cross over to the other side. His judgement awaits him there."

    I answered, landing the tip of the sword gently on the grey ball.

    There was a brief flash of light and the soul ascended towards the heavens. I watched it leave, plunging into the white light.

    "A lesser man would have held a grudge."

    Chase commented.

    "Are you trying to compliment me?"

    I asked him with an upturn of is lips.

    "Actually..."

    Chase'' voice underwent a change, sounding embarrassed, an emotion I never thought he could even feel.

    "We have a slight problem."

    A second later I understood why.

    "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

    Raven''s voice called out as white chains rose out of a magic circle on the ground to encircle me, binding me tightly to the point I couldn''t move.

    Raven appeared in a flash of white energy. Her face was set in a rictus of anger and betrayal as she looked at me. I almost couldn''t take the latter.

    "Chase!!!"

    I called out at my Zanpakuto spirit. He was supposed to watch her!

    "She woke up the instant you destroyed Trigon''s vessel. She''s...very stubborn."

    The Zanpakuto spirit told me.

    "Very very stubborn. She threatened to start singing Friday at full volume."

    I sighed. Okay that was a valid threat. Still, now I had to deal with a pissed off teenager.

    "You!!"

    Raven ground out, the chains tightening around my body.

    "You had no right! I was the one who was supposed to take him out! Not You!"

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "You do understand he''s an evil son of a bitch who can never be truly killed, right?"

    I asked her, causing her to blink in surprise.

    "What''s more important, your destiny or stopping him?"

    I added, flexing my body and snapping the white chains, frowning at the effort it took me.

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    Raven lowered her hand, looking lost.

    "I..."

    "Get ready."

    Chase informed me as I walked closer to Raven.

    "I just..."

    She begun, only for me to slam the pommel of my sword on her forehead.

    With a loud screech, Trigon''s spirit left her, rising to the sky in a cloudy and black mist.

    "What?..."

    Raven asked as strength left her.

    I was there to hold her body before she fell. Trigon''s spirit hissed in discontent, trying to flee.

    "He tried to possess you due to the connection you both have. Stay here and don''t move!"

    I told her before taking to the sky in pursuit.

    A Shunpo deposited me before Trigon''s path, blocking his way towards Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Catwoman and the other Justice League members.

    I smiled, twirling my Scythe.

    "I knew you would try to possess someone in order to drag this out."

    I told the spirit.

    The red eyes at the center of it''s fluid misty form narrowed. It immediately changed direction and dove down towards a certain spot.

    Towards the only other body available, now that I had prevented him from possessing any of the others.

    ''Just like I had planned.''

    "Yes. And this time, no Mercy."

    Chase told me.

    I hardened my heart, blasting away in a Shunpo.

    Yeah. No Mercy. I had given him many chances to prove that although he couldn''t be on my side, he didn''t need to be an enemy.

    "Just like I thought, he was useful after all."

    I answered Chase, plunging after the Dark Entity.

    Trigon slammed onto Constantine''s chest, his black and misty form squeezing through the Magician''s nostrils, mouth and ears.

    His eyes barely flashed red before I was there, one hand shoved through his chest. The build up of magic that had just begun brimming inside him stopped.

    Blood burst through his back, coating my palm. My hand had speared through his rib cage, destroying his heart.

    His eyes flashed red, his face changing into a panicked expression, one that was wide with fear.

    "Noooo!!!...aargghhddgg! You will pay for this Mortal!"

    Constantine said but the voice wasn''t his.

    There was a flash of yellow, Constantine''s magic, and Trigon''s influence disappeared.

    The exorcist''s face went back to normal. A trail of blood fell down the corner of his lips as he stared at me with...a stunned expression. He couldn''t believe it.

    I pulled in close.

    "In case you were wondering how sacrificing one self feels like, Constantine, this is it."

    A groan escaped him as more blood sprayed out of his mouth.

    "Bloody..."

    He coughed out more blood.

    I slid my hand out of his chest, holding him before he fell to the ground, blinking in quick succession.

    "You''re going to die." I told him seriously.

    "I can save you, wash away your sins and regrets, send you into the afterlife. However, doing so, will release Trigon."

    I added.

    "Are you sure he''s going to accept the deal?"

    Chase wondered.

    "He will. If he doesn''t then it just proves that he''s not really different from what everyone thinks he is."

    My reply made Chase snorted.

    "Which is? A conniving bastard, who wouldn''t mind stabbing you in the back?"

    He shot back.

    "Even bastards can save the day Chase. We did it."

    He didn''t respond to that.

    Constantine''s hand shakily went to his shirt pocket, one soaked with blood.

    "Fuck...no smoke..."

    I sighed, going into my own pocket and withdrawing a single cigarette. One that looked beat up. Constantine blinked in surprise as I placed the lung killer on his lips.

    "Why?..."

    He stammered out.

    "Well...I used to smoke too. I never could get rid of the addiction. So I found a different way to deal with it. It��s a metaphor, you see. You put the thing that does the killing right between your teeth, but you never give it the power to kill you."

    A green flame appeared on the tip of my finger.

    Constantine stared at the flame with a strange look.

    "Before I light it up, here''s the deal. I can''t kill Trigon. No one can. But...you can drag him to hell with you. Make sure he doesn''t come back."

    I saw him listening intently. The only reason he was still alive being that I was staving off his death, just until he understood the proposal and made a decision.

    "So what will you choose? Salvation and redemption for your soul, or eternal suffering to make sure that Trigon never escapes? That he never harms anyone again?"

    It was selfish.

    It was harsh.

    But it was the perfect plan. One a strategist like Constantine would consider pitching to someone in his position.

    So it was very ironic it was happening to him.

    I felt someone enter my range. They flew down, gently touching the ground behind me.

    "Be on your guard. We don''t know if they will try to take you in."

    Chase warned as Superman and what was left of the Justice League arrived.

    Meanwhile, my eyes never left Constantine''s.

    "I...damn you...Davian..."

    The magician finally answered, face wincing in pain.

    "What do I have to lose...just a soul and a chance at redemption right? In exchange that cunt Trigon will be gone and I can finally avenge them..."

    Saying that, he took a drag of the cigarette as I lit it.

    The rest kept their distance, whether out of respect or something else, I appreciated the gesture.

    Something fell into my palm. I looked at the key Constantine had dropped in my hand and stared at him questioningly.

    "Kent...he would have wanted you to have the key to the Tower. It has a knack for being the home of strays. It''s... floating somewhere out there in the cosmos...when you need it the most, believe in magic and it will arrive."

    I nodded, tightening my hand around the Key. Funny enough, all this went down because Batman was too damn stubborn. He should have told Raven about Kent.

    No matter his reasons, that man had been one of the very few people Raven trusted. News of his death had hit her hard and put into motion the events leading to the destruction of Gotham.

    Atleast with the key she would have something to remember him by.

    The light dimmed in Constantine''s eyes and death took him.

    I stepped away from him, raising the Scythe and allowing the shrouds to escape. They took to the skies, hovering around Constantine and I in a loose formation.

    Instantly, I felt the power of the Spirit King leave me. The burning chains, cat skull, large weapon, all faded away into spirit energy, leaving behind a loose connection to...somewhere.

    "Are you sure that was wise?"

    Chase wondered.

    "Yeah. I can get to that level on my own. Besides, I couldn''t keep them locked away in my Inner World, they still have a job to do and with everything that has happened...I can''t help but respect Death. Whatever it is."

    The shrouds swooped down as a surprising bright soul, it''s beauty only marred by the roiling dark spirit contained at its core, rose up.

    The soul ascended with the shrouds accompanying it. Then all of them disappeared into the afterlife.

    Zatara stepped up next to me, his top hat placed on his chest.

    "He wasn''t a good man. But he tried to do right. Goodbye John."

    He paid his respects.

    "It has started snowing."

    I looked up at the descending snow flakes.

    "We need to talk."

    Superman said from behind me.

    "Yeah. I guess we..."

    I paused, tilting my head

    What was that?

    I could sense power unlike anything I had felt today, even with Trigon''s power up, coming from the location above the crater.

    The sky became brighter as we all turned to stare at...

    "Raven?"

    She was glowing white, energy held tightly in her hands. A terrible premonition gripped me.

    "Chase...what was the countdown for Raven''s death?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto, I immediately Flash stepping towards her, clearing the distance quickly.

    Only to smack on a white Shield.

    "It was 1 hour and 42 minutes ago..."

    Oh no.

    There was still a minute left.

    Raven''s death was never going to be at Trigon''s hands.

 RAVEN

    (Raven''s P.O.V)

    ''That fucking idiot! Gah, he drives me crazy!''

    Raven thought as she watched Davian fly after her father''s spirit.

    She could have gone after him. Helped him drive Trigon away now that he had refused Raven to imprison him again in the gem stone.

    Not that she had gemstone in the first place. It had been shattered way earlier. However, with her new power...she was confident she could transmute an ordinary stone into what she needed. A gem powerful enough to contain the soul of a being like Trigon.

    But...a part of her, a very huge part of her believed in Davian. He had promised her that he would deal with Trigon. Just because it was her destiny, didn''t mean she had to refuse help.

    Besides, this way Davian would not interfere with what was really important, fixing her mess.

    Her magic had undergone an entire evolution.

    If before she was a threat because of Trigon''s hold on her if she lost control of her emotions, now she was a threat because of her own personal power.

    She didn''t even know how it had happened. Belief always held importance in magic. Maybe reconnecting with her missing soul piece had allowed her to accept her heritage and breakaway from it.

    She had started out by fearing Trigon but at the end, after seeing how much destruction he had caused in just a few hours, the fear had been replaced by anger and hate.

    She had promised herself to never be like him. And that evolution of self, had propelled a similar evolution in her magic.

    The best thing, she could cite about the change was that her new powers were not meant for destruction.

    There was a light inside her. One that felt pure and good. Light magic. Meant to create, heal and save.

    It was the only good thing to come out of this. And she would use this light to make things right again.

    She rose up, heading in a different direction from Davian and the others. Her father thought he had her beat. Her father thought she was weak.

    She would show him that her strength was not dependent on any power she inherited from him. The high priestess in Azarath had always told her, light could be born in darkness.

    And if her father was the darkness, Raven would ensure to stand in opposition to him. She would be the light.

    She arrived at the spot where everything had happened. To think that all this had begun as a way to save a few kids.

    Now the Cathedral was gone, the kids were gone. Artemis was gone too. All of them, tens of thousands of people...their lives ripped away in a single second.

    The once sprawling, architectural hub was reduced to rubble, its towering skyscrapers nothing but twisted piles of steel and concrete.

    Her hands tightened into fists.

    She would make this right. Even if it took everything she had. She would make it all right again.

    Her conviction led to her manifesting her soul self. The white Raven sang with power as it manifested around her.

    "Raven!"

    She had someone call out her name. Davian.

    No she couldn''t look back. She couldn''t stop even if she wanted. He would understand. Maybe her destiny wasn''t to defeat her father, maybe her destiny was to undo his actions. And her own as well.

    So she ignored her friend''s voice, going as far as to erect a barrier around her. The White Raven spread out it''s wings, the light pouring out of it, enough to start purifying the area of the taint from the Lazarus Pit.

    Her powers told her the pit had been created by a demon. It was a putrid thing. One that rubbed the edges of her mystical sense the wrong way.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Raven looked out once more. At the Gotham Skyline. There were already news choppers and military air crafts in the sky, most steering clear of the zone that the fight had taken place in.

    Smart. The authorities seemed to be making their way inwards, but had decided to hold off on Coventry. Which was entirely destroyed.

    She could change that. She took a deep breath and begun to concentrate.

    "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

    She chanted.

    A soft glow emanated from her body, growing brighter and brighter until her form could be seen from anywhere in the city.

    The light spread out, striking the shattered buildings and streets below.

    She continued channeling her magic, the light began to spread, weaving its way through the debris and the ruins, knitting them back together piece by piece.

    The rubble shifted and settled, the broken concrete and steel reforming into their original shapes.

    Raven''s eyes remained closed, her face set in a look of intense concentration. She could feel the magic flowing through her, surging from her core and radiating out into the city.

    It was a power unlike any she had ever felt before, and for a moment, she felt as though she were one with the magic, and the magic was one with her.

    And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. The light faded, and Raven slowly opened her eyes. Below her, Gotham City lay whole and unbroken, its buildings standing tall and strong once more.

    Raven smiled in relief, feeling a sense of satisfaction and pride in what she had accomplished.

    She had done it. She had saved...

    Her body felt weak. And cold...so so cold. She lost control of her flight, as the White Raven looming over her faded into motes of light with another song, this one sad and mournful.

    "Raven!!"

    Strong arms managed to grab her from the air.

    ''Davian.''

    She thought, seeing the purple eyes staring at her in shock, hurt and anger. His silver hair was loose and framed his strong chin and jawline. ''He should keep the hair loose more often'', she noted.

    "What did you do?! Why Raven?!! Why the fuck would you do this knowing it would kill you?!"

    He yelled in fervent panic

    ''Oh, she was dying? Was that why she felt so weak?''

    "I..."

    She started to speak only for him to shake her head at her.

    "Save your strength."

    He told her, landing on top of a rooftop belonging to a building that stood on the street across the Gotham Cathedral.

    From the corner of her eyes, the gray color of the stone and marble making up the Cathedral''s spires seemed to gleam beautifully.

    The stone had the same light woven in it as she did. She had purified it and now it was back to being a place of worship and sacredness.

    Davian unstrapped his sheath from his hip and placed it on top of her chest. Immediately, vitality begun pouring in through to her.

    The power was immense, containing the same essence as she did, only difference being that Light Magic was not exclusive to her.

    His powers though...they felt wholly him.

    But she was light. And the light refused to be changed. Magic had a price. Of the price was her life...so be it.

    "Dammit! Why is it not working?! Chase, a little help here!!"

    He shouted.

    Raven found herself shivering. The edges of her vision begun to darken. She didn''t have a lot of time.

    Using that much power to restore Gotham had taken a lot out of her. Not only had she done that, but she had also healed anyone who had been injured.

    It was like the events of this morning had been wiped clean. Too bad she couldn''t bring back everyone who had been killed.

    Her hand weakly came up and touched Davian''s palm. The man she had saved looked at her with grief and pain. He had allowed her to find companionship.

    "Thank you..."

    Her body started flaking off into motes of light, similar to her Soul Self. The last thing she heard before the light took over was a single curse.

    "Damn you...Rachel."

    Rachel... She liked it.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    It all happened so...fast.

    One second, Trigon was no more. John had dragged his ass along with him to hell and then the next, the city was whole again, back to it''s old archaic structures and general gloominess.

    Except the gloominess was not entirely there. Whatever Raven had done, she had achieved more than just putting everything back together, she had healed Gotham.

    The trade off being...she was dead.

    Raven was dead.

    And I couldn''t save her. Her soul had simply flowed through my fingers like water. I couldn''t even touch it before it dispersed into light through the air, into... something.

    It felt as if she hadn''t moved onto the afterlife. Instead she had melded with this stream of energy that I couldn''t sense.

    I looked at the red gem stone on the floor where her body had been.

    "Is this supposed to comfort me?"

    I wondered out loud, grabbing the gem off the roof.

    Chase was quiet. I appreciated the silence. I hated being consoled. It made me feel weak and more times than not, it wasn''t even genuine.

    I felt a few people enter my range. I tightened my hand on my sword, grabbing the sheath with the other hand.

    I wish they would.

    I hope they try me.

    The first one to step forward was Wonder Woman.

    "I am so sorry."

    The first statement out of her mouth was not what I was expecting. It caught me off guard.

    Still, I wasn''t in the mood.

    "She died saving this wretched place. She died because Batman was too stuck in his ways. In his Paranoia. And yes, incase you were wondering, I am totally blaming him."

    None of them said a word.

    "She died because I was weak. She died... because this world is fucking cursed."

    I didn''t know it at the time, but a trail of tears was falling from my eyes.

    Weakness. The last time I ever shed tears was when Nick...

    "It''s okay to grieve. There is no weakness in mourning for a loved one."

    Chase finally spoke out.

    Fuck that. Be strong.

    I stared out at the city she had sacrificed herself for.

    This city didn''t deserve it. Rotten and corrupt to it''s core. She had brought it back, but it would only take about a week for things to go back to the way they always were.

    Fuck Gotham.

 Under The Surface

    (General P.O.V)

    Superman tried to step forward when a wizened hand stopped him.

    The Man of Steel looked behind him and saw the Flash, Jay Garrick shake his head slightly at him.

    The message was clear. ''let him go.''

    The former sighed, turning around and watching the young man, with so much potential it was astonishing, jump off the roof and into the air, leaping off invisible platforms before he blurred away.

    ''fast.''

    Superman thought, dreading the conversation they were currently about to have.

    "Clark?"

    Wonder Woman called out and he turned around, floating to the sky.

    "Not here. The authorities are on the way."

    He told them, simultaneously happy that he had stalled and frustrated by himself that he had.

    Then he was off, blasting away towards the general direction of Metropolis. The Themysciran princess narrowed her eyes at him.

    "Wonder Woman, we still have a few Leaguers missing."

    Green Arrow spoke up, his eyes narrowed.

    "Also, what are we going to do about these two?"

    Hawk-woman asked, pointedly staring at the two heroes from the future.

    Dawnstar fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable with the attention on them. Karate Kid waved.

    "Hi, I''m Karate Kid and this is Dawnstar, we are from the future. Specifically the 31st century."

    Wonder Woman rubbed the sides of her head. There was so much happening it was hard to keep track of.

    The priority, however was linking up with the rest.

    (Elsewhere)

    Dinah woke up with a gasp, knocking her forehead onto...

    "Ow!"

    Oliver Queen''s head rocked back as he clutched his nose.

    "Oh my god, Ollie are you okay?!"

    She frantically asked, checking him over.

    "I think you broke my nose!"

    He accused.

    Dinah shook her head.

    "Well, what were you thinking leaning close to me like that?"

    Quiet laughter could be heard from the side. That''s when Dinah realized that they weren''t alone.

    She narrowed her eyes. What was Catwoman doing here?

    "I didn''t actually think kissing you was going to work!"

    Green Arrow lamented.

    "What happened? How long was I out? last I remember..."

    Dinah said, legs swinging off the small makeshift bed.

    "What do you remember?"

    Green Arrow asked, dabbing at his nose with a tissue.

    "A bad dream. Gotham in ruins. Fighting Aquaman."

    She ran a hand down her face.

    "Yeah. That''s most of it. Except, it wasn''t a dream."

    Catwoman told her, walking closer.

    "The soldiers found you. This is an emergency tent, though now that the city''s back...I don''t think it will be up for much longer."

    The Cat themed supervillainess stopped infront of Dinah, handing her her leather jacket.

    "And what are you doing here?"

    Black Canary, now dressed in the jacket, pointedly asked.

    "A deal."

    Catwoman replied, flashing her claws.

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    "Oh."

    Black Canary said.

    "So you help him find his fiance and he helps you find Bruce?"

    She guessed.

    Green Arrow snorted.

    "Something like that."

    Catwoman smiled.

    "Let''s go then."

    Canary told them, getting up.

    (Undisclosed Location)

    "Load him up."

    Black Manta gave the go ahead and his men started pushing a metallic stretcher towards the hatch of the high tech Submarine.

    On top of the stretcher was Aquaman, unconscious. The stretcher seemed to be constructed with thermal radiators that kept him dry and weak.

    "The faster we get out of here, the faster I can get started on destroying Arthur''s legacy."

    The armored Supervillain said to himself.

    Then a fast moving object sped through his men, knocking them all away.

    "Yeah...no dice. Cant let you take the king away."

    Kid Flash told him, materializing before the hatch while staring at his nails.

    "You..."

    Black Manta growled, his helmet''s large lenses lighting up.

    Scarlet beams blazed through the air headed towards Kid Flash, who sped out of the way.

    The beams tore through the chassis of the Submarine, causing it to tilt and disappeared into the depths of the Gotham Harbor, the body of water connecting Gotham and the Atlantic ocean.

    "Haha, tricked you."

    The sidekick laughed as Manta ground his teeth underneath the helmet.

    "I will destroy you!"

    The supervillain promised, only for Kid Flash to point to the sky. Manta looked up and could only watch as Kaldur spun through the air, his hard water constructed hammer in hand, before he slammed it onto his helmet.

    There was dust cloud right after the impact and Kaldur stood victorious.

    "We''re taking you in Manta. Do you surrender?"

    He asked pointing a sword made out of water on the Supervillain''s neck.

    Black Manta merely groaned. Kaldur looked up to see Kid Flash give him a thumbs up as he and Red Arrow secured Aquaman.

    (Elsewhere)

    "So let me get this right, you used the Thrasher suit of armor to defend against Ninjas who were trying to access the Batcave during the chaos in the city?"

    Lucius Fox enquired, fixing his long time friend with a disbelieving stare.

    "Yes. And can I say, what a marvel of engineering that was."

    Alfred answered sarcastically as they descended into the depths.

    Lucius winced.

    "The Thrasher suit was incomplete. It''s cooling systems are not yet calibrated to keep the wearer safe when the suit is performing optimally."

    "Yes. Trust me, I found that out the hard way."

    Alfred said, as they finally managed to step into the dark cavern under Wayne Manor.

    "Why did you bring us here Alfred?"

    Lucius wondered.

    "Master Wayne prides himself in being prepared for anything."

    The butler replied, stepping towards the Batcomputer.

    The lights inside the Batcave lit up, showing a slightly damaged chamber than before. There were scorch marks and grooves around the room.

    "Which is why when one of his security alarms begun to go off, I needed your expertise on what the cause could be."

    Alfred answered, motioning with his chin towards the line of code going up the screen.

    "It started doing that right after the Shadows broke in."

    Alfred answered as Lucius stepped forward.

    The scientist stared at the screen for a few seconds before his eyes widened and he punched the table.

    "Dammit Bruce! I told him not to continue with the project!"

    Lucius shouted in exasperation.

    "What project?"

    Alfred wondered, a little dismayed.

    "Brother Eye. An artificial intelligence meant for global monitoring of events. It was supposed to be a peace keeping venture but there were issues with the code."

    He explained.

    "The program could learn but gave the most extreme methods in dealing with crime, citing efficiency. Bruce promised me that he would discontinue it."

    Lucius concluded, his fingers running above the keys of the batcomputer.

    "If Brother Eye is let loose into the world...leave alone Gotham, the whole world will be destroyed. It would be an existential crisis."

    (Elsewhere)

    Two hours and they were yet to find him.

    Two whole hours and Selina was getting worried. She had split up with the others and headed towards the tunnel system underneath, to try and find Bruce.

    Then she started hearing voices from up ahead. She clung to the corner of the huge storm drain, as a light from below shown.

    After making sure that whoever it was hadn''t noticed her, she crept along the wall, getting within hearing distance but straining due to the water running down the tunnel.

    She could almost make it out. The voices.

    "...Lord Darkseid."

    Catwoman''s body tensed. That name...

    Now she had to investigate.

    Her fingers stabbed onto the wall as she wound her body around the corner, neatly jumping off it to land gracefully on a pipe that disappeared along the ceiling of the tunnel, incidentally looking down at the scene.

    She almost sucked in a deep breath.

    A large group of White Martians were busy setting up, unloading heavy machinery and hover crates of weapons from a swirling yellow portal at the side.

    Standing next to the portal was a man in a grey cloak that exuded an aura of malevolence. Next to him was a White Martian that looked to be the leader.

    An invasion. Not even a day later and someone was trying to take advantage of the commotion, to cause more.

    The ceiling above distorted as a green skinned Martian phased through behind her.

    Catwoman had no time to react before she was under the Martian''s mind control.

    (Later)

    "Stewart to the Watchtower."

    Green Lantern called out through the comms.

    "Proceed Green Lantern."

    Red Tornado gave the go ahead, just as the Zeta tube lit up and most of the Justice League members walked in, with a few exceptions.

    "So huh, remember how we''re all looking for Batman and Hal? Yeah...I have some bad news. Hal is dead."

    Stewart announced through the holographic projection, his face set in a frown.

    There was a moment of silence as the others gathered around the meeting table.n

    "What about Batman?"

    Wonder Woman questioned, arms crossed over her chest.

    "Its... complicated. I''m pulling up on the Watchtower now, you will see what I mean."

    With that, the transmission ended.

    The League members stared at one another.

    "Shayera could you please show the children to the cafeteria, I''m sure they must be hungry."

    Wonder Woman ordered.

    Hawk-woman gave a nod and walked out of the meeting hall, Karate kid and Dawnstar following after him.

    The Zeta tube lit up just as they had left, the Flash, Jay Garrick walked in with a frown on his face.

    He blinked at the quiet room.

    "What happened?"

    He asked.

    "Hal is...gone. Green Lantern apparently found Batman as well."

    Green Arrow answered, sat next to Black Canary.

    The Zeta Tube lit up once more, depositing Green Arrow and something else. A green cocoon that trailed behind him.

    Inside of the cocoon lay a badly burnt man, his skin was disfigured but the ring on his finger, glowing green covered him in a healing shroud. His body was slowly regenerating.

    "Bruce!?"

    Canary yelled, walking quickly towards the cocoon.

    "That''s Hal''s ring. He was caught in the blast and died, his ring chose Batman as it''s next wielder, saving his life. The ring seems to be different now. Somehow. Maybe due to the clash of energies...but, it''s not working properly."

    Stewart explained.

    "I found him at the edge of the Solar System, drifting away and on a low charge. It''s doing all it can to keep him alive.

 Thanks Rachel.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Gotham wasn''t like any other place I had seen.

    The architecture was just really different. It was in a way, fancy and regal.

    Even the hood, it had this certain substance I couldn''t relate too. Maybe it was because they had grown up in a world of monsters and gods. People who wouldn''t go down to guns.

    The only worst thing I ever experienced was getting shot and jail, here you could lose your soul due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    However there was one thing both my new home and the previous one shared in common. Loss.

    You never got used to it. Yes, you accepted it much easier but...when it hits you, it''s like the first time you ever lost a pet. Like the first time you ever lost a parent.

    Gut wrenching.

    I need a drink.

    I changed direction from the mindless path I was on. I was in East End, headed towards Robbinsville.

    The change in trajectory had me Flash stepping straight for Little Italy. Raven had loved to come Luigi''s Pizza before.

    It was also one of the only things, Chase even liked. That and Granola bars. It was a weird obsession.

    "Not. Weird. You just don''t have refined tastes. All you love eating are those green apples."

    He huffed from my inner world.

    "When I was young...if you failed a run or couldn''t sell your shit fast enough...you were locked in the basement and only given an apple. You had to make it last an entire week. Problem is...once you take the first bite, it turns brown and shrivels faster. I came to appreciate fresh apples after then."

    I spoke up before I could stop myself.

    Chase didn''t comment. I could feel his concern however.

    "That was a long time ago."

    I said and left it at that, only noting that Raven would have shared her own sad story to try and one up me.

    She was petty like that sometimes. The best moments with her were when we were both silent.

    Not talking.

    It sounds counterproductive to any relationship but...it was calming, either she would be flipping the pages of her books or she would be trying to teach me how to properly meditate.

    Not to say that things wouldn''t get rowdy with us. We trained, sparred a lot...we even had the idea to come up with a few combos when we found out that we made a good team.

    A shame we never really got to show it off that much.

    She was the support and I was the forward.

    I passed by Luigi''s Pizza in a flash.

    The spars usually got so heated, I was left with no energy afterwards. Mostly, the intensity I approached the training with, was fueled by what Deathstroke had said. apparently I left myself open.

    Raven had beaten that out of me. We hadn''t been together for long but, she had influenced so much.

    My mind begun buzzing, my surroundings blurring as I realized how much she had come to mean to me. I stopped on the roof of a building 4 blocks past Luigi''s.

    I fell to my knees. Why were my hands shaking? My skin was so numb. My mouth felt as dry as sandpaper. I removed the oni mask from my face, letting it clatter onto the floor.

    I''ve always hated this feeling. The hopelessness. Knowing that a good thing was over and all you had left of that person was memories. No more catching her painting her toes sneakily.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    No more sparring. Or kicking bad guy butt. Gotham had a lot of criminals, woulda thought?

    I tensed as something fast entered my Reikaku, running up the roof of the building I was on, to appear behind me in a blur.

    "Are you alright son?"

    Someone asked, gently placing a hand on my shoulder.

    The hopelessness was momentarily pushed to the side. The lump in my throat went away and my vision stopped being blurry. Anger started surging up to the forefront of my mind.

    Why couldn''t they fucking leave me alone?

    Breath escaped me in a shudder as I squared my shoulders, a hand on the pommel of my sword.

    "What. Do. You. Want?"

    I bit out without looking behind.

    There was a brief silence. Then he walked forward.

    "You saved my life Kid."

    The voice sighed, stopping beside me. I looked at the weathered face of Jay Garrick.

    His face was gratitude heavy and when he spoke his words rang with earnestness.

    "Your friend saved even more. She saved everything."

    "Yeah." I snorted, head turned to the sky.

    "And she''s dead."

    Jay blinked.

    "I..."

    I shrugged him off, walking away.

    "Go home Old man. I''m sure you have loved ones who might worry over you."

    "What about you?"

    He asked softly. Sympathy. Pity. I hated that. I wasn''t the only one who had lost someone. It wasn''t even the first time. I could handle it.

    "Bore someone else with those empty platitudes. I''m going to be okay. I''m used to it."

    Then I slipped into a Shunpo.

    I said a lot back there. Not just to Chase but also the Flash. Maybe, I had needed someone to talk to. Gah, Raven would have understood, even without me talking.

    "That was a good interaction. If it''s not a confrontation, you''re usually not very chatty."

    Chase mused.

    "What do you mean? I''m very chatty."

    He had no idea what he was talking about.

    "I don''t count."

    He smoothly replied.

    I could almost hear him stretching his back out on the branch of that tree he loved so much.

    "If it''s not a spar, those unfunny quips you make at criminals or a fight, you''re as quiet as a block of wood."

    Could he be right? I mean...was I boring? I mean that''s what a block of wood was essentially.

    I shook my head. Thinking useless thoughts just to avoid the big subject was not going to work anymore. Why? Because I had arrived at ''our'' place.

    The Junkyard was the place that we stashed all of our important stuff. Using her powers, Raven had managed to construct a small pocket dimension that was as big as an apartment bedroom.

    The entrance was tied to the door of a rusted Corolla.

    I made sure I couldn''t sense anyone through my Reikaku before entering.

    The small pocket dimension was stocked with emergency rations that I had insisted we get, two regular sized tents that I had procured at a discount from a thrift shop and a change of clothes, including 2 pairs of Hiking boots and thick socks to match them.

    You never knew when you would have to sleep outside.

    Survival training was something I had learned from an old Vet called Morris back in my first life. He had left the army after getting his hand blown off.

    The man had been a customer. The pain had forced him down the path of self medication and drugs. I had taken advantage of that and learned how to survive in the wild with nothing but a pen knife.

    Using the water reserves in the small tank we had inside the pocket dimension, I washed up.

    It wasn''t as effective as a shower, mostly due to the gunk that was stuck on my hair and the rest of my body. The clothes were going to have to be discarded.

    I scrubbed myself raw. 30 minutes later I had gotten rid of all the dried blood and bits of flesh. Also my skin didn''t itch anymore.

    I dried my hair before sitting on the small plastic chair in the middle of the room.

    The chair faced a rack that had most of our stuff. Raven''s important magic related things were inside a large trunk.

    There was also a med kit just in case I didn''t have access to my abilities and someone needed care. W few more things like the tents and two sleeping bags also had a place on the metal rack.

    Now what?

    "You need to rest, you''ve been running around since last night. Take a nap and when you wake up, we can plan our next step."

    Chase advised.

    I looked up at the rack. To be specific at one of the items I never thought we would need but stocked up just in case.

    A pack of beer.

    It''s been long since I had gotten drunk. Could I even get drunk anymore?

    One way to find out.

    The first beer bottle gave me a small buzz. It was only when I reached my fourth one that I realized...this wasn''t going to work.

    My body seemed to filter out the intoxication faster than I could get drunk. I stared at the half empty bottle and sighed. What the fuck am I even doing?

    I placed it to the side, walked back to the rack and grabbed one of the two sleeping bags.

    I spread it out, before lying on top of it, staring at the ceiling of the pocket dimension.

    It was a sky full of beautiful stars. Compared to the gray walls of the pocket dimension, the ceiling was outstanding.

    Speaking of which, How was the pocket dimension even active? Raven was dead right? What was sustaining the magic of this place?

    I blinked as a possibility made itself known.

    My hand went into my pocket and came out with the red gemstone. I hadn''t thought much about it but...through Reikaku, I could sense some energy still left inside. It especially felt prominent inside the pocket dimension.

    Not to mention, it pulsed gently. Almost in tune with the lines of magic weaved across the chamber.

    ''She knew I would eventually come here.''

    I realized.

    Which is why she created this gemstone. Left it behind for me.

    It wasn''t the same as having her around but...a soft smile worked it''s way up to my face.

    "Thanks Rachel."

    It was something to remember her by. With that, I let the exhaustion take over and drifted off into an uneasy sleep. One filled with nightmares about what I could have done differently.

 Hit Him Where It Truly Hurts.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I woke up.

    That''s an understatement.

    I woke up in a throne room.

    My first view was of dozens of Phantoms dressed in ostentatious and opulent garments, dancing around in the ball room.

    I looked around me.

    I sat on a throne, my left hand wrapped around Chesha Neko. The Zanpakuto was in the form of the Spirit King''s scythe.

    The other notable thing was my hand. Instead of skin and flesh, it was nothing but pale white bones. The fingers ended in sharp points.

    Apart from that nothin else was amiss. I wasn''t in my spirit king form, I touched my face and felt the skin there.

    Weird.

    I tried to get up from the throne but long chains wrapped around my mid section, tying me to it.

    The phantoms in the ball area kept on waltzing to a tune no one else could hear except for them.

    They moved along each other, in faceless forms. I swept my gaze around and raised my eyebrows.

    There were other thrones besides mine. The thrones were constructed around the chamber. On each one, sat a figure. They were even less distinguishable than the phantoms dancing before us.

    So I looked up.

    And I saw it. Saw her.

    A black butterfly, gently flapping it''s wings in the middle of the room. It gave one mighty flap and a black wind swept out, the Phantoms disappeared and I woke up.

    What a weird dream.

    "You''re up. Finally."

    Chase spoke up.

    "What do you mean?" I asked him, rubbing my eyes.

    "How long was I out for?"

    "It''s the next day. You''ve been asleep for more than 20 hours."

    Chase surprised me.

    "20 hours! How long was I in that place for?"

    I exclaimed, habitually running a hand across Chesha Neko. Good, weapon still there.

    "I''m guessing by your statement that something happened?"

    Chase prompted, making me sigh, before Tellin him about my dream.

    "One thing we can infer from this, is that you have caught the eye of a few... interesting parties."

    Chase said after I was done.

    "None of it felt malicious."

    I explained, tearing into some jerky.

    "If anything, I felt...like I belonged. That said, it is worrying, I don''t think any kind of attention from cosmic entities is good."

    "You''re right. Beings like those would only be interested in you if you were useful to their own agendas. I fear, we need to lay low for a while. And prepare as well."

    Chase advised.

    "Well, guess I have no choice. I''ve been thinking about it but now I have the answer, I need to leave Gotham."

    I sighed.

    "I don''t want to put anyone else at risk because some crazy magician or monster decides to..."

    "What''s the real reason?"

    Chase saw through my bullshit.

    I tightened my hands on the handle of the sword.

    "When I freed the souls trapped within Trigon...I could feel each soul''s unique signature. All 17,002 of them. Batman''s soul was missing. I felt Hal Jordan move on...but not him. Bruce is still alive."

    I ground my teeth.

    "If I stay in Gotham any longer, I am going to fly over to Wayne Manor and kill him. I want to destroy him. His ideals, his home... everything that makes Bruce Wayne Batman...I want to burn it all to the ground and make him watch as I tear down his legacy!..."

    Stolen novel; please report.

    I stopped.

    Then a long breath escaped my lips.

    "Why don''t you?"

    Chase questioned, more serious than I had ever heard before.

    Raven had only come to know of him closer to her death but... he''d watched our interactions.

    Raven had allowed me to forget all the fucked up things I''d done. She understood you couldn''t come from the darkness without staining your hands...yet she never judged.

    Chase liked her for that and in his own words, he was grateful that she had been kicking my ass in our spars.

    I guess...it wasn''t too surprising he was affected too. His next words proved I was right.

    "You know I would support you fully. You could want to burn this whole world down and I would be right there with you until the very end. So why don''t you want revenge? You''re more than a man, Davian. You cannot stick to the same rules as everyone else. Do what you want as long as you leave the innocent alone."

    I was shocked. Stunned even.

    "You''re right."

    I told him as I stood to my feet.

    "But I can''t kill him. Doing so would be bothersome because the good guys wouldn''t stop coming for me."

    "When they do, you fight back. It''s as simple as that."

    Chase countered.

    It was, wasn''t it. I looked down at my hands. It wasn''t as if I was weak anymore. Permit me to be prideful, but I dealt with an enemy even they couldn''t handle.

    The real question was, Could I do it? Could I kill Batman and choose a side in this stupid war between heroes and villains?

    I would stop being gray. And I would go the cliche'' route. The villain route. At least in the eyes of everybody. I wasn''t afraid of the stigma bit it would make things harder for me in the long run.

    On the flip side, Batman would get what was coming to him. I would avenge Raven''s death.

    Chase'' idea wasn''t completely terrible. Morally wrong? Yes. Bad? Maybe but...

    No. I couldn''t do it.

    Killing him would do more than just satisfy me, it would also stain Raven''s sacrifice.

    She went out as a hero. She finally chose a side. I can''t taint her legacy like that.

    "I can''t. I can''t kill him."

    I sighed in defeat, hands falling to my side.

    "Who said anything about Killing him?"

    My Zanpakuto spirit asked, then he continued before I could reply,

    "A man like Batman would not fear death. The ones who would be affected by it, would be his loved ones. However...attack his ideals and you have a willful man with no creed to live by. No purpose."

    I sank onto the chair, rubbing my chin in thought.

    "His ideals?"

    I muttered as my brain worked in overdrive.

    Then right there...the answer came to me.

    "Holy shit..."

    I exclaimed.

    Chase perked up.

    "You thought of something?"

    I smiled, steepling my hands together under my chin.

    "There is one way...and it''s the best way to make him suffer without choosing a side."

    Oh man...this...this would hurt him far more than simply Killing him.

    "Well, don''t keep me waiting. Share with the rest of the class."

    Chase became impatient

    "It''s to do with Arkham Asylum. There is one rule that Batman operates with. No killing. The rest of the League has adopted the same rule. Mostly out of necessity methinks, not because they think Killing is wrong but because the world will look at them differently."

    I paused while playing with the red gemstone in my hand.

    "The only ones who believe in that rule are mostly Batman and Superman. A few more like Canary maybe but the rest..."

    I shook my head while chuckling.

    "Green Lantern was in the army, the Hawk people are Thanagarian warriors, Wonder Woman is an Amazon, Green Arrow used to be a violent Vigilante...all of them have taken a life or two."

    "I still don''t understand what you''re getting at."

    Chase replied.

    "Come on, it''s so obvious! If I want to really make him pay, the answer lies with his Rogue gallery!"

    A few seconds later...

    "Oh."

    Realization dawned on my Zanpakuto.

    "I am impressed. This...this will change things."

    And I could hear it in his tone too. He really was impressed.

    I mean, the idea was flawless and simple.

    Batman''s actions had led to me losing my friend. So I would do the same. But with a twist.

    Instead of his friends, I was going to kill every single one of Batman''s villains. And I would start with the prince of Crime.

    "And the best part? The people will be on my side. After all, I''m the one who dealt with the genocidal, psychotic maniacs. Permanently. He on the other hand will be a protector with no one to protect against. A symbol of fear with no one left to be afraid of him."

    I got off the chair, walking towards the large trunk on the metal rack. The one that contained most of Raven''s goodies.

    "It''s almost poetic."

    I told Chase while searching for the lock. I didn''t find any. However, there was a small slot in the middle of the lid. I looked at the gemstone in my hand before placing it in the slot.

    There was a click and the trunk opened. Nice.

    I lifted the lid, revealing a neat arrangement of spell books and tomes.

    "To do this without being stopped, I''ll need more power. Batman''s Rogue gallery is not known for fire power but, they are ruthless and unpredictable."

    And it was varied. You had guys like Killer Croc who were clearly superhuman then others like the Condiment King, who was basically harmless and just comedic relief.

    "I need to be stronger. Stronger to the point that none of their tricks matter."

    I explained, grabbing a large book with the symbol of the sun on the front of the cover and the moon at the back.

    "You can''t learn magic. You tried."

    Chase reminded me.

    "I know. But you told me that I could move on to higher Kido right? I can''t remember a lot from Bleach so that means I''ll have to come up with some more of my own. I can use these tomes and spells as a reference/basis for what I want, creating more original Kido spells like Akai Inazuma."

    I knew it was a long shot but...I was willing to give it a try.

    "Fine. It''s your choice. However, you need to know how to fight with a sword. The right way."

    He added a compromise.

    "You''re right. Zanjutsu is my weakest skill. Against a true master like Wonder Woman, I would lose 9 times out of 10. Maybe 6 out of 10, if I used the Shikai. I was lucky she was possessed and the spirit inside her didn''t know how to use her power."

    "I have an idea. That tiger guy owes you a favor right? You saved his life. Why not ask him to train you for some time? It''s not like the villains are going anywhere anytime soon. Especially with Batman''s no Killing rule. That will also allow you to gather information about their whereabouts and powers while preparing."

    Chase advised.

    Immediately, a smile wormed it''s way onto my face.

    "Yeah. That could work. That could work perfectly."

    Bronze Tiger owed me a favor. And getting trained by someone like him would allow me to face off again pretty much...anyone.

 Brother Eye

    Chapter 77 Brother Eye.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Gotham residents this morning of December the 16th, woke up to a shocking discovery. Half of their city was in rubble."

    The newscaster said, an image of collapsed Skyscrapers, shattered streets and smog appearing beside her.

    She continued articulately,

    "The outskirts suffered minimal damage in comparison to the origin of the massive explosion. One that caused a reported casualty of close to 50,000 dead, over 100,000 injured and millions missing. Emergency services quickly set up and begun evacuation."

    "Then in a surprising but welcome turn of events, Gotham was brought back whole. Most of the dead were resurrected with the exception of over 10,000 people. The authorities are still looking into the matter."

    Wonder Woman tapped an icon on the pad before her and the news report paused.

    "We failed."

    She sighed.

    The meeting hall was silent. All available League members sat around the large table for the debrief.

    "The 10,000 civilians we couldn''t save...they were sacrificed to Trigon to increase his power."

    Zatara informed them.

    "Without Davian and the girl, Raven...our losses would have been greater."

    He added.

    "That''s not really saying much when she was the one responsible for this catastrophe in the first place."

    Captain Atom spoke up.

    "But then she tried to undo her mistakes. She died to bring back a lot of people. The blame doesn''t lay with her."

    The Flash countered.

    "Who does it lay with then? Batman?"

    Superman sighed.

    "He is one of us. And we know he''s had...problems with the boy. What happened when you confronted them, Zatara?"

    Superman''s question made the magician similarly sigh.

    Then Zatara proceeded to explain everything to them. The whole interaction between Batman and Davian, the animosity each displayed towards the other, the lie that broke Gotham...

    When he was done, Wonder Woman punched the table, making the metal dent.

    "This time he has gone too far!"

    "I should have foreseen this."

    Superman sighed, running his palm across his face.

    "We let this happen."

    "No we didn''t. It''s true that we saw the signs. Bruce was mind controlled. That usually leaves scars. We chose to trust that he would overcome that trauma but the incident only increased his Paranoia. He needs help, not persecution."

    Black Canary defended him.

    "He indirectly caused the deaths of over 10,000 people. Does that mean nothing?"

    Wonder Woman demanded.

    "Will the families who lost their loved ones accept that he needs help?"

    "And he has also saved millions more." Canary countered getting off her seat, to glare at Wonder Woman.

    "We know there wouldn''t be a Justice League without Bruce."

    The hall immediately devolved into arguments.

    The two Legionnaires outside the hall looked at one another in consternation.

    "Huh...it doesn''t usually get that heated. Any moment now and they will calm down."

    Shazam told them from where he was leaning on the wall.

    "Probably."

    He added as the shouting increased.

    "We understand. All teams must argue, it''s how you know they care enough."

    Dawnstar assured.

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    "You should see our annual general meetings. Someone usually ends up shoved through a wall."

    Karate Kid added.

    ******

    "Hal is dead."

    Stewart said, Killin the argument going on.

    "But you would rather argue over a man who is not even conscious to defend himself. When did we get so... unfocused?"

    The Lantern questioned morosely.

    He looked at each of them. The faces of the League reflected back at him showed shame, anger and worry.

    He stood up from his seat.

    "I need to go arrange his...send off. I also need to contact friends and families."

    He turned to Red Tornado.

    "Could you inform me when Batman wakes up? The Guardians will want to speak to him."

    Then he flew off. No one stopped him.

    ******

    "See, I told you they would calm down."

    Shazam spoke up once the arguing stopped.

    "So..you guys are from the future huh?"

    The Champion of the gods asked nervously.

    Karate Kid smirked, sharing a look with Dawnstar.

    "Don''t worry, we won''t tell anyone your secret."

    "Oh...thanks."

    Shazam breathed out a sigh of relief, then he stood up straighter, tapping his ear piece as communication came through.

    "They''re ready for you."

    Shazam informed the two Legionnaires.

    ******

    Dawnstar couldn''t believe she was inside the Justice League''s famous Watchtower.

    It had been destroyed and rebuilt so many times in the future it was crazy.

    They stepped through the entrance and found themselves the object of every Leaguers attention. She shared a nod with Karate Kid before stepping forward.

    "My name is Dawnstar and this is Karate Kid. We''re both from the 31st century."

    She formally introduced the both of them.

    "31st century? That''s a long way from home. How are the others?"

    Superman asked.

    Out of everyone, The Man of Steel was more familiar with the Legion of Superheroes from the future. They had called upon his assistance many times before.

    Karate Kid reached into his pocket, withdrawing a small triangular object.

    "Bouncing Boy says hi. He also told us to give you this."

    He threw it at the Man of Steel who grabbed it and turned it over in his hands. The object had the symbol of the house of El.

    "What is it?"

    The Man of Steel asked with a frown but both Legionnaires shrugged in ignorance.

    "He didn''t say. Only that you''re apparently the only one who can open it."

    Dawnstar replied.

    "Thank you."

    The Kryptonian nodded in gratitude.

    "Now then, I''m sure you didn''t come all this way to deliver just that."

    Green Arrow addressed them.

    "We didn''t."

    Dawnstar agreed.

    "We were sent back here to warn you of a catastrophe. One that will make the Gotham incident look tame in comparison."

    Her words filled everyone with trepidation.

    "15 years from now, a virus one created by an Artificial Intelligence called Brother Eye, manages to wipe out half of the human population."

    She started off grimly.

    "That was the original timeline. The virus will be unleashed sometime this year."

    At this, the already low mood plummeted even lower.

    "You can''t be serious."

    Shazam said, a wide eyed look on his face.

    "I wish she wasn''t, but it''s true."

    Karate Kid replied with a shake of his head.

    "How do we stop it?"

    Wonder Woman questioned, getting right to the heart of the whole matter.

    "Before I get to that, you need context."

    Dawnstar cleared her throat.

    "Brother Eye was supposed to be an artificial intelligence designed to monitor the world of priority Alpha threats. Then it would deal with them incase the League was occupied or unavailable."

    She explained.

    "Who created it?"

    Zatara cut in.

    Karate Kid and Dawnstar shared a look.

    "Wayne enterprises."

    Dawnstar answered.

    "Why am I not surprised?"

    Wonder Woman bit out, looking towards Canary.

    "This only proves my point."

    The latter said nothing, merely sighing and turning to the Legionnaires.

    "There must be a reason why. We all know Batman, he wouldn''t do something that risky without a good reason."

    "You''re right." Karate Kid crossed his hands together.

    "This involves a few things we''re not allowed to say, lest we change the future."

    "You being here has already altered the timeline."

    The Flash was quick to remind him.

    "Yes and no."

    Dawnstar replied before her colleague could. She held up her hand, on one of the fingers was a ring with a stylized L on the signet.

    "This is a legion ring. Apart from the flight capabilities, Braniac 5 fiddled with the settings so anything not concerning the reason why we came back is out of our capabilities to change."

    "The rings are shielded by a temporal matrix that aligns probability with every major time point of the original timeline."

    She concluded.

    "In other words, even if we tell you what threats you might face tomorrow, you won''t be able to change anything. The words might come out garbled and nonsensical."

    Karate Kid simplified.

    "That makes no logical sense. You''ve already shifted the timeline by being here. You''re not in control of our actions..."

    Green Arrow debunked.

    "That is true. But you''re missing the point."

    Dawnstar answered.

    "Braniac accounted for our presence. The time and place for our arrival was meticulously calculated as to have a 0.000023% effect on the 31st century''s timeline. That number goes up exponentially with every major spoilers we give you."

    "The kind of intellect it would take for someone to make all those calculations is... unimaginable."

    The Flash marvelled.

    "Well, he''s not the only 12th intellect level being in the universe for nothing. Braniac is smart in all caps."

    Karate Kid told him.

    "Back to Brother Eye, if you won''t tell us why Bruce creates a genocidal maniac, at least tell us who unleashes it."

    Hawk-woman told them.

    Dawnstar had a downcast expression as she answered.

    "That we don''t know. The only thing we''re sure of, is that it will happen sometime in 2010."

    "There''s a way we can find that out."

    Red Tornado''s robotic voice cut through the atmosphere.

    Everyone turned their attention to the android.

    "Batman reported a break in at his home. According to the report, the culprits were led by Talia Al Ghul and seemed to have accessed information from the Batcomputer, before Batman was able to stop them."

    "That gives us a lead. The information they accessed might have something to do with the Brother Eye project." Superman addressed the room.

    "If we can find Talia and her organization then we can hopefully stop this before things get dicey."

    Canary agreed with the Man of Steel.

    (Elsewhere)

    Sasha Bordeaux stood on the roof of a building overlooking the site with a pair of binoculars.

    This was a bad idea. A massive, terrible, stupid, dumb idea.

    But she was a soldier. Following orders was par the course.

    She tapped on her ear piece.

    "Target spotted."

    She informed command.

    "Affirmative. Confirm location is out of the blast radius?"

    A voice said from the other end.

    Sasha swept her gaze out at her men.

    "We are. Do it."

    She gave the go ahead.

    "Initiating attack."

    With those ominous words, the sky lit up.

    Then a ray of red energy fell ontop of the Junkyard just as Davian stepped out of the pocket dimension, through the rusted car door.

    He looked up and saw the brilliant attack headed for him and all he could say was,

    "Huh?"

 Ambush

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    It wasn''t an exaggeration when I said that my Zanjutsu sucked, which is why I took every opportunity, to practice my Sword Kata.

    It was the morning after what was arguably my worst day yet in Gotham.

    A thin trail of sweat dripped down from my forehead, as I turned slowly, stretching my hip muscles to add more strength to the slash.

    Then I pivoted on the left foot, rotating before thrusting out Chesha Neko to my front, the sword held steady.

    The sword kata I was practicing was a mix match of different sword moves I half remembered from seeing on tv. The only thing that helped was the almost instinctual understanding of how to fight with a sword.

    This was definitely an effect of being so interlinked with my Zanpakuto, a soul weapon.

    My movements were far from what anyone could call fluid but I was getting better. Slowly. Progress would be even faster if I were to learn from a master like Bronze Tiger.

    "And how are you going to find him?"

    Chase asked.

    The same question had been running around my head the entire night, but I finally had a few options.

    "Artemis."

    I answered, cleaving the air before stepping forward and sending out a hundred slashes in a few seconds.

    The air inside the pocket dimension screamed from the sharp edge of my blade.

    Chase scoffed.

    "Are you sure that''s a good idea? The last time you saw each other, you realized she was working for Batman."

    I grit my teeth, picturing Deathstroke lunging at me with his sword drawn. I parried the blade in my invisible opponent''s grip, stepping to the right just as he transitioned into quick jabs intermixed with unpredictable sword attacks.

    "I know. But the only other choice I have is Penguin."

    I directed at Chase.

    It''s not like I knew lot of people in Gotham.

    I was never into comic books and anime like Nick.

    My escapism was usually done through weed, imagining a world without violence.

    Infact, if it wasn''t for him, I would never have come across Bleach or even known the little tid bits from Marvel or DC that I knew.

    However, I had been working to change that.

    Raven and I had spent a lot of time casing out regular meeting points for criminals. Places like drug houses, villain establishments etcetera.

    That is how we had come across Artemis. But on second thought, maybe she had been tracking our movements, waiting for the perfect time to approach us and create a connection.

    I stopped and cursed, letting the invisible Deathstroke decapitate my head from my neck.

    "I can''t go to Artemis. The sooner I do so, the sooner I''ll be embroiled into another confrontation with Batman. And if it came down to it, I don''t think I would let him go."

    I shook my head. This changed things.

    "That leaves Penguin."

    Chase said as I wiped my face free of sweat before grabbing a cleaning kit and begun to clean my sword.

    The edge didn''t need to be sharpened, as long as I ran my Reiryoku through it; which happened often enough, it would never dull.

    The pommel and handle however needed to be Polished regularly. Man Bats blood caked the edges of the cross guard and the grooves on the handle. I grabbed a small brush and got to work.

    Meanwhile, Chase and I continued to plan.

    "What will you offer him in exchange for his services? I doubt he will agree to help you for free."

    Chase highlighted another concern.

    "I don''t have any money."

    I said bluntly.

    That was not exactly true. I had about 3 grand snatched from criminals stashed away in the pocket dimension.

    However that was for emergencies and utility. Besides, I doubted it would be enough to pay someone like Penguin to find who I was looking for. Was it enough for a private detective? Maybe.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    But a P.I couldn''t exactly look for someone like Bronze Tiger. To get to that kind of guy, you would need connections. Connections I was sure the Penguin had.

    "Maybe he and I could reach an agreement. A criminal like Penguin would definitely see the value in a magical swordsman."

    I mused, holding up Chesha Neko to examine it.

    "Magical Swordsman?"

    He snorted.

    "Also are you comfortable with owing a favor to a criminal?"

    Chase enquired in uncertainty.

    "Who said I have to keep the promise?"

    I asked him and he went silent for a short time.

    "What about honor?"

    Chase finally asked.

    His question rang with curiosity, showing he wasn''t trying to judge but merely understand.

    I sheathed Chesha Neko with a frown.

    "You''ve seen my memories Chase, do you think even for a second I care about shit like that?"

    I chuckled in spite of myself, shaking my head.

    "My gang, people I thought were my family, tried to kill me. I''m done with all that bullshit. You mess with me, you get the heat. It''s as simple as that. People like Penguin don''t deserve my respect. He should be thankful, I''m not going to him for the express reason of killing him."

    "Be careful. I wouldn''t want you to mess up because of arrogance."

    Chase warned.

    "We''re all animals in a cage. I''m just looking out for my self interest and satisfaction. So I will lie, cheat and sacrifice for what I want."

    I added much calmer.

    Chase said nothing as I got up and walked towards the shower.

    20 minutes later, I was dressed in a clean black t-shirt, grey jeans and my fave boots. I didn''t need the Oni Mask. Not really. The plan was to monitor the Iceberg Lounge first before making contact with the Villain.

    I gave one last look at the pocket dimension before I willed for the exit to appear, thumbing the gemstone. A black vortex swirled in the middle of the room.

    I walked through, pushing past the rusted car door to appear in the Junkyard. The sun was closer to the horizon than I had expected, casting an eerie red glow on the abandoned scrap metal lying around.

    "Hope this works."

    I said, kissing the gemstone before pointing it at the entrance to the pocket dimension. I had pored over a few of Raven''s books, especially the one on dimensional energies manipulation.

    I still couldn''t use magic but I could anchor the pocket dimension to the Gemstone so that no matter where I was, I could use the stone to access the pocket space. It was a branch of magic called Occultism, i.e, using magical items to perform magic.

    The only prerequisite was having a little bit of mystical energy to activate the item. Spirit energy/Reiryoku could count as mystical energy.

    I just had to pour in a little bit of power and the pocket dimension was forever linked to the gemstone.

    Satisfied, I turned to leave the Junkyard and stopped.

    Why was the sky so bright all of a sudden? Within a Pico second, a huge amount of hot energy, speared past my Reikaku''s range, headed straight for my head.

    I looked up and all I could manage was a confused,

    "Huh?"

    Then the beam of energy landed.

    (Elsewhere)

    Sasha Bordeaux looked at the destroyed Junkyard. The entire zone had gone up in flames courtesy of the energy beam shot from outer space.

    She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no movement through her binoculars. The entire area was covered in a steadily rising smoke.

    The outskirts burned, with flames licking the high fence that had surrounded the Junkyard.

    Cars in the street screeched to a stop, civilians getting out and looking out into the destruction.

    She tapped her ear piece from her position on the roof.

    "Confirmed. He''s down. I don''t spot any movement."

    She reported.

    "Mmmh...I don''t believe he would go down that easy. The target has displayed high durability, capable of going toe to toe with Superman and Wonder Woman. Get ready for another attack."

    The voice from the other end ordered.

    Sasha sighed, bit her lip and signalled to the rest of her team.

    Her men stayed in position. Ready.

    Then another massive energy beam fell from the sky. The pressure blast swept out, buffeting them with a gale of wind that caused her hair to dance wildly.

    She was already looking through the binoculars. No movement. Maybe, just maybe they could survive this. She remembered, the first time she met the target.

    His focused and hard eyes as he swooped in, killed the Man Bats and proceeded to order them around.

    She shivered, remembering the...almost kingly aura he possessed. Looking into his purple eyes had made her feel insignificant, as if all her experience facing things that would induce nightmares and insanity in the toughest of soldiers was nothing.

    She tapped her ear piece.

    "Confi..."

    "Who the fuck are you guys?"

    A voice suddenly asked from beside her.

    Davian had appeared in the middle of the Argus'' agents, not a hair out of place. He didn''t seem hurt or injured in any way.

    "Impossible."

    One of her men said in shock.

    ''They had failed. And now they were going to die.'' Sasha Bordeaux thought grimly.

    "Ma''am, snap out of it!"

    Her second in command yelled, pulling the trigger on his gun and peppering Davian with bullets.

    The long sword in the target''s grip slashed out almost 100 times in a second, parrying and splitting apart the bullets.

    Then he swept his leg behind him, licking his lips in anticipation while holding the sword steadily before them.

    "I remember you guys."

    He said, directing the icy smile at Sasha.

    "You gave me Shield vibes but I guess you''re more like Hydra. Let''s do this then."

    Shield? Hydra?

    "What is your Status?! Agent! Come in!"

    The voice on the other end sounded nervous and panicked.

    Sasha swallowed, reaching out to her ears and removing the Ear piece.

    "We''re soldiers. Our duty is to follow orders."

    She addressed him, lowering her gun. Her men shifted uncomfortably.

    "Come with us willingly and no one needs to get hurt."

    She told him, well aware of her hypocrisy.

    "You just...tried to kill me."

    Davian answered, looking at her as if she was crazy.

    Dammit.

    "Orders. That''s all. But we can work something out. Let my men go...they were not part of this. I''m the one responsible."

    She told him, almost pleaded.

    Davian blinked, looking around.

    "Okay then. I''ll let you go...let you go unconscious."

    He added with another smile. This one predatory.

    Then he moved.

    The bullets from before could not touch him as he danced around the roof, disappearing in an instant before reappearing behind a soldier and knocking him out. Then he repeated the same thing faster than she could react.

    Within 2 seconds, Sasha Bordeaux was left standing alone.

    "Well, that was easy."

    Davian sighed as he stood over her second in command.

    Sasha aimed her gun at him and immediately begun firing, depositing the whole clip at him.

    He didn''t even bother to look up, his blade slicing apart all the projectiles.

    The gun clicked empty.

    The monster appeared by her shoulder.

    "You don''t need to tell me anything."

    The target soothed, massaging her shoulders gently.

    "I only need you to point me towards the one who sent you."

    Sasha knew her boss was listening.

    "Go to hell."

    She told him, but also used her thumb to point towards the sky.

    "So be it."

    Davian answered, before slamming Chesha Neko''s pommel on the back of her head, knocking her out.

    Then he stared up at the sky.

    "How about we pay our attackers a visit?"

 Aerial Combat

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I crouched, then flexed my energy.

    The roof broke apart as I pushed off, cutting through the air like a missile.

    ''I''m coming for you fuckers.''

    (General P.O.V)

    "Oh shit!"

    A tech guy pulled at his hair in panic.

    "He''s headed straight for us sir!"

    He reported to a man standing on a deck overlooking a huge screen that had a satellite feed above Gotham.

    "Activate the cloaking function on the Ark, now!" Maxwell Lord ordered.

    Then he turned towards another screen, this one on a pad in his hands.

    "Brother Eye is not meant to be revealed right now. It''s incomplete. Have your organization do something! I can''t risk exposing it to the world yet."

    He spoke to the figure on the other side.

    Deathstroke crossed his hands together.

    "You failed, Maxwell Lord. I don''t have to do anything. you underestimated him, and now he''s there to kill you."

    The terminator smiled.

    In an undisclosed Cafe in Italy, Deathstroke sat, watching the satellite feed he was patched into. The radar on the Ark captured something fast moving towards the large Argus craft.

    The boy had grown.

    Maxwell Lord growled, turning to his people.

    "Activate defense measures. Ready a team. I want him dead."

    Hr ground out, before looking at Deathstroke as if challenging him to say something.

    Deathstroke paid him no mind, still staring at the feed in anticipation. His fingers twitched.

    He wanted a rematch with him. Too bad he was halfway across the world.

    "Cloak activated."

    One of the tech guys said.

    In the midst of the clouds, a huge floating ship shaped like a Helicarrier, shimmered before disappearing.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I leapt off another air platform, the sheath on my hip glowing as I pulled on the soul of wind, creating spring boards that pushed me up faster and further.

    "Be careful, I hear something."

    Chase told me just as I cut through a white cloud. Gotham disappeared from view as I found myself among the voluminous, huge billowing constructs of compressed air.

    The peace was cut off by something fast cutting through the air to my side. The pressure blast pushed me away through the Cumulus clouds, then came the sound. A long roar.

    "Was that a jet?!"

    I yelled, pulling on the air to slow myself down. I stopped, looking around while extending my Reikaku as far as I could.

    The thing broke through the clouds to my front, then it started shooting at me. Very similar to an F-22 Raptor, with the color being a deep matte black and just a little sleeker.

    "Yup that''s a jet."

    Chase said.

    I smiled evilly. These guys had come at the right time. I could blow off some steam.

    I elected a shield to block the bullets. The jet didn''t stop, seemingly headed for a collision course. My eyes narrowed.

    The pilot inside pulled up at the last moment, going above me. A Shunpo threw me to the bottom of the plane. I unsheathed Chesha Neko, holding it in a reverse grip.

    Then I stabbed it into the jet, dragging the blade down and tearing through metal.

    Smoke rose from the underside of the craft. It lost control, beginning to spin on its self.

    I jumped off it just as it caught on fire. The pilot ejected in time, his seat getting thrown away as the craft exploded. The pilot''s scream''s ended as I appeared next to him, steadying the seat and pulling on the latch of his parachute.

    He was lurched up when the Parachute unfurled, then looked at me in fear. I slashed one of the Parachute''s ropes and the wind swept him away as he screamed a new.

    That was payback for trying to make me look like swiss cheese.

    He wouldn''t die. Probably.

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    I cut towards the sky, as another Jet zoomed past the space above me.

    Pulling on the soul of wind even more and in two moves I was higher up. Enough to feel multiple low spirit energy through my Reikaku. However, whenever I looked up, I couldn''t see anything.

    "Whatever it is, it might be invisible."

    Chase pointed out and I agreed.

    Before I could say anything else, more jets punched through the clouds, their trajectory showing they were coming for me.

    I twirled Chesha Neko. This is gonna be fun.

    They immediately begun firing, moving in a pincer formation.

    A shield habitually appeared at my front, ripples spreading out as it blocked the bullets.

    I slipped into a Shunpo, pulling on wind to add more speed to my movement.

    "Heerrree comes..."

    Chase started but couldn''t finish the statement before my shield crashed onto the nose of the first jet.

    Metal broke around me, fire licking at the outside of my shield.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Jesus! Whiskey is down! I repeat Whiskey is down!"

    Zulu called out through the comms.

    Maxwell Lord pinched his brow.

    "Those were two cutting edge jets."

    He glared at the screen, before tapping a key on his pad.

    "Listen to me, do whatever you have to but I want him taken out, he cannot reach the Ark. Fail and you''re dead!"

    He warned, cutting off comms and leaning back in his seat, hands clasped together in deep thought.

    The whole deck was silent with everyone nervous.

    "Ready the initializing sequence."

    After a few seconds, he gave an order and the agents hurried to fulfill it.

    On the outside, things were not looking so good for the fighter jet pilots. The 4 jets left, broke away from the formation to escape the explosion. Smoke obscured the position as they tried to locate the enemy.

    Nothing was turning up on the radar.

    One of the jets changed trajectory flying around the site of the explosion. The pilot frantically looked around.

    "Where is he?! I can''t see..."

    He trailed off as he heard something heavy land on top of his craft.

    "Zulu! He''s on you!"

    Another Jet, Tango radioed in.

    "Fuck!"

    Zulu cursed, spinning the ship on it''s end to dislodge the target. A blade cut through the hatch.

    "I can''t get him off me! I can''t get him off!"

    Zulu yelled, reciting and trying every flight maneuver he knew. The opponent however was too stubborn.

    "Zulu, I''m coming in hot!"

    Tango called out.

    "Wait...I... Are you crazy?! you will kill me too you bastard!!"

    Zulu yelled back.

    "Sorry. Orders are orders. Don''t worry, I''ll take care of your wife for you."

    Tango replied with a snicker.

    Alarms started ringing out from within Zulu''s cockpit.

    "Missile inbound! Missile inbound!"

    "Fuuuuck!"

    Zulu screamed, trying to deploy decoy flares and failing. Someone had taken those out. Of course...

    The pilot pushed the eject button and his seat was pushed out through the hatch, only for an arm to grab onto his seat.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Where do you think you''re going?...A captain never abandons his ship."

    I told the wide eyed pilot before plunging him back onto the jet just as the missile landed.

    I flipped, using the force of the explosion to throw myself towards the next jet. The one who had shot the missile and was responsible for his colleague''s death.

    Something was off. He had been too focused on Killing me to the point he had no moral qualms about taking out his fellow pilot.

    Chesha Neko severed the third jet''s right wing, causing it to lose control and start spinning in the air.

    I aimed a hand at the second craft which came from under me.

    "Hado 4: Byakurai."

    A long streak of yellow lightning shot out, landing on the jet''s nosecone. The pilot looked determined and not the least bit concerned as the multimillion dollar craft went up in flames around him.

    I flash stepped away, my eyebrows scrunched up.

    "You killed them."

    Chase observed.

    "I felt like I had to... something was off with them. It''s like they weren''t there."

    I answered thinking back.

    "I couldn''t sense them through Reikaku, which should be impossible. And the pilot''s behavior...they think and act like normal humans but...they''re like Puppets. Someone is controlling them. And my money is on whoever is leading this whole thing."

    I bit out, feeling a little angry.

    What was up with DC and mind control/ possession?

    There was a whine of engine as the last jet circled around, shooting out flares to distract me.

    "And then there was one."

    My form disappeared as I blurred after the jet. As if he could sense me, the jet ducked under the thing I had felt earlier. Cleaver.

    Invisible weapons begun firing from the undercarriage of the mega craft.

    I diverted the shots with Chesha Neko, pulling on my Reiryoku to enhance my reaction speed. What I couldn''t parry was blocked by the shield around my body.

    We came out on the other side,just in time for me to see another scarlet beam of energy fall onto my head from the sky.

    "Fuck! It was a trap!"

    (General P.O.V)

    Maxwell Lord, smiled, reading the biometrics stats on the pad in his hands. There were rows showing mental and emotional attributes.

    One of the benefits of O.M.A.C, even in its infancy was that anyone infected by the techno - organic virus could be accessed and remotely controlled through the nanites in their bodies.

    He had lowered the paranoia and compassion of one of the pilots causing him to shoot at the target despite the risk of friendly fire.

    And when that had failed, he had lowered the fear and increased the bravery of the next pilot, turning him into a Kamikaze pilot.

    That had also failed, so he changed tactics.

    This time he increased the IQ of the last pilot, coordinating with him to place the target in the ideal position for an attack from Brother Eye.

    "No visual movement from the target sir." One of the agents reported.

    "Keep surveillance up."

    He told them, walking down the stairs from the deck towards the operation room.

    Nothing was showing up on the feed. He tightened his hold on the pad, having the pilot do a few circles around the target''s last position.

    "Begin activation of protocol Dead game. We are going on a small vacation until the buzz that will be born from this little light show is over."

    The confirmation came in quick.

    Protocol Dead game involved hiding the Ark in the same layers of folded space that the core of Brother Eye occupied.

    It was off the grid in the most off the grid location in the planet, the edges of space.

    He would hide away there and complete Brother Eye. There were a few essential systems that were not yet functional.

    And when he came back, Leviathan would be the first to pay for almost wrecking his plans.

    Maxwell Lord was about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking that their target was dead when...

    "Sierra, where do you think you''re going?"

    He called out with a frown.

    The last Fighter jet broke off from its established trajectory, flying up to hover above the Ark. Lord had not given the order.

    "Sierra, I demand..."

    He started before he was cut off.

    "Jeez, could you stop shouting through my ears? Besides don''t you think you have more pressing business to attend to?"

    The voice was the pilot''s, only he was carrying a distinct Bostonian accent.

    "What..."

    The villain could only mutter before the floor under them broke apart.

    The Ark rocked and Maxwell Lord fell to the ground.

    Hundreds of purple strings cut through the hole, rampaging around the operations room, striking at the machines and people alike.

    Screams sounded out as someone landed on the inside of the craft, a massive hole on the floor behind him.

    Alarms rang out, with the technical staff scrambling to run away from the room. The agents huddled behind furniture, weapons trained on the intruder.

    Maxwell Lord got to his feet, a cut on his forehead dripping blood down onto the floor.

    "I can''t believe you C-listers forced me to use my Shikai."

    Davian said to the leader of Argus.

 Messy

    (General P.O.V)

    Deadman had finally arrived at Gotham. However, things were different from what he was expecting. Instead of a burning collapsed wreck, Gotham was the same as it always has been, albeit...cleaner. Not just the streets either.

    The murky air around the city had disappeared. Gotham was a cursed city. Brand absolutely, indubitably believed that.

    Something made the people here darker than they should have been, quicker to react on impulse. Quick to take the easy way out.

    If that meant stabbing someone when they refused to hand over their wallet or even after they''d handed it over...it was still the same.

    Gotham was dark.

    Which is why the few good people who shone like a beacon of light in the darkness were even more impressive.

    But that darkness seemed to have disappeared. At least for the time being.

    There was also something else in the air. A sort of feeling that Deadman couldn''t quite explain. If he had to describe it, he would say it felt like a thread. A spirit thread.

    Or thousands of them, winding through the city like strands of webbing. The threads all leading to one place.

    They were attached to a young man with silver hair and brown skin. This already would make him stand out, if it wasn''t for how the outline of his soul shone.

    It was a purple that almost obscured his real features.

    Deadman had never felt so...in awe of something before. Was he a god?

    No. The gods wouldn''t waste time coming down to the mortal world. Especially to a dump like Gotham. They had champions and Avatars for that. So what or who was he?

    Deadman had mostly come here to track down Constantine. Despite looking and waiting for him where they had decided to meet up, Constantine hadn''t shown up.

    So he decided to stalk the silver haired man. The man led him through the city at a fast speed. One that even a spirit like Deadman struggled to keep up with.

    After some time, the silver haired man stopped in a junkyard. He seemed to disappear through a rusted car door.

    Deadman finally figured out that it was a Pocket Dimension when he waited for the man to come out for more than a few long minutes.

    He resolved to camp out in wait. He was a spirit, he had no need for food or sleep.

    In the meantime, he tried to contact Constantine again. Even going as far as to briefly check out a few hide outs that he knew.

    A few hours were enough for him to come to the conclusion that Constantine was not in the city.

    The last option he had was Zatara. The Justice League''s magician had his mansion on the outskirts of Gotham. All across the city on the other side.

    Deadman chose to keep watch on the young man and then go to Zatara after he knew who the man was. A few days of trailing him were bound to reveal a lot of information.

    Of course Deadman was careful to never get too close. He could feel the man''s Spirit Energy permeate through a zone around him.

    Things started getting interesting for Deadman when agents wearing blue costumes descended from choppers to surround the Junkyard.

    Deadman had stayed away from the conflict. And in doing so, had learned a lot about the Silver haired man.

    He was like him. And also not.

    The Silver haired man could use his soul. Spirit Energy brimmed inside him as he fought. It was potent enough to even enable him to reinforce his physical body. Which was impossible.

    His powers were only highlighted when the fight changed into ariel combat.

    There Deadman had noticed the weirdness going in with the Pilots.

    After the ingenious move the last pilot did, he possessed him and then pulled around, flying the jet closer to the spot where the Silver haired man had

    Once Deadman was in his range...it was like time briefly stopped. Deadman felt himself exposed to something he couldn''t comprehend.

    He could only relate the soul scan Davian did on him to the meeting with his patron goddess when he had died.

    Complete and utter surrender.

    And then...Davian had turned away from him, springboarding through the air to approach the underside of the craft.

    "I''m helping."

    Deadman had decided. Unknowingly, his entire life would change based on this decision. The pilot, under Deadman''s control, pulled on the yoke, shooting to the sky, right behind Davian.

    And just like that...

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Stolen novel; please report.

    "I can''t believe you C-listers forced me to use my Shikai."

    I ground out, more than a little peeved by the man standing before me.

    I was in a high tech operations room. That is, if you ignored the damage from my entry. More of the Argus agents had their weapons trained on me while under cover. Just waiting for the order to start this show.

    "I''m guessing you''re the head honcho."

    I pointed a sword at him. Dressed in a tight black T-shirt, grey tactical pants and holding onto a pad, this dude reminded me of that arrogant bad guy you had to beat up to get access towards the true hidden boss.

    "Scarlet Devil."

    He chuckled.

    "Or should I call you Davian Mabuz?"

    I raised my eyebrows.

    "You know my real identity. I have no idea what that Scarlet Devil crap is. I only want to know one thing."

    I twirled Chesha Neko. Their eyes followed the movement of the blade.

    "Are you the guy I''m supposed to beat up for disturbing what I was hoping would be a quiet day?"

    The man''s smile seemed to widen.

    "You have no idea who you''re messing with. Let me show you, how out of your depth you are."

    His arrogance was off the charts!

    I almost felt a little in awe at his ego. I was even tempted to let him power up when he brought up his pad and begun tapping on it.

    Psyke.

    I appeared at his back, holding the small device faster than he could react to. Faster than any of them could react to.

    "I''m guessing this is how you did it."

    I spoke up, eyes running over the screen. There were sections I didn''t quite understand.

    However, the rows of attributes that seemed to come straight out of a video-game were indication enough.

    Almost immediately, a scream sounded out as his wrist started spraying out blood. No surprise there, seeing as I had sliced it off.

    "You...you bastard!!"

    The man yelled, taking a knee.

    "You can control people using this thing."

    I held it up. Should I keep it or...

    "It might be useful but..."

    Chase trailed off.

    "Yeah. It''s unethical for something like this to exist."

    I threw it up, then watched as it was slashed into small pieces no bigger than shredded paper.

    "No...no! What did you do?!"

    The Man dove after the remains, blood caking the floor as he frantically tried to salvage the parts.

    "Do something!"

    He shouted at his men.

    I jerked my head towards them, hitting them with the most unimpressed look I could.

    "Move an inch and you die."

    I promised, the strings I had turned invisible briefly flashing in the air around us.

    None of them dared to test me. Some even lowered their guns.

    I turned to the wannabe villain, placing Chesha Neko''s blade below his chin, turning his head to stare at me. His face held immense hate mixed with a little bit of fear.

    "I won''t ask you again. Are you the leader?"

    He forcibly calmed himself, still holding onto his wrist, only this time no blood was coming out of it. Infact...there seemed to be a metallic sheen at the severed part.

    The Man looked back at me, his arrogant smirk returning.

    "The fact that you have no idea what you''re dealing with is pretty funny."

    He started laughing.

    "Is this guy for real?"

    Chase wondered out loud.

    "He''s actually pissing me off. How can anyone so weak, be this arrogant?

    I had never heard Chase so...annoyed. it was almost funny if I wasn''t also annoyed by the guy''s attitude.

    I pressed the tip of my blade on his neck. A trail of blood dripped down his neck.

    "You understand, I can get answers from the others right? Which means I have no actual need for you. Tell me why I shouldn''t kill you right now?"

    To his benefit, he didn''t show fear. It was quite the opposite.

    "You think you have me at a disadvantage?"

    His eyes begun glowing.

    Ah. And now the true game begins.

    A menacing laugh escaped him.

    "I wanted you to think that..."

    He spread out his hands and the surroundings started to change.

    It was like time rewound. The destroyed chamber went back to it''s original state before I had crashed through.

    I swept my gaze around, taking note of the huge satellite feed they had over the world. The dozens of screens all monitoring Gotham. Monitoring the places I had frequented.

    "I took control of your mind the second you stepped in here!"

    He yelled, snapping a finger.

    The floor disappeared from underneath me as I found myself falling.

    I managed to stop my descent by creating a platform of Reiryoku. Only for massive shadow to loom over me.

    "This fight was already lost the moment I decided to use Brother Eye on you. What an overkill."

    His voice boomed out through the surroundings.

    I looked up and saw him, his body was gigantic. Almost as big as Trigon had been.

    He waved a hand and his palm crashed through the shield I had hastily created with my sheath. His long fingers wrapped around my form as he grabbed me, bringing me closer to his face.

    "Deathstroke thought I had failed. He thought that you were dangerous. That a single man could destroy Argus. Destroy what I have painstakingly, cheated, lied and killed to build."

    He laughed.

    "Where is the danger he spoke of?"

    "Mmh."

    I hummed, a thoughtful look appearing on my face.

    "I see now. He''s the one behind you. Or rather, you''re working for Leviathan. You''re working for Talia."

    I hadn''t sat on my laurels when Raven and I had escaped the Wayne Manor. I had tried to find out more about Leviathan. Unfortunately, there wasn''t a lot of news about them.

    Even Artemis who was very familiar with the underworld knew next to nothing.

    All I had going for me was our first meeting.

    Talia had seemed very interested in me. How strange.

    And if she was willing to go to these lengths just to capture me then why not just pay her a visit after I was done here?

    Speaking of which...the man whose name I still didn''t know was still busy monologuing.

    "Okay. Enough."

    I flexed my spirit energy.

    "What..."

    He pulled away his hand, the skin flaking off as thousands of strings lashed out and sliced into his palm.

    "How?!"

    He ground out, staring at me cautiously.

    "You''re not supposed to have any control in here! I am the master of this..."

    I landed a slap on his cheek, throwing him away and breaking the mental illusions around us as Chase took control of the man''s mind scape.

    By using his metahuman abilities to dive into my mind, he had left himself open for the same. Chase had a lot of abilities at his disposal and something told me that anything he had shown was but the tip of an iceberg.

    The mind-scape broke around us and we found ourselves in the operations room. It had only been a few seconds.

    The man''s body hit the floor, staring up at me like I was the devil. Or the Grim Reaper. He had no idea how right he was.

    "Any last words?"

    I asked him.

    "You...you tricked me. You were never under my control. You only wanted information."

    He said, almost lifelessly.

    "Duh." I answered him, tapping his shoulder.

    "I needed to know who I was fighting. Your mind control might have worked on someone else but unfortunately for you... you''re about to see why it couldn''t work on me. I want to introduce you to someone."

    He looked up at me and then scrambled backwards in fear.

    "Wait... please...I have money! Don''t do this! Not yet!!"

    A low rumble escaped the massive figure that stepped out of my shadow. His shoulders were taller than my head and his face was full of large teeth.

    "I normally don''t concern myself with you humans...but you remind me of a rat. A dirty, scraggly, smelly nuisance of a rodent."

    Chase growled out in a deep baritone as he stalked forward.

    "No!! Help! What are you!?"

    My opponent or rather...Chase''s victim panicked.

    Then again if a giant purple cat with sharp teeth and intimidating eyes stalked towards you then...it was only right you tired to run away.

    I looked at the terrified agents.

    "I would look away if I was you. Things are about to get messy."

 I Missed You!

    (General P.O.V)

    What followed next was brutal and slow.

    "Stay...stay back! I''m warning you!"

    Maxwell Lord screamed, looking for salvation but finding none.

    Chase growled, prowling towards the frightened man. He felt an excitement he hadn''t felt before. Excitement over an hunt.

    A long tongue licked his sharp teeth. Lord''s body quaked in fear.

    It couldn''t end like this. It can''t! There was only one thing he could do! They had forced his hand.

    He activated his meta abilities.

    The agents in the room went ramrod stiff, then as one, they stood up, bodies jerking as Lord dove into their minds.

    He would use them as bait for the monster as he begun to upload his consciousness to...

    That plan immediately fell apart when the numerous strings waving in the air next to Davian, weaved through the room, ensnaring each of the agents and restricting their movements.

    "No!"

    Lord muttered, realizing his situation was less than ideal.

    "Brother Eye! Initiate full integration proc..."

    His rushed words were cut off as a massive paw swatted him to the wall.

    "You talk too much!"

    Chase said in distaste.

    Then he pounced on Lord, sharp claws carving a slash across his chest. Lord cried out, grabbing a small pistol from his ankle.

    A bullet sailed out, bouncing off Chase''s fur.

    "That tickled."

    The Cheshire Cat snorted, a malicious smile spreading across his face.

    "My turn, little rat."

    The smile sent shivers across Lord''s eyes. He screamed as he emptied the entire magazine on it''s face...and nothing happened! What now? he was out of bullets.

    "Would you stop playing with your food?"

    Davian asked from the back.

    The cat''s eyes glowed as it pulled it''s enormous head towards Lord.

    "Gladly."

    Blood started spraying. Lord started screaming.

    Davian looked around. Turning his attention away from the disturbing scene. The agents were all incapacitated, forced to watch as their leader was turned into strips of flesh.

    Maybe the similarities between a Soul Reaper and their Zanpakuto were more than he thought, because Chase was just as unforgiving and vindictive as Davian was.

    Lord''s biggest mistake however was that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was convenient to reduce stress.

    Killing people was not normally how Davian relieved his stress but again...the relationship between a Soul reaper and his Zanpakuto caused a few things to bleed over.

    Chase'' bestial nature had made him a little bit more bloodthirsty than he was before. The scene before him didn''t bother him as much.

    Taking into account he was never a good guy on the first place...that wasn''t exactly a good thing.

    Still...he couldn''t afford to show his enemies mercy. This world didn''t allow it.

    Letting Chase loose on Lord was to make an example. He was sure Leviathan would get a footage of the scene.

    Infact he hoped they would, which is why he wasn''t planning on destroying the craft.

    And because he knew there were cameras around, he stepped closer to one.

    Davian put his hands in his pockets, staring up at the camera without saying anything.

    Audible were the screams of a man.

    Behind him Chase was shredding apart his victim.

    Blood was already spreading across the metal floor, managing to reach the back of Davian''s boots.

    Davian said nothing. Up until Lord''s screams ended.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Then he spoke, his tone deadly serious.

    "This is my first and last warning. I don''t give a fuck about Vendettas, so if you feel the need to come after me for what I''ve done here today, you''re free to do so."

    His hair fell over his eyes, casting a shadow on his upper face.

    "Understand however, that you will forfeit your life. Leave me the fuck alone, Talia, Leviathan whoever you are. Test me again and I will kill you earlier than I had planned."

    Then he turned around, and walked out of view.

    "You done?"

    Davian enquired from his Zanpakuto, playing with Lord''s hand like a toy.

    The spirit lazily stretched it''s limbs, looking more like a house cat than it''s beastial form indicated.

    Chase spat out the hand.

    "Yuck. It tastes like processed milk."

    He complained, walking over to Davian who shook his head.

    "Back in you go, don''t want you spooking the good folk of Gotham City."

    The silver haired man said, flexing his energy and unravelling Chase'' form into thousands of purple strings.

    ''How did he even know how milk tasted?''

    Davian shook his head, electing to chalk it up to more of his Zanpakuto''s weirdness.

    Then he retracted the strings around each of the agents. The men looked at him cautiously. Some hurled out their stomach''s content upon seeing Lord''s state.

    "Okay. Here''s the deal. You fuckers are lucky, I need to send a message. Next time you come at me though..."

    He pointed at Lord''s corpse.

    "Expect that to be you."

    The way they shivered brought a smile to his face. It wasn''t over, Davian knew that. But they had started this. And when it came down to it, Davian had less mercy to give out.

    No one stopped him as he sheathed his Zanpakuto and then jumped through the hole on the floor with a brief salute.

    "Sayonara."

    (A few days later)

    The Crystal Scene was a small but highly exclusive restaurant that had been part of Metropolis since the 80''s.

    It was stuck in between two buildings on the busiest part of the city, making it an ideal spot for the rich and powerful to meet and discuss business.

    Waller dabbed the corners of her mouth, as she pushed the plate with the remains of her steak away.

    "Tell me why I shouldn''t have you carted away this instant?"

    She growled at the woman occupying the seat on the other side of the table.

    The woman crossed her legs.

    "You could try but are you fine with the bloodshed that might follow?"

    She asked with a smirk.

    Waller growled again, grabbing her glass of wine and taking two large gulps. Then she snapped her fingers.

    Every single customer in the restaurant stood up, aiming weapons at Talia. The soldiers had Argus Logos imprinted on the side of their chests.

    "You colluded with a traitor to perform terroristic activities in US soil. I came here... hoping for a resolution but prepared for a bloodshed."

    Waller leaned back.

    "Your move."

    She added.

    Talia blinked.

    "Traitor? That''s the official story?"

    She raised her eyebrows.

    "We both know Maxwell Lord had friends...friends in high places. Friends who would look away when he did something that might benefit them. Maybe even the same friends who promoted you to take over from him, knowing something you don''t."

    Talia''s statement caused Waller to frown.

    The former then reached into her grey coat. Everyone tensed.

    Hugo Strange raised a hand and the agents behind him and Waller calmed down.

    Talia withdrew a pad, then pushed the device across the table.

    Waller looked down and watched as a video begun playing. Immediately a stone cold expression took over her face. She gripped the edges of the device tight.

    Him.

    Davian Mabuz. A prime candidate to what would have been the best Task Force X line up she had ever cooked up. All dedicated to one sole purpose. Getting rid of the monsters and gods of the world.

    The same man had cost her a lot of resources and man power.

    The video ended and the lingering taste of wine in her mouth immediately turned sour. The higher ups had seen it fit to dump Argus under her without even being truthful about what had happened to Maxwell Lord. Now she knew.

    Waller looked up.

    "Let''s talk."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "No, I''m only saying that if Superman really wanted it, he could cure so many diseases, eradicate world hunger by using Kryptonian methods to increase food production and make strides in tech. Imagine safe Spatial Exploration. Humanity could literally spread to the stars as early as now."

    I told the stupid cat as calmly as I could.

    Chase and I were arguing.

    "Why bother? For someone with that much power, humanity should be happy he hasn''t tried to impose his own views and morals on the world."

    He countered.

    We were on a roof( what''s up with me and roofs?) Overlooking the Iceberg Lounge. This was day 2 of the stake out. I might have been really powerful but waltzing into Penguin''s office without a plan was a dumb idea.

    There was a reason why a short, fat criminal with a long nose like him had survived in Gotham with all the crazies running around.

    I had a feeling he loved it when someone underestimated him. I wouldn''t. Tonight I was finally going to break in so we could have us a conversation. I already knew the shift changes, how many men he had and using my strings, where his office was.

    It was late evening and Gotham seemed to have gone back to it''s hedonistic ways.

    The street was jam packed with scantily dressed girls and Patrons pulling up to the entrance of the establishment.

    "And I''m sure you think that''s enough? Not imposing your views on a world that is slowly going to shit just to make the general populace comfortable with your presence."

    I replied, reaching out to the opened pizza box from Luigi''s and grabbing a slice.

    It was a sad way to live. Which is why the League was less than effective. Which is why they wouldn''t kill someone like the Joker or even advocate for his permanent incarceration.

    "The system is flawed. Has been, will be. It''s in the nature of the human spirit to seek freedom and control. Subvert that; even for their own good, and you have protest, uprisings, rebellions."

    He told me.

    "Oh that annoying guy is back."

    Chase added.

    The guy he was talking about was of course the spirit that seemed to follow me around, always keeping a distance from my Reikaku''s range.

    Smart.

    But not that smart as Chase could still sense him. I still had no idea how he did that and everytime I asked him he just said, ''figure it out yourself. You need to train anyway.''

    It was maddening.

    The spirit had not approached me after the whole Argus debacle two days prior. He seemed more... cautious.

    I had a suspicion he''d seen or felt what Chase had done to Lord and wisely chose to stay away but not too far to lose sight of me.

    So he''d followed me to the Iceberg Lounge when I went to scout out the place, and then back to my temporary home, the junkyard.

    I couldn''t use the storage compartment Raven and I had camped out because Artemis had known it''s location.

    On the Leviathan and Argus front, I was anticipating an attack soon. It wasn''t like I was trying to hide anyway. Any moment now, Ninjas dressed in all black and holding sharp weapons would jump out of...

    "Hiya Copkiller?!"

    A voice said as someone flew into my range.

    Oh come on...I got to my feet, a sigh escaping me.

    I wasn''t serious Murphy''s law!

    Secondly, how the fuck was Harley Quinn flying?

    "I have a guy in my head who wants to have a chat."

    She gleefully said, landing on the rooftop and then slamming into me in a hug.

    Of course, the spirit.

    "Harley...get off."

    I told her, annoyed.

    "Nope. I missed you!"

 Adjusting The Plan.

    (General P.O.V)

    Something was wrong.

    Deadman had started noticing...a difference within himself the more he trailed after Davian. His powers had changed. Becoming stronger.

    He was powerful to the point that he could now invoke his spirit-exclusive abilities while possessing people. That meant flight, phasing and a little bit of telekinesis.

    He had also developed an instinctual spirit sense not unlike the one he had felt from Davian. He found it incredibly useful for navigating.

    It felt like the process had started out when he had entered the Silver haired man''s Spiritual Zone.

    And when that...cat creature had entered the picture, the rush of fresh spiritual energy, this time tainted with something foreign had almost crushed his disembodied self.

    Not a lot could hurt the spirit, after all he had no flesh to cut into, no limbs to break, no blood to spill. Deadman was simply put, fearless because he''d gone through the ultimate source of fear, death.

    But this time...he was reminded of his days back as a trapeze artist, he had been the best too.

    There was a rush everytime he jumped off of something and every instant, in a small short span of a second, there was this potent fear that he would slip and fall.

    That he would land wrongly, that the rope would snap while he was walking on it...that he would lose his balance.

    He felt his own mortality whenever he thought of that scene from two days ago. A massive purple cat, licking it''s teeth while standing over the torn, ripped, shredded body belonging to a human being.

    Deadman had endeavored to stay away from the man and his monster cat. Staying away though did not mean, he couldn''t stalk him...so he did, keeping out of range.

    And thats when it had started happening, his abilities behaving weirdly. He stopped a mugging and managed to stop a knife from plunging into the body he was possessing.

    Phased a kid who had wandered out into the street through a car that was speeding down the street, too fast to stop.

    Then of course possessing a cat and making it fly when it lost its grip on a branch. Sometimes the adjustment from a bipedal form to quadrupedal one took time.

    The new abilities were welcome, even though it was bitter sweet. If he''d had them one week ago, he would have been able to save that sailor from drowning.

    Deadman had also noticed that his target was scouting the Penguin''s spot. This alone made the disembodied spirit do research on whether Davian was a hero or a villain.

    The results worried him.

    Scarlet Devil, is what they called him.

    And it was fitting as well, the Oni mask he carried with him was intimidating as hell. He beat up criminals and stole money and drugs from them.

    The drugs usually turned up at the GCPD but he kept the money. He was also a trending search after footage and images of him duking out with a possessed Superman.

    That part would have sounded unbelievable to anyone else. Not to Deadman though, he had seen it first hand.

    It didn''t take a genius to know that Davian was casing the joint, aiming to break in and do something.

    Deadman''s money was on beat up Penguin and steal his money.

    Brand would have even let it happen, if he didn''t know how ruthless and cruel the Penguin could be. If he couldn''t find the culprit, he would go after innocent people just to prove a point and keep a hold on his authority.

    He needed to stop Davian. Preferably through conversation, Deadman knew he didn''t stand a chance otherwise.

    But just in case things went south, he would need some back up but not Zatara level yet, so he approached the Tin Roof Club, Selina was a friend after all. No one knew the Gotham crime underworld like she did. She was the best for this.

    Of course Deadman was not prepared to hear that Constantine was dead.

    And that the Scarlet Devil was responsible.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    How come she was this Strong? I was considering using my spirit pressure to subdue her when a hiss sounded out from the side.

    I looked at the source and frowned. A plant snake hybrid leered it''s head over the roof of the 4 storey building. It was smaller than the one I''d seen with them a few days ago.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "You got yourself a new pet?"

    I asked, successfully detaching myself from the 5''7 clown who was now pouting.

    "Not a pet."

    Ivy glowered, the gently rubbed the snake''s head.

    "It''s a child."

    She said much softly.

    "We call her Snakey. I chose the name. Brilliant right Cop-killer?"

    Harley cut in proudly.

    "It''s Davian, not Cop-killer."

    I answered, turning away from them, more people were arriving. Seems like it would be a packed night. Perfect.

    That will give me enough chance to move in cleanly and out the same way. I wanted to avoid making any loud moves just in case the Bats got wind of me. Though, now that Harley and Poison Ivy are here, keeping my intentions secret was going to be hard.

    I heard hurried steps then Harley grabbed my shoulder. I looked back and it wasn''t her eyes.

    "Don''t you think you''ve done enough? Killing John is one thing, he was a bastard first, a friend second."

    She gritted her teeth looking inches away from attacking.

    "But this plan you have, is crazy! You attack the Penguin and it will be an all out war. He will try to prove a point and just because he won''t get to you doesn''t mean he won''t retaliate."

    Ivy tensed, I could feel her hunch over the serpent''s ears, whispering.

    I didn''t say anything, merely looked into her eyes...and then flicked her forehead. There was a small thwack!

    Harley''s head rocked back as a red outline flashed from her back.

    "What?"

    The spirit asked, looking at his hands in shock.

    "You broke my possession?"

    He asked in shock.

    "Mmmh, that''s interesting."

    Chase commented.

    "I agree."

    There was something different about the Spirit. For starters, he felt more tangible. As if he''d moved closer to being alive more than dead. His energy network was changing.

    Before, his power had been drawing from an unseen source. Now there was a very small spirit link between us. A very weak string that I could probably simply overpower with a flex of my own spirit energy.

    The plant serpent moved to lunge at me but my spirit pressure immediately suppressed all movements in my zone.

    Everyone crashed to the ground as if gravity had been dialed up all the way to 11.

    "What...is...this?"

    The spirit questioned breathlessly, face planted to the floor.

    "Hahahahahaha. It''s like a spa day! Like a deep deep massage...you know how to get a girl wet Cop-killer."

    Harley said from her position on the floor.

    "She doesn''t seem to be in any discomfort. Who is this human?"

    Chase sounded genuinely curious. I didn''t want to get into the headache that was Harley so I didn''t respond, instead walking over to the Spirit. The closer I got the more I could feel it.

    A pale white thread.

    I pulled on it and in response, his body shot out of the floor while under my control. It was like he was forcefully tugged and now I had my hand enclosed over his neck. How had I done that?

    "Your abilities have undergone a massive change, my Wielder. Perhaps you need the training more urgently than we realized."

    Chase theorized.

    He was right. Which is why wasting time talking to them was counterproductive to my plans. They already knew that I was after penguin.

    "Next time, you need a better disguise."

    Chase pointed out.

    "I could use the Shikai to form a thin layer of strings over my skin. If I can change the color of the strings, then I could basically have a mild form of Shape Shifting that would come in handy when I need to infiltrate a place."

    I responded, my mind already working overtime as I considered if it was feasible.

    A choking sound reminded me that I had my finger''s around someone''s neck. I had unknowingly tightened them.

    The spirit stared at me in fear, trying to claw my hand away but having not the power to do so.

    "Listen...I will say this once. Stop stalking me. I have little patience for heroes right now. Next time I see you, I''m giving you the Konso. Which is forcefully sending you to the afterlife."

    I growled, injecting as much seriousness as I could.

    His eyes betrayed his fear.

    "Of course, you wouldn''t have to worry if you were a good guy when alive. If you weren''t...then not even whoever gives you your powers will be able to save you."

    I withdrew Chesha Neko from its sheath with my left hand.

    Then I pointed the blade at a spot in his chest where his Saketsu was. It was the origin of the small spirit link between us. I applied a small pressure and severed it.

    The Spirit gasped, then slumped into unconsciousness. I threw him to the floor and he sank right through the concrete.

    ''Damn, hope he wakes up before he reaches the Earth''s core. Meh not my problem.''

    Something rolled on the floor, gently colliding with my heel. It was a silver bat.

    "Ah. Blasted! Sorry bout that Cop-killer, I was trying to stand up I swear! Not attack you when your back was turned away from me."

    She hurriedly explained.

    "You."

    I said in frustration.

    Then I withdrew the spirit pressure and everything could move again. The plant serpent hissed, it''s eyes filled with malice as it stared at me.

    I threw a look at Ivy and she immediately tensed in a little fear.

    "Let me make something clear."

    I addressed both of them.

    "Just because we fought together doesn''t mean shit. We are not friends. We will never be friends." Harley looked as if I had slapped her.

    "This city took something from me. I''m going to take something away from it."

    I told them, walking towards the edge of the roof.

    "You. The cancer that grows off it."

    I could feel Ivy gritting her teeth. Harley on the other hand, had her lips slightly parted. A strange expression present on her face.

    "Stay on the straight and narrow. Otherwise, we''ll meet sooner than you think."

    With that promise, I slipped into a Shunpo, speeding away.

    I really hoped they would listen to me and keep being the Antiheroes they were shaping up to be. I''d hate to kill Harley. Annoying she is but she''s also always genuine.

    I landed on a cell tower before flash stepping onto a water tank. The next Shunpo, cleared the block and I arrived on top of a building that overlooked the Iceberg Lounge closely. The latter was just a street over.

    There was no more need for subtlety. The fact that the three of them now knew I had my sights on Penguin meant that I couldn''t really hang around here anymore.

    Penguin better be ready for my impromptu visit because I was going in now.

    "What are you going to do about the prospect of a gang war if something goes wrong?"

    Chase asked.

    A smile worked it''s way onto my face.

    "Easy, we make it so that he won''t think of hurting anyone again. Crippling won''t work..."

    I trailed off looking at the fine establishment.

    "DC has no shortage of healers...that leaves me with only one option. Killing him."

    Welp, seems like I was going to start my plan a little earlier than expected.

 Penguin

    (General P.O.V)

    Deadman gasped awake.

    Then he blinked.

    He was back in the darkness. Back in...

    "Am I dead?"

    He looked at his hands.

    The darkness around him begun distorting and a voice spoke from within it. A familiar voice.

    "Take heed my champion, for you are drifting farther than my influence can pull you..."

    She told him.

    Drifting...?

    Then Deadman felt her presence waning and immediately woke up in the real world. But it was burning. And glowing orange. And was all around him.

    Wait...was he in a volcano?

    "Focus..."

    Her voice came again.

    Oh yeah, the goddess said he was drifting further. So maybe he wasn''t in a Volcano. That didn''t matter, what mattered was getting out of where he was.

    So he used the goddess''s waning presence as a guide, beginning to move towards her. The orange around him gave way to a molten red, as he left the core of the planet.

    He''d tried to remember and now everything was clear. That bastard killed Constantine and nearly killed him too.

    Who let''s someone phase through the earth into the Core of the planet?

    Possessing Harley was a mistake. He should have gone straight to Zatara in the first place.

    Deadman knew the Silver haired man was too strong for him so he wasn''t going to just attack.

    But with the League...

    "Take heed, champion. Bring him to me. Bring me the Silver haired man."

    The goddess said and Deadman wondered whether it was too late to fly back into the lava.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "So how are you going to do this?"

    Chase enquired as flew down towards the entrance of the Lounge.

    I landed in between the 2 bouncers, scaring the people in the line-up and causing them to scatter.

    "Like that."

    I smiled as the bouncers rounded up on me, pulling out guns.

    I flash stepped to the closest one in a burst of speed, landing my elbow into his chest and pushing him away, his feet clipped on the metal frame of the stairway and he flipped on his head.

    The second one tried to shoot the gun but found he was holding a crumpled piece of metal, his palm crushed within it as well.

    He blinked as the pain registered, then begun to open his mouth to scream when I flicked his forehead. His eyes rolled to the back of his head.

    I turned to leave.

    "How brutal. You do know he could be a regular bouncer and not one of his henchmen right?"

    Chase asked, stopping me cold.

    It was a possibility. And even if it wasn''t, my grudge was with the villains themselves not the goons.

    Assaulting a mook who stood at the entrance of a criminal''s legit business maybe to feed his daughter was not how I wanted this whole thing to go down.

    "Fuck."

    I walked back and knelt next to the downed man. I held onto my sheath as my other hand glowed green above his hand, healing him.

    The streets were rapidly cleared, though there were a few stragglers taking pictures and videos.

    There was also the sound of rushed footsteps barely audible under the heavy music from the inside.

    Numerous slightly strong humans entered my Reiryoku zone.

    "I need a way to be able to tell them apart. I don''t want to hurt a civilian by mistake."

    I said, mostly speaking to myself as the flesh on the bouncer''s hand knitted.

    I couldn''t read minds but maybe I could read their souls?

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    "It could be one of the areas you cover while training. Out of anything, I think it will be the easiest."

    "You''re already familiar with distinguishing people based on how much Reiryoku they have inside."

    Chase went into his lecture mode.

    The doors to the entrance burst through as Penguin''s men burst through. All of them in black and white suits carrying tommy guns. Scratch that, Tommy guns that glowed.

    Now that''s interesting.

    "Hands up freak!"

    The leading man, said. The weapon in his hands glowing with a red canister as he pointed it at me.

    "Thanks to the boss we now have a way to deal with you powered folks. Make any moves and I reduce ya to ash."

    Even the bravest of stragglers that had been hanging around disappeared when they saw me get surrounded.

    "Where''s your boss? I need to talk to him."

    I told them.

    Just then, a highly modified Ferrari that had its top shaped like a top hat, burst out of the parking lot and down the street.

    "Fire!"

    The leading man gave the order and red energy bolts of thermal energy left the barrels of their weapons from all around me.

    A green shield habitually formed, barely blocking the bolts. I frowned, thickening the shield before bringing my Spirit pressure bearing down on them.

    The men face planted to the floor instantly, the guns falling off their hands. What were those guns?

    "He had his men distract us while he escaped. Did he know I was coming?"

    I asked myself, flash stepping after him.

    "Still, I can''t curse my good luck. I was prepared to comb through every room. Him running away like that is perfect!"

    I cleared the distance between us in a second, stopping in the middle of a street a few blocks away, just as Penguin rounded up the corner.

    The street was not jam packed with traffic. The melting snow on the edges and the sign at the entrance to the street indicated it as dangerous due to black ice.

    Penguin either didn''t give a shit or knew something I didn''t, because the car roared down the road at crazy speeds.

    The light from the headlights completely occupied my vision. There was a spike of fear through Reiryoku as the driver finally spotted me.

    I wonder what sort of figure I cut. A lone man in a leather jacket, a red mask, sliver hair and holding a sword.

    "Die!!"

    Penguin''s voice managed to reach me as he stepped on the gas, pushing the fast car even faster.

    I smiled, twirling Chesha Neko and then moved.

    Like greased lightning, my feet barely touched the ground as I flipped over the car.

    I touched down on the ground a split second later, my hand reaching out and grabbing the very edge of the trunk. Fingers tore through the metal as I planted my feet and refused to budge.

    The car stopped immediately, smoke rising from the burning tires as it struggled to escape my hold. There was a crash as something burst through its windshield due to the sudden stop.

    After the recent small upgrade in power, I had felt myself brimming with more energy than before.

    Now, seeing how much physical enhancement reinforcement could give me, I realized I had underestimated myself. There was some effort involved but past me couldn''t do this.

    I didn''t even strain as I threw the vehicle to the side, causing it to flip a few times on the road before smacking on a streetlight and smashing the light, casting is in darkness.

    There was a gasp intermixed with heavy breaths full of fear as Penguin crawled away from me.

    "You''re not the bats! Who are you?! Stay the fuck away from me! You ear me! I ain''t saying nothing!"

    I took a second to study him. He was short with a rotund belly, a monocle and gripped in his hands almost desperately was a black umbrella.

    Sirens sounded from afar as I walked towards him, stabbing Chesha Neko through the fabric of his tail coat, stopping him in place.

    Penguin gritted his teeth, pointing the umbrella at me and pulled the trigger. There was a loud crack as a bullet sailed over my shoulder.

    I had leaned away from the telegraphed attack quite easily. Even my reaction speed was seeing a significant boost from reinforcement.

    I snatched the Umbrella away from him, inspecting it.

    "Nice."

    I think I was going to keep it.

    "What do you want? Revenge? Did I kill someone you cared about because boo hoo, I don''t remember everyone I''ve put on the fucking ground."

    He smiled nastily, his sharp long nose making his appearance even more menacing. And ugly.

    I turned the Umbrella towards him, poking at his belly.

    Penguin gulped.

    "Now let''s not be hasty...I...I have mone..."

    "I don''t want your fucking money. The only thing I want from you, is information."

    I finally spoke up, making him blink in surprise.

    To my surprise, Penguin''s demeanor changed as he visibly relaxed.

    "Information huh? Usually I conduct my business in a more... comfortable environment. This is less than ideal. However I can make an..."

    I pulled the trigger and a bullet tore through his stomach, ripping through organs and causing blood to well on his white shirt.

    Penguin''s horrified screams sounded out.

    "You talk too much."

    I told him, hand glowing green as I healed his wound completely. The only thing he was left with was the memory of it.

    The way that he had looked at me drastically changed. Now to him I was a monster. His face was sweaty and his breathing laboured.

    "You''re... you''re mad..."

    He ground out.

    I raised an eyebrow and sent another bullet through his body, this time I destroyed his left kneecap. He screamed in agony trying to get away.

    The sirens were drawing closer as I finished healing him.

    "Shut the fuck and listen." I ground out, not even trying hard enough to intimidate him but succeeding.

    "I need to know where I can find a man called Benjamin Turner aka..."

    "Bronze Tiger."

    Penguin concluded, making me smile. So he did know.

    "That''s a good bird."

    I complimented, patting his head.

    "Now where can I find him?"

    Penguin started breathing faster, eyes darting around as he looked for some form of salvation.

    "I...I don''t know. He''s not someone..."

    Another bullet ripped through a different part of his body. By now there was so much blood underneath him that it was covering the ground.

    "Jesus fuck! You''re crazier than that asshole Bats! Who the fuck are you???!!"

    He screamed out in a panic.

    "Tut Tut, you gotta gimme something Penguin. If you don''t, the next bullet is going straight through your groin." I leaned in, almost throwing up at the disgusting smell of fish around him.

    "And that part, I won''t heal."

    My threat made him tense up even more.

    "Fine. Fine. I can''t...I can''t get you Tiger but I know someone who can."

    "Oh really?"

    I perked up.

    It wasn''t what I wanted but it was better than anything.

    "Yeah. He''s called the Calculator. He can get you any and all information you want. For a price."

    He explained.

    "And how do I contact this Calculator?"

    I questioned.

    Penguin smiled.

    "I can organize a meeting. Not in person, but I can get you in contact with him."

    How shrewd. He knows that after telling me what I want to know, he won''t be of much use to me.

    I got up, sheathing my Zanpakuto just as the first of the cop cars, rounded up on our street.

    No doubt, the residents occupying the buildings around us had reported in the gunshots.

    "Thank you very much."

    I smiled at Penguin.

    "You''re welcome. Now...should I begin setting up the meeting or..."

    He responded, his voice quivering slightly.

    "No. That won''t be necessary."

    I replied, the headlights from the cop car hitting my back and enlarging my shadow, casting Penguin in its shade.

    The Supervillain seemed to know what was coming as I raised the Umbrella towards him.

    "Wait...let''s talk about this. I can pay..."

    Bang!

    The bullet sailed through the air. His head rocked back as the projectile tore through his forehead. His body slumped back to the ground, lying on a pool of his own blood.

 Plan B

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Oswald Cobblepot was dead. His soul rose up, a murky white ball that had patches of black around it.

    As silent as a ghost (haha), a shroud materialized, bowing to me as it dragged the soul to the afterlife.

    I needed to reconcile myself with what I had done.

    I had left this life behind. But now I was back in. This time however, at least I was doing something worthwhile.

    One by one, I would kill each of these unrepentant maniacs.

    And I would show Batman, that justice is not a blunt tool meant to trim away at the edges of corruption.

    No, true unfiltered justice was swift, deadly, uncompromising and above all, fair.

    If you killed an innocent, not once or twice, then you deserved death. No quarter given.

    "Freeze! Put your hands up!"

    The cops finally arrived.

    I looked back at them, and then waved, disappearing in a burst of Shunpo.

    Up on the rooftop overlooking the murder I had committed, I removed my mask.

    "Now what? How are you going to contact this Calculator after you killed the only lead you had? Will he want to work with you knowing you killed a villain he clearly has some relationship with?"

    Chase asked.

    "I couldn''t let him go Chase. This was never only about figuring out where Bronze Tiger was."

    "It was also about testing my own conviction and resolve. I needed to see if I could really do this."

    I looked at my hands.

    "And?"

    Chase prompted.

    I tightened them into fists.

    "I can."

    I had the conviction. But on the other hand, I still had an objective to complete.

    Penguin obviously couldn''t help me and I didn''t want to go after another Batman villain because they would most likely end up dead at my arms.

    So Plan B it is.

    I turned away from the murder I''d committed, my mind on the impact this would have on Gotham.

    I wasn''t dumb. This would cause chaos. And I was betting on a gang war.

    Which was familiar territory for me. But while the villains were going at each other, I could start making my move.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Gotham Hospital)

    Harvey Bullock sat on the waiting room while carelessly perusing the magazine. He stopped on a page that was talking about the risks of smoking.

    The detective snorted, he knew what was going to kill him, thank you very much. And it wasn''t a rolled up piece of paper with nicotine.

    No, Gotham would get him. Sooner or later, it would get him.

    "He''s ready for you."

    A nurse informed him and Harvey grunted, getting to his feet before walking towards the room.

    The second he opened the door he was hit by an overpowering scent of flowers. Daffodils, roses...a bunch he didn''t know, all seemed to take up whatever space the small room had.

    Navigating through the maze of flowers, all the while not even surprised because Gordon was loved by everyone,(except the villains), he finally reached the frame of the bed.

    Then took a second to observe the police commissioner. Gordon had his eyes looking out towards the morning sun. They didn''t say anything for a while.

    Harvey sighed, letting his weight fall onto the chair next to the bed. He reached into his pocket and brought out with it, a pair of glasses and a folded up Newspaper.

    He threw them both gently on Gordon''s lap.

    The commissioner didn''t react.

    Harvey leaned back in his chair.

    "Penguin is dead."

    That got a reaction out of Gordon. He turned his head towards Harvey and the latter blinked.

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    Gordon''s eyes seemed...haunted. As if he had seen too much.

    Without even looking at the Newspaper, he addressed Harvey.

    "Get my coat."

    (Elsewhere)

    She jumped in quietly, casting another glance at the dark room before breathing out in relief.

    Then the lights came on, spooking her.

    "Mom?!"

    Artemis yelled,

    "What are you doing in my room?"

    Her mother''s face was set in a frown that managed to look hurt and furious at the same time.

    "I thought we talked about this! You promised me that you would stop going out! Do you want to end up in a wheelchair like me?!"

    Her mother barked out sternly.

    "I''m sorry! I couldn''t just stand by and do nothing! I hate feeling useless!"

    Artemis snapped back.

    Mother and daughter both looked at each other surprised.

    Then her mother sighed, looking away.

    "Trust me, I know more about feeling useless than you can ever imagine."

    Then she turned her wheelchair around using some expert maneuvering and left.

    "Mom...I..."

    Artemis reached out in a whisper.

    She hesitated and then sighed, sitting on her bed and removing her mask. She closed her eyes, trying hard not to cry.

    She''d lost her friends. Davian probably hated her and Raven...oh god, Raven had sacrificed herself to bring them all back. The entire city.

    Including her, even though she had betrayed them. And because of that betrayal, Raven was dead.

    Artemis held back her sob. The only good thing that had come out of this was that the kids were safe.

    Once everyone had come back, she had tried to contact Batman but another man had answered, explaining that Batman was not available.

    She had explained the entire situation with the kids and a few minutes later the authorities had shown up, taken the children with them and praised her for saving them.

    Cops were not normally that nice.

    How was she to know that with the improved armors, tactical gear and other field equipment Wayne enterprises had donated to the GCPD, a favor for Mr. Wayne was something they''d scramble to fullfil?

    Of course she verified and followed after them to make sure the kids would be safe. Along with Jason, one of the kids, getting medical care as he was still unconscious.

    Everything went off without a hitch, the kids were mostly orphans who had grown up on the street.

    The cops had taken them to one of Wayne''s group homes and Artemis had been checking in regularly to make sure they were alright.

    Her mother however was uncompromising in her demand for Artemis to leave the life of costumes behind. She couldn''t do it though. Not with her father and sister...

    There was a light knock on her window.

    She frowned looking out and seeing no one. She turned to her door, thinking she needed to talk to her mom and make her understand why she had to do this. But first, she faced the window.

    A few seconds later, Artemis pulled herself to the roof, landing and immediately notching an arrow at the figure with it''s back turned away from her, staring out into the city.

    "Can you imagine she brought everyone back? Even those who didn''t deserve it. Like you."

    The figure said, looking over his shoulder at her.

    Artemis stumbled back as if she''d been slapped.

    "D-Davian."

    She muttered wondering why she hadn''t noticed the silver hair.

    "Hello Traitor."

    Davian greeted with a mocking salute.

    "How''s life, now that you''re alive and she''s dead?"

    With every word, Artemis heart felt squeezed.

    "I..."

    She tried to find the words and failed. Her hands grew heavy. Her legs lost strength as she knelt down and let the tears flow, staring at the floor.

    "Oh god...it''s all my fault. I did...this. If I hadn''t trusted..."

    A pair of boots appeared in her vision.

    "Get up."

    Davian ordered, looking pissed.

    Artemis turned her face up to stare at him. His eyes were glowing purple.

    "Let me make one thing clear, I won''t let her sacrifice be in vain. She let you live Artemis, even knowing that you were keeping an eye on us for him. For Batman."

    Artemis could feel the rage and Vitriol he had when saying his name.

    "I fucking hate him. I won''t lie and say that I''m not pissed off at you too, I am."

    Artemis couldn''t look away from his eyes. The purple seemed to pull her in.

    She tightened her fingers into fists. Why was she thinking about useless things? Davian hated her. There was no way he would...

    "Why are you here Davian?"

    Artemis asked bitterly.

    He didn''t look like he was here to kill her or make her pay for what he had

    "You owe me." The Soul Reaper intoned.

    "You owe Raven. And I''ve come to collect."

    Artemis tensed. Come to collect?

    What did he mean? Was she wrong about him wanting to kill her? She couldn''t leave her mom alone. She had no one else after Jade and her dad had left. She would fight for...

    "I''m looking for someone and I know that you can help me. Do this and I''ll consider our debt paid."

    Davian interrupted her thoughts.

    Artemis almost breathed out in relief. She swallowed.

    "Ok who?"

    "A man called Ben Turner aka Bronze Tiger."

    Artemis frowned, getting to her feet.

    "I don''t know who that is."

    She shook her head.

    A flash of something appeared in Davian''s face. Disappointment.

    Artemis felt her heart squeeze slightly and without much thought blurted out something she shouldn''t have.

    "But I know someone who would!"

    "Really?"

    Davian asked a little interested but not too invested.

    "Yeah." The archer sighed, leaning on the wall and sliding down it.

    "It''s my sister. She works for the League of Shadows, if there is someone who can find anyone you want, it''s her."

    She explained, knowing how connected Jade actually was.

    "However, it''s going to cost you. I can arrange a meeting but I won''t be of much help trying to convince her to help you out."

    Jade was in love with money and excitement. She had a fee so all Davian had to do was be good for it.

    "Good. That works for me."

    He replied, folding his hands above his chest. The light from a nearby cell tower seemed to cast his shadow over her.

    "Let''s meet up at Luigi''s tomorrow at 10 in the night."

    She told him, knowing that Jade would show up if she wasn''t on her mission. And fortunately enough, she wasn''t.

    Davian turned to leave, taking steps to the edge of the roof.

    "Davi."

    Artemis called out,

    "I''m- I''m sorry. About everything."

    She told him, her heart pumping fast.

    Davian said nothing for a few seconds, then he looked over his shoulder at her.

    "Don''t call me that."

    Then he disappeared, leaving the archer all alone on the roof. Artemis head slumped.

    A few minutes after Davian had left, someone dropped onto the roof like a nimble cat.

    Her sister straightened up before Artemis and the Archer felt a small surge of Jealousy at how everything seemed to complement Jade''s body.

    She wasn''t dressed in her costume. She had on a sleeveless top, with a black leather jacket and some jeans. Her usually unruly hair was tied back in a perfect pony tail and she looked for all intents and purposes, normal.

    "My my Artemis, late night meet up with that sexy hunk? Mom would throw a fit. First the superheroing and now this...seems like someone''s in her teen rebellion phase."

    Jade mused, chuckling to herself.

    "You were watching us?"

    Artemis felt angry.

    "Yeah. And I can also read lips. You just offered my services to someone without my consent. How about we start there?"

    Her sister answered, arms akimbo.

    Artemis sighed. And now the true battle starts, trying to convince Jade to go to the meeting.

 Park Row Ties

    (General P.O.V)

    "Hold still."

    Dr.Leslie</a> barked at the man lying on the bed, his shoulder bleeding.

    Despite her no nonsense demeanor, her actions were gentle and caring as she dressed the wound. The small clinic was filled with groaning bodies lying on similar beds.

    Dr.Leslie</a> finished taking care of their injuries before leaving the room to get some water from the dispenser. She gulped it all down.

    She frowned, seeing the blood on the plastic cup in her hand. It had come from the gloves after she had forgotten to remove them.

    She had been working tirelessly and her exhaustion was finally catching up to her, causing her to make mistakes.

    "Doctor."

    A deep grouchy voice, ruined by regular smoking called out.

    The doctor looked back and sighed,

    "You promised me that you were going to stay out of trouble Danny. You and your boys."

    She said accusingly, removing her gloves and throwing them inside the bin next to the dispenser.

    Danny Fulio winced, the action looking weird on his weathered face.

    "The city has been in an uproar since word of the Penguin''s death spread. Everyone is jumping in to claim his territory."

    He explained.

    "Are you?"

    The doctor asked, with a raise of an eyebrow.

    Danny blinked.

    "No. We just found ourselves caught in the crossfire of a fight between the remnants of the Maroni crime family and the Black mask."

    Doctor Leslie frowned noticing how he seemed to favor his left side.

    ''Must be bruised ribs, maybe even cracked.''

    She reasoned, reaching towards a shelf and grabbing a bottle full of red pills.

    "I thought Catwoman put a bullet straight through Black Mask''s forehead."

    She told him, sounding as if the cat themed superhero had done them all a favor.

    "Apparently he''s back." Danny frowned, swallowing a groan as his ribs hurt with every motion he made.

    "Take two of those each morning for three days, they will reduce the swelling."

    The doctor said, pushing the pills towards him.

    "Thank you."

    Danny smiled briefly. A rare thing.

    "How can we ever repay you for what you''ve done for us?"

    "Just stay out of trouble Danny. I would hate if instead of my clinic, you and your boys were taken straight to the morgue."

    She curtly said and left the room.

    Danny shook his head with a sad smile on his face.

    He hoped it wouldn''t come to that but...he had a feeling that this chaos was just getting started.

    Ever since Batman caused these...supervillains to come out of the woodwork, things had gone from shitty to super shitty.

    Still, he couldn''t blame the Dark Knight''s intentions, what he hated was the ineffectiveness of his actions.

    Ineffectiveness that caused desperate people like him to try and survive. Especially in a place like Gotham.

    Danny had served when he was younger. He''d left Park Row for greener pastures.

    Anything was better than Gotham. It was only pure chance that he found a calling in the army.

    Then after coming back, he''d found out that his brother had been crippled in a fight between Batman and the Joker. The man was luckier than most.

    Still...

    Danny had lost so much.

    It was apparent that there was no jobs for people like him,( a 40 year old veteran who had been discharged dishonorably for punching a superior who was forcing himself on a barrack bunny).

    Without a lot of prospects, he decided to join with Two-Face to make enough to support himself and his brother.

    6 years of being a henchman had taught him so much.

    For starters, don''t mess with the Batman.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    After a particularly nasty injury, Danny had retired and started his own gang. No, not a gang, it was more like a community squad.

    The Park Row Ties was a group meant to provide stability to Crime Alley or as he and everyone else in the Park Row Ties(PRT) wanted it to be known as, Park Row.

    Things had gotten a little better, and Batman wasn''t as hard on them as he was on the big crime families.

    That wasn''t to say he didn''t beat his people silly if they stepped too out of line. Danny however liked that. It helped keep some ambitious figures in check. He didn''t want fame or notoriety, just peace.

    He walked out into the frigid air, looking at the snow flakes drifting down to the ground. This particular winter was harsh.

    He removed a cigarette from his side pocket before patting himself.

    "Damn it. Forgot the lighter again."

    There was a finger snap and the cig lit up.

    Danny took a long drag, before calmly revealing the gun he had pointed at the shadow at the mouth of the alley, on the corner of the clinic.

    The shadow shimmered and a familiar red masked, silver haired man stepped out into the light.

    "You''re lucky. Usually when a shadow behaves funny, we assume it''s the Bats and start shooting."

    Danny addressed him.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "I can survive worse." I answered the old Goon, slightly miffed at being compared to Batman.

    "Mmmh, so you say."

    Danny lowered the gun and I took that as my cue to step forward.

    Crime Alley. A hell for anyone who hid behind the established rules and laws of society.

    A paradise to people who didn''t give a shit about those rules. Crime Alley had created Batman. The young Bruce had lost his parents here.

    Now you might wonder what I was doing there.

    It had to do with a certain conversation Chase and I had.

    "This plan of yours is getting too convoluted."

    That was the first thing he told me after we''d left Artemis.

    "How so?"

    I asked, passing by Luigi''s, headed towards my temporary home.

    "First it was the Penguin, then it was the Archer girl, and now her sister. I''m questioning whether This Bronze Tiger is worth all this effort."

    He had replied, a little bit impatient.

    His attitude had made me chuckle.

    "I need you to trust me. I''ll explain everything later when I have the full picture."

    I was being intentionally cryptic.

    There was a few things I needed to confirm before I could tell him what I was planning.

    I landed on the Junkyard and walked towards a different rusted car, this particular spot was on the left, the farthest point from the entrance to the Junkyard.

    I used the gemstone to recreate the pocket dimension and accessed it, cleaning up before the next meeting I had.

    A couple hours later, after resting I was flying or rather flash stepping towards Crime Alley, the same spot Artemis had brought us to get help from Danny Fulio, an Old Henchman who she said was very connected.

    This part of the city was not in any way peaceful. Already, I had heard the sound of gunshots more than four times. There seemed to be a fight dying down.

    There were cops a couple blocks away from Doctor Leslie Thompkin''s clinic, around a restaurant that had been burned to the ground.

    I touched down close to the clinic, hunkering down next to an alley besides the clinic to wait for my target.

    How did I know where he was? A funny thing about Reikaku, I could remember any soul signature that came within the boundary of my sensing zone.

    While waiting, Chase finally had enough and asked me what the plan was.

    "It''s simple." I had started out,

    "I knew there would be chaos once Penguin''s death was confirmed. It was expected really."

    I had shrugged.

    "The gangs will fight for the piece of the pie and the Supervillains will join in on the fun. Gotham is going to be chaotic for the next few months."

    "What does this have to do with you? Did you forget the training part? Getting embroiled in this...struggle for territory will damage your growth. I hope I don''t need to tell you the kind of enemies we have created?"

    Chase had advised.

    I rested my head on the wall behind the dumpster I was seating ontop of.

    "You don''t. I am fully aware that the path infront will not be easy."

    I tightened my hand into a fist.

    "I need power. Personal power that will be enough to stand up to anyone."

    I reaffirmed.

    "But I also need to think long term. The reason I brought us here is two fold, first of all, I''ll need a set of eyes once I begun Killing the villains. I can do it alone but it will be harder if some of the villains go into hiding."

    "So what? You want to form your own gang?"

    Chase had enquired in a skeptical tone.

    "Not exactly."

    I had shook my head.

    "I don''t want a gang but I need eyes and ears on the ground. Call it an investment. If all goes well, Batman will be too late to respond when I finally make a move."

    I had smiled.

    "Don''t think of it as stretching myself out too much. Think of it as getting a field advantage over him."

    I had finished explaining.

    My Zanpakuto spirit had relented, content with waiting and seeing.

    I felt a soul move through my range as my target walked out of the clinic, grumbling as he patted his body for a lighter.

    I snapped a finger, priming my Reiryoku and causing it to rub against each other, producing a charge that lit up the cigarette.

    He took a long drag and lowered the gun, watching me warily from the corner of his eyes.

    "What do you want?"

    The Old Goon asked.

    I smiled, walking forward to fully reveal myself. I could see the faint recognition in his eyes.

    "You remember me?"

    I asked.

    Good, it saved me time having to explain who I was.

    Danny narrowed his eyes before taking another drag of his cig, pushing out the smoke into the air.

    "Yeah, you came here with the Archer girl but that''s not why I am surprised by your visit. You saved Gotham."

    He responded.

    "I didn''t..."

    I begun before Chase interrupted me.

    "Wait, maybe you could use this to your advantage, my Wielder. He would be more likely to listen to you, if he thinks they owe you their lives."

    "Thank you."

    Danny spoke up again, throwing down the butt of the cig before crushing it under his foot.

    "I felt myself die. Then I was back."

    His tone was strange. Almost wistful.

    I had a chance to correct him. Tell him that it had been Raven who had saved them. But I didn''t...

    "Now then, what do you want with me?"

    Upon asking that, he snapped his own fingers and men with clubs, a few hand guns and metal bars seemed to appear around us.

    I looked around and smiled. This was exactly what I had hoped for. The men around looked ready to die for him. I could sense their fear yet none of the shied away from my gaze.

    I turned to Danny who had been watching me cautiously.

    "How would you like to earn 5 million and get control of your city back?"

    I asked.

    A glint of interest appeared in his eyes.

    "I''m listening."

    (Some time later)

    I stood on top of a dilapidated building, facing our target. An old non-descript warehouse with a few guards moving in large stacks of cash.

    One of many Falcone''s stash house.

    It was a testament to his power. He was in jail and still managed to hold on to a sizable chunk of the Gotham underworld.

    We had been planning to hit this place with Raven and use the money to finally leave Gotham.

    "So this is the second reason why you approached him? Clever. You need someone to ferry out all that cash. Someone trustworthy."

    Chase quickly put it all together.

    Danny and his men were waiting for my signal, two black Vans parked around the street.

    "Exactly. Killing two birds with one stone. For starters, I''ll have the Park Row Ties'' allegiance and secondly, the money to pay Artemis'' sisters for the info on Bronze Tiger''s whereabouts. A win-win."

    A/N: Davian doesn''t know Cheshire is Artemis'' sister.

    Is this the beginning of the Goonion squad?

 Batman Wakes Up

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Falcone''s men finished loading up the money.

    "Finally."

    I rubbed my hands, feeling an old excitement come back to me. There was something cathartic about stealing from bad guys.

    They didn''t really deserve most of what they had as it had been procured through less than legal means.

    That didn''t mean I was a good guy either. Nope. Robin Hood in this case, would have taken the money and helped people with it. I was going to take the money and use it to start my vendetta.

    "You ready?"

    I asked Chase.

    "I was created ready."

    My Zanpakuto spirit answered.

    The way he had phrased it made me frown in confusion. I shook my head. No time for Chase'' eccentricity.

    I got to my full height, Chesha Neko barely making a sound as I slid it out of it''s sheath.

    "Shikai."

    A second later, purple strings danced in the air before twining and combining to form something ferocious.

    (General P.O.V)

    The inside of the van was not as cramped as Danny thought it would be. Then again, with most of his men injured it made sense that the force he could gather would be small.

    They were barely 10 of them. Five in each van. Sarge, his second in command was in the one behind them.

    His team was supposed to be the look out and act as interference incase they needed back up.

    One of his men, the driver, a young Albino boy who was barely out of his teens cleared his throat. Danny almost sighed. He knew the question in all their minds.

    It wasn''t like him to bet all his chips on one guy. Especially one who clearly had a grudge against the Bat.

    "Ah boss?"

    Finally the kid found his voice.

    Danny tried hard not to show a smile, keeping the impassive expression that he had perfected.

    "Yes Johnny?"

    The chatter in the compartment behind them died out as the others tried to eavesdrop on the conversation.

    "Why are we trusting this guy? I mean... I''ve seen the news. He''s bad...news."

    Johnny answered, fingers drumming on the steering wheel.

    "Nice phrase."

    Danny complimented offhandedly. He patted his chest, feeling for his trusty gun.

    "We are not trusting him. We''re giving this a chance because for the first time in many years...We can truly change something."

    He looked through the corner of his eyes and saw the kid listening intently. Good.

    "Most of you wouldn''t know but there was a time Gotham wasn''t a cesspit of corruption and suffering."

    "I would take trying to change things step by step, to sitting around and watching my city, my home, get even worse."

    He paused, looking out of the wind shield into the dark clouds above the city.

    "If this does work, we can change the lives and fates of everyone in Park Row. If it doesn''t, we''ll still be 5 million dollars richer and won''t have to take the blame for the raid on Falcone. Win-win."

    Danny explained, frowning for he had talked too much.

    Johnny nodded, a slightly surprised look on his face. A small smile lit up his face.

    "Right."

    "Oh, there is also the fact that he''s the one who killed Penguin."

    The older man added knowing the revelation would shock everyone listening.

    "What?!"

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Johnny''s head whipped towards their leader. Danny could even hear the shuffling from the rest.

    This time he chose not to comment. Or rather, he couldn''t.

    Davian had given the signal. Which turned out to be a massive purple cat with flames dancing around it''s bristle like fur, smashing through the huge double doors to the warehouse.

    Immediately there was screaming coming from the warehouse. The cries cutting out quickly after.

    Johnny gulped, clutching the steering wheel tightly. His face looked pale.

    Danny knew that Davian was powerful. More than that, the reason he had rallied himself behind him was different.

    The kid hadn''t said much but Danny knew a lot. His information network was one of the best in the city.

    Davian had killed the Penguin. He had killed the Penguin in Gotham. Batman''s playground.

    And Danny suspected, he wouldn''t stop there.

    Powerful and from all indications, set on bringing the hurt to the villain populace.

    That was something the old Henchmen could get behind.

    Though it was also something he couldn''t tell his men. Not yet.

    But Danny could speculate, the next few months would be very entertaining.

    They waited for a few more seconds, managing to see a shadow with a red mask jump into the warehouse before he decided that it was their turn.

    It was go time.

    Danny, clicked on the radio.

    "Team A, get ready to deploy. Remember, our job is to grab the stash. Do not, and I repeat, do not engage. Let our new friend and his huge cat handle Falcone''s men. Team B, watch our backs."

    (Elsewhere)

    The light from the boom tube died down, leaving the three Superheros standing on a deck looking out into a massive chamber made up of crystals.

    As Superman led Karate Kid and Dawnstar through the Fortress of Solitude, the two heroes from the future, couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe and wonder.

    They had heard of the legendary fortress, seen recordings and even experienced it in the simulation loops, but nothing could have prepared them for the sheer beauty and majesty of the structure before them.

    The Fortress was not just an architectural marvel either. It was symbolic. No matter how many times it had been destroyed, whether by Luthor, Dominus or the Eradicator, it was always rebuilt.

    It was as important to Superman''s legacy as the symbol of hope on his chest.

    They shared looks, seeing the wonder and excitement reflected in the other''s eyes.

    Superman turned to them with a gentle and slightly proud smile,

    "Welcome to the Fortress of Solitude. This is my home away from home, and I''m happy to show you around."

    Karate Kid sighed,

    "It''s really something. Do you have a Kryptonian Martial hall, where one can watch recordings of Torquasm-Vo masters?"

    The young hero asked.

    Dawnstar dug her elbow into his ribs.

    "You''re being rude."

    Superman laughed.

    "The Fortress is also a repository of Kryptonian knowledge, of course there is a Martial Hall."

    They kept on walking after Karate Kid managed to get a promise out of Superman to take him there.

    Even more incredible sights awaited them: towering holographic statues of Kryptonian heroes and creatures, high-tech laboratories filled with wondrous machines, and even a zoo filled with exotic alien creatures from other worlds.

    Finally, they arrived at the heart of the fortress, a massive crystal chamber that glowed with a soft blue light.

    Superman ran his palm on the walls of the room,

    "This is the heart of the Fortress, the Crystal Chamber. It''s where I come to think, to meditate, and to recharge my powers."

    Karate Kid and Dawnstar both stared in wonder at the chamber, their eyes tracing the intricate patterns etched into the crystal walls.

    The light from the chamber seemed to fill them with a sense of peace and tranquility.

    After a few moments, Superman turned to his guests and said, "I''m glad you both could join me here. The Fortress of Solitude is a place of great power and beauty, but it''s also a place of solitude."

    "I don''t often invite others to visit, but I felt that you both would appreciate a tour."

    Karate Kid and Dawnstar nodded in agreement, still lost in the wonder of the chamber.

    They knew that this was a moment they would never forget, a moment when they had been allowed to glimpse the innermost sanctum of one of the greatest heroes in the galaxy.

    "Thank you Superman."

    Dawnstar replied, bowing her head slightly. Karate Kid gave him a thumbs up.

    "Please call me Kal-El. And this is Kelex."

    He told them, introducing a robot with a streamlined design and shiny, gold-orange finish.

    It had two slim arms which end in three pinchers. Kelex floated through the only other entrance to the crystal chamber.

    "He will show you around some more, while I get to deciphering what message is inside this device."

    The Man of Steel informed them, holding up a small triangle with inscriptions on it''s surface.

    "Follow me."

    A smooth but slightly mechanical voice came out of Kelex, the robotic assistant turning to leave.

    "I hope we get to see the Martial Hall first. I heard it''s...

    Karate Kid begun only to be cut off.

    "Superman, sorry for the interruption but you are needed at the Watchtower. Batman is awake."

    Red Tornado said, appearing on a transmission above the crystal console at the center of the chamber.

    Karate Kid and Dawnstar shared a look.

    "We''re coming with you."

    (Elsewhere)

    Bruce woke up feeling...good.

    More than good...he felt great. Where was he?

    He looked around seeing the gray walls of the room, with a transparent energy field looking out into open space.

    Rubbing his face, he felt the light stubble across his jaw.

    He must have been unconscious for almost a week. The last thing he remembers...

    "Was getting your can kicked in by dear old Trigon. Hello!!"

    A tiny man dressed in a small batsuit said, popping up next to Bruce''s shoulder, buzzing with energy.

    The detective blinked, his face settling into a passive glare as something on his hand pulsed, sending green metallic prongs to hold the tiny man captive.

    The intruder merely laughed.

    "Now we''re talking! You adjusted to the ring very quickly!"

    The tiny man clapped, popping away from the hold to hover upside down infront of Bruce.

    "It''s hard to know whether it''s because I loosened the restrictions or you''re just that good!"

    The small man whistled cartoonishly.

    "Who are you?"

    The Dark Knight growled, idly acknowledging that there was a green lantern ring on his finger and that the tiny man had implied he had loosened the restrictions on it.

    He would need to explore it''s functions a bit more. From what he knew it worked on will.

    The biggest question he had was why had a green lantern ring in the first place. The most important question however was who this being was.

    He was already in telepathic communication with the Ring, using the artificial intelligence within it to tap into the Watchtower systems, alert the League while also recording his interaction with the strange man.

    He was also running the man''s image through the League and Earth''s database to find out his identity.

    "Wow. I give internal monologue a 1000000/10... incredible!"

    The tiny man''s eyes were literal cartoonish stars as he clapped his hands again.

    Batman narrowed his eyes.

    The Imp could read his memories.

 The Winds of Change

    Chapter 87 The Wind of Change.

    (General P.O.V)

    With the signal given, Danny reached to his neck and lifted a red plastic demonic mask. It was similar to Davian''s own only with longer black horns.

    The masks were not uncomfortable. Infact they fit on their faces snugly. Better than anything he had used during his tenure as a Henchmen.

    Danny slipped into his past role easily. It might have seemed silly but after working for more than one supervillain, he''d figured out that the gimmicks were important.

    For the team spirit if nothing else. Life wasn''t easy for a goon. It was easier if you felt you weren''t alone.

    Danny also had to hand it to Davian.

    He was the one who had brought the ten sets with him. Had Davian anticipated that Danny would agree to his crazy plans? Of so that showed a crazy level of foresight and planning.

    After one of his men had enquired why they had to wear masks, Davian informed them that Falcone usually had a hidden camera that monitored each of his illegal establishments.

    It was part risky and part useful for the crime lord. The footage could be used to prosecute him but none of it ever made it to the GCPD hands.

    Danny knew what that was.

    Corruption.

    The masks were to keep their faces hidden. It was a logical excuse.

    Danny saw it for what it was, a simple misdirection from the masks'' real purpose. His experience told him they had to serve another objective.

    If the cameras were the problem there were easier alternatives. Buying a set of matching masks that were strangely snug and comfortable was not it.

    The PRT cleared the distance from the van to the warehouse quickly, guns held in their hands but secured across their shoulders by slings. The masks made the Five men look menacing.

    Danny, held up his rifle in perfect form, the scope highlighting the purple glow seeping through the cracks on the destroyed entrance.

    One of his men occupied the other side of the entrance as they moved in with practiced coordination.

    Then they entered.

    Danny swallowed the sigh of relief, as did the three men following after him (Johnny was keeping watch at the entrance). The fight that they were expecting wasn''t going to happen.

    All of Falcone''s men sat on the floor, incapacitated by the purple strings wrapped around them tightly. Including their mouths to stop them from making any noise.

    He swept his gaze out and saw Davian. The man was standing infront of the money, with his back to them.

    Speaking of the money...Danny had to do a doubletake.

    It was a huge bundle of cash, placed in the shape of a cube that was taller than any of them. They weren''t expecting this much cash.

    Danny felt his brows start to sweat. Davian had told him they would be hitting a stash house at most but this...this was something else.

    He heard one of his 4 men suck in a breath.

    The cash, while astounding wasn''t what really grabbed their attention.

    The utterly massive cat, that was lying behind Falcone''s men with an uninterested expression on it''s face, was the most outstanding thing in the warehouse.

    "Boss..."

    One of the men called out as the cat turned it''s gaze towards them, hitting them with bright torquoise eyes and a grin that split it''s face into two.

    "Hello there... little mice."

    It called out, it''s voice like a rumble of engine as it stood to it''s full height, the fur on its back almost touching the light panel hanging from the roof of the tall warehouse.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Danny would never admit to being scared. He''d seen a lot. Survived a lot...this thing, whatever it was, put pressure on his very soul. He felt like falling to his knees and giving in.

    "Stop scaring our friends Chase."

    Davian called out, shamelessly counting the bills after tearing through one of the stacks.

    The cat snorted derisively.

    "Fine. The fight was mostly boring anyway. I''ll take my leave."

    They all breathed easier when the cat disappeared.

    "Lower your guns, but keep an eye on them."

    Danny told his men.

    "Tie them up with the Zip ties you carried."

    Davian called out, still counting the money.

    "Those strings may be nigh unbreakable but they will fade after I leave. I also wouldn''t mind you looking at the guns they had with them. I''m curious what you think."

    He pointed his thumb at the few weapons with red glowing canisters placed far from any of their captive''s reach.

    Danny gave the go ahead for his men to carry out Davian''s instructions. As for him, he walked towards Davian.

    "A friend would inform me about a giant massive cat being in their possession."

    The old Henchman grumbled, whistling as he looked up at the huge stack of money.

    "They would also tell me how much the payout was."

    "It''s 100 million dollars. More or less. Clean cash. Normally Falcone is careful about how he moves his money. Over a dozen mid to small businesses scattered across the city to launder it."

    Davian told him, pocketing a few bills from the bundle he was holding.

    "In a drug house you would find at most a few hundred thousand dollars depending on the location."

    Danny nodded at that. He was well aware of how things worked.

    "So for the last three weeks my friends and I exclusively focused on the locations we knew Falcone valued, hitting them, taking the cash and leaving the drugs for the cops."

    Oh? Danny turned to look at Davian in surprise.

    The younger man went on to explain,

    "Most of the money was given back to the city. The shelters, the orphanages and those who needed it. We kept some for ourselves but our eyes were on the mother load."

    Davian motioned with his chin at the money.

    "Regularly, whenever Batman''s war on crime gets too intense, Falcone cuts his losses, gathers up all the cash he has accumulated over the last few months and transports it out of the city."

    "Crime Alley is the perfect blindspot for the Bats. For some reason he''s not as active here as other parts of Gotham."

    Davian added, turning to Danny with a little suspicion.

    The old Goon could see the question in his eyes.

    "Park Row Ties stays out of The Batman''s way and he does the same. He knows we''re the only thing keeping this place free of more crazies trying to make a name for themselves in the most crime ridden place in Gotham."

    Danny shrugged.

    "Mmh. I see. I thought it was because of something else."

    Davian responded, patting the money.

    Danny narrowed his eyes at him.

    "You planned this. All of it. From harassing Falcone''s drug business to approaching me that day...you knew we would end up here."

    The Henchman accused, more wary of Davian than before.

    Davian said nothing, instead turning to leave.

    "Load it all up. Leave a few guns for the GCPD. I''m sure a certain commissioner will find them... interesting."

    Davian told them, walking out of the Warehouse, the strings around the men disappearing.

    "Where are you going off to?"

    Danny asked as one of his men called in Team B to assist in loading the vans.

    "Just a light stop. Bring the 10 million where we agreed."

    Davian told him without looking back.

    After the purple strings around them had disappeared, one of Falcone''s men hacked, coughing as he inhaled mouthfuls of air.

    "You''re dead Scarlet Devil! Falcone will come after you and everyone you love. He will hack your loved ones into small pieces of chum and feed them to the fish in the bay! Ya hear me! He''s coming for ya!!"

    The man screamed incoherently.

    Danny was about to give him a lesson when laughter escaped Davian''s lips.

    "Coming for me? Why wait? I have a better idea."

    His words had everyone in the warehouse confused.

    Davian looked over his shoulder, his purple eyes glowing.

    The man who had spoken out, fidgeted under those eyes...

    Danny felt as if they were standing before a beast. One even more ferocious than the massive cat from before. He found himself tightening his hands on his gun.

    "I..."

    The captive begun to say only for Danny to slam the butt of his gun onto the back of his head, sending the man to unconsciousness.

    The rest of Falcone''s men averted their gazes from the challenging glare the wizened Henchman gave them.

    Davian turned his eyes to the leader of the PRT.

    "You wanted to know where I''m going?"

    He pointed at the cash.

    "I don''t need Falcone anymore. I already have a 100 million dollars. That''s more than enough to make some important moves. And because I don''t need Falcone...it''s about time he and I had a talk."

    Danny frowned.

    "He''s at Blackgate penitentiary. How are you going to get to him?"

    Davian looked up at the night sky. The wrecked entrance was illuminated by the moon shining above the city. December was drawing to a close.

    "I never leave a dangerous enemy alive. That goes double for a man like Carmine Falcone. He might have survived a bullet from Two Face...but he won''t survive me. Not even prison will save him."

    Then before Danny''s eyes the silver haired young man that had brought them the haul of a lifetime disappeared in a flash.

    "Boss...did he just say he was going to go and kill Carmine Falcone?"

    One of his men, Duke, an African American asked.

    Danny looked back at the man.

    "He did."

    Then with a pat on the man''s shoulder, Danny turned his gaze to the large stack of money.

    "What did we get ourselves into?"

    He asked. Underneath his mask however, there was an excited smile. He could feel it...things were about to change.

    (5 minutes later)

    The police commissioner was back on duty and his first initiative was to quell the gang war happening after Penguin''s demise.

    They were at one such scene, having apprehended Falcone''s men with the same high tech weapons that Penguin''s men were caught with the night before.

    Someone was playing a dangerous game and after one of Falcone''s men begun ranting about demons led by the Scarlet Devil who had gone after Falcone to kill him, Gordon knew they needed the Bat.

    The police could not handle Davian. He was too much for them.

    The symbol of a bat appeared on the sky, a beacon of fear and hope.

 Death Is The Only Answer.

    (General P.O.V)

    Blackgate Penitentiary used to be a fortress back in the colonial era.

    The fortress was built on an island.

    With high walls that covered the cell blocks and facilities within, including 2 thick metal gates that were the only way in or out, it cut an intimidating picture.

    Not to mention the guard outposts built along the perimeter wall and the additional guards with weapons patrolling the yard.

    The penitentiary was connected to Gotham by a roadway that came from Madison street and transitioned into a bridge with metal beams from the halfway point to the prison''s gate.

    "This course of action is Ill advised."

    Chase grumbled as I continued to study the small island in the middle of the Gotham bay.

    Lights periodically passed over the compound, revealing the rocky banks and the sea water churning below.

    Blackgate was the home for the henchmen, regular law-breakers and finally the supervillains who were not deemed insane and carted off to Arkham.

    "This was always the plan."

    I told Chase.

    "No it wasn''t. The plan was to go behind your friend''s back and kill this Mafia Lord after you had secured enough money to start a new life. You said you would eventually tell her but...I doubt it."

    Chase shot back with sass.

    I winced at the reminder of my premeditated deceit. After we''d hit a few of Falcone''s drug houses with Artemis and Raven, I had felt...disgusted.

    I had sold drugs before and the stuff that Falcone had, was hard. The type that broke families, made mom and dad, people who were supposed to protect, sell out their own kids for another hit.

    That''s when I had decided...I couldn''t let Falcone get away. He was too much like Papa Fred.

    The decision to try and live this life without staining my hands weighed heavily on me. I had wanted a new start...Falcone had shown me how naive I was.

    There will always be people who need Killing. And there will always be someone to carry out the deed.

    And with my powers being related so heavily to death, there was no one else to take on that responsibility.

    Falcone therefore would die by my hands.

    If not for the people his operations kept on hurting, then for my own personal satisfaction.

    I huffed, getting to my full height on the rooftop of a skyscraper looking out into the bay.

    "She''s dead now. So it doesn''t really matter."

    I said, a hard tone overcoming my previous neutral one. I immediately regretted saying that for the callousness.

    Chase stayed quiet.

    "I can''t leave an enemy like The Roman alive, Chase. You know that."

    I implored, my thumb rolling around the pommel of Chesha Neko. A nervous tic I had acquired recently.

    He sighed.

    "Well then, let us go commit more felonies."

    I smiled.

    "Yes. Let''s."

    I strapped the mask on my face, and then jumped, feeling the wind whip through my hair while falling towards the ground from over 20 stories.

    The mask seemed to meld even more onto my face, stopping the wind pressure from buffeting my eyes, which had already begun to tear up.

    Whenever I was reinforcing my body, I made sure to pour more Reiryoku into my sensory organs than any other part of my body.

    Combined with Reikaku, nothing would ever get the jump on me.

    Unfortunately, my skill with reinforcement was not the greatest. Instead of reinforcing it was mostly enhancing.

    Which meant...my eyes were much more sensitive to stimuli.

    Much more sensitive to the air.

    The mask took care of that. It shielded my face almost perfectly. It had started to change when Chase had advised me to start sending my Reiryoku into it. Not too much though, otherwise I would end up destroying it.

    But...this instance, something told me to push further.

    I run a little test while in the air, sending a little more of my Reiryoku into it. I blinked as my vision wavered between different color gradients.

    "As dastardly fun as it would be to see you splatter on the ground in gory fashion, alas, you''re the only wielder I have."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Chase pointed out.

    My eyes widened.

    There was a sharp ring as Chesha Neko left the sheath on my hip.

    ''Shikai!''

    A second later, a small gale rushed out from my position as I spun in the air, blowing the leaves and litter on the sidewalk away, before I rose up on wings of dark purple.

    As dark as I could make the strings making up the wings. The darker the better to blend in with the night.

    "That was close."

    I whispered to my self while strafing to the left, flying along the west wing of the Penitentiary.

    "And shouldn''t it be the wielder ''you'' want?"

    I jokingly asked Chase.

    "With your stubbornness, anyone else would be a suitable master."

    I received the light jab with a laugh.

    The plan was to sneak in by avoiding the spotlights randomly lighting up the place. Only...it wasn''t random.

    It had taken me a few minutes but I had memorized their path, tracking the routine sweep through the yard and perimeter wall, then sticking it into my mind.

    I flapped my wings almost instinctually. It felt like I could feel the bones connecting the two purple feathered limbs to my back. Not unlike the wings I had in my Spirit King Form.

    "How are you going to locate which cell block he''s in?"

    Chase asked as I landed on the island behind the ruins of the fortress the penitentiary had been built on.

    I smiled, settling into a meditative position.

    "That''s easy. I''ll just look through every cell block."

    With Chesha Neko on my lap, I breathed in and out, smelling the sea water from the random spray of water as it hit the banks.

    "Chase do you know the most common deaths in Jail? It''s death by suicide. That goes double for a place like this."

    My tone took on a gloomy note as I explained.

    "Which means..."

    "There are always Shrouds hanging around. Whether to collect a soul or waiting for someone to die."

    My Zanpakuto spirit concluded.

    "Exactly."

    I responded and through my Reikaku, it was easy to spot a few Shrouds, unseen by anyone else, just hanging in the air... drifting after soon to be dead inmates.

    It was easy to extend my control into those few Shrouds..I sent them through each cell, looking for Carmine Falcone.

    I blinked my eyes and found my vision split into half a dozen perspectives. The Shrouds didn''t see like a normal person.

    They saw souls. Saw when they were destined to die. And which souls belonged to hell. Anything else was cast in a gray and colorless tone.

    It was...empowering in a way that made me wonder if I was losing my humanity. To see the exact date and way someone would go out. I literally held the power of life and death.

    The shrouds phased through the walls, floors and ceilings unimpeded until finally they arrived in the right cell.

    It was bigger than average with even a few luxurious items like a huge king size bed, a soft rug and a couch facing the cell window which showed the Gotham skyline.

    On a poker table, Carmine was playing poker with a few other inmates. He didn''t look agitated in any way, which assured me he hadn''t heard the news. Hadn''t heard that he was down 100 million dollars.

    I recognized some of the inmates as villains, from the mandatory research Chase had advised me to do.

    I had about a dozen open tabs on my phone, mostly about villains. A couple about the heroes and a few about me. People were curious on who the Scarlet Devil was.

    Falcone looked like I expected he would. White hair, a sharp jawline with a smooth moustache and beard. There was a scar on the side of his forehead and his eyes were as sharp as knives.

    They joked around, smoked cigars and even had drinks. His was the definition of ''money can buy anything''.

    Even a good lifestyle in a correctional facility.

    It grated me. Made me mad. I''d been in prison for 5 years and I hated every second of it. There was no privacy, it was overcrowded and the violence...

    I informed Chase about my findings.

    "Do you recognize the others around the table?"

    Chase asked.

    Despite the gray and colorless perspective, it wasn''t hard to recognize 2 of the 5 men sitting around Falcone.

    "There''s the Ventriloquist and Victor Zsasz."

    I ground out the name of the second inmate. One with scars littering his entire body.

    "The others probably wear masks in their other identities."

    It was obvious they were Supervillains too. Their souls were much stronger than the average person.

    As for Zsasz, his soul was the darkest I had ever seen. Were he to die, I was confident he would be headed to the lowest pits of hell.

    "So the puppeteer and the serial killer. Something tells me Carmine Falcone will not be only one to meet his maker this night."

    Chase said with a snort.

    He could feel the murderous intent I had. A slow smile appeared on my face. He was right.

    (General P.O.V)

    Falcone and the rest were enjoying themselves when suddenly, he and Zsasz slumped onto the table, eyes wide as their hearts stopped beating.

    There was no break in. No fight. They just...died.

    And from far away, the roar of a contingent of cop cars sounded out as they approached the prison, too late to stop Davian.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "That was easier than I expected it would be."

    I commented as the Shrouds dragged Falcone''s and Zsasz''s souls away.

    It was a simple matter of materializing my spirit pressure through the Shroud, making it potent enough to instantly kill Zsasz and Falcone.

    I made sure to only focus on the two of them. The Ventriloquist and the others immediately banged on the cell bars, trying to escape but they were lucky.

    It wasn''t their time yet. One would die from food poisoning a few days later.

    The other would die at 46 and the Ventriloquist? Something told me he would die by my hands, a few months from now.

    All in all, the brief stop at the prison was successful.

    Chase hummed in agreement.

    "I should have gone after the rest of the villains though."

    I added to myself, winding through the air as I left Blackgate behind.

    "Had you stayed behind, one of the superheroes would have arrived. Would you have spared them when your hatred for Batman''s involvement in Raven''s death still burns so strongly?"

    Chase questioned.

    I grit my teeth.

    "No."

    "Patience my Wielder. Patience will help you prepare. Patience is how you''ll beat him."

    He went on to advise.

    I sighed.

    "Yeah. Patience."

    ''And power''. I added to myself.

    With Falcone dead, the PRT wouldn''t have anyone coming after them for the raid on The Roman. And with the masks I''d given them, there was literally no way they could betray me.

    Chase had...done something to those masks. A sort of compulsion where their souls were bound to his power. They couldn''t lie to me, sell me out or cheat me out of my money.

    So I had secured myself a team that would be invaluable in gathering Intel due to how Danny was connected. Not to mention...

    "Chase, we need a way to protect the guys. What other function can you add to their masks?"

    I asked, knowing eventually they would come into conflict with the other gangs. Or Batman.

    "Not much. You need to train, increase your spirit energy control and unlock more of my power."

    He said.

    I stopped in midair.

    "You think I''m ready for Bankai?"

    There was an undertone of excitement as I asked.

    "No."

    Chase immediately shot me down.

    "However,in a few years you will be. It all relies on how hard you push yourself. I can promise you, however that once you achieve Bankai, you will be nigh unstoppable. Stronger than even the Kryptonian at his Max."

    I sucked in a deep breath.

    Stronger than Superman at his Max?

    "What are we waiting for then? Let''s go get stronk!"

    I said, pumping myself up as I headed towards the meeting point with Cheshire.

    I could feel it. This was the start of something incredible. My path to true power. And when I came back, I would kill every single villain, not only because they deserved it but because the heroes of this world needed to learn.

    Batman needed to learn. Sometimes death is not the question, it''s the answer.

 Green Lantern Batman

    (General P.O.V)

    (10 hours earlier)

    Diana and Bruce faced each other.

    The training room was full of cracks, charred metal and smoking holes. The spar had been going on for 10 minutes already. And both combatants looked winded.

    Diana more than Bruce. Her hair hang loose after a particularly nasty attack from a pulse canon construct.

    She also had some burns on her shoulder from a slow block, being late in protecting herself with her shield.

    The heat from the flame thrower Bruce had created had not been regular flames. Regular flames couldn''t hurt her. She was a demigod.

    That wasn''t to say she hadn''t given back as much as she''d got. Bruce''s upper lip was torn. However the bleeding had stopped.

    Also upon closer look, he was favoring his right side, a construct of a cast around his right forearm.

    Diana had immediately gone for the hand where the Green Lantern ring had rested. The spar was more than just a spar. It was a bet of sorts.

    The League wanted Batman to stay in the Watchtower so that they could monitor his health.

    Batman wanted to go back to his city but had surprisingly agreed to reach a compromise.

    "You''re stronger than I expected Bruce, though I have to say, I''m still surprised you agreed to this bet. You win, you leave. I win, you stay in the Watchtower for as long as we want."

    The Amazonian said, dropping her shield to the floor while lowering her center of gravity.

    Her forearms came up in a plankration offence stance. It was obvious she had decided to stop playing around.

    "Are you ready to lose?"

    The Amazonian enquired, her face devoid of any worry or fear. She was determined to win.

    Not only for his health but because he was a danger as well. The incident in Gotham wouldn''t have happened if Batman''s actions had been closely supervised.

    They were a team. One of them running off on their own in wild abandon was counter-productive to their mission.

    Bruce who had been silent up until then brought his ring up.

    "Well?"

    He asked.

    "Target at 100% immersion. Brainwaves under full synchronous effect with the with hard light environmental constructs. Proceed with shutting down the target''s neural activity for a limited time?"

    The AI in the ring answered in a detailed format.

    "Negative. Immobilize."

    He coldly replied before adding,

    "Non-lethally."

    There was a pulse from the ring.

    Diana''s hands fell to her sides as her knees shook. Then they followed her toes to the ground as she fell, lying on her belly, immobile.

    She couldn''t even talk. Only blink. What...what was this?

    The Justice League members watching the fight from the outside of the energy field erected around the training room were all in shock.

    "Did I miss something? What just happened?"

    Green Arrow asked the others.

    Green Lantern Guy whistled.

    "So the Bats landed Hal''s ring. And is using it better than I ever saw Hal do."

    Superman placed his hand on Guy''s shoulder.

    "Be respectful. He was our teammate."

    He said.

    Guy looked around and saw the same unfriendly look on Superman''s face on everyone else''s.

    "Sorry."

    He shrugged off the hold looking down with a frown.

    "He was a friend too. I just...it doesn''t feel like he''s really gone."

    From the side, Zatara frowned as well. Yeah, he could relate to Guy''s words. It didn''t feel as if Hal was dead. Gone yes, but truly dead? He had his doubts.

    "Excuse me."

    The magician said, turning around to leave.

    "Off to somewhere Zatara? Can I join you? Batman''s giving me the creeps."

    Shazam said, looking inside the training room to find Batman standing in place, talking to the green Lantern ring on his finger.

    The magician thought about it for a second. He was hesitant but having the champion of the gods where he was going wasn''t a bad idea.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Now he just hoped he''d find the Devil in a good mood. There was a reason why Lucifer was feared across all creation. When you had his power, you could do anything, anytime, anywhere to anyone.

    "If you insist."

    Zatara responded.

    "It must be something important for you to leave out of the blue Zatara."

    Superman said.

    "Especially now."

    He added, looking through the energy membrane at Bruce.

    Inside the training room, Bruce walked forward, his spare costume undergoing changes before their very eyes. While his costume from before had been predominantly black and gray, now a new color was added to the mix. Green.

    Lots of green.

    Batman stalked forward towards the downed Diana.

    "Thank you Diana. You allowed me to familiarize myself with the ring''s capabilities."

    He told her, looming over the Amazonian.

    "Is that why your ring doesn''t seem to have the normal restrictions?"

    A voice called out as the others filed into the sparring room.

    The ring projected an holographic pad above Batman''s wrist.

    "I can''t think of anyone better to have a ring that can kill."

    The Dark, now Green Knight responded in a self-aggrandizing way.

    Stewart frowned from the forefront of the group. He targeted Diana with his ring, scanning her.

    "Target''s body seems to suffer from a paralysis effect. Condition will wear off in approximately 29 minutes and 46 seconds."

    The ring informed the former marine.

    Stewart crossed his hands together.

    "You''re coming with me to OA. The Guardians have requested your presence."

    He told the Green Knight who was busy, typing away at the projected key pad on his forearm.

    "You''re not really listening to me, are you?"

    Stewart shook his head.

    "We''re worried about you Bruce. Don''t shut us out now. We''ve lost Hal, the least we can do is to try and make sure we get through this together."

    Black Canary told him.

    Batman stilled, turning towards them.

    "What do you think I''m doing? Within the last couple of minutes, I have come up with a way to subdue any villain we might encounter, identified potential risks in our systems and then fortified them."

    The new changes were highlighted on the ring''s projection. The Leaguers looked at each other in surprise.

    "Not to mention, created an Algorithm that can learn from our fighting abilities and combat skills to make the sparring room more efficient."

    He added.

    Guy pushed his elbow into Atom''s side.

    "I told you he could use the ring better than Hal."

    He whispered.

    However in a room full of superhumans everybody heard him.

    Dawnstar and Karate Kid shared a glance. Maybe this is how it all starts? The functions of the Algorithm Batman was talking about sounded very similar to what Brother Eye could do.

    "You should have consulted the rest of us Batman."

    Superman spoke up, hitting him with a frustrated glare.

    Batman cocked his head to the side.

    "Why?"

    The simple question left everyone dumfounded.

    "We''ll get Diana to the infirmary."

    Hawkman told the others as he and his wife stepped forward, grabbing the Amazonian by her shoulders and leaving the room.

    Superman wished he could follow them,instead of dealing with this new Batman.

    Once they were gone, the air in the room became tense.

    "Bruce, I think you should remove that ring on your finger. It is undermining your better judgement."

    Black Canary softly but firmly said.

    "No."

    Batman immediately refused, adding,

    "The ring is the ultimate utility belt. I don''t need to worry about stocking up on projectiles or smoke bombs the next time I''m in a fight with Killer Croc. The fight against Trigon would have gone different if I had it at my disposal."

    He calmly turned towards his friends.

    "The only way it''s getting off my finger is by force. Are you willing to go that far?"

    Superman floated forwards, hands crossed over his huge chest.

    "If it comes to that? Yes. We need Batman not whoever this is."

    "I won the bet, thus allowing me to leave if I want to."

    Batman reminded them.

    "Clearly you didn''t care about that. You just wanted to learn how to use the ring on your fist."

    Stewart cut in.

    "It seems we cannot agree."

    Batman replied, fully facing them now.

    "I am still not completely familiar with the Ring''s core functions, maybe you can help with that."

    He told the Leaguers gathered but his eyes were on Superman''s. The Kryptonian''s own vision started to glow red at the implied threat.

    "Ah, okay. Time out, time out."

    Green Arrow came in between the two.

    "I don''t think the Watchtower can handle a face off between a Kryptonian and a Batman with a Green Lantern ring."

    "Besides, did you forget we have guests?"

    The archer pointed his thumb at Dawnstar and Karate Kid.

    Superman''s eyes started glowing.

    "This is not over Bruce."

    Then he flew out, everybody turning to watch him leave.

    They rounded up on Batman only to find that he had disappeared as well.

    A scan showed that he had teleported away.

    Stewart sighed.

    "We should do something soon. He''s getting better at using the ring''s capabilities."

    (General P.O.V)

    Jim Gordon rubbed his eyes. Occasional dizzy spells had hit him ever since he''d woken up. His body was still weak from his coma.

    He also had a migraine. But that could be attributed to stress.

    Of which he could blame it on a lot of things. For starters, dealing with the fallout of the fight between Davi...no, (his name was Scarlet Devil now), and Trigon.

    Gotham had been destroyed, only to be brought back whole, just missing over 10,000 souls. The city had faced worse before...but this was easily a top contender.

    He had to go through the missing persons files while dealing with concerned and worried family members.

    He also had to deal with his own family. His wife was equal parts worried about him and equal parts angry.

    They had grieved for him and once he was back, instead of spending time with them, he poured himself back into his work.

    Then there was the other thing. He could see things. They came in flashes, never too concrete.

    And he also had this weird intuition. It made working the cases easier due to this mild Clairvoyance but also worried him.

    What if it didn''t stop there? What if he lost control and turned into the Scarlet Devil''s beast form?

    "Jim."

    A voice said from his back. It was familiar, taciturn and containing a growl.

    A small smile appeared on the commissioner''s face as he turned around.

    "So you finally decided to show..."

    Gordon''s words cut off as he gaped.

    "You''re...green..."

    He muttered, perturbed.

    And true enough, the plates around the Batman''s body armor glowed a soft green. The bat logo on his chest was different as well.

    At the center of the logo was the symbol of the Green Lantern corps.

    There was also the fact that the dark knight was hovering in the air, a shroud of green aura outlined across his body.

    Seems like Gordon wasn''t the only one getting upgrades. Through his weird intuition/clairvoyance Gordon could easily tell how much power Batman was packing. It oozed off him in a controlled hum.

    The Dark Knight landed on the rooftop, his black cape flaring around his body in that familiar way Gordon had come to realize allowed criminals to underestimate him.

    "You called."

    Batman said curtly, breaking the commissioner out of his thoughts.

    Gordon sighed, stopping his hand from reaching into his trench coat pockets for a cigarette.

    And so begun the talk about laser guns in the hands of criminals, the raid on Falcone, the same man''s death, penguin''s death and Gordon''s suspicion on who was behind it based on witness statements.

    All Batman had to say to that was,

    "I see. Tell your men to not approach if they chance upon the Scarlet Devil. He''s mine."

    He added with another growl, this one containing an undercurrent of violence.

    Gordon frowned, the Dark Knight''s words bothered him.

    "Let''s not forget he''s just a kid. You catch him, bring him in. Let the Justice system handle it."

    Batman was quiet for a while.

    "Of course."

    Gordon nodded, uncomfortable with Batman''s brief pause in answering but choosing to let it go.

    He turned around to shut off the bat signal.

    "The missus and I were thinking..."

    Gordon turned around and found himself all alone.

    "I hate when he does that."

    The commissioner commented gripely, turning around to walk towards the door leading off the rooftop.

 I Understand.

    (General P.O.V)

    To Stewart, space had always carried this feeling of awe.

    The sheer expanse that stretched out for billions of light years in all directions was simply put, mind boggling.

    The final frontier.

    Similarly awe-inducing was the object on his ring finger that could allow him to travel that impossible distance in seconds. Less, depending on how far he was going.

    FTL made things so much easier.

    Green Lantern Stewart left a trail of green light as he pulled further away from the cradle of humanity.

    Earth was already no bigger than a blue marble in his eyes.

    Normally he would take his time, doing circles around the rings of Saturn just to see the first rays of the sun hitting the asteroid belts around the second biggest planet in the Sol system.

    And then there was the sunsets on Mars. Those were just perfect in the only way nature could achieve.

    The urgent sermons he had received from OA killed that idea.

    The sermons were in actuality more like an order. To either make it back with the new Green Lantern chosen by Hal''s ring or not come back at all.

    He chose the third option, going to OA anyway.

    Maybe he could mitigate the disaster that might unfold from the whole situation.

    Stewart knew Batman. Bruce was unyielding, sharing a stubbornness that was inherent to the Guardians.

    That could spark a conflict the likes of which Earth was not remotely ready to survive, let alone win.

    Which is why Stewart had to hurry back. Maybe Ganthet could help. He was atleast willing to compromise on a few issues.

    Emboldened by the sway the Guardian had over the rest of his kind, Stewart immediately activated FTL and jumped into hyperspace.

    Only for him to smack on a green shield before he could even move a single parsec.

    Stewart managed to catch himself before he was rebounded off into unstable space rifts.

    Not even his will, as muddled as his emotions were, could save him from a super massive blackhole were he pulled into one.

    He reoriented his body and looked at what was responsible for blocking his way.

    A giant brown alien.

    One that was wearing a green ring on one of his three fingers.

    "Where are your manners poozer? You even forgot how to properly greet your superior?"

    Kilowog''s voice rumbled out, as he floated in open space, behind him was an entire squaldron of Lanterns.

    Different aliens from different sectors, all clad in Green Lantern uniforms.

    "Oh Fuck."

    Stewart said before he could help himself. This was the exact thing he was trying to avoid!

    Kilowog laughed, his ring lighting up.

    "Cursing infront of me? Intolerable. It seems some remedial lessons on Green Lantern discipline are in order!"

    The Green Lantern responsible for training new Green Lantern rookies said, the smile on his face promising some hard times ahead.

    "Kilowog."

    Stewart nodded in greeting.

    "A little far from your usual patrol route. And you''re...not alone."

    He eyed the others warily.

    Their faces displayed different emotions. The prominent one being boredom.

    Stewart already suspected what their mission was and it filled him with chagrin that his colleagues considered Earth to not be a threat.

    "Had you completed your mission, I would be enjoying the hot springs in Asunio."

    Kilowog replied, flying forwards.

    "I see. If I could have a moment with the Guardians, explain to them..."

    Stewart begun only to be rudely interrupted by another Green Lantern floating behind Kilowog.

    "The Guardians have more pressing matters to attend to than waste time on the selfish needs of a backwater...

    Arx, a hairy faced humanoid creature begun before he teetered back, fearfully as a construct of a knife appeared below his hairy neck.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    "Finish that sentence, I dare you."

    Stewart growled out, holding his ring steady before him.

    There was a shift in the air. Or rather space. A hum of power that pulsed from each of the Lanterns as they prepared to fight back against Stewart.

    It made him angry. These were his colleagues. People he would die for yet...Earth was his home. How did they not understand that a show of force like this would only make things harder?

    Allowing these many Lanterns there would cause more chaos after the planet had just recovered from the loss of Gotham.

    Kilowog''s ring glowed with power then a large scissors construct snipped the connection between Stewart and the knife he had created.

    "No one bullies the new rookies except for me, poozer."

    The giant Bolovaxian growled out.

    ''Ring whats the charge?"

    The former marine turned space cop mentally enquired.

    "78%"

    Even if the charge had been at a hundred, Will alone couldn''t take on close to 500 Green Lanterns.

    But Stewart could certainly try. Maybe even call in Gardner for support or Kyle Rayner.

    The latter hadn''t been heard from since the fall out from his then girlfriend Alexandria Dewitt''s death at the hands of Major Force.

    Kyle had then proceeded to trump the limitations imposed on the Green Lantern ring and in a burst of rage, had utterly destroyed Major Force.

    Then he had simply...disappeared.

    He was the second one to use the ring''s full capabilities after Hal.

    Stewart was afraid of what a driven man like Batman could do if pushed far enough.

    "Kilowog, you have no idea how bad this could get. Let the Justice League handle this."

    Stewart said as he sent an Omega Alert through his ring to the Watchtower.

    Hopefully he could stall them lomg enough that the League would have a sufficient response to the untimely visit from the Green Lantern Corps.

    "It''s out of your hands now. Step aside Lantern."

    Kilowog rumbled, his tone brokering no argument.

    Shit. Okay, one last card to play then.

    "Let me talk to Ganthet. He can..."

    Stewart''s words trailed off as the Lanterns made way for someone.

    "John, it''s good to see. I wish it was under better circumstances."

    A blue skinned alien, wearing a red outfit that flowed down his form spoke up.

    "Ganthet?"

    Stewart blinked in confusion.

    ''What was he doing here? Could one ring really matter enough to bring a guardian away from OA?''

    "We have much to discuss John. Much."

    Ganthet replied, shaking his head slightly.

    "This is not just about the ring in Batman''s hands, is it?"

    Stewart guessed.

    The silence from the Guardian confirmed it.

    For the second time Stewart cursed infront of a superior.

    "Fuck."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The agreed pick up point for the 10 million dollars I would use to pay for Artemis'' sister''s service was of course, the parking lot behind Luigi''s.

    5 minutes away from the parking lot, something begun stirring in my senses.

    "I can feel the masks ahead. They are ahead of schedule."

    I smiled, it was good having competent minions.

    "Or maybe you''re just late? They could have been freezing their butts out in the cold."

    Chase told me.

    I ignored him, deciding not to let him ruin my night, which was turning out to be productive.

    I gently landed next to the driver''s side of one of the mini-vans we had used to load up the cash and knocked on the window gently.

    A second later, it rolled down, revealing the driver staring at me with his hands tightly holding onto the steering wheel.

    My unannounced arrival must have started them. His partner lowered the gun they had trained on me.

    "Where is it?"

    I asked without wasting time.

    "Ju...just a-a sec."

    The driver stammered as the side door opened and a duffel bag was held out to me.

    I grabbed it before nodding and disappearing in a burst of speed. Now to really start this thing off.

    I''ve wasted enough time as it is.

    "You have killed 3 of the Batman''s most prolific villains, I think you''re well ahead of schedule. You need to slow down."

    Chase informed me in that tone of his that told me I should have been expecting a lecture.

    "I am slowing down. No more murders until I''m strong enough to face the whole Justice League at their best and come out victorious."

    I assured, hoping he would drop the subject.

    "You know that''s not what I mean. You''re jumping from one thing to another without resting. The meeting you''re going to could have been conducted tomorrow, after you had a shower and some food. Your body still needs a break. There are bags under your eyes. You''re exhausted."

    He rattled off.

    "I''m fine."

    I told him while gritting my teeth, jumping across the street onto the roof of a building.

    Artemis'' apartment complex was only a few blocks away.

    "Are you?"

    He asked after a few seconds.

    I slowed down before stopping.

    "What are you now, my therapist?"

    I questioned, feeling a little bit angry that he kept on pushing.

    "At this rate you might need one. You''re acting as if you don''t know what your problem is."

    Chase shot back.

    I rolled my eyes.

    "Maybe it''s you! Maybe it''s this world! Maybe it''s everybody!"

    "Classic behavior. Blame someone else for your own problems."

    My hand tightened on the handle of Chesha Neko at his statement.

    "Admit to yourself what you can''t. You''re running away. Running away from having to mourn the loss of a friend."

    He added, this time much softly.

    All the anger washed out of me. I rubbed my eyes, feeling the dull ache of a migraine behind them.

    I looked up at the snow falling from the sky.

    "It''s not wrong to feel. It''s wrong to not feel. I''m not telling you to abandon everything and grieve. Being pro-active is commendable. But mental and physical fatigue will not only be detrimental to your health but also to your plans. Give yourself time. Do you understand?"

    I took a second to mull over our whole argument and the reason I was so mad at Chase.

    He was opening up fresh wounds that I had decided to just ignore.

    I was trying not to think too much about Raven. If I did, I would abandon the long game. I would lash out like I did when Nick died.

    I couldn''t protect Nick and now I had also failed to protect her.

    What I could do without burning down the world, was atleast offer some sort of compensation to her soul by doing something good, cleaning up this city.

    Chase wasn''t wrong.

    But he also wasn''t completely right.

    "I understand."

    I understand that I can''t kill this momentum.

    There wasn''t time to grieve. I could grieve when the last of Batman''s Rogues were bleeding on the ground before me.

    I could grieve when I saw Batman''s face as he realized I had done what he couldn''t.

    Only then would I allow myself to break down.

    The next series of Shunpo deposited me at the agreed meet up joint.

    And waiting for me there, was someone that instantly caused me to unsheathe my Zanpakuto.

    I activated Shikai and bound her to the wall with strings.

    "Stop! What are you doing?! That''s my sister!"

    Artemis yelled, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow while aiming it at me.

    I ignored her, narrowing my eyes at Cheshire.

    "You have a lot of nerve showing up infront of me."

    I spoke, walking towards her.

    I hadn''t forgotten the less than stellar welcome to DC she and that other guy had given me.

    Now it was time for payback.

 The Enemy Of My Enemy...

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Stop or..." Artemis begun only for her trail off.

    She swallowed, fear encroaching on her features as her hands trembled from the brief exposure to my Spiritual pressure.

    She mewled, letting the arrow fly loose in blind panic.

    I snatched it off the air as it headed for my neck, proceeding to pull on the Arrow''s soul and crushing it.

    The wood crumbled into fine gray ash on the inside of my palm.

    I left it blow away into the night air while I approached Cheshire, passing over Artemis who fell to her knees, breathing heavily and staring at me with wide eyes.

    "Ever since your control over Reiryoku got better, the rest of your skills show different results. Stronger results. You''re quite handy with the Spiritual pressure, able to minimize or maximize it''s effects on a target."

    Chase observed.

    He was right, my spirit skills had shot up in both power and ease of control. Especially the power part.

    And adjusting it to different settings of lethality was easily doable.

    With Falcone and Zsasz, I had exposed them to about 70%, which had been enough to instantly send them to the afterlife.

    With Artemis on the other hand, I kept the intensity low and then slowly upped it once I was past her.

    She passed out soon after, her body keeling over. It was impressive she held on longer than most would have.

    Goes to show that with a lot of training, this world''s benchmark for peak human was much higher than my previous world.

    So better control equals more power. Now I knew what other facets of my abilities I could train, besides what I needed to learn from Bronze Tiger.

    "I wonder what would happen if I released a Hado 1: Shu at Cheshire''s smug face?"

    I mentally directed at Chase, entertaining the idea that I was more and more leaning towards due to the fearless smirk on the assassin''s face.

    The smirk had only been momentarily broken by concern for Artemis, the Assassin''s eyes sweeping over her sister''s unconscious form briefly.

    Mmmh. A possible weakness I could exploit.

    She was also out of her mask but that did not deter me. The wild hair, green costume and Sais could only belong to one person. The assassin Cheshire.

    ''And she''s beautiful too,'' a traitorous part of my brain whispered.

    "She must have one hell of a bargaining chip for her to not be trembling under your gaze. Your eyes are the usual purple whenever you get angry."

    Chase pointed out.

    I landed a punch right by her face, my fist cracking the wall.

    "Give me one good reason why I shouldn''t paint you across this wall?"

    I growled out at her, establishing eye contact.

    A flash of fear went through her eyes before she smoothed over her expression, the smile on her face dropping as she became serious.

    "Because you need me."

    Cheshire answered calmly.

    I tilted my head, lifting the bag in my left hand.

    "I have 10 million dollars in untraceable cash right here, in this duffel bag and I can get more."

    I continued,

    "All I need to do is contact the Calculator or any other information broker and they could connect me with whoever I''m looking for. Ergo..."

    I pulled in closer.

    "Care to rethink your statement?"

    Cheshire gulped as the thread''s around her body begun to squeeze into her.

    "What makes you think the Calculator would want do business with you? Especially when you''re running around Gotham Killing Supervillains?"

    She was afraid. But not too much to not shoot back petulantly.

    It was kind of impressive. Whenever my eyes turned Purple, the subject of my ire would shrink back in wariness if not outright fear.

    Chase speculated some of my spirit energy when agitated, would leak through my optical organs.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Even with the fear she carefully hid within, her confidence remained. And while I borderline hated the false bravado, Chase was the opposite.

    The Zanpakuto Spirit chuckled from within my inner world.

    "Hahaha I like her. Give her a chance, I want to see how she''ll get herself out of this."

    Chase suggested.

    "Are you serious? She tried to kill me."

    I mentally replied, my tone incredulous.

    Meanwhile Cheshire grew desperate the more I kept silent.

    She couldn''t know I was talking to the source of my powers so my silence could have easily been taken as hesitation.

    "She''s smart. She knows that if you could Kill Penguin and risk Batman''s wrath, then you could easily do the same to her."

    "Look."

    Her voice held a not of desperation.

    "The man you''re looking for won''t be easy to find. The Calculator is good but not that good. Lucky for you, I am."

    She finished, craning her neck in a futile endeavor to stop the encroaching strings.

    "I''m still not convinced. Why would I trust someone who has tried to kill me before? How do I know this is not a trick to get to me to your bosses?"

    I questioned, crossing my arms over my chest.

    "It''s not!"

    She gritted her teeth, anger marring her features.

    "I risked showing my face to you. Even now, I''m risking not only my life but my sister''s. Why would I go that far?! Why would I make myself vulnerable infront of a mad man!?"

    She screamed out and with a click everything made sense.

    "Because you don''t have a choice, do you?"

    I said in realization.

    Chesha Neko''s strings stopped squeezing into her, Cheshire fell to the floor while breathing heavily. The strings gathered around my left arm, seeping into the fabric of the jacket I wore.

    I knelt next to her, tilting her head up by her chin.

    One eye contact with her gray eyes and I knew I was right.

    "Talk."

    I growled out.

    "There was a falling out with my ''bosses''. They gave me 2 chances to kill you and I failed on both accounts. Failure is not tolerated, repeated failure less so."

    She explained, rubbing her neck from where the strings had left a few lacerations.

    "You don''t really care about the money do you?"

    I chuckled in slight disbelief. And to think I''d gone to all that trouble just to secure it.

    Cheshire shook her head.

    "There''s a hit out on me. I have managed to stay one step ahead of them so far, however sooner or later, they will catch up to me."

    I got to my feet.

    "Well good luck with that."

    Yeah. I was officially done with this shit. This was clearly a bid by the powers that be, to include me in a stupid plot.

    One day I''m gonna pull on the soul of whatever god governs fate and I''m going to do nasty things to it.

    My decision to leave seemed to surprise not only Cheshire but also Chase, to the point both of them spoke out at the same time.

    "I thought you wanted to kill her."

    Chase said.

    "I thought you would want revenge on the ones who sent me after you!"

    Cheshire called out.

    I sighed, deciding to answer my Zanpakuto spirit first.

    "What''s the point of Killing her when her ''bosses'' will handle that for me?"

    And then at Cheshire I snorted.

    "So what, you thought of teaming up? This is the real world. An enemy of an enemy doesn''t automatically make them a friend. Stay the fuck out of my way or next time we see each other will be your final day alive, assassin."

    I told her, already regretting not snapping her neck when I had the chance.

    Less annoyances that way.

    "Wait! There''s something else! I know how you can bring her back!"

    She rattled off quickly.

    I cut the activation of Shunpo. My back going ramrod stiff.

    "What. Did. You. Say?"

    My spirit pressure burst out, forcing Cheshire to open her eyes wide as cracks ran the entire length of the roof. Purple energy swirled around my body, making my hair dance in the air.

    "I...I-I know...how to..."

    She stammered, hands tightening on her knees, while trying to keep her head raised.

    "Lower the aura before you crush her."

    Chase advised.

    I did so, pulling in my Reiatsu.

    Cheshire turned to the side and immediately vomited.

    "I hate that ability."

    She vehemently decided.

    "Talk or I promise you I''ll do even worse."

    I wasn''t in the mood for her games anymore. Chesha Neko''s bladed edge rested on her neck.

    "Ok okay."

    The assassin raised her hands.

    "There''s this thing called a Lazarus Pit. It can bring someone back to life. As long as you have the body, it''s possible."

    She answered.

    "Chase, how much would you be willing to bet that she''s referring to the corrupt pool of energy that had been below Gotham?"

    I directed at my Zanpakuto.

    "That or something similar. I don''t like the implication. It feels... unnatural. Subverting. Death should be final. If she''s right, then the person would come back insane or...different."

    And he was right. Something within me harbored the same feelings about this ''Lazarus Pit.''

    After what Trigon had achieved with the one in Gotham, I shudder to think what another mad man could do with something similar.

    I guess that made the decision for me. I had to remember that I was now a soul reaper, a death god and if there were things out there trying to defy my core responsibilities then they had to go.

    I stared down at Cheshire. Maybe she could be useful.

    "Let''s make a deal. Lead me to Bronze Tiger. Your safety will be in my hands until I''m prepared enough to deal with whoever is after you. Permanently. As payment for that, you will take me to this ''Lazarus Pit'' so that I can destroy it."

    I couldn''t cancel my training to go after the Lazarus Pit. So destroying it and getting my revenge would have to wait.

    "Why not deal with them now?! With your strength, we can do it!"

    She suggested.

    I shook my head, stepping away from her.

    "Because I make the calls. Take it or leave it."

    I told her bluntly.

    Cheshire clenched her jaw.

    "They won''t stop coming after me. After us."

    "Let them."

    I threw over my shoulder turning to walk away. I needed a shower and some food in me. Oh and sleep. Lots and lots of sleep.

    "You overlooked one small detail my wielder. She said they were after her. And they wouldn''t stop coming."

    Chase cut into my thoughts, stopping me in my tracks.

    "Fuck. They''re already here aren''t they?"

    And from the shadows, Ninjas clad in black outfits that let them blend in the darkness seemingly materialized.

    How had I not felt them through Reikaku?

    "The shadows. They seem to shield from all manners of detection."

    Well. At least now I knew Reikaku''s limitation.

    In just a few seconds, we were entirely surrounded.

    And I didn''t need to wait to long to see the perpetrators of this whole thing. Or rather, the leaders of this excursion at least.

    A dark portal manifested in front of us and out of it walked a woman I immediately tagged as bad news.

    "Be careful."

    Chase must have felt the same as he immediately warned me.

    Cheshire stiffened from behind me at the sight of her.

    She was tall, beautiful and held onto the handle of a sheathed Katana.

    Behind her were a few Supervillains like the Black Spider, Hook and Shade, the last being a Villain who could manipulate darkness and create portals.

    The shadows were his doing then.

    "Jade, your 3 minute headstart is over."

    The deadly woman said, not even sparing me a glance. Then in a smooth motion, she unsheathed her Katana.

    I think I''m in love.

 Perfect Guinea Pigs.

    (Cheshire''s P.O.V)

    Shit. Not her.

    Anyone but her!

    We''re so fucked!

    (General P.O.V)

    There was a thing to be said about the freedoms, a non physical form allowed.

    One of them being that as long as he was careful, Deadman could slip in anywhere, anytime.

    He''d been careful to keep his distance after Davian had threatened him.

    And he was sure that this scary guy who could control spirits as if they were an extension of him had no idea he was being followed.

    As a consequence of this stalking, Deadman had managed to witness the effect Davian''s actions left behind.

    From Killing Penguin, which had started a gang war, to going after Falcone and killing him and Zsasz... Deadman had arrived at each location too late to stop anything.

    Even if he''d gotten there on time, Deadman doubted he would have intervened. Partly because his disembodied spirit was entirely vulnerable against Davian.

    And partly because he was afraid.

    But he couldn''t put this off any longer. It wouldn''t do to keep his patron goddess waiting.

    So Deadman decided not to hesitate any longer.

    With Davian and the other two surrounded by honest to God Ninjas, maybe jumping in to help fight them off would Garner some goodwill.

    He passed through the concrete of the roof and immediately possessed the blonde haired girl who had passed out from Davian''s Spirit pressure.

    The next second he opened his eyes, he saw a ninja lunging at her with the sharp point of a blade headed for her neck.

    The move was too sudden that the body he was occupying couldn''t react at all.

    Then the Ninja''s head detached from its neck as a purple sword flew through him.

    "You."

    A growl sounded out, and Artemis head whipped to the side, her heart pumping in fear as Davian turned his attention to the spirit inhabiting Artemis body.

    Deadman would have gulped if he had his own body. He settled for stammering.

    "I... I-I..."

    "Keep her safe."

    Davian simply ordered, turning around to face his front.

    Deadman jerked his head in a nod, knowing that were to fail, his head would meet a similar fate as the adversary on the floor infront of him.

    Blood was still sprayed out of the Ninja''s neck, pooling on the ground.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The Katana in her hand looked awesome as fuck.

    And that was putting it lightly.

    My nuts tightened at the way it seemed to reflect the light off it''s sharp edge.

    Not to mention, the sex on two legs holding onto it.

    Damn. I''m the one supposed to ooze out the rizz yet this milf baddie was on some other shit.

    I mentally slapped myself out of the daydream that was playing out in my head.

    Her riding on my pole and going 180 on it. Or slow if that''s what she wanted, those hips and thighs could do things to a man.

    Actually, I wouldn''t mind if she took her time with me.

    "Do I need to remind you that they are here to kill someone you just promised to protect?"

    Chase pointed out dryly.

    "Ugh..."

    I sighed.

    "Kill my fun, why don''t ya?"

    I stretched my body, in preparation.

    "What are you doing?!"

    Cheshire harshly whispered as she got to her feet behind me, warily staring at the Milf.

    "Duh, I need to give a good showing."

    I threw over my shoulder.

    "And if you''re thinking it''s to impress the insanely attractive killer before us, you would be entirely right."

    Cheshire blinked.

    "Man has got his priorities right."

    Black Spider gave me a thumbs up.

    Finally. A bro who understands!

    "Are you fucking kidding me!? Lady Shiva is one of the most ruthless assassins the League of Shadows has in their ranks. You literally can''t do worse than her!"

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Cheshire heatedly said.

    So that''s her name huh? Lady Shiva. It so badass. And fitting. And also sounds familiar.

    For her part, Shiva''s eyes narrowed as she regarded us. And then in the most beautiful display of that same badassery, she uttered a single statement.

    "Kill them all."

    Her voice was something else entirely. It sent shivers up my spine.

    And the fact that she didn''t waste time on a monologue like other supervillains added another point to her.

    Like eager puppies, the Ninjas under her command descended upon us like flies to a corpse.

    I stepped forward calmly, blocking their way before snapping my finger. This was the perfect time to test if my recent increased control had affected Fullbring.

    The ability to control the core state of anything was too overpowered not to use.

    The concrete roof under our feet rumbled as spikes of hard cement and sand speared through the first wave of Ninjas, impaling most of them before they could even get close to us.

    However, a few managed to evade my attack, with even one of them going after Artemis who was waking up and two of them coming at me from my sides. A fourth one jumped over my head to attack Cheshire.

    "Your former friend is not the one in control of her body. That dead Spirit is back."

    Chase informed me as I unsheathed Chesha Neko, blocking the bladed edge of a kusarigama before side stepping another attack.

    The ground rose up again, the spikes spearing through the three ninjas, including the one who had jumped over me. How rude.

    Blood ran down the concrete spiked as I turned my attention to Artemis.

    "So, he finally decided to make a move huh? I was wondering how long he would keep up the stalking."

    I snorted, throwing my Zanpakuto towards her position.

    Chesha Neko decapitated the ninja headed towards Artemis, causing blood to splash on her before Deadman who was in control, could move her body out of the way.

    The blade spun back towards me like a boomerang. I grabbed the handle off the air before it melded with the sleeve of my jacket.

    Using my Zanpakuto on these guys was degrading.

    "You."

    I growled at Deadman. The spirit was scared shitless under my gaze.

    "Keep her safe."

    I ordered, hoping he understood how serious the repercussions of failing me would be.

    Just because Artemis was still in the doghouse where I was concerned didn''t mean I wanted her dead.

    Just for the fact that she tried to help me out was enough for me to repay that favor by protecting her.

    As for our enemies. All eyes were on me.

    "You should really understand the concept of being outmatched.

    I addressed them. Particularly Shiva who studied me with an interested albeit calculating gaze.

    The shadows were wary now. They had seen what had happened to the first group and knew they would share the same fate if anyone tried to make a move.

    "You''re strong."

    She finally commented, eyeing me up.

    "And your men are weak."

    I replied with a smirk, my hands inside the pockets of my pants.

    My response did not go over well with her or her team. She jerked her hand and Shade, the guy with the control over darkness did something.

    All the Ninjas around fell through their shadows. A second later the air was filled with the sharp sound of blades leaving their sheaths as I was beset by over a dozen murderous Ninjas.

    "I can appreciate playing with food but you''re wasting time."

    Chase told me.

    "Did you just make a cat joke?"

    I asked him, counting the number of enemies about to kill me. Or try atleast.

    Still, he was right. This wasn''t challenging at all.

    Okay, final test for the day. How far can I push my mobility?

    The fight with the possessed Flash had opened up new avenues for me.

    Time to test out an idea.

    I breathed out, pumping Reiryoku into activating Shunpo while still standing in place.

    That probably makes no sense.

    Shunpo was basically ejecting a lot of energy from the soles of your feet to push yourself forward at dizzying speeds.

    However, it had a hidden component. It also increased your reaction speeds to be able to perceive things while moving that fast.

    The Flash'' superpeed was not limited like my Hoho. Without that final Power-Up, I wouldn''t have been able to keep up with him.

    With my increased control over Reiryoku, it stands to reason that Shunpo would get a better too.

    I enhanced the effects of that second component and instantly, everything begun to slow down, moving at a snail''s pace compared to me.

    Everyone on that rooftop looked frozen in time.

    I could kill them all so easily. Infact...that is exactly what I am going to do, otherwise they will keep on attacking and that will grow tedious fast.

    I needed to make an example out of them do that next time, they wouldn''t send in weaklings to try and kill me.

    So how do I do this? Gosh, I''m spoiled fir choice. With my new perception, it felt like I had all the time in the world.

    I could crush a few bones, dismember limbs, test out a few Kido spells.

    But ultimately, I found myself going back to Fullbring. Apart from Chesha Neko''s Shikai, I felt that Fullbring was my most important ability.

    The power to control souls...at the palm of my hand.

    I waved a hand, this time instead of pulling on the soul of air, I pushed at it, causing a gale of tiny sharp winds to surround the Ninjas in the air.

    There wasn''t any sound, just a small tornado that sprung up around Artemis, Cheshire and I, tearing every enemy in close proximity into mulch.

    The tornado dispersed, leaving behind no remains.

    And time resumed once more. Or rather, I fell out of the superspeed time. Ugh, that sounds terrible. Let''s call it Flash time.

    One second we were about to be attacked, the next Cheshire was looking around us in surprise.

    "Boss, I''m thinking that maybe this job is a little out of our pay grade."

    Black Spider stated, taking a leap towards the water tank on that same rooftop.

    "Coward. Run away little spider."

    Hook threw at him.

    He was a large man with a hook where his left hand was supposed to be (the Wiki dive had suggested that the hook was his main weapon) like bruh...what are you doing with your life?

    "Hey, you wanna get sushi''d like those other guys, be my guest."

    Black Spider told him, crouching on top of the tank in a Spiderman pose. The message was clear, he wasn''t with them anymore.

    I decided that I was going to spare that guy''s life.

    "Lady Shiva, allow me to deal with this..."

    Hook guy started but I was already tuning him out as my mind ran with ideas of other ways I could use Fullbring.

    I wonder what would happen if I pulled on someone''s soul using Fullbring.

    Normally I would need to be in contact with them but that was easily solved by extending a very thin thread forward.

    The thread wrapped around Hook guy''s neck, too light to even sense. Then I activated Fullbring.

    Nothing happened.

    I frowned.

    Maybe I had to physically be in contact with the target?

    Alas, more experiments would need to be conducted to find it''s limitations. For now, I had learned enough. It was time to end this charade.

    The thin thread neatly sliced through Hook guy''s neck, the string so thin that blood didn''t immediately start spraying out like the first guy I had decapitated.

    His head detached and fell right before Shiva''s feet. It had been silent. And so fast.

    Shiva looked at it, then at me.

    I raised an eyebrow as a silent conversation happened between us.

    Then she sheathed her sword and turned around. Her ass...whoa.

    The darkness around them rose up.

    Black Spider waved goodbye as he was swallowed by his shadow.

    I like that guy.

    The last thing I saw of Shiva was a small smile as she stared at me with the promise that she would find me again.

    I was all for it.

    "Wait. You''re just letting them leave like that?!"

    Cheshire asked, grabbing onto my shoulder after the darkness swallowed them, not even their dead was left behind.

    I shrugged off the hold, falling out of Shikai in a burst of light, before I sheathed Chesha Neko.

    "Let me make one thing clear."

    I released my Spirit pressure turning to her.

    "I make the calls. If you have a problem with that, tell me and I''ll kill you right now and settle our score."

    This time she flinched back from my gaze. Good.

    "Was that necessary?"

    Chase asked as I walked towards Artemis. I had an annoying spirit to exorcise.

    "It was. She needs to understand who''s in charge. A rogue element like her needs a firm hand. Otherwise she''ll try to play tricks with me, use her femininity to try and manipulate my actions. I should know, my ex girlfriend was like that. Too sure of herself for her own good."

 Leaving Gotham.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I could hear Cheshire gritting her teeth as I left her there, headed towards her sister.

    Artemis scrambled to her feet just as I reached for Chesha Neko. Her body then slumped over into my arms as Deadman popped out from her back with his hands raised.

    "Calm down man! I was just trying to help!"

    He cried out.

    "That''s the only reason you''re not dead."

    I barked out and glared at him, targeting my Spirit pressure onto him.

    He didn''t fall to the floor, he was pulled to it in a sudden jerking motion, landing on his hands and knees.

    Brand looked up at me from where he was kneeling.

    "What did I tell you the last time we saw each other?"

    I asked him with a raise of my eyebrows.

    "Nothing. You sent me to the core of the Earth!"

    He bit out accusingly.

    "Exactly. That was a message I was hoping you would understand. One that said, ''next time I see you, I''ll do even worse.''"

    The tip of Chesha Neko came to rest below his chin.

    Normally that wouldn''t work on him but Chesha Neko was obviously not a regular long sword despite what it''s sealed form suggested.

    "You think I wanna be here?!" He asked me, aggrieved.

    "Watch your tone, it''s 4 in the morning and people are asleep."

    I pushed my Zanpakuto against his neck. Was I bullying him? A little.

    In my defense...fuck the heroes.

    "It would be incredibly foolish if he came of his own volition."

    Chase begrudgingly supported him.

    I also had to reluctantly agree.

    Deadman struck me as someone who would do the bare minimum. He wasn''t altruistic enough to come after me, when I had immensely expressed my displeasure at his presence.

    It was a principle I could even live by. Avoid the annoying things.

    Too bad I can''t ignore this. There was always the option of Killing him but I was...curious what would cause him to come back after our last meeting went disastrous for him.

    "Here..."

    With the decision made, I handed Artemis over to her sister.

    She took her out of my hands wordlessly.

    "I''ll take her to her room and then we can leave before Shiva comes back."

    Cheshire said, carrying Artemis away.

    There were no quips, no sarcastic comments...it seems she was finally understanding that I wouldn''t hesitate to leave her to the wolves if she stepped out of line.

    On the other side, I couldn''t exactly blame her for being afraid.

    Without my powers, Shiva wouldn''t need to extend a lot of effort to kill me. I was just being realistic.

    I wanted that level of self sufficiency. I wanted to be able to handle myself in a world of Superheroes and Supervillains even if I didn''t have access to my abilities.

    Was that reaching? Maybe. Did I care? Not really.

    There had to be a reason why I had gotten this chance at life. Not using it to better myself was an insult to what I was before.

    An immature brat with dreams of making it out of the streets and doing something real with my life.

    Something productive. That dream had been stolen away.

    This time, I wouldn''t and couldn''t let that happen. I would get stronger, faster, smarter, sneakier, crueler... anything to ensure I never became weak again.

    Bronze Tiger and Shiva were an example of what you could achieve with only your body.

    I had more tools at my disposal than they did. So what excuse did I have to not WANT this? To not want power?

    NONE!

    "Pull back your Spirit Pressure before you kill him."

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Chase'' voice cut through my thoughts.

    And sure enough, Deadman was entirely pressed onto the floor of the roof, mouth open while the whites of his eyes showed.

    I pulled back my Reiatsu just as Cheshire came back, this time with her iconic mask and a small backpack on her shoulders. The backpack had an image of Hourman emblazoned at the back.

    I raised an eyebrow.

    That wasn''t exactly Assassin-like of her.

    "Take a picture, it lasts longer."

    She said, cocking her her head to the side.

    I chose not to comment and turned to Brand who was slowly getting off the ground.

    "Look, I don''t want to fight." He chuckled.

    "I couldn''t even if I wanted to. You''re literally my Kryptonite..."

    "Eh? Oh...I see, so that''s why you were resistant to my charm."

    Cheshire commented.

    I groaned, throwing a stink eye towards Deadman.

    "Say something else confusing and I''ll chop you up into tiny bits that I will feed to my cat."

    "Hard pass. I have class, why would I want to play with food that''s already dead?"

    Chase remarked in distaste.

    I ignored him.

    Infact I ignored all of them, choosing instead to create a green bubble shield around us.

    It was clear that the sheathe was intricately connected to my Fullbring. Infact it was my Fullbring. It''s special abilities laid in support roles. Healing and creating shields I could control.

    Cheshire ran her palm down the length of the shield and whistled.

    "It''s feels pliable...but whenever I try to apply pressure, my hand slides off."

    No way I was about to explain to someone I didn''t trust the way my abilities worked.

    "Buckle Up."

    I simply told them before the bubble shield rose to the sky, headed towards Park Row.

    I couldn''t exactly carry the duffel bag containing the 10 million everywhere I went. I needed an account and a credit card.

    Something as mundane as that would be easy for Danny and the PRT to handle. There was also the expansion plans we had.

    I would need a base once I came back. A territory under my control that I could use to strike against the villains and pull people to my side.

    Right now, it was time to leave Gotham. The sky was only now getting a scarlet hue on the horizon.

    A new day was dawning. A day of endless possibilities.

    (General P.O.V)

    Artemis came to her senses in an instant. It felt like her brain was forcefully rebooted as she sat up, heart pumping wildly.

    What...where was she?

    And what was this sticky stuff on her face and hands?

    "You''re covered in blood."

    A voice stated in a matter of fact way.

    Artemis, startled, immediately reached for her foldable crossbow under her pillow. Her hand wrapped around the handle before she pointed it at the stranger in her room.

    Then she lowered the weapon.

    "Batman?"

    Artemis muttered staring at the dark knight who seemed to have undergone a change.

    "You''re...green?"

    Batman stepped towards her.

    "What happened?"

    He growled out.

    Artemis placed the crossbow within reach as she pulled her knees to her chest, the memories coming to her unbidden.

    She couldn''t exactly tell him her villain of a sister decided to come back home for a visit. Or rather, she was running away from the League of Shadows.

    Nor could she explain that she had decided to help Davian, someone who was supposed to be the enemy.

    "I...only remember flashes..."

    So Artemis decided to lie.

    Only for a green light to pass over her from a ring on the Batman''s hand.

    "No matter, I have what I need."

    The Dark Knight said, looking unfocused for a second before hitting Artemis with a glare.

    "You lied."

    He simply said.

    Anger surged within Artemis.

    "Did you just read my mind?!"

    She questioned in disbelief.

    He was a hero! That was so unethical!

    "Keep your voice down, you don''t want to wake up your mother."

    Batman told her, looming over her form.

    Artemis took a step back, suddenly aware that she was alone in a room with a man she didn''t really know.

    "I scanned your memories as it was the most effective way to know how the events of this night played out."

    He explained as a way to calm her down.

    "Effective doesn''t always mean efficient! What if you messed with my mind?! Changed something?!"

    She shot back hotly.

    "I accounted for all neurological side effects and you will be fine. Your memories before tonight remain untouched."

    He told her, motioning with his chin towards her bathroom.

    "You need to get cleaned up."

    He told her.

    Artemis looked at the bathroom door but once she turned back to face the Batman, he was gone.

    Her window was open and the morning breeze caused the curtains to ripple and wave in the air.

    Artemis got to her feet and headed towards the bathtub, still angry.

    School was only a few hours away and she needed to make sure she wouldn''t smell like blood.

    (Elsewhere)

    The Watchtower was equipped with top of the line surveillance tech. It''s detection abilities were crucial as the Justice League was the first layer of protection against any unfriendly parties.

    This time, the unfriendly party were gone before the Watchtower could even detect anything.

    The second that Kilowog, leading the entire Squaldron of Green Lantern arrived within the Sol System, dropping out of FTL someone was already blocking their way.

    Both parties faced each other right on the asteroid boundary of the Kuiper Belt.

    Killowog took a second to study him.

    The man blocking the way was glowing green, the environmental aura around his body protecting him from the harsh reality of space.

    Batman floated steadily, his ring had not dropped it''s charge even once. It was always full, the willpower he could access was more than enough to power it.

    "Well well Poozer. How nice of you to make this easy and come to us."

    Killowog commented, facing Batman.

    "Leave."

    Batman addressed him, fearlessly. The glow from his ring seemed to be brighter than any of theirs.

    The meaning was clear...he wouldn''t hesitate to make them.

    Killowog growled without saying anything. This human...this human was and had been always different from the others.

    Too focused. In a way he shared a few similar qualities with Sinestro.

    The only difference between them was that Batman was perhaps one of the only few people to actually embody the essence of Willpower.

    Focused and tempered.

    He would make a fine Green Lantern.

    Batmite popped up on the Dark Knight''s shoulder.

    "See! I told you they would come! Now kick their asses!"

    The Imp said, buzzing with eclectic energy.

    Ganthet stepped forward, his eyes slightly widening upon seeing the Interdimensional creature on their newest Lantern''s shoulder.

    "Bruce Wayne of Earth, do you have any idea whom you''re standing beside?"

    The Guardian immediately asked, a serious expression on his blue face.

    "I was able to access the Lantern database and find out."

    Batman replied smoothly.

    Ganthet sucked in a breath. The answer might have seemed innocent enough but only he could understand the implications.

    "Secrets have a way of coming out whether you want them to or not."

    Batman added.

    ''He Knows.''

    Ganthet realized, closing his eyes with a sigh.

    Killowog looked in between the two, his eyes narrowing.

    "We are leaving. Abort the mission."

    Ganthet finally said, snapping a finger and immediately teleporting away the entire group of Green Lanterns.

    "That went better than expected. Ring cancel all contingencies. Plan A worked."

    "Affirmative."

    The ring answered, closing off the microscopic portals connecting the ring with a large construct.

    The construct was a series of mirrors connected to a panel, floating around the sun.

    The weapon was meant to send a concentrated beam of solar energy at the enemy and vanquish them in one feel swoop. Batman didn''t kill.

    However...he could intimidate.

 2 Weeks part 1

    (General P.O.V)

    "The last time we spoke Miss Cobert, you complimented my tie before proceeding to critique my mannerisms as slanderous."

    The smooth almost oily voice belonged to G.Gordon</a> Godfrey.

    He was dressed in a navy blue suit, his hair slicked back with a slightly mocking smile on his face.

    His guest, a beautiful green eyed woman leaned back with a soft smile.

    "Oh my, G.Gordon</a>. Are you still mad about that? Don''t tell me my opinion matters that much to the G.B.S top show host."

    The lighting of the room was soft and warm, designed to bring comfort and serenity to the occupants.

    The fact was compounded by the presence of 2 comfy seats with a coffee table in between.

    The host and the guest sat on both seats, facing each other for what was supposed to be an amiable conversation but was actually a volatile and charged war of words.

    "It does when it''s coming from someone like you. You are the public affairs officer of the strongest army in the world, the Justice League!"

    He exclaimed dramatically.

    Catherine Cobert frowned in distaste.

    "I would watch my words G.Gordon</a>, you''re only proving my previous point, your show is slanderous."

    She told him, putting emphasis on the tail end of her statement.

    "Free speech my dear."

    Gordon was quick to reply.

    "A right you use only when it''s convenient for you, like spreading propaganda and undermining the Justice League''s humanitarian efforts."

    Catherine shot back.

    Gordon slapped the armrest of his seat.

    "Exactly!"

    He said with a smirk.

    "And I will use this right, to say what has been going through the minds of every single American citizen, the Justice League needs to be held accountable!"

    The screens on the backdrop turned on to show numerous disaster shots and aftermaths from places all across the world.

    "When is this going to stop!?"

    G.Gordon</a> shouted pointing his hand at the screen.

    "Are you suggesting that the Justice League has something to do with this?"

    Catherine asked the shrewd Host.

    "Inaction is the same as admitting it. We all know what happened to Gotham 2 weeks ago."

    He said, the image of a destroyed Gotham with plumes of smoke rising up taking over.

    And then Gordon snapped a finger and the city was back in one piece. Better even, at least in some impoverished areas.

    "Gotham was destroyed and then somehow brought back. Millions of lives resurrected after many claimed to experience death."

    He paused for a dramatic effect, facing the camera directly.

    "Now as a religious man myself, such a miracle can only be performed by God or... the Devil. Maybe the League had God''s providence. Maybe even a tool of sacred power."

    His face changed as a sharp gaze fell upon Catherine Cobert, whose face remained tranquil.

    "Or maybe they struck a deal with the other side. And that is the reason why Gotham was brought back."

    He fixed his tie.

    "Like I said... slanderous and mis-informed."

    The Public affairs officer replied calmly, with a shake of her head.

    G.Gordon</a>''s smile tightened.

    "No comment then?"

    He asked.

    "About that? No. What I can tell you..."

    She begun only to be interrupted.

    "Is not any different from the official reports released to the public. The Justice League claim no responsibility for anything that happened. We''ve had it before during the Apellaxian invasion."

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    G.Gordon</a> rolled his eyes.

    "You know what I think? I think at the end of the day, the League are cowards. You brought back millions but couldn''t finish the job. 10000 people remain dead."

    He added snidely.

    "Cowards?"

    Catherine enquired.

    "Would you like to call them that in the presence of the millions that they have saved?"

    G.Gordon</a> narrowed his eyes. She''d got him there.

    "A mistake on my part, I concede."

    The blonde haired host said.

    "However, the facts speak for themselves. The average American doesn''t care about a lot."

    "He just wants that pesky hurricane to stop destroying everything he owns. And if it was somehow destroyed, then he wouldn''t mind getting it back."

    G. Gordon concluded.

    "The League is not responsible for bringing back Gotham. That is all I can comment on that. Secondly, the Justice League and it''s Associates are in no shape or form responsible for the recent global shifts in weather and disaster events."

    Catherine took over.

    "We offer support and assistance to all, irrespective of age, gender, race and religion."

    She declared amiably.

    G.Gordon</a> rolled his eyes.

    "Yadda yadda yadda, miss Cobert please remember to whom you''re addressing. No need for that over-practiced public relations spiel."

    He pointed his hand at the Backdrop, which displayed an image of Oswald Cobblepot better known as Penguin, then the reel jumped to another image, this one showing two different pictures.

    "Penguin, Victor Zsasz and Carmine Falcone, all criminals, all dead. And at the center of all of this...him."

    G.Gordon</a> narrowed his eyes at what came on next.

    The screen changed to display a grainy image showing a silver haired man dressed in a long black trenchcoat with a red mask on his face.

    The Scarlet Devil.

    Too late Catherine realized G.Gordon</a> had led her into a trap.

    "The Justice League claims to not be responsible for bringing back Gotham. And with their stance on never taking a life, are we to presume that the one responsible for saving the most crime ridden city in America is him?"

    The host continued.

    "Not to mention the effectiveness of his actions when dealing with 3 of Batman''s most notorious criminals?"

    G.Gordon</a> smile was wide and malicious.

    "No comment."

    Catherine Cobert replied.

    (General P.O.V)

    There was a crash of falling glass followed by loud cursing.

    Two men were robbing a jewelry store.

    The noise had come from an overzealous swing of a metal bat.

    "Load everything up! We need to go before the Batfreak shows up."

    One of the men told the other as he swept his gaze across the street.

    "You worry too much!" The first man chuckled.

    "The Bat is busy dealing with all those insane Arkham Inmates who escaped after the Scarlet Devil incident."

    That was what everyone had taken to calling it. One of the thieves had a cousin who had died in the initial explosion.

    They had described the other side as nothing but a void of non-presence. Gotham had grown more dangerous. This job was their way out of the city.

    The look out spotted a couple of drunks coming from the end of the street.

    "Heads-up we got some company."

    He told his partner who stiffened and looked back.

    "Oh just a couple of drunks."

    His partner dismissed, turning his attention to the rings under a glass case.

    He used the bat to smash the glass, the sound loud in the almost abandoned street.

    The drunks shuffled away upon the noise, not wanting to be involved. The man on the lookout stopped reaching for the beretta in his pocket.

    "Yeah you better run."

    He muttered under his breath.

    "They didn''t run because of you."

    A voice blared out from a speaker as something heavy landed on the sidewalk next to the store, cracking the concrete slabs.

    With the flickering light of the streetlight above them, all they could see was a tall figure of grey.

    A bat logo was on his chest and the signature long ears of the Batman shot up from the top of his head.

    "Jesus Christ!"

    The thief shoveling jewelry into the bag stumbled back in fear.

    "It''s Batman!"

    The other one removed the gun and pointed it.

    "So much for dealing with the Arkham Inmates!"

    Then he pulled the trigger. The gun fired off but the bullet bounced off the chassis of the armor.

    "Wait... you''re not..."

    The thief emptied the entire clip before swallowing in realization. The Batman wore armor but not a suit of metal armor. And...where was his cape?

    "Raymond Phillips."

    The Not Batman spoke up, calling the thief by his name as the logo on the Armor''s chest glowed blue.

    "He knows who you are! Fuck this! I''m outta here!"

    His partner started running away with the bag of jewelry slung over his shoulder.

    The tall armored individual standing close to 7 feet, took a step forward, focusing entirely on Raymond.

    "Fuck! He''s the one running away with the stolen goods! Go after him you freak!"

    Raymond''s voice quivered as he looked around in fear.

    The gun was useless and there wasn''t a weapon in sight.

    "You were responsible for the death of one Ashleigh Gardner, an 8 year old girl."

    The armored Batman stated.

    Raymond''s face underneath the mask blanched.

    "How...how did..."

    "You have an ouroborus tattoo circling your wrist. The mother identified your general body build. How do you plead?"

    The Batman Armor enquired.

    "I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to! I was fucked up on Fentanyl and..."

    As the thief started to plead for forgiveness, a room full of operatives were closely monitoring the incident.

    "All systems at 100% functionality. The bullets failed to breach the outer panels."

    An agent called out.

    "The physical build scan matches the police report. It''s him Ma''am."

    Sasha Bordeaux informed her new boss.

    Both of them stood on the deck staring at a screen that showed what the camera in the Batman Armor was picking up.

    "Do it. One last pedophilic scum off the streets."

    Another voice, this time male, gave the go ahead.

    Back with the pleading thief, the hand sections of the Batman Armor unfolded, revealing the barrel of a gun.

    "No, no...please no!"

    There was a shot and the man lost his head, his brain was scattered across the pavement and blood seeped through the cracks on the floor.

    "Order him to follow the other."

    Amanda Waller said, her expression remaining impassive despite the gruesomeness of what was on the screen.

    "Do it."

    The same male voice commanded the operatives.

    She turned to the source of the voice.

    "I have to commend you, general Kane. The Batmen project seems to be a resounding success."

    The man she addressed was wearing a navy blue uniform with numerous medals displayed on his chest.

    "I''m glad that you see their value."

    The general replied.

    "With the number of Batmen we seek to deploy, city warfare will be heavily shifted to our side."

    He smiled proudly.

    "No battles we can''t win when using the blueprint of the man who''s always prepared for anything."

    General Kane turned to the screen.

    "This is how you save the world. Not through vigilantes who can''t be controlled but by Batmen who can."

    Amanda smiled. It wasn''t a good smile.

    "And I have the perfect first mission for them."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    2 weeks would allow me to fully internalize the fact that Raven had been the best companion I could ever hope for.

    Along with giving me a new hatred for the sea.

    And what an eventful 2 weeks it would be!

 2 Weeks part 2

    Chapter 95: 2 Weeks part 2

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Perhaps, I''m getting ahead of myself.

    Before the fighter jets flanking our sides ready to attack incase we tried to escape, this hadn''t been the first time things hadn''t gone according to plan.

    (2 weeks Ago)

    After Cheshire had carried away Artemis, she quickly joined us, her signature white mask on her face.

    Then we''d left, the two of us inside the bubble shield while Deadman flew outside of it, following us closely.

    The first stop took us to Park Row where Danny and the rest of the guys were waiting for me.

    It would take a day to organize everything I needed. A better phone for overseas communication, a passport, visa and a few more travel documents just in case.

    Most of it would need to be forged however. This universe''s Davian had also been an orphan.

    Only difference is I had Papa Fred and a semblance of a family. I wasn''t sure if I was the fortunate one or he was.

    It would have been easy to go back to the orphanage he grew up in but unfortunately, I was wanted by not only the Justice League, but a few other interested parties.

    Especially after what happened in Gotham.

    I couldn''t risk bringing a fight down on Parallel Davian''s home.

    The Park Row Ties left with the assurance they would have everything done by the evening.

    While waiting, I decided to get a room at one of the high class hotels. Finally getting the chance to enjoy the upscale treatment.

    I was a millionaire after all.

    I slept for a few hours after breakfast.

    Then woke up around 12. The rest of the day was spent organizing everything inside the Pocket Dimension.

    The Red Gemstone seemed to be attuning to me more. I could move the things inside by intent if I focused on it.

    This made things much easier. Dry rations, a few sanitary equipments, tents, multiple clothes, ropes, I was stocked up on anything I might need.

    Cheshire had similarly gone off to organize a few things and it would take some hours before she arrived.

    We still hadn''t exactly had a conversation about where she was taking me to find Bronze Tiger.

    I hoped to remedy that the very second she was back. I hated not having information.

    Speaking of,

    I took that opportunity to have a much needed conversation with Deadman.

    He had wisely decided to maintain a distance from Cheshire and I, mostly staying silent whenever the assassin was around.

    In a way, I appreciated it. Still, that hadn''t stopped the Assassin from picking up cues that I could apparently see or talk to ghosts.

    She had spared me a couple of strange looks whenever I spaced out, when talking to Chase.

    *******

    I finished cleaning Chesha Neko''s sheath and placed it beside my Zanpakuto on the table before me.

    My hair was wrapped up in a small towel from my recent shower and in 20 minutes, food would arrive.

    Though I wasn''t sure I''d have an appetite after this conversation.

    It was... concerning that I had garnered so much interest from several different parties. Especially a goddess.

    "Talk."

    I stated into the wide room, folding my hands across my chest and leaning back on the recliner.

    A ghostly form appeared through the T.V screen that was imposed on the wall past the glass table.

    Deadman floated to the ground calmly.

    "I..."

    He begun but I cut him off.

    "On second thought, let me see for myself."

    Spirit Pressure had shown to have a few more different effects on disembodied souls than it did on souls of the living.

    The former was more susceptible to my Reiryoku than the latter. An example being the instinctual control I had over shrouds and Deadman himself.

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    The first time we met, I had been able to look into the core of his being and see flashes of his memories.

    There was no reason I couldn''t do it again.

    Deadman did not resist as my Spirit pressure poured out into the room.

    I extended my Reikaku from simply sensing my surroundings into Deadman.

    Maybe because he wasn''t fighting it or maybe because I had grown better at spirit energy manipulation, his memories poured through slowly and in a controlled mess.

    I released a sigh after going through them.

    "So you want me to go halfway around the globe, to an island in the Himalayas called Nanda Parbat. For a meeting with the goddess who governs the scale of Balance and Karma without knowing exactly what she wants with me?"

    I raised an eyebrow.

    Deadman swallowed.

    "Yes?"

    Just as I was about to tell him to fuck off, my Zanpakuto interrupted, a genuine interest in his tone.

    "Tell him you accept."

    Huh?

    I sank into my mind.

    "Accept? Why? What if it''s a trap? A goddess of Karma and Balance doesn''t exactly sound amenable to someone who can control death to a degree."

    Chase was silent for a while.

    "What are you hiding from me?"

    I enquired, taking note of his strange behavior.

    "There was something in his memories."

    He told me, then an image of a creature with multiple limbs and a white mask on it''s...

    "Is that a fucking hollow?!"

    I asked, standing up in alarm and rocking the table. The vase on it fell and shattered on the floor.

    "That looks expensive."

    Deadman commented.

    I pushed my hand out and focused my Spirit pressure into a force that hit Deadman. His ethereal form phased through the screen but not the wall.

    "Explain."

    I told him calmly, pinning him in place.

    "Okay, okay! I will!"

    He quickly responded.

    Then he started talking. And as he spoke, I could see deeper into his memories.

    Vandal Savage and Klarion, a Lord of Chaos, the anti-thesis to Doctor Fate had collected a new type of energy.

    One that was new to the universe. And they were trying to combine it with magic to create super powerful weapons and creatures of mass destruction.

    Fuck.

    FUCK.

    Bet you a 100 million dollars that this ''new'' energy was Reiryoku, MY ENERGY.

    "Where can I find this...Savage?"

    I absentmindedly directed at Deadman. My mind was still going through the risks involved with mixing the two energies together.

    I hadn''t managed to do so and for good reason. They couldn''t and didn''t want to combine.

    The results of their attempts had produced an unstable but powerful hollow hybrid in the form of the Kraken.

    If they kept on trying, eventually they would succeed.

    "Vandal Savage has been around for the last 5000 years. He''s immortal! Killing him is impossible!"

    Deadman answered.

    "Immortal or not, I don''t..."

    "Well this is... concerning."

    Cheshire said from the open window.

    I had been so distracted by the grim revelations that I hadn''t heard her or even registered her through Reikaku.

    She looked towards the wall, where I had Deadman pinned and raised an eyebrow.

    "I have very many questions but I''ll just settle for one. Am I traveling with a lunatic?"

    She jumped into the room.

    I snorted, lowering my hand.

    "Gimme your mask."

    I reached out towards her and grabbed it off her face before she could accept or refuse.

    "Hey...that''s rude."

    She crossed her hands across her chest and glared at me.

    "Chase..."

    I called out mentally.

    "Smart. We can upgrade the mask so that she can perceive disembodied spirits and souls. It will make you look less crazy"

    He pointed out.

    Less crazy? What''s he getting at?

    As mentioned before, Chase had more strange abilities than he''d displayed.

    This particular power was the same one he had used to link the PRT masks to mine so that they wouldn''t betray me.

    I felt spirit energy leave my soul and cover the mask. Kanji flashed in its inner components.

    There was a brief worry that Spirit energy would interact poorly with the technology outfitted in the mask. That worry was put to rest when nothing exploded.

    A few seconds later, I handed her back the mask.

    She snatched for it before wearing it over her face.

    "What the..."

    Cheshire called out towards Deadman, now able to see him.

    Her Sais were immediately in her hands.

    "Hi."

    Deadman waved still pinned to the wall.

    "Not the best way to make first impressions but... I''m Deadman."

    Cheshire looked at me then at Deadman before sighing.

    "I need a shower."

    She said, dropping a bag that looked heavy on the floor before leaving the room.

    Deadman and I stared at each other and the spirit gulped.

    "Now, where were we?"

    *******

    After that enlightening conversation, Chase and I ultimately decided to keep on pursuing our initial plan.

    I couldn''t go after Savage or Klarion because I had no idea where they were. Deadman was less of a help there.

    I needed to find a teacher soon. But just in case it took too long, I would begin practicing my powers while traveling.

    Starting by studying Raven''s magical tomes and books for inspiration on creating more Kido spells.

    Not to mention, I needed to learn more about Magic if I was to stop whatever Savage and Klarion were planning in the future.

    Danny and the PRT made good on their assurance, getting me everything I needed.

    Business was quickly wrapped up in Gotham and we left for a private airstrip that would take us out of the city quietly.

    Cheshire was being pursued by the League of Shadows and I wouldn''t be surprised if the entire world was after me.

    *******

    "Well boys, say hi to the Lancer, one of Sportsmaster''s favorite toys. Only ever been used for low risks but important missions."

    We were inside a hangar, on the outskirts of Gotham, just a few miles away from city proper.

    The jet was a matte grey that looked a cross between what a spy agency would use while still being ergonomic enough to be considered a luxury plane.

    "This baby has a cloaking device, is able to traverse the highest levels of the atmosphere and is fast enough to move from Gotham to London in 3 hours."

    She explained, caressing the paint job.

    Now was as good a time to ask where exactly where we were headed to.

    "You never said where we would find Bronze Tiger."

    I spoke up and immediately her shoulders stiffened.

    "Well that''s the thing...I only have his trail. I can''t exactly tell you his current position but I can tell you where he was last week. From there we can follow his tracks."

    Her voice contained a slight tremble and I could see her favoring her right side as she prepared herself, probably thinking I was going to attack her.

    I was annoyed that she had kept that particular tidbit of information from me but she was still my only lead.

    And I wasn''t a violent guy.

    Okay, that''s a lie. I was, but I wouldn''t just attack anyone out of nowhere.

    "What''s our first stop?"

    I instead settled for a neutral question.

    Cheshire breathed out in relief.

    "Hong Kong. I have a few contacts there."

    Good, getting to Nanda Parbat would be easier. Killing 2 birds with one stone.

    "Let''s go."

    I brushed past her, pausing near the stairs to the cabin.

    "Next time you keep something like that away from me... I''m leaving you to the League."

    With that said, I boarded the Jet.

 2 Weeks Part 3

    (General P.O.V)

    (Sphere of The Gods)

    (Rama Kushna)

    The scales of balance were slightly tilted to the happenstance, the chaos.

    She balanced it, preserving the flow of time. Fate unravelling, in impossible and possible futures unfolding simultaneously, yet far enough.

    Like the distance between an ant on Earth and the next Galaxy over.

    She supposed it was beautiful not knowing what would come.

    She too was susceptible to the lack of foresight Whenever she directly interfered.

    Her power only needed her to act on impulse. To regulate Karma.

    Her manipulations were also usually imperceptible but this time, the sight of so many crows covering a jet was bound to be eye-catching.

    Good thing they were too high up to be seen.

    All that mattered was for the Spirit King to go where he needed to go.

    She couldn''t allow Another one of the Old Ones to escape.

    But just to make sure that everything went according to the plan, she would need to talk to him.

    The instant between the transition, would be enough for her to possess her champion for a limited time.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The very first thing to go wrong happened a long while into the flight.

    Gotham was at the very coast of North America, providing us with an almost direct route through the Atlantic and into Europe.

    The jet hugged the coast of the U.S to minimize the distance. Normally a direct route would take close to 8 hours (I think, this was after all my first time out of the country) but Cheshire had informed me it wouldn''t be long, merely 3 hours.

    The Jet was after all built for speed.

    3 hours were enough to do something productive.

    With Deadman off to... somewhere and Cheshire at the cockpit manning the plane, I had a little privacy which I used to retrieve a couple of Raven''s book and start reading.

    This particular one was titled, ''Magicka of the Arcane.''

    While Raven had a few tomes and books that explained the different ways magic could be harnessed, like through Occultism, this book was different.

    It contained nothing but active spells. The Magicka of the Arcane, had a wide range of classifications.

    There was elemental spells, mystical spells and nature spells. Elemental spells were basically a bundle of spells that were elemental in nature like a fireball or an Earth spike.

    Mystical spells contained spells like Teleportation and telekinesis.

    Last but certainly least, Nature spells were the bread and butter of Druids.

    They contained holy light used in cleansing corruption as well as, plant manipulation, beast summoning and a couple more spells I couldn''t see myself ever using.

    All of it was interesting and I already had ideas on how to come up with my own versions of the Spells in the Magicka.

    There was a particular spell I was enamored with called, Thunder Wave.

    It was a wild chaotic spell that unleashed a blast of lightning that could destroy an entire building in one fell swoop.

    Akai Inazuma could do that but what if I combined both?

    Increasing the effectiveness of the repertoire of Kido I had, sounded better than coming up with new and different spells.

    The plane jerked as alarms begun to blare out around me, cutting off my concentration. I pocketed the small book.

    "Fuck, I knew something like this would happen! This world can''t even let me have a few hours of peace."

    I cursed, getting up and hurrying to the cockpit.

    I opened the door and saw Cheshire struggling with the controls.

    Looking out through the windshield told me why.

    "They just came out of nowhere!"

    She growled.

    Over a thousand crows seemed to surround the plane, pushing on it.

    The jet rocked once again.

    "Shit! We just lost the left engine!"

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    "What can I do?!"

    I asked.

    Maybe I could go outside and kill the crows?

    I turned around to leave before she could respond.

    Once infront of the plug door, I realized my idea wouldn''t work. Shit I couldn''t open it because the pressure would suck everything out, making things even worse.

    The jet jerked once again, almost throwing me off my feet.

    "Strap in! We''re going down."

    Cheshire''s voice came in through the comms.

    "Chase, any ideas?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto.

    "Did you forget you have Spirit Pressure?"

    I widened my eyes.

    I should get slapped for forgetting that.

    I closed my eyes and allowed my Reiatsu to burst out.

    I took care to shield Cheshire from the effects, only focusing on the crows outside then released the full effects of Reiatsu.

    The metal of the plane groaned but nothing happened to the crows.

    I frowned. It wasn''t working.

    "Chase there is something wrong with these things. I don''t think they''re real."

    Upon my words, the whole world seemed to pause. Everything was put on hold.

    The wildly spinning jet headed towards the water, the numerous birds flapping wings around the aircraft, Cheshire''s cursing... everything just stopped.

    I felt it before I saw her.

    An enormous ball of shining light had just entered my Reikaku zone.

    Deadman floated through the floor of the plane. However, he was different.

    Above him was what I had sensed. I looked up and saw her.

    The shadow of a blue skinned woman with pitch black eyes and long flowing hair.

    She was dressed in a red robe that ended with long sleeves.

    "Forgive me for the unexpected transition."

    She said, her voice managing to sound genderless and flat.

    "Messing with time is always tricky business."

    The power ringing in those words was enough to tell me that without my Spirit King form, I was fucked if I tried to fight her.

    Even with the Spirit King form, this being was still leagues above the likes of a weakened Trigon. And Trigon at his full power was no joke.

    I was standing in the presence of a god. A real one.

    "Rama Kushna."

    I gave her a respectful nod.

    No matter who it was I would never bow or kneel. I was my own master. That didn''t mean I had to be an asshole.

    "I was hoping my Champion would get you to me earlier, but I understand that wasn''t possible."

    She replied, an undertone of frustration evident in her voice.

    "Listen to me, Spirit King, I cannot sustain this connection indefinitely as I am within another God''s influence. I have intervened in your journey for one sole purpose. You need to stop Oceanus from successfully coming into his full power."

    She stopped, her gaze strafing towards the left.

    "We are here. The Bermuda triangle, 500 years into the future."

    She said and through the window I spotted, the murky waters of a violent ocean eager to devour anything.

    The whirlpool looked larger than the entire Central Park.

    "Wait...what are you talking about?!"

    I enquired but the shadow of Rama Kushna begun to flicker.

    "I have belief you shall know what to do with the lost god of the Ocean."

    And with that she disappeared, leaving behind a confused Deadman.

    "Chase?"

    I called out to my Zanpakuto. He was even a better sensor than I was.

    "She''s gone. I can''t feel her presence anymore."

    "What happened? How am I here?"

    Deadman asked, looking around in confusion.

    "Go and protect Cheshire, we''re about to hit the ocean. I will explain everything later."

    I informed him, while unsheathing my Sword.

    Deadman looked ready to argue but finally chose to fly away, leaving me to stare at the approaching catastrophe.

    I was mad. Who was she to pull me into something that didn''t concern me? If Oceanus wanted back his throne, let him have it if he can. Why rope me into this?

    "Chase how do we kill a god?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto as I removed the sheath from my hip.

    I couldn''t create a big enough shield, but maybe one to cover the cockpit with Cheshire and I in it was doable.

    I wasn''t particularly confident in the jet surviving the crash.

    "The usual way. Stab until its dead."

    I smiled viciously.

    Then we were swallowed by the Ocean.

    ******

    (Atlantis)

    (General P.O.V)

    The throne room was quiet after the news had been delivered.

    The chief soldier bowed his head in shame. He could feel the cold fury contained in the king''s otherwise calm face. But it was all a facade.

    "I...deeply apologize your majesty, we patrolled the entire area. Xebel truly has disappeared, leaving behind naught but ruins of the settlements of old. The entire city is gone. And Queen Mera...remains missing."

    The Chief Soldier explained for the second time. It truly was a tragedy. Especially with the recent attacks at the border.

    The sea creatures of the dark...had periodically been attacking the city states.

    The Trench were savages but these attacks had no coordination or motive behind them.

    And with the other city states not having a strong enough magic Shield like Atlantis, many Atlanteans had been bodily and economically harmed.

    The casualties were kept to a minimal due to the soldiers and city guards.

    Curfew has been imposed and this did nothing to calm the age old civil unrest and petitions for democracy to stop being lateral.

    ''Surface dweller sympathizers.'' the Chief Soldier thought bemusedly. Atlanteans were not like humans. Unlike them, they hadn''t lost their culture and traditions.

    A wise king accomplished more than an entire building of bickering fat men in black suits.

    "Forgive me my Annax."

    Kakdur''ahm, the king''s protege took to his knees to address the king.

    "Speak Kaldur."

    King Orin told him, his voice still strong despite the weary events that had taken place the previous week.

    "I would like to request you to consider getting help from your colleagues, the Justice League."

    Well, the Chief Soldier couldn''t say he didn''t see that coming.

    But the court advisers and officials around seemed to immediately go to arms over the idea.

    But this was not a surface dweller cabinet. They knew the decorum to follow and would only dissolve into arguments when the King tentatively seemed to allow it.

    "That''s preposterous my Annax. We cannot allow the Surface Dwellers to know of Queen Mera''s disappearance!"

    The chief adviser spoke up from where he stood at the right side of the throne.

    Of course decorum flies out of the window when you are the brother of the King.

    Still, Prince Orm had a point. Atlantis could not be perceived as weak. Not now.

    More surface incursions and skirmishes had happened over the last decade than ever reported before. That would grow if Atlantis was seen as weak.

    "My Annax, the Justice League has resources that can help not only search for her in the oceans but also on the surface."

    Kaldur immediately added, causing a contemplative look to appear on the king''s face.

    Prince Orm narrowed his eyes at Kaldur.

    "Queen Mera is a sovereign of the most powerful nation on the planet, she knows her duty is first and foremost to the..."

    "Enough."

    The king interrupted, getting to his feet.

    That''s when his presence spilled out. In the ocean he was nigh unstoppable.

    "I will not involve the League in this. But just incase...Kaldur?"

    At King Orin''s summons, Aqualad walked forward and knelt behind him, his fist held close to his chest.

    "Yes, Annax."

    "The winter festival is over. You were supposed to journey back to the Surface world today, Correct?"

    At Kaldur''s confirmation, king Orin turned to fully face him.

    "You know what to do then."

    Aqualad nodded before swimming out of the throne room.

    "Now,"

    The king turned to face the Chief Soldier.

    "Take me there. Take me to the place my wife was last seen."

 2 Weeks Part 4

    (General P.O.V)

    When humans die, they go to the afterlife as souls.

    Those souls are then sorted into the afterlife that they deserve.

    Generally the bad or evil were sentenced to an eternity in a place of torment and the good or righteous were welcomed into the gates of paradise.

    Pretty standard stuff.

    However, where do those souls go to once they die?

    In this case, death being the essence of their spirit going non-existent in all forms of mortality.

    What is death? Is death the absence of life or the incapability of sensing life. Just because you can''t see something doesn''t mean it''s not there.

    So where do souls go to when they die?

    HE had his answer. Nowhere.

    They existed in the nothingness, unperceived by no one except for themselves.

    Sustained only by their own echoes of memories.

    Forever in...the Darkness. Waiting for the time that even the Darkness lost meaning.

    Then something happened.

    "Oh, you are just what I was looking for. Even both your backstories match!"

    A voice said excitedly, breaking the monotony of the in-between.

    "One was the true king of the ocean, ousted from his throne, and you...hohoho, you had it even worse didn''t you?"

    The voice spoke up once again.

    The Dead soul didn''t really understand what the Voice meant.

    However, whatever intent was left in him reached out in a desperate bid to feel something different. Something other than the emptiness.

    The Soul''s will culminated in a simple word...

    ''Las Noches.''

    The voice did something strange.

    "It''s called laughing. Jeez, you must have been here a long time if you forgot that."

    ''Time.''

    Something stirred within him. He knew that word. He knew it intimately. He knew it instinctively.

    This time when he reached out it was in the form of a question.

    ''Time?''

    The voice laughed harder.

    "Oh what a rare find! You remember your...what do you guys call it? Resu...ah I can''t pronounce it. It doesn''t roll of the tongue. Not like Batman. See? Bat-man...there''s just no comparison. You guys should have gone for something just as cool while being simple to pronounce!"

    The voice came out in a burst. It was... ranting.

    Yes! Ranting.

    Because of frustration. Why?

    Because the Voice didn''t get what he wanted.

    He didn''t get what he wanted too. He had wanted to rule forever!

    "Oh,"

    The voice sighed in satisfaction and pride.

    "I knew this was a good idea. Is this what it feels to be a parent?"

    Batmite wondered out loud into the boundless infinitude. The dregs of the soul he had found in the void was perfect for what he wanted.

    Was it cheating?

    Probably.

    But on the bright side...that ''guy'' would grow even stronger.

    Probably.

    Strong enough to have an ultra mega cool showdown with Batman!

    Dun dun duuun!!

    He just had to make sure no one could know he was the one behind aaaalll of it, or else that other ''Guy'' would make it an issue.

    (Deep in the Bermuda) (500 years from now)

    Ships and aircrafts disappeared within this zone.

    From above, the clouds would obscure all visibility.

    Even while approaching on the water, that had its own problems.

    That only worked if the gps coordinates were not thrown off course by the magnetic fields surrounding the area.

    The Bermuda triangle was truly mysterious.

    Little did man know, that at the center of the Bermuda, lay a city.

    One that materialized above the ruins of it''s former self.

    Through some unknown means, Xebel had been pulled from the present time to 500 years into the future, when all that was left was ruins where the exiled nation once stood strong.

    The city was covered by a shimmering purple dome, not unlike the blue one over Poseidonis.

    The two differences being that the purple shield on Xebel was connected to the Palace by a large beam of light.

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    And the shield also kept the crushing pressure of the water at bay.

    Light from the shield shone down onto the empty streets.

    There was no movement or sound coming from the city. The once great Xebel looked abandoned and dead.

    The dome around the city rippled as someone pierced through. She fell gracefully, landing on the cobblestones before the stairs leading to the Palace.

    The figure was dressed in a red tight bodysuit with golden armor that ended in fin like protrusions at the shoulder pauldrons.

    She was beautiful, with purple flowing hair and blue eyes, a bountiful chest and full lips.

    In her hands was a silver trident, one with numerous symbols of an hourglass.

    She climbed the steps slowly, the weapon in her hands producing a sharp ringing everytime the end of the shaft landed on the steps.

    The first cracked skull lay on the 10th step. Then from there, heaps of bones and skulls, belonging to men, women and children started appearing.

    The bones were bleached as if a lot of time had passed.

    They were Xebelians, all of them sacrificed for the glory of her master.

    For Oceanus.

    The True God-Titan of the Seas.

    Before long she found herself at the foot of the Xebelian Throne. A throne her father had once sat down on.

    She immediately knelt down on one knee infront of the new King, deference wafting off her.

    "It''s like we planned my Lord. The outside world has completely been ravaged by the Trench. Poseidonis and the City states fell long ago."

    Hila, the sister to Queen Mera addressed ''him.''

    "Atlantis is no more and the Surface Dwellers left from the 500 year war are too weak to stand up to your might. Their souls are ripe for taking."

    She informed him, daring to gaze upon his glorious form.

    An aura of death and rot covered his form. The throne he sat on was rusted and the stone surrounding it was cracked with dust hanging on the ground.

    The cracks extended out into the throne room. The marble pillars holding up the chamber had numerous of them that seemed to only grow with each passing second.

    "Good."

    Oceanus finally spoke up.

    He was a large figure. He had white faded hair, wore a crown of bone with spurs at the ends, and 2 prominent scars that littered his face.

    "The sooner I get to my full power, the sooner we can prepare."

    He informed his Fraccion.

    She wasn''t like Ggio, Findorr or the others but she was... sufficient. Eager to please.

    He wouldn''t have been able to devour all the souls in Xebel without her help.

    His large barrel like chest was covered in a white top that extended into a long flowing gaudy robe that fell to his ankles even while seating.

    He had a skull in his left hand, and within it was wine.

    On his left side was his weapon, a large, double-headed battleaxe.

    "Hila. I am...satisfied with your efforts. What about your sister?"

    His voice was guttural, only adding to the fear effect he seemed to induce with his eyes. One of them being blind.

    At the mention of her sister, Hila couldn''t hide the scowl.

    Before she could give an answer, something grey smashed through the dome around Xebel. It failed to breach and was immediately destroyed.

    However, a green bubble shield managed to break through and fell towards Xebel like a meteor.

    "Mmh."

    Oceanus narrowed his eyes. Then they widened as he crushed the skull goblet in his hands, splashing the wine all over him.

    His spirit pressure burst out, filling the entire throne room. Hila immediately face planted to the floor as the imposing form of the God-Kimg of Hollows got to his feet

    "Impossible! What is a Soul Reaper doing here?!"

    He roared out in both anger and fear.

    "No matter..."

    The voice that had pulled him out of the darkness called out.

    "You''re not the same as you used to be. You are not merely Barragan Luisenban, the king dethroned, nor are you Oceanus, the forgotten Titan who ruled all the Oceans. You are BOTH."

    Yes. The Voice was right. He wasn''t the old man that Aizen had called a ''Relic of the past.''

    With the power of Time and the ability to command the oceans, no one would stand up to him. No one would stop him from ruling as he rightfully deserved.

    "Show me that I was right to give you this chance. Kill Davian Mabuz for me."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The jet hadn''t survived the whirlpool.

    It was fortunate that I had managed to construct a shield around Cheshire and I. However, I was still mad.

    Mad that someone was using me like a pawn. And Deadman was not even around to vent my frustrations on! He seemed to have disappeared once the whole planet went down.

    The purple dome around the city blocked the debris from the plane but my Fullbring shield was able to penetrate through.

    "Fuck."

    Cheshire sighed, looking out into the murky waters outside the purple barrier.

    "Crusher is gonna be pissed that I destroyed his favorite toy. How are we going to get to Hong Kong now?"

    She mumbled.

    I hummed in agreement before feeling a pair of eyes stare at me in question.

    "So are you going to tell me what just happened?"

    Cheshire asked, crossing her hands together.

    ''The goddess governing Karma and the scales of balance appeared before me and gave me a mission to deal with a power hungry god.''

    I was tempted to tell her that.

    However...that explanation would only bring more questions. The way I saw it, I would deal with this Oceanus and then we would leave without wasting time.

    "Focus."

    I told her while directing the bubble shield down onto the city hiding behind the dome.

    I could still feel her eyes bore into me before she snorted and looked away.

    The layout would have been considered beautiful.

    The buildings were constructed in an architectural design that linked every building while still providing sufficient space in-between for movement.

    "Wait. This place...looks familiar."

    Cheshire said as our attention was pulled to the massive beam of purple energy connecting the largest building at the center of the city.

    "It''s a Palace. The Xebelian palace!"

    The Assassin told me.

    A palace huh? That certainly makes things easier.

    All I had to do was directly go towards it and...

    My breath hitched, as something appeared on the edges of my Reikaku. What was that cloying power?

    My vision blacked out and I lost control of the bubble shield, which burst apart and immediately we started falling.

    There was a yelp from Cheshire before I felt strong hands grab me.

    Cheshire then used one of her Sais to pierce onto the wall of a building, slowing our descent.

    We landed in an alleyway and I immediately tore off my jacket.

    Why was it so hard to breath?! And was someone shaking me?

    Push and pull...

    Push and pull...

    The mantra worked it''s magic and I was able to center myself.

    "..vian! Davian! Follow the sound of my voice. Can you hear me?"

    Chase was calling out.

    I shrugged off Cheshire''s hold, using the wall to support myself.

    "I''m fine..."

    I told her.

    Thankfully she stepped back.

    That Power. That Reiatsu...it had been cloying.

    "Chase what the fuck was that?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto as I struggled to get up. Even now I could feel the incredible power level pulsing from the general direction of the palace.

    "That...is your first true challenge. The one who sent us here either believes that you actually have a chance of beating this guy, or they wanted to kill you and got creative."

    I rolled my shoulders. How pessimistic of him.

    "There''s always someone trying to kill me, this is no different. It sounds as if you don''t believe I can take this guy."

    "You can''t."

    Chase replied with finality.

    Huh?

    I stopped. That didn''t sound right.

    "What do you mean I can''t take him?"

    I growled out, uncaring that Cheshire was staring at me as if I was crazy.

    "Whatever you sensed there? It was Spiritual Energy with something else in the mix. The Reiryoku felt like it belonged to a Hollow. A powerful one. I estimate An Espada level Hollow."

    I blinked.

    Okay. That wasn''t good.

    Cheshire reached into her back and unsheathed her other Sai with a sharp ring.

    "I can tell by your expression that our situation is not very favorable."

    She said, placing a foot on the wall and then spring-boarding off it to reach a ledge.

    Then she pulled herself up onto the relatively high roof, looking down at me.

    "You do what you need to do while I scout the area. Maybe I can find something that will get us out of here."

    Then she disappeared, leaving me with my Zanpakuto to argue.

    Chase thought I should cut my losses, take Cheshire and leave as my opponent was simply too powerful for me.

    "I agree Chase."

    I told him, walking forward towards the Palace.

    "The smart thing would be to leave. The water pressure is something my Fullbring shield should handle, but what would be the point?"

    Unseen to anyone, a large bloodthirsty smile appeared on my face.

    "Think about it, it''s a Hollow! Someone who can use Reiryoku. That means fighting against someone like me. Someone with skills I can steal and get stronger. I am not running away."

    I twirled Chesha Neko, releasing my own Spirit energy, all of it.

    Cheshire was far away from my range and Deadman was still missing after Rama Kushna had taken possession of him, so I wouldn''t accidentally harm my two colleagues by revealing my full power.

    The air above the city begun to roil and churn as another Spirit Pressure, much greater than mine rose up to meet my own.

    They crashed in the air and I immediately knew it wasn''t going to be an easy fight.

    "Come forth from the weave of eternity, Chesha Neko: Release."

 2 Weeks Part 5.

    (General P.O.V)

    The abandoned city passed by her in a blur.

    Her feet pumped with practiced ease as she picked up speed whenever she approached the edge.

    Then she would lunge and clear the distance easily. It didn''t matter that this was unfamiliar environment.

    Her body knew what to do. It had been honed over several years of intense training.

    Infact, she felt as if she could run even faster now. There was an invisible field of energy buzzing above her skin, adding strength to her movements.

    It was intoxicating.

    She hadn''t been wrong either. She knew this city. It was customary to know high profile locations in her line of work. Missions could take her anywhere in the world after all.

    Xebel had an interesting history.

    It had started out as a place of banishment.

    Constructed inside a maelstrom of water and strange phenomenon that could keep everyone away.

    Surrounded by a dome of energy that restricted anyone without the gift of hard water manipulation from leaving. She couldn''t verify if any of it was true though.

    The League Of Shadows was more knowledgeable about the real world than what was under the sea.

    ''I''ve passed over this city center 2 times.''

    Cheshire thought as she slowed down.

    "This place is built to be confusing. Or rather...the placement of everything is too different from what I''m used to."

    She mumbled to herself.

    The plan had been to locate a hangar or docking of some kind. There was bound to be an underwater craft or something. How else had the people of Xebel gotten food or amenities from the outside world?

    "Shit."

    Cheshire cursed, removing her mask. What if the absence of everyone meant that the people had somehow used all means of escape to leave?

    She shook her head. Now she was reaching. Coming up with conjectures not based on facts.

    Too much thinking leads to overthinking. If she couldn''t find anything in the city, then her best chance laid with the palace

    She wore her mask, briefly wondering why it felt snugger than before.

    It framed her face perfectly. Davian had done something to it but she''d thought it was only so that she could see the ghost that followed him around.

    But now she suspected it was more than that. Cheshire willed the mask to show her more.

    The buzzing around her skin grew stronger and with a click, her vision changed.

    She turned her gaze towards the Palace and immediately ripped the mask of her face as she breathed heavily.

    What the fuck was that?!! Her body shivered in fear.

    It was like staring at the sun. If the sun was rotted and glowing sinisterly.

    Next to that rotting sun, there had been another light. This one had felt familiar to her.

    Davian.

    Okay, so she wasn''t approaching the palace just yet. She didn''t think she would survive even from a relatively safe distance.

    The kind of power both were throwing around...

    She wore her mask and looked out into the city once again. Maybe the mask''s new vision could show her something she had missed.

    She was right.

    The buildings and walls seemed to go transparent before her gaze. Within them, she could see lines of power.

    Lines that were connected to the beam of light spearing through the air from the palace.

    The lines seeped through the Palace grounds and out into the city, branching out. And even with the mask it was hard to stare at one for long.

    They seemed to phase in and out of reality irregularly.

    ''That must have been what was confusing me.''

    Cheshire thought to herself.

    Then she spotted something strange. Or stranger, taking into account they were thousands of miles under the ocean in an underwater city.

    The lines of energy seemed to converge in one particular place, east of the palace.

    The section seemed to belong to a block of buildings with high walls separating it from the rest of the city.

    Cheshire jumped, weaved, climbed and barely a minute over, she was standing on a watchtower looking down at the building.

    Or rather...the Prison.

    A rumble hit the city, causing the ground to shake along with a shockwave of dust that swept out through the entire area.

    Cheshire managed to keep her balance but turned her eyes towards the Palace. She was almost a mile away!

    The fact that the shockwaves from the battle could reach her was crazy!

    Davian had gotten busy.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Time for her to do the same.

    Was it dumb to investigate who was locked up in here without knowing why they were locked up in the first place?

    Absolutely.

    Was she still going to do it?

    Undoubtedly.

    She was Cheshire. Curiosity was her thing.

    Besides, the Cheshire Cat knew how to protect itself. She must have imagine the purr of approval that seemed to come from the mask.

    She shrugged and jumped into the yard.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    With my Shikai active, the roar of power within me felt restless to be used.

    Shunpo cleanly ensured I covered the distance between my previous position and the palace in a heartbeat.

    My feet landed inside a wide chamber with barely any noise. I straightened up to study my opponent.

    "You are fast."

    A man said in a scratchy voice.

    That''s when I noticed it. The air in the chamber felt heavy and the source of that heaviness was...

    Impossible.

    This makes no logical sense.

    I tightened the grip I had on Chesha Neko as I stared at the familiar old man seated on a rusted throne.

    "Chase please tell me I''m dreaming. Otherwise, what is Barragan Luisenban doing in DC?"

    I urgently asked my Zanpakuto.

    "You cannot afford to get distracted. This is a mystery that will have to wait until you can get out of here alive. So attack."

    Chase replied in a hard tone.

    He was still mad that I hadn''t cut my losses and left. He needed to understand that running away was not who I was.

    "Attack? Fine. I can do that. But after this, you and I are going to have a looong conversation. Something tells me you''re keeping things from me."

    He didn''t reply.

    I didn''t waste time either. He was right on one account.

    This wasn''t an enemy I could take lightly. From the start, I was going all out.

    I poured everything I had in Chesha Neko and then flash stepped forward, intent on finishing this with...

    "Eager to fight are we?"

    Barragan came from the side.

    I...

    The air around us popped as I used my fastest speed to fall back.

    Space grew narrow around me as everything went out of focus with me slipping into what I coined as Flash Time.

    "Sonido."

    Came the scratchy old voice and immediately the old Hollow King blurred, appearing to my front with his battle axe held above, for a downward swing.

    He breathed out in exertion bringing the axe down onto my head.

    I was about to lift Chesha Neko to block it, when my instincts screamed at me.

    So I dodged the slash, only for the axe to bite down onto the ground and create a wide groove.

    The ground shook as a large plume of dust thrown up was followed by pieces of rocks and marble.

    I jumped off the ground, pushing off the side of a pillar before creating a platform of energy in the air some feet off the ground.

    My breath came out in harsh exhales as I looked down at the devastation.

    "He has me beat in everything. Speed, strength, skill..."

    I said in disbelief.

    I couldn''t believe how outmatched I was!

    Is this the difference between a lietenant class Soul Reaper and someone on the level of an advanced Captain?!

    Can I even hurt him?

    "Don''t forget he''s not just a mere arrancar, there is something else inside him. It feels like magic."

    Chase informed me.

    "Magic? Well that''s just great."

    I murmured.

    "It''s not too late to leave, My Wielder."

    Chase added just as the dust settled.

    "Leave?"

    I shook my head.

    "Not a chance. I will never turn my back on an enemy, Chase."

    My smile was back in full and my breathing was under control. He''d caught me off guard but now I was ready for him.

    I dismissed the platform of energy under me and fell with Chesha Neko unravelling into millions of threads that covered my body from head to toe.

    The purple suit was back in business baby!

    The instant I touched the ground with my soles, I lunged forward, using Reikaku to keep him in my awareness.

    The ground behind me cracked from the burst of speed.

    The air screamed as it was parted around my outstretched palm heading towards Barragan''s neck.

    Predictably, he raised the flat side of the battle axe to block my attack.

    The strings around my palm extended to cover his Zanpakuto fully then I strafed to the right pulling on the strings and seeking to disarm him.

    Without his Zanpakuto he couldn''t use his Ressureccion which was related to time. Making the fight much much easier.

    The axe slipped out of his hand and I made sure to throw it as far away as I could.

    The weapon went sailing towards edge of the city. Barragan was left surprised for am instant which gave me enough time to wrap my strings around his neck.

    I appeared behind him and tugged on them, severing his head from the neck.

    Or so I thought. I felt the threads snap and give way.

    For the first time ever, my strings had lost. They had a tensile strength stronger than metallic cables!

    "Impressive. But not enough. Not nearly enough power to get past my Hierro, if you want to kill me."

    He was behind me. How was he behind me?! I made sure to...

    My thoughts were cut of by the feeling of dread creeping up my spine.

    His hand was coming down to touch on my head. I couldn''t let that happen or else I was a goner.

    Move!

    I flexed my energy. Pushing myself faster than I''d ever done before.

    This particular Shunpo was not clean at all. Streaks of purple lightning devastated the surroundings as I evaded Barragan.

    But I didn''t stop there. I couldn''t. Barragan had shown me just how much of a threat he could be.

    He was my natural counter. Chase hadn''t been exaggerating when he called him my first true challenge.

    The only way I could win was by overwhelming him.

    So I ran faster, appearing like a purple storm around him, my strings wrecked havoc, unfolding into whips of sharp threads that sort to slice him apart.

    Blood would spray out of his wounds, before more would appear across his body but all of it appeared superficial.

    I was faster than even Flash-time could keep up with, so I closed my eyes and trusted in my Reikaku to guide me.

    I used sword constructs to hack him apart. Coming in for a knee shot on the face which made him stumble back before winding a clawed hand my way.

    But I was already gone, sweeping from below and severing his feet tendons, destabilizing his balance.

    I blinked and found myself crouching horizontally onto a palace pillar, bending the knees for more lunge power.

    I sprung off it, causing the whole thing to break apart into chunks before I impacted Barragan with the soles of my feet, pushing him off the top of the palace steps, his body in free fall towards the city below.

    Another flash step and I was above him, both hands aimed at his form.

    My eyes caught his unworried gaze and I ground my teeth. He didn''t see me as a threat.

    Good.

    The strings around me extended out and formed into numerous glowing purple hands around my body.

    "Hado no.7: Akai Inazuma Maxima!!"

    Reiryoku roared out of my body, extending to my hand constructs as easily as they poured into my real hands.

    The sound started out like the chirping of overexcited birds.

    Then came the rumble.

    Sparks of red energy clashed against each other, combining into orbs of unstable charge before exploding forward in a streak of electric energy that was a meter wide across.

    Barragan''s eyes widened just as the attack landed. Someone was roaring.

    It was me.

    The power leaving my hands was astronomical. For the first time in weeks, my energy reserves fell to a quarter of the total amount I had.

    The lightning beam sent the God-King of Hollows down to the ground, decimating the entire area and completely destroying a small section of the city.

    I felt lightheaded for a second. There was a ringing in my head and my hands...

    I lifted them up, they were charred and smoking. I grabbed my sheath and felt them start to heal while staring down at the crater Barragan had landed.

    Slow laughter started ringing out. With a flex of power, all the dust hanging in the air was expelled, revealing Barragan. His chest was bare with strips of burnt fabric hanging off his frame.

    He held out his hand to the side and something fast cut through the air.

    No not his...

    The Battle Axe I had separated from its owner landed in his hands.

    "I see now. You are powerful."

    He started, smacking the shaft of his Zanpakuto onto the ground.

    "If I devour your soul, I will be able to stabilize this form. Prepare to die, young Soul Reaper."

    I was entranced. The amount of power within him was staggering. I felt like a kid infront of a storm.

    He took a step forward, twirling the jet black Battle Axe. A red jewel in the middle of the axe begun glowing as it exuded purple smoke darker than the purple I wielded.

    "Rot...Arrogante: Domain of the Ocean God."

    If he had been hard to beat before, now he was impossible.

    "Maybe you were right Chase. He is too powerful for me."

    I admitted grimly.

    "What are you going to do?"

    My Zanpakuto asked.

    I finished healing.

    "Well, if I want to survive, it''s fairly obvious. I''ll just have to grow stronger than him as we fight."

 2 Weeks Part 6.

    (General P.O.V)

    The entire building complex shook as Cheshire managed to infiltrate it.

    No one was manning the entrance besides a shimmering curtain of energy that she could perceive with her mask.

    Of course, she immediately sort other ways to enter, finally moving through a sort of drainage she found underground.

    There was a system of tunnels leading inside that were free of any meaningful security.

    The one who set up the magic formation must have been skeptical about anyone using the tunnels to go into the prison.

    Very quickly she moved through the cell blocks. Each individual cell containing glowing yellow manacles attached to chains on the wall.

    The whole building was completely empty of anything save for the furthest section.

    She hurried through and finally arrived at where most of the glowing lines of energy seemed to converge.

    Cheshire gripped her Sais tightly as she heard the chains rattle.

    "Come to gloat once more dear sister?"

    A female voice croaked from within.

    It was full of venom and hate while also being scratchy and dry, showing disuse.

    And also very familiar. At least from tv Interviews and press tours.

    Cheshire moved closer. Enough to see past the small bars but still out of the zone of the complex formation surrounding the cell.

    "How can I break you out?"

    The Assassin immediately asked as another rumble rocked the building.

    "What? Who...who are you? You''re not Hila."

    The voice inside changed tones. Now it sounded suspicious and hopeful.

    "You hear that shaking?" Cheshire enquired moving around the hallway m while looking for a weak point.

    "That''s my...friend. I''m guessing he''s fighting whoever put you in here. We don''t have time for your sob story or for me to assure you that you can trust me. How do I get you out of here?"

    The woman inside was silent for a while.

    "I am Queen Mera of Atlantis. If you''re genuine about freeing me then get me a half cup of water. I''ll handle the rest."

    Cheshire smirked.

    "Of course your highness. Gimme a second."

    The assassin couldn''t believe her life. A few weeks ago she would have been the one delivering the final blow to a dignitary like Queen Mera, but now here she was, doing the saving thing.

    Just goes to show anything can happen.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Barragan Luisenban, the God of Hueco Mundo was like a reactor for Reiryoku.

    The earlier spirit pressure was nothing compared to what he was releasing now.

    My chest felt constrained and all I could do was stand in place, witnessing Barragan''s Power-Up.

    The Ressureccion, an Arrancars'' answer to a Soul Reaper''s Bankai.

    Fuck that. I wasn''t going to let him power up, this wasn''t an Anime.

    I wasn''t a main character awed to submission by the waves of power exuding out of my opponent.

    My philosophy had always been, ''line it up, take the shot and Never Miss.''

    Chesha Neko''s blade reformed in my hands from the endless strings around my body. My hand tightened on it''s grip.

    One thing I noticed before was that my Shunpo was abnormal. The skill simply did not work as it was supposed to.

    Flash step was merely a burst of energy that escaped your heel and pushed you forwards.

    However, ever since my confrontation with the Flash, Shunpo had changed. Now it felt like my entire body would buzz with power everytime I activated the skill.

    It could be argued I was exhibiting a talent in Shunko, which was like an upgraded form of Hoho( high speed movement skill) combined with elemental Kido.

    However, I had a different theory.

    Regardless, what it did was also increase my reaction time and perception. I could think faster by virtue of over-clocking my brain.

    So in a second, I already had a strategy to deal with the old Hollow.

    A simple but effective strategy.

    My real body appeared right infront of him, hands pulled back and in the middle of a swing.

    "Impudent ant. You dare attack me head on?!"

    Barragan seemed amused at the move. And he was right. Normally, I wouldn''t have a chance in a direct confrontation.

    However this wasn''t as direct as he thought. I needed to make him suffer for his overconfidence.

    He must have thought Hierro would tank any attack I could come up with.

    That was his biggest mistake as I did actually have something that could hurt him.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Two of my clones constructed by strings appeared to the left and the right of him.

    Flash-time gave me the capability to process information rapidly from the two clones, effectively allowing me to be in three places at once.

    The clone on the right readied his hand then pushed out with the sheath. The air around Barragan begun to swirl, pushing the tendrils of purple miasma around his form towards the sky.

    That gave the second clone a direct line of sight to Barragan''s skeletal form, giving him an opportunity to cast one of the only two bakudo spells I knew.

    "Bakudo no 4: Hainawa."

    Normally such a simple skill would not work on someone like Barragan. It was just a simple spirit energy construct.

    Even exposure to his Reiatsu alone would have destroyed Hainawa in an instant.

    Except for one thing.

    Hainawa was the perfect suppressing tool to use for someone like me.

    My Hainawa was cast by weaving durable threads into the bindings of the spell, making the spell much much stronger.

    Enough to creep around his bony body and ensnare him to the already destroyed ground.

    In a split second, I''d eliminated his main means of attack and restrained him. Then came the finisher.

    My real body surged with energy. A cloak of power covering me as I committed to the attack.

    "Getsuga...Tensho!"

    Instantly, all of the Reiryoku within me was completely drained following the activation of ''Fuck you no. 1: Getsuga Tensho.''

    A broken ability. Why?

    The secret to Getsuga I''d stumbled across was that I could simply pour in as much Reiryoku as I wanted without destabilizing the attack.

    Reiryoku just really wanted to be released that way. A super compressed, wide and roaring purple arc.

    Space bent around it, unobstructed as it closed the small distance between us in an instant.

    Barragan''s jaw hung wide open.

    "YOU WRETCHED SCUUUUMMM!!"

    He insulted me.

    "FUCK YOU!"

    I shot back in a fit of vindication and glee. He had survived over a dozen Akai Inazuma, let''s see if his bullshit powers could save him from this.

    The Getsuga landed and the repercussions were more than I had expected. The entire city tilted as a chunk of the ground rose up followed by a monumental plume of dust.

    "Did I get him?"

    I asked Chase, whose sensing skills were even better than mine.

    Before he could answer, I heard a snort then,

    "Respira."

    The word came from his bony maw. In an instant, the world seemed to lose all color as the dust, stones and other debris hanging in the air in free fall disintegrated.

    I felt my body freeze as more Reiatsu burst out of him.

    The miasma in his control coagulated around him into a vortex of power before exploding outwards.

    "You need to run. Now!"

    Chase urgently yelled.

    I didn''t argue with him. Or rather, I couldn''t. My entire body was locked down.

    "You power fails to move me, little Ant."

    His voice was the ultimate mood killer. Filled with despair and desperation. Fitting for one with the power of rot.

    "I was alive before the first hollow." He declared, his steps silent as he walked out of the crater, the battle axe in his hands, longer and larger while also being pitch black.

    He walked on the air, platforms of spirit energy manifesting under his feet.

    "I have claimed dominion over a dimension filled to the brim with creatures of nightmares. Beings of incredible power have fallen under the ravages of time. I persisted. I held on..."

    And within no time at all, he loomed over me, his height close to 9 feet.

    I still couldn''t move due to the pressure. Is this how my enemies felt?

    "Tell me boy, what hope do you have of saving yourself from the Ultimate Nullifier? How dare you try to stand up to TIIIMMMMEE!!"

    He raised the battle axe, intent on bringing it down on my frozen form.

    Up close his Spirit Pressure was getting even more suffocating.

    All I wanted to do was curl up and...

    "Snap out of it!"

    Chase roared out from within my soul.

    Immediately, strings launched off my back, weaving through one of the remaining pillars around the Palace and jerking me along.

    "Diiieeee!"

    Barragan brought down his weapon, curving out another section of the ground.

    Half of the Palace was sheared off by the arc of time energy launched off the battle axe.

    I swallowed as I used Shunpo to take me away from the Palace grounds to another building on the outskirts.

    This one bearing similarities to a bell tower.

    If that had been me...

    "Where are you running off to?"

    Barragan''s voice came from my side. Shit. I forgot he was faster than me!

    Strings weaved into Chesha Neko and I lifted it up in a cross guard, blocking the bladed part of the Battle Axe.

    The chains around his Zanpakuto rattled as a shockwave was produced by the collision. I was pushed back by his immense strength. The bones in my hand trembled from the impact.

    I stepped to the side to avoid a burst of time energy, lashing out at his face with Chesha Neko.

    He leaned back but I extended the length of the weapon and managed to chip off a small piece of his boney face.

    The bell tower under us withered away but we remained standing in mid air.

    Barragan seemed to be caught off guard by my attack.

    ''Now''s my chance!''

    I pulled in, strings in my back attached to another building, ready to pull me away incase he tried to attack with his Ressureccion.

    Chesha Neko neatly stabbed into his chest. The pointed end came out of the other side, the sword spearing through and out his back.

    Sparks of electric energy run along it''s form as I pulled on the soul of Air, specifically the hydrogen.

    When molecular hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) are combined and allowed to react together, energy is released.

    Depending on the concentration of Hydrogen, the explosion can range from mild to something like what happened. (Thanks chemistry teacher who understood that just because I was a Criminal didn''t mean I didn''t deserve an education.)

    Barragan''s entire chest was blown apart in a violent explosion. Red plumes of flames with flashes of blue intermixed roared out into the sky behind him.

    The Hollow God - King groaned in pain, the hand holding the Battle Axe dropping as he stared down at the massive hole through his chest.

    "Barragan Luisenban. The one closest to death, yet so convinced he''s eternal."

    I addressed him, a mocking smile on my face.

    "The proudest of the Espada, yet relegated to second place behind an ambitionless Hollow like Stark. You want to know how I, a mere lieutenant rank beat you? It''s because you underestimated me."

    Barragan lifted his head, opening his jaw wide.

    Then instantly, his entire body turned into a dark liquid that splashed across my body. My strings sizzled as they were eroded by the water.

    "Huh?"

    "Get rid of that now!"

    Chase immediately yelled.

    I discarded the strings around my body, before they could completely get consumed by the power of time.

    I extended stronger strings to cover the patches of the purple costume eaten away by his rot.

    Shunpo created distance, and I looked down at the spot of our previous confrontation.

    The entire city had begun shaking. From within the tunnels under, more black liquid broke through the man hole, looking like oil but moving with the fluidity of water.

    The water rose up into long tentacles that combined in mid air, compressing and giving shape to something. Or someone.

    Barragan. Unhurt. He almost looked like a god, his hands were spread out in a dramatic pose.

    "Chase, what is this? I don''t feel any spirit energy. It feels like..."

    I frowned in distaste, trailing off as I realized what was happening.

    It was what I''d been fearing.

    "This is what you meant when you said there was something else within him. It''s Magic, isn''t it?"

    Instead of answering, Chase asked a question.

    "What are you going to do now? Your Reiryoku reserves are basically empty and you might fall out of Shikai any minute. Not to mention..."

    "I have an idea."

    I cut him off as I thought of something crazy.

    I looked at Barragan. Or rather the dark purple miasma around him.

    "Chase, how many years can you say I might live?"

    It took a second for my Zanpakuto to catch on to what I was planning.

    "You''re... you''re mad. Truly insane."

    He said in unfiltered shock. There wasn''t the same undertone of pride I usually heard from him anytime I did something bold.

    This told me that my idea was truly reckless.

    I stretched my shoulder, hearing the bones on my neck creak as I readied myself for something suicidal.

    "Just answer me. Soul Reapers grow stronger with age right? And his power is time. So if I get exposed to it, that should give me a decent power up. Enough to close the gap of power between us. Especially because I don''t have access to my own Bankai."

    "You''re truly..."

    Chase begun but I was already committed to the attack.

    Shunpo pushed me forward with ease. But this time I wasn''t going to dodge, this time I was running straight into the danger.

    This time there was a chance I could actually Die.

 2 Weeks Part 7.

    (General P.O.V)

    (500 years into the future)

    (There was something in the water.)

    Deadman had seen a lot of death and destruction.

    Two things that followed a supervillain rampage or a fight with very high stakes.

    He''d seen it when the Justice League had repelled the Apellaxian invasion. He''d seen it as recent as last week when Gotham had literally gone up in flames.

    (The things in the water felt... familiar.)

    This...this was an entirely different thing.

    For starters the damage was not limited to one city. It looked as if the entire landscape had been ravaged by a storm of flames.

    A storm that came by periodically based on the lack of any meaningful plant life.

    The redwoods populating an entire area on the outskirts of San Francisco were nowhere to be seen.

    The golden great bridge had collapsed into the murky waters of the bay. San Francisco was not an isolated incident either.

    It shared the fate of a few other cities he''d already been too that were in ruins.

    (They called to him.)

    Deadman could not understand why his Goddess had brought him here. The last thing he remembered was...

    "Focus."

    He heard Rama Kushna''s voice cut through his thoughts.

    Deadman blinked, looking down at the passing ground.

    The water churned with something. Or rather lots of something and along the shore line were destroyed barricades, trenches and the remains of barbed wire fences.

    Deadman could guess what had happened. The authorities had tried to fight, those...things.

    He couldn''t ignore it anymore. The Trench stared up at his ghostly form with a ravenous hunger. White hollow masks on each of their faces.

    Deadman knew what they were, it seemed that he had failed in the past. Vandal Savage had succeeded in his nefarious plans.

    Deadman swiftly left San Francisco behind.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "You don''t have a way to block his temporal erosion! This is madness."

    Chase pointed out.

    It was.

    I knew it was. But there was something within me that felt it was the right move. I couldn''t come up with something else to deal with this guy because...he was simply just better.

    If I was really the Main Character of my story like all those self help books say then...maybe this would work.

    Fuck.

    I can''t believe I''m putting my belief in the bullshit of plot convenience. Or at least the principles of dumb luck.

    "Or maybe you just have a death wish!"

    Chase yelled from within my soul.

    I didn''t have to try hard to convince myself that maybe he was right.

    The closer I got to Barragan, the more I realized how outmatched I was. He exuded an aura that slowed things down.

    Shit.

    It made sense that time would be warped on a zone around his form.

    The streaks of purple lightning running along my body disappeared as my speed got sluggish.

    Barragan stared down at me, his eyeless holes as deep as the void.

    "You shall pay for laying a hand on a king."

    He promised while lifting a hand. The dark water pooled onto the ground begun to rise up...

    Then it started raining backwards. Which meant drops of the blackish water begun to shoot towards the sky, coming up from under the two of us with different results.

    Barragan created a sheet of black ice under his feet in an arguably cool flex of his power.

    While I had to construct a shield around me to block the raindrops. Some had already landed on me, eroding the strings making up my costume.

    The shield fortunately held up. The raindrops sizzling when they came into contact with it.

    It was only a matter of time though. I was running out of Spirit energy. I needed to find a way to get closer to him.

    I pulled on the soul of air once more, creating a mist from the humidity in the surroundings, plunging the whole area into a heavy fog.

    "Hiding away? What else can I expect from an Ant."

    He laughed.

    I knew the ploy wouldn''t work for long. He could sense Spirit energy after all.

    But the few seconds of reprieve I had were more than enough.

    "I can''t win if I don''t get close to him."

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    I addressed my Zanpakuto.

    Chase snorted.

    "Finally understand the kind of clusterfuck you''re in?"

    He asked.

    I merely smiled.

    "No, I meant I can''t win LIKE this. I need a distraction to get close enough and take his Battle Axe away. I don''t want to get dismembered."

    And so I explained to him the idea I had.

    Chase couldn''t stop cursing my name.

    Under the cover of fog, Shunpo took me to Barragan''s side.

    The time dilation hit and even before I could react, the Battle Axe fell, splitting me or rather my clone in two.

    A roar rang out.

    The strings making up the clone twined and weaved into Chase''s monstrous form. My Zanpakuto immediately jumped towards Barragan, his claw colliding with the shaft of the battle axe.

    "What are you!? A hollow!?"

    Barragan exclaimed at the 1 ton plus, purple cat with spurs and spikes around it''s body, trying to bite his head off.

    The Old Hollow King was immediately put on the back foot, his battle axe being the only thing that could stop Chase''s teeth from sinking into him.

    "Anytime now!"

    My Zanpakuto cried out, exuding a large amount of Reiatsu that enabled me to hide my own spirit marker easily.

    My form cut through the mist unimpeded. My target? The hand that was holding onto his weapon.

    Push...

    Pull...

    A copy of Chesha Neko appeared in my hands, my fingers wrapped around the grip fiercely.

    I slashed out as I passed by Barragan.

    There was a loud clang from the collision. His Hierro managed to only hold me off for an instant, but eventually my sword won out.

    It had to, I had basically shoved every last shred of energy I had into the edge, reinforcing the sharpness and durability aspects.

    I appeared behind him holding onto his Zanpakuto. Damn. This thing was super heavy.

    "Looking for something?"

    I held it up, the bones of his right forearm still attached to the shaft of the weapon.

    Barragan turned his skeletal neck to fix me with an anger filled glare.

    "You shall die for that. Respira."

    The miasma shrouding him rose up and consumed Chase''s Beast form, eroding the strings making up his form.

    But the plan had succeeded. Without his axe, he could only attack one way.

    "Now what genius?"

    Chase asked from within my soul.

    "Now he''ll try to prove that he doesn''t need his Zanpakuto to deal with me."

    I answered.

    Sure enough.

    Barragan moved and I found my neck grasped in a tight grip. Even if I''d wanted to move...his speed still dwarfed mine.

    "I do not need my Zanpakuto to deal with the likes of you."

    He growled out, his cold boney fingers tightening around my neck.

    I would have laughed if it wasn''t for the fact that breathing was hard. A combination of having my neck squeezed and his heavy Reiatsu.

    Instead I settled for a smirk, dropping the battle axe in my hand towards the ground, knowing it would make him mad.

    Then with all the arrogance I could muster, I added something that would push him over the edge.

    "Prove it."

    Barragan went silent. I could imagine the image of burning flames in his eyes due to the fury he was feeling.

    "Respira."

    That one word decided my fate.

    The Miasma around him rose up once again in a cloud of darkness.

    I undid the strings around me, exposing myself to the effects.

    A flash of fear went through me.

    What if this didn''t work?

    Maybe...maybe I really was suicidal.

    Then the cloud of time energy swallowed me whole.

    (General P.O.V)

    Maryland was the same like the previous dozens of cities he had passed through.

    The interior wasn''t as bad as places near the ocean but the conditions of living were even worse.

    There were people but they weren''t normal. He had come across large groups just working around aimlessly like Zombies.

    "A disease caused by the Trench after they begun attacking the surface world."

    His goddess'' voice sounded in his mind.

    "So what, they were turned into zombies?"

    Deadman asked as he passed over a camp.

    Hundreds of infected people surrounded the high electric fence of the camp filled with soldiers and other personnel.

    Most seemed like scientists.

    Deadman left them behind as he followed his goddess'' instructions, moving ahead.

    She had brought him here for a reason.

    (General P.O.V)

    Barragan was finally free.

    He had been freed from that darkness by a being he couldn''t quite understand.

    The only request being...

    "Just do what you want."

    So he''d decided to rule once more. Both pieces of his being, the Ocean God and the Hollow King had naturally sort Dominion over the largest chunk of the planet, the ocean.

    It was only his birth right.

    But a king conquered. And so, the ocean alone hadn''t been enough.

    Then...that group had arrived with a proposition.

    As a sea god, he could control all marine life. He could use that to conquer even more.

    All they had wanted was a sample. A sample of his spirit energy.

    Barragan had allowed it while deciding to destroy them after achieving his plans.

    They had dared ask for what was his. Such impudence.

    But even their fates would be considered a mercy to what he would do to this fool who had attacked him.

    The ant thought he needed a weapon to crush it. How laughable.

    "Respira."

    He decided to show it.

    That in the grand scheme of things, they were all below him.

    Humans, soul reapers, hollows, lords of chaos, even gods...he was above all.

    For only he would see Eternity. Only he would outlast the ravages of time.

    He felt his power take hold on the boy. He felt it eat away at his vitality. It was a pity, the Ant could have made a competent minion.

    A king needed subjects after all.

    He let go of the quickly fading body, flying down while calling onto his Zanpakuto.

    The Battle Axe had landed on the edges of a sheared off piece of the ground.

    Barragan felt another burst of irritation at that. Xebel had almost been destroyed from a fight he could have ended in an instant.

    He now regretted killing off the boy so quickly. He should have gone out more painfully.

    His Zanpakuto cut through the air towards his remaining right hand.

    Barragan blinked and ''HE'' was just there.

    A towering figure, almost 9 feet tall. They had their back, to him.

    A white haori flapped in the air behind the figure, a sheath peaking out from under the haori.

    The Old Hollow King tilted his head to the side.

    "Another ant. Truly the lesser never learn their place."

    Then he realized a problem.

    His Battle Axe was in the figure''s grip. And despite holding out his remaining hand Barragan could not call it to him.

    His Zanpakuto simply refused to leave the man''s hand.

    Then Barragan realized another problem. He couldn''t sense the man. He had just appeared.

    All creatures had a spirit marker. This man was like a void. Like...That void.

    "How old do you think I am now Chase?"

    A rumbling voice escaped the figure.

    "I feel... powerful. Man, I must have missed so many birthdays."

    The figure lamented.

    Barragan''s hand lowered, the bones rattling against each other.

    His mind was buzzing with fear as a scary possibility made itself known.

    "Impossible!!"

    The Hollow yelled, his Reiryoku and Divine Energy gathering inside his open maw.

    The combination of both energies were instantaneous despite their clashing alignments.

    The fusion happened seamlessly but in return caused the formation of something with a terrifying amount of power.

    Barragan could not allow the possibility to be true! So he had to destroy this ant.

    "Divine Ceroo!!!!"

    A large golden-purple beam of energy blazed out of his mouth, speeding towards the back of the figure.

    The man twirled Barragan''s own battle axe and blocked the fired cero easily, the beam rebounding off it''s flat side to fly off and land on the dome of energy around Xebel.

    The entire thing rippled dangerously.

    "How is that possible. What did you do?!"

    Barragan was freaking out. How could such an attack be dealt with so easily?

    "Handy."

    The figure kept ignoring him, throwing the Battle Axe up into the air before catching it again.

    "I think I''m going to keep this."

    He spoke, finally turning around to fully face Barragan.

    "Now, to deal with annoying flies buzzing around."

    The figure said, clearly showing he was talking about Barragan.

    Yet, the Hollow King reacted not with anger but fear.

    The figure''s entire face was covered in a white mask with long horns shooting to the sky.

    His hair was jet black and held in a knot behind his

    His chest was left exposed under the Haori, showing of the rippling muscles underneath it.

    The Hollow King''s entire body froze up.

    He still couldn''t sense the figure''s energy and now he knew why. It was because simply put...

    "Finally figured it out, huh?"

    The figure teased, crossing his hands together.

    Simply put... Barragan had been wrong about who the Ant was.

 2 Weeks Part 8.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I could feel the light disappear as Respira devoured me.

    Time energy swept through my body and begun to take everything away.

    It gorged on my flesh and bones, ravenously fed on my life force, stealing vitality and replacing it with an emptiness that reminded me of death.

    I could only watch as the last ray of light disappeared, that being the red gem I kept on my chest pocket.

    It''s dying glow dimmed and I was plunged in unknowable darkness.

    All alone.

    I couldn''t even sense my Zanpakuto.

    The plan had failed. I had been...wrong.

    (General P.O.V)

    A Zanpakuto was eternally linked to it''s Wielder. They would exist in the same reality and state. Life in life and death in death.

    In the void of nothingness, a space in between worlds where reality met unreality, a pair of glowing Torquoise eyes opened, gazing at the only other thing in this space.

    A soul.

    (Chase P.O.V)

    My master is insane.

    Something that I normally wouldn''t complain about because I was bat shit crazy myself.

    If it wasn''t for the recklessness attached to his brand of insanity.

    I indulged in his foolishness and now he was dead. Well, as effective as that was on someone like him.

    He didn''t know his true power and if I had my way, I would make sure he learned some discipline before accessing the terrifying amounts he would eventually call on.

    Without discipline, that would only end one way. Terribly.

    So why allow him to die? Or as close to it as he could get?

    Because, he needed to learn about consequences.

    I didn''t need a reckless, insane and suicidal master.

    I could take insane and suicidal but not reckless.

    WE needed to learn.

    His physical body wasn''t strong enough to tank an attack from an Arrancar of Barragan''s level.

    Not to mention, the hollow was much much stronger now that he was fused with a divine being.

    Davian couldn''t sense it but the fact that he even managed to last this long under the effects of Barragan''s spirit pressure was a miracle in and of itself.

    The very fact that my Master had gone into the fight with full confidence in his victory DESPITE knowing he was outmatched, only made me admire him more.

    That said, the fact that he decided to go into the fight DESPITE my telling him not to, made me frustrated at his impulsiveness.

    For all his surprisingly keen intelligence and shrewd mind, Davian failed to think things through at times.

    "GOOD GRIEF. WAS HE ALWAYS THIS RECKLESS?"

    Ah and so the hidden guest decides to reveal his presence.

    "You tell me."

    I snorted.

    "You''ve been with him the longest."

    "BUT YOU KNOW HIM BEST. I''M JUST A GHOST FROM HIS PAST. ALL I CAN DO IS WATCH. BUT FIRST, LETS GET SOME LIGHT IN HERE."

    (General P.O.V)

    Next to the torquoise eyes, a green glow lit up in the darkness.

    The glow came from Chesha Neko''s sheath, floating around the soul in a cycle that was shared by the Torquoise eyes.

    (Chase P.O.V)

    I had secrets.

    Secrets that Davian was not ready to know. One of them being that he was far special than he could realize.

    There was a reason why he defied death.

    There was a reason why she couldn''t keep him for herself.

    And this was one such secret. What he called his ''Fullbring'' was something more than that.

    "You know what we need to do."

    I told the Spirit contained in the sheath.

    "This stunt he pulled wasn''t supposed to work, but we both know Davian is special. The only thing he''s missing is...us."

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    I added, hoping...no, knowing that the spirit inside the sheath understood the seriousness of the situation.

    He sighed.

    "Fine. You know I always have his back. At least as long as I''m here. He''s gotten better at using my gift. Soon he won''t need me and I''ll move on."

    He said morosely.

    I didn''t know what to say to comfort him. My mind was occupied with my Master''s well-being.

    "What do you need me to do?"

    He must have sensed my apparent apathy for his situation as he got right down to business.

    "A transcendent spiritual entity requires full harmonious synchronization with his soul. Davian effectively aged himself up to a point where he''s grown past that point."

    He had skipped all the steps. See, reckless.

    "He has not mastered Bankai or Shukai, all he has is unfocused amounts of energy. Amounts of energy that can warp reality as he sees fit. If we don''t want him to destabilize his soul energy and blow up...we need to fuse all our energies into him."

    "How is that going to help exactly? That kind of power on top of our own, would crush his body in an instant."

    The spirit highlighted the main issue.

    Luckily, I had a solution for that.

    "Not with the Sheath working to buy him some time."

    The spirit hummed in realization.

    "I see. That could work. However, he will need to finish the fight fast. The longer it goes on, the less damage to his physical body I can heal."

    The spirit stated.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    How long have I been here?

    It feels like years.

    No, more like decades.

    Alone with my thoughts. Alone with my nightmares. I could feel myself slip away. Slip into the emptiness of...

    "Oh please. How dramatic. It''s only been 2 minutes in real time."

    Wait, who''s that?

    Chase?

    Chase!!

    Oh god, am I glad to hear your voice!

    "LISTEN UP FOR WE DON''T HAVE MUCH TIME."

    My Zanpakuto announced.

    "DEATH IS NOT TO BE FEARED BY THE LIKES OF US. YOU WANTED A TASTE OF TRUE POWER, RIGHT? THEN EMBRACE IT."

    What was he talking about?!

    Embrace it?

    "DID YOU FORGET? YOU''RE NOT NEW TO THIS. DEATH HAS TRIED TO CLAIM YOUR SOUL BEFORE AND FAILED."

    Yeah...

    He''s right.

    I am the Spirit King. I am the Grim Reaper. I am Death.

    I reached out and defied the Darkness pulling onto my soul. I reached out without hands and grasped the power I knew I could instinctively call on.

    There wasn''t a massive surge of energy.

    One minute I was non-existent. Dead. And then the next I was back.

    I was alive.

    Not just alive but time had stood still. Literally.

    I could feel the zone around me lag forward slowly to allow me to center myself.

    Reikaku spread out, covering everything. By everything, I mean the entire universe.

    There was so much pain.

    In the future, the earth had literally gone to shit. There was some kind of zombie plague sweeping across the continents that was responsible for the death of a majority of people.

    The population was down to a few hundred million people and past the solar system, there was so much more...life.

    So many souls, with feelings of laughter, misery, purpose and those without across numerous alien planets...it''s too much...

    Too much... information. I...

    A cooling sensation appeared from within my soul. I looked down at my chest and saw a green glow. It felt...homely and alive.

    I reduced Reikaku''s zone, relegating it to only scan everything inside the city or around it.

    Something that allowed me to see Cheshire, helping a woman out from the ruins of a destroyed building.

    Not to mention another woman watching our fight while hiding behind the fallen pillars of the palace.

    Most of the city had suffered under Barragan and I.

    And I speculated we would destroy even more now that I could actually fight back.

    I warped space, instinctively pulling on it''s soul and appeared behind...

    Hila. Her soul spoke to me. That''s new.

    I touched her, sending her away. Sending her back to the past.

    Then space opened up to me once more and I appeared before Cheshire and...Mera, Queen of Atlantis, daughter of Xebelian royalty, from the Dimension Aqua, a pocket dimension whose entrance is the Bermuda triangle.

    What a proud soul. But she told me a lot of what was happening here. Which explains the state of the outside world.

    Barragan and The Light had found a way to weaponize the Trench. A species of merfolk that were known for their viciousness and staggering numbers.

    With a cursory glance at Cheshire''s soul next, I sent them back into our real timeline.

    On another thing, I couldn''t feel my own spirit energy anymore.

    The comforting warmth usually present on my chest was replaced by a heat that pervaded my entire body.

    I looked down at my form.

    Would I always grow to be this big. How old was I?

    A query to my Zanpakuto went unanswered. That would normally be worrying but... something told me, it was as it should have been.

    Like the green glow on my chest that obviously belonged to Chesha Neko''s sheath, Chase was closer to me now than he''d ever been before.

    One thing I could tell was that I didn''t have a lot of time in this form.

    I had to finish this fast. My opponent had caught on to the fact that something was not right.

    Especially when I used his own weapon to block his attack.

    "Impossible!! You can''t be him! I just killed you!! How did you survive Respira?!"

    He barked out.

    Now that I had more power than I knew what to do with, I would make sure to make my own revenge fun.

    I twirled his Battle Axe before throwing it towards him at high speeds. To his benefit, Barragan dematerialized in a fast Sonido from the path of the Axe.

    Only for my palm to plow into his face, pushing us through the city''s sky line and towards the dome of energy separating the city from the megatons of water surrounding it.

    The dome rippled dangerously behind his back, cracks appearing on the dome''s surface.

    "What was it you said?"

    I asked him, leaning closer.

    "Oh yeah, the lesser never learn their place. Will you learn your place, king of Hollows?"

    "I will...kill you! Respira!!"

    Barragan snapped angrily, calling onto the dark miasma to devour me.

    The time erosion covered my body but lacked purchase.

    "Tsk...you should know, that won''t work on me any more."

    I shook my head at him.

    "But...but how? Everything dies! Everything..."

    His jaw hang open in shock.

    "What are you?"

    He enquired shakily.

    My smirk sent shivers across his entire boney body.

    "If you''re done freaking out... I''m going into kick your ass now."

    I was looking forward to this.

    My first backhand dislodged his entire head and pulverized the rest of his body.

    The battle axe on the ground cracked and simply disintegrated.

    I stopped and blinked.

    What the fuck just happened? Did he...did he just die?

    There was barely any power behind that strike! I had held back 99% of my full strength. The damage I could actually inflict was more than the planet could handle. I think.

    Fuck that. He''s not getting away do easily after everything that''s happened. I focused on time and then rewound it.

    The ash drifting in the air combined to form small bone shards that then combined to form a skull wearing a gaudy golden crown before the rest of his body reformed.

    "I died..."

    Barragan muttered, stunned.

    "I died and you brought me...back."

    He was staring at me in a strange expression. I didn''t know how I could even read his face with the lack of facial expressions.

    "That''s right."

    I informed him.

    "You didn''t think you''d have it..."

    Then he did something even stranger.

    Barragan bent a knee in subservience.

    "I understand now. I understand my role. It was never to rule. I beg you to forgive me, Lord Death."

    I didn''t let any of the shock I was feeling appear on my face. Inside I was entirely stunned.

    I hadn''t accounted for this. How could I? From what I knew, the Old Hollow King was a stubborn and prideful individual. It didn''t make sense that he would kneel before me.

    Or did it?

    I mean, he was the king of Las Noches before Aizen came into the picture. And then Aizen simply dominated him, showed him who was stronger.

    Barragan naturally bowed then. It would make sense that before an even superior foe, he would similarly bow his head.

    Now the question is...what should I do?

 2 Weeks Part 9.

    (General P.O.V)

    (DIMENSION AFTER TIME)

    There was a stir in the timeline.

    Inside a cracked dimension, a realm that was basically the dumping ground for what existence found a problem with, a man trudged forward.

    Behind him on the ground, he dragged a car door laden with different materials.

    There were discarded computer parts, most notably a few of the those big CRT monitors.

    his haul also included rusted chains, a few wires and circuitry that he could use to complete his machine. Today had been a good salvage.

    The outside world had been dumping more broken junk through these portals that kept appearing in the sky.

    He could have used them to escape but unfortunately they were gone before he could do something with them.

    Not to mention, the irregularity in which they appeared ensured tracking where the next one would manifest, next to impossible.

    Still, he had what he needed now. His balance was steady as he passed by the uneven terrain filled with all manner of things.

    The sky was always a mute blue with no sun in sight. And time was weird. They had no need for food, no need for sleep.

    ''They'' because he was not alone. There were others here. Trapped in the dimension with him.

    Ripped from their lives and it was all the Flash''s fault.

    He could remember that day with a clarity that ensured the memory always remained flesh; all so his hate kept burning fiercely.

    He had been a simple man caught in a fight between the Flash and the Scarlet Devil, a supervillain who was more than a match for the Flash Family.

    An anti-thesis to the Justice League.

    As the man had tried to hurry his family away from the scene, there was a flash of light and thunder.

    Next he found himself in this forgotten realm. He felt something get ripped out of him as he was snapped out of reality.

    The timeline had been reset into a new world by the Flash Family. They, those lost in the middle of the dimension away from time, were left behind.

    He was left behind, discarded like the salvage he pulled with his ropes.

    He crossed the small hill of debris and found their encampment.

    There were four others like him. But they weren''t as lucky as he had been. He was an engineer, a scientist.

    Discovering how things worked was in his nature.

    Which was how he had discovered this dimension''s energy and learned to tap into it. The others had only wanted to survive, having given up hope on going back.

    He passed 2 of them sleeping inside a damaged car. They barely acknowledged him. No matter. He would survive this and make the Flash Family pay.

    He would make the Scarlet Devil pay.

    All of them would know the wrath of... Paradox!

    (Elsewhere)

    Deadman had crossed the entirety of North America to get here.

    Gotham.

    He crested the hills, choosing not to go through them as he normally would.

    Choosing not to get close to those hurting on the ground.

    They weren''t human anymore.

    He couldn''t imagine what the modern day equivalent to Sodom and Gomorrah would look like, taking into account the state of places like San Francisco.

    But it had to be bad, right?

    It had to be b...

    Bad?

    This was not bad!

    Deadman couldn''t help it, the words left his mouth at the first scene of the city.

    "Why is there a large statue of Davian in the middle of Gotham?! Batman would never allow it!"

    Deadman asked in disbelief.

    And true enough, there was a statue erected where the city council building used to be.

    Additionally a dome of green energy covered the entire city in a protective bubble.

    The contrast was great.

    The outskirts of the city were nothing but rocks and cracked earth, with abandoned cars filling the highway leading in to it.

    Nothing seemed to move.

    And yet, the city looked to be full of life even from this far out. He could feel such a large concentration of energy.

    "This is what I wanted you to see. To know who exactly you are dealing with, Champion."

    His goddess'' spoke to him.

    "The Spirit King has warded off his territory from the outside world. I suspect he has attached a pocket dimension to the city. Which allows him to provide for his people without the need for venturing out into the wilderness."

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    "Close. He didn''t attach a pocket dimension as much as expand the space within."

    A foreign voice told them.

    Deadman whirled around instantly, ready to defend himself.

    The girl floating in the air was dressed in a white haori over a black tight under-suit.

    She had with her two short swords strapped to the small of her back. Tantos, Deadman recognized them.

    Short hair framing a beautiful face with rich brown skin and a pair of lovely blue eyes watched him passively. She looked at him up and down.

    "You''re not Uncle Brand."

    She finally told him, snapping a finger.

    Shadows dressed in completely black clothes with red masks similar to what Davian wore appeared around them.

    "My name is Auerilia Shivon Prince Mabuz, I am the Captain of the Stealth Force, the second division of the Gotei 13. Come with me quietly and no harm shall be done unto you. Resist..."

    She let out a burst of energy. The same pressure that Davian would produce.

    The difference was that while Davian''s pressure was like a hammer, hers was like a sharp blade. Silent yet deadly.

    "Even in the worst of times, he still manages to triumph over Fate. Over me. This timeline is meant to be discarded, but it has branched off on it''s own. He is sustaining it purely through his power."

    Rama Kushna sighed.

    Auerilia frowned, ready to give a sign that would incapacitate the spirit energy of this rogue soul and take him in.

    But Deadman simply disappeared, leaving an irate girl looking to prove herself to her mother and siblings by bringing in the Soul spying on Haven.

    The Head Captain would not be pleased. Luckily he was her big brother.

    (Elsewhere)

    (The Present)

    (January the 13th, 2010)

    Deadman appeared in the middle of a street with honking cars.

    A taxi cab would have plowed into him and surely caused a lot of damage if he had a physical body.

    With his soul form, he merely allowed it to pass through him.

    The disembodied soul sank through the street and into the tunnels below.

    Apart from slow moving water carrying sludge and other forms of waste, there was no other sound.

    He allowed himself to materialize.

    Something he could apparently do now. It wasn''t his real body, merely using his energy to give weight and mass to his soul.

    The spirit sighed, holding his head in his hands.

    "How?"

    He asked while gritting his teeth.

    "How did any of that happen?! What happened to the League in the future? Hell, what about Lex and all those other villains that try to take over the world?!"

    He snapped.

    "How could they let those...things take over? Why didn''t they do anything!!?"

    Deadman blinked and found his hand buried into the wall behind him.

    "The Spirit King kills them all. The villains first. Then those who grow to fear his power...then eventually those who question his motives."

    Rama Kushna explained.

    "He single handedly begins the 3rd World War."

    She added.

    Dead man sucked a deep breath at that. His goddess continued.

    "By the time the world is recovering from the effects of a war between every superpowered individual and The Spirit King, the Trench attack en masse. The world falls without it''s heroes."

    "What about him? Davian?"

    Deadman was quick to ask. He hadn''t known the Scarlet Devil that long but he knew willful people.

    Those whose resolve would burn so bright, there was risk of the world burning with them. He guessed in Davian''s case that became quite literal.

    His Goddess'' reply didn''t fill him with hope.

    "I do not know."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    An Arrancar level hollow would be more than enough to go up against any of the Justice League members and hold their own.

    Barragan was past that level. I could see the merits of sparing his life and keeping him around.

    He would be a massive help. Especially in understanding how Hollows used their Reiryoku.

    Was Sonido different from Shunpo? Were the principles of Pesquisa similar to Reikaku?

    What about Cero? Was it really a race specific ability or could I use it as well? To me it shared similarities with, of all things...Getsuga Tensho.

    Barragan had been able to simply add as much energy into it without destabilizing the attack.

    The only skill in my arsenal that could do that was Getsuga Tensho.

    I couldn''t simply overload Akai Inazuma or Byakurai and use it to wipe Superman off the face of the earth.

    Long story short, keeping Barragan around was more advantageous in the long run.

    IF IT WASN''T FOR ONE. SIMPLE. THING.

    I couldn''t trust him.

    I also didn''t trust Cheshire yet. But she didn''t have the capacity to kill me when I wasn''t looking or was weakened.

    Barragan''s last feat in Canon Bleach, had been to try and strike Aizen down when the Old Hollow King realized he was dying.

    I gazed down at him, past the bones and deep into his essence. There was resentment there.

    There was anger there.

    And there was hate there.

    That more than anything decided it for me.

    Barragan must have seen through my intentions.

    "Wait! I can be useful to you, Lord Death. I can..."

    He went quiet as my spirit pressure fell upon his body.

    Cracks appeared all around his skeleton as the ground he was kneeling on similarly shattered into a spider web pattern.

    I frowned.

    "A king begging for his life? Where''s your self respect, Oh God of Hollows?"

    "I...I..."

    He tried to speak but the pressure was too much, so instead he held out a hand to the side.

    The dome around the city begun to crack.

    Flakes of energy broke off, drifting towards the ground. The whole city started to shake.

    Laughter bubbled out of me.

    "A suicidal attempt to make sure I die with you. What a convenient way to show where your loyalties lie. Your pride would never allow you to be under someone again, would it, your majesty?"

    It was almost admirable.

    I placed a foot on his head, pushing his face into the ground.

    "Well? What are you waiting for? Kill us then."

    Barragan let out a furious howl and the entire weight of the ocean came bearing down on our heads.

    The swirling dark water swept through everything.

    What a petty king.

    Barragan blinked and found himself floating in mid air as we watched an impossible sight.

    "Impossible..."

    He even muttered in disbelief.

    Below us, was a lively underwater city filled with Atlanteans swimming about their every day lives.

    The Xebelian royal palace stood grand in the middle of the city, none of the damage we had brought down on it, present.

    No one could see or detect us while hidden behind the veils of space.

    "What...what is this?"

    The Hollow turned to face me.

    I smiled, crossing my hands infront of my large chest.

    "You mean you can''t tell? These are all the people you killed. I undid it all, King of Hollows. While you have the ability to control time, you use it so crudely."

    I swept out a hand.

    "This is how you use ultimate power. There''s a time for Destruction but there is little as rewarding as rebuilding and creating."

    Barragan''s entire self seemed weighed down. A self deprecating laugh escaped his mouth.

    "I...lost. Again. Even after all my preparations...I still lost."

    "Oh don''t feel bad."

    I told him, spearing a hand through his chest while pulling closer to him.

    He gasped in pain.

    Being aged up like this gave me more than just power.

    I didn''t have a lot of time left in this form though. I could feel my Spirit Energy getting expelled through my Saketsu.

    The sheath''s Fullbring support abilities were working overtime to fix my body every split second it broke down.

    But... I''d learned something.

    I could sort of force a Bankai activation. By force, I mean I could use one of the Bankai''s main skills. In fact I had already used it before.

    When the possessed Flash and I had battled, my strings had sucked in some of his speed force energy which had led to a change in Shunpo.

    I did not know of my Bankai''s name. All I had was a lot of power and an idea.

    The hand that was stabbed through Barragan broke apart into billions of cell thick strings, wrapping around his essence before pulling on his energy.

    I sucked it all.

    If Barragan had eyes they would have widened in shock when I begun steaking everything from him.

    I devoured his Reiryoku, his skills and lastly, his Ressureccion.

    Not his memories though. That was the limit of the forced activation.

    The king of Hollows form broke apart into a dark cloud of energy that was absorbed into my being.

    Instantly, my soul begun pulsing with a lot more spirit energy. Some of it foreign.

    Energy I could not contain for long.

    One last thing then. I had already brought back Xebel and it''s people while also sending all of us into our original timeline.

    All that was left was to see if I could bring her back.

    Raven.

 2 Weeks Final Part.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    With Xebel reinstated into the right timeline, I shot through the dome undetected.

    Cheshire was with the Queen. It mattered little that I''d sent them back in time before I did the same to Xebel.

    Time was relative. In the end they couldn''t tell a difference.

    To all of them nothing was wrong. The Xebelians merely blinked their eyes (Barragan then proceeded to devour their souls) and then opened them to their regular boring lives the very next second.

    As regular and boring as it was to someone who lived in the fucking ocean.

    Cheshire wouldn''t thank me later for ensuring she didn''t get crushed by the pressure of the water by the way.

    I think we established that we didn''t like each other.

    Despite the obvious dislike, I had fine tuned her mask to create a protective membrane around her.

    It was on a timer though so I needed to use all this goody feeling infinite power to bring back goddess thighs, sorry, I mean Raven.

    She was a phenomenal partner to hop around with. Cool as fuck and she never stress me bout nothing.

    We just had that chill vibe. And whether I was ready to admit it or not, I really liked her. Fuck.

    Haven''t really thought of anyone like that in a while. Especially with how fucked up my life had recently become.

    To be honest, I think it was more of the light that she still had. I had lost mine when I''d decided to never let anyone hurt me again.

    I still didn''t regret what I did. "I''d kill for my people'', I remember telling Nick.

    That statement had a whole different weight after actually doing it. Point is, I was more stained. Willing to do what I couldn''t let Nick or those close to me do.

    I never allowed them to get to that position. If the price of making sure my bro never dirtied his soul was dirtying mine then I was ready to pay.

    Raven...she was a lot like Nick. In a way. She wasn''t supposed to be in the darkness.

    Yet she was and like my late best friend, had thrived with a soul...a compass of morality.

    An inherent goodness that I lacked.

    (I am broken. And it''s only because of a few people I know that I haven''t burnt this fucking piece of shit down.)

    Maybe that''s why in this world of magic, aliens and mystery, my true self had been revealed.

    Maybe that''s why my Zanpakuto was in the form of Cheshire Cat, a cat known for tricks and illusions. A cat known for always having a way out.

    Because I could never subject myself to the shackles of inherent goodness like Nick.

    Not fully.

    That''s why my first action after Nick''s death, wasn''t to call the cops on those responsible.

    I knew about trade routes, bank accounts and gang affiliations. I could have put away Papa Fred and the rest for life.

    But my first choice had been giving into the anger...the hate... And killing them all.

    In a sense it was selfish. The truth is, I was in love with the anarchy of it all. I wanted to do what I wanted!

    I was a selfish megalomaniac individual who only wanted a peaceful life but at every turn the world fucks with me so I gotta fuck it back. (no homo)

    And fuck every rule on the board, I wanted Raven back and I would do it!!

    ******

    My body broke the surface of the water to a new day.

    Of course the shitty weather of the Bermuda barely made it distinguishable from night.

    So I simply flew higher, leaving the lower atmosphere like a jet fueled with Popeye''s Spinach (Hey, that''s not a bad idea. If you take the spinach and just blend it...)

    Stop it brain.

    The upper atmosphere looked... peaceful.

    There wasn''t a fear that I would suffocate this high above. I was effectively immortal. And Omnipotent. (kinda)

    Atleast for the next 0.00095754 second. But that 0.00095754 was more than enough if you are able to stretch time out infinitely.

    I reached into my soul and pulled out Raven''s Gem Stone.

    As it was something very personal to her, I could use it to scan and pull on her soul, bringing her back

    My mouth was dry. This was it. I would see her again.

    I closed my eyes, focusing on intent and will.

    Reaching out towards the veils of death.

    Then I called out.

    No one answered.

    I could bring back Adam. (Yes, that Adam.)

    I could bring back Mother Teresa. (the one and only.)

    Heck I could bring back Tupac man!(couldn''t, he said the world was fucked up.)

    But Raven''s soul was nowhere to be found.

    Fuck.

    I knew Raven, there was no way she could be in hell. (If she was missing in heaven then it couldn''t be hell. It just couldn''t.)

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    but I wanted to be thorough. So to cross it off my list, I dived into Lucifer''s realm.

    My only other favorite character in DC next to Raven.

    The Lord of Hell deemed me to either be not worth his time or had occupied a wait and see approach. I could feel him watching but doing nothing.

    I couldn''t say I was mad with that arrangement. People should mind their own business. (I''m looking at you Rama Kushna.)

    Lucifer was powerful.

    Even with the levels of energy passing through my soul, something told me I would simply disappear if I tried to think of going against him.

    I perused Hell, hidden from demons and dark eldritch monsters that were hiding there to escape Heaven''s judgement. (most of these things were ancient abominations seeking refuge in the devil''s realm.)

    None could sense me. It was... unbelievable. How was I doing this?!

    Barragan''s Respira had hit me with enough time erosion to age me up by 100,000 years.

    I hadn''t ever heard of a Soul Reaper living that long. The Head Captain from Bleach, Yamamoto was 2000+ but not quite 100,000 years old.

    And I still felt...young. Like it wasn''t my prime. How could anything be that old and not immortal?

    I was more surprised at the fact I was older than Superman! He came out in the 30''s.

    Did that mean I would live forever?

    My thoughts turned grim when even Hell turned up zero results on Raven''s soul. Curiously enough, Constantine''s soul was missing as well.

    The last time I saw him, we had an... arrangement.

    Someone was messing around.

    None of this seemed coincidental anymore.

    So I turned to the other Universes.

    ******

    Nothing. Even after looking in the nearest parallel universes, my Raven''s soul was nowhere to be found.

    I only found her parallel selves. Some of whom felt my gaze and tried to stare back but I usually cut off the connection before that happened.

    A case could be made that each Raven was still Raven. Fuck that. I wanted MY Raven. And I had looked everywhere for her and come up empty.

    I became angry.

    The only other possibility that existed was that Raven''s soul was in a dimension beyond what I could perceive.

    A higher dimension.

    Which brought me to my earlier point. Someone was fucking around with me.

    Fine then.

    "You wanna fuck with me? Let''s see if I can''t return the favor."

    I was going to use the rest of the power I had within me, to forcefully extract her soul from wherever she was being kept.

    I focused on my will and intent again. Up there in the upper atmosphere there were no distractions. No noise. It was peaceful.

    Then a shroud of purple energy covered my body. My Reiatsu burst through, instantly turning those sensitive to Spirit energy all around the globe to look my way.

    It was like a second sun. One that was colored purple, shining in the sky. The Reiatsu had pushed away all the nearest clouds.

    Gods, monsters, Magician''s...I could feel some of the strongest beings in the planet curiously try to use that chance to usurp my authority. Take over my power.

    I snorted.

    "Should I take this as a declaration of war?"

    Most of them immediately disappeared. A few stayed but adopted a wait and see approach.

    Push...

    And

    ...pull.

    WhERe Is ShE?!!"

    I questioned the soul of reality itself. What you might consider as Akasha but was instead the Source. An Interdimensional wall that surrounded the Multiverse.

    "Nice try." A soft voice entered my ears, sounding amused.

    "You will need more than borrowed power to do what you want to do though."

    (General P.O.V)

    (Elsewhere)

    "He''s getting more and more reckless, dear sister. Able to break through the veil and even commune with the Source."

    A man with a pale face and black hair informed the other occupant in the entire library.

    The woman giggled, closing the book titled, ''Davian Mabuz'' and placing it back on the shelf.

    "Well, what did you expect? Each generation needs to have their own trials and tribulations. What matters is if they learn from those journeys."

    She asked with a raise of her eyebrows.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    After the soft voice spoke to me, I found myself at a disadvantage.

    Whoever they''d been, they were powerful. Too powerful for me.

    I tried to push through their influence but hit a wall. Literally. I was repelled from the sky, falling towards the sea like a missile.

    My power was forcefully blocked then instantly drained away.

    How?

    Who could have done that?!

    And why!

    I only wanted to bring her back. Was that too much to ask? Apparently.

    "Davian!"

    I heard Chase call out. I knew what he wanted to say before he could even speak.

    "I know Chase. I fucked up. I tried to bring her back and failed and now I realize you''ve been right."

    I told him, reorienting my body so that instead of an uncontrolled fall, I directed myself towards the whirlpool in the middle of the Bermuda.

    "I have been reckless."

    This entire ordeal had given me clarity.

    "Going at this the wrong way. There are consequences to everything. And taking the easy route to power has way more drawbacks than advantages. I promise you, I will listen to you more. I will learn to be disciplined. And when the time is right, I will bring her back."

    My Zanpakuto was silent.

    "I thought you would be furious at the failure. Livid even."

    He said.

    "Oh I am...but I understand my anger. And therefore I can use it. Weaponize it."

    I responded, moving through the dome around Xebel and into the Royal Palace undetected.

    This brief...delay in our trip had proved to be quite a learning experience.

    I now knew what limits I should have been working towards. It wasn''t power that could rival Superman or the Justice League.

    It was power that could rival whoever had blocked me from finding Raven.

    ******

    The next few days, I took a break and used that chance to relax and store up on whatever magic tomes or books I could find in Xebel.

    There was also dealing with the fall out from Barragan''s actions. Turns out, he had used Hila, Queen Mera''s twin sister to take over by preying on her hate towards her own sister.

    She had spared and locked up Mera so that Mera could witness as she conquered the world and brought Poseidonis to heel.

    Too bad she didn''t account for me.

    Hila was locked up where she''d kept Mera.

    Mera was initially very suspicious of us. Cheshire was an assassin she recognized and I had occasionally fought the Justice League.

    In the end though, she was helpful in getting me the books I mentioned.

    Going as far as to give me one on Hard Water creation and Manipulation. That came from her personal collection.

    Deadman rejoined us two days later, arriving along with the King of Atlantis.

    That made for an awkward dinner as everyone could tell Aquaman was nervous around me.

    We hadn''t directly clashed but he must have heard about me from his colleagues.

    Whatever animosity might have been there was quelled by a private meeting with King Orin.

    ******

    "I wanted to thank you, Scarlet Devil, for what you did. You saved Xebel, but more than that, you saved the queen of Atlantis. You deserve a reward for your efforts. Please, tell me what you want."

    He had said amiably.

    There wasn''t much that interested me. Except of course for magic. So I asked for more books on the subject.

    "That...might take some time to arrange. My wife is the head of the conservatory of magic back in Poseidonis. She has informed me of your interest in this subject. I''m afraid barring a few unique... editions from other city states, you already have all we know about magic."

    My response was immediate.

    "Then get me these ''unique'' editions. If it''s something about magic that I can learn, then I won''t say no."

    King Orin shared a look with his Chief Soldier, the only other occupant in the throne room.

    Then he nodded to himself.

    "Very well. It will take some time to organize everything but all of it will be ready in a month or so."

    I thanked him and spent the rest of the day trying out different sea cuisines with Cheshire in tow.

    The timer on her mask was about to run out and I didn''t possess infinite power in my hands like before, so we left a day later.

    With the jet plane we had flown in basically drifting in the sea in small metal chunks, I had to use my Fullbring bubble shield to fly us all the way towards land.

    We found ourselves in the Sahara desert next. Hey don''t blame me, none of us had a compass.

    Luckily we weren''t there for long. After procuring a compass and a detailed map, we set off for Europe next. Which led to us getting attacked by the Spain Air forces.

    Cheshire was of the mind we should retaliate.

    Deadman was a hero and so was vehemently against that idea.

    Which left me with the decision on what to do. So I took option 3.

    I couldn''t out speed them with the bubble shield, but I could go above them.

    Which is what I did. The fighter jets couldn''t reach the upper atmosphere but with my bubble shield it was nothing for me.

    We cut a straight line from Europe, past the United Arab Emirates and into Hong Kong, the first stop of the true purpose of our trip.

    Now all that was left was for Cheshire to find Bronze Tiger''s whereabouts, while Deadman and I flew to see his goddess in Nanda Parbat.

 Interlude (Villains Downtime)

    (General P.O.V)

    "Mmph! I can''t believe the Old guy lost!"

    Batmite threw popcorn at the huge flat screen before him.

    On it was a scene of Davian defeating Barragan.

    It could be noted that the screen occupied the entire left side of his living room and seemed to be identical to the Batcave''s Bat-computer.

    "I''ll have to do something about it. If you ain''t cheating, you ain''t winning."

    He grabbed his Batmite outfit and wore it over a greasy wife-beater.

    He secured the empty utility belt on his hips with a snap of his fingers, before teleporting infront of a mirror and checking himself over.

    "Now that is what I call...Bat-licious. kukuku..."

    He stuck out his chest, the cape behind him fluttering in a non-existent wind, before disappearing from the Fifth Dimension.

    ******

    (Third dimension)

    (Gotham)

    There was an old tv playing opposite the bar counter.

    On it, was a prim and proper woman dressed in a blue office suit.

    "Our main story today, Commissioner Gordon calls off the search for the metahuman killer known as the Scarlet Devil. He''s wanted by the authorities for his involvement in 3 murders..."

    All eyes were on the mug shots that had appeared on the screen. 3 people that all of them knew intimately.

    Penguin, Carmine (The Roman) Falcone and Victor Zsasz.

    After all, they were in a way...colleagues.

    Mr.Freeze</a> tightened his hand around the beer Stein before him, freezing it unintentionally. He and Falcone had had a deal.

    The Mafia boss would procure hard-to-get-resources for him, while Freeze would offer his services in exchange.

    But now that Falcone was dead, Freeze was running out of time to save his wife.

    And it was all...the Scarlet Devil''s fault.

    "... in other news, the Joker has been stopped again. The Dark or rather, Emerald Knight, failed to apprehend the Crown Prince of Crime but managed to save a cruise ship filled with a few foreign dignitaries and the City''s own pride and Joy, Mr. Bruce Wayne."

    The anchor''s statement had everybody back to watching the screen.

    "The Joker was then carted back to Arkham Asylum..."

    "...Gotham has seen a reduction in crime rate from the Judicious efforts of the Emerald Knight."

    "A term citizens have coined in relation to Batman''s new abilities. Abilities that sources claim are granted by a green lantern ring, a powerful weapon that is able..."

    Her voice fell to the background as the conversation picked up between the patrons in the bar.

    "I wonder how long that will last."

    Roxy Rocket, a dark skinned woman wearing a costume similar to a pilot with big yellow glasses, said.

    The bartender Mitch, threw a glance her way before going back to wiping the glasses.

    "What do you mean?"

    Her companion asked.

    The latter turned out to be an alluring woman with pale skin and terrible beauty. Red hair fell to her shoulders. Whisper O''Daire was in the building.

    You see,

    It was poker night at Mitch''s.

    One of a few spots in Gotham that allowed Supervillains and Rogues to get together and basically complain about Batman and Robin.

    And now recently, the Scarlet Devil.

    "Easy. Batman''s entire ethos is of a man trying to carry out his own brand of justice."

    Roxy Rocket explained,

    "At our expense of course."

    She added playfully, causing a few laughs to sound out from around them.

    "Whatever these new abilities are...they ain''t here to stay. They make it too easy for him. Sooner or later, he''ll find it much better to simply go back to punching criminals on the face and breaking bones."

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    The mood in the bar got a bit subdued upon her words. They all knew whose faces would be punched and bones broken...theirs.

    "I agree."

    Whisper responded.

    Mitch''s at Fridays was the only downtime she got to hang out with a few friends and not think about work.

    Especially with Intergang''s expanded operations and new affiliations with the New Gods from Apokalips.

    She hadn''t joined Intergang to sell out her own planet. Which felt like what she was doing now.

    Maybe a night of gossip and cheap beer was what she needed.

    "The only reason I can see him using the Lantern ring is because of the new guy."

    She added, idly playing with the straw in her drink.

    Naturally they all knew who she was talking about.

    Whisper couldn''t say she wasn''t interested in the stranger wearing a red mask.

    Roxy Rocket chuckled knowingly.

    "The sex on two legs going around Killing? I wouldn''t mind getting under him..."

    She licked her lips while staring at the Scarlet Devil''s image on the tv.

    "I beat he looks delicious under that mask."

    Women had always been attracted to men with power. And the Scarlet Devil had a lot of it.

    He brought back Gotham after it had been destroyed.

    As the discussion between the two Supervillainess'' devolved into girl talk and the lack of actual good men, a Poker table close to Roxy Rocket and Whisper was suspiciously quiet.

    Kite Man turned his gaze to his companions.

    "I''m telling you man..."

    He leaned across the table.

    "These new guys? They''re really cramping my style. They stopped me from hitting up a liquor store for some quick buck. Crime Alley used to be safe. The Bats avoided it but now..."

    Kite Man trailed off with a shake of his head.

    "Pfft, we all know you''re a coward Kite Man. You always run away whenever the Bat or Boy Wonder appears..."

    Condiment King sneered.

    "Who doesn''t?"

    Rat-catcher cut in, gently caressing a rat in his hands.

    Condiment King threw him a stink eye before continuing.

    "The bats is one thing but getting spooked by a bunch of wannabe vigilantes? Plain Dumb."

    Kite Man ground his teeth but before he could reply, Mad Hatter spoke.

    "Batman will always be a long term problem. This...PRT seem to be affiliated with the Scarlet Devil. He''s the immediate problem."

    The Mad-Hatter said, pushing his poker chips forward.

    There was a brief silence in the whole club as other villains and criminals turned to them.

    The name drop had not gone unnoticed.

    Kite Man and the rest found the attention uncomfortable.

    "Haha... don''t mind us guys. Just... having a calm Friday night."

    Kite Man said, laughing it off.

    Sneakily, he kicked Mad Hatter''s shin below the table.

    "We talked about this...no bringing attention to ourselves. They already see us as a joke. I would appreciate it if you didn''t mention the name of the Serial Killer going around Killing Supervillains."

    Kite Man told him in a harsh whisper.

    "My little ones can intercept conversations." Rat-catcher said, cooing at the squeaking rat in his hands.

    "They say ''he'' can hear it when someone says his name. That''s why Falcone died, because he threatened to kill ''him'' for meddling with his operations."

    Everyone looked at Rat-catcher as if he was crazy.

    Condiment King snorted, leaning back while crossing his hands over his large belly.

    "You''re all being paranoid. There is no way..."

    Just then, the door swung open, letting in a cold draft of air from the outside. The villains in the bar tensed as a shiver creeped up their spines.

    "Huhuhu, Am I interrupting something?"

    That voice...

    They all knew who it belonged to.

    The Joker walked in, dressed in a Gotham P.D uniform. Oh and the bloody face of the Cop who the uniform had belonged to.

    "I thought they said he was captured."

    Condiment King whispered.

    "Well, he clearly escaped enroute."

    Kite Man responded with a gulp.

    The Joker''s shoes left patches of blood on the floor as he walked in.

    Mitch, reached under the counter and removed a Shotgun.

    "We don''t serve your kind Clown. Get..."

    "Oh, I''m sorry! You probably all have bad histories with this uniform."

    He used the gun in his hands to smack the Gotham P.D logo on the uniform.

    He reached to his head and tore off the face of the cop he wore.

    "Ta-da, it''s me. The Joker!"

    Announcing himself only caused the mood in the bar to plummet further down.

    "I think, he told you to leave, Joker."

    Freeze stated, getting off his chair.

    The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

    The Joker smiled nastily.

    "You sure? Even after I bring you good tidings? Ohohoh this is why I need friends."

    He shook his head, fearlessly walking forward and tracking more blood in from the bottom of his shoes.

    He stopped in the middle of the bar and ripped open the shirt he wore.

    A wave of shock permeated the entire bar.

    There was a bomb strapped around his chest.

    "Now, I feel like I have your attention."

    The Joker''s smile widened, revealing bloodied teeth.

    "Are you fucking crazy?!"

    The Ugliest Man In The World, a Crime boss who had once led the Ugly Horde, a gang that Batman had dealt with asked, pointing his tommy gunny at the Joker.

    More guns, swords, laser pistols, a mustard shooter, in Condiment King''s case, were pointed at the Crown Prince of Crime.

    Kite Man was slowly inching towards the backdoor. Fuck this, he was outta here. Anywhere with the Joker was bad news.

    "The good news is that today I''m feeling particularly...festive." the Joker said, fixing his tie.

    "Had to bring out the fireworks and all that, you know how it is."

    The other villains shared confused looks.

    "Don''t worry."

    The joker waved them off, motioning to the bomb strapped to his chest.

    "This is mostly an insurance. If my heart stops from one of you overzealously jealous individuals, boom goes the place."

    There was a collective intake of breath.

    "I''m calling your bluff."

    A woman wearing the top half of a cat-like skull said, unsheathing her Katana.

    "Whatever fucked up scheme you have, I''d sooner separate your screwed up head from your neck than have you pull me into it. If the bomb goes off...fuck it, Gotham will atleast be spared from your insanity."

    Joker blinked.

    "I don''t even know who you are."

    He shrugged with a giggle.

    "Oh you will..."

    Lynx promised, stepping forward menacingly only to be stopped by Whisper, who shook her head at her.

    Just because Lynx was willing to throw her life away didn''t mean the rest were.

    "Look around Clown. You''re not among friends. Now leave...before the Bats tracks you here. There are not a lot of quiet places like Mitch''s."

    Whisper informed him, the rest of the villains sharing her stance.

    "Tsk tsk...I see. Well, no matter." The Joker turned around.

    "I will just leave. It''s clear I''m not wanted. It''s clear you would rather not heed my warnings. If only dear Old Penguin had listened to me...if only..."

    "Wait."

    Mr. Freeze called out.

    The Joker''s face, unseen by anyone, split into an even wider smile.

    "Yes?"

    He asked, turning around.

    "Explain yourself. What do you mean?"

    Mr.Freeze</a> prodded.

    "Simple...War is coming."

    The Joker turned around in a flourish.

    His hands spread out.

    "Anarchy!! chaos!! Hahahaha. Oh it''s going to be glorious. There''s a new sensation in Gotham...and a little birdie told me what his real mission is...Killing every single villain in Gotham."

 The Jade Master

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Hong Kong was a smaller, cleaner version of Gotham.

    A financial hub with crowded, busy streets.

    Tall skyscrapers jutted through the skyline and there was a lot of ''buzz'' in the way of various interesting things you could see.

    On top of that, it was more culturally monotonous.

    Gotham was a place with a lot of diversity. Not just racially either.

    Gotham was home to a lot of beings from the...supernatural side of things.

    In Gotham, I had sensed a couple of interesting humans, or rather things disguised as human.

    They registered through my Reikaku with soul wavelengths that were different from normal humans.

    Seeing as they weren''t bothering anyone, I left them alone.

    Hong Kong was mostly filled with mundane humans.

    No mages, aliens, metahumans, ancient beasts, demons or the like.

    Man, Gotham was weird.

    Cheshire led us through the dense crowds with a familiarity that showed she was a regular.

    Oh the enviable life of a globe trotting assassin. I want in.

    "You sure about that?"

    Chase had snorted.

    I had shrugged. (mentally of course)

    "Can''t be worse than staying in Gotham. Or the US with all it''s insanity."

    Both of us were in civies. I was in a long trench coat with a gray t-shirt and jeans.

    The trench coat was mostly to conceal my Zanpakuto. It wouldn''t do to attract attention by being seen with a weapon.

    Cheshire was dressed much simpler. A brown leather jacket, white tee and booty shorts. She caught me staring and added more sway to her hips while smirking.

    "Take a picture, I won''t mind."

    She had playfully thrown over her shoulder.

    Deadman had chuckled from above me.

    Cheshire''s long black hair that was usually shaggy in a way reminiscent to a bird''s nest, was pulled back in a long pony tail, exposing her asian features.

    As loathe as I was to admit it, she was gorgeous. Now if only there was something we could do about the personality...

    Despite not being in costume, I still managed to gather a lot of attention.

    The sight of a 6''2 black man with silver hair walking on a sidewalk where most people were shorter than me, ensured I stood out even without trying.

    "You need a skill that will allow you to blend in."

    Chase had pointed out and as we walked around, we discussed ideas.

    Maybe a special Kido?

    Or even creating strings around my form to hide my features or something would work.

    Unfortunately the second idea was not feasible. While I could make my strings as thin as monofilament threads, I couldn''t really change their color.

    It seemed as if I was stuck with Purple. Can''t say I mind. Purple reminded me of goddess thighs (Raven)

    I needed to think more on this. Having a way to go unnoticed when I needed to would be valuable. Especially with the mission I had.

    Speaking of our costumes, we had them stashed away at a hotel that catered for ''special clientele'', called the Golden Winged Dragon.

    Or well, she did.

    With the Red Gemstone, I had everything I needed with me. Including the supplies I had managed to procure before leaving Gotham.

    The Golden Winged Dragon was unique as it was lavish.

    Just because Hong Kong wasn''t as crazy and chaotic as Gotham, didn''t mean the Hong Kongians, ( forgive my ignorance of the right terminology), weren''t aware of what lay beneath the veneer of society.

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    The hotel was considered neutral ground.

    Or so Cheshire told us. This meant conflict was forbidden, with consequences if the rule was broken.

    Several of the guests in the hotel had souls stronger than the average human.

    A few registered as something...more to my senses as well.

    I really wanted to see an Eastern Dragon.

    "Why? They''re just a bunch of reclusive lizards with a stick up their..."

    Chase'' words were cut off when I unexpectedly bumped into someone.

    The man infront of me had rich earthy brown skin, possessed the common Asian features...and could blend in entirely with his surroundings.

    His eyes reminded me a little of Batman. Cautious yet with a sharp attention to detail. Within a split second he had studied me and assessed my threat.

    He bowed.

    "Forgive me, great one."

    "It''s no problem."

    I responded and watched him disappear through the crowds.

    Not just that...

    "Chase...can you detect him?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto.

    "No."

    A note of interest mixed with surprise appeared in his voice.

    Well, that was indeed surprising. Chase'' detection skills were even better than mine.

    "Interesting."

    I finally commented, catching up to Cheshire who was a few paces ahead of me.

    We weaved past more people, ducked across alleys and crossed a few streets. The environment begun to change as we found ourselves in the seedier part of Hong Kong.

    Cheshire stopped at the corner of a building, leaning on the wall while staring at a small flower shop.

    A very weird Flower shop. One that made me frown as my Reikaku, for the first time ever, failed to detect anything inside the normal looking shop.

    Cheshire turned to face me, having to crane her neck to make eye contact with me.

    "I have to go and get the info we need. Alone."

    She added while staring at a space above my head.

    Deadman raised his hands.

    "Tell the crazy assassin chick I won''t follow her."

    I smirked at Cheshire.

    "He got the message. How long will you be in there?"

    Cheshire bit her lip coyly.

    "Why? Worried you''ll miss me?"

    I snorted, looming over her while crossing my hands on my chest.

    "More worried you''ll waste my time. It''s been two weeks, Assassin. You''re yet to deliver on what you promised."

    Cheshire rolled her eyes.

    "Can''t you be a little more patient? Geez. It''s not like we spent the last few days stuck underwater or something."

    "She has a point."

    Chase commented.

    "And now you''re agreeing with her?"

    I raised a brow at my Zanpakuto spirit. (mentally)

    "Fine. Make it quick."

    Cheshire didn''t take well to my tone or blunt dismissal but complied, smoothing her features out, and holding up the camera hanging off her neck, giving her the look of a clueless tourist.

    Even her walking style changed as she crossed the street.

    "Is it just me or is everyone more stealthy than I am?"

    "Yes. You''re like a bumbling drunk dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and singing a pirate shanty in the middle of winter."

    My Zanpakuto was quick to answer.

    "It was a rhetorical question."

    I growled out.

    "What is?"

    Deadman asked, floating down to hover closer to me.

    Before he could answer, the sound of screeching tires filled the air as the flower shop was surrounded by black SUV''s and...

    "Is that a fucking truck with people wielding axes?!"

    Deadman shouted as men in suits and sharp looking one handed grip axes poured out of the vehicles.

    The pedestrians on the sidewalk scattered while screaming in Chinese out of fear.

    "Fuck. This has to be the League of Shadow''s doing."

    I stepped forward, ready to Shunpo in when a familiar voice entered my ears.

    "I can''t let you interfere, great one. I shall be the one to face you."

    I turned around and came face to face with the guy from earlier.

    Now that I got a good look at him, I could immediately tell he was a fighter.

    His clothes consisted of a yellow taoist monk robe, beads around his neck and a clean shaven face.

    "Brand...I leave Cheshire''s well being in your hands."

    Deadman said nothing in response, merely flying towards the flower shop as fast as he could.

    I heard the sound of crashing glass. Reikaku informed me that someone had been thrown out through it.

    Seems like Cheshire had gotten busy. I cracked my neck.

    "It''s bad form to not introduce yourself before you die."

    I told the man who thought he was powerful enough to stand up to me.

    "I am called the Jade Master, and I have no intention of dying today, Scarlet Devil."

    He answered, removing his hands from his wide sleeves to reveal a long ass staff.

    "Where the fuck were you keeping that?"

    I wondered out loud, using Reikaku to scan my surroundings for any hidden surprises.

    Chase had been right to say I was impulsive.

    It was a weakness. One that a competent opponent could exploit.

    "We all have our secrets."

    The Jade Master replied, then he came at me.

    I was surprised by the burst of speed. From my scan his soul was only a little stronger than a human''s but his physique...

    The staff landed on my forearm with a resounding crack. The Jade Master blinked, spinning with the momentum while twirling the weapon, swinging at my neck.

    I intercepted the blow before it could land, grasping the staff in my hand and pushing him away easily.

    I hadn''t tested my strength but I was well above peak human.

    The Jade Master flipped and landed several feet away.

    "You''re strong."

    He commented, his eyes slightly shining with battle lust.

    I like this guy. He reminds me of me.

    "You''re not too bad yourself. Keep this up, and you might make me use my weapon."

    I responded.

    He leaned forward and then kicked off the ground. His movements were terrifyingly efficient.

    No wasted actions. He jumped right to left in a way that would have confused anyone without Reikaku.

    A few paces away from me, he swung out the staff. What was he doing? He was still a few inches off from guaranteeing the staff would connect.

    Then he did a split, ducking under something heavy that was sailing towards me.

    A dumpster.

    The staff in his hands was special. There were wires coming out of one end that he had tied around the dumpster before throwing it towards me.

    The metal container smacked onto my cross guard, deforming around my body.

    I flexed my energy and tore it apart, Reikaku informing me of the sharp blade thrust towards my face.

    How vicious.

    I leaned back all the way and watched as the jade Master sailed above.

    He landed on the other side and immediately swung his staff out, a silver blade now attached to the other end of the staff.

    There was a loud clang as the blade connected with my neck, but instead of cutting through flesh and decapitating my head, it shattered.

    The Jade Master jumped away warily, a very serious look on his face.

    I could have ended the fight the second he tried to fight me. I didn''t because I''d wanted to see his martial arts skills.

    And I hadn''t been disappointed.

    I stepped forward, releasing my Reiatsu. Instantly the air in the alley way became heavy.

    The Jade Master slammed his staff onto the ground, trying but failing to remain standing.

    "That was a good showing. But we both know you can''t beat me."

    I informed him, stopping a few feet away.

    "Now then, before I let you go, how about you tell me who sent you?"

 Nanda Parbat part 1.

    (General P.O.V)

    It was a quaint little flower shop, filled with colorful blossoms, delicate petals, and the fragrant aroma of nature.

    A small bell chimed as the door swung open, and Cheshire, with a confident gait stepped inside. Her eyes sweeping around in appreciation.

    This was one of her favorite spots in Hong Kong. She always made sure to pass through whenever she had a mission in Asia.

    Behind the counter stood an elderly Chinese couple.

    ''The Lee''s. Always a delight.'' she thought, not with sarcasm but a genuine burst of happiness.

    Despite the fact that the flower shop was just a front for one of the best information brokers on the planet, the Lee''s did their best to look after it.

    They greeted her with warm smiles. The couples'' eyes holding a glimmer of hidden knowledge.

    They were two of the only few people who knew her true identity.

    Cheshire didn''t feel the need to hide from them. The couple had been assassins in the past, they could tell what she was from a mile away.

    And so the little game begins.

    Cheshire walked to the counter and leaned on it with a smile.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Lee. Lovely flowers you have here."

    Mr. Lee nodded, bowing his head a little.

    "Thank you, young lady. They bring joy and meaning to our lives. What can we do for you today?"

    Cheshire brightened.

    "I''m looking for something unique. Something that stands out."

    The wife smiled knowingly.

    "Ah, something unique, you say? Then perhaps you can answer a question for us. What flower represents secrecy and intrigue?"

    The older woman asked.

    Cheshire locked eyes. Really? that was an easy one.

    "A rose. A black rose, to be precise. It symbolizes mystery and hidden intentions."

    She answered, thinking of how it reminded her of...well, her.

    Mr. Lee nodded approvingly.

    "Correct, my dear. You understand the language of flowers. Follow us, and we shall lead you deeper."

    The couple turned and begun walking deeper inside the flower shop.

    Cheshire threw a brief glance outside and managed to see Davian''s brooding form trying and failing to blend in with the masses.

    She chuckled evilly. Serves him right for acting as if he didn''t care she existed. Still, she was close to cracking his cold exterior.

    When she did, she''d have an extremely powerful and not bad looking at all bad ass to keep her alive.

    At least just until she figured out a plan to deal with the Shadows.

    Cheshire followed them as they navigated through a hallway towards a concealed door, hidden among the flower arrangements.

    Soon enough the assassin was being ushered into a dimly lit room, one that was adorned with ancient artifacts and espionage paraphernalia.

    A pair of ornate looking Sais that just simply called out to her were framed on the wall.

    The room exuded an air of secrecy and importance. Seated behind a wooden desk was who she had come to see.

    ZHANG, an informant known as the Cryptic in some circles.

    "Cheshire, always lovely to see you! welcome welcome."

    He greeted her with a wide smile, exposing crooked teeth that gave him a funny looking appearance.

    He looked like a rat.

    Cheshire smiled in return but inside she was sneering.

    Zhang''s only saving graze was that he was a professional. He wouldn''t take a counter deal or try to screw you over if the pay was good.

    No, the problem really lay with the way his eyes lecherously ran over her form. Ugh, a meeting with him always left her feeling like taking 10 showers in a row right after.

    "Zhang, you have what I need?"

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    She merely asked, not taking the seat. Not keen on staying too long than she had to.

    Zhang leaned back on his chair, folding his hands across his small pot belly.

    "Now now miss Cheshire, it''s only polite as a guest to..."

    "Zhang. I don''t have time for this."

    Cheshire cut in sharply.

    "Do you have what we agreed upon?"

    She was done. While the Lee''s were a delight, the same couldn''t be said about Zhang.

    He simply wasn''t worth it. He was one of the best but she would rather deal with another informant than him.

    Zhang''s smile became strained. He reached into a drawer and pulled out a file.

    "About that... there''s been a change in plans."

    He told her, throwing the file across the table.

    Something fell out. A picture.

    Cheshire cursed when she saw Davian on it. With narrowed eyes she turned towards Zhang.

    "Please tell me this is not what I think it is."

    She said, a warning tone in her voice as she placed her hands on the table and leaned forward.

    Zhang gulped, trying to hide his fear with a smile.

    "Sorry, they have something on me. You know I try to not screw over my clients. Unfortunately, they know you are here in Hong Kong...and they''re coming for you."

    Zhang explained.

    Cheshire cursed once again, pulling out her phone to call Davian.

    Before she could, screaming men with axes burst into the room. She spun, landing a kick on Zhang''s face before leaping off her left leg and planting the sole of her right foot on the first of the goon''s chest.

    Zhang howled from the floor, scrambling to get away with a bleeding mouth. Some of his teeth had been broken.

    Cheshire grabbed the file on the table and left through the door, only hesitating a moment before she stole the Sai''s framed on the wall.

    Thus begun the battle.

    For a few seconds, everything was a blur of kicks, fists and stabbings as she fought her way through the dimly lit hallway.

    Cheshire gritted her teeth upon seeing the state of the flower shop.

    It was filled with more of the Axe-gang members who had knocked over some flower arrangements in a bid to get to her.

    "You bastards will pay for this, dearly."

    She promised, settling into a stance.

    "Get her!!"

    The maniacs screamed while running towards her

    A shot rang out, a few of the Axe wielding maniacs fell to the ground, holes across their bodies.

    Everyone turned to the counter where the white haired Mr.Lee</a> was holding onto a shotgun.

    "Imbeciles! This is not a bar! How dare you bring your chaos to a neutral ground?!"

    Mr.Lee</a> yelled.

    He shared a look with Cheshire and nodded.

    Good to see she still had people she could count on.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "I truly apologize, great one. But I cannot tell you that."

    The Jade Master bowed his head at me.

    "All I can say is that you and your companion are in a lot of danger and should leave Hong Kong immediately."

    He looked up and added,

    "They''re coming for you."

    "Well, that isn''t ominous at all."

    Chase laughed with levity.

    "Who''s coming?"

    I asked the martial arts expert.

    "Everyone. There is a 10 million dollar on your head."

    He replied.

    I narrowed my eyes. 10 million dollars was a lot.

    That meant every able bodied Merc and bounty hunter would be after me.

    No rest for the wicked huh?

    Still, word got out pretty quickly about our whereabouts. I just didn''t think my pursuers would mobilize so fast.

    I could stay and fight but I would rather deal with the whole Rama Kushna thing first. Which meant...

    "I can''t believe I''m saying this Chase, but we need to get out of here. And because I don''t want to be caught off guard by another attack, could you leave some of your essence in this guy in case he follows us?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto, turning towards the flower shop.

    "What are you planning?"

    My Zanpakuto asked.

    "He will be my early warning system. I have a hunch he won''t give up trying to capture me."

    I responded, causing Chase to chuckle.

    "Now you''re learning."

    I turned back to the Jade Master.

    "Leave. Your skills have earned you my mercy today. Next time...you won''t be so Lucky."

    I told him coldly.

    His tense shoulders relaxed as he got up and bowed.

    "Thank you. I won''t forget this kindness for when we next meet."

    He promised, turning around and leaving.

    I can''t believe I just let an enemy walk away. Ugh, not being impulsive sucks.

    Now then...I turned to the Flower shop.

    ******

    "What the fuck was that?"

    I growled out once we were back at the Golden Winged Dragon.

    Dealing with the Axe gang was a matter of releasing my Reiatsu and knocking out the axe swinging maniacs.

    In response, Cheshire threw the file she had on the table. Dozens of pictures spilled out. Pictures of me and her, taken without my knowledge.

    "There''s a bounty on our heads. 5 million for me. And 10 for you. Clearly, our arrival didn''t go unnoticed."

    Cheshire Commented.

    Understatement.

    "Was it the League of Shadows?"

    I questioned while perusing the file.

    There was a mention of some of my abilities, our last whereabouts, and any other miscellaneous information like the fact I seemed to enjoy a Latte regularly.

    Can''t really see how that mattered.

    "It does. An assassin could use that to spike your drink."

    Chase offered some insight, making me sigh.

    "Can''t see anyone else going to the trouble of outsourcing the contract to the Axe gang of all people. They are ruthless, relentless and unreliable. And they''re just one of the many who will come after us."

    Cheshire informed me.

    "Mmh." I hummed, throwing the file back onto the table.

    "We should discuss our terms. You promised me that you would find Bronze Tiger. So far...this has been a waste of my time."

    I told her mercilessly.

    Cheshire bristled, her hands tightening on the frame of the seat.

    "I was working on it. It''s not my fault we were discovered so early."

    She bit out bitterly.

    I swallowed my frustrations. We''d already come this far already. I didn''t trust Cheshire but like it or not, she was still my best lead on finding a teacher.

    Silence reigned as both of us sank into our thoughts.

    "Now what?"

    Chase questioned after a while, pulling me out of my ruminating.

    Deadman had also joined us.

    "Okay here''s the plan."

    I leaned forward.

    "Cheshire, you will stay back and keep looking for info on Tiger''s whereabouts."

    She didn''t refuse.

    My eyes found Deadman.

    "Brand and I on the other hand will take a little trip up the Hindu Kush mountain. It''s high time I talked with a god."

    As far as it went, a simple plan.

    (General P.O.V)

    In a well furnished room, a meeting was taking place.

    The entire left wall was covered by a large computer screen that had different terminals showing faceless silhouettes.

    "We have his location."

    A voice came from one of the terminals.

    "Good. This time, make sure they don''t fail. We have invested a lot into this. The O.M.A.C project, Ivo''s designs and paying for the services of our...other friend. This should go off without a hitch."

    A different voice, this one deeper, added.

    "I shall not fail you."

    Lady Shiva bowed behind Ra''s Al Ghul.

    "See that you don''t."

    Ra''s told her.

    Without another word, the dangerous woman turned on her heel and left.

    She had prey to hunt. And this time...this time she was prepared.

 Nanda Parbat Final Part.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    With a plan, Deadman And I wasted no time at all and left for Nanda Parbat.

    The shrine of the goddess of Karma and the scales of balance, Rama Kushna.

    Scoff. Hard scoff.

    Barragan had claimed to be a god. He''d still died by my hands.

    The only reason I was even remotely interested in talking to Rama Kushna was to learn more about those after me.

    She had alluded to something of that nature, back when we''d met on the jet plane before it went down.

    My senses were individually strong enough to know someone or a few someones were always watching.

    The only problem being I didn''t know why they were.

    Rama Kushna could shed light on that and help me know my enemies.

    On other matters, the group was splitting up. Albeit temporary.

    Cheshire was a big girl. She could protect herself, so I wasn''t really worried about leaving her behind.

    She could handle anything short of a possessed Superman. I usually caught myself rubbing my chin in memory of the hardest punch I''d ever received.

    The world was lucky the Man of Steel stood on the side of justice.

    Back to my point, we would only be gone for two days at most.

    I didn''t want to waste too much time on this. I was already far behind on the schedule I had made for myself.

    Finding Bronze Tiger was not supposed to have taken this long. I couldn''t help but feel as if the world was conspiring against me.

    Hindu Kush was a series of mountain ranges that occupied an area of 800 kilometers or close to 500 miles.

    The mountain range stretched across Central Asia. Dipping from western and central Afghanistan to Pakistan and Tajikistan.

    Normally it would require going around or using a chopper to get to where we needed to go.

    Nanda Parbat was deep in the mountains, hidden from normal access through the goddess Rama Kushna''s power.

    The means to get there wasn''t the problem. With my Fullbring shielding me, I could just fly there.

    Deadman was a spirit, he was untethered to the physical world and unhindered by the challenging prospect of climbing a mountain to look for a mythical city.

    *******

    "How do we get there?"

    I asked Deadman after we left Hong Kong, moving towards Afghanistan while high up in the clouds.

    It had been a few hours since then. I was seated cross legged inside the Fullbring shield, deep in meditation while using my Reikaku to steer the bubble shield around me.

    I had spent those few hours training with Chase in my inner world. Well, not exactly training but trying to understand the core of Barragan''s time erosion abilities.

    I might have absorbed his Ressureccion but actually using it needed me to achieve control.

    So far, I was confident I could tap into his abilities. The only thing remaining was testing it''s effects.

    When the training started yielding less results, I decided to take a short break. Besides, all that was left was testing it''s practical applications.

    Deadman had blinked in surprise at my out of the blue question.

    I couldn''t really blame him. Upon departure, I had sank into my inner world and ignored everything.

    Only occasionally did I stretch my Reikaku range as much as I could to scan for danger.

    "Well?"

    I prompted.

    "Oh, uh...the goddess leads me. I can feel something pulling me towards a certain direction."

    He answered.

    "Mmh."

    I hummed, removing Chesha Neko and beginning to clean it. Remember kids, take care of your tools and they''ll seldom fail you.

    That had been the case with Mystic. Mystic was my personal handgun. Papa Fred had gotten it for me for my birthday. About the only nice thing the fucker had ever done.

    And it still managed to be negative.

    Giving a 14 year old kid, a Wonder Mine semi automatic pistol? And the award for best adopted father goes to...

    Ironic that I had used the same weapon to kill them all.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Chase had chuckled morbidly.

    But that''s besides the point. I let my mind wonder while falling into a trance as I wiped clean Chesha Neko''s blade.

    My earlier question seemed to have opened up Deadman to the possibility of a conversation. I didn''t mind. It was a good way to pass the time.

    "Normally you would need an invisible map to get there. At least according to Constantine."

    I perked up a little at that. This was the first time he''d mentioned Constantine. I knew the exorcist was no longer in hell, so that was interesting.

    Deadman continued. He hadn''t seen my reaction.

    "Get this, the supposedly ''invisible map'' consists of seven separate pieces. I only know 4. A tattoo, a birthmark, a piece of special parchment and a poem."

    He scoffed.

    "A poem?"

    I asked in curiosity. Man, magic was weird.

    "I know right? A poem. The rest could at least be considered occult materials. But a poem?"

    He shook his head, chuckling in mirth.

    Occult.

    That word grabbed my attention but I had no idea why.

    "Maybe because it keeps on being mentioned in many of Raven''s magical books?"

    Chase pointed out.

    Mmh. Could be why but...

    That thought was cut off as a massive blizzard appeared out of nowhere, blasting against my bubble shield.

    Deadman stopped, as the snow passed through him, along with the wind roaring loudly.

    "I...ah... can''t feel her directing me anymore. I think the snowstorm is messing with the connection."

    "Did you feel it?"

    Chase asked, alluding to something strange. A brief sensation that had appeared in my Reikaku range.

    It was gone before I could even know what it was. Clearly this snowstorm was not normal.

    "Yeah. I felt it."

    I frowned, turning to Deadman.

    "We should go down and wait it out. I need to take a leak anyway."

    The disembodied spirit made no objection. Without him leading us, we would probably find ourselves way off course.

    Besides, I needed to investigate what this was before we moved forward and found ourselves in more trouble than we could handle.

    No more impulsive actions for me. Barragan had shown me I wasn''t all powerful (yet).

    So I directed the bubble shield towards the slopes of the range.

    Visibility was an issue but I managed to land in a cave along the range by using Reikaku to scan the terrain.

    The howling wind buffeted the rocky outcrop, sending a wave of cold air into the cave that even I could feel despite my reinforcements.

    The cave wasn''t big, only going a few dozen meters inside. There were signs of a camp fire in the middle, which meant we hadn''t been the first ones there.

    As if to reinforce that statement, trails and paths up the mountain were inscribed onto the walls of the cave.

    "Interesting."

    I spent a few minutes looking at them while Deadman was meditating to try and reconnect with Rama Kushna.

    It was almost half a hour later, when he released a long sigh of frustration.

    "I don''t get it...it''s not supposed to be like this. Why is she silent when we''re so close to the Shrine?"

    "Davian...it''s coming this way."

    Chase informed me.

    The storm wasn''t natural. That much we had established. Whatever had caused it wanted us trapped and confused.

    Which in essence we were. But I wasn''t confused, I knew exactly what to do.

    I turned towards Deadman.

    "You stare here, keep trying to reconnect or whatever, I''m going out."

    I informed him, removing my boots. My trench coat and shirt were next to go.

    "What...what are you doing?"

    Deadman looked at me weirdly as I undressed, finally standing in the middle of the cave in only my pants and Chesha Neko''s scabbard.

    I tied my hair back as it had started to get long enough to become a nuisance. Only then did I answer him.

    "I''m going out to train for a few hours. Don''t wait up."

    I told him, passing by his confused form and leaving the entrance of the cave.

    Fortunately Deadman didn''t follow me.

    What I had told him was half true. The harsh winds hitting my skin made it much harder to pull on my Reiryoku.

    My skin shivered, muscles tensed as my blood tried to fight off the cold.

    I trudged in the snow, careful where I stepped so as to not go tumbling down the mountain.

    Of course that wouldn''t even be close enough to harming me, but it would be embarrassing.

    I kept Reikaku up, stretched to it''s limit as I walked.

    And a few minutes away from the cave, I stopped.

    The other reason I''d come out of the cave was to meet out guest. Or rather, the fucker responsible for trapping us in this hellish cold landscape.

    "I know you''re there."

    I yelled out into the snowy range.

    "You''re not as good at hiding as you might think."

    The wind howled.

    No answer.

    Chesha Neko left it''s sheath with a slow ring.

    "I won''t say it again...show yourself now or I promise to make your death terrible when I do get around to killing you."

    The wind kept on howling.

    Something entered my ears. Laughter. Booming peals of laughter.

    "Hahahaha! Kill me?! I knew you were arrogant but this...this bravado is something else."

    I smirked.

    "I only care about Facts. Fact no. 1, it''s not bravado, it''s confidence. Fact no.2, the bravado worked. It got you to show yourself, didn''t it?"

    The voice was silent.

    Then the wind stopped howling.

    I blinked and found myself in an inferno. Scarlet flames surrounded me on all sides.

    My body got numb, almost seizing up due to the instant change in temperature. The looming mountains above me disappeared and I found myself in a hellish landscape.

    One where ash drifted in the air and the ground was blackened with soot.

    The sky was a glaring red. And everything else was on fire. I gripped Chesha Neko tightly.

    "Chase, where the fuck are we?!"

    I asked my Zanpakuto spirit.

    "Mmmh give me a minute."

    He answered and I felt his consciousness retract as he did something.

    Before me the flames parted, revealing a hulking figure advancing my way. It had green skin, red eyes and in its hands, carried two huge axes.

    I had to crane my neck to stare at it. God and I thought I was tall. This fucker was 8 feet tall.

    "I heard a song of sorrow. A song of torment. A song that came from an unique soul. One with the potential to become the strongest of mages but can never surrender to magic. Such is your symphony. I heard you and have arrived with a bargain. I can give you that which you most seek."

    It''s voice was oily and almost pleasant.

    "It''s a lesser demon. This entire space is an illusion."

    Chase came back. His voice was tinged with annoyance.

    Annoyance that I shared.

    "Seriously?"

    I asked the demon with a glare.

    "Yes. I am known as Shantoz. You lost a lov..."

    Chesha Neko Swung out. The pressure blast produced pushed everything away. The fire disappeared and the terrain changed back to the same snowy landscape.

    All I could think of was...why was he so weak? I felt no danger from him. Even Condiment King, a minor Batman villain could probably handle this guy.

    "What...How?! What are you?!"

    Shantoz yelled in fear, backing away as he looked around in terror.

    "Bored."

    I answered Shantoz, lifting up my Zanpakuto and releasing it.

    Shantoz eyes widened at the pure blast of Reiryoku I exuded.

    Then the sword unravelled into millions of strings that swam through the air, combining and weaving together to form...

    Shantoz breath hitched. He dropped his axes and sank to his knees as Chase in his Giant Cat form loomed over him.

    "You wasted my time and a favor someone who owed me. All because I thought you were a genuine threat, little demon. This...is personal."

    Chase stalked forward with a terrifying snarl on his face, exposing rows and rows of sharp teeth.

    "Mer...mercy..."

    A demon asking for mercy huh, now I''ve seen it all.

    Loud screams of pain filled the Hindu Kush ranges.

    A few minutes later, I was back in the cave and Deadman was there to meet me with some good news.

    He could feel his goddess'' pull once again. We set off on our journey and this time, nothing weird or strange happened.

    On the next day, we arrived in Nanda Parbat without issues.

 You?!

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The higher we went up the mountain, the more visibility became an issue. Until it wasn''t.

    One second, my Fullbring bubble is a glowing green in a void of white, due to the heavy snowfall, then the next, I feel my body pass through a veil of sorts.

    The sensation felt like cold water being poured down on me.

    I came out on the other side and the whole environment had changed.

    The falling snow disappeared. The wind stopped howling and the frigid air turned warm.

    It was instantaneous. And oh so pretty.

    "Wow. I''ve never really been here before but wow."

    Deadman said in awe.

    A gleaming fortress covered with snow stood on the peak of the mountain, surrounded on all sides by sheer faced cliffs.

    The sun''s rays perfectly highlighted the spires jutting out of the towers attached to the main complex.

    The Fortress itself looked like a cross between a castle and a pagoda, with a high wall surrounding it.

    Infront of the entrance into Nanda Parbat, a huge female statue carved from a gleaming silver rock stood tall.

    The statue lay in the middle of the small courtyard, in-between the veil of energy acting as a boundary and the Fortress'' wall.

    Right off the bat, I could feel something from the Statue. A sort of presence that permeated the air around.

    A lone monk meditated below the steps of the statue.

    "Alright, let''s get this over with."

    I said, dismissing the bubble shield and walking towards the entrance.

    The monk looked up as we arrived, giving me a chance to study him.

    "Wait, you?"

    I asked, looking at the Jade Master.

    He got to his feet and did a full bow.

    "Great spirit-san, Champion-san, I apologize for my earlier deception. I wanted to make sure you would not seek to harm my home by testing your personality."

    He apologized.

    "I knew there was something off about him."

    Chase pointed out.

    "He was too...normal to be normal. A normal person would never be able to face you directly."

    "To atone for my deception, the elders punished me to wait for you on the entrance to Nanda Parbat."

    He straightened to his full height.

    "I''ve been waiting for the last 16 hours."

    He delivered calmly, but also phrased the statement like a query. A query as to why we had taken so long.

    "There was a storm. We had to seek shelter so as to not veer off course."

    I told him, passing him by and heading towards the gate.

    The Jade Master jogged to walk beside me in silence.

    "Champion-san." Deadman muttered thoughtfully. Then he smiled

    "I like the sound of that."

    Then he turned to me,

    "Hey, so this is the guy who tried to attack you in the alley?"

    "Yup."

    I replied.

    The Jade Master looked at me in question.

    "I assume you''re talking to Champion-san?"

    I stopped.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "This is gonna get annoying fast. I don''t have time to be a mediator. Chase, anything you can do about that?"

    "You can use Chesha Neko to construct a physical vessel for Deadman to inh..."

    He started but I cut him off.

    "No. Anything else besides that."

    His next words made my back stiffen before I turned to Deadman with an unimpressed glare.

    "Someone''s been holding out on me. You can materialize in the physical world now, can''t you?"

    The Jade Master followed my gaze and obviously saw nothing.

    On the other hand, Deadman''s face blanched as he raised his hands and backed away.

    "I...it was only recent that I discovered I could do it."

    I raised a hand to stop him before he started droning on.

    "Stop. Don''t explain. Just do it."

    Deadman gave a nod. Then his spirit energy started brimming within his soul. With a flash of blue, he appeared in the physical world.

    Real.

    Tangible.

    Ignoring the Jade Master''s enthusiastic exchange with the Champion of his Patron Goddess, I proceeded towards the entrance without waiting for them.

    Something seemed to be pulling me towards the city.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Gotham City)

    "Run simulation."

    Batman, clad in his iconic black suit, stood in a secluded corner of the Batcave, his face a mask of determination and resolve.

    In his hand, he held the mighty power ring of the Green Lantern Corps, a symbol of immense cosmic power.

    The emerald light emitted from the ring bathed the cave in an ethereal glow, casting long shadows on the walls.

    (Simulation #89 running.)

    The ring answered.

    The walls of the Batcave seemed to ripple before they disappeared from all around him.

    The space before him widened and then lengthened.

    Power surged through his veins, merging his formidable willpower with the green color of the spectrum.

    In an instant, the air around him seemed to crackle with temporal energy, reality warping and distorting in response to his command.

    The very fabric of time seemed to bend to his indomitable will.

    From the depths of the Batcave, colossal gears and cogs materialized, suspended in the air as if defying gravity.

    Each gear represented a moment in time, their intricate mechanisms intertwining flawlessly.

    The past,

    The present,

    The future.

    Batman manipulated the green light, weaving it through the gears, forging an unbreakable bond between them.

    As the luminous energy enveloped the metallic structure, it hummed with newfound power.

    The static- a combination of all three to form a stagnant region in space and time that never moved forward or backward.

    With each twist and turn, Batman could feel his construct taking shape, solidifying its existence.

    He etched his own will into the creation of the fourth gear. The foundation of the Static.

    The temporal architecture grew stronger, the walls of the cave pulsating with a green luminescence, a testament to the immense power of the green lantern.

    Suddenly, the gears began to rotate, albeit imperceptibly slow, as if time itself had conspired to respect the construct''s design.

    It mattered little that he was dealing with forces unknown to man.

    Using the ring''s scanning abilities, Batman had downloaded all knowledge on quantum physics, mathematical and scientific subjects on time, speed and velocity and anything related to space time continuum.

    All into his head.

    Batman''s mind, sharp as ever, had devised a plan to use this knowledge and create a prison unlike any other��one that would harness the enigmatic principles of time itself.

    A prison that would incarcerate the League''s most dangerous foes in a cell of stagnation.

    A cell that would halt all time within it...forever.

    ''He'' (Scarlet Devil) had forced his hand. Brought to light things that Batman had never really tried to fix partly in fear of making things worse, and partly because of inability.

    Batman was well aware that the current legal measures put in place were ineffective.

    Villains escaped mere months or even weeks after being brought in.

    Not to mention with the Scarlet Devil showing no qualms to take lives, something needed to be done.

    Not Killing of course. But a way to ensure Supervillains didn''t break out of jail and cause havoc.

    And now with the power of the green lantern, he was close to making it work. Close to creating a time prison.

    One that was inescapable. In some ways it was worse than Killing.

    What one couldn''t deny was that...it would be effective.

    Once he managed to get it to work.

    "Temporal energies in flux. Construct destabilizing. Simulation #89...failed."

    Batman''s jaw clenched as the simulation around him broke down. The gears disappeared and he was back in the Batcave.

    "Did you get that?"

    He asked Robin who had been monitoring things from the Batcomputer.

    The young sidekick shook his head ruefully.

    "Even with the new specs in the computer, the ring''s capabilities are too advanced for the it to scan."

    Batman looked at the ring on his finger and frowned.

    "We''re going again. Run simulation."

    (Simulation #90 running.)

    (Elsewhere)

    The first indication that something was wrong, was the entire hotel being rocked with a massive explosion.

    A room on the left side of the building went up in flames. And along with it, claimed the lives of half a dozen intruders.

    Cheshire grinned from the roof of a building 3 blocks away.

    This probably meant she would be banner from the Golden Winged Dragon and it''s branches for breaking it''s one rule.

    The bomb had gone off beautifully. She dropped the detonator and tapped the side of her mask, enhancing her vision.

    Black smoke drifted up from the building and into the clear sky.

    Sirens could already be heard and people were being ushered out of the hotel in a hurry.

    She wasn''t dumb. She knew they would come for her and had prepared.

    "Nicely done. You haven''t forgotten your training."

    Cheshire stiffened as a voice said from behind her.

    Him?

    Crusher?

    What was he doing here?

    She forced her body into a relaxed state, grabbing a handful of Shuriken before whirling around and...

    A couple of darts landed on her body before she could even turn.

    Cheshire felt her limbs go numb. Then her body seized up as the tranquilizer worked fast. She fell and...

    Darkness.

    "But you were always slow to react when an attack came at you from behind."

    SportsMaster said, lowering his hand.

    He stepped closer to Cheshire''s passed out form.

    "That''s why you should always duck first little girl. You don''t try to see how fast you are compared to the other guy. This is not a western standoff. You''re an Assassin."

    He belated slightly, before turning to the other person on the rooftop.

    Lady Shiva, flanked with half a dozen figures wearing dark cloaks that covered their forms, turned to leave through the boom tube.

    "Bring her. She''ll be useful in getting his attention. This time, he won''t escape."

    The deadly woman ordered.

 Rama Kushna.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    My focus was completely on the pull I was feeling.

    I ignored everything else. Including what was happening around me.

    No one stopped me as I entered through the large gateway. Once inside Nanda Parbat, I could feel every eye on me as I moved through the cobble-stone layered streets.

    The unique blend of architecture registered briefly on my peripheral.

    The buildings were a blend of the same silver rock as the statue outside. They also stood tall with multiple storeys.

    Everything seemed to have been carved from the mountain side.

    Male and Female monastics would stop on the way and bow to me without fail.

    It was weird to see how reverent they were towards me, a total stranger.

    "I''m not surprised. Much like the Jade Master, the people here are strange. They feel normal yet are not. Their sense of the supernatural is strong."

    Chase like usual added his commentary.

    I simply grunted absentmindedly at him. My focus firmly placed in what lay ahead.

    A long and wide path towards the center of Nanda Parbat.

    Finally, my feet deposited me on the bottom of a long stairway. One that seemed to lead to a pavilion that stood taller than any other building in the city.

    Two guards stood, blocking the way by crossing their staffs together.

    Unlike the middle aged monks I had seen around, these two seemed young. They also wore gray uniforms as opposed to the yellow and orange that seemed popular with the rest.

    "Halt. Who seeks to enter the Shrine of Our Goddess?"

    One of them asked, narrowing her eyes.

    She had long black hair that fell to the small of her back while the other guard, a boy had his own cut short.

    That being the other prominent difference between them and the monks. They had hair.

    I stuck my hands inside my pocket, irritated but very careful not to lose my temper with the two of them just because they were annoying.

    "Move."

    I ground out.

    They shared a look.

    "None may enter without..."

    "Move."

    I repeated, this time letting my Reiatsu leak. Their eyes widened comically.

    "Let him through. Elder Mao can attest to his identity. He...is the Great Spirit."

    A voice said from behind me.

    "Jade Master!"

    Both guards called out, uncrossing the staffs and bowing sheepishly.

    "We apologize great one. Please..."

    They had begun to say but I was already up the steps, fighting the urge to use Shunpo to clear the distance.

    This pull was getting irritating.

    I was no one''s plaything. Just because Rama Kushna wanted to see me urgently didn''t mean I would hurry towards her like an eager dog.

    "Chase, how do you kill a god?"

    I questioned my Zanpakuto.

    Was it weird that my first thought these days was violence first and foremost?

    Not really. This world was a death trap. This could very well turn into a fight, so I had to be ready for anything.

    Rama Kushna could have lured me here in false pretense so as to end my existence.

    The incident with Barragan had shown me gods were not infallible. They had vices. They could deceive and they could lie. (Though Barragan could only very loosely be considered a god. Something told me he was still weak in comparison to the real deal)

    "How do you kill a god?" Chase repeated the question. Then he gave a reply.

    "Easy. You become one yourself."

    Good answer.

    Finally I reached the top of the stairs and entered through the arched way into the pavilion.

    I breathed in, feeling my body pass through another veil. The sensation of cold water washing down my body this time was stronger.

    The first thing I heard was the gentle sound of a brook. The first thing I saw was a beautiful garden with a bamboo pond that flowed gently throughout it.

    The bamboo forming the Shishi-Odashi struck the stone bedrock as it poured water into a series of japanese styled fountains.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The fountains surrounded a central building in the middle of the garden.

    All in all it was tranquil. I breathed in and the overpowering scent of nature and the pure energy around the garden suffused my being.

    My soul felt at peace.

    I breathed out and settled into a lotus position, immediately falling into meditation.

    It was impromptu, it was unplanned. But somehow, the frustration of climbing all those stairs, of journeying this far, of getting annoyed by a weak demon...all of it washed away.

    All that was left behind was the feeling that this was right. That I was exactly where I needed to be.

    I reflected upon a lot. My unscripted meditation forcing me to look back at everything that had happened and think on it.

    What could I have done better? Or not better but different?

    Why was my hate directed towards Batman? Could it be as direct as I initially thought it was?

    I remember promising myself a simple life upon getting a second chance.

    Was I destined to forever fight?

    Did I ever really deal with Raven''s death? Or was I simply ignoring the pain and loss because I needed to show myself I was strong.

    Star Wars was a franchise Nick and I had grown up watching. It was one of the only fandoms that we both shared a love for.

    One of the things that made us argue however was how the Jedi went about processing their emotions.

    I naturally saw how they cast their negative emotions into the force to achieve inner peace as a very important practice.

    It kept them free of distractions. Free of falling prey to the Dark Side.

    Nick on the other hand saw it as running away from dealing with their fears and worries.

    He argued that they were supposed to acknowledge those fears and dark desires, understand them fully and then and only then, could they cast them out into the force.

    "I''ve been running away."

    I muttered to myself.

    I hadn''t let myself really deal with all the bad things that had happened to me. I hadn''t properly sent off Nick or Raven. I hadn''t let them go.

    A conversation I had had with Chase a few days ago came to mind.

    He had said,

    "You rarely smile anymore, my Wielder."

    At that time I had scoffed his worries aside and told him I was fine.

    In that pavilion, the walls surrounding my soul came down and I was forced to face myself.

    And I found myself lacking. Pushing everything down and whatever I couldn''t, discarding it to the side.

    (I wonder, was my Reiryoku always this dark purple bordering on black...?)

    I breathed out.

    (No...no it wasn''t)

    And opened my eyes.

    A blue skinned woman sat cross legged on a tatami mat infront of me. A cup of tea held in both her hands as she watched me with black pupiless eyes.

    Calling her beautiful would have done her a disservice. She was beyond the concept of beauty.

    A small smile graced her lips.

    "My, such a brazen man, calling an old hag like me beautiful."

    Her voice was like the gentle crooning of a mother, watching over her newly born child, love in her eyes and lips.

    The smile turned from cheeky to gentle.

    "Your true self is sweet."

    Rama Kushna said, taking a sip of tea before placing it down with a sad sigh.

    "Unfortunately you never let anyone see it. Not even your companion."

    She added.

    I blinked.

    Could she sense Chase? That was...a first. No one had ever sensed Chase before. That in and of itself roused me from whatever state I''d been in, making me wary.

    Chesha Neko found itself out of it''s sheath. I placed the weapon beside me, ready to use it if necessary.

    The woman followed it with her eyes. They lacked fear, only containing curiosity and a little sadness that made me sick to my stomach. I hated the feeling.

    "Don''t."

    She said sternly.

    "Don''t push the shame and guilt away. You gave up a gun and picked up a sword. That was your choice Davian. You chose to come back to this life."

    "For the first time in a long time, embrace it. Embrace it for the alternative is living a lie that will eventually consume you."

    Despite the cutting words, they lacked no accusation.

    "I..."

    The hand around Chesha Neko''s grip loosened.

    "After prison, I begun saving up...for a restaurant."

    The words left my lips before I could stop myself.

    And from there, the dam broke. I told her my story. Everything except the reincarnation. Even in my muddled state, I knew that was something I would have to keep to myself.

    Besides that, I told her everything. Most of which I suspected she already knew.

    And at the end of it all, I felt strong but gentle arms around me, her head on the crane of my neck.

    It was...warm.

    "You pitiful child. You have endured so much. Yet will have to endure even more."

    She said sorrowfully.

    I felt like laughing.

    "No rest for the wicked, eh Chase?"

    I called out to my Zanpakuto, needing his presence to shoulder most of what I was feeling.

    "I wouldn''t have it any other way Davian. You are the Spirit King. Charged with a responsibility only you can handle."

    He replied softly.

    "Right. I am Death. There''s no going back anymore. I''ve come too far to leave this path."

    My hands came up around Rama Kushna, the Goddess had shown me my truest self without even meaning to.

    The goddess who was nothing like I''d initially imagined.

    I gripped her shoulders gently and pushed her away.

    She tightened her hold on me. Just briefly. Then moved away with a sad look in her eyes.

    "I was going to offer you sanctuary. A way out. A path to peace and understanding but I see now that I was foolish."

    I shook my head.

    "No, you''re not foolish."

    I looked at the gentle pond and the water flowing through the garden.

    It was peaceful. Raven would have loved it here.

    "I hope that one day..."

    The statement that had left my mouth went unfinished.

    She smiled.

    "You''re always welcome here."

    I chuckled.

    "Am I that easy to read or can you look into my mind?"

    She raised a hand and placed it above my heart. Above my Saketsu.

    "Not your mind, your soul. Your beautifully ugly soul. One containing a void of nothingness and an existence greater than anything."

    She shook her head.

    "A cosmos collapsed onto itself. You are a child of enigma, Davian Mabuz. Greater than a god but lesser than a human. For you are a bridge. A servant with a sacred duty. Much like my own. More important than my own."

    She said with unfiltered awe.

    My lips parted in shock.

    Rama Kushna saw the question on my face and retracted her hand, her expression changing from the awe to one of deep thinking.

    "Tea?"

    She asked, but proceeded to pour it before I could give an answer.

    "The Moon Flower fish exudes a refreshing and gentle ki. Ki that is absorbed by the emerald mountain tea plant. Mixed with white pine and sweetened by sweetgrass and sage, it nurtures the soul, opens up it''s nodes...builds fortitude and brings tranquility and clear thinking."

    She offered the cup to me and I received it with a nod of gratitude.

    Even without a deep understanding of culture, I knew it was rude to drink first.

    So I waited until she brought her cup to her face and breathed in the scent.

    I imitated her and the tranquility from earlier hit me ten-fold.

    "This is... really good."

    I complimented her after only the first sip. My body felt relaxed. In sync with my soul.

    "Mmmh. It is. Especially when discussing matters of grave importance."

    Rama Kushna replied.

    "Tell me Davian, What do you know of the Graveyard of Gods?"

    She enquired.

    I raked my brain but came up short.

    "Nothing."

    She nodded at my response.

    "Understandable. The graveyard of gods is the final resting place of all forgotten and dead deities."

    She explained.

    "Think of it as an afterlife to the old gods. The ones left behind by humanity. The ones who lost their will to continue, growing weaker in the presence of children who no longer needed guidance."

    Her voice was sad.

    "Pan, the god of the wild...Harpocrates, the god of silence, Helios the original Sun God... Oceanus, the Titan God of the sea. Prithvi...my dear sister, the goddess of Earth and Fertility...all gone."

    She sighed heavily.

    "All unneeded and unwanted by the modern world. Their fates, destined to live out an existence of madness until they finally pass onto oblivion, joining the primordial entropy."

    She went silent for a few seconds before speaking once more.

    "That, is the Graveyard of Gods."

 Revelations.

    (Info dump)

    (General P.O.V)

    "You sure about this boss?"

    Johnny asked, drumming the side of his pants as they watched the abandoned oil export warehouse.

    The warehouse was on 5th street, right at the edge of Crime Alley. Danny''s men were all behind him, armed with Zip ties, bats and knucks.

    There had been some contention on carrying guns but Danny had strictly forbidden it.

    Getting caught with a gun at this particular moment, with the heat in Gotham was a bad idea.

    They would be facing 10 to 20 years on intent to do harm.

    Maybe even distribution when taking into account what some of his people used. Mostly Marijuana, nothing too hard.

    The gun subject wasn''t the reason for Johnny''s question. Johnny was more concerned with their newest recruit.

    One they had come across as he attacked members of the Odessa Mob seeking to move into Park Row.

    A young boy with powers. Bat powers.

    Danny could feel the rest of his men watch him, waiting for his answer.

    "The kid is powerful. But also reckless. Better he be with us than alone. We can watch his back."

    He replied, hoping they would drop the subject.

    Just then gunshots rang out from inside the warehouse. A few seconds later, something sped out through the rafters, breaking glass.

    The figure turned out to be a young boy with black hair, big black wings and clawed hands.

    Danny tensed watching as the boy flew off now that his part was done. Good. He could listen to orders.

    Danny rolled his neck, throwing away the butt of his cigarette.

    "Okay boys, time to show these riddler goons why trying to move into our territory is a bad idea."

    There was a loud explosion from the warehouse'' huge double doors, providing a way in.

    "The kid did his part. Let''s go."

    Danny added, lowering his red Oni mask.

    Instantly, a surge of power went through his body. He stepped off the edge of the roof they were on and started running down the wall.

    Half a dozen men followed him down.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "That place sounds like a nightmare."

    Chase commented.

    "Oh it is...great sword San."

    I wasn''t the one who answered...

    Rama Kushna did. She smiled at me knowingly. Almost daring me to ask the question I wanted.

    "You...you can hear him?"

    I forced myself to be calm. I had always tried to hide Chase'' existence away from prying eyes.

    "Yes. I can."

    The goddess answered, taking another sip of her tea.

    I frowned.

    "Ah...I see."

    That wasn''t good, exactly. But if there was anyone I would rather know about Chase, it was her. (Not like I had a choice really)

    "Does that bother you Great Sword San? That I know of your well concealed presence? Keep in mind, as the god of Fate, no strings of destiny are hidden from my gaze."

    Rama Kushna explained, her eyes firmly locked onto mine but seeing past them.

    Past me. Her gaze playful.

    "It does."

    Chase bluntly replied.

    Rama Kushna giggled. She had a good laugh. One that sounded girlish instead of what I was expecting.

    "That said, I would be grateful if you could tell us what any of this has to do with Davian. Humans die, mystical beasts die and gods die, what of it?"

    Chase stole the question from my lips.

    It was the same thing I''d been wondering as well. What did the Graveyard of Gods have to do with me?

    "Mmh..."

    Rama Kushna hummed, reaching out her hand into seemingly nothing. Only for a small blue portal to open before her palm. Her hand slipped in and pulled out a jar of honey.

    "I find that a dash of honey goes well with the tea."

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    She explained, scooping some with a spoon before adding it to her cup.

    She offered but I refused curtly, a little impatient to hear her answer. What was she hiding?

    "It concerns you because of this."

    She pointed at the small portal she had just created, it''s edges rippling.

    "Magic is...neutral. inert. Shapeable but immutable. The only rules it has are...surrender to it. Adapt to it."

    She waved a hand and a yellow mist poured forth from her palm. Then the mist changed form into a crystalline flower, gleaming beautifully.

    The flower broke down and formed into a small marble made up of flame.

    "Mmmh...they are the exact same size."

    Chase commented.

    "Exactly. I reiterate. The magic inside this construct, while shapeable is immutable. It adheres to rules of equivalent exchange. It only took what was needed to create what I wanted."

    The marble ball split into two smaller spheres. The second marble changed into a crystal flower similar to her first construct, only smaller, half it''s size infact.

    The two constructs rotated around each other, drawing closer. When they touched, there was a burst of energy and yellow mist was produced that quickly dispersed into the air.

    "Neutral. Opposing forces do not combine. At least not perfectly. Not unless you''re willing to give up a big part of yourself to bind them together."

    "Magic is not a short cut, it''s a mystical force capable of producing miracles by expending the life force within a being."

    She concluded.

    Her other hand came up.

    "Spirit energy on the hand, is personal. It''s reactive. It''s not like magic. Infact, it wouldn''t be wrong to call it, it''s anti-thesis."

    This time there was a rainbow colored miasma swirling above her palm. Tendrils of spirit energy danced around her fingers.

    "It''s oriented. Mutable in the sense that it can be dark at its core or light. It can be green or blue. Not both but either."

    "It can do things magic can''t...it doesn''t require you to surrender to it. Infact, it''s the opposite. It surrenders to the invocation of it''s wielder."

    I stretched out my palm.

    A slow breath left my lips.

    Push...

    Pull...

    I called onto my Reiryoku and watched as purple wisps of energy extended out from my fingers, licking the air.

    "I think I understand what you''re getting at. The only question I have. You said Rei...spirit energy was personal. What does that mean?"

    She smiled, staring at my Reiryoku with interest.

    "Exactly that. When you use a spell you can not regain the life force expended."

    "Spirit Energy is different. With enough skill, you can call it back. It''s your energy. The by product of your soul. It doesn''t want to be anywhere else."

    She explained.

    And a part of me knew she was right. I had felt it before. The feeling that I could absorb the remnants of Reiryoku left behind after a Kido spell.

    "That said, one should always be careful with this particular quirk of Spirit Energy. You risk absorbing the natural energy in the air every time you take it in."

    I closed my palm.

    "And natural energy is bad...why?"

    "Imagine having the natural energy in Gotham coursing through your soul."

    Chase pointed out.

    I immediately shivered.

    "I see."

    "Very perceptive of you Great Sword San."

    Rama Kushna complimented my Zanpakuto.

    I think she was enjoying teasing him.

    Chase snorted but I could tell he was a little happy with the praise. That''s a first...

    "Ok, correct me if I''m wrong then. From what I can gather, anyone can learn to use magic. It''s highly versatile but adheres to certain universal laws."

    I stopped to gauge her expression.

    "Spirit Energy on the other hand can only be accessed by a select few. It''s not as versatile but is highly specialized according to the wielder''s preferences."

    I continued.

    "Not always but you''re not wrong so far."

    She cut in.

    "Right. The only thing I don''t see is the connection you''re trying to make with the portal you created."

    I motioned at the small rift in space.

    "So how about we cut the bullshit and you give me a straight answer."

    I told her, my impatience leaking through.

    "But I already did."

    Rama Kushna protested cheekily.

    "What..?"

    "Think about it. Both of you. I started off by explaining what the Graveyard of the gods is, then we discussed the difference between magic and spirit energy. The latter being highly specialized and capable of feats magic cannot..."

    "You''re just saying the same thing!"

    I slammed the cup down.

    A brief silence reigned between us. The goddess tilted her head, black eyes twinkling with humor.

    "I''m not here to hold your hand, Great Spirit san."

    She said curtly.

    Chase hummed in thought.

    "I think I get it now. Davian, you hold control over death. To some extent. Barragan''s presence and what Deadman said about a group of Supervillains using your energy to create monster and hollow hybrids...it''s easy to make the connection."

    He paused.

    "You. Before any of them, you were the only thing capable of producing Reiryoku in this world."

    My mind went blank.

    "No, you can''t mean what I think..."

    "You are responsible for all of it. Our enemies, the ones hiding in the darkness, somehow managed to gather your power and use it for their own nefarious ends."

    My eyes fell onto the portal next to the goddess.

    Everything clicked.

    "They can use my energy to pierce the boundaries between the physical world and the afterlife. In this case...the divine spirit within Barragan had been Oceanus. Who, according to you had been imprisoned in the Graveyard...of the gods."

    I looked up at Rama Kushna.

    "You said I was the bridge. How literal did you mean by that?"

    I questioned, reeling from the revelation.

    She smiled.

    "Very."

    I pressed my palms into my face.

    "That''s why you wanted to see me. No, that''s why you gave the mission to deal with Barragan in the first place."

    It made so much sense.

    "I was cleaning up my own mess. They can create rifts into the Graveyard using my Reiryoku. Then pull out whatever god they want out into the real world."

    "Exactly."

    She poured more tea on my cup.

    "And there''s more to come. Oceanus was just the first. Whoever is behind this has a particularly unhealthy interest with the Graveyard of the Gods. More... incursions will happen."

    Her tone turned gloomy.

    "Elder gods, slaughter gods, gods that humanity needed before Prometheus gave them fire. Gods humanity cannot survive even knowing of their existence. Evil gods..."

    I brought the cup to my lips.

    The tea was tasteless on my tongue. All these revelations...

    Only one question remained.

    "Who''s the one responsible?"

    For the first time since the conversation begun, Rana Kushna frowned.

    "I don''t know, they are hidden from my gaze. Which should be impossible barring a few..."

    She shook her head.

    "What that means is less than assuring. The next incursion should happen a few months from now."

    "How do you know that but don''t know the identity of the one behind all of it?"

    I enquired.

    "As the goddess of fate, I can see events that naturally disrupt the flow of time. It is my job to set the scales right. I am am overseer of destiny, just as you''re the overseer of death."

    She answered.

    "Is there a way to stop this... incursion from happening? And why would this... mysterious enemy wait months to send another god out into the world...why not now? Why wait that long?"

    Chase asked.

    "You would have to journey into the Graveyard yourselves to prevent anyone from coming out, but I wouldn''t recommend that course of action. Which take us to your second question. They would have to wait that long because of Tigris."

    "Tigris?"

    "Fuck."

    Chase and I spoke at the same time.

    I had never had him curse before. Even Rama Kushna looked surprised.

    "I take it you know who he is?"

    The goddess prompted.

    Chase sighed.

    "Tigris...just as Hell has Cerberus to guard it''s gates..."

    "Tigris guards the Graveyard of the gods. Fully capable of destroying any god with ease...none can escape him while inside. He has full authority and can NEVER be defeated."

    Rama Kushna explained.

    ''Well. Fuck.''

    And that''s not to mention, the Supervillains that had been trying to use Reiryoku to create monster-hollow hybrids.

    The only good thing was that now I knew what my enemy was planning.

    "I need to get stronger."

    I steepled my hands together.

    "Much much stronger."

 Its a Trap.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Loathe as I am to admit it, you''re right."

    Rama Kushna sighed.

    "As you are now, even with your new ability to erode time, you wouldn''t survive an encounter with a real god."

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "Oceanus was a Titan, something that preceded the Olympians. It took the 3 strongest Olympian deities to kill Kronos, a Titan. And yet I killed him. Underestimating me is the biggest misstep you can take."

    I countered.

    She laughed.

    "How ferocious. And yet, you forget something. Faith."

    She emphasized.

    "Faith and belief dictate how powerful deities are in the physical world."

    She paused to pour more tea in my cup. It was a wonder my bladder was still holding up.

    "Just as less worship can diminish a god''s power, the opposite is true."

    I rubbed my chin, seeing the logic in her words.

    "...Oceanus exists in the minds of historians, record keepers and learners. The common man knows of Poseidon as the god of the seas."

    "Which means the Oceanus you faced was considerably weaker now than during the Titanomachy. Take into account his essence was further weakened by being fused with another soul and..."

    Rama Kushna hit me with a serious look.

    "...You''re lucky you survived. Let alone won."

    She took a sip.

    I couldn''t deny that she had a point. Still...

    "I can take anyone on. Gods, Titans...fuck. Even the Devil. I don''t care. Anyone who tries to fuck with me will realize I''m not a pushover."

    The goddess blinked in surprise at my outburst.

    "I can''t tell if you''re brave or simply dumb."

    She finally relented with a shake of her head.

    "It''s s a conundrum to me as well."

    Chase said with a sigh.

    ''traitor.''

    "Regardless. You have a long and arduous journey before you."

    The goddess said.

    "I would like it if..."

    She paused, frowning while looking to the side.

    Then with a grim expression on her face she turned to me.

    "I''m afraid you are needed elsewhere. One of your companions is in danger."

    Cheshire.

    I immediately got to my feet, sheathing my Zanpakuto.

    "Chase, can you feel the connection you made to Cheshire''s mask?"

    I enquired.

    It only took a second for him to answer.

    "No."

    Fuck. That''s not good.

    They had found her.

    Cheshire was still a volatile element. I didn''t know if I could trust her but, I had sworn she would be under my protection.

    I might be an aggressive, stubborn asshole but I never broke my word.

    "Apologies."

    I bowed to Rama Kushna.

    "I appreciate the hospitality but I have a promise to keep."

    She nodded gravely, getting to her feet.

    "I have foreseen this battle, Great Spirit..."

    Then she stepped closer to me. Her head barely reaching my chin, calling to attention that she was actually shorter than I had expected.

    Her palm came to rest above my chest. Right on my Saketsu. Then she stood on her toes and kissed me on the cheek.

    A brief warmth surged up from where her palm lay.

    Rama Kushna stepped back with a strange look on her face. Her eyes were heated, her ample chest slightly heaving. I blinked and the hunger in her gaze was gone.

    "Remember...when all else fails... open your eyes."

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Then I was falling. Falling through a portal that had appeared at my back.

    "Farewell...Death-kun."

    The last thing I saw was Rama Kushna waving her hand and then, I was moving through the sky, headed towards the ocean as the wind blew past me.

    It was an easy matter to create a platform of spirit energy under my body. I landed on it, blowing strands of my loose hair away from my face in a huff of frustration.

    "That was sudden. Didn''t even get to ask why she was using Japanese honorifics. I thought Rama Kushna is Hindi?"

    I complained a bit.

    "That''s what you''re focusing on? Not that you''ve been teleported right on top of enemy territory?"

    Chase asked in a slightly exasperated tone.

    I didn''t think I still had it in me to feel embarrassed, but I did.

    I simply chose to ignore it in favor of focusing on more urgent matters.

    An island. One that gave off a nasty aura. Something...twisted was there. Something that made my soul agitated. Like an itch you can''t scratch.

    And along with it was Cheshire''s soul, it''s vibrations weak. On top of that, a few more familiar souls appeared in my Reikaku.

    Lady Shiva... Cheshire''s dad, sportsguy or something and...oh now that''s interesting...

    "Chase, how about we say hi to our hosts?"

    I made an offer I was sure my Zanpakuto would not refuse.

    Before he could answer however, something unexpected ruined the cool moment.

    "Aaahhhhh!!!"

    Deadman screamed as he fell through the air.

    I stepped to the side and watched as he dipped past me with a perturbed expression on my face.

    "Oh...I can fly. Thank god. Thought I was

    going to die...why teleport someone when they''re asleep!!??"

    Deadman yelled, grumbling as he floated to join me as I unsheathed my sword.

    I chose to ignore his antics.

    They had dared take someone under my protection. I smirked. Back in the day, I wouldn''t allow such disrespect. You mess with mine and I would respond. Harshly.

    "Brand. Come here."

    I called out.

    Deadman immediately stopped grumbling, staring at me with a confused expression.

    Still, he floated over.

    "What can you feel?"

    I asked...in part to see the potency of the abilities he was acquiring while in close proximity to me, but also to confirm what I could already feel.

    Deadman blinked.

    "I feel Cheshire down there. They caught her huh?"

    "Yeah. I need you to get her out while I deal with the rabble."

    I told him and his face twisted in distaste.

    "There''s someone stupid strong down there Davian. You sure about this? We should call in some help."

    My lips stretched out into a smile.

    A flex of my power and Shikai activated. Of course, I knew there was someone powerful down there.

    Someone who could kill me infact. Someone stronger than Barragan. However...my palms tingled and my soul trembled with excitement.

    Battle lust.

    "Just get Cheshire out. I''ll deal with the rest."

    I informed him, homing in on the training yard that was quickly getting crowded by the forces of the Island.

    He looked like he was about to argue but sighed instead.

    "Good Luck."

    Deadman said, then disappeared into the nothingness, concealed in spirit form.

    The island was beautiful. The dying light of the sun set hit the water surrounding the lone piece of land perfectly, giving it a vacation spot feel.

    Too bad it was going to get destroyed once I was through.

    I pulled on my substantial Reiryoku and covered my form with a purple aura.

    Then I flew down, blazing like a second sun in the late evening air.

    The sand shook below me as I neared the ground.

    One second there was only the shadows patrolling the area, then the next, an alarm sounded out across the island once I was spotted.

    My enemies knew I was around.

    "Chase you ready for this?"

    I enquired from my Zanpakuto. I was surprised he hadn''t given me a speech on my recklessness.

    "Are you?"

    He quipped back.

    "Now that''s just insulting Chase."

    I shook my head, touching down before what was hundreds of Ninjas, gathered in some sort of training yard.

    I frowned, noting some discrepancies.

    Not all of them were League of Shadows.

    "Are those guys wearing suits of armours?"

    I wondered out loud.

    "An upgrade. The last time we saw each other, I promise d you I would be prepared."

    Lady Shiva said, standing at the head of the group.

    This time she had a red leather jacket and black pants that hugged her frame perfectly. Her Katana was strapped to her hip, one hand on the handle.

    She had a cold look on her face. Oh, someone''s still mad I beat them last time.

    "This..." She motioned behind her.

    "Is my response. We have Jade. Come quietly or give me a reason to ply that weapon from your dead cold fingers."

    She declared, eyes trailing over Chesha Neko.

    I shivered, clapping my hands slightly. I couldn''t lie, I was Impressed.

    "Now that''s how you do a villain monologue."

    Then I wound my sword arm back and swung it.

    "Getsuga Tensho."

    None of them, least of all, Lady Shiva were expecting such a sudden attack. Not to mention high profile as well.

    The goal was to cause a lot of noise. Enough noise that all the forces in the island would be pulled here.

    The air screamed, a path getting torn out by the black colored arc of spirit energy, easily about tens of meters long and thick.

    Lady Shiva showed off her crazy instincts by dodging fast.

    She strafed to the right. Then ducked behind a few practice dummies on the edges of the attack that were sturdy enough to remain rooted to the ground.

    Even as my skill shredded everything else in its path.

    Screams and cries of pain rang out, filling the air with a certain dread.

    My legs stretched out as I walked calmly towards the groove on the ground created by the sudden attack.

    The distinct sound of mechanical whirring, hydraulics shifting and servo motor hum, brought into attention the suits of armors which had quickly taken to the sky before my attack landed.

    The half a dozen armors landed on the ground around me.

    Now that I got a good look at them. I couldn''t help but notice how batman-inspired they were. The long ears were a dead giveaway.

    Full metallic chassis with small gaps at the joints, nodes of energy spread out across the armor and the gray and black color. They weren''t even trying to hide it.

    "Scarlet Devil, in the name of Justice and the law, stand down or we will be forced to employ lethal means."

    One of them called out in a synthetic voice.

    Whaaa?

    How in the hell would anyone think they were on the side of good while serving the League of Shadows?

    It''s arm shifted, deploying a Canon that glowed with a red light. The warning was clear.

    I twirled my sword.

    "I rather like lethal means."

    I stepped towards them and immediately, the arm canons started firing. Red thermal energy lancing out towards my body.

    I slipped into Shunpo, swinging out my sword and splitting apart the first suit, before deflecting another energy attack and retaliating with a thunderous kick that deformed the suit and the man inside.

    The armor was blown clean through the wall around the training yard.

    The rest of the suits immediately took flight in a controlled motion but I spun, not intent on letting them get away.

    "Leaving so soon?"

    My statement was punctuated by a thrust of Chesha Neko.

    The sword unravelled into dozens of strings that ensnared the foot of one armor.

    I pulled it down while simultaneously taking a leap. My fist made the air thrum on it''s way towards the head of the armor.

    Blood splattered out as I shattered the helmet and the pilot''s head, then I lunged over his body, using it as a springboard to get closer to the retreating Batmen.

    "Wait..."

    Chase called out.

    I immediately stopped. Right on cue, a red dome of energy rose up to cover the whole island, trapping all of us inside.

    The itch in my soul intensified.

    My eyes widened as I felt something change.

    Instantly, I lost the connection to my Reiryoku.

    The platform of energy I had created below my feet disappeared suddenly and I hurtled towards the ground, arms flailing.

    "Now!"

    Came an order from the lead Batman Armor. In one motion, they turned their weapons on me and started firing.

    Fuck. It was a trap.

 Oy

    (General P.O.V)

    Floating high above Infinity Island, a huge ARGUS Arc ship silently monitored the situation on the ground.

    It''s engines were a near silent hum. And its large structure was camouflaged, invisible to the naked eye.

    (Slipknot deceased)

    (Constantine:Drakon deceased)

    (Blackguard injured)

    The computer chimed as the biometrics stats in the two Batmen suits unfortunate enough to grab Davian''s attention went quiet.

    Slipknot was a supervillain Merc with increased physical strength, strength and durability, yet he''d been split into two halves.

    Constantine: Drakon was a mercenary who liked Killing for the sake of it. Davian had punched his head and shattered it like a watermelon, sending brain matter and other visceral material flying.

    Waller gave no outward reaction but from the tightening of the corner of her lips, she was less than pleased.

    The loss of two members of the Suicide Knights so fast didn''t concern her that much. But the suits of armor were expensive. Very expensive.

    She was standing on the deck, overlooking the chamber filled with techies and agents, surveiling the mission.

    A joint venture with...Supervillains. Her past self would have recoiled at the notion.

    However, if using villains like Ra''s Al Ghul was what it took, to bring in a dangerous element like Davian then...she could sacrifice that part of her ideals.

    This iteration of the Suicide Squad was different too. No longer was it filled with freaks or deranged psychos like Harley Quinn.

    No. With General Kane''s cooperation, the new leader of Argus had come up with a different solution.

    Waller had gathered some of the best convicted mercenaries the world had to offer and put them in Batmen suits of armor.

    She called it the Suicide Knights.

    So losing even one was a setback. She couldn''t exactly blow their heads up while inside million dollar pieces of tech.

    Barring a few exceptions of course. ARGUS had a large budget after all.

    "...''am? Ma''am? What should we do about Blackguard? His injuries guarantee he''s out of the fight."

    An agent asked.

    Waller looked at her.

    "Clean it up. Recover the suit."

    "Yes Ma''am."

    The agent replied.

    "Target is down."

    The squad leader of the Suicide Knights, Peacemaker called out through the comms.

    "Good. Apprehend him. Keep an eye out for tricks. Davian Mabuz is a dangerous individual."

    Waller ordered.

    "Oh, and get ready for operation: Blindeye."

    She added as an afterthought.

    Working with Supervillains for the common good was understandable, but Walker couldn''t let such a perfect chance slip out of her hands.

    *******

    The training yard under the target was torn apart by the heavy fire.

    The ground rumbled and broke under the assault, a cloud of dust rising up to obscure the surroundings.

    In the end, Davian knelt on the destroyed ground, most of his clothes burnt and destroyed by the energy beams.

    His chest rose and fell heavily.

    His body was smoking and he seemed to be injured.

    "Form around him. Shoot him at the slightest twitch."

    Peacemaker informed the rest of the Batmen as they flew down, surrounding Davian in a semi circle.

    The ground was cast in a red glow from the dome above the island.

    "How far the mighty have fallen. The government, working with paid Assassins."

    Davian ground out, staring at the Batmen with disdain.

    He couldn''t feel the connection to Chesha Neko.

    And no matter how many times he called out, Chase stayed silent. He was completely cut off from his spirit energy and his Zanpakuto spirit.

    The dome...it was somehow responsible.

    "Shut up. I don''t need to hear a moral speech from a mass murderer."

    Peacemaker scoffed snidely.

    One of the Batmen walked forward, holding restraining cuffs.

    "Give us trouble and we''re blowing you up. There''s nothing you can do without access to your abilities."

    Peacemaker warned.

    Davian stayed silent, allowing himself to be cuffed. The device activated with a click, glowing blue.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "We know that power dampeners don''t work on you. This is something different. My little creation. Sends a charge through your body, seizes up your muscles by disrupting your nervous system."

    The Electrocutioner, inside the second Batman armor said, stepping back.

    Davian smiled.

    "I''ll be sure not to break it too badly."

    The Batmen went for Chesha Neko, which Davian had slipped into it''s sheath before he had landed on the ground.

    "Are you sure you want to do that?"

    Davian questioned, his eyes glaring at the Electrocutioner, daring him.

    The latter looked back at the squad leader. Peacemaker sighed.

    "What are you waiting for Electrocutioner? Do it."

    The Batmen stared at Davian, the silent warning ringing in his mind.

    "Touch my sword and I kill you. No ifs, no buts. You will die."

    Davian promised.

    "I don''t get paid for this shit."

    The Electrocutioner felt a shiver go through him and ultimately chose to safeguard his life, walking away.

    The dust had settled enough that the other players decided to join in. Davian did not move from his spot, electing a wait and see approach.

    He wanted to see everyone behind all this. The instant Deadman rescued Cheshire, the kiddie gloves would come off.

    More shadows seemed to materialize from every nook and cranny. Lady Shiva stalked forward like a lone lioness, unruffled from the earlier attack.

    "War calls for no honor..."

    She said, stepping through the Batmen as they moved aside, making way for her.

    She unsheathed her Katana, her face hard as granite.

    "War is merciless, cruel and the ones who make it back tell the story..."

    She pointed the sword towards Davian.

    "And this is war. Us vs You. You''ve lost."

    She declared.

    Davian rolled his eyes.

    "That monologue was half baked. Not as good as the one before."

    "I''m going to enjoy breaking you."

    Shiva said with a smile.

    Cackling rang out.

    "We got him Teekl!"

    A red portal appeared at her side. From within, out walked Vandal Savage, flanked on either sides by Ra''s Al Ghul and Klarion the Witch Boy.

    "Ligare."

    The Chaos Lord pointed his hand towards Davian and cast a spell.

    Red chains burst from the ground, ensnaring Davian and binding his movements. He was now restrained not just by a nerve disrupting device but a chaos spell.

    Davian promised himself their ends would not be fun. Or quick.

    "How do you like my spell?!"

    Klarion laughed mockingly, skipping towards Davian while petting the cat slung over his arm.

    "You thought you were soooo...special but I showed him, right Teekl?"

    He taunted.

    The cat meowed at Klarion, sounding unimpressed.

    "But I had to show them! Chaos magic is stronger than spirit magic!!"

    The Chaos Lord in the shape of a boy whined.

    Davian ignored him, establishing eye contact with the leader of the shadows, Ra''s Al Ghul.

    The two men watched each other. One with a stony impassive expression, the other with mild interest and apathy. Ra''s Al Ghul was a man not easily impressed.

    The Immortal was also a very keen observant. He could tell how dangerous someone was just by reading their bearing.

    His eyes missed the mark this time.

    He misjudged Davian.

    "I kept my end of the bargain. My Shadows lured him here. Now get off my island."

    Ra''s spoke to Savage, dismissing Davian and turning to leave.

    "Your service to the Light has been noted."

    Vandal Savage, a man with even more life experience than the leader of the League of Shadows responded.

    Where Ra''s gaze failed, his prevailed. He had tackled with prey and predator before. Had been a predator most of his life. Yet...

    Davian reminded him of Darkseid. An unrelenting force.

    And the power inside him...power that had allowed him to do so many wonderful things.

    The boy was useful. Perhaps more than any other specimen at the Light''s disposal. If not for his power than his potential.

    He could very well be the secret to unlocking humanity''s true supremacy.

    ******

    Waller naturally heard the discussion. Knowing that it was now or never, she gave the order.

    "Initiate Operation Blindeye."

    ******

    "Affirmative."

    Peacemaker said quietly.

    Then he turned his canon towards Ra''s Al Ghul and Vandal Savage.

    The other Batmen followed his example. Their canons glowed red, the warning clear.

    "We''re bringing you all in. As enemies of the United States of America, I order you to stand down."

    Peacemaker announced.

    Ra''s and Savage looked at each other. Their expressions unworried, despite the unexpected developments.

    "There are 4 of you, alone in an Island with hundreds of my shadows. Even if you managed to kill us, which I highly doubt you can, Waller...your convicts agents would still be out-numbered and out-trained."

    Ra''s Al Ghul responded, knowing she was listening.

    "Traitors deserve death. Stand down and it will be painless."

    Lady Shiva raised her sword at the Batmen closest to her.

    "You vanna go? Let''s go then, you murderous bitch."

    Javelin, inside the Batman Armor, threw back fearlessly, his voice highly tinged with a German accent.

    "Oh this is awesome! So chaotic! I love it!"

    Klarion said, a red magic circle materializing from under his feet.

    "I wanna watch how you get out of this."

    He told Savage, then sat cross legged on the floating magical circle.

    One of the four Batmen left, shifted her footing as the stand off continued.

    "Peacemaker, hear me out. Waller doesn''t care about us. With these new suits we can..."

    (Marauder deceased)

    The suit of armor went stiff as it sent a jolt of devastating current through Marauder''s body.

    The Batmen suit of armor fell over.

    And now there were three of them.

    "Waller."

    Savage called out.

    "I commend you on your ruthlessness. But that hardly helped their already slim chances of getting out of this alive."

    "They don''t need to. My people are ready to die. Insubordination will not be tolerated."

    Waller''s voice came through one of the suits.

    "And in case the offer to stand down lacks much incentive, look up."

    At the drop of her words, the Arc ship above the island fell out of camouflage, revealing dozens of dangerous weapons trained on the island.

    "This is checkmate. I would rather end all of you now, than allow you to leave with Davian Mabuz. This alliance is over."

    (Meanwhile- on the other side of the island)

    Inside a cold damp cell,

    Cheshire was strung up by her hands and feet.

    Manacles around her wrists and ankles were attached to chains constructed on the ceiling and the ground.

    Her costume was torn in various places and her hair was shaggy and messy.

    The cell door made noise as the keys were inserted.

    Cheshire made no reaction. She didn''t even look up.

    "Come to taunt me again Crusher? Come to tell me...how much of a... failure as a daughter I am...?"

    The cell door swung open, her head remained bowed. They had kept her heavily sedated, not leaving it to chance that she would escape.

    They had after all trained her to.

    Only when the manacles around her feet were unlocked and then the ones on her hands were gone, causing her to slump to the ground, did she lift her heavy head and look up.

    Her father stared at her but something was different about the way he stood.

    "Who are you? you''re not crusher."

    "Ssh... I''m here to get you out."

    Deadman said from within Sportsmaster''s body.

    *******

    Deadman had succeeded in rescuing Cheshire. There was no more reason to stay silent. No more reason to act weak.

    "Oy."

    Davian called out.

    The whole area went silent. All eyes turned to watch him.

    "You people seem to have forgotten about me."

    He ground out.

    "Let me show you why that was a big mistake."

    The chaos chains holding him down, groaned. Then one of them snapped.

    Loudly.

    Klarion''s face blanched as he stepped back.

    "That''s... that''s impossible! How are you doing that?! The spell worked! You have no power!! Stop that!"

    The Batmen tensed. The shadows around the training area unsheathed their various weapons.

    Another chain snapped. Then another.

    Finally Davian stood upright, his body covered with soot and his fit upper body exposed for all to see.

    "You might have suppressed my spirit energy...but who told you I was defenseless?"

    Streaks of blue colored electricity washed across his body as the cuffs on his hands tried to disrupt his movements.

    He strained a little, muscles and veins shifting in his huge arms...then tore the cuffs apart as well.

    Davian stretched his neck.

    Then took a step forward.

    In the blink of an eye, he was standing next to Klarion, who was floating on a magic circle in level with Davian.

    "My body is strong enough that it doesn''t really make a difference."

    The soul reaper said.

    A side punch to the Chaos Lord''s face and Klarion shot out like a speeding bullet. The Chaos Lord blasted through one of the Batmen, Javelin and threw both of them away.

    Davian turned to face the rest.

    An aura of death seemed to sweep out of him. Everyone unconsciously took a step back.

    Davian on his part, was staring at

    Vandal Savage.

    "So you''re the asshole who''s been giving me headaches? I can feel your soul...it''s ugly."

 Show Me Your Strength.

    (General P.O.V)

    The slow drip of water was the only sound inside the moldy cell.

    Then a peculiar noise broke the silence.

    Rusted cell doors were swung open and he could hear steps along with heavy breathing moving along the dungeon.

    "Wait... there''s a someone else down here."

    A female voice entered his ears.

    ''No. Leave me.''

    He wanted to shout. To scream that he didn''t want to be saved.

    Getting saved was pointless now. She was gone and he refused to have her brought back through the Lazarus pit.

    All he had was his own stubbornness to not give in to the torture and yield.

    He had suffered through a lot of it. Ra''s had even gone to the extent of using a telepath to rework his mind. His personality.

    All attempts to break or mold him failed.

    He refused to be broken. All he had left was defiance.

    Not even the hope of revenge as he had been rendered useless. Broken in body...but not in spirit.

    The time it took for his thoughts to sluggishly go through his mind was enough for the voices to reach his cell.

    "You were right. There''s someone in..."

    Deadman in his physical form trailed off as he gasped in shock.

    "Oh...god."

    Cheshire couldn''t tear her eyes away. She grasped the bars of the cell, leaning in.

    "How...how did you survive this? How could anyone?"

    She asked, just as shocked as Deadman.

    Inside the cell, Bronze Tiger was chained up, just as Cheshire had been.

    The only difference being that he was missing all his limbs.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The situation was less than ideal.

    The odds were stacked against me.(nothing new there)

    But this time I was alone. No Chase to ask for advice on how to deal with this. No Getsuga Tensho to rely on to make quick work of my enemies.

    And from the feel of it, my situation wasn''t close to changing. Not as long as I stayed inside the dome.

    A few minutes had allowed me to understand how they had managed to cut me off from my own Soul. Something which was supposed to be impossible.

    Then I realized, they hadn''t really cut me off from my abilities.

    Without Chase to rely on, I was forced to actually think for myself. Something that showed me how dependent I had grown on my Zanpakuto spirit.

    So think I did.

    The benefit of studying so many magical books and tomes was fully displayed here as I was able to work out the true reason I couldn''t access any Reiryoku.

    They were draining it.

    The massive dome was part of a magical formation that actively targeted spiritual energy and ravenously pounced on it before I could use it for anything.

    The only ability I had access to was Reikaku and that was more of an innate power of the soul that didn''t actively use Reiryoku to sustain.

    That unfortunately didn''t explain why Chase was silent, so there had to be another mechanism to the formation involved. Something I still couldn''t see.

    It was clear what I had to do.

    If I broke the dome, then the magic formation would naturally unravel. (Why was it always domes? You''d think villains would have more creativity. Then again, they achieved their purpose I guess.)

    However, even with my strength, something told me that the dome wouldn''t easily fall to physical attacks.

    Which brings us to the next plan.

    Attacking the creator of the dome. They naturally had to keep sustaining the formation.

    So if I took them out, the dome would naturally follow along.

    ''Now to do that along with fending off attacks from master assassins, skilled mercs in iron man suits and 2 guys who just refuse to die.''

    *******

    After calling him an asshole...Savage felt the need to say something.

    "Crass and impertinent."

    He commented, stepping forward with an air of self importance.

    His gaze was sharp, containing a ferocity that was hidden under deep layers of sophistication.

    "You saying I don''t got manners?"

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    I chuckled, using my Reikaku to keep track of Cheshire, Deadman and Bronze Tiger (minus a few limbs.)

    I had felt the latter the second I spread out Reikaku through the Island.

    Now it would normally be disheartening to learn that the guy I wanted to teach me martial arts was crippled but fortunately, I had a solution to that.

    It would be easy to help him regain his hands and legs with my Fullbring. Plus, healing him would make him more indebted to me.

    "I''m saying, you might have an idea of who you''re dealing with...you might even be confident in making an escape. But no matter where you go, or how far you run...we will always be there. Waiting."

    Savage promised.

    "Escape? That''s the furthest thing from my mind..."

    "Why are we wasting time on this guy? We should team up and..."

    One of the Batmen interrupted.

    A flash of irritation went through me.

    I blinked and found my hand spearing through his chest, coming out on the other side holding a weakly beating heart.

    I could feel the muscle struggle to pump blood. Then it stopped.

    My grinning face was reflected on the armor''s shiny visor.

    He gurgled.

    "Cutting me off mid-speech? Now that''s just rude."

    I tutted with a shake of my head, grabbed his left hand and pulled. His body was split apart in two halves.

    From the left shoulder through the navel and to the groin. The Batman armor he wore yielded zero resistance to my brute strength.

    Metal and durable ceramic plates were shredded apart, mixed in with organs and intestines.

    Even I paused at my brutality. Then I licked my lips.

    The taste of blood was funnily enough not bad. A bit too coppery though.

    "Javelin!! Shit! Shit! Shit!"

    From the corner of my right eye, the second remaining Batmen lifted his trembling hand in a panic, then let loose a red beam of thermal energy.

    Having been on the receiving end of that attack just a few minutes prior, I knew it was nothing to sneeze at.

    In their eyes, the beam drowned my body under. When the dust settled, I was revealed.

    (General P.O.V)

    The Electrocutioner took a step back, his arm still shaking.

    "Did...did- I get him?"

    "You fucking idiot!"

    Peacemaker hissed at him, turning his weapon towards Davian''s obscured position.

    "You only attack when I say so!"

    Peacemaker added, one of his hands still trained on Savage.

    He was used to relentless fighters like Batman but...something told him this guy was different.

    "Fuck...he took that attack point blank..."

    "No, he used the sword to split the attack so that it branched off to either side of him."

    Shiva replied thoughtfully.

    She could appreciate his sword skills, despite there being so many flaws in the way he held it.

    "He''s formidable."

    Ra''s commented.

    "Yes. He is. But he too shall see the light and serve it."

    Savage said, his expression impassive yet...guarded.

    ''What are you planning?''

    Ra''s wondered in his mind, looking at his fellow member of the Light in suspicion.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I twirled Chesha Neko, causing a small pressure wave to sweep away the dust and reveal my body which was covered in blood.

    The Batmen, the shadows, and even Ra''s, I could taste their fear. Humans are naturally afraid of what they don''t know.

    Standing before them with a hand dripping with blood, another holding a long sword and a maniacal smile on my face was enough to leave the bravest of men trembling.

    What was intriguing was that Savage and Shiva were seemingly unaffected.

    My soul relished in the fear I could feel inside the others'' souls.

    In comparison, I felt confidence in Savage''s murky soul and calmness in Lady Shiva''s sharp like soul.

    Interesting.

    "So... I''m guessing the time for talk is over then?"

    I addressed them.

    There was a lull in the fight.

    Then a gratingly annoying voice entered my ears, coming from one of the Batmen armors''s speakers.

    "Scarlet Devil. My name is Amanda Waller. Stand down and come quietly. This is your one and only chance."

    "Waller huh?" I mused.

    "I remember Raven mentioning a Waller. She said you were a monumental bitch. You''re the one who sent Deadshot and the others after me, aren''t you?"

    "How convenient that all of you have gathered here. It will make it easier to kill you all."

    The woman laughed.

    "I don''t doubt your strength, young man. But look around you. We''re separated by thick tons of metal."

    I craned my neck up to look at the massive Ark floating above us.

    "You think you''re safe up there?...Hang on tight...once I''m done down here, I''m coming for..."

    Boom!!

    "How dare you bitch slap me?!! Me?! I''m a Lord of Chaos you cunt!"

    Something fast moving slammed onto my chest, lifting both of us up and sending us off the edge of the cliff that the training yard was built upon.

    My back impacted the red dome and breath left my chest. Red eyes and a frothing mouth looked back at me as Klarion raised a hand with gleaming claws.

    "You think you''re strong?! I will show you real power, little Spirit!!"

    His voice had changed into an Amalgam of voices.

    Chesha Neko blocked the claws, producing a sharp ring and sparks upon contact. We entered a contest of strength, all the while Klarion laughed.

    "Shut up bitch."

    I lashed a foot out, nailing him on the belly and pushing him away.

    I planted my feet and hands on the dome and pushed off it not a split second later, repaying the tackle from before and taking us back into the training yard.

    Mid-air, Klarion opened his mouth and screamed. The sound was disorienting. A quick blow to his mouth and he clammed up.

    Then I spun and used the momentum from our flight to throw him onto the ground.

    (General P.O.V)

    In that instant that Klarion had tackled Davian out of the away, Shiva wasted no time and moved.

    Her sword lashed out, slicing past metal, sinew and flesh. The Electrocutioner cried out, his dismembered arm spraying out blood.

    "You...you fuckin..."

    He swung out his other hand at her, streaks of lightning flickering on the palm and fingers.

    Shiva''s Katana found itself buried through his chin and coming out of the top his head.

    Electrocutioner''s hand fell down to the side. Shiva pulled out the sword and stepped back, in a perfect fencer''s stance, one arm placed behind her.

    "Okay that was badass."

    Peacemaker couldn''t help but compliment.

    Then he started unleashing the suit of armor''s energy beams at her.

    Shiva stepped to the side, then the left, dodging the beams easily while advancing forwards.

    None of the Shadows or the two immortals intervened.

    She closed the distance quickly. Peacemaker knew he couldn''t contend in close quarter combat with her, so he retracted his hands and slammed his fists together, deploying an energy shield around his body.

    Shiva was mid lunge when her instincts screamed at her.

    She dug her heel in, throwing herself back in a flip. Just in time too, as Klarion''s body impacted the ground between them.

    Then a second later, Davian fell on top of him, using his knees to deliver an effective slam onto the Chaos Lord''s chest.

    The ground quaked and shook as everyone struggled to keep their balance.

    Something super fast and huge blew past Shiva, speeding into the dust and headed towards Klarion''s position.

    Teekl, Klarion''s familiar slammed it''s paw on the Scarlet Devil''s side, throwing him away.

    Davian carved a groove with his body from the force of the blow, tumbling away before he stabbed his sword into the ground to slow his momentum.

    He looked up, silver hair loose and obscuring his eyes.

    "Fucking familiar." He cursed.

    "I can''t feel your soul because it''s connected to your master''s."

    Davian stated, getting to his feet, unharmed.

    "Enjoy that sneak attack. It was your last chance to put me down."

    Then he pointed his sword at them, specifically, Shiva.

    "What was it you said? Oh yeah. This is War. Me Vs All of you."

    For the first time, a smile broke out of Shiva''s face. Then she found herself chuckling. Then laughing out loud.

    Everyone looked at her like she was crazy. But they didn''t understand! None of them got it.

    This man was not like David Cain, he was not like Ra''s, or Bruce or anyone who had ever caught her eye.

    No, this one was different. And better...in all possible aspects.

    He wasn''t afraid to fight against the entire world. This man was the epitome of personal strength.

    Like an unpolished gem that still shone brighter than the most valuable diamonds or rubies.

    "I want to see it." She muttered lowly, her own blade, her precious Katana, lifting up.

    Then more loudly, she proclaimed,

    "Show me your strength, Davian Mabuz! Impress me!"

    She pulled on her Ki, something that she hadn''t accessed for a battle in many many years.

    Then with a blur, she sped forward.

 Savage and Unexpected.

    (General P.O.V)

    "You wanna go?! Let''s fucking go!"

    Davian leaned forward and shot towards Shiva as well.

    While Shiva''s speed was like a fleeting shadow, light on her feet, Davian''s take off was crude, heavy and loud.

    Without access to Shunpo, he relied on his pure physical speed to match someone who was peak human on top of having access to ki.

    "Yaahhhgh!"

    Shiva snarled, the first clash of their weapons producing sparks as they moved past each other.

    Then both spun at almost the same instant, unwilling to let the other gain the advantage.

    swinging their swords at crazy speeds, all everyone could witness was the purple trail of Davian''s sword and the Scarlet streak of Shiva''s red body suit.

    Davian was in a complicated position. There wasn''t time to think! Lady Shiva really deserved her reputation. She moved like greased lightning.

    It was all Davian could do to simply parry, block, dodge, evade and sidestep her slashes, swings and thrusts.

    She possessed an exceptional level of body control that saw her going up against him despite his superior strength.

    Davian''s eyes widened as he leaned back. suddenly, Shiva''s sword was passing right through where his head had been! Strands of his sily hair fell to the ground.

    Not to be deterred by the failed attack, Shiva jumped, her Katana glowing with a yellow color. Then she pierced straight for Davian''s heart.

    The katana extended and it was only through sensing her soul that Davian could roll out of the way.

    Shiva landed, her Katana halfway through the ground.

    An opening! Before she could pull it out, Davian lunged forward with a roar, his fist headed straight for her cheek.

    If the blow were to land, Ki or not, Shiva would have had to contend with a missing head.

    Davian found himself sailing above her.

    What...

    How had he missed?

    Then he looked down.

    She had extended her body into a split, pulling her flat to the ground.

    The Soul Reaper, spun in mid-air, landing on a portion of the training yard that put him closer to the Shadows.

    With his eyes still focused on Shiva, he wagged his finger at one of the Shadows, who was sneakily pulling out his Tanto, behind him.

    "Nah huh. Do that and I''ll do to you what I did to the last guy who interrupted me."

    Davian stated in a no nonsense tone.

    The shadow stopped, stiffening in place.

    Davian breathed out, stabbing Chesha Neko onto the ground before neatly tying his hair back into a pony tail.

    All the while Shiva merely watched, having rolled to her feet. She removed her coat, throwing it away.

    Before it could touch the ground, a shadow appeared and grabbed it off the air before retreating.

    Davian with Chesha Neko in hand started walking around her.

    One would mistake the way he was blatantly ogling her as lecherous, but it couldn''t be further from the truth.

    She was better- no that was an understatement...

    She was simply the best.

    Without his strength and speed, Davian would have died ten times over. He was studying her form, seeing the way she spaced out her legs.

    The way she set her shoulders in preparation, holding the Katana in a two handed grip.

    He stopped, lifted Chesha Neko and held it with both hands as well. It didn''t feel right, so he changed the positioning of his hands.

    The left hand above the right.

    Then he leaned forward slightly, shoulders slightly pulled back, the cords of the muscles of his back shifting and emphasized.

    Shiva raised her eyebrows.

    "That''s not how you hold a long sword."

    She spoke up, demonstrating by lowering her Katana a few inches to the ground, then pushing one leg forward.

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    Davian wordlessly copied her stance. His eyebrows scrunched up in curiosity. The changes he made in the stance he was in felt easier and comfortable.

    A glint of something appeared in Shiva''s eyes.

    "Good."

    A soft gale blew past their forms like an old western movie.

    There was no signal on when to start.

    The two of them simply lunged forward at each other at the same time.

    The wind picked up as both their forms flashed across the training yard. The rings and tics of their swords echoing out loudly.

    The pressure waves from their clashes destroyed nearby target practice boards and the straw dummies used for sword training.

    Davian was finding it easier to keep up with her. A combination of his physique, his soul reading and the new stance which was an immense help.

    But only barely.

    He couldn''t predict where the next attack would land, only forcing his eyes to track the outline of her soul before pushing his body to intercept the path of her strikes.

    Little but little he was gaining ground, though he could tell she was still going easy on him.

    He was yet to even try an attack. As if providence was finally smiling at him, there was finally an opening!

    He knew it could be a feint, however his impatience and frustration got the better of him.

    With a roar,

    He swung his sword out with all the strength he could exert. A massive shockwave exploded out behind Chesha Neko''s path.

    The pressure blast was so immense it carved another groove through the already destroyed training yard, throwing away more shadows and impacting the side of a building built on the peak of the hill overlooking the whole island.

    The sword aura had seemingly flown over 400 meters, simply from his pure strength alone!

    Before Davian could even understand that he had missed, Shiva was already at his back, as silent as a ghost.

    ''Shit...it really was a feint...'' Davian thought, trying to spin only to feel a tremendous force impact the small of his back.

    Shiva had given him a ki reinforced kick.

    The soul reaper plunged through the wooden wall of one of the dojos built along the perimeter of the training yard, Shiva following closely behind him.

    *******

    Vandal Savage closed his eyes.

    The boy''s potential was simply astonishing. Even at a full disadvantage, he was adapting. He was learning, cutting out unnecessary movements.

    Even at his best, Savage could at best draw with Lady Shiva. She was quite literally the best Martial Artist and Sword practitioner he knew.

    Still...everything was going according to plan. The pawn was moving closer.

    All that remained was for Klarion to do his part.

    *******

    "What the fuck..."

    Peacemaker was stunned, shocked and scared.

    He prided himself as a man of action. A patriot who never buckled when duty came calling. No matter who he was supposed to go up against.

    But this...this was madness.

    "...eacemaker..!..Peacemaker!"

    He looked away from the fight happening to receive the Waller''s angry transmission.

    Turns out he had gotten distracted.

    "Get your shit together or I will blow your fucking head off!"

    She promised, deadly serious.

    "Now listen up, here''s what you''ll do..."

    Peacemaker turned to Ra''s and Savage.

    "Waller proposes a ceasefire. Up until the Scarlet Devil is put down."

    Savage who had his eyes closed up until then opened them, revealing that his eyes had changed from normal into a sickly purple color.

    Peacemaker took a step back.

    The air had become thicker and cloying. Too cloying to properly breath. All because of those sinister purple eyes.

    "Does she now?"

    The Immortal said, a small savage grin on his already frightening looking face.

    "Let me think about it...no."

    Then the Immortal snapped a finger.

    At first nothing happened, a few scant seconds after, a rumbling could be heard from the ground.

    *******

    Deep in the dungeon under the Island''s surface, Deadman came to a sudden stop with Bronze Tiger on his back.

    "Huh? Why''d you stop?"

    Cheshire asked in a slurred tone, leaning against the wall of the dungeon''s maze like hallways just a few feet behind him.

    The sedative they''d given her was yet to wear out so despite the question, she was glad to get a few seconds of rest.

    Deadman said nothing. Instead, he dropped Bronze Tiger to the ground, sinking through the floor, before appearing behind Cheshire, grabbing her in a princess carry and immediately flying back the way they came.

    "HEY!! HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WE CAN''T..."

    Cheshire begun to say only to stop as a miasma of red begun wafting from Bronze Tiger''s position.

    A scream of raw fury escaped the crippled man. Then he begun to change. Drastically.

    His form bunched up, flesh bubbling while a white viscous liquid erupted out of his mouth, covering his face.

    The whole dungeon begun to shake.

    "What is that thing?!"

    Cheshire found herself shouting.

    The guttural human screams changed into something animalistic.

    Beastly.

    Cheshire''s soul trembled as she felt herself losing more of her already weakened strength.

    Red light begun to pulse from back the way they came.

    "Fuck! Fuck! We won''t make it!" Deadman chanced a look at their back and paled even more.

    "We won''t make it! Not unless...

    Without warning, he plunged into Cheshire, possessing her.

    Thankful that his abilities had undergone a Power-Up, he used his density shifting to push through the ceiling of earth above them, escaping the path of the massive cero produced by...

    ******

    The ground below Peacemaker in the Batman armor exploded out as a massive hollow punched through.

    Peacemaker found himself caught in a long black arm with white tipped sharp claws.

    Towering over everything around, everyone momentarily forgot about the fight happening inside the dojo to stare at the white masked, black robed, long nosed and red eyed monstrosity with a hole at the center of it''s chest.

    Had Davian been there, he would have identified it as a Gillian. The weakest class of Menos Grande.

    Only this was no normal Gillian.

    Behind it''s head, long black dreads waved in the air.

    Peacemaker raised up his cannon and started unloading all manner of weapons at its face.

    The energy canons, the shoulder pauldron''s Gatling guns, the explosive rounds coming out of his wrists... everything he had and yet...

    Nothing seemed to even phase the creature. Infact it seemed to get mad.

    "Oh sh..."

    Peacemaker''s words were cut off as his body was squeezed into paste within it''s tight grip.

    His head popped off his neck, setting off the bomb on the back of his neck and causing an explosion that barely harmed the Gillian.

    A white energy seemed to waft into the Gillian from Peacemaker''s crumbled remains. It had devoured his soul energy.

    Inside the Ark, Amanda Waller knew that the worst possible situation and come to pass.

    "Open fire! Unload everything we have on that fuckin dome and the Island! I want to see nothing remain after you''re done!"

    She ordered with a sense of urgency.

    The Ark''s weapons started priming for an assault on Infinity Island.

    "Hmph. Too late."

    Savage stated from next to Ra''s.

    A loud screech that went from a roar to a sharp whistling sound that targeted the ears, escaped out of the Special Grade Gillian''s mouth.

    Then with a whip of it''s head, a red cero formed before it''s bony mask, energy twisting upon itself before it let loose a devastating attack towards the sky.

    The dome provided no resistance as the cero tore through it and then swallowed the Ark in a devastating explosion.

    In a single move, the battle had shifted sides.

 A New Dawn.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I spat out wood chips while rolling to my feet, escaping a foot stomp from Shiva.

    Man, she was manhandling me.

    "I haven''t been hit that hard by a woman before."

    I told her, narrowing my eyes as I studied her soul for her next move.

    I needed to win this. I was getting better but not fast enough to actually beat her in the time frame I wanted.

    Something was about to happen. I could feel it.

    It felt like everytime I reached a benchmark, she would up the ante.

    "Get used to it."

    She said, sharing the same vicious smirk I had on my face.

    "Round 3?"

    I asked, rolling my neck.

    "If you''re up to it."

    She quipped, making me chuckle slightly.

    "I am so going to kick your ass."

    My promise was followed by me kicking a wooden dummy, one of those used for Wing Chun practice, towards her.

    She neatly stepped to the side and slashed it apart with a raised eyebrow.

    "I''m not done yet."

    I told her before copying her earlier move and stomping on the floor of the dojo. The whole building shook.

    Shiva steadied her balance very quickly, but I was already on her, swinging my sword towards her shoulder in a lethal move meant to split someone apart.

    How do you best someone who outclasses you in skill and agility? By leveraging your strengths.

    Or in this case, my strength.

    She went down on a knee with a groan, blocking the attack with her Katana, but completely failing to block the mule kick I delivered to her chest.

    Shiva shot off, smacked onto the walls of the dojo and broke through into the next room.

    I followed her quickly, only to widen my eyes as she was already up and coming at me with a lethal thrust to my neck.

    I couldn''t raise my long sword fast enough to block.

    The Katana inched closer and closer...only for a sharp ring to sound out as it met the side of Chesha Neko''s sheath, gripped tightly on my left hand.

    She pulled back, narrowly evading a swing from Chesha Neko by cartwheeling back.

    We stopped and stared at each other. A small trail of blood seemed to flow down the side of her lips.

    That kick I''d delivered had been strong enough to no doubt cause her internal injuries.

    It was crazy that she could still be moving.

    "You-"

    I begun but she immediately went on the offensive again.

    Only to stop mid stride as the ground started rumbling.

    The wooden rafters begun shaking as a sinister Reiryoku made itself known.

    The worst part? It felt so familiar! It felt like mine, only...with something more volatile thrown in the mix.

    With a click, everything became clear. The dome hadn''t been made to simply drain my spirit energy and suppress me.

    No, Savage had planned this.

    He had used the drained spirit energy to create something. A hollow with both spirit energy and...the same power running through Klarion''s body.

    This was like Barragan all over again.

    Fuck.

    "Sorry, gotta go."

    I threw over my shoulder at Shiva, preparing to put down whatever this breed of Hollow was.

    Only for the deadly assassin to block my way, moving to the front like a shadow.

    "Where do you think you''re going?"

    She asked, twirling her Katana.

    "Step aside. This is more than about us."

    My response fell on deaf ears.

    She bent low, Katana gripped tightly, her eyes glowing with the promise of death.

    "I was wrong about you. You wouldn''t take on the world alone. You''re just a scared little boy."

    Her words strangely cut deep.

    Whether it was because I had come to begrudgingly respect her or something, they still made me frown.

    "I don''t need to prove anything to you." I responded, making eye contact.

    "If you want to die...fine. I''m done playing around."

    Mirth danced in her eyes. As if the prospect of me beating her was too foreign to consider.

    What Shiva didn''t know was that the Hollow on the outside had destroyed the dome. The timing couldn''t have been better.

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    I managed to tap into my Spirit energy for just a second. But that second was enough.

    "Shikai!"

    The euphoria of tapping into my Reiryoku once more was more centering than anything.

    My body sang with unrepressed strength and my senses were back to being as sharp as ever.

    That was the only reason I felt the massive attack headed towards us.

    And despite Shiva being an enemy, I found myself pulling her behind me with my strings as I called out my Fullbring.

    (General P.O.V) (few minutes prior)

    A loud explosion rang out above Infinity Island.

    An explosion that could be seen from miles away. Luckily enough, the island was a long distance from any landmass.

    The A.R.G.U.S Ark was split in the middle by the cero.

    Without the red dome acting as a shield, the shards of metal and burning debris fell onto the island, destroying more buildings and vegetation.

    "Savage! This is not what we agreed upon!"

    Ra''s yelled, gripping the pommel of the sword at his hip.

    The league of shadows followed his move, the air ringing with the sound of drawn metal.

    "Isn''t it glorious?"

    Vandal Savage widened his hands, seemingly unafraid of all the Ninjas surrounding him.

    "Imagine this power...on our people. On your Shadows Ra''s. Imagine the age of prosperity we could usher in, old friend."

    He turned to one of his most important allies, reaching out a gloved hand.

    "Join me and let''s truly light a path for the world."

    He offered.

    Ra''s Al Ghul looked at the hand.

    "No."

    He finally answered, looking up at Savage.

    "I was with you when you truly wanted what was best for this planet."

    The aged leader of the assassins shook his head while adding,

    "However, if my island is any indication, you only seek meaningless death and destruction. The League of Shadows has a sacred duty. We do not condone senseless Killing."

    "I see..."

    Savage''s hand fell, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

    Ra''s turned around.

    "In consideration of our friendship, I will let this slide. Leave this island, Vandal Savage and never come back."

    The leader of the Shadows took one step forward in a bid to leave...only for red chains to sprout from the ground.

    "What is..."

    Ra''s Al Ghul begun.

    The demon''s head looked around as the chains surrounded his body, restricting his movements and ensnaring his limbs to the point he was immobilized in place.

    His head snapped back to glare at Savage.

    "Chaos magic!? What is the meaning of this Savage!?"

    Instead of answering, Vandal Savage reached out through the control he had over the Gillian, turning it to face the shadows.

    Red energy begun gathering before it''s mouth.

    "This...is a new dawn."

    The hollow released the cero. Pandemonium followed. The spirit energy contained inside rippled out, devouring dozens of Shadows and destroying a good chunk of the island.

    *******

    (Other side of the Island)

    The presence of the massive hollow had not gone unnoticed.

    That went double when the hollow begun destroying their home.

    Sensei, Ra''s Al Ghul''s second in command was a man who rarely made a move.

    That was not to say he was incapable of delivering on the Demon''s Head orders.

    Which is why when the unexpected presence of the hollow was not only felt but spotted, he immobilized every other shadow in reserve.

    The island needed them.

    The Demon''s Head needed his army.

    A loud gong sounded out across the entire island.

    More shadows, these ones led by Sensei himself and Ubu, appeared on the rooftops of the buildings built along the training yard.

    They had just arrived to see the monster mow down a dozen of their brothers and sisters.

    Warriors that Sensei himself had trained through blood and sweat.

    Not to mention, the master''s current situation.

    There was no time for talk. Only action was needed.

    "For the Demon''s head. Kill this monstrosity! Show them the wrath of Ra''s Al Ghul!"

    Sensei commanded.

    The shadows descended on the Gillian like a swarm, wielding sharp katanas and other manner of murder weapons...a war had begun.

    They realized how out of depth they were, when the first clash resulted in casualties from their side.

    None of their attacks could do much to the Gillain.

    It''s tough hide stopped any sword slashes and anyone too close to it''s face would find themselves immediately crushed by the spirit energy.

    The Gillian howled, stunning a couple of the shadows before sweeping them apart with a swing of it''s clawed hand.

    *******

    "Stop this." Ra''s growled out, grinding his teeth.

    His shadows were dying. And there was nothing he could do. Not when the chains grew tighter everytime he tried to move.

    His pride...what did it matter when his legacy was in danger of being destroyed?

    Yet Vandal Savage remained silent.

    "Look at me Dammit! Vandal Savage you traitor! I have given much to your course and this is how you repay my trust?!" The Demon''s Head raged.

    "Head my words...I shall kill you for this."

    Ra''s promised.

    "Even with all this, you still fail to see the the Light. Klarion, shut him up. We are almost ready for the next step."

    Savage finally spoke up.

    From Savage''s shadow, something rippled and stepped out.

    Klarion''s red eyes cruelly gazed at Ra''s Al Ghul.

    "You''re so impatient. You didn''t even wait for the cool villain monologue! Don''t you want to know what''s going on?"

    Ra''s looked at the creature in the form of a boy contemptuously.

    "Release me, Chaos Lord or suffer the wrath of Ra''s Al Ghul. Nowhere on Earth can you hide from me."

    The Demon''s Head words dripped with the conviction to make due on his promise.

    "Whoooo so scary!" Klarion laughed, lightly brushing Teekl''s fur.

    "I can''t wait to turn you."

    His lips stretched up widely.

    "You will no doubt be even stronger than the cripple guy! Forcefully combining Spirit energy into monsters and beasts wasn''t working. But then we stumbled upon a revelation. The human gene, the most unadaptable..."

    Teekl meowed.

    Klarion threw a stink eye at the familiar in his hand, now back to it''s regular size after Davian had attacked them.

    "Adaptable! That''s what I said!"

    "Klarion...focus."

    Savage told him.

    "I do what I want!"

    The Lord of Chaos barked out at Savage.

    A side eye from the Immortal and the Chaos Lord wilted slightly.

    Klarion turned to face Ra''s Al Ghul.

    "The human gene is the most adaptable gene. Throw in a little chaos magic into the mix and the spirit energy not only stabilized the soul, it led to a transformation. A new being. One missing it''s inherent humanity, yet more. We call them, Chaos Hollows."

    "And what does attacking my forces accomplish?"

    The Demon''s Head asked.

    "Well, that''s an easy one. We need to feed it of course! It feeds on souls to grow stronger. Your shadows are like the perfect side dish. And when it is strong enough..."

    "It is time."

    Savage cut in, making the Gillian that was already pulsing with more energy than before, stiffen and turn towards a certain direction.

    "...then it will move on to the main course."

    Klarion concluded gazing at their creation with almost...a fondness.

    "Kill him! Show that bastard what true chaos is!!"

    The Gillian''s head turned, it''s black cloak flaring out, the mask on it''s face glowing under the light of the burning buildings and trees surrounding them.

    Ra''s Al Ghul had done nothing but watch as 90% of his organization was destroyed.

    Infinity Island, the headquarters of the League of Shadows...was in a deplorable state.

    A cero, this one bigger than anything the Gillian had created before, begun forming infront of it''s mouth.

    This next attack however, was dangerous enough that there wouldn''t even be ruins left of the Island.

    The energy warped and twisted, compressing more and more power into a football sized red ball.

    The target was the dojo that Shiva and Davian had been fighting in.

    The cero wasted no time upon being released to cover the short distance.

    Everything in its path went up in a fiery blaze.

    The hollow energy inside engulfed the dojo in its entirety, decimating the wall behind the dojo and forming a crater that gave way to a massive groove on the side of the hill below the training yard.

    Rocks fell into the tumultuous waters of the ocean as the island lost a huge chunk of itself.

    The dust and smoke settled...and something could be seen.

    A green shield was revealed, floating at the center of the mindless destruction.

    Davian''s cold eyes were full of anger as he looked around.

    His eyes trailed over the massive Gillian looming over him.

    Behind him was Shiva, not moving to attack despite Davian having his back to her.

    "Truce?"

    Davian offered, gripping Chesha Neko on his right hand and the sheath on his left.

    Shiva looked around at the dead shadows. Her students...her colleagues. The culprit was easy enough to spot.

    Vandal Savage.

    "Truce."

    She accepted.

    "I shall lend you my weapon. Temporarily."

    "No." Davian narrowed his eyes at Klarion and Savage.

    "This is personal. My fight. Do not interfere."

    Shiva blinked, looking at the strong back. The confident aura he exuded merely by standing in place.

    Her lips opened slightly. Then a small smile appeared on her face.

    "I see. Very well. Do not idle, we still have a fight to conclude."

 A True Abomination (1/2)

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    A Gillian.

    A fucking genuine Hueco Mundo- Menos Grande level Hollow.

    This was bad.

    Not just because of the kind of Reiryoku running through the thing but what it meant.

    I''d thought I would have to worry about getting cloned by one of the numerous mad scientists in DC but this was worse.

    They could manipulate spirit energy and use it for their own ends.

    Not to mention it was mine. And that particular thing was the most infuriating of all. They stole from me.

    No mercy.

    But I had to be smart about this. The Gillian as mentioned previously was very very dangerous.

    Something about the corrupt spirit energy and chaos magic fusion made me tense in trepidation.

    The chaos magic had changed the Gillian. Or rather...the man at the core of the hollow.

    This was the second reason I decided to not spare Savage, Klarion and whoever else was in their little merry band of psychopaths.

    They had fucked up my chances at getting Bronze Tiger to be my teacher. A major setback.

    I couldn''t outright kill the Gillian without doing the same to Bronze Tiger. Fuck fuck fuck...

    ''What would Chase say to do in this situation?''

    He would probably tell me to focus on what mattered at that very instant. Slow steps.

    I sized up my opponents.

    They seemed content to wait for me to make a move. Big mistake. So what mattered at that moment?

    Making sure Klarion didn''t restore the dome to cut off my spirit energy again. I couldn''t let him drain any more of my power.

    That means he gets to die first.

    "You wanted to see my power right?"

    I said lowly, only loud enough for Shiva to hear.

    I could feel a surge of interest from her soul.

    "Watch closely."

    Shikai put my parameters at the level of a captain in terms of combat potential. While my Reiryoku was still not at that level...it had been inching closer.

    I pulled on as much as I could without losing control and slipped into Shunpo.

    (General P.O.V)

    The plan was going perfectly. Now all they had to do was exhaust him enough that capture would not be an issue.

    Failing that...there was a contingency in place. One that would guarantee success no matter the outcome.

    Savage knew what his biggest resource was. Time. Knowledge to a smaller but no less important extent.

    Deciphering the secrets of Davian''s Spirit energy had been a slow going endeavor but with the source itself, the time till he had an army strong enough to face anything would be drastically cut.

    This was his new dawn. The dawn of light.

    And this boy... standing in defiance to a noble cause would learn...

    "He''s up to something. Remember..."

    Savage addressed Klarion.

    "Yeah yeah...we let him think he has the..."

    A shadow appeared by Klarion''s side. Purple eyes blazing with murderous intent and pinning him to the ground with fear.

    "Die."

    Davian said, swinging Chesha Neko out and decapitating the Chaos Lord in a clean move.

    He pushed his right hand towards Savage who had been standing next to the Chaos Lord.

    "Hado no. 7: Akai Inazuma."

    The smell of ozone permeated the air, followed by streaks of electric energy, zapping out towards Vandal Savage.

    He gave no reaction as his body was immediately shredded by the power.

    Klarion blinked...

    ''so merciless...so chaotic...''

    His head flew through the air with a shocked look in his eyes.

    Davian had attacked without warning, only seeking their deaths.

    "Kekekeke..."

    Klarion''s frightened visage changed to a gloating expression.

    The rest of his body turned into a dark sludge that splashed onto the ground. Tiny pops sounded out as a red magic circle appeared below Davian''s feet.

    "Hmm?"

    His form flash stepped away, appearing on the roof of a building that had survived the Gillian''s rampage.

    His previous position went up in a massive explosion.

    "Hahahaha!! Did you really think we wouldn''t see through your plan?!"

    Klarion yelled from the shoulders of the Gillian where he and Savage had appeared through a portal.

    "Give up. Your resistance is futile."

    Savage added, cold eyes gazing down at the soul reaper.

    Another Shunpo and he was upon them, above their forms ready for a second swing.

    Whoosh!

    Bam!

    The Gillian seemingly sprouted an arm from the side of it''s neck, lashing out at the soul reaper.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Davian blocked the swing on his weapon, the force carrying him back.

    He stepped on a platform of Reiryoku and bounced off it, coming back towards the two Supervillains from a different angle, moving as fast as lightning.

    Only for a magical circle to appear on his path, courtesy of Klarion. Red flames roared out of the magic spell.

    Davian''s form flashed to the sides around the Gillian, evading the wild swings of it''s gigantic arms and Klarion''s chaos spells while trying to get close.

    When that failed, he begun attacking at range.

    Chesha Neko broke off into numerous tube like constructs, all aimed at the Gillian.

    "Hado no.4: Byakurai!"

    The tubes glowed at the ends. Then hundreds of straight lightning beams exploded forth, streaking at the Gillian.

    Klarion''s finger blurred across the air as he wrote something on reality. A spell inscription that glowed red.

    The Kido spell tore the Gillian into pieces but Klarion and Savage''s forms evaded the attacks by temporarily going intangible.

    The Gillian roared, seemingly unfazed by the Hado spell. Then it stretched it''s hand out towards Davian.

    The soul reaper evaded capture by climbing higher into the air while narrowing his eyes.

    Byakurai had torn holes through the Gillian. However, right before his eyes, those wounds healed. It was like time was reversed on it''s injuries.

    ''No, not time. It can devour spirit energy'', he realized.

    That''s why they were unworried. With time, the hollow could simply outlast him while he expended more energy to deal with it.

    He needed to find an effective way to put it down without using spirit energy.

    Davian allowed gravity to pull him towards the ground, aiming his hands at the hollow below him.

    "Hado no.1: Sho!"

    The strings around him changed into glowing purple palms.

    Different from other Hado spells, Sho used no spirit energy. Instead the spell caused the propulsion of air in a controlled thrust.

    Like an air Cannon.

    The spell landed on the Gillian, battering it with dozens of pressure blasts.

    Savage controlled the Gillian by raising both of his hands, an action that was mirrored by the hollow to cover it''s front from the onslaught.

    "Klarion...?"

    Savage called out, his tone strained as he poured as much focus into the task as he could.

    Just because the strategy was going according to the plan didn''t mean it was easy to fight Davian.

    A hole in space manifested beside them, growing large enough to swallow the Gillian and teleport them away to another portion of the training yard.

    The ground previously under them was swiftly covered by many palm impressions.

    Davian''s senses warned him of an imminent attack from his back.

    He turned around in time to see a cero get launched towards him by the Gillian.

    Through some quick thinking, his Fullbring shield appeared around him.

    The energy from the cero exploded around the shield, pushing it to slam onto the ground and bounce before landing on the side of a cliff, next to a stairway leading to the peak of the hill.

    The dust settled and Davian was revealed, unharmed but annoyed.

    He blew away a few strands of his loose hair. He couldn''t get close to them without Klarion teleporting them away.

    In that case, all he had to do was keep them in one place long enough for his attack to land.

    He held his palms closer to his chest, an exorbitant amount of Reiryoku gathering there in a swirling yellow sphere of energy.

    Davian had discovered something funny about Kido.

    Incantations could push already powerful Kido spells to another level. Logically, remembering every incantation from the anime was impossible.

    However these few days spent studying up on magic had led to the exploration of different concepts.

    One of them being...creation of his own incantations to resourceful Kido spells in a bid to increase their power.

    His steps were measured as he walked forward, his mind going at fast speeds as he considered everything.

    The Gillian could absorb direct attacks.

    However, he didn''t think it could absorb a spell made to suppress it''s movements instead of inflicting damage.

    That meant the absorption was limited. Selective even.

    "Bakudo no. 4: Hainawa - (slither and bind, suppress and restrict. Heavens and hell matter little to the rogue. Bind all under the sun with the ropes of eternal convection.)

    The light pouring from his palms intensified.

    The energy in the swirling storm of power contained within the sphere, lashed out through the air in a wild barrage of lightning ropes.

    They stretched out towards the Gillian and bound themselves around it''s huge form, holding it''s body in place and with it Klarion and Savage.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I tugged on the rope and shit forwards, streaking through the air towards the Hollow.

    The only way I could win this without having to result into a massive drawn out fight was by actually going in for the kill.

    At this point, I had to do the merciful thing and put my would be teacher out of his misery.

    One sure way of killing a hollow was targeting it''s mask.

    The Gillian struggled under the bindings.

    Chesha Neko lengthened in size as I slashed out along the mask, splitting the Gillian''s face from chin to forehead.

    A screech sounded out as I flew past the creature, then spun in the air turning to face them from above.

    Klarion and Savage seemed to be holding on to the swaying monster as its Reiryoku begun going haywire.

    Now for the finishing move.

    An entire swarm of shrouds, simply floating in midair after being beckoned to the real world by the deaths in the island, rotated around my body before plunging into me through my back.

    There...

    I felt the power of the Spirit King take hold once more. My Reiryoku went from close to Captain Level to completely unreadable.

    The storm of spirit energy was released in a wave of green energy, revealing my spirit king form.

    All that happened in a split second. Power roared within my empty eye sockets as the Reiatsu I could produce more than tripled.

    Every creature still alive in the island turned instinctively to stare at me.

    I could feel the remaining Shadows, those left alive watch me with existential fear. The ones dying gazed at me with yearning.

    I could feel the souls of Shiva, Ra''s Al Ghul...and their lifespans.

    The former looked at death as the reward after the final battle, the latter looked at me as if I was anathema. He hated me. He feared me.

    And I was tempted to change my objective from dealing with Savage and Klarion to showing the Demon''s Head the true beauty of death.

    Instead I clamped down on the urge, using my anger to let out an infuriated howl.

    "Vandal Savage! Klarion you Leach of magic! Your souls are forfeit! For the crimes against life and the insult upon my divine station...DIIIIEEEE!!"

    I declared, relishing the brief but potent surge of fear I could feel from the two.

    "Come king of Spirits! This day will be the beginning of my ASCENSION INTO GODHOOD!"

    Savage yelled back spreading his hands out, hiding his fear under layers of bravado.

    But that''s what he failed to understand. Before death...all was revealed.

    I hoisted the long green Scythe, spun with it and came down for a diagonal slash that cleaved apart the Gillian from head to toe.

    My speed was too fast to register, let alone react to.

    The scythe went through bone and flesh easily, separating the hollow into two parts.

    The Spirit King''s scythe had one distinct feature, anything I injured with it, guaranteed death.

    Even a simple scratch.

    "Absorb that, bitch."

    The corrupt Reiryoku within the Hollow destabilized, escaping through the wound infected by the Scythe.

    "No...no no no! No! No! You can''t do this! You promised!!!..."

    Klarion howled, the energy escaping the hollow tearing him apart.

    I could hear loud screams which were immediately drowned under the massive explosion that followed.

    Hundreds of souls poured out of the Gillian, glowing beautifully in the air as they ascended into the sky.

    The area around us had become a crater. We had destroyed so much of the island but it was finally over.

    Fuck them. A smile worked it''s way onto my face.

    They tried to fight me and died. I killed them all. I will kill everything that stands in my way. Every single Fucking...

    I rubbed my eyes.

    No, why would I think that? The problem with the spirit king form is that it changed the way I thought.

    I tightened my hands on Chesha Neko.

    Something wasn''t right. By all indications it was over but something was off.

    The Gillian was gone. Klarion and Savage too. I couldn''t feel them anywhere on the island.

    So why did I feel a chill crawl up my spine as I turned around to look out into the ocean?

    And this heat in my chest...

    A hunger that was steadily creeping up from within me. Was it caused by the Spirit King form?

    I fell out of it, my body suddenly feeling a bout of weakness. As per usual when I entered this state.

    Cheshire was suddenly there, holding me up.

    "Steady... you alright?"

    The voice that came from her was distinctly male.

    "Brand."

    I called out.

    "Yeah... don''t try to move. You fought that thing and won..."

    He said in awe.

    I pulled myself up, twirling Chesha Neko while surveying the island with my Reikaku.

    "Hey Deadman...let me ask you something. Do you think that it was too easy?"

    I enquired from the disembodied spirit.

    "Too easy?! Are you kidding me! The whole island is barely standing. You went all ham on that...thing..."

    His voice trailed off as he felt it too.

    "Fuck! I knew it!"

    I cursed out, tensing in preparation.

    There was a rumble from below the island. Deep enough that Reikaku couldn''t pin point the source but I knew something was coming.

    Something I had not foreseen. Savage''s final plan unfolding.

    Later I would come to realize the depth of this man''s insanity. The depths he would have gone to, just to ensure that I wouldn''t win.

    Savage had used the Island''s Lazarus Pit to be reborn into something else.

    The Gillian, the dome meant to drain my energy...all of it were steps to his final apotheosis.

    Vandal Savage''s New Dawn composed of him dying and then getting reborn as something completely different from human. A fusion of human, Chaos Lord and Hollow.

    A true abomination.

    And I had played right into his hands.

    It begun with a rumble and then the Island split into two.

 A True Abomination (2/2)

    (General P.O.V)

    (5000 years ago)

    A village lay in the middle of a white landscape.

    Winter had hit hard this time, the snow falling onto the sturdy huts and covering the roofs with a fresh coat of crunchy ice flakes.

    Cries could be heard from within a hut. Cries of a woman giving birth.

    A few minutes later, a man stepped out with a bundle of something in his hands.

    A dozen villagers all wearing thick fur and carrying hunting spears bowed in subservience at the chief.

    The chief looked on proudly before revealed to them what he had in his hands.

    "Vandal...the bringer of hope. The bringer of a new dawn."

    He declared, presenting his new born to the village.

    Everyone cheered.

    Hidden behind layers of space, Batmite rubbed his hands with a conniving smile.

    "I realized something...I need to play the long game. Despite going to so much trouble to bring his soul into this world, the disgraced king failed once more."

    Then he looked at the child,

    "But you...you will be a valuable instrument."

    That same night, Batmite stopped a massive blizzard that would have devastated the village and forced them to relocate.

    *******

    In a deep jungle with trees draped in thick vines and foliage, the muddy ground crumbled under a foot, as something big and heavy ran chased after something small.

    The sabertooth tiger''s chest rumbled with a roar as it lunged after the fleeing figure, which turned out to be a teen, no older than 13.

    The powerful lunge enabled it to clear the distance, claws and sharp teeth ready to rip apart the small annoyance that had wondered into its den when an arrow sank on it''s neck.

    Hunting calls and whistles sounded out as the hunters lying in wait attacked the tiger.

    Meanwhile the young Vandal had stopped and stared at the tiger in its dying throes. The trap had been successful. He''d managed to lure the apex beast where he wanted.

    He, curiously, like many times before watched it''s eyes. It held so much fear in its gaze. No might or the almost unopposed strength it had once displayed.

    Vandal couldn''t understand how a powerful creature could be bowed so easily by death. Death was the great equalizer.

    The others were proud of their strength, their hunting skills, their huts, their winter gatherings, their beautiful daughters, their dutiful sons.

    However, to him it was all meaningless. To him the measure of life was not on how you lived but how long you evaded death.

    Which is why he was never afraid to live. He was never afraid to test himself. And each time he escaped death...his soul would be fulfilled.

    (Unseen by anyone)

    Batmite cackled, rolling with glee on the floor of an impossible place.

    A place in between the material and the ethereal.

    "He''s coming along nicely! Hey this is almost as fun as messing with Batman. Speaking of, time for our scheduled weekly tort- I mean meeting!"

    Batmite made sure to always arrive at critical junctures in Vandal''s life.

    He orchestrated events that would ensure this Vandal was not just a Savage when born...but a smart brute.

    One who would question the why and the how instead of just the what. The small boy grew up to be a legend.

    One hailed as unkillable (Batmite was careful not to change Vandal''s meeting with the meteor that gave him his abilities)

    700 years after everyone Vandal had known was dead, the healthy man who looked not a day over 30 ventured forth into the world.

    His legend would spread wide and his influence in human history could be felt on every corner of the globe.

    It came to be that he would meet a fortune teller in his travels.

    One who would inform him of his destiny. Of the reason why he was chosen by the glowing rock from the sky.

    "You are the light to his darkness." Madame Xanadu would begin, eyes rolled back to her head as she swayed in place.

    "Whose darkness?"

    Vandal had asked.

    Was it the presence he felt watching him at all times?

    The chamber had been filled with smoke from burning incense, different alchemical compounds and other spell casting paraphernalia.

    "The king of death. He who lounges as the bridge between the spirit world and the walking world. You shall rise up to oppose him. If he is the king of death, then you shall be the king of life."

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Savage had finally figured out his ultimate mission. He had been chosen for a noble course.

    One that would usher in a new age of prosperity. Free from the whims of unworthy gods and monsters.

    An age where humanity would ascend to it''s rightful place in existence under him. An existence free of Death.

    Batmite clapped for himself at a well done job.

    He had given a mass murderer a cause. He had given an immortal something they would gladly live for. In some ways a conviction strong enough to die for.

    He had given a savage purpose.

    (Current Day)

    Vandal Savage felt his immortal form unravel as his skin burned, his flesh melted and his bones turned to ash.

    Pain. Agonizing pain that he had forgotten millennia ago due to the nature of his physique, now assaulted his frayed nerve endings.

    The torrent of energies surrounding Klarion and him, tore them apart as the Scythe of the Spirit King forcefully split the Gillian in half, causing the souls imprisoned within to escape.

    And with it the purest essence of non-existence Vandal had ever tasted.

    He knew that death was coming for him. He could feel a tug on his very soul as the gates of hell opened up and beckoned him in.

    But then his contingency plan activated.

    Deep within his soul was a mark. A void left behind where death was supposed to be.

    For every creature contained that sliver of unlife.

    Except for him.

    And now he would fill that void with something else. A status of power that would put him above gods, demons and Death itself.

    He had no idea if this would work before except for an instinctual feeling that it would.

    A feeling he had had his entire life.

    A sensation that would urge him to move forward, to stop, to kill, to pillage,to rape, to save, to rescue...

    This time it told him one thing.

    Devour it all.

    A massive magic formation built under the island with the Lazarus Pit as it''s core lit up as the final preparations commenced.

    The nature of the Lazarus Pit was to restore. The Magicka within it, potent to even bring back a soul on the verge of moving on.

    The island rumbled as the waters of the Lazarus pit lost their glow.

    Tendrils of dark green sickly energy twisted and churned from the depths as something formed from within the torrent.

    All the spirit energy gathered by the circle before the dome was destroyed, Klarion''s Chaos Lord essence and the Gillian''s corrupted Reiryoku, all were the ingredients.

    A storm of multicolored energy gathered around a black soul.

    All these energies fused into the soul of a mortal man turned god.

    And when it was supposed to fail, Vandal felt his benefactor; just like the time he had helped him gather Spirit energy for the first time to study it, he felt his influence once more.

    The storm of power was promptly sucked into the soul.

    The Island cracked in the middle, the ancient bedrock filled with magic failing to stand up to the awakening of something grand.

    Davian watched as the crack spread along the training yard, separating it into two sides.

    He jumped into the air and created an energy platform to stand on before turning to the floating Cheshire. Or rather Deadman.

    "During my fight, I felt you save some shadows from the Gillian''s attacks."

    Deadman stiffened, thinking Davian would reprimand him.

    "That was Good Work. Save as many as you can and take them away from here. This is not the day most die."

    Davian stated, surprising the disembodied soul within Cheshire.

    Deadman opened his mouth...then closed it. There was no need for words. He gazed at the strong back of the man before him and turned to leave.

    Once he was gone, Davian''s breath hitched slightly as a pillar of rainbow colored energy burst out through the cracked ground.

    He looked at his hands and saw them shake.

    The power he was feeling from this... abomination...it sent his flight instincts into haywire.

    Never had death felt so...close to him. Not even the first time he died.

    This wasn''t a regular enemy something told him there was something eerily off about him.

    Only one of them would be leaving here alive.

    "Can you feel it Davian?"

    The deep and soft baritone belonging to one Vandal Savage,entered his ears as the rainbow colored pillar of light receded.

    A man was revealed. No, calling him a man was a disservice.

    His skin glowed golden, his hair waved in the air behind his head in a hypnotic fashion. His red eyes seemed to contain a certainly pull.

    He was shirtless, much like Davian. Tall and huge, with a halo of gold light surrounding his back.

    His most distinctive feature was the black boney skull on his face.

    Shades orbited around him, screeching in defiance to what this being was.

    Unreasonable hate colored Davian''s soul.

    A snarl of rage escaped his mouth.

    "What have you done Savage?! You meddle in powers you know nothing about. You''ve become an abomination."

    The new Vandal laughed, hands stretched to his sides.

    "So you can feel it!"

    He replied, his voice booming out through the shattered island.

    "The bond between us. The unbroken connection between life and death."

    Davian blinked and felt Vandal Savage presence next to him. His skin crawled with the power this abomination contained within itself.

    Davian clamped down on the urge to swing out his sword and kill this thing. He had to wait.

    He was angry for playing right into Vandal Savage''s hands and now the immortal was a monster who simply couldn''t be exorcised, a man who simply couldn''t be killed.

    Not that Davian was planning anything less than death for him. He had killed beings that claimed they couldn''t die before. He just had...to wait for a little while longer.

    Savage looked up at the shrouds orbiting around them.

    "They fear and hate me so much because of what I represent. I am the killer of death. I bring life and to them I break the natural order something fierce."

    He laughed once more, his lips stretched out to reveal perfect teeth.

    The immortal turned his gaze to stare at Davian, whose face was occupied by an impassive expression.

    His eyes were set on a spot past the Island.

    On the ocean, Shiva stood on a small boat, watching the island next to an unconscious Ra''s Al Ghul.

    Infinity Island was no more.

    Davian could see the last of the boats retreat to a safe enough distance. Nothing living was left on the island except for the two of them.

    No point in holding back now.

    "Oh? I thought you would have much to say to me."

    Savage addressed Davian.

    "As your natural opposite..."

    A normal human fist could travel at 15mph. A boxer''s fist could travel at 20mph.

    Davian''s fist burned the air in its path towards Vandal Savage, travelling at more than 100 times as fast as a normal punch.

    Savage received the blow with his left palm, fingers closing over the fist. The presence burst that would have normally followed was nullified.

    "That was rude. I saw how furious you got at being interrupted. Yet you do the same. A bit hypocritical, isn''t it?"

    The immortal said, squeezing the hand.

    "Shut up."

    Davian growled out, throwing a disgusted look at the Immortal.

    "Unlike me, you have nothing of worth to share with the world."

    Savage''s face scrunched up in a rictus of anger and hate.

    Davian continued, uncaring of the mounting anger within the immortal,

    "I called Klarion a leach but you are worse than that. You''re a parasite."

    "A worm who stumbled into his power and now thinks what he says goes. You hail yourself to be my equal but you''re wrong Savage. Death has no equal."

    For the first time ever...Davian fully released his Reiatsu.

    The stones under them shattered as gravity itself inverted in a zone around them.

    The water rose up in a massive curtain, swirling into a tornado with them in the middle.

    Savage looked around in surprise, then his eyes snapped back to Davian.

    "I can do that too."

    He declared, causing his Reiatsu, no weaker than Davian''s, to rumble out from within his core.

    Both Reiatsus fought for dominance and the environment suffered for it.

    The island that had previously been rocks floating in the water was now nothing but a whirlpool.

    The sky above the two had dark voluminous clouds that spat out streaks of lightning down upon them.

    Deadman, from a boat sailing away couldn''t believe his eyes.

    No one could.

    "How can two men wield such power? It''s... unnatural."

    One of the Shadows he had managed to save stammered out.

    Deadman had to disagree with him. It was natural.

    It was Davian Mabuz.

    "Good luck boss."

    He said too low for anyone else to hear.

 Something Brews Within Part 1.

    (General P.O.V)

    The air crackled with tension and power.

    Both combatants watched each other, ready for the other to make a move first.

    Would Davian pull his fist away from Savage''s hold or would Savage make the next move?

    The decision seemed to fall on whose Reiatsu would emerge as the victor.

    The weight of both individual spirit pressure clashed against each other with the force of a Tsunami. Or rather, several Tsunamis.

    Red eyes met golden eyes amid the flash of a streak of lightning that highlighted the two figures hovering in mid air.

    No words needed to be said. The tempo of the colliding Reiatsus reached a crescendo and with a shockwave that could be heard from afar with the tornado of water around them being forcefully expelled.

    The drops fell on them in a misty spray.

    That seemed to be the signal and the fight truly begun.

    Streaks of purple lightning washed down Davian''s body as he pulled his hand back from Savage''s hold.

    The action was nothing more than a blur.

    Then he bent the arm and thrust out his elbow towards Savage.

    The immortal displayed his superior martial arts skills by blocking the elbow with his forearm and pulling in closer to the Soul Reaper.

    His palm slashed out towards Davian''s neck.

    The latter read the movement of Savage''s soul and knew the attack carried with it a lot of lethality.

    He kicked out, both to create distance and to try and get the upper hand.

    Savage merely grinned, sweeping away Davian''s leg with a few well timed jabs to the shin.

    Davian felt his leg go numb. A burst of Shunpo from his right leg pushed him away from Savage.

    The Immortal smiled evilly and followed after him with a shout,

    "Where do you think you''re going?!"

    Unlike Davian, he could fly unaided in the air. An instinctual ability copied from Klarion.

    Davian poured more Reiryoku into his numbed leg while lifting up his hands in a boxing pose.

    A hundred different blows were exchanged in a second.

    Davian could scrap. Meaning he wasn''t a newbie at street fighting but Savage was on a whole other level.

    The punches, palm strikes and finger jabs came from seemingly impossible angles and at different speeds.

    This was turning out into a reenactment of his fight with Shiva.

    His head rocked with lightning fast strikes while his forearms stung from the blocks he did manage to intercept.

    The difference between Shiva and Savage was made clear.

    While he had Shiva outstripped in almost all physical parameters, Savage with his new power was his equal.

    A blinding punch to his temple followed by a palm strike to his solar plexus that robbed him of his breath, informed him he was wrong.

    Savage had way more speed and strength than him.

    "Untrained."

    The immortal commented, dodging a hasty haymaker and an uppercut from Davian that sent a pressure wave to the sky, scattering the dark clouds above them.

    "Argh!"

    Davian growled, blurring forward in a Shunpo, anger occupying his mind for a few seconds.

    Savage dodged the lunge almost too easily, delivering a kick at Davian''s belly that folded the younger man in half.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "Unfocused. Quick to emotion."

    Savage commented once more, slamming his elbow on Davian''s back, sending him shooting towards the water.

    Davian''s body spun and flipped uncontrollably as the air passed him, his body on a direct trajectory towards the ocean.

    Savage watched as the Spirit King''s body made a huge splash.

    "King of Death huh? How disappeared..."

    A fist slammed onto his cheek, whipping his head back and folding his neck to stare the wrong way.

    It was fast. It was sudden. It was unexpected.

    The shockwave produced blew the humid air away, revealing Davian with his fist stretched out, slightly steaming from having delivered his first true attack.

    Savage''s golden eyes blinked in confusion. The confusion was expelled by the agony of having his neck twisted and broken.

    Davian who had sneakily used Shunpo to escape the dark waters of the Atlantic, had come in from Savage''s blind side.

    "Oy."

    He said, grabbing Savage''s arm as the Immortal''s body lost control of it''s flight.

    "Don''t count me out just yet, you bastard."

    On the drop of these words, Davian braced his right hand on Savage''s shoulder and then pulled.

    The Immortal''s arm came off with a sickening squelch. Hot golden ichor spurted out, dying Davian in the face.

    Then he pulled his hand back and slammed a heavy fist, one reinforced with as much Reiryoku as he could, at the Immortal''s chest.

    Savage''s back exploded out with more blood and organs. The remains of his body descended in a shower of guts towards the ocean.

    Davian looked on as the Immortal fell into the waters below.

    Without a word, he unsheathed his sword.

    He knew that much was still not enough to actually put this enemy out of commission.

    He could still feel the raw shocking strength of Savage''s soul. It hadn''t waned in the slightest.

    *******

    The water below churned with bubbles as the golden ichor spread out.

    In the depths of that sea, the self proclaimed King of Life breathed, his body regenerating from its destroyed form.

    The flesh knitted, biomass stolen from the schools of fish swimming away from the scene.

    But he could call upon them. The flesh, bone and blood constructs, those with the breath of life in them.

    Sea life swam their way towards him as Savage unknowingly tapped into a force as old as time.

    One of the seven hidden forces of reality related to the life-giving powers of the ocean. The Life Force.

    Thus he had an epiphany.

    He''d underestimated him.

    The Spirit King was powerful. Golden eyes opened in the murky depths.

    He couldn''t fight him as his equal. But he could fight him as his opposite. Play to the strengths he had access to, not the ones he coveted.

    ''I realize it now. I cannot beat you in the spirit. So I will just beat you in the flesh.''

    *******

    Davian''s brow scrunched up he felt many ''somethings'' cut through the water swimming fast towards him.

    6 huge black tentacles covered in golden veins broke through the surface of the ocean.

    He could sense the soul of the creature whom the limbs belonged to. An octopus, only this was no regular sea creature.

    For starters the limbs were too long and too thick.

    Its flesh was twisted. It''s once graceful form distorted, with the gigantic limbs armed with razor-sharp spikes and bone spurs.

    Beady red eyes stared at him in ravenous hunger.

    Davian could sense Savage''s energy brimming inside the Octopus. Only now it was clear enough to notice the vast difference in it''s signature.

    It wasn''t a simple fusion of a Hollow''s energy, a chaos Lord or a metahuman. Now it was it''s own structure and form.

    An opposing force to the force that had been created upon the Spirit King''s emergence.

    If Davian''s power was control over souls, then Savage seemed to have tapped into the opposite. The control of the Flesh.

    Davian engulfed himself in a Fullbring shield. The sharp tentacles slammed onto it and bounced off.

    The soul reaper narrowed his eyes when the Octopus changed tactics.

    The tentacles ensnared themselves around the shield, wrapping their length along the walls of the bubble.

    Davian was about to retaliate heavily, when he changed his mind, allowing the creature to drag the shield underwater.

    Nothing was visible in the darkness, yet his Reikaku managed to capture everything.

    Almost... everything. Savage was hiding from him. Doing something.

    He tightened his grip on the Zanpakuto, his suspicions having been proved true. His lips twisted in revulsion.

    The octopus'' main body was huge. More than twice the size of a truck. Not to mention, it was only the first of many.

    Hordes of enhanced ocean creatures converged upon him from all sides, each more twisted than the last.

    Fish with elongated bodies and dagger-like fins, their once innocent eyes replaced by savage gleams.

    Crustaceans with armored exoskeletons cracking their pincers menacingly.

    Eels with jagged spines slithering with deadly precision. The waters churned with a nightmarish array of horrors.

    And every single one of them shared the Octopus'' features. Black and golden veins across their bodies. Huge forms with writhing flesh and red eyes, gleaming with savagery and madness.

    He allowed them to get close before releasing his Reiatsu and stunning anything that entered his Reikaku''s range.

    Millions of sea life, the weakest ones at least, immediately died, floating to the surface of the water.

    The most powerful of the horde were merely stunned. Savage''s influence seemed to block the effects of his Reiatsu.

    The millions dead were quite literally like a drop of water in the ocean. More took their place, charging towards the lone green light in those depths.

    Davian''s Reiatsu slammed onto those as well. Each successive wave of monsters fell under it''s heaviness.

    Davian was getting annoyed now. Savage had concealed himself from his spirit sense.

    The Soul Reaper pulled his Reiatsu close to him, kneading it into a funnel around his form.

    Weaponizing it even more.

    Then in an ingenious move that his control barely allowed, he started twisting the Reiatsu in a sphere around him.

    A massive whirlpool appeared on the surface of the ocean, sweeping away the sea life, shredding and tearing apart their flesh under the gyrating motion of the water.

    The sea was quickly filled with dark blood.

    With a resounding bang, Davian released the full effects of his Spiritual pressure, throwing everything away including the water itself, to the point the floor of the ocean was revealed.

    He held a hand up, straining his Reiatsu to keep the water at bay while he stood in the air above a section of the ocean floor left exposed in the open air.

 Something Brews Within Part 2

    (General P.O.V)

    On the patch of ground, Savage stood upright, hands crossed above his chest as he looked up at Davian.

    Then his eyes jumped gazed at the walls of water surrounding them.

    "Impressive."

    Savage clapped his hands.

    "You pushed the water and my creations away just to expose me."

    He chuckled, shaking his head,

    "This is why..."

    Before he could continue to speak, Davian pointed his palm downwards, gazing at his enemy with cold eyes. He was done humoring the Immortal.

    "Bakudo no. 9: Horin."

    A sphere of yellow energy shining as bright as the sun appeared before his palm. The sphere quickly folded upom.itself</a> to gather around his hand.

    Then a thick rope jumped out, shooting towards Savage. The rope slammed onto his chest and broke down around him, forming into a thick crackling net.

    Davian placed his other palm above the rope.

    "Hado no.4: Byakurai."

    Blue lightning jumped from his hand to the rope before being conducted towards Savage.

    The Immortal saw the attack headed for him but couldn''t do anything has the Hado fell upon his body, spreading out in streaks that ravaged his form.

    "Arrgghhhh!!!"

    His thunderous yell could be heard from miles away. His golden skin smoked and bubbled, the flesh melting before being regenerated in a continuous cycle of destruction and restoration.

    "Heads up."

    Davian added, before retracting his Reiatsu and allowing the tons upon tons of the water in the walls surrounding them to fall.

    Savage blinked and suddenly found millions of liters descend upon his paralyzed body.

    The only thing he could do was grit his teeth.

    "Damn you Davian Mabu-"

    His words were cut off by the crushing wave of the sea.

    Davian was left standing on a platform of spirit energy. The scales of the battle had tipped to his favor.

    "And now to finish this."

    With a flash of purple energy, his Shikai activated. Chesha Neko broke off into billions of strings, covering him from head to toe in the durable material.

    On the ridges in-between his fingers, 3 claws emerged on each hand. They were long and sharp bearing a striking resemblance to Wolverine. Which wasn''t surprising as that was who he had copied.

    He made sure to pull as much power as he could into reinforcing himself.

    With Savage cornered, this is when the true fight would begin.

    And sure enough, the crashing sound of water as it beat upon the protruding pieces of rocks that had belonged to the island, was interrupted by bubbles.

    The bubbles intensified before something thick and meaty emerged. Flesh twisted and warped upon itself as it spread out across the surface of the water, occupying the place Infinity Island had once stood.

    An Island made entirely of flesh was created.

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    Pimples and boils sprouted everywhere on it''s surface.

    Davian descended on to the Flesh Island.

    His silent landing sent a quiver on it''s surface. The pimples and boils burst open, noxious fumes wafting into the air while pus and blood flowed out.

    Along with something else.

    Small and big creatures made entirely of a reddish brown colored bare flesh, missing the skin.

    Some were mostly limbs, meaty balls of existence covered with spikes of sharp bones on every exposed part of their bodies.

    Some flapped bony and leathery wings, screeching while flying around Davian.

    Others were huge, not on the sheer scale and size of the Octupus or even the Gillian, but bigger than a regular sized elephant.

    Millions of red eyes turned to glare at Davian Mabuz.

    "YOUR MOVE...SCARLET DEVIL."

    Savage''s voice sounded out from the flesh creations, distorted and an amalgamation of different tones.

    Davian bent low. The numbers were many. Almost too many.

    However, never had Davian''s blood lust been this potent. Never had he wanted to kill someone so bad.

    And an intrinsic part of him hated Savage just for his mere existence. An unrealistic hate.

    One he couldn''t help but feel for this ''immortal'' with grandiose aspirations to deny him, Death.

    "There could be millions between you and I..."

    Davian started lowly, hoisting his claws.

    "But I would kill trillions just to get to you and rip out your heart."

    Without noticing, the claws in his hands changed color to black as an aura of death, an aura of time erosion covered them.

    Savage had no problem feeling the danger the claws posed to him.

    "Attack him! Kill it! Bring Davian Mabuz'' CORPSE TO ME!"

    The Immortal ordered and his creations adhered.

    Davian showed his teeth, growling as he blurred forward and ran the claws through the mid section of a flesh creature that looked a cross between a kangaroo and a dinosaur.

    The creature was sliced into three separate pieces but even before they fell, Davian had already slain about a hundred of it''s compatriots.

    With Shunpo, he was going faster than he had ever gone before, a whirlwind of swinging metal blades followed by the sound of flesh and bones parting under something sharp.

    His form was everywhere all at once, streaking around the fleshy landscape and delivering death.

    In 5 minutes he had reduced the initial numbers of the creatures attacking him to about half.

    In 10 minutes, the millions of monsters the King of Life could create had more than tripled.

    Davian could feel as more and more biomass was added to the island from the sea. Then the island would produce these monsters that would then attack him.

    He couldn''t stem the tide. Yet he still killed.

    Slashed, tore and ripped apart all of them, in a bid to get to the center of the flesh Island where he could feel Savage.

    The Immortal was inside a huge flesh pod, no doubt scheming.

    At some point, Davian started adding Kido spells to the mix.

    His Hado spell, Akai Inazuma would be launched out through dozens of palms constructed from Chesha Neko''s strings.

    With Reikaku providing him an image of what was happening around him at all times, this made him an even more effective Killing machine as he mawed down more and more flesh creatures.

    The battle ground was full of smoking bodies and the sweet and sickening smell of burning flesh.

    "I WILL NOT LOSE TO THE LIKES OF YOU!"

    Savage roared as he witnessed the havoc unfolding before him.

    He was connected to the Island and it was essentially a part of him. The power the Spirit King was throwing around hurt.

    Especially those claws!

    Any flesh slashed by them could not be salvaged. The flesh would rot into a putrid mess before drying and breaking apart into ash.

    He couldn''t let him continue to act with impunity!

    Which is why...

    There was a rumble from underneath the island. Then a pimple grew from the surface.

    The large meaty sack shivered as something grew from within.

    The pimple burst apart, revealing the sea monster of sea monsters.

    A bony white mask on it''s face. It roared at the heavens, waving it''s numerous tentacles and limbs in a furious dance.

    The ire of it''s hate being the small form below it, surrounded by corpses of abominable creatures that were it''s master''s creation.

    "Meet my pet...the Kraken."

    Savage announced.

    ''kill kill kill''

    A mantra continuously went through the Kraken''s mind.

    Davian looked at the massive creature trampling other flesh imps and monsters as it advanced towards him.

    The Soup Reaper had come to realize something.

    Just as Savage''s energy seemed to have an innate suppressing nature on Reiryoku, the opposite was true.

    He didn''t lack ways he could use to remove the threat of the Kraken.

    However, deep within him, something was brewing.

    Raging to come out into the surface. He had noticed Barragan''s Respira energy coating the claws.

    His Kido was deadly as well. His strings could be made as sharp as the sharpest of weapons.

    Yet...

    Something wanted to rush out.

    He allowed instinct to guide him. To trust in whatever this sensation was.

    The strings around his form unravelled into his Zanpakuto. He was left with his upper body exposed, silver hair waving in the air.

    Davian then lifted Chesha Neko, cold eyes gazing at the Kraken looming over him.

    "From one king to a self proclaimed one...your fate was determined when you decided to fuck with me. And now all that awaits you at the end of this path is Death."

    There was a pause. As if the world itself was waiting with baited breath.

    "Bankai."

    The lone word...

    That simple lone word and the world shuddered.

    ********

    All at once, none of them could ignore him any more.

    Not with the power he had called upon.

    Rama Kushna, floating in mid air above her garden, frowned in hate.

    "Hmph! A bunch of hags who don''t know what''s good for them!" Her divine presence surged out, cutting off the numerous cosmic gazes and shrouding Davian under layers of obscurity.

    Rama Kushna looked at a particular spot in space.

    "None of you can have him!! I forbid anyone from laying a single claim to the Spirit King!!"

 I Promised You Pain, Didnt I?

    (General P.O.V)

    "He could have used our help you know."

    The cloaked figure said accusingly.

    "Whaaa?"

    Chase asked groggily, turning his head to stare at the figure seated on a gravestone, looking out into the cemetery.

    "I was enjoying a quiet if slightly uncomfortable sleep. If you have anything to say, get straight to the point."

    The Trickster cat shot back, annoyed.

    The cloaked figure tilted their head to the side, shoulders set in amusement.

    "I get it now...you don''t like this too. You know, pretending that you can''t reach him."

    He observed.

    "So why not help him fight?"

    Chase groaned a bit, turning to lie on his back on the same branch that was impossibly holding his weight.

    "A lesson. He needs to learn to..."

    Before Chase could finish, there was a rumble from the Inner Dimension.

    The cloaked figure sat up immediately, his eyes glowing green. The color was shared by the starry film of energy that covered his form.

    "Was that..." He begun, only to be cut off when the Inner World rumbled once more.

    The ground shook, the gravestones trembled and Chase had on a complicated expression on his face.

    "That fool..."

    The cat muttered shaking it''s head.

    However, he couldn''t stop the wide smile that appeared on his face. Nor the pride coursing through him.

    (Elsewhere)

    The news anchor wore a serious expression on her face as she watched the camera.

    "3..2..1. Live."

    She was given the countdown to begin the broadcast.

    "We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. A series of weather incidents have led to extreme conditions in areas surrounding the Carribean sea.."

    She begun explaining.

    This scene was shared by many news stations and channels across North and South America.

    "...a seventy foot tidal wave headed towards Cuba..."

    "... The Tsunami is estimated to land anytime in the next half hour..."

    "...sources indicate that the Earthquake is as a result of underwater volcanic movement..."

    "The authorities have begun setting up a perimeter around the shores of Puerto Rico, which will see the worst of..."

    (Justice League HQ: The Watchtower)

    "Give us a rundown of the situation, Batman."

    Superman told the Green Knight in urgency.

    The members of the League, those who were available under short notice, stood ready behind them.

    Batman used his ring to lay down a projected map above the holographic screen. The map contained a triangle that pinpointed a location in the Caribbean sea.

    "I have triangulated the discrepancies in the weather patterns and I believe...this to be the origin point."

    He explained.

    "Wait. That''s where the headquarters of the League of Shadows is located."

    Green Arrow pointed out.

    Batman narrowed his eyes at the screen.

    "I know."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "BanKai: Owaranai Chesha Neko. (Unending Cheshire Cat)"

    As soon as the activation phrase left my lips, I realized something.

    I had no idea what this was. The difference between the Shikai and the Bankai was not supposed to be this huge.

    It made no conceivable sense. It hadn''t merely scaled everything up. It had completely changed everything I knew about my abilities.

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    I couldn''t even sense my own Reiatsu.

    But that was okay. Ever been outside when a storm was raging?

    The trees would bend, the wind would sweep through the land, carrying sheets of ice cold water to buffet you, lightning would flash and by all indications...it would look like the end of the world.

    I was the storm raging in the sky above the Flesh Island.

    I was the origin point of a massive power that showed me how weak I had been before. How powerless Savage actually was.

    The King of Life was inconsequential to my new form.

    Even if he were to get a hundred times stronger in the next few seconds...that would still not be close to a percent of this new...pow...

    Authority.

    This new authority rendered me effectively invincible.

    Everyone I''d faced off up until now was nothing to write home about.

    *******

    The transformation into Bankai was seamless.

    One second I was holding on to Chesha Neko, then the next my sword was gone.

    A long flowing sleeveless coat, adorned my shoulders.

    It waved in the air, alternating between the physical world and the spiritual one. Shifting color between snowy white to the darkest of black.

    In the middle of my chest was a green gem in the shape of a diamond, pulsing gently.

    And my Zanpakuto had changed forms into two Artefacts of incredible power. The source and symbol of my new Authority.

    It wasn''t uncommon to have the Bankai change from a sword to something else.

    On my right was a white satin glove with yellow inscriptions.

    Enochian script.

    I knew instinctively it was the language of god.

    The script then spread out across the entirety of my right arm.

    The glove was called the Hand of God and exuded a holy aura.

    On my left was it''s opposite. A bulky black gauntlet that was reminiscent of the boosted gear from DxD that covered my palm, wrist, up to my elbow.

    The Gauntlet was called the Hand of the Devil and produced an aura of death and darkness.

    The Hand of God and the Hand of The Devil were powerful artefacts with unique abilities to interact with the grid, the web of existence.

    The web of existence was everything reality was made of.

    There was the physical world, where down to the smallest atomic structure, strings and threads of creation bound everything together.

    My eyes could perceive the subatomic realm and the grid that made up the web of existence.

    The web I could now control in various ways.

    Then there was the spiritual world. The web of existence here extended out into strings that lacked material substance.

    They were colorless phantom replicas of the physical world that I could see as clear as day.

    "I see now..."

    I muttered, my voice soft.

    "This is why she told me to open my eyes."

    Rama Kushna had foreseen this. She had known I would arrive at this point in fate.

    She wasn''t the only one either. More clearly than ever before...I could feel their gazes now.

    Gods, Eldritch monsters, Conceptual beings...

    I lifted the right hand, the inscriptions on the Hand of God glowing.

    The Hand of God gave me a number of abilities, all stemming from one thing.

    I could interact with the Web of Existence and manipulate it how I wanted.

    "Begone."

    I declared, purple strings launching off the sharp tips of the Hand of God, and ensnaring the uncountable strings in the grid, surrounding the whole section of the Carribean sea.

    "What...?"

    Savage finally broke out of his surprise.

    Or rather, I slowed down my thought process after perceiving the true nature of reality.

    The clouds shifted, the sea churned after I''d underestimated the effects of the Hand of God on reality.

    The Web twisted, the strings unfolding and folding simultaneously.

    Silence.

    The gazes disappeared, banished to their own realms of influence.

    Another glow from my right hand and the strings reattached.

    Nature calmed down.

    I opened my eyes and found the Kraken, the flesh monsters and even Savage immobilized in place.

    I clutched my hands behind me as I walked forward, passing by the Kraken.

    To give you a context of how overpowered the Hand of God was, it allowed me to break off the strings making up the grid and reattach them in different ways.

    Essentially allowing me to manipulate the subatomic strings of reality, altering aspects of the world according to my will.

    I could use it to repair or restore damaged or disrupted subatomic strings within the grid, thereby healing injuries or diseases at a fundamental level.

    My mind was already thinking of the kind of power I could tap into at higher levels.

    Imagine reversing the effects of entropy or decay, rejuvenating objects or even whole ecosystems. I could terraform a planet.

    I could bring her back...

    The yellow inscriptions and enochian script tatted on my arm could allow me to learn new things by tapping into God''s all knowing light.

    I could use it to banish evil.

    Even create new life forms from the grid. It was all a simple matter of attaching the strings in a structured way and breathing in life through the Enochian script.

    My base soul powers could then allow me to shape a soul.

    However...all that power was nothing on the kind of havoc the Hand of the Devil could unleash.

    I passed by the Kraken and watched as it dissolved into nothing.

    Not even energy.

    The flesh monsters were similarly reduced to matter that was then reduced to nothing. No life. No existence. No memory.

    I could feel Savage''s mind break down as the memories of the last 5 minutes disappeared, his brain begun to regenerate the neurons destroyed.

    The Hand of The Devil pulsed with the darkness from the depths of non-existence itself.

    I could feel it whisper to me in the Language of the End.

    A language that had never existed and never will. It spoke of the Darkness below...and it''s comforting nature.

    The Hand of The Devil scared the shit out of me. But it also filled me with a sense of wonder.

    It''s main ability was causing Chaos and Entropy.

    By targeting and destroying key subatomic strings within the grind, the Hand of The Devil could cause chaos and increase entropy in the world.

    This would lead into unpredictable and destructive phenomena, unraveling the fabric of reality itself.

    Lesser abilities included, localized or widespread destruction, obliterating matter, energy, or entire structures.

    Then there was Dimensional Manipulation.

    Its destructive nature also allowed me to rupture or tear through the fabric of reality, opening portals to other dimensions or planes of existence.

    I could travel to other dimensions or universes. Holy...

    The most useful ability I had access to was essentially anti-magic.

    The Hand of the Devil could disrupt or nullify magical energies.

    That meant weakening or dispelling spells and enchantments. Even rendering magical artefacts ineffective or inert.

    I wouldn''t be weak against Chaos Magic or Order Magic anymore. I was past that...

    I had the power of a god.

    And what is a god except for self serving and selfish?

    So the first thing I would do, would to be to make good on my promise to Savage.

    My steps slowed down as I finally arrived before a flesh pod the king of life was hiding in.

    The area around me was devoid of Flesh creatures. A mere gesture through the hand of The Devil had destroyed them all.

    Then with my right hand, I had rendered the island infertile. Savage was cut off from his control over the island.

    The layers of flesh between me and Savage squirmed, toughening and thickening as he sort to keep me away from him.

    I could sense is wariness, confusion and anxiety. He didn''t understand what was happening.

    One minute he was winning...then the next everything was going wrong.

    I reached out with my left hand, the spiked nails easily piercing through the pod and grabbing him by the neck.

    Then I pulled him out.

    "Did you think you could hide from me?"

    I asked as he squirmed in my hold. His eyes carried hate, anger and fear.

    I wanted more.

 The Spirit and The Body.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "How foolish. I have control over all flesh. That includes yours!"

    He stated and in a move that he might have considered fast, his hand snaked out to grab my exposed skin.

    "Ever suffered from every disease imaginable?! My control over..."

    His eyes widened.

    "Wait...it''s...not working?"

    He stammered in shock.

    To be fair, I had felt his power grab hold of me for a tenth of a millisecond before it was rendered inert.

    The Enochian script glowed, suffusing my hand in a yellow light.

    "What...are those...words?"

    His fear was apparent but so was the awe.

    "Enochian script. You might fancy yourself powerful...but you know not the meaning of power, Vandal Savage. Allow me to enlighten you."

    Upon my words, I could see the realization of just how fucked up of a situation he was in, unfold in his eyes.

    I lifted my left hand, exposing the black gauntlet on it. Savage trembled.

    "No...no...it''s not supposed to go like this! I refuse to lose! Aaarghh!!"

    His face changed, growing sharper.

    The aura of magic grew stronger. I felt Savage''s mind recede into the back of his mind as something else took over.

    "You! How?!!"

    Klarion''s voice came through in a blind panic upon spotting me.

    "Let me..."

    His voice was cut off as another soul came to the forefront. Unfocused eyes stared into mine.

    "Kill...me..."

    Bronze Tiger begged.

    "Nooo!! No! No! LET US GO! LET US GO YOU MONSTER!!! MORDRED HELP US!!!"

    The voices joined together this time, sending forth a resounding wave that shook the entire island.

    "No one is coming to save you Klarion. They won''t risk my wrath."

    I informed him.

    "No...no...I WILL KILL YOU! I AM A CHAOS LORD! THE MOST POWERFUL EXISTENCE IN THIS PUNY PLANET!"

    He declared.

    Numerous red portals appeared around us.

    With flesh slouching off and carrying with them the stench of blood and death, numerous figures, dead bodies, zombies and strange animals all groaned as they stumbled towards me, from the portals.

    "Reduced to grave robbing Savage? My oh my, how far you''ve fallen."

    The black Gauntlet resonated with dark energy as I targeted the subatomic strings connecting Savage''s Flesh army to the web of existence.

    With a clench of my fist, the strings were severed, causing the monsters to crumble into nothingness, reducing their attacks to futile gestures.

    "Impossible!"

    The King of Life shouted.

    But I wasn''t done. A pulse of right hand and the terrain changed.

    The flesh Island turned into rock and earth and wood and life.

    In a second, Infinity Island was back. Restored and whole.

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    I turned back to the immortal in my hand, neck still firmly in my grasp.

    He had tried to escape several times by shape shifting. The Enochian script glowed each time, disrupting his powers.

    "Oh yeah...I promised you Unending torment, didn''t I? It''s about time we started on that."

    *******

    (General P.O.V)

    Even for Chase, Davian''s next actions were too extreme.

    As his Zanpakuto however, he supported the cruelty. All of them would learn not to mess with his master.

    He had promised torment...and he was keeping his word.

    A pulse of the Hand of God and the clouds parted. Radiant beams from the sun landed on Savage with debilitating force, burning his skin, destroying his flesh and leaving him a smoking mess.

    Each hit carried the weight of divine judgment, punishing his arrogance and reminding him of his fallibility.

    Savage''s skin begun to heal once the onslaught ended.

    The King of Life''s strong vitality ensured he would regenerate from anything.

    Davian allowed it with a bloodthirsty grin.

    Savage''s screams begun anew.

    Davian wanted to instill despair in the Immortal''s heart and soul.

    So next he used the Hand of the Devil to tear open portals to other dimensions.

    From these portals, nightmarish entities emerged, drawn to Savage''s immense life force.

    "No...mercy! Please! Argh!"

    Savage begged as eldritch limbs grabbed onto his body from all directions, tearing him and his mind apart.

    Shattering pieces of his existence was pulled into dimensions that were hidden under reality.

    These inter dimensional beings assailed him, devouring and tearing apart both his physical form whenever he healed, and his psyche, tormenting him with visions of his own failures and fears.

    When he thought death would offer him respite, he would blink his eyes open and find himself staring at his tormenter.

    His nightmare. Davian Mabuz.

    "No more..."

    The immortal was on the verge of being broken.

    "Oh... don''t quit on me now. We are just getting started."

    Davian answered with glee.

    Davian would then disrupt his control over flesh, causing Savage''s own body to betray him.

    His limbs contorted unnaturally, his muscles withered, and his senses become distorted. The very essence of his dominion over Flesh became agonizing.

    Yet the torture continued. Ethereal chains would bind Savage''s soul burning it in flames that were hotter than hell flames, reminding him of his powerlessness.

    Savage begun regretting everything!

    Why...

    Why was this happening?

    He thought he had a destiny.

    The torture went on for years. Thousands of years

    Each passing day, Davian would come up with a new bloody method to cause endless agony.

    Some days he would lure the immortal into a sense of security.

    But ultimately, Savage would die...then open his eyes and realize...he was still alive and alone with his tormenter. His own personal hell.

    He had experienced so much torment that his memories of the experience were more vivid than the 5000 years of his existence on Earth.

    Unknown to the immortal, Davian had used the Hand of God to mess with Savage''s perception of time.

    What was tens of thousands of years for Savage was actually just a few seconds in real time.

    The Immortal''s mind, body and soul broke down at the 6th second.

    Only then. And only then...did Davian allow his soul to pass on. He had marked it with his authority, ensuring no resurrection, rebirth or reincarnation for him.

    All that remained of the immortal was a huge bundle of essence and two souls.

    One of them flickered like a flame and was entirely red, the other soul belonged to Bronze Tiger.

    Davian touched upon the soul and dove in to it''s memories.

    He blinked his eyes open and sighed, looking up at the sky.

    "I guess not everything has to go according to plan."

    He had seen what the Mercenary had gone through. The light had promised to heal his Fiance if he stole something from the Batcave.

    Davian''s presence there had disrupted the plan. From there, things only went bad for Bronze Tiger. He had tried to rescue his fiance but the Light had anticipated it and set up a trap.

    In the end after learning she was dead, he refused to work for them. They had severed his limbs.

    Davian had offered to heal him up but Bronze Tiger''s soul had refused. Instead seeking to move on to the afterlife.

    Davian used his Konso to purify Bronze Tiger of his sins, then he bowed to him.

    "We never got to have a master and student relationship but I still can''t help but respect the way you lived your life. Farewell Ben Turner."

    The soul ascended to the sky, leaving Davian alone on Infinity Island with Klarion who was in soul form and a large bundle of essence that belonged to the King of Life.

    Davian waved his right hand and Klarion''s soul was undone into pure chaos energy that rejoined the web of existence.

    His new power allowed him to perceive the importance of high concept beings. They couldn''t be killed. Not if he wanted to avoid more problems down the road.

    But he could scatter their essence into the web, effectively Killing their consciousness.

    That done, he turned to what he considered as the price of this whole encounter. The King of Life essence was the gateway into Life Force...one of the hidden forces of existence.

    Davian''s soul yearned for it. He knew, if he were to fuse with it...he would reach an entirely new level of power that would basically make him undefeated in both the Physical Realm and the Spirit Realm.

    He reached out his hand.

    (Inner Dimension)

    Nick stiffened, the cloak he wore falling away to reveal green eyes and a grim face.

    "The time has come."

    He stood.

    Chase jumped off the branch and onto the top of a grave stone, looking out into the rows upon rows of graves.

    "I am sorry..."

    The cat sighed, running it''s claws on the stone under it in a gesture that belayed his agitation.

    Nick laughed.

    "Each time, I think I''m ready to move on...I somehow come back here. A shadow of his past. This time...his actions are too reckless."

    He reached into his neck and pulled out a simple chain.

    "He died because of me. I suppose dying for him is a good way to go."

    His body begun glowing with green light.

    *******

    In the real world, Davian''s hunger for power let him ignore the ramifications of what he was trying to achieve.

    He failed to consider what the fusion of opposing sides would result in.

    The spirit and the body.

    He touched upon the essence of the King of Life and pulled it inside him.

    His body broke down almost immediately.

 Interlude (Before Time Skip)

    (Volume 2: Heaven Beckons)

    (General P.O.V)

    Despite the urgency of the situation, the Justice League failed to get to the source of the abnormal weather patterns in time.

    They were occupied, assisting in the evacuation efforts.

    ******

    Superman froze the huge tidal wave headed towards the coastal region of Puerto Rico.

    The height of the Tsunami had surpassed initial estimates and was a whooping 80 feet.

    Black Canary then released her full power, breaking apart the ice with her sonic scream before it could begin melting, which would have resulted in huge chunks of ice falling onto the shore.

    Batman,with an environmental shield around him, had the task of rescuing the ships stranded on sea.

    Most of these boats had been too far in the ocean to get to the shore before disaster struck.

    With the rest of the Leaguers carrying out other rescue missions across Cuba and Nicaragua, the latter having faced a snowstorm despite the tropical climate, it fell upon the sidekicks to investigate the source of the uncommon weather.

    Using the Justice League jet, Robin, Kid Flash, Artemis, Red Arrow and Aqualad cut a straight flight towards Infinity Island.

    Artemis'' hands were long used to the motions of twining her crossbow and maintaining the bolts.

    Her fingers were deft and steady. The only sound in the cabin being her grunts as she tightened the string mechanism.

    "Could you please not do that now?"

    Red Arrow said, fixing her with an annoyed stare.

    Artemis'' retort was on her lips before she swallowed it.

    Being the only girl in the team sucked and made her irritable yes, but snapping at a teammate was bad for first impressions.

    Unlike the others she had something to prove.

    "Sorry, force of habit."

    She apologized.

    Aqualad smiled at her, proud she''d backed down from a confrontation with the other archer.

    "You''re nervous, it''s understandable. We all are."

    He told her from his position near the window.

    "Speak for yourself."

    Robin muttered under his breath.

    "This is like the first time the League has let us go on an official mission. I''m so pumped!"

    Kid Flash slammed his fist into his other hand as he smiled.

    "Only because they realized we were useful after Gotham."

    Robin spoke to the rest in a subdued tone, eyes narrowed at the oceanic view they were flying past.

    "You...you think this has anything to do with him? The Scarlet Devil?"

    Artemis enquired.

    The mood inside the cabin went sour.

    "Quiet a jump there little missy."

    Red Arrow made a mocking remark.

    This time she couldn''t let it go.

    "Don''t call me that...Speedy."

    She emphasized his sidekick nick name.

    "Hahaha...new girl is feisty."

    Kid Flash observed, blitzing from his seat to sit next to her.

    "How about after this, you join me and I can show you the ropes to this heroing gig?"

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    He winked, entirely missing the thick tension between Artemis and Red Arrow.

    "Not every big bad is the so called ''savior of Gotham.''"

    Red Arrow replied curtly.

    "Not a savior."

    Robin interjected before she could.

    Artemis turned her gaze towards Boy Wonder or rather his back.

    Her eyes made contact with his own, which were reflected on the Jet''s windshield.

    "No...not a savior but a hero nonetheless. I saw it, he defeated Trigon..."

    She said, thumbing the tip of a cross bow bolt with a far away look on her face.

    "I felt myself die...then the kids and I...we were suddenly back and Raven..."

    She looked away, the pain of losing her friend despite having betrayed them all too fresh.

    No one said anything for a few minutes.

    "I see the Island. Get ready for drop point A. Initiating cloaking."

    Robin informed them from the pilot''s seat.

    "Right."

    Aqualad stood up, facing them all.

    "Remember, this is a simple surveillance. We go in undetected and come out undetected."

    ******

    (A few hours before)

    So much had happened over the course of a day.

    This was the most fun Shiva had had since facing Kobra, the god the cult by the same name worshipped.

    They had gotten stuck in his realm by accident.

    Her, Richard, Bruce and Ben up against a force of nature.

    They had pulled out all the stops, fighting for 13 straight hours before defeating the ''god''

    Despite the fun she had had with Davian, the man who seemed to contain all the qualities she looked for in a partner, she couldn''t lie that the League of Shadows had suffered a massive blow.

    The Shadows had been reduced to a few confused members.

    Sensei was dead, so was Ubu and...the Demon''s Head.

    Ra''s Al Ghul corpse had just recently begun to grow cold.

    Atleast he had held on for quite a while. Enough to appoint her the leader.

    Something that Shiva would have protested to vehemently if it wasn''t for the fact that the man was dying.

    Shiva was a fighter first, everything second. A leader grew fat, never having to scrape for anything. They could delegate. Shiva couldn''t hide her revulsion over the idea.

    Fortunately, the object of her new interest had proven once more just how resourceful he could be.

    Shiva and the Shadows had spotted a massive light ascend to the heavens from the relative area the Island had occupied.

    Then, Infinity Island had appeared once more, looking whole despite the fact that she and her new underlings had seen it go down, swallowed by the ocean.

    The fight between Vandal Savage and Davian had literally reshaped the landscape. The boats had been in danger of collapsing if it weren''t for...

    "We are going back right?"

    The pale blue figure dressed in red asked from her back.

    ''Speak of the devil.'' Shiva mused.

    She was cordial with Cheshire and her friend, Deadman. The latter had used his abilities to effectively ensure the boats weren''t swallowed into the depths.

    Her eyes briefly jumped to Cheshire who was silently also watching her, shoulders in a forced relaxed state but Shiva could tell she was ready for a fight.

    How amusing. As if anyone there could stop her from Killing them.

    "Yes."

    Shiva finally answered.

    If the Island was back, that meant the Lazarus Pits would be as well.

    She had a chance to get rid of her new position by bringing back Ra''s Al Ghul, so why not take it?

    *******

    Getting back to the Island took an even shorter time than when they had left.

    The boats were left on the shore.

    The whole place looked untouched. Quiet.

    Too quiet.

    "Hurry up you lot, get the Demons Head to the Lazarus Pit."

    Shiva informed the Shadows who jumped to fulfill her orders.

    "I''ll check the area. Make sure there are no surprises."

    Deadman informed Cheshire before sparing a glance Shiva''s way.

    The latter raised an eyebrow.

    "You need not hide your intentions from me Phantom. Your master, he''s... interesting. He shall face no danger from me and mine."

    She assured him.

    The disembodied soul chose not to reply, merely giving a polite nod before flying off towards the interior.

    Cheshire passed by Shiva.

    "I cannot hope to defeat you. However, harm my fr- allies and I''ll kill you."

    She delivered coldly.

    Shiva watched her walk away with an amused smile on her face.

    *****

    Deadman flew around the Island going over Lady Shiva''s words.

    He didn''t know much he could trust her promise to leave them unharmed.

    The woman was deserving of her deadly reputation enough that even he, had heard of her.

    It didn''t matter in the long run. Deadman only had to make sure he found Davian who would handle the rest.

    Deadman suddenly stopped in mid air. A gasp escaped his mouth as he struggled to even comprehend what he was feeling.

    He''d made it into Davian''s Sphere of influence.

    Power unlike anything he had ever felt before squeezed him from all sides.

    The disembodied soul belatedly realized that he could never truly know the limit to Davian''s power.

    It felt as if he made the habit of shattering any preconceived notions about the true depths of his power.

    Deadman ground his teeth, using his own energy as a shield that allowed him to pass through the passive Spiritual Pressure being released by Davian.

    Following the pulse of the monumental aura, Deadman found himself on the other side of the Island.

    A large green Crystal structure in the shape of a flower occupied the entire length of the training yard.

    In the middle of the flower was a silhouette. Pulling in closer, Deadman realized who it was.

    Davian lay within.

    His eyes were closed and he was naked.

    Deadman immediately dove in to try and get him out.

    A large amount of energy gathered around his fist. With a grunt he punched out at the crystal flower.

    A pulse of power swept out, throwing Deadman back.

    Next he tried to phase through but was once more repelled.

    Deadman paused in thought. He couldn''t leave without Davian. His goddess had told him that fate itself would bend backwards for this man.

    Deadman looked around. If they couldn''t leave with him, then they would need to hide him from prying eyes.

    (Perhaps I can be of assistance, Champion)

    He felt his goddess voice through the link between them. Deadman immediately bowed in reverence.

    "My goddess."

    (None of that. Time is of the urgency. The authorities have sent in a... specialized group of agents to investigate this island. I will instruct you on how to create a spirit barrier to hide the Incubation crystal.)

    Deadman had many questions.

    However, he understood time. He understood you couldn''t get it back if wasted.

    "Ok. Let''s do this."

    He replied.

 Recon Mission.

    (General P.O.V)

    "It''s like a ghost town."

    Kid Flash voice came in through the comms as his figure streaked through the ancient buildings.

    His blurry form dove inside each building, spending a single second inside and checking the rooms before moving on.

    He stopped under the stairs leading to the main building. His fingers tapping the earpiece on his left ear.

    "The only guards around are the ones patrolling the edges of the island. I''m moving on to the main complex."

    "I got eyes on you."

    Artemis voice came through the earpiece. She was perched on the roof of a building with a wide view of the entire compound.

    Kid Flash smiled.

    "You like what you see?"

    He asked.

    "Kid, focus. Wait for Robin to reach his position before moving in." Aqualad admonished.

    "Doing the fly by now. Ready for drop point c."

    Red Arrow informed them as the cloaked jet did another round above the Island.

    A rope fell from the jet that was cruising at a slow speed.

    A few minutes later, Robin''s voice poured through the comms.

    "In position."

    His figure was nimble and agile as he climbed through a window om the main building.

    He clung to the shadows and tapped his ear piece.

    "The building is empty."

    He frowned as he heard something.

    "Wait...I think there''s an underground section. Investigating."

    There was a bit of static then the comms went silent.

    "Robin?" Aqualad called out.

    "Robin! Wait for back up."

    He received no confirmation.

    "Kid, I need you to check for any other points of entries. Then when you''re done, wait for my signal before going in."

    "I can go be in and out in under 1 second. 1.5 at max."

    Kid Flash argued.

    "And risk blowing Robin''s cover? Not the best idea Kid Flash."

    Artemis responded.

    "Hate to agree with New girl but she''s right. Robin is trained for stealth. You might be fast but you''re not exactly quiet. He knows what he''s doing."

    Red Arrow spoke up.

    "Fine."

    Kid Flash grumbled before streaking around the building, checking for any secret entrances or exits.

    ******

    ''So, this is where they all are.'' Robin thought as he tapped the side of his head, turning off the thermal imaging and NVG functions on his eye mask.

    He had spotted a number of bodies standing around something through the stone walls.

    To get a good look he would need to go closer.

    He silently crept down the spiral staircase illuminated by torches along the way.

    The stair case opened up to a small hallway with two guards stationed at the end, guarding the entrance to the chamber within.

    He could have taken them down with a few smoke bombs but that carried the risk of alerting the shadows inside the chamber.

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    So instead, he turned his cloak inward and tightly pressed it around his shoulders.

    Aided by the Green Lantern Ring, Batman had begun upgrading their tools to cover for different situations.

    The equipment Robin had access to was better, smaller and in the case of the cloak, almost futuristic.

    The cloak shimmered and Robin disappeared from view.

    He passed by the guards and found himself inside a wide room.

    At the center of the wide chamber, the league of shadows were gathered around something.

    A zip line to the ceiling and he now had them below him. Oh and he could see what they were all gathered around.

    "Shit."

    Robin cursed out, taking a few pictures with a different function of the eye mask. They seemed to be surrounding a pool of glowing green water.

    Robin knew he would need to get even closer to see what they were up to. He understood it couldn''t be anything good.

    His feet jumped from one support beam to the other, careful not to be spotted as the chanting grew louder.

    Closer and closer he inched to the center of the chamber and only when he was confident he was hidden safely, did he open comms.

    "I have eyes on the League of Shadows."

    Before he could get an answer, a star whisked past the space between his finger and the ear piece.

    "And we have eyes on you."

    Cheshire told him from below.

    "The boy wonder."

    A deep voice said as the waters of the Lazarus Pit slushed around his feet.

    "Ra''s Al Ghul."

    Robin muttered, warily watching the man who was walking out of the Lazarus Pit. Ra''s didn''t look too good though.

    His skin was pale and he was shivering heavily.

    A shadow placed a cloak above his shoulders and led him out of the pool. The Demon''s Head nodded at lady Shiva.

    "If the boy is here..."

    "Then Batman won''t be too far behind. I will handle it"

    Lady Shiva answered.

    "Good."

    Ra''s Al Ghul responded, allowing himself to be led away through another door in the chamber.

    Then she turned to the League of Shadows.

    "Sound the alarm, put the entire Island on high alert. You see any moving shadows, don''t hesitate to attack."

    "Fuck fuck fuck..."

    Robin muttered as he shot a Zipline onto the ceiling, heading towards the entrance of the chamber.

    Arrows, Shurikens and kunai whizzed past him as he swung away.

    He had to warn the others that they had been discovered.

    Unseen to him, a blue shadow appeared through the ceiling and immediately launched itself into him.

    Robin''s body went stiff. With a glowing blue aura around him, he started levitating in place before turning around and flying to join Cheshire and the Shadows on the ground.

    "They''re here on a surveillance mission. Just the sidekicks. The Justice League is handling a series of disasters around South America."

    Deadman possessing Robin, informed them.

    Cheshire made eye contact with Shiva.

    "If they don''t make it back soon..."

    "The Justice League will be knocking on our doorstep."

    She reasoned.

    "Unless..."

    Cheshire begun, eyes locking onto Robin.

    "How much control over his memories do you have?"

    Deadman blinked.

    "You can''t be suggesting what I think you are right? Even doing something like this goes against every code I have. What you''re asking for is too much."

    He refused.

    Cheshire crossed her hands above her chest.

    "The alternative is the League finding out about Davian. Who knows what will happen if they tried to move him away now?"

    Deadman gritted his teeth.

    "You''re asking me to mess with someone''s mind. A kid at that. I don''t care, the answer is no."

    "I see."

    Shiva cut in, unsheathing her Katana.

    "Drastic measures it is then..."

    She said, stalking towards Robin.

    Deadman gulped, raising his hands.

    "Wait."

    He said, looking like he''d bitten into something sour.

    "Fine, I''ll do it."

    ******

    Aqualad, Artemis and Kid Flash were all gathered under the stairway, ready to move in when a shadow dropped among them.

    Kid Flash couldn''t stop the girlish scream that escaped his mouth.

    Artemis snickered while Robin raised an eyebrow at his best friend.

    "Scared Wall-man?"

    "No. I thought...I saw a spider. Yes a spider!"

    He replied unconvincingly.

    "Robin, where were you?! Your comms went dead."

    Aqualad asked, eyes narrowed.

    Robin held something up, the remains of his ear piece.

    "Sorry, there was nothing in the building. The underground section had traps and one of them managed to tag the ear piece, shattering it upon impact."

    "Well that''s a bummer. We scoured the entire Island, nothing seems amiss."

    Kid Flash stated.

    "It is kind of strange."

    Robin rubbed his chin.

    "However, maybe Batman was wrong?"

    The others looked at him weirdly.

    "What?"

    He enquired.

    "Nothing. Though I''ve never heard you say you think the Batman might have been wrong."

    Kid Flash told him.

    Robin snorted, walking away.

    "Trust me, there''s a first time for everything."

    They wouldn''t know the change his adopted father had gone through recently. Robin didn''t exactly trust that ring on his finger.

    "Red Arrow, rendezvous at the pick up zone. We''re done with the mission. Nothing out of the norm."

    Aqualad informed their eyes in the sky.

    "Affirmative."

    Red Arrow replied.

    ******

    Deadman and Cheshire watched from the side of a cliff as a shimmering form in the sky disappeared further and further into the distance.

    The Sidekicks were gone.

    "What I did today..."

    Deadman begun with a heavy tone.

    "...betrayed my morals."

    Cheshire watched him from the corner of her eyes.

    "What are you looking for exactly?"

    At her question, Deadman turned to her, confused.

    "Pardon?"

    "Look around, you''re in the presence of murderers." She shrugged, motioning to the island that was already getting active.

    "All of us are selfish people with selfish goals and ideals. You don''t belong here unless you''re in it for yourself."

    She turned to him.

    "So why are you here Brand? Why did you help us protect Davian? What are you after exactly?"

    Each of her questions weighed heavily on his mind.

    Cheshire got up, dusted herself and wore the mask strapped to her face.

    "Life."

    She said.

    "That''s why I''m still here."

    She pointed towards the training yard, at the unseen jagged crystal housing one of the most powerful beings Deadman had ever seen.

    "That guy in there is going to change things. I wanna be along for the ride. You should find out what drives you and maybe the guilt will go away."

    Then he felt something cold get placed under his neck.

    "But if you stab us in the back... Just know, there''s nowhere in the planet that you can hide from me."

    With that said, she jumped off the ledge, leaving Deadman to rub the spot below his chin.

 Tairyoku.

    (General P.O.V)

    Deadman had deleted Robin''s mind successfully.

    What he never accounted for, was Batman''s paranoia.

    The images Robin had captured with his face mask had piqued the interest of his mentor.

    The files had automatically been uploaded to the Batcomputer.

    From there, it had been a simple matter for Batman to access them, see Ra''s Al Ghul walking out of the Lazarus Pit, spot Cheshire who had gone missing with the Scarlet Devil along with Shiva.

    The fact that Robin had not reported in about his findings, especially Shiva''s presence, told the Green Knight that something was off.

    He immediately abandoned the rest of the League to finish up with the rescue and made his way towards Infinity Island.

    ******

    "This doesn''t make sense."

    Robin said, his hand swiping at the feed displayed on his holographic wrist computer.

    "What doesn''t?"

    Aqualad enquired from his seat.

    In response, Robin linked the wrist device to the Jet''s console. A projected screen flickered above the controls, wide enough for everyone to see.

    "A satellite feed?"

    Red Arrow asked.

    Before them was a black and white video footage that showed Infinity Island from above.

    "Batman always has Satellites keeping watch over areas of interest such as this."

    He tapped a few keys on his wrist.

    "See what happens when I rewind the feed."

    Robin dragged the video to 30 minutes earlier.

    Before their eyes, an enormous storm came out of nowhere, hiding the Island away from sight.

    Then when the clouds parted once more, they were treated to the sight of a gaping whirlpool.

    "Okay...that wasn''t there when we arrived."

    Kid Flash pointed out.

    "It wasn''t. And then this happened..."

    He speed the footage up and with a massive explosion of light, the Island was back.

    "Wait. Could you hit pause?"

    Artemis requested.

    The footage froze.

    "What is that?"

    She asked, pointing towards the few blobs on the surface of the island.

    "Zooming in."

    Robin spoke up.

    The footage grew blurry but they could all make out a huge black form that was in the shape of a crab.

    "I can''t zoom in any further."

    Robin told them.

    "I have a feeling we missed something."

    Aqualad spoke up.

    "You think we should go back?"

    Kid Flash suggested to the rest of his teammates. All of them shared a look.

    Suddenly, the jet buckled as something fast streaked past it, causing a pressure wave to destabilize the craft.

    "What was that!?"

    Artemis shouted in alarm as Robin quickly deactivated the auto pilot to regain the controls.

    "I don''t know. The only thing I saw was..."

    Kid Flash begun only for Robin to cut him off.

    "A green trail of light."

    Boy Wonder spoke up, jaw clenched as he knew who that had been.

    "Strap in."

    He turned the craft around. A steely resolve on his face.

    "We''re going back."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

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    I can''t move.

    I can feel my body.

    My face, my hands, fingers and toes...its all there. But I can''t move.

    "It''s funny you know..."

    A voice.

    No. That can''t be. He''s dead. I saw it.

    I couldn''t crane my head up to get a good look, so instead I settled for the monumental task of opening my eyelids.

    Green.

    I was inside something hard and the only thing I could see was an emerald glow that took over everything in my vision.

    It was hard to focus but I could make out a blurry figure floating just outside what was my container.

    The figure was familiar. I couldn''t make out any features at all but the height and the size...

    Reaching out into my Reikaku told me I wasn''t wrong.

    I was seeing Nick.

    "When we were little, I was the loud, obnoxious one. I could make friends out of anyone. You on the other hand Davian, were a loner, an introvert. Yet...you now have people willing to kill for you. You have...friends."

    He stopped, floating closer.

    I could almost make out the soft smile.

    Was I in a dream? Was this what it was?

    I couldn''t move anything and I was stuck inside a crystal prison. Pretty out there so it could only be a dream, right?

    The last thing I remembered was... killing Savage, allowing Bronze Tiger to move on and...

    There was a light tapping on the crystal I was contained within. My entire body seemed to vibrate at the action.

    "You''re not listening."

    Nick huffed.

    ''Because you''re dead. I saw it with my own eyes...you can''t be here.''

    My mind refused to acknowledge it.

    "And I''m sure death to you is permanent right?"

    He mused with a chuckle.

    "Did you forget you cheated it?"

    He was right. But no goddamnit! This couldn''t be him.

    He couldn''t be in this fucked up world. He was supposed to get the happy ending. That was one of the only things that kept me going.

    ''You... you really are him, aren''t you?''

    I thought, projecting my thoughts out.

    "Who else would remember your obsession with miss Trina, the owner of that little flower shop on..."

    ''Fifth street.''

    I completed his statement.

    All the guilt I''d be carrying surged up to the forefront of my mind.

    ''How can you not hate me?''

    I demanded.

    "You died because I thought I could leave everything behind. Because I tried to be someone I''m not.''

    For the first time, the figure was silent.

    "You have nothing to feel guilty about. And no, we''re not doing that whole shoulda, woulda, coulda bullshit. I told you, life is not about looking back. It''s about moving forward."

    It really was him.

    I tried to call on to my Reiryoku, to break through the crystal and see him more clearly when he stopped me.

    "Don''t."

    ''Why not?''

    I questioned.

    Nick sighed, sitting cross legged in mid air.

    "It''s good to see you again Davian. Good to talk to you for the last time before I truly move on."

    ''Wait. Last time? Move on? I don''t understand.''

    What was he talking about?

    "I made a deal with someone." He placed his palm flat on the crystal.

    "A piece of me would stay inside you. Help you when you started your new life. The nature of your Fullbring is strange because I influenced that particular ability."

    I had no reply, so I listened.

    "It''s not to heal, or create force fields. Your Fullbring merely helps your soul adapt to harm. That adaptation is then interpreted into a skill to regenerate your body from harm, or create a protective membrane around you to block attacks."

    I was not that surprised. That particular ability had always been a bit... unconventional in the way it manifested.

    "To understand the true nature of that ability, you would need to cut yourself off from your body. Temper you soul through harsh conditions. Only then can you truly master your Fullbring."

    He explained.

    ''Is this why I''m in this crystal. Is my soul adapting to something? What happened after I killed Savage?''

    I questioned, linking things together from his explanation.

    "Very perceptive idiot. And here I thought you had stopped using your brain."

    He complimented, using an insult we usually called each other.

    "But just because you figured out what happened doesn''t make your actions any less dumb."

    He added, using his finger to clean his ear.

    ''Hey!''

    I protested but lacked any heat.

    "Chase was right, you''re still so reckless Davian."

    He shook his head. He knew Chase?

    "Only you would have thought it was a good idea to absorb an entire dimension of power into yourself. Not to mention one that is the anti-thesis of your own abilities."

    Oh.

    Oh yeah...I guess I did try that...

    Another light tapping on the crystal pulled me out of my thoughts.

    "Both physical and spiritual energies clashed, resulting in something bad."

    His tone was deadly serious.

    ''What happened? How bad is it?''

    I asked, my heart heavy with trepidation.

    "Your soul and body fell out of sync and the only thing keeping you stable is this crystal formation created by Fullbring."

    "You''re lucky I was around to provide the Reiryoku needed to power up the sheath. With your body in such an unstable situation, you couldn''t access your own Reiryoku."

    He paused.

    "You could have died Davian. This time permanently. The clash of energies would have torn your soul into small pieces and scattered them across the universe in an instant. Earth would have been gone in that same instant."

    I couldn''t say anything to that.

    I was dumbfounded and shocked.

    I could have turned into a bomb?

    "Luckily for you, I was here to help out."

    Nick told me with a smile.

    "The crystal should gradually help you balance out your Reiryoku and Tairyoku."

    ''Tairyoku?''

    I asked.

    "If Spiritual Power stands for Reiryoku, then I figured Tairyoku would stand for Physical Power."

    He shrugged.

    "I anticipate its going to be fun to see how you figure out that particular ability. Control over flesh, man that is one broken ability."

    ''So I did it? I gained access to Life Force?''

    Finally, a bright side to my recklessness. Eat your heart out Chase!

    Nick snorted.

    "Hold your horses. Just because you have access to Tairyoku doesn''t mean shit. Your body is out of synch with itself. All that control you were proud of? Gone."

    He dropped a mega bombshell.

    My heart fell.

    ''No...no then that means my Bankai...''

    "Poof. Gone. You will have to get your control back to where it was to even think of moving on to higher Kido, let alone access Bankai."

    It felt as if I''d bitten into a sour lemon.

    ''How long?''

    "The Crystal will dissolve after your soul is no longer at risk of blowing up."

    He then continued before I could speak,

    "To gain access to Bankai? Months of hard training. And I mean pushing not just your body to the breaking point but even your soul. The kind of grueling torture that Goku would shudder at. Do that every single day and I assure you will..."

    Bam!

    A dull thunk sounded out and Nick''s figure stiffened. His face grew slack as he looked down at his chest. Something was glowing there.

    "Oh hell...Davian." He looked up in a state of shock.

    "I think someone just attac.."

    Then his form blew apart into motes of green light.

    My brain was slow to catch up on what had happened.

    Something was ringing inside my head.

    One minute I was happy to see my best friend again, then the next he was gone.

    In his position, a tall figure floating in midair appeared. The eyes...

    Bruce Wayne. Batman.

    His costume had undergone changes, he seemed to glow almost too brightly in my Reikaku.

    ''What...what did you do?...''

    I asked, blood rushing to my head.

    It was so hard to breathe now.

    "Scarlet Devil, stand down and..."

    ''What. Did. You. Just. Dooo!!!!??''

    I raged, the crystal formation groaned as crack appeared, running from the top to the bottom.

    Energy started wafting out through the crack.

    Batman cautiously fell back.

    I was mad. I was furious. And the object of my anger was only a few inches away.

    But I couldn''t do shit.

    If I tried to leave the crystal, billions would die, including me.

    Fuck.

    FUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKK!!!

 I Will Kill You.

    (General P.O.V)

    The ocean passed below him in a blur, the environmental shield around his body dealing with the drag and friction in spite of the Super Sonic speeds he was flying at.

    As he did, he gazed at the holographic panel before his eyes, projecting a map of the Caribbean Sea, with Infinity Island marked as his destination.

    "Robin''s files were inconclusive. Ring, give me the latest intel on Infinity Island."

    The green lantern ring emitted a soft glow depicting the island and its surroundings.

    The ring was connected to a satellite, providing him an almost omniscient view of the Island.

    "Infinity Island is shrouded in uneven spatial patterns. Additionally, I detect the presence of theta energy, a form of exotic energy, emanating from it."

    Batman narrowed his eyes, processing the information.

    "Theta energy... The League of Shadows must be up to something big. Or maybe...its not them at all."

    He didn''t want to jump to conclusions but the only people he knew who had access to theta energy or Spirit energy in simple terms, were Deadman, a fellow hero and Davian Mabuz.

    Otherwise known as the Scarlet Devil. The leader of the PRT.

    "Prepare for infiltration. Give me a real-time analysis of the island''s security systems."

    "Affirmative, Batman."

    The ring answered before the holographic projection zoomed in, revealing intricate security systems, guard patrols, and the layout of the League of Shadows headquarters.

    He slowed down once he got was closer to the island.

    "The island''s security is formidable. Thermal sensors, motion detectors, and high-frequency alarms are scattered throughout. Guard patrols are stationed at key locations. Exercise caution."

    The ring advised.

    "How many?"

    Batman asked.

    It wasn''t his first time here and Ra''s knew that, so he usually randomly reset the security measures.

    It wasn''t unusual for there to be hundreds or even thousands of shadows in the Island at a particular time.

    ...(scanning) The ring took on a more mechanical tone.

    "17 hostiles detected."

    The ring replied.

    "That is less than I expected." He stated, a bit surprised.

    "Ring, deploy the cloaking effe..."

    (ALERT!)

    (ALERT!)

    The ring interrupted him with a series of warnings.

    Batman immediately came to a stop in mid air.

    "Report."

    He growled at it.

    "In accordance to the Green Lantern treaty on extinction level weaponry: Protocol 6722, issue 31#..."

    "Get on with it!"

    Batman barked, his environmental shield pulsing from the outpour of his will.

    "Spatial patterns suggest the presence of a level 12 galactic energy source. Probability the Theta energy contained within to explode is...calculating...4.5%."

    Batman narrowed his eyes.

    "How much yield is in a Level 12 galactic energy source?"

    "Were it to explode, I estimate complete extinction of all life in the local sector and the spread of cosmic radiation waves to the entire galaxy. A minimum of 28 quadrillion lives would be lost in the next 200 years."

    The ring answered.

    Batman''s jaw tightened upon the news.

    "Can you accurately determine it''s location?"

    (...Scanning)

    "Negative."

    Okay, infiltrating the island was immediately out, he couldn''t waste any more time.

    "Understood. Time to level the playing field."

    Batman stated, raising the hand the ring was on.

    *******

    A pulse rippled out from his position, encompassing the entire island.

    Immediately, every electronic device in the Island shut down, including the cameras, radio and the power feeding into the security grid.

    "E.M.P successful."

    The ring intoned.

    "Good."

    He couldn''t rule out that the theta bomb could be activated by the mere press of a button.

    By deploying an electromagnetic pulse and killing every device within range, he had eliminated that possibility.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Now to find out where the damn thing was located. For that, he would need to calibrate the ring''s scanning features to pick up on the exotic energy signature.

    Infinity Island was a mid sized Island, which meant the landmass was a bit extensive with a rocky terrain that became more apparent the deeper you moved in.

    Perfect for hiding anything you didn''t want easily found.

    Fortunately he was Batman.

    "Ring, initiate upgrade sequence. Reroute all auxiliary energy to the scanning feature."

    The green lantern ring emitted a soft glow, acknowledging Batman''s request.

    "Understood. Initiating upgrade sequence. Rerouting Auxillary power."

    A holographic interface appeared in front of Batman, showcasing complex algorithms and scanning protocols. Batman started inputting commands, tweaking the ring''s settings.

    The Guardians would have been appalled to learn that Batman had not only hacked the most powerful weapon in the universe but had also intuited it''s functions to the point he could do anything with it.

    The glow from the environmental shield around him lessened somewhat.

    "Ring, cross-reference the theta energy patterns in the island with external data sources. Prepare to integrate satellite scans."

    In the Batcave, thousands of miles away, the main monitor displayed a live feed from a satellite positioned above the Caribbean Sea, with Infinity Island as its focus.

    Batman then pulled the real time feed onto the screen projected above the ring, searching for any thermal or radiation anomalies.

    There was nothing that stood out.

    He frowned.

    "Ring, enhance the thermal and radiation sensors on the satellite. We''re looking for all unusual readings."

    "Boosting satellite sensors. Scanning in progress."

    Came the confirmation from the ring.

    On the holo feed, the satellite''s view zoomed in on Infinity Island, capturing the dense jungle, the League of Shadows'' headquarters, and the surrounding terrain.

    Then the image changed to show heat signatures and a rippling wave of radiation pulsing around the island.

    "Got you."

    Batman muttered to himself.

    "Isolate and analyze any abnormal thermal or radiation signatures."

    The holographic projection updated with a detailed analysis of the thermal and radiation patterns detected on the island.

    "Thermal and radiation analysis complete. Correlating data with uneven spatial patterns. Theta energy source identified, Batman. Coordinates locked."

    The Ring informed him.

    "Good work."

    Batman responded before he leaned forward and shot towards the Eastern section of the island.

    He made it there in 3 seconds, finding himself looking out into a very familiar training yard.

    Only this time, something was off.

    His eyes could spot nothing strange. Even a general scan of the training yard and a flyby revealed nothing of substance.

    However, his skin shivered from something in the air.

    "Whatever is here, is completely concealed. But now that I know it''s here..."

    He trailed off, stretching out his fist and pointing it out into the training yard.

    "...I just need to search for a different frequency. But I''ll need a boost."

    He clenched his jaw, knowing what he would need to do but not liking it.

    He had known it would sooner or later come to this.

    With his voice steady and full of resolve, he begun his chant.

    "From Gotham''s darkness to farthest star,

    I wield this ring, both near and far.

    With power untamed, I embrace the fight,

    In brightest day or blackest night,

    I rise as the Green Lantern, the Darkest Knight!"

    A torrential amount of power escaped the ring, dispelling all the shadows in the training yard and revealing something shimmering.

    A conglomerate of green Crystals that was taller than any tree on the island. And before it, something was floating in place.

    "Ring, what is that?"

    He questioned.

    (...searching database...)

    "Entity appears to have no normal biological functions. 78% chance of entity being a security measure. 6% chance on entity being..."

    "Dismiss further information. Reroute all power to the Combat Matrix."

    He interrupted.

    He couldn''t waste anymore time. He needed to find a way to deal with the theta energy bomb before it exploded.

    "Confirmed. Godspeed Batman."

    The ring complied and it''s wielder immediately jumped in.

    The first thing he did was create a batarrang that dispelled the guardian construct easily.

    Then he reached out with his ring to try and create a membrane around the crystal in a bid to teleport it away, when he froze.

    For starters the crystal formation went too deep into the island.

    However the thing that made him pause was...

    Those eyes.

    Davian stared at him from within the crystal with murderous intent.

    (ALERT!)

    (ALERT!)

    (ALERT!)

    The ring immediately begun going crazy.

    Batman''s breath hitched as a crack ran down the crystal. Potent energy begun wafting out of the crack in waves.

    "Ring what is..."

    (ALERT! ALERT! CRYSTAL CONTAINMENT FIELD IN DANGER OF BEING BREACHED! 10 SECONDS TO FULL BREAKDOWN)

    The highly mechanized voice from the AI informed him.

    Batman''s eyes widened.

    The ring on his finger glowed as he pushed it forth, allowing a blast of will energy to wash down on the crystal, fixing the crack.

    There was a slight buzz from the comms in his ear. He tapped it with his other hand almost absentmindedly.

    "Bruce, what is going on? The Watchtower''s sensors are going haywire?"

    Superman''s voice came from the other end.

    "Extinction level bomb threat. I''m attempting to contain it as we speak."

    Batman responded, watching as the will energy did little to stop the cracks from forming around the crystal.

    "Rate of deterioration slowed. 10.5 seconds to total meltdown. 10.5555 seconds to extinc...

    The ring rattled off before with a flex of his will, Batman shut off the notifications, grinding his teeth.

    "Clark...it''s too much. I-I don''t think I can do it like this. I need Barry."

    There was a brief silence.

    Superman sucked in a deep breath.

    "You know that''s not possible, he''s..."

    "The only one fast enough to do what I need him to."

    Batman cut him off.

    "Clark, you know me. I would never in a million years ask for this if it wasn''t the only way."

    (Central city - Star Labs)

    The Flash had been keeping up with the League''s missions.

    Not once or twice had he failed to read up on the mission reports made available to him by the Jay Garrick.

    "Are you sure?"

    Iris rubbed his shoulders. She had followed him on his weekly check up when the Caribbean disasters had struck, necessitating them to follow the events closely.

    Then the communications between Batman and Superman had reached him on his league comm device.

    He looked at her. At his future wife and the life she was carrying.

    "I have to. For us. For...them"

    He added rubbing her belly gently.

    Iris nodded and hugged him. He smelled the scent of her hair before stepping back and with a solemn nod he was off.

    "I''ll do it."

    The Flash''s voice came the next second, beside Batman.

    If Batman was fast, then the Flash was speed incarnate. He had cleared the long distance in under a second.

    Batman to his benefit took it all in stride.

    "Good..."

    "Wait, is that?!..."

    The Flash suddenly asked horrified, pointing at Davian who was contained in the crystal.

    "No time Flash! I need you to run around the Island and carry it off to the end of time."

    Batman explained.

    "You need me to do what?!"

    The Flash exclaimed in shock.

    "Bats...you can''t be serious. On my way here I saw people, we would be condemning them to..."

    Batman sent out a small e.m.p. shutting off both their comms, ensuring that the conversation happening was only between the two of them.

    "I have run the calculations Barry! We don''t have a god nearby. And that''s about the only thing that can stop this thing from exploding."

    He motioned at the crystal with his chin.

    "I can''t even separate the crystal formation from the Island!"

    He turned his gaze at the Flash, both men knowing what saying yes would mean.

    Batman''s voice turned soft, his eyes still staring deep into the speedster''s.

    "You and I...have a lot to redeem ourselves for. Doing this, will save the families of the men we killed. Doing this...will save Iris, Barry. It will save your unborn child."

    The Flash shook his head.

    "You manipulative..."

    "So run. Run Barry, Run!"

    Batman ordered.

    The Flash threw a scathing look Batman''s way and then sped off in a trail of red and yellow lightning.

    Batman then heard a crack as more of the crystal shattered.

    He looked at Davian within the crystal and saw him carving something onto its surface.

    "I WILL KILL YOU."

    Establishing eye contact, both men stared at each other. One with conviction that what he was doing was justified and the only way to save trillions of lives and the other?

    He was furious, filled with hate that could not be extinguished.

    "I''ll be waiting."

    Batman informed him and then begun ascending, never breaking eye contact until the Island disappeared in a tornado of speed force.

 The End of The Universe.

    (General P.O.V)

    Dimming stars gently pulsed with dying light from afar.

    Floating chunks of rocks devoid of life crashed against each other, sending speeding projectile out.

    Energy churned within raw spaces in reality.

    In this dreary nightmarish space, an Island suddenly appeared in a burst of speed force energy.

    The storm of red and yellow lightning formed around the island like a funnel, only stopping once the entire chunk of land was transported from the present to the end of the universe.

    Within the Island, it''s inhabitants had barely caught onto what had transpired before disaster fell upon them.

    Deadman was flying as fast as he could from his quarters towards the Crystal. He was only a few feet away but could already spot the many cracks along it''s form.

    "Shit!"

    Davian lay inside the crystal, eyes closed and brow sweating as if he was in pain.

    (Can''t...hold it... back...)

    Deadman felt the words resonate deep within his soul.

    The statement naturally belonged to Davian who stared at him with a regretful look.

    The clashing energies within him reached a tipping point and without the crystal formation to contain it all...

    (I''m...sorry Brand. I just killed you all.)

    With a catastrophic explosion, the crystal burst apart.

    Deadman immediately hightailed it out of there. There wasn''t time to even grab Cheshire, he just flew as fast as he could. Without any direction or plan.

    Something within him knew if he stalled for even a second he was done for.

    It started out weak. A pull at his back. He chanced a look and saw a swirling vortex where the crystal had been.

    The explosive wave that rippled out into the Island seemed to stall. Then it collapsed on itself.

    The pull instantly tripled in intensity as it begun pulling everything to it.

    Then in a reenactment of the previous explosion, a wave of dark Reiryoku that Deadman immediately compared to the Gillian spread out.

    (Deeeaaath)

    The world turned gray, losing all color and Deadman knew, there was nowhere else to run. Death would reach him no matter how far he travelled.

    He could feel it. Davian''s Spirit energy had changed. That would only happen if his soul was altered drastically.

    This wasn''t the Davian he knew. This was the heart murmur in the space between heartbeats.

    This was the thing you see at the corner of your eyes.

    This was the one sure thing in life.

    This was Death.

    So he stopped and embraced it.

    Infinity Island was instantly drowned in darkness and devoured, then the nearest planet sized masses followed along, then the dim red star weakly trying to sustain itself... everything fell prey to death.

    ******

    At the end of time,

    The final nanosecond stretched to it''s infinite potential,

    Lay a fortress housing the last mortals in reality.

    The Fortress was called Vanishing Point.

    Vanishing Point was inside a metaphysical dimension that existed outside the normal space/time continuum.

    It was golden, gleaming with energies fed into the Time stream; better known as the fourth dimension, from different sources such as the speed force.

    Contained within this particular Fortress was an opulent hall that was adorned with all manner of relics from the past.

    Superman''s cape, Wonder Woman''s lasso of truth, Genghis Khan''s axe, Einstein''s pocket watch, even old Taoists manuscripts.

    All these treasures and artefacts that had meaning to different periods of times were carefully exhibited along the walls of the hall.

    Inside the hall were the last humans. A group of volunteers that protected the time stream.

    They were known as the Linear Men.

    Totalling 7, the individuals were gathered around a table.

    Two of them stood, deep in an argument while the rest watched.

    "Do any of you even understand what this means!?"

    Rip Hunter, premier time traveller, a descendant of not only Supernova, a hero yet to appear in the 2ist century, but also a distant relation of Booster Gold, snapped.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "You think yourself an expert on all things the past but newsflash, Rip, we''ve all witnessed the continuum."

    The words came from a beautiful blonde woman dressed in a pink and blue outfit.

    Her name was Liri Lee, otherwise known as Linear Woman.

    She continued,

    "This final second is stretched to it''s limit, there is no way anyone can reach us here! Not even a speedster..."

    The woman who had been speaking was interrupted by a loud rumble.

    The city shook, the walls of the chamber cracked before breaking apart.

    Linear Woman thrust out her hands, freezing the rocks, then time begun to reverse around the chunks. They rejoined and the wall was restored.

    "Well, never thought I''d get to say this but you were right."

    She begrudgingly told Rip.

    None of them could ignore the feeling of interference through their connection with the time stream.

    A temporal displacement.

    Something else was here...and it had brought with it Death.

    A large cloud of miasma immediately swept through Vanishing Point, devouring all existence.

    ******

    Am infinite distance away, at his Citadel, Time Trapper stood on a grand balcony, hands held upright in supplication to the awning darkness.

    "So it finally comes. Entropy...the death of all things."

    The wave of death swallowed him as well. He gave no resistance. There was freedom in choosing not to resist.

    ******

    The darkness continued spreading out unhindered. Unchallenged.

    The cosmic entities left alive could only watch as the final nanosecond of existence came to a close.

    From another infinite distance away, something was stroke awake at the diminishing light.

    Something that knew it was time. It''s reign was nigh.

    In the heavens above and the hells below, the scenes of a destructive battle that had ripped asunder different terrains could be seen.

    The battles that had been waged had never truly ended. The struggle between light and darkness never could.

    Below all of those existences, in the dark recess of non-existence, the great Darkness Stilled, called forth by a piece of itself consuming everything in the final stretch of reality.

    And so the Great Darkness rose up, unopposed.

    It devoured gods, afterlives, pocket dimensions, energy dimensions like the hidden forces, the electromagnetic spectrum...

    Then entire galaxies and sectors, universes, everything fell. Lastly it turned it''s attention to the multiverse.

    The end of all things was nigh, and so the Great Darkness gorged itself on reality, a mass of dark clouds that could not be delayed.

    All the while it sort out that piece of itself, it could feel.

    Not to mean there wasn''t those who tried to fight back. It was...amusing to say the least.

    However, Darkness death could not be deni...hmmm

    And then the Great Darkness paused in surprise.

    It had finally found it. The piece of itself buried in another entity. A structure made up of nothing but death energy.

    "WHAT ARE YOU?"

    It asked the other wave of darkness that had risen up from a different part of the dying multiverse.

    (WhAT ARe yOU??^����)

    The question was thrown back at it.

    The Great Darkness grew curious as both waves tried to devour one another.

    One, death and the other darkness.

    Two intricately connected spheres. Yet...they now stood in opposition to one another.

    "MOST... CURIOUS. I WISH TO STUDY YOU."

    The Great Darkness commented, reaching out it''s tendrils in the space between stars to touch upon the center of the opposing force.

    In the middle of the miasma of death, purple eyes opened...then a screech sounded out.

    The Great Darkness'' tendril was immediately devoured.

    "WHAT?!"

    The End of All things was surprised...shocked even.

    Then it became delighted at this curious little thing. There was something foreign within it. Something it had to have.

    Something other than it''s missing piece.

    This energy, this power...

    "MUST DEVOUR!!"

    The Great Darkness launched itself forward in speeds that defied all common sense.

    The wave of death had no function beyond spreading out. So it surged up ready to take on the end of all.

    "STOP."

    While the voice was not loud, it carried with it an authority that could not be denied.

    Then in-between the Great Darkness and the wave of death, a pale skinned woman appeared.

    "THIS CONCERNS YOU NOT, LITTLE GIRL."

    The Great Darkness said.

    Death tilted her head to the side, a lazy smirk on her beautiful face. Looking closely however, one wouldn''t miss the deadly serious eyes.

    "I assure you, Great End, nothing has ever concerned me more."

    The wave of death was heedless, unlikely to listen to reason so it kept spreading, seeking to devour everything.

    Only for it to stop.

    Death was death.

    In ways, he was her.

    Connected more deeply than bonds of family would even allow.

    Standing in the middle of what anyone would term as eldritch abominations, Death only felt immense sadness for her son.

    She could see the boy within the wave of death, twisted upon himself. Pure instinct driving him.

    Not a soul reaper, not a full bring, not a human. With his soul container damaged...his other nature came to the forefront.

    His hollow form.

    Thats why...

    "DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE YOURSELF STRONG ENOUGH TO HALT MY ADVANCE ALONE?"

    The Great Darkness enquired.

    "I CAN FOLD UNIVERSES INTO EACH OTHER."

    Reality bent according to it''s will as new Universes were created and destroyed around them.

    "CREATE ANY CREATURE OF EXISTENCE..."

    Different multiversal and outerversal beings sprouted randomly.

    The looming presence of Perpetua looked down at Death and waved her hand towards the Anthropomorphic presentation of death.

    The euclidean space they occupied shattered.

    But even with all of that, Death calmly floated in place. None of the attacks could reach her. Her conceptual abilities basically caused death to all attacks.

    "My turn."

    She responded cheekily.

    Holding up her hand, the butterfly tattoo on her arm broke away, taking to the skies. Then it burst into motes of dust that gathered inside her palm.

    She turned to the Great Darkness and blew the dust it''s way.

    The dust turned into a stream of white energy. A Raven cried out and with the cry came an outpouring of light, which drove the Darkness back.

    The Raven flapped it''s wings, producing star sized beams of power that speared through the dark emanations and creations of the Darkness.

    "DELAYING TACTICS."

    The Great Darkness commented.

    "THAT BOY... CONTAINS WITHIN HIM A SLIVER OF ME. I WANT IT."

    The Raven cried out loudly, as if daring the Great Darkness to try.

    "Well you can''t have it. You can''t have him."

    Death said.

    "And who said she was alone?"

    Dream, Death''s younger brother stepped out from the shadows of the light cast by the Raven.

    "Death has never been alone. Not truly. I know the burden she carries."

    A different voice, this time belonging to Destruction, rang out.

    He was a tall man with broad shoulders and wavy blonde locks, tied back into a pony tail. Dressed like a lumberjack, he held in his hand an axe.

    He more than anyone understood how strong Death''s will was. He had abandoned his station, she had not.

    "Not exactly my idea for picnic but this seems fun."

    Desire stated in a gender neutral voice. Her/his wide smile revealing white gleaming teeth.

    And their face was the most beautiful thing to be seen yet...her/his features seemed to shift minutely so that the way he/she looked 1 second ago was different.

    He/she was dressed in a long flowing red dress.

    Diamonds made from glittering stars adorned her/his neck, going down her/his strong chest.

    Her/his twin despair huddled behind Desire, shamefully looking at the Darkness from under messy black hair.

    "You will not harm my family."

    She whispered, unsure and without conviction.

    The last two members of the dysfunctional family had deigned not to speak. Destiny stood infront of and also behind his brothers and sisters.

    His presence could be felt, seen, heard but not determined. In his hands he held a book. The cover was made from the hide of a beast that had never existed.

    And on his shoulders, was their youngest member, Delirium merely hummed, her hands wrapped around the shaft of a large candy.

    Her bright colors contrasted deeply with the dreary atmosphere.

    "When you have a family like mine...you''re never truly alone. Even if you want to be."

    Death told the Darkness.

    The message was clear...we will not stand down.

 Enough.

    (General P.O.V)

    "INSOLENT BRATS. YOUR MOTHER EXISTS AS AN EXTENSION OF MYSELF. WOULD YOU THINK OF ME AS WEAK?!"

    The Great Darkness roared.

    Towers of darkness rose up from all around them, creating a sort of cage that collapsed upon the Endless.

    Looking at the falling walls of darkness, Desire laughed.

    The laughter sounded like dozens of angelic instruments being played in a melody befitting the ears of a god. To a mortal, the sound would be inaudible.

    Her/his laugh rushed out in a wave of sonic force, slamming onto the bars of the darkness and expelling it away.

    The darkness fizzled out and regrouped, forming a pitch black right hand with even darker nails that swallowed light into their obsidian depths.

    "No one would ever consider you weak, Antigod."

    Destruction said, stepping forward and then swinging his axe at the hand.

    The axe cleaved apart space, it''s bladed edge parting the flesh of the arm at the middle, separating the pinky and ring finger from the rest.

    There was a hiss as dark blood flooded out of the arm, falling in one cascading wave towards the Endless.

    The blood seemed sentient, swimming through the air while frothing.

    "Yuck..."

    Desire sneered, looking at the river of blood about to fall on them.

    Despair glowered. No one. No one got to ruin Desire''s perfect beauty.

    She ran forward, her ugly flabby body trembling and shaking with every step.

    Then her mouth widened, the orifice stretching out for millions of miles and swallowed the waterfall of black blood.

    Seeing this desire smiled.

    "How disgustingly fortunate that you were here my twin. I shall braid your hair the prettiest it has ever been."

    Despair''s belly bulged out as she licked her lips, having not only drank the blood down but also taken a chomp at the hand.

    She rubbed her belly before belching.

    A black shade escaped her mouth, hands desperately clawing at the air, reaching out towards the Great Darkness in despair.

    "My Dark Master! Save me!!"

    Empty Hand bellowed in panic.

    Despair''s mouth widened once more, clamping down on the shade before it could fly away.

    "Tasty."

    She commented in a scratchy voice.

    "I wouldn''t mind more."

    The darkness laughed in amusement.

    "DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND, LITTLE ONES. I AM LIMITLESS. I CAN CREATE ENOUGH DARK SERVANTS TO BLOCK OUT THE SUN."

    As a testament to his power, more creatures sprouted from the dark clouds.

    "JUST AS YOU EXIST IN THEIR HEARTS SO DO I."

    Multitudes of beings from the universe''s already devoured were revived in darkly forms.

    "I AM THE DARKNESS THEY TRY TO HIDE FROM THEMSELVES. FROM THE PUREST OF GOOD SOULS..."

    Numerous iterations of the Justice League, independent heroes and The Legion Of Superheroes emerged, each twisted, body''s hi-jacked and corrupted.

    "TO THE MOST DEPRAVED..."

    Multiple villains appeared, their forms warped. From the Legion of Doom, to The Light, to the Crime Syndicate to Galactic Warlords. There was no end to his creations.

    "TO THE MOST POWERFUL OF ENTITIES."

    New Gods, Old Gods, Cosmic Entities, Otherworld creatures, Beasts of End, Beings from the dark multiverse and nightmarish creatures that warped reality merely by existing, sprouted of his will.

    Some just as powerful as the Endless.

    All created from within the darkness itself.

    ******

    In every higher plane, Higher conceptual beings looked on at the altercation about to unfold.

    On one side, was the darkness at the end of all, the opposite of the Presence, the true Apex existence.

    Then on the opposite side lay the children of Mother Night and Father Time.

    The culmination of existence and meaning as a whole.

    The spark of light and the void of dark combined in perfect harmony. An amalgam of ingenuity, constructs of potential given form. Each facet of life given light.

    The Children of Creation.

    The Endless.

    Mother Night simply watched, her hands poised in preparation to grab her favorite.

    Dream could not be allowed to die. Of her children, he was the one that mattered. As long as he was, then creativity would thrive.

    The others, they saw her cruelty to her other children and did not understand. Their aloof father would not get it either.

    Only she saw this for what it was, you could not stop the destruction coming. Everything was at an end but if Dream survived then he could bring it all back.

    Every piece of fact, fiction and whim would be restored unto the next existence.

    If Dream were to live none of this would matter.

    ******

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    Throughout even more spheres of influence, beyond the Source and the Overvoid, a man looked up from his spot on top of a mountain.

    He had long black hair, brown skin and was dressed in Wakandan Vibranium weaved robes.

    "What, already getting homesick?"

    Directly opposite him, seated on the other side of a Pai sho table was an almost perfect replica of the first man.

    Only this one was dressed in black silk robes and had even longer hair.

    At the middle of his forehead was the mark of the Avatar. A symbol drawn with cursive lines and inscriptions.

    The question had come from the second man.

    Aden sighed.

    "Don''t be stupid, Chaos. I am not stepping a foot in that place until this issue with Order has been resolved."

    Chaos rolled his eyes at the mention of the third aspect of the Avatar.

    "Besides." Aden looked up, his gaze zoning out a little.

    "I believe they have it handled."

    "The Presence? Are you sure he would step in to fight that...thing when he didn''t intervene last time."

    Chaos asked, moving a piece of Pai Sho through the board.

    "No, not him."

    Aden shook his head, eyes glowing as he gave Chaos access to his own senses.

    "Can you feel them?"

    The Lord of Balance asked of his Chaos Aspect.

    Chaos'' finger stalled as his eyes widened.

    "Yeah...the Endless. Boss...who are they protecting?"

    Chaos asked, a curious expression on his face.

    Aden on the other side of the table, smiled. Battle lust on his face. Equity pulsed from his side. It wanted to fight him.

    "So you can feel him too huh?"

    Aden asked.

    Chaos blinked, his gaze turning to numbly stare at the sky.

    "That is the strongest Spirit I have ever sensed."

    "Yeah. He''s... powerful. Or will be given time anyway."

    Aden shrugged.

    "Whether he survives this or not is up to him."

    ******

    "MY CREATIONS!! TEAR THE GODLINGS APART!!"

    The Great Darkness ordered.

    Hundreds of thousands of corrupted Heroes and villains, gods and devils, men and beast flew forth, their forms and sizes warped.

    Dream raised his hand, a chain with a red locket wrapped around his palm and fingers.

    His lips moved in a low chant. As Lord of Dreams, he had access to the great spells contained in the dreams of powerful Magicians and Sorcerers.

    The low chant that escaped his lips was one such spell. A spell that even it''s creator could never cast due to its effect.

    It made space your bitch.

    The distance between the Endless and the armies of the Great Darkness stretched out infinitely.

    Dream turned to the others.

    "That won''t last long."

    He said, staring at Death.

    "I''m bored. Can we do something else other than trying to save the soul of one mortal? No matter how interesting they are."

    Desire commented staring at her/his nails.

    Her words were not surprising to the rest. Desire was a creature of the moment.

    She/he was out of the red dress, now in a black body suit with a fuzzy collar. A long black tail swished behind them.

    Death turned towards Destiny.

    "How do you see this turning out?"

    She asked, already knowing he wouldn''t answer.

    "Whatever needs to happen will happen. No need to get it tangled up sweet sis."

    Unexpectedly, Delirium was the one who spoke up, cartwheeling next to dream.

    The curved space around them begun to stretch back to it''s original state.

    "They''re here..."

    Dream informed the rest, just as the Great Darkness Armies appeared.

    "Death?"

    Destruction called out, hoisting his axe.

    "We promised to assist you. Take the boy and retreat."

    Death gazed at the inert wave of death behind them. Time seemed to have stopped for Davian who was inside the coccoon of death.

    "Out of the question."

    Death immediately refused.

    "No one is getting left behind."

    "So we fight then?"

    Destruction said.

    Portals opened around them and into the dreaming. The Great Darkness had his army. So Dream decided,

    "He''s not the only one who can call upon soldiers and warriors to fight."

    Saying that, multiple beings and heroes whose imprint had been left in the dreaming poured forth.

    There were characters from fables and legends.

    The faerie court which was led by Ueberon the Fairy king.

    Hundreds of fantasy beasts, like giants and dragons similarly flew forth to join in the battle.

    There were also dozens of heroes from all over different time periods. Dream held no limitation to what he could do with his realm.

    The white Raven behind them screeched, soaring to the sky and flying in a circle around them.

    It hovered in mid air, flapping it''s wings, before producing a wave of white light that rippled out into the surroundings, illuminating everything.

    For a split second the armies of Darkness faltered.

    "Interesting."

    Desire commented, staring at the Raven.

    "Form up."

    Dream''s voice cut through the void.

    The beings he had called forth stood behind the Endless.

    "Friends, enemies, acquittances, the final battle is upon us. To safeguard the next cycle, we must rally...and fight. Fight for the right to live."

    His words were simple but filled with a lot of conviction.

    Merlin, not the real deal but one from the countless book iterations that lived in the Library flew upwards, body wreathed in flames.

    "rewohs roeteM!" (Meteor shower!)

    Large balls of flaming rocks and boulders cut through the sky above them, having seemingly appeared from nowhere.

    The meteors flew towards the dark armies, poised to land and initiate the first attack.

    "ENOUGH!"

    A majestic voice declared and time seemed to freeze around everything.

    The advance of both armies stopped.

    A walking paradox floated calmly between the Endless and the Great Darkness.

    The paradox was a figure that kept on alternating from an old man, to a young boy to a middle aged man. The figure had long red hair and resembled Destruction a lot.

    "Father?"

    Destiny inclined his head in greetings.

    Time seemed to have even frozen the other Endless. Only Destiny was be able to move freely.

    "Destiny. What have you lot got yourselves into this time??"

    Father Time questioned.

    To him, his children were a nuisance, constantly asking for his intervention in matters they couldn''t solve.

    The only reason he had decided to make a move was because of Destiny.

    In a request that was unlike him, Destiny had asked for a favor. Father Time could not deny his eldest.

    Before Destiny could answer, Father Time raised a hand, turning towards the front.

    "Before you answer, let us take care of this. The Great End cannot be contained or stopped, merely subverted."

    Time started reversing across the whole multiverse.

    Great was the concept of time and existence that he could forcefully drag back the whole temporal clock on reality as a whole.

    The portals Dream had opened up begun closing with the beings called upon, withdrawing back.

    he Great Darkness'' Armies reverted to mere smoke that joined up with it''s billowy forms.

    The coccoon of death energy that was Davian begun to collapse on itself back into the Crystal Formation.

    Infinity Island was restored for the second time.

    The White Raven seemed to fold back into energy that rejoined with Death, Desire''s clothes changed from the black body suit to the red dress from earlier.

    With one last flex of his will, the Endless, Father Time and Infinity Island disappeared from the timeline.

    ******

    Death blinked her eyes open and found herself inside a very familiar room.

    It was a simple office/library. Shelves of ancient and recent books adorned the walls of the room.

    Pictures taken of Time and his wife, Night were placed on a stand along with a large hourglass standing at the middle of the room.

    Their Father''s Palace.

    "Oh we''re alive? Good to know."

    Desire stated, gracefully draping her/his body over the only couch in the room, her/his mere movements seductive.

    "Out with it then."

    Father Time addressed Death.

    "Why would you fight against the Antigod? Don''t you understand the concept of the Ancient Laws?"

    "Do they even matter now, Father?"

    Dream enquired.

    "Of course they do, boy. They''re in place to stop creation from coming down on all of us."

    Father Time shook his head.

    "You''re not children anymore...you have more power than you know what to do with."

    He lamented.

    "I understand you, dear father. Death did all this to save one mortal soul."

    Desire spoke up.

    "Oooh so the drama intensifies..."

    Delirium observed, her hands inside a bowl of popcorn that hadn''t been there before.

    "Mortal soul? What is so important about a mortal soul?"

    Father Time asked.

    Death and Destiny shared a look.

    "He''s your grandson. A child of me. A child of Death."

    Death answered.

    (Earth- 2010)

    What... happened?

    Davian opened his eyes and found himself lying on a bed while staring at a generic ceiling.

    "Oh, so you''re awake."

    A voice said from beside it.

    Davian turned his head to stare at the pale and most beautiful woman he had ever seen, looking at him with a small smile.

    The smile widened.

    "Most beautiful huh? How sweet."

    Davian scoffed, trying to get up.

    "It''s rude to read someone''s mind without consent."

    The rough sheet over him, fell away to reveal his muscular chest and the necklace with a green gem hanging off his neck.

    His body felt sluggish and weak. His Reikaku''s range was also smaller.

    What had happened?

    He reached for his hips and breathed out a sigh of relief. His Zanpakuto was where it was supposed to be.

    "Good."

    The woman clapped her hands, getting up.

    "You''re healed enough to move without your soul energy instantly crushing your body. Keep that necklace on if you want to maintain that balance. Good luck on your training."

    Then she disappeared, just like that. One minute she was standing above him, then the next, she was gone.

    Davian was left confused.

    "Who?..."

    He wondered to himself.

 Waking Up.

    (General P.O.V)

    6 days had passed.

    During this time, shock and interest had spread through the corners of the supervillain and hero world.

    Anyone in the know, was surprised when details about the battle at Infinity Island came out.

    The Scarlet Devil''s name was now synonymous with death for Supervillains. Many small time caped crooks gave up their villainous ways due to his reputation.

    He had done the impossible more than once.

    He took down Trigon, a literal demon god and then proceeded kill not only Penguin, but 2 other well known Batman villains, in the latter''s own city.

    Not to mention the most shocking thing of all, Vandal Savage was dead. Slain by Davian''s hands. Davian''s real identity was also now known to the public.

    It wasn''t clear who had released this information however, but interest had already started to gather about his background.

    Unfortunately that wouldn''t lead to anything good.

    ******

    "How many this time?"

    Commissioner Gordon asked the officers who had been the first at the crime scene.

    His eyes surveyed the bullet holes on the concrete pillars of the orphanage''s gate.

    "20 of them. Mostly small time gang members affiliated with Falcone''s and Penguin''s splintered criminal empire."

    The officer replied as they watched the 20 goons harmed with guns and knives being carted away.

    "These men are loyalists. Once word of the Scarlet Devil''s identity was leaked, they went after the orphanage he grew up in."

    The officer explained, leading Gordon through the wrecked gate of the orphanage.

    "Luckily, the PRT (Park Row Ties) were able to anticipate this attack and laid an ambush. They called us after kicking the men''s asses and tying them up."

    The officer added with a little excitement.

    Personally Gordon saw no reason to celebrate.

    Sure the PRT had stopped the attack on the orphanage but what no one was thinking of, was the possibility that someone had put the men up to this attack.

    And that meant whoever was behind this wouldn''t stop until they hurt Davian.

    ******

    Inside a dark room, were a series of screens placed along the wall.

    The screens displayed dark silhouettes, human forms clad in shadows.

    Ra''s Al Ghul sat before the half a dozen terminals, his hand rested on his cheek, body leaned back as he stared at his compatriots.

    The Light was having a meeting. The events of the past week necessitated a discussion. After all, 2 of their members were dead.

    "Someone managed the impossible. They killed the Immortal. It''s...concerning."

    Brain, in a heavily accented french tone said gravely.

    There was a brief silence from the rest of the Light.

    "Yes. Quite unexpected. It has thrown some of our plans into disarray."

    Another voice came from a different screen.

    "How have we been affected exactly?"

    A female voice joined in.

    "Cadmus is still operational and the League is unaware of our...new allies. A few projects have suffered but that is because replacing Klarion is no easy task."

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    The earlier deeper voice explained.

    "Then it''s business as usual?"

    Brain asked.

    "Yes. But with more caution. We cannot afford tp bring any attention to ourselves."

    Luthor informed the rest.

    "Very well. I look forward to the success of our objectives. Farewell."

    Brain''s screen flickered shut, followed by the rest.

    Lady Shiva, standing beside Ra''s Al Ghul gazed at him in...not concern but something close.

    "You told them nothing about our...guests."

    She pointed out.

    In response, Ra''s Al Ghul sat up, interlocking his fingers and placing them under his chin, an intense look on his face.

    "No. No I didn''t. And you want to know why?"

    The Demon''s Head enquired.

    "Why?"

    Lady Shiva asked.

    "Because you''ve already decided to train him."

    Ra''s stared at her.

    "I''m curious to see how much you can push him."

    Lady Shiva looked out into the Island, at the shimmering shield around the place designed to hide it from all manners of detection.

    The shield had seemingly appeared around the Island once the fight with Savage had ended. The disembodied spirit, Deadman had informed them that it had been the doing of his goddess.

    It filled Shiva with even more interest in Davian.

    Who was he to grab the attention of a goddess?

    "Me too. I''m curious how far he can go before his will gets broken under the strain."

    She replied, a cruel smile on her face.

    ******

    Later on, after the mandatory training Lady Shiva imposed on the shadows, she found herself in Davian''s room, checking up on him.

    He had been comatose for an entire week and no one knew when he would wake up.

    She gazed at his sleeping features. Even while unconscious, his face still contained the hard lines set to his jaw.

    "Mmph." Shiva snorted.

    "Even asleep you refuse to show weakness..."

    She said to herself, admiring his tenacious personality.

    Though they would have to beat that recklessness he approached everything with, out of him.

    Still she was curious... curious to see what the finished product would be.

    Hearing the approach of Davian''s ''friends'', Shiva left.

    *******

    That night, her dreams were plagued by different scenes of battles. Scenes of Davian going up against multiple armies. His future numerous loses and wins. His triumphs and suffering...

    And her...one of the many guiding lights he would have in his long long life.

    With the moon shining as brightly as ever, sending rays of light through Lady Shiva''s windows, the beautiful and deadly assassin sat up in bed, the sheet on her body falling away to reveal flawless skin on a tight body.

    Her nipples were hard in the cool breeze of the night, the massive breasts on her chest rising and falling with her gentle breathing.

    Her hand found her Katana and she unsheathed it slowly.

    "I''ve killed for less than watching me sleep."

    She addressed the presence she could feel in the room with her.

    A draft of air, swept through the curtains.

    With no warning, Rama Kushna''s figure appeared under the gaze of the moonlight.

    Her eyes shone with amusement.

    "I know you have, Shiva. That Spirit, that conviction is something I''ve always admired. But now I wonder, are you up to the task you want to take on?"

    Shiva''s grip on the Katana loosened somewhat as she studied the blue skinned, beautiful figure in her bed chambers.

    Rama Kushna was dressed in pink silk laces that barely covered anything, leaving her curves prominently displayed.

    "Who are you?"

    Shiva finally asked, lowering the Katana.

    In response the goddess smiled, waving a hand and locking the window behind her. She seductively walked forward, while biting her lip.

    "How about I just...show you instead."

    The sounds of moaning coming from Lady Shiva''s room was enough to make the shadows outside embarrassed.

    Not enough to leave their posts but enough that when morning came, it had been an unbearable experience standing outside.

    ******

    When morning did eventually arrive, Lady Shiva had left her room as an almost different person.

    For starters, the second Deadman spotted her, he''d immediately knelt down in respect to his goddess.

    That hadn''t been enough to clue everyone in on what had changed but Ra''s Al Ghul and Cheshire were in the know.

    Of course, Deadman had explained more. Turns out, Rama Kushna had made Shiva her Avatar in order to better train Davian.

    While Shiva was powerful in her own right, to forge the Spirit King anew needed more than just skill.

    Davian had no idea what he was in for.

    ******

    The Justice League had also undergone a few upheavals.

    The Flash was back. There were now two speedsters in the Justice League.

    The only concerning thing was that Barry barely cracked any jokes now. He carried with him a certain remorse and weight.

    Black Canary''s counseling failed to work and the cracks growing along the League''s structure were more and more becoming apparent.

    Batman was off doing his own thing and they had lost a few more members like Martian Manhunter.

    It was reaching a point of no return in some matters.

    Then, an entire week after Vandal Savage''s defeat, more shocking news hit the world.

    Upon Amanda Waller''s death inside the Ark, the A.R.G.U.S craft that had been stationed above Infinity Island, information exposing the League''s mistakes was released to the public.

    This had been her final fuck you to the world.

    While most of the information exposed was bad for PR, there was enough material to prosecute a few high profile heroes like Batman and Flash.

    What they had done was revealed and the public backlash was immense. The two of them were responsible for the death of four guards, indirectly or not, this saw to a change in how the people viewed the superpowered community.

    No action had been taken yet. However, more investigations had been carried out. Aimed at looking deeper into the evidence provided.

    ******

    While this was happening, Ma''alef''aak was in the prime position to begin preparations for his takeover of Earth.

    Faith in the heroes had never been low. It would only take a few more months before all his agents were in position and then soon...

    "No one will stand on my way to victory."

    The White Martian said to himself as he stood on a deck watching Intergang and his own men ferry through more weapons from Apocalypse.

    "As long as I deliver the Earth to him...then he shall help me conquer Mars."

    The White Martian said to himself.

    *******

    1 week and 4 days later,

    Davian, who up until then had been unconscious, finally woke up.

 We Need to Talk.

    (General P.O.V)

    Loud booms and noises could be heard coming from the Training Yard.

    Another pressure wave tore through a group of Shadows, throwing them away.

    "How long has she been at it?"

    Deadman asked Cheshire as he phased through a tree branch, hovering beside the assassin.

    "2 hours. She''s been destroying them. All while using a Boken."

    Cheshire answered, her left hand tightly grasped around the handle of one of her Sai''s.

    The object of their discussion, Lady Shiva sneered at the groaning shadows lying hurt and exhausted around her.

    "Even with my current state, none of you should be this weak."

    She told them coldly.

    She twirled the Boken in her hands, pouring forth Spirit Energy into the practice weapon.

    Spirit energy differed greatly from life force. Where the latter was mostly focused on reinforcing her physique, the former felt more ethereal.

    Rama Kushna had made her an Avatar. Which was different from being a champion like Deadman. While Deadman only received a portion of the goddess power, Shiva received that and knowledge.

    Knowledge on karma and balance. Knowledge on how spirit energy worked. How to increase soul power through meditative practice and motions.

    The fact that she also possessed Ki made her the perfect teacher for Davian.

    "Get up. Again!"

    Shiva ordered.

    A consequence of getting that kind of power added to her was that she needed practice to get used to wielding Spirit energy.

    Practice that these shadows were barely even providing.

    "I don''t trust her."

    Cheshire commented, her eyes narrowing under the feline mask.

    "You don''t look like the type to trust anyone."

    Deadman snorted.

    "Still..." The Disembodied spirit said gloomily.

    "I know what you mean. She was dangerous before but now...now even if we were to merge, I don''t think we''d stand a chance."

    "Well, we have your goddess to thank for that, don''t we?"

    Cheshire shot back annoyed.

    For his part, Deadman simply shrugged.

    "She''s a god. Usually that comes with the added perk of doing whatever she wants."

    In the meantime, the ''spar'' between Shiva and the shadows begun anew. Boken clashed against Katanas, with the Boken coming out on top.

    Shurikens were merely parried without even sticking to the wooden practice sword.

    "Disappointing!"

    Shiva said, a wild discharge of Spirit Energy escaping her heels, pushing her speed to crazy extremes.

    A few seconds later, the Shadows were on the ground again.

    Cheshire got to her feet.

    "What did you want?"

    She asked Deadman.

    "Oh, yeah, I came to tell you that he''s awake."

    He answered.

    Down on the Training Yard, Shiva turned her head to look at the two.

    ******

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I rubbed my face, swinging my feet off the bed.

    It felt like I''d been sleeping for more than a week. My body felt exhausted and everytime I tried to remember what had happened, I received the sharp pangs of a headache.

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    But first things first, I needed to check something.

    "Chase, you there?"

    I called out to my Zanpakuto.

    "So, sleeping beauty is finally up?"

    His sarcastic remark brought a relieved smile onto my face.

    "Yeah yeah...how long have I been out? And where the fuck were you?"

    I asked.

    "A week and half. About what happened, what do you remember?"

    He questioned.

    What did I remember?

    I scrunched my eyebrows as scenes and flashes of images passed through my mind, too fleeting to hold on to. I groaned.

    "Nothing. I remember Killing Savage and then reaching out and grabbing something...but that''s all. Kinda..."

    I answered, using the wall to stand up. My feet were unsteady as I moved into the bathroom.

    Splashing water on my face did little to actually help. My reflection looked sallow and thin. What the fuck had happened?

    "You really don''t remember a thing?"

    Chase asked once more.

    "No."

    My reply was curt.

    "You never answered my earlier question. When I arrived on the Island, Klarion''s trap cut me off from you. But even when I destroyed the magic formation, I still couldn''t feel your presence."

    He went silent.

    Then,

    "I think I have a way we can jog your memory."

    He finally spoke up.

    I clamped down on the urge to call him out. He was clearly hiding something from me. However, getting back my memories seemed more important.

    "Alright, what do you need me to do?"

    I questioned, my reflection staring intently back at me.

    "Nothing...just, hold on a second."

    Chase responded.

    "What do..."

    I begun only to go silent when I felt the rush of foreign memories flow into me.

    My lips parted, my eyes widened and the grip I had on the sink was so strong, my fingers tore into the ceramic.

    Nick.

    I saw him. My best friend came back to save my life.

    He came back but was taken away. I remembered my promise to the one responsible.

    "I''m going to kill Batman."

    I said the words with a sigh.

    Any chance of there being a peaceful resolution to our issues had flown out of the window.

    It wasn''t a promise anymore...it was an eventuality.

    I palmed the green gemstone hanging over my neck. It was similar to Raven''s gemstone which I had embedded onto the sheath of Chesha Neko a few weeks earlier.

    This was Nick''s last gift to me. A way to keep me in balance.

    "So, I lost Bankai, almost lost Shikai and most of my Spirit energy control has gone to shit."

    I mused, stepping into the bath to clean off the sweat that had accumulated after sleeping for more than a week.

    "You would be right."

    Chase replied.

    The steam from the bath, clung to my skin as droplets.

    I lifted a hand and tried to call onto my Spirit energy.

    Push.

    Pull.

    A black aura appeared around my palm.

    "Atleast I still have access to this."

    Barragan''s Ressureccion, Respira.

    The Reikaku contained within wanted to lash out of my control. I sighed cutting off the energy. I needed to deal with the issue of my control first before anything else.

    My clothes were nowhere to be seen, and I refused to wear the League of Shadows uniform, so I used the bathroom door to access my pocket dimension and grab a new change of clothes.

    A generic gray t-shirt and sweatpants. A black pair of sneakers completed the look.

    The Pale woman from before...she mentioned something about Training didn''t she? I wonder what she was talking about.

    "Duck."

    Chase suddenly said.

    "Huh?"

    Unfortunately I was too late.

    The next second, the wall was torn apart as something fast, burst through, smacking onto my chest and pushing both of us through another wall.

    "Good to see you still have sharp reflexes."

    Lady Shiva complimented, straining the wooden sword in her hand against Chesha Neko''s bladed edge.

    I''d brought it up the second I felt the raw and shocking amounts of Reiryoku within her frame. She was practically exuding an aura of Captain Level Reiryoku.

    Her Reiatsu was crude, untrained but it settled around her like a cloak, dulling or slowing down any attacks sent her way merely by the pressure she produced.

    Trees and vegetation broke under my back as we shot from one side of the island to the next.

    I arrested my momentum by digging my heels into the sands of the shore on the western side of the Island.

    The ocean gleamed under the sunny weather to my right.

    In that fashion, we slowed down.

    "What is the meaning of this?"

    I asked, annoyed.

    I was in a bad mood. Which was understandable in this situation.

    I twirled Chesha Neko, still feeling a bit exhausted, then pointed the sword at the deadly woman before me.

    "I won''t kill you for that but attack me again..."

    I let the statement hang.

    For her part, Shiva smiled. Then she bent low, holding the Boken before her in preparation.

    It was clear she wasn''t going to listen. I ground my teeth, settling into a comfortable stance. The same one she had taught me.

    Okay, if she wanted a fight, she would get it.

    She studied my form and I caught the glimpse of pride before it was gone. Then she burst forward.

    Oh good Lord was the woman fast.

    I jumped back but she cleared the distance faster before my feet could land on the ground.

    "How the fuck is she able to do a flash step?! What happened when I was asleep?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto as I was forced to parry over a dozen fast attacks in a split second.

    And her strength too.

    I was pushed away, so I transitioned into a flip and released my Reiatsu in a wild wave of chaotic pressure.

    The sand rose up into a cloud. A flash of light cut through the curtain of sand and Shiva was suddenly under me, Boken slashing up towards my groin.

    A green shield appeared around my body, blocking the attack. Contact between the Boken and the shield saw the shield winning and her weapon broke apart into chunks and chips of wood.

    A flash step took me behind her, One hand locking down her movements, while Chesha Neko''s blade rested under her neck.

    "I win."

    I growled out, feeling darkness start to creep at the corner of my eyes.

    My poor control was already making me suffer. I was much weaker than before.

    Using Fullbring wasn''t supposed to be this costly but I already felt devoid of spirit energy from the simple move of deploying my shield.

    "Are you sure about that?"

    Shiva asked, digging something pointy and sharp onto my belly. A small dagger.

    I couldn''t help it, I started laughing.

    "You masters, always gotta be one step ahead huh?"

    My body lost strength and I passed out once more.

    Or rather, I was pulled into my inner world where Chase was waiting for me.

    "We need to talk."

    My Zanpakuto spirit said, sounding more serious than I had ever heard him before.

    ******

    (General P.O.V)

    Out in the physical world, Shiva walked through the hallways of the League of Shadows headquarters, Davian in her arms.

    Deadman trailed after her, noticing that instead of taking him to his room, she took him to hers.

 Make An Army.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The second I was pulled into my inner world, I was rendered speechless.

    Dark clouds hung overhead.

    The graveyard looked...old, patches of weed and yellowed grass covered the cracked gravestones.

    In addition, the air inside was thick with energy.

    Spirit power swirled around in storms. Whirlwinds of sharp Reiryoku regularly sprouting in locations within the sizable terrain of gravestones.

    What had happened here? What had happened to my Inner Dimension?

    "Davian..."

    A voice rumbled from behind me.

    I turned around to face the source.

    "Chase what..."

    "We need to talk."

    My Zanpakuto spirit cut in.

    Speaking of him, he was different. For starters, Chase was no longer a cat. He stood at almost 6 feet, just below my height.

    Dressed in a top hat, a purple and white patterned scarf, a tuxedo with coattails and a purple cane, Chase'' new look was distinctly Victorian.

    His face on the other hand was effeminate, his skin a lighter brown than mine and his eyes were torqouise, just like before; the only part of him that had remained unchanged.

    To complete his look, silver hair not unlike mine fell from under the top hat in a shaggy mess.

    "Chase... you''re different. You''re human."

    I pointed out, still a little surprised.

    "Almost human."

    He removed the top hat, revealing two blue cat ears twitching.

    "What is this new form?"

    I questioned in curiosity.

    "After unlocking your Bankai, this form came naturally. I believe it has to do with our increased bond. A soul reaper usually only achieves Bankai after both he and his Zanpakuto reach a new level of connection."

    He explained.

    My mind went back to the rush of power I had felt during that time. The Hand of God and the Hand of the Devil.

    I looked at my palms.

    Within that time, I had held the power to reshape creation. And now it was gone. I made a fist.

    No matter, I would get back that power and more.

    A grim face flashed through my mind. A body shrouded in green energy... Batman.

    Enough power to make him pay.

    "As I''m sure you''re no doubt aware, things went horribly..."

    "Where were you?"

    I interrupted.

    Chase opened his mouth and then closed it, seeming to struggle with a response.

    His silence was confirmation enough.

    "You chose to stay silent, didn''t you? You chose to abandon me."

    I spoke up.

    "No!"

    He protested.

    "I never expected the situation to escalate like it did. At first, I was cut off from you but then, when the Magic formation went down and you were up against an opponent that was your direct opposite, I thought you could handle it without me. I wanted You to deal with it without relying on my help."

    It stung a little.

    I looked up and sighed.

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    But I understood why he''d done what he he''d done.

    "Even before I ended up in this crazy world, I''ve always handled my shit, Chase. Guess I forgot that a little."

    I said, mostly to myself.

    "I need to know something though"

    This was the real question. He knew it and I knew it.

    "How long did you know about Nick?"

    A honest to God tumbleweed rolled in between us.

    My eyes met his. And Chase understood his place. He knew lying or playing games with me wouldn''t fly. Not with something so close to my heart.

    With a slight huff he looked away.

    "Ever since you awakened the Fullbring." He finally answered.

    "That was over a month ago."

    To my surprise, my response was calm.

    "You kept this away from me, for an entire month."

    The tension was thick. I was angry. But most of all, I was disappointed.

    "For the record, it was his idea to keep his presence hidden. There are laws in this universe, Davian. Ancient laws that can overlook one soul from beyond the multiverse but not two. He hid to protect you."

    "You''re talking about the spies and watchers. I''ve constantly been feeling their presence but ever since I woke up...I feel none."

    I mused, rubbing my chin and noticing I needed a shave.

    "That''s part of what I wanted to talk to you about. You''re stuck inside a pocket realm."

    Chase dropped a bombshell.

    "What?"

    I asked, a bit dumfounded.

    The next few minutes were spent as he explained our situation to me.

    "So let me get this right. we''re stuck in a dimension out of phase with the main reality created by Rama Kushna, to give me a chance to train my abilities and get strong enough to deal with the coming threats? Is that about right?"

    I rattled off, sighing when Chase nodded.

    He''d also revealed that the reason my inner world was so out of whack was because...well, it reflected my condition.

    I was in a way, out of whack too.

    "Okay."

    I gave a thoughtful nod, looking out into the graveyard.

    "Here''s the plan..."

    ******

    When I opened my eyes next, it was to find Shiva''s hands wrapped around my chest. She held me from the back, her ample chest pressed onto my bare back.

    We were also naked.

    Her scent and body proximity was enough to make my lower body excited.

    Despite the compromising situation, the fact that her hands were glowing blue pointed that this was more than just her attempt to seduce me.

    "What are you doing?"

    I asked her.

    "Hold still. That blue skinned goddess gave me the necessary knowledge on how we could hasten your recovery. Skin to skin contact allows me to better connect with your essence..."

    She said, rubbing circles around my chest.

    "And urge the body and soul to a faster path to healing."

    She concluded.

    "I think you''re enjoying this a bit too much."

    I told her, extricating myself from the hold.

    I stood up, grabbing my t-shirt which was slung over an arm rest and got up, looking around.

    The chamber was wide and contained a lot of weapons put in frames and cases.

    "Your room looks about how I thought it would."

    I commented, trying really hard not to stare at the way her body seemed to coil inside the sheets.

    Her long black hair seemed to fall over one eye and the way her lips were slightly turned up at the corner was devastatingly hot.

    "You could leave like a coward afraid of a woman''s touch."

    She smiled at me challengingly.

    "Or you could stay and we could prepare you for training."

    "Fuck."

    I sighed, discarding my t-shirt and jumping back in bed.

    Shiva chuckled, coiling her hands around my body once again.

    It was heaven and hell.

    Heaven because... goddamn.

    And Hell because, contrary to her very confusing actions, Shiva and I did nothing. She only aided me in my recovery.

    Somewhat.

    I could feel I''d regained a little of my energy control. Not a lot to make a difference right there and then but enough for me to notice.

    ******

    A few hours later, we were interrupted by a knock on the door. The Demon''s Head wanted a word with me.

    "We shall do this 3 hours a day after normal training."

    Shiva had instructed, getting up from the bed and offering me a view of her back.

    I looked away, knowing I couldn''t afford to lose sight of what was important. I needed power.

    Enough power to kill a charged up Batman and deal with the consequences from that action.

    To that end,

    "Why did you choose to train me?"

    I asked as she wrapped herself in a towel.

    Shiva stopped by the door to the shower.

    "That would be telling now, wouldn''t it?"

    She waved me off.

    "You should only concern yourself with training. Everything else should come second."

    I left her room, accompanied by one of the Shadows instructed to lead me to Ra''s.

    Using Reikaku, I changed directions instead, walking towards the eastern portion of the island where I could feel Cheshire and Deadman.

    The Shadow jumped to block my way.

    "I wouldn''t keep the master of the Island waiting. It is through his..."

    He begun but a slight flex of my Reiatsu and he smacked onto the ground.

    "Wha-what is...this?"

    He groaned.

    "Reiatsu. Tell the Demon''s Head I''ll be there in a few. I just need to check on my friends first. You know how it is."

    I threw over my shoulder, leaving.

    Finding Cheshire was not hard at all. One just had to follow the sounds of battle coming from the training yard.

    Deadman had seized control of the practice dummies and was controlling them remotely to attack Cheshire, who was like a shadow, jumping from one dummy to the other.

    Her speed was inhuman.

    "Chase, do you see that?"

    I questioned my Zanpakuto.

    Through Reikaku, her previously peak human body was flowing with spirit energy. Not a lot of it but it was still Reiryoku.

    "Her mask, it used up the Reiryoku stored within it to jumpstart her spirit energy. She has the meager reserves of an academy student but still, very impressive."

    My Zanpakuto complimented.

    "Does this mean the same will happen to Danny and the boys? The Masks were meant to function for only a short time and then lose their ability to erase the wearer''s presence. Now that we know they can practically make someone into a soul reaper, it changes things."

    I reasoned.

    "What, you''re thinking of starting an army of spirit energy users?"

    He asked in amusement.

    He was laughing but it wasn''t a bad idea. Not really. Batman had the League. I could make my own team as well.

    The task of Killing a genius, highly trained billionaire with a fucking Green Lantern ring was not going to be easy.

    I was a solo act. I didn''t mind moving solo. That said, I was smart enough to realize the advantage of having someone watch your back.

    As I looked out into the field where Cheshire was sweating as she tried to keep up with Deadman''s onslaught, I realized something.

    It''ll start with these two.

    I''ll make them strong and in doing so, make myself strong as well.

 Ras Al Ghul.

    (General P.O.V)

    Step to the right.

    She moved her body accordingly, evading a sword slash from the Boken swung by a dummy.

    She sidestepped another attack from behind, throwing the Sai in her left hand and piercing through the wooden dummy''s neck.

    The head fell towards the ground but she kicked it towards another practice dummy, this particular one had been floating in the air, waiting for a chance to attack.

    "Stay still!"

    Deadman ordered, a note of frustration leaking into his voice.

    Cheshire allowed herself a smile. She could sense Deadman''s spirit energy around the dummies and by reading how it moved, counter anything he threw at her.

    Of course she wouldn''t tell him that, or else he would up the ante.

    She was currently facing off against 4 of the training dummies under the disembodied spirit''s control.

    Anymore and she would struggle. She didn''t want to struggle just yet. Not until she got the hang of this...thing inside her.

    She had felt it back at Xebel.

    But now it was more clear.

    An energy that felt so weightless yet powerful.

    It had also come at the perfect time. Shiva was now more powerful than ever. Cheshire hadn''t thought she could breach the gap but with this new energy...she would show them all.

    Crusher, her mother, Ra''s, Shiva...even Davian.

    It galled her that she had to protected by from someone else, despite being so independent for most of her life.

    Mo more weakness. Cheshire was going to look out for herself now. The minute she didn''t need them anymore and was sure Ra''s wouldn''t send more shadows after her, she was gone.

    Davian and Deadman had been pretty good companions so far, and a part of her felt she would miss them, but Cheshire didn''t want friends.

    She wanted to live her life the way she saw fit. Under no one.

    Unknown to her, her savior was currently watching her fight, and he had no intention to let her leave them.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "She has phenomenal body control."

    Chase observed.

    Cheshire had seemingly launched herself back by expelling her already low spirit energy through her feet.

    The ground cratered under her soles and her spirit energy bottomed out.

    He was right. The way she moved her body...it was envious.

    She was flexible enough to cut out all unnecessary movements in her footwork( which was arguably better than mine) and nimble enough to transition from attack to evasion.

    She tried her best to only block the dummies'' attacks when she was left with no choice.

    Cheshire was clearly talented. The only flaw I could point out was at the application aspect.

    Although her control over spirit energy was good, great even, she sucked at applying and incorporating the energy into her body movements.

    While control and application might sound similar, they weren''t. Take Ichigo for example, he had atrocious control. However his body and Reiryoku were in search perfect sync, he never overshot his Flash step.

    Control shined when casting Kido. Application shined when reinforcing the body.

    "You''re doing it wrong."

    I stepped out before them.

    The dummies froze as Deadman floated down, waving at me.

    "Yo, Bossman. Finally awake huh?"

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    I nodded at him.

    "Brand. Thanks for looking out for me. If it weren''t for you quick thinking and Rama''s help, I''d be dead."

    "Thats unusual."

    Cheshire said, sheathing her weapons.

    "You''re usually all, ''I''m a bad ass and no one can beat me, aahh''"

    Deadman chuckled at the bad impression she was doing of me.

    "I don''t sound like that. Do I sound like that?"

    """Yes."""

    Came a chorus of answers.

    "I hate you. I hate all of you."

    I sighed.

    Cheshire snickered as I arrived before them.

    "The Flash step...you were doing it wrong."

    The assassin blinked.

    "The what now?"

    And so I demonstrated the move by blurring across the training yard. Afterimages of my body flashed around and when I stopped I could see the hunger in her gaze.

    "Teach me."

    She all but demanded.

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "Teach me...please."

    Cheshire repeated.

    "Much better. So the first thing you do..."

    *****

    Cheshire didn''t get the hang of the high speed movement right away. Infact I could tell it would take some time before she had the reserves to use Shunpo to it''s maximum effect.

    We spent some more time in the Training Yard, catching up as the two of them informed me of what I''d missed.

    "...so I flew out of my room towards you. The last thing I saw was red and yellow lightning flashing around the edges of the island. I think...I think we were teleported somewhere."

    "Yeah. The end of time."

    Chase spoke up from within my inner world. Deadman had been telling me the version of events from his perspective.

    Red and yellow lightning huh? Sounds like a speedster.

    The arrival of a Shadow informed me that Ra''s was growing impatient to see me. I broke off from the two and followed after the ninja.

    We walked through hallways, allowing me to see more of the Island than before. They even had hot springs! I made a mental note to check that out.

    A few minutes later and I was before a huge entrance flanked by two guards.

    "The Demon''s Head waits inside."

    My Shadow guide told me, pointing a hand towards the double doors. I gave a nod and walked in.

    The first thing I noticed was the scent. The room smelled of medicine and herbs.

    Bubbles popped from test beakers on a work table and all manner of compounds and chemicals were arranged on shelves across the room.

    On the Work Table was Ra''s, leaning over a test tube with a green liquid inside, placed over a flame. I took the chance to study him. He was dressed in a green silk robe with wide sleeves. His hair was longer than I had expected.

    For his soul, there was something a bit off. It felt like it wasn''t all there.

    "Would you care for some tea?"

    He offered.

    "No thanks. You called for me."

    I crossed my hands.

    I had no idea what he wanted. Sure, we were on his Island and I wasn''t going to pass up the opportunity to learn from Shiva, but if he tried to hard press me into something, Mr.Al</a> Ghul would find himself missing a head.

    He looked back.

    "How do you feel? You''ve been unconscious for more than a week."

    "I''m good."

    I narrowed my eyes.

    "What do you care though? Last I checked we were enemies."

    He seemed to have been expecting the hostility because he smiled.

    "Opportunity Mr.Mabuz</a>. Let''s just say, I have vested interest in seeing you succeed."

    "I''m not doing you any favors. Now or in the future."

    I told him bluntly. If he was expecting to blackmail me then he had another thing coming.

    "Oh trust me, I expect nothing from you."

    He smiled.

    "It''s your nature I''m counting on. The stubbornness to do what you want, damn the consequences. That will put you in the cross hairs of a certain detective and his group. Something tells me betting on you is the right call."

    Oh Ra''s...

    Don''t you know the plan is to kill all of Batman''s villains before I move on to him? Then again, the Demon''s Head was under the illusion I could be used to further his own goals.

    Well, let''s not disapprove him of that notion just yet, he might be useful.

    He turned his back to me.

    "You''re free to stay here however long you want Mr.Mabuz</a>. I believe it would be beneficial for you."

    It would be so easy to kill him like that. Just a clean Shunpo, then a swing of Chesha Neko and his head would roll.

    ''Not yet.''

    I clamped down on the urge. Ra''s expected me to forget that he''d been in leagues with Vandal Savage. I don''t forget that easily.

    However, I could recognize his death would bring me no satisfaction. Not if he could be brought back by the Lazarus Pit on the island. I was going to need to bide my time.

    "Thanks."

    I told him, turning on my heels to leave.

    "Oh and Mr.Mabuz</a>, join us for the farewell ceremony to honor the departed souls. You were a friend of Bronze Tiger I assume?"

    A farewell ceremony? It was a bit out there considering I''d killed some of them myself.

    "We knew each other."

    I threw over my shoulder.

    "Good. Then you should stop by. I lost so many of my people..."

    I see now.

    He''s trying to make a statement. Although he had enough reason to come after me for Killing his men, he was extending an olive branch.

    I left without saying anything.

    ******

    I spent the rest of the afternoon in meditation. While Shiva''s body to body technique was effective at helping me regain a little control, the bulk of the work was still in my hands.

    Chase and I discussed a few things. Mostly my training and worked out a schedule of some sort. It was flexible to account for Shiva''s training.

    The first thing I dealt with was my Spirit sense which had been greatly affected by the imbalance between my body and soul.

    I kept my Reikaku active and stretched out across the Island as far as I could. I went from more than a mile to a couple hundred dozen meters.

    That part grated me a lot.

    I could tell I had my work cut out for me. Still, if I wanted to get everything I''d lost back, then I had no choice but to go at it hard.

    ******

    The awkwardness I''d expected during the Farewell ceremony was there.

    They lit candles in boxes and sent them out on floating plates across the waters. I could feel the stares on me.

    There wasn''t any direct hostility but I could tell my group and I were not welcome. It made sense though, I''d torn through some of them like bowling pins. It would have been weird if they didn''t hold a grudge.

    That said, nothing crazy happened and I made it back to my quarters.

    There on the bed, folded nicely was a pair of training clothes and a note on top. I turned it over and read the written text.

    "Hell begins tomorrow."

    I couldn''t stop a smile from spreading across my face.

 The First Month.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The next morning saw me standing in the middle of the training yard at 5. The air was chilly and the horizon was a pale red, an indication of the soon to rise sun.

    The training Gi I wore was a bit tight on the shoulders and chest but still left my arms bare.

    The Gi was similar to what Goku usually had on in DBZ, one of the only other anime I''d even bothered to watch, though the fillers eventually turned me off.

    However, different from Goku''s Gi, mine was black instead of orange.

    "Ugh...She says to meet her here at exactly 5 and then gets late."

    I grumbled.

    "I wouldn''t be so sure..."

    Chase said as his phantom appeared on my shoulders.

    He could apparently manifest in the real world now. Though it was only in his cat form. Unlocking Bankai had essentially given him some cool new abilities.

    "What do you mean?"

    I questioned, my tone full of suspicion.

    "Hahaha. You''ll see."

    He giggled, looking at his claws while extracting pleasure from my ignorance.

    Stupid cat.

    Feeling my suspicion was justified, I stretched out my Reikaku to it''s full range, encompassing the entire Training Yard.

    Nothing seemed off though. I was alone in...

    My Reikaku immediately deactivated, jarring me with the lack of perception. I blinked, looking around while slowly unsheathing my Zanpakuto.

    "Welp that''s my cue to leave."

    Chase said before disappearing back into the Inner Dimension.

    "Wait what..."

    My words were interrupted by a burning sensation across my cheek.

    "Argh!"

    Touching the spot, my fingers came up bloody.

    I narrowed my eyes, cautiously falling into a battle stance, Chesha Neko firmly grasped in my hands.

    I reached out to my Reiryoku and came up empty. I knew what this was, a magical formation.

    I couldn''t rely on Reikaku so I spread out my sensory organs. Immediately, I begun receiving a lot of external stimuli.

    I knew I had absorbed Savage''s control over flesh but that particular ability hadn''t manifested ever since I woke up.

    But now it did. To a small degree anyway.

    I could see better, hear better and my nose...one sniff and...

    Shiva''s next sword slash was blocked by Chesha Neko''s bladed edge. The clash of metal produced sparks as we pushed against each other.

    "You smell like Jasmine. Too conspicuous."

    I told her as we strained; Shiva was deceptively stronger now. Neither of us could overpower the other.

    She leaned in.

    "And like Jasmine, pull them in before striking with lethal precision."

    She said, stepping back suddenly.

    I stumbled forward just as she strafed to the right, palmed the handle of a dagger and sent it straight through my ribs.

    "Fuck! Mother...Gah!! You crazy bitch!"

    I cursed out at the dagger sticking out of my left palm.

    "Quick thinking. Won''t help you with me."

    She snickered, before backhanding me away harder than I''d ever been backhanded before.

    My body bounced along the field before I smacked onto something hard. I fell to my knees, looking around to see a blue dome of energy around us.

    "Oh come the fuck on..."

    I couldn''t believe this shit. Why does it always have to be a stupid dome?

    "I see you recognize my little surprise."

    Shiva said, smiling as she stalked forward, twirling her Katana expertly.

    "A spirit energy draining formation." I spat out.

    "And with the slight hum in the air, I''m thinking divine energy, there''s only one person who could achieve that. Rama."

    Shiva didn''t acknowledge the question in my statement, instead she begun to criticize me.

    "Your fighting technique is sloppy. You''re a street fighter given a sword. So of course you''ll use it like you a bat. No grace or skill. Just hack and hack and hack away like a butcher."

    She stopped before me.

    "I''ll break you down and build you back up. By the time I''m done, you will be a force to be reckoned with."

    She promised.

    I got to my feet, glaring at her. She thought she could bitch slap me huh? I rubbed my jaw, setting it back with a click.

    I winced at the surge of pain before it died away, leaving a dull ache behind. There wasn''t much I could do. In a spirit suppressing zone, I couldn''t even pull on my Spirit energy to heal myself.

    I looked around.

    "Rama if you can hear me...the Magic formation didn''t work in the first place. Why do you think it will work now? It''s seems counterproductive to training doesn''t it?"

    Shiva raised an eyebrow.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "She''s not going to help you. Now will you stop moaning like a little bitch and..."

    Ok. I''ve had enough of her.

    I cut her off by lunging forward, body leaned to the front and left hand pulled back.

    "Bite me."

    My words were punctuated with a punch aimed straight for her belly.

    The fist landed smack in the middle of her belly. A pressure wave rippled out, ruffling my Gi.

    My pony tail came undone, causing the hair to fall before my eyes.

    "Impossible...how OP did she make you?!"

    I muttered.

    Shiva had received that attack like a pro. She hadn''t even moved a single step.

    Her eyes glowed blue. For a second, I saw Rama Kushna stare at me cheekily through Lady Shiva''s eyes.

    "Tut Tut... disappointing."

    She shook her head.

    A nano second later, I was digging grooves on the sand with my feet. She had lashed out with her Katana. My forearms smarted as I had received the attack on both Chesha Neko and the Sheath.

    This... wasn''t going to be easy.

    The dust around cleared, showing Shiva calmly walking towards me.

    "A real warrior would keep on fighting without limbs. They will hold their weapon with their jaws if they need. A real warrior doesn''t lose because he''s missing an advantage. He wins because he. Never. Stops. Fighting."

    She concluded, streaking forward.

    Another sword slash, this one from the right. I stopped closer to her body like she''d demonstrated before. Then I leaned to the side.

    Shiva changed tactics at the last second, opting for a sweep of my feet.

    I fell to my back, pushing out my arms and using them to flip away. Then I jumped a few meters away, creating distance between us.

    We begun to circle each other.

    "You want to know why this formation targets you and you alone...it''s because you''re pampered by your strength, Davian. You have no real foundation."

    She pointed her Katana at me.

    "Every morning for this entire month, we will spar with swords, fists and everything else you can use to survive battle. We don''t have the luxury to teach you fighting styles and stances. And even if we do, you will learn nothing! A true warrior is forged in life and death situations. Training will be meaningless if you don''t have the will to face death end on and spit on it. So I ask you, Davian Mabuz, are you ready?"

    She asked, this time deadly serious.

    I could tell we had just been playing around before. The real training would begin now.

    I concentrated on the cut on my cheek, the pain in my jaw, the ache in my forearms. Shiva already had access to Ki, now that she had been supercharged with Rama, she was a genuine threat.

    However, I wasn''t helpless. Without Spirit Energy, I could now better sense this other type of power within me.

    It wasn''t as gathered around one place like Spirit Energy usually was. This new energy seemed to be in every cell, every ligament, blood, bones and flesh.

    The cut on my cheek healed, closing up without leaving a scar.

    I stretched my neck and shoulders.

    "I don''t give a shit about all that philosophy. I don''t need Reiryoku to fight. I was doing that even before I had it. I will beat you Shiva. You can count on that. "

    I threw at Shiva.

    She smiled.

    "Oh really? Then show me."

    ******

    (General P.O.V)

    Davian''s voice could be heard cursing out through the entire compound.

    His hair was matted to his sweaty forehead. His left hand was covered with blood that flowed to the handle of Chesha Neko, making the grip slippery.

    Yet he never stopped swinging. He was in the middle of a storm. Blocking and Parrying attacks that seemed to come from every direction.

    His heart beat wildly inside his chest.

    "On your left."

    The monster''s husky and sexy voice stated, leaving Davian scrambling to defend his left side.

    His right thigh was slashed open. He gritted his teeth, putting more weight on the left leg while retaliating with his own attacks.

    He was finding it hard to heal his body as fast as Shiva was destroying it but he was persistent if nothing else.

    "Behind you."

    Shiva''s voice sounded out again, this time from the back.

    Davian immediately rolled forward, getting to his feet just in time to see Shiva point her palm his away and with the build up of energy, a blue beam escaped her hand.

    Davian was too late to dodge and the attack landed. His flesh boiled, almost melting under the spirit laser.

    He pulled on even more flesh energy, his skin regenerating while Shiva walked towards him.

    "A warrior never allows himself to be cornered."

    Her slightly derisive tone angered Davian. His eyes flashed red like Savage''s. A roar escaped his lips.

    Flesh knitted, stronger than before. Steam started rising from his muscles. He exhaled visibly, pushing off his feet and coming down on top of Shiva with all the rage of a Flesh God.

    Shiva''s eyes flashed blue.

    "I knew this was going to be fun."

    ******

    On the outskirts of the training yard, Cheshire and Deadman watched the fight disguised as training, from a vantage point on the roof of a dojo.

    The two down on the yard were actually trying to kill each other. Cheshire could sense bloodlust and killing intent and the amounts they were exuding was enough to freeze anyone in fear.

    "How long have they been fighting?"

    Deadman asked her, a feeling of Deja Vu hitting him.

    Cheshire for her part stared up at the sky. The sun was almost directly above them.

    "Almost 6 hours."

    The Training Yard was devastated with craters, sword grooves and cracks on the walls of the dojos along the perimeter.

    The most unwelcome sight was all the patches of dried blood covering the ground and walls.

    Davian roared again, the sound sending a pressure wave out.

    "He looks...out of control."

    Deadman commented.

    "He is. But I think that''s the point. She''s teaching him combat awareness. Davian is powerful, that leads to him jumping head on to any altercation."

    She shrugged.

    "He needs to learn how to calmly assess the situation at all times. Pain is a distraction. So is emotion."

    Cheshire explained.

    Deadman blinked, staring at her strangely.

    "I''d forgotten you were trained by the league of shadows."

    The female assassin said nothing to that.

    Down on the yard below them, the tempo of the spar changed.

    "Ouch. That looks painful."

    Deadman pointed out, wincing.

    Both went silent as the sounds of battle quieted down.

    A minute later, Shiva appeared, Davian''s large body slung over her shoulders. He was missing an arm and his training Gi was torn apart, revealing deep lacerations and slashes across his body.

    She didn''t acknowledge them as she left for the hot springs, a thoughtful look on her face.

    Cheshire watched her go before standing up and facing the devastated Training Yard. The dome around it glowed and right before their eyes, the entire compound was restored.

    Good. At least she could now train. There was no time to waste. Davian had pointed out a few things she needed to work on. So that''s what she was going to do.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I took a deep breath as I felt the rest of my wounds knit. Now that I had access to Spirit Energy, I bolstered my healing by using Fullbring.

    Flesh Energy was used to deal with any and all internal injuries as well as the sword cuts across my entire body.

    The water of the hot spring popped with bubbles and sweet warmth that forced my body into a relaxing mode.

    Enough that I didn''t fight my teacher as she rubbed circles around my body, blue energy crackling across her fingers while she kneaded my muscles, stabilizing the connection between my body and soul.

    "You cut off my right hand."

    I accused, slightly miffed about that.

    "And?" She snorted.

    "You''re more than welcome to try revenge."

    I narrowed my eyes. You know what, I think I will.

    *****

    My revenge didn''t happen the first week.

    Nor the second. Or the third for that matter.

    Yeah, not even the fourth.

    Shiva and I would meet in the mornings where we would fight with no holds barred. It was brutal, it was cruel but it was effective.

    As long as you got over the nauseating part, where I would puke my guts or leave a body part and loads of blood inside the training yard.

    It was painful. Oh so painful. Fighting had always come naturally to me, however infront of someone with Shiva''s talent, mastery and experience, I found out I wasn''t shit.

    I wasn''t shit but I was on the way to becoming it. I still hadn''t landed a single attack though.

    After the morning session of trying to kill each other, she would carry or drag me towards the hot spring, where I would regenerate, then she would help heal my soul damage before we moved on to meditation.

    We would meditate the rest of the day. In the evenings, I would meet her on the training yard again.

    There under the light of a setting sun throughout the bright and unrestrained starry night, she would lead me through a variant of Qi Gong exercises.

    Or better yet, Tairyoku.

    A dance of some sort that helped me understand more about how to move the Flesh Energy within me.

    The exercises seemed to be geared towards physical energies more than spiritual ones.

    It wasn''t surprising as Shiva had access to Life Force (ki) which was just another name for what I termed as Flesh Energy(Tairyoku).

    Mine seemed to be geared towards deep manipulation rather than simple surface manipulation and reinforcement.

    Something told me at high levels Tairyoku was just as impressive as Spirit Energy.

    Throughout the second week, the deal remained the same.

    We would meet up, she would terrorize me, I would try to retaliate, fail, get bodied, heal, meditate and then Tairyoku exercises.

    By the third week, I was feeling a difference in the way I stood and moved.

    My body was constantly on edge. I felt closer to my sword, almost feeling the way it cut through the air when I swung it.

    On the fourth week, I was lasting longer with Shiva, ensuring that we could even fight the entire day without stopping. These types of soars were good at building endurance.

    The spectacle was enough that we would usually get a few spectators.

    Shadows would watch on as I tried to give back what Shiva threw my way. Despite growing leaps and bounds in skill, I was yet to even land a single blow.

    By the end of the month, I was less hopeful about actually landing a blow.

    Also at the end of the month, Cheshire joined our spars.

    Everything from then changed.

 Important Spar.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Shiva''s routine was only part of my training.

    I knew I couldn''t rely on just her to get strong. I only needed the foundation. My true power would lie in what I alone could intuit.

    And while things were tense between Chase and I, he was still my Zanpakuto Spirit. The source of my strength. Without both of us cooperating, I wasn''t sure I could retain everything I''d lost.

    "I need you to help me get stronger."

    Hence I found myself in my inner dimension one night after falling asleep.

    The two of us, Chase and I were looking out into the wide expanse of my dimension. We both knew we would need to fix whatever issues we had.

    And maybe spending some time training like we''d done a few months ago was the way to go.

    "That''s...not going to be easy."

    My Zanpakuto spirit had replied, throwing his top hat to the sky.

    I threw a hand out and pulled onto the soul of my inner dimension. A warmth on my chest registered through my physical body as the gem on my necklace glowed.

    The hat reached the apex of it''s ascent and shot towards me, fast.

    I smirked at him, wearing the hat before tilting it up by tapping it like a Cowboy.

    "Are you saying you can''t do it?"

    Chase'' ears twitched in annoyance. He snatched the hat from my head with a huff.

    "No. I never said I wouldn''t help you. I only said it wouldn''t be easy."

    "Okay." I smiled.

    "No time to waste then. What do you think I should work on first?"

    Chase looked up in thought.

    "The female assassin is already working on your foundation and physical conditioning. It would be redundant and a waste of time if we tried to bolster those areas."

    He rubbed his chin.

    "No...what we need to do is help you get your skills back and hopefully unlock Bankai once more."

    He looked at me up and down.

    "Maybe come up with an effective way to use Tairyoku other than for healing your body. Remember, Ki offers an even stronger enhancement to your body than spirit energy. That''s an angle we can play off to ensure you won''t be completely helpless infront of a strong enemy. Especially one who knows your tricks."

    I ground my teeth a little, knowing who he was talking about. Batman.

    "I don''t have a problem with that." I replied.

    "So how do we start?"

    At this Chase smiled.

    "Didn''t you hear your ''master''? A true warrior learns on the go."

    His body begun to morph right before my eyes.

    Bones snapped audibly, as the joints rearranged themselves. Silver and purple fur sprouted all over his body as he completed his transformation into a giant humanoid cat.

    His muscles were bunched up together, rippling with power as he loomed over me.

    "You have to fight to get stronger."

    Chase concluded in a deep voice, his 7 foot frame releasing an intimidating aura as he deployed sharp claws from his digits.

    I did something I hadn''t done in some time, I refused to unsheathe Chesha Neko. Instead, I settled into a Baguazhuang stance.

    Despite emphasizing we weren''t going to learn any new Style, I''d picked up on a few moves from Shiva.

    Late evening practice ensured I was incorporating the right breathing techniques while performing deadly physical arts that could shatter bones and crush flesh from the inside.

    "I will warn you now you Rob Lucci looking motherfucker, I know Kung Fu."

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    I said cheekily.

    ******

    The final day of the month, Shiva changed tactics.

    I woke up at the usual hour, cleaned up and joined her at the training yard. This time, we had a guest.

    "What is she doing here?"

    I asked Shiva, motioning at Cheshire.

    "She''s here because I want her here. Is that going to be a problem?"

    Shiva shot back.

    I shrugged.

    "Not really. She wants to get tortured, I get it."

    A Sai covered the distance between Cheshire and I in an instant. Unfortunately for her, I had gotten so much better, snatching it out of the air and throwing it back was more like a reaction if anything.

    The Sai nicked the strap on Cheshire''s mask, causing it to slip off her face. Dark eyes met my own as Cheshire glared at me.

    "She can speak for herself."

    She ground out, staring at both Shiva and I.

    "Attitude. I like that."

    Shiva chuckled.

    "Line up."

    She added.

    Knowing the order was for me, I swallowed whatever pride I had that told me, they were both beneath me and my power, and walked to stand next to Cheshire.

    She stomped on my foot as revenge. It didn''t hurt.

    "Today, we''re doing things a bit differently."

    Shiva begun, pacing across the yard.

    "Davian, your combat skills are at an acceptable level. Still your progress has been phenomenal enough that you will extract more experience from fighting different opponents than you will one."

    She faced us.

    "Not everybody moves like me. We need to break you out of the habit of memorizing someone''s combat style and countering it. It''s not always that easy. I want you to always be ready for anything or anyone."

    She concluded.

    That seemed to be the signal as Cheshire immediately threw a kick towards my face.

    The attack was sudden and fast. Faster than I could have reacted to without access to Reiryoku.

    However, I''d been learning. Getting better slowly.

    My forearm came up and blocked the attack easily. A small shockwave spread out from the impact.

    "You''ve gotten stronger Jade."

    I complimented, then grabbed the foot, pivoted and threw her across the training ground.

    Cheshire flipped and cartwheeled a couple of times to slow her momentum.

    Her eyes widened as she saw me hot on her heels. I instantly caught up and let fly a fist headed towards her face.

    She ducked and rolled away just as my punch landed on the perimeter wall. There was a loud boom upon impact and that section of the wall caved in.

    "She really did turn you into a bigger monster."

    Cheshire commented, eyes wide as she stared at the devastation caused by a simple blow.

    I clapped my hands, getting rid of the dust covering my palms and knuckles.

    "You won''t win without going all out."

    I told her.

    "Shiva tries not to underestimate me but she always does. Maybe she thinks you can hold your own but we both know the truth. I''m stronger, even without Reiryoku. Even at my weakest, Jade. I''m stronger than you."

    Cheshire''s eyes hardened at my words.

    "Arrogance. A worthy trait to have when you have the strength to back it up."

    Shiva shot back.

    "And you think I don''t? I''ve surpassed your expectations time and time again. I have killed demons and gods. It''s not arrogance, its self sufficiency." I held a fist up, pulling onto the Tairyoku within me and activating my newest skill.

    My skin changed color. An inky black substance spread out across my right hand. An aura of beastly savagery spread out.

    Silver fur sprouted across my firearms, the individual strands of hair hard and sharp as metal wires. My nails lengthened into sharp black claws.

    Cheshire wordlessly unsheathed her Sais.

    "You show dishonor by not facing your opponent with your true weapon."

    Shiva pointed out, studying my forearms.

    "I consider it a sigh of respect that she gets to be the first I try this newest skill on."

    I countered.

    Cheshire shrugged.

    "Sword or not, it won''t matter how I kick your ass. Only that I do."

    She twirled her Sais.

    "Very well then."

    Shiva spoke up.

    "I''ll add a clause to make this even funner. Defeat your opponent, Davian and I''ll deem you ready for the next step. Fail and the next month we''re back to more sparring."

    Shiva said, smiling sadistically.

    "I''ll take that bet."

    I replied rolling my shoulders and jumping in place to get my blood boiling. She must be crazy of age thinks I''ll lose.

    "Be careful. This is nothing to you but always approach a fight as if your opponent is stronger than you."

    Chase advised.

    "Don''t worry I..."

    My words were cut off by a sudden burst of power. Cheshire''s body glowed blue as her meager spirit energy reserves were increased dramatically.

    "Sorry boss."

    Cheshire''s voice was layered with Deadman as she slipped into a not too bad Shunpo. Immediately I learned the play and why she''d been so confident, Deadman had possessed her body, giving her .ore raw power to contend with me.

    We flashed all across the training yard, me using what I''d learned to refine my fighting style against someone much closer to my level of mastery.

    Each clash ended with me overpowering in terms of physical strength while she outmatched me in the skill department.

    Her attacks came uneven. She even relied on Deadman''s other skills like Telekinesis to fight, sending debris and stones shooting towards.

    My response to that particular ability was clapping my hands together and producing a shockwave that threw everything away including her.

    With Deadman possessing her, she reoriented her body in midair and flew back, Sais poised to pierce through my chest.

    I allowed it to happen. I could have spread more Tairyoku through my skin and hardened it, but I wanted this farce to end.

    Besides with my current skill in manipulating Tairyoku to heal my body, I wasn''t in any danger. Not really. She would have to either completely destroy my major organs or attack my soul to take me down. I had gotten even harder to kill.

    The weapons sank through my chest easily. I could feel them puncture through my lungs. Blood would normally have begun to fill them but with my control over flesh, I kept myself functioning by isolating the damage.

    She tried to pull them out and failed. Cheshire stared at me in shock.

    "Oh fuck..."

    She said.

    I raised a hand and flicked her forehead with my finger. Deadman was thrown out of her body and into the air behind her.

    That one strike was enough to shut down her biological functions. Her body fell like a puppet with it''s strings cut. I held onto her, turning to Shiva.

    "Well?"

    She smiled.

    "I guess I was wrong. Take her to the hot springs. Maybe a fresh dip in the hot water will do her some good."

    I looked down at Artemis sister. My relationship with Jade was... complicated. It wasn''t a lie I wanted both her and Deadman to work for me.

    However, something told me Cheshire wasn''t of the same opinion. So is that why Shiva pushed for this to happen? Did she send me to the hot springs with Jade to maybe improve our relationship?

    "That woman is an enigma."

    Chase observed as my ''teacher'' left.

 Second Month Training.

    (General P.O.V)

    The next day, it was back to business..

    "You now have the basic foundation and discipline down. You also know how to hold a sword and even if you lost it, you wouldn''t be at a complete disadvantage."

    Shiva pointed out, going over the progress I had made.

    "That''s as closest to a genuine compliment I''m ever gonna get, am I right?"

    I asked, smiling to show I was joking.

    "Indubitably."

    Shiva replied in equal spirit.

    "Here, catch."

    She added, throwing something my way.

    I snatched it out of the air and turned it around.

    "A bracelet made of beads?"

    I wondered out loud, studying the golden inscriptions written all over the individual black beads.

    "Enochian script?"

    I asked with a gasp, looking up at Shiva in shock.

    "Where did you get this?"

    She shrugged.

    "Ask your patron."

    I narrowed my eyes.

    "While she and I get along, Rama Kushna isn''t my patron goddess."

    I responded with a shake of my head.

    Shiva smiled.

    "I wasn''t talking about her."

    Before I could enquire more, she held her hand up as well, showing that she had the same type of bracelet around the wrist.

    "Listen up. The next phase of your training is arguably the most important. This entire month you will spend time working on your Spirit Energy control."

    "Isn''t that what we''ve been doing everyday after sparring? And what does that have to do with this thing."

    I questioned, clasping the bracelet around my wrist.

    Shiva smiled.

    "You misunderstand. You only have one singular task. Energy Control. That''s what you''ll be doing. Taking into consideration you won''t have any access to Tairyoku as your physical body will remain in stasis within your soul, it is all you''ll be doing."

    No access to Tairyoku?

    My physical body will be in stasis. What was she on about?

    "You know this would go faster if you were just straight with me. Stop beating around the bush and just tell me what I need to know."

    My voice sounded annoyed, matched by the frown on my face.

    "And where is the fun in that? Though I admit as enjoyable as watching you flounder about ignorantly is, I will disclose something important."

    She tapped on the bracelet and it changed into a beautiful black butterfly tattoo.

    I could feel an instant connection with iy. Copying her, I tapped on one of the beads and the bracelet melted into my wrist.

    A similar black butterfly tattoo appeared on my wrist. Seen from a different angle, it almost seemed to flap it''s wings.

    "These twin tattoos are connected to each other. With it I can call you back into the physical world as soon as I feel you''re in mortal danger or time is up."

    She explained, making me tempted to ask what she considered mortal danger.

    "This sounds more and more like a sentence."

    I told her plainly.

    "It might as well be. You see in a few seconds the butterfly will activate, opening a wormhole and transporting your soul into Limbo."

    Stolen story; please report.

    "A dimension exempt of all physical matter. A realm of the soul. The butterfly will also help transition your being into a spirit. Your physical body shall be placed in a pocket dimension within the tattoo."

    "What?"

    That''s all I had to say.

    "Don''t die."

    Shiva told me.

    And then, even before the next words which were a string of curses left my mouth, my environment changed. The ground seemed to open under me and swallow me fully.

    My skin shivered as I passed through something thin and cold. A membrane of some sort.

    Immediately, I noticed the starry night in a void of blue and purple. Except those were not stars. They were something else.

    They almost looked like... floating island.

    I gaped, lowering my gaze and noticing the bleached world around me.

    Everything was cast in a very pale blue color with the dull silver light falling down on me, having no discernable source.

    I looked at the butterfly on my wrist. Sending Spirit Energy through did nothing. The one thing I did notice was that my control had shot to the roof.

    I was now at the same level I was before I accessed Bankai. The increased control was enough to surprise me greatly, causing me to study my new form a bit more.

    For starters, I felt weightless. As if all I had to do was wish it and gravity would lose hold on me. I stared at the sheer cliff the floating island ended on and shook my head.

    ''Maybe later.''

    The next step involved looking for the familiar liquid form of energy within me. While I perceived Spirit Energy as a gas, Flesh energy was thicker and moved more fluid like.

    "Fuck! She really wasn''t killing, my Tairyoku is missing."

    This was... unexpected and unwanted.

    "On the bright side, I believe with enough hard work you can cut down the time it will take to re-access Bankai during this month."

    Chase pointed out.

    "What do you mean? Is being in spirit form really that beneficial?"

    I wondered.

    I mean I could see some advantages. Not having to eat or sleep would help me focus on a single objective. It wasn''t a complete bummer to have Tairyoku locked away. I just hated the feeling of having no control.

    "I thought you could do anything even without your powers?"

    Chase responded with a chuckle which carried subtle derision.

    "Ha-ha keep on laughing. Just remember this means no snacks for you this entire month."

    I reminded him.

    "Fuck."

    His reply was concise and direct.

    I laughed, moving onto the last test. Checking Reikaku. My range had been shortened dramatically.

    If what Chase and Shiva were alluding to was true, then now that I was in spirit form, without the limits of a physical vessel, I should be able to surpass my current range.

    Reikaku spread out to encompass almost a mile.

    A few feet away from my body I immediately widened my eyes.

    "Shunpo!"

    The word left my mouth with urgency. Reiryoku propelled my soul from the floating island I was on towards a different chunk of earth, seconds before something burst through the ground on my previous position.

    The creature rose up to the sky with a screech, screaming loudly before diving towards me.

    I had felt it an instant after activating my spirit sense. Had I even stalled another second...

    "Look alive Davian."

    I said to myself, unsheathing Chesha Neko.

    With a roar, I pushed off the floating island, ascending towards the creature. It was weird. A wide mouth, red eyes two trunk like arms and a lower body that ended in a tail.

    Up close and personal I felt it''s dim presence. It didn''t feel like a soul or a consciousness.

    Chesha Neko flashed as I passed through it, dealing no damage whatsoever to the...

    (Devourer)

    The word came from Nick''s unorganized memories.

    The Devourer turned and swam through the air towards me.

    "You have to want to cause it harm. This is a Realm of consciousness. Each action taken is driven by pure will not physical exertion."

    Chase advised.

    I held a hand out towards the Devourer. Will huh? That means spirit energy, the purest expression of my conscious self should work.

    "Hado no 4: Byakurai."

    I released the Reiryoku and watched it burst forth, drowning the monster with it and pushing it towards one of the floating asteroid like rocks.

    There was a plume of dust and smoke from the floating island. When it died away, I was treated with the sight of over a dozen Devourers flying from all over to surround me.

    "Somehow I don''t think we''re in Kansas anymore Chase."

    I quipped.

    "How long have you been waiting to say that?"

    He shot back.

    A long time. But he didn''t need to know that, so I ignored him in favor of dealing with my current situation. As much as I wanted to fight, I was here for a whole month, there would be plenty of that later on.

    I had to scout the area and find a base of some sort first. Then I could work my way up from there.

    "Bakudo no 21: Sekienton."

    Red smoke wafted out of my hands, obscuring my figure and dulling my spirit energy. Man was I glad I''d learned this particular Kido early.

    Now then, if what Chase said is true, if everything here relies on will and consciousness then... I slipped into a Shunpo, before willing my body to take flight.

    Something within me changed. My body leaned forward. In an instant I was cutting through the skies flying and it was amazing.

    ******

    The Phantom Zone.

    An inescapable prison. Over the years, Zod had theorized they would need the projector Jor-El used to send them to this hellish unfeeling place, or a sunstone carrying with it the energy of a mature star to pierce through the numerous wormholes around.

    Both things they lacked.

    Now one of his soldiers was informing him of the possibility they could break out of their unfair exile.

    "Go over everything one more time."

    General Zod said, staring out into the purple void and blue rocks occupying it as far as the eye could see.

    He was at the very edge of Fort Krypton, the biggest floating asteroid and their main base, built from shearing off tons of rocks and stacking then together in a unique architectural design.

    "I was on the usual patrol route, keeping an eye out for any Devourers or...IT. Then out of nowhere, a humanoid appears in a flash of silver light. He looked like a Kryptonian yet...he didn''t move like us."

    Zod nodded. Aliens that were similar to Kryptonians weren''t out of the norm. During Krypton''s expansion millions of years ago, they came into contact with different alien species all the time.

    "Continue."

    Astra, Zod''s wife ordered.

    "The Devourers tried to attack him but he vanished in a cloud of red gas."

    The soldier finished narrating.

    "Red gas? Are you sure?

    Zod enquired curiously. All color was drained by the dimension so hearing about red gas was out of the norm.

    "Yes general. I witnessed it."

    The soldier replied.

    "Interesting."

    Zod commented.

    "Bring me this...man."

 Flee!

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I''d been flying for a continuous four days. Or what I thought was the equivalent to four days anyway. Time didn''t seem to move forward and the state of this world was never changing.

    Even without getting into the weirdness of physics in general, there was something about this place that was...off. Like the opposite of a mystical land.

    Limbo was just inert.

    Fortunately I felt no hunger or exhaustion during those four days. And Chase kept me entertained with his funny comments about the environ around us.

    Unfortunately, that didn''t mean I had it completely easy. For starters, while there were other sentient beings in this place most of them were assholes.

    Like this guy.

    His name was Deimos And Deimos could turn into a snake. A massive one at that.

    (Ss-kill-ss you... Die for Deimos!)

    A voice stated from the 100 feet long snake.

    "Yeah sorry. That''s not in my plans for today."

    I replied with a smirk, jumping away to avoid a spray of venom.

    The rock I was on was immediately eaten through by the spit. Deimos didn''t like that I could apparently choose to not get hurt, so he sort to rectify that.

    There was a sharp hiss followed by the Serpent coiling it''s body, before smacking it''s tail onto the second floating asteroid I was now on.

    Rocks pelted my body, breaking upon my skin as I willed myself to be impervious.

    Not that I was in any danger even in my normal form. My physical body had grown much stronger due to Tairyoku which I''d only just recently discovered.

    My soul on the other hand had been bathed in Reiryoku for months now. it would take a lot to even get past my Reiatsu, let alone my version of Hierro.

    Deimos'' tail could though. Several tons of hard and thick flesh, carved a second groove through the ground as it swung towards me.

    I received the attack head on, Reiryoku surging around my soul in a steadily brewing storm.

    There was a burst of air, that pushed the dust away, revealing an impossible sight.

    I had my hands tightened on the red and black tail.

    "This will hurt you more than it will hurt me."

    I joked, hoisting the entire serpent up with my strength.

    Deimos let out a hiss as most of his body left the ground. Then I swung and smashed the snake''s head onto the side of one of the floating rocks.

    The snake which was the length of a train chipped off rocks and stones from the side of the structure, leaving the creature dazed for a few seconds.

    "Get the fuck out of here!"

    I turned and yelled at the blue skinned furry aliens who were the main reason I was fighting Deimos.

    I had come across the huge serpent attacking them without them fighting back.

    These aliens seemed to be the only ones that hadn''t actively tried to kill me the past few days, so I said fuck it and decided to help.

    Still, something was off about them. The other prisoners avoided them. I had no idea why but it was concerning.

    The blue aliens were really thin and wore rough linen. They also carried tools that they used to till the floating islands with.

    In other words, they looked weak. And if there''s one thing I know, those with strength loved to exercise their power. And who better to exercise it on other than those weaker?

    The aliens muttered in a foreign language before they begun to run away. At least they knew what self preservation was.

    All of a sudden there were numerous screeches from all around us.

    "Shit."

    I immediately unsheathed my sword.

    "That''s the biggest group of Limbo devourers we''ve come across so far."

    Chase whistled at the 20 plus Limbo monsters that were very much headed for us.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    They must have been attracted here by the fight.

    The concerning thing was that the blue aliens didn''t seem afraid of the Devourers.

    In fact it felt like the opposite. Like they were glad to see the monstrous creatures.

    "Stop! Don''t..."

    The warning on my lips died down when I realized that the Devourers ignored the weak blue aliens and immediately descended upon Deimos.

    I blinked.

    "Chase did you see that?"

    I enquired from my Zanpakuto.

    "The Devourers aren''t attacking them. They went straight for Deimos."

    Chase replied.

    Before me was a scene straight from a movie. A flock of monsters harassing an even larger monster.

    The Devourers were mercilessly tearing chunks of the serpent with ease. Deimos not to be out done, was also mauling through their numbers, a crazed murderous glint in its eyes.

    So let''s recap.

    There were other beings in this place apart from the Devourers, most of them were violent murdering psychos who attacked at first sign and tore your soul apart if you possessed a will weaker than them.

    Deimos was only one of them.

    That said, I knew that sooner or later, I was bound to meet other factions and individuals in this place.

    With Reikaku active that became sooner rather than later.

    It was easy to spot the two figures descending towards my position as Deimos and the Devourers continued engaging in battle.

    I raised Chesha Neko and pointed it straight at the newcomers.

    "Don''t come any closer."

    I warned.

    The fact they could fly showed how disciplined and strong their wills were. That usually led to fights that could last a long time. The prisoners seemed to have nothing else to do other than battle. Not that I was complaining.

    It was a chance to test out my new skills.

    "Greetings stranger. We mean you no harm."

    The woman of the pair, a beautiful blonde with short hair said, her hands raised in a gesture of peace.

    "Do you know how many times I''ve heard that?"

    I snorted, not ready to lower Chesha Neko.

    "You would dare to lump us in with those afflicted by the zone sickness?"

    The man said.

    I immediately decided I didn''t like the sneer on his face.

    "Davian...no killing of the rude man until you understand where you are. They can help you with information seeing as everyone else is stark raving mad in this place."

    "I make no promises."

    I replied lowly just as the battle between Deimos and the Devourers begun to wind down.

    The two strangers also seemed to notice and urgency returned in their demeanors.

    "My name is Narid and this is my partner, Az-Rel." The woman introduced.

    "Come with us before the Devourers decide to turn their attention towards us. While we can defend ourselves...you don''t want to see what the commotion might attract."

    "You should go with them."

    Chase advised

    Seeing the logic in the suggestion, I willed myself to ascend to the sky next to them.

    "What about Deimos?"

    I wondered about the fleeing Serpent.

    "Nothing. Deimos like the most has fallen prey to the Zone sickness. He only serves the forces of chaos. Forced to see illusions and things that aren''t there."

    Az-Rel explained reluctantly, still regarding me with suspicion.

    That was the second time they mentioned Zone sickness.

    "How come the monsters don''t attack them?"

    I pointed a hand at the group of those blue furry aliens below us.

    The Devourers seemed to hover around them almost protectively.

    "Natives. Some see the Phantom Zone as an escape. A home. Aethyr allows them to live here. Even going as far as to protect them by having the Devourers guard them from the rest of the prisoners. It''s why most avoid them."

    "Except for those with this...zone sickness?"

    I asked.

    Narid nodded but said nothing.

    One familiar name stood out to me during the conversation though...

    Immediately I stopped in my flight.

    "Phantom Zone?"

    I enquired. As in the Kryptonian prison? That Phantom Zone?! Nick''s memories alluded to a place that was a wasteland full of outlaws, convcts and alien criminals.

    Oh fuck.

    The two looked at each other.

    "Don''t you know where you are?"

    Az-Rel asked.

    I could lie.

    But it would be much easier to just tell the truth.

    "Not really no."

    A conversation seemed to go happen in between them as they gazed at one another.

    "I see."

    Narid finally spoke, a contemplative look on her face.

    "How did you arrive here then?! Can you show us the way?!"

    Az-Rel questioned with an intensity that surprised me.

    Narid grabbed his hand.

    "Not now."

    She whispered harshly.

    "We still need to leave before..."

    "GRAARRHHHHHGGG!!!"

    I grabbed my ears as a sudden roar rippled out across the entire purple void.

    "What the fuck was that?!"

    I demanded, looking back towards where we had come from.

    "We need to go. Now!"

    Narid said urgently as she and Az-Rel took off towards the opposite direction from the roar.

    I didn''t follow them straight away. I wasn''t going to flee from an enemy I couldn''t even see.

    "Hey Chase, you consider not running away as me being reckless?"

    I enquired of my Zanpakuto, ready to activate Shikai.

    "Depends."

    He responded.

    "Do you feel the overwhelming urge to be be suicidal?"

    I chuckled.

    "I have no intention of dying here. Shiva thinks this might break me."

    I shook my head.

    "She will never stop underestimating me. So I''m left with no choice but to prove my strength without a shadow of doubt."

    Another roar sounded out.

    Through my Reikaku, The Devourers were quicky being made short work of by something fast.

    A floating asteroid rock was smashed onto another, sending huge chunks of rocks and boulders flying away. Some headed towards me.

    My left hand came up.

    "Hado no. 15: Onibi (demon fire)."

    Purple flames begun dancing across my left side.

    The fire gathered around my palm. Then with a blaze of glory, the flames were released in a funnel like shape, disintegrating all the boulders headed my way.

    The rocks melted and then turned into ash.

    Hot air escaped my mouth as my newly created Hado died down.

    Hado no.15: Onibi was the first in what I hoped would be a series of elemental Kido spells.

    Looking at the devastation caused to my front, I could see it being just as effective as a Getsuga Tensho.

    "Get back."

    Chase suddenly said out of the blue.

    Knowing better than to argue due to his serious tone, I complied, flying back as fast as I could.

    A deafening rumble sounded out as the floating Asteroid I had been standing on was hit by an impact big enough to shake it.

    Silence reigned for a few seconds. Then two glowing green eyes filled with nothing but animalistic fury opened in the midst of the dust obscuring the area.

    I tightened my grip on Chesha Neko, skin crawling with fear. For the first time ever, I was genuinely terrified.

    The dust settled and revealed the source of my terror.

    It had a huge gray muscular body. Easily more than 8 feet tall. Huge teeth that were on the outside of it''s mouth and sharp bone spurs on the shoulders and spikes across the joints of it''s huge limbs.

    "Now we know why those two ran away."

    I muttered to myself.

    After all, when faced with Doomsday of all things, flight was the first option. Fighting was just running headfirst into a grave.

 Going All Out.

    (General P.O.V)

    Davian took a step back as the third roar shook the air, buffeting him with the creature''s breath.

    His hair was blown back. He had to grit his teeth and will his body to be heavier than it had ever been just to stay in place.

    Through Reikaku, he felt power charging up within the monster, so without wasting a single second, he went on the offensive, releasing one of his most strongest attacks.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Die! Getsuga...Ten-"

    The words were cut off as breath escaped my chest. I hadn''t even seen IT make a move but a punch landed in the middle of my chest, folding me like a pretzel.

    I opened my mouth in shock at the power behind the blow. Agony ripping through me. Shit. I could feel the bone spurs on It''s knuckles tear through the outer layer of Spirit Energy cladding my soul.

    Anger surged within me, momentarily overtaking the terror. I pulled power from the green gem on my neck, sending delicious restorative Reiryoku to heal me.

    Meanwhile, I decided creating space between us was the way to go.

    Reiatsu came pouring out of me with a resounding bang.

    With me as the epicenter, an explosive wave of Reiryoku ate at everything, disintegrating the rocks under my feet and carving rings on the surface of the Asteroid.

    Doomsday didn''t even budge, but the move had been distraction enough that I slipped into a Shunpo, taking me a few paces back.

    He roared, feet landing heavily on the ground and leaving wide and deep tracks as he followed after me, throwing a punch that tore into the ground under us, while I dodged by jumping.

    My feet landed on his hand as I ran up to his arm, making my soul body as light as possible.

    At the very last second, I poured more power into the arm holding my weapon. With my own roar, Chesha Neko swung out, it''s edge glinting with deadly promise.

    The sword aura sliced through skin and thick neck muscles, the sword almost getting stuck within him.

    Doomsday''s eyes started glowing. With widened eyes, I leaned to the side just as 2 blazing yellow eye beams passed through where my head had been seconds earlier.

    I flipped to his back, wrapped my legs around his neck and then flipped, making my upper body as heavy as I could, performing a well executed hurricanrana.

    Doomsday landed on his front. The impact enough to shake the entire rock.

    The second he tried to get up, I was ready for him. I slowed my breath, remembering my training.

    ''The sword is part of you, just as you are part of it. Don''t forget that and your weapon will never dull.''

    Shiva''s words echoed through my brain.

    A part of me huh?

    I hadn''t tried this before but I went with my instinct, pouring more energy than I ever had into Chesha Neko, reinforcing the pommel, the handle and the blade, rather than the Zanpakuto itself.

    The sword begun vibrating, wisps of spirit energy leaking out of the blade like flames, licking the air.

    "That''s new."

    Chase commented.

    I swung a second time. And this time, no flesh or bone could stop the path of my sword.

    I landed on the other side, slowly breathing out while holding something on my left hand.

    Something that dripped with colorless blood just like everything else in this place except for energy which manifested in different colors.

    I threw the head away, Doomsday ugly face that only a mother could love set in a rictus of rage and pain.

    I raised a leg and then stomped on it, squashing it and sending brain matter and blood spewing out.

    ''Dont lose your guard."

    Chase advised.

    "I know."

    I turned towards the headless body which stumbled forward, as if unaware that it''s head was decapitated.

    With Reiryoku still roaring in my ears, I moved at speeds I only reserved for truly incredible opponents.

    (General P.O.V)

    Purple lightning flashed around Doomsday''s headless body.

    Davian delivered thousands, then tens of thousands of slashes in a just a few seconds, cutting through skin, flesh and bone as easily as breathing.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Chesha Neko''s bladed edge had always been sharp. There was little it couldn''t cut.

    After reinforcing it, that sharpness was elevated to the level that he could feel as if it could slice through the layers of space.

    Davian''s feet tore tracks as he came to a stop, body lowered with one hand touching the ground.

    Doomsday''s body begun to fall apart, blood spraying out of wounds from every inch of it''s body.

    The arms fell off, sliced like tuna. The same went for the legs, the torso, groin and back.

    "Let''s see you survive this."

    Davian stated, priming his power for one last move.

    ******

    From afar, Narid and Az-Rel watched on with gaping expressions.

    "Should we help him?"

    Narid asked.

    ''Does he even need help?''

    Az-Rel thought to himself, however, his response was different.

    "He''s powerful I admit. But you know power doesn''t mean anything to that Thing. Zod, even with the backing of the others couldn''t stop IT. You know what''s about to happen. We should leave."

    Narid shook her head.

    "Not yet. The least we can do is loot his body once he''s dead. That sword especially...it looks very sharp. I want it."

    Az-Rel chuckled.

    "Always a fan of the selfish part of you, Nari."

    The female Kryptonian smiled with a conniving expression on her face.

    "I like nice things. Sue me."

    Chuckling slightly, Az-Rel turned his gaze to the fight.

    "Okay, let''s keep watching. The minute he''s dead and that thing is gone we run in and take what we want before one of Zod''s underling informs him of our unexpected guest."

    ******

    "Don''t hold back. Something tells me it can survive pretty much anything."

    Chase observed.

    "Survive anything?"

    Davian snorted, his body still charging up Reiryoku.

    "Can it survive the sands of time? Respira."

    Black miasma poured forth from his palm, onto the rough ground under them. It spread through in a dark curtain, destroying earth and rock alike.

    Upon closing in on Doomsday''s remains, the Respira devoured everything.

    Nothing remained, not even the reminder of it''s head.

    Davian breathed out in relief, letting the tension in his body melt away.

    "I thought that was going to be harder than it was."

    He commented, sitting on a boulder while closely monitoring Doomsday''s previous position.

    "Those two from before never left."

    Chase observed.

    "They''ve been watching but are not coming closer despite witnessing you slay the creature. Mmmh, how strange."

    Davian sighed, rubbing his face.

    "See, when you say stuff like that, it''s usually accompanied by something bad happening. Let''s take the win this time, you damn cat. Clearly I was more powerful. End of the story."

    Chase was ready with a counter.

    "Nothing is ever that easy. Not when it comes to us."

    The black miasma covering the entire floating asteroid rippled like the waters of a calm pond.

    Davian was already up on his feet, Chesha Neko halfway out of it''s sheath, a stunned expression on his face.

    "No... nothing has ever survived Respira. How is he still alive?! I doubt even Barragan could survive the attack. It''s impossible. I diced him up into strips of flesh and blood and then eroded them. He. Is. De.."

    Boom!

    The entire floating Asteroid blew up.

    *****

    Narid and Az-Rel stiffened as the rock the newcomer and the creature were on was immediately destroyed.

    The explosion was so strong even they could feel the shockwaves.

    The remains of the asteroid shattered upon more floating islands, pelting the surroundings with the sound of numerous projectiles moving at subsonic speeds.

    The two Kryptonian''s relocated a bit further away to escape the effects of the battle.

    Davian on the other side was blown away. No amount of increasing his weight could stop him from slamming through an asteroid, tearing past it, taking out a huge chunk of 2 more rocks before he landed on the surface of a bigger rock.

    The Soul Reaper laid there stunned, his sword lying a few feet away from him.

    A distant bellow sounded out.

    Davian dragged himself to his feet as Chase snorted.

    "Don''t you dare say it Chase."

    Davian warned, calling onto his weapon by holding out a hand to it.

    "Say what? That I told you so?"

    Chase mocked.

    "I''ll get him this time. This time I''ll be more careful."

    Instead of arguing, Davian promised, determination coursing through him.

    *******

    In his Inner Dimension, Chase raised an eyebrow. He had expected snark from Davian. Seeing him own up to his arrogance was new.

    *******

    Davian was pissed.

    Not at anyone else but himself. He saw Nick''s memories of Doomsday. Flashes but even those were enough to show just how dangerous this thing was.

    He should have gone all out from the start.

    "Okay, you wanna get violent, let''s get super violent."

    He declared holding Chesha Neko with it''s point aimed at the ground.

    "Shikai."

    The outburst of Reiryoku released was enough to be felt from far away.

    "Do you feel that husband?"

    Ursa questioned as all the Kryptonians turned to face one direction.

    A direction that was filled with the glow of purple energy around a certain section of the sky.

    "Rao finally blesses us with a chance. Gather the rest."

    Zod ordered.

    *******

    Doomsday was relentless, bounding from one floating rock to another.

    It''s body had undergone massive changes.

    While before it was armored with bone spurs and spikes, now it had even more sharp protrusions all over it''s body.

    Glowing circuits of yellow energy seemed to pulse from all around it''s body, feeding power to it''s large form.

    It''s barrel chest seemed to be covered with a plate of bone that went up to it''s neck, where it''s head had been severed.

    A half hollow mask seemed to have formed from its lower jaw, going up to encapsulate the left side of it''s face.

    A small hollow hole was in the middle of it''s belly.

    Fury enough to drown the world in blood and violence coursed within it, pulsing alongside of all things a heart, something that no other creature in Limbo possessed.

    By adapting to Davian''s attacks, Doomsday had been elevated to a different level of power. And it only wanted to KILL, MURDER, DESTROY! DESTROY! DESTROY!! REVENGE!!!!

    With a triumphant roar it found it''s target and descended upon them with the fury of a stormy sky.

    Davian made no move as the Creature landed infront of him, forming a crater before lunging forward, the sharp claws on its hands brandished, ready to rip him apart.

    A few inches away from Davian, purple strings emerged from the ground, ensnaring Doomsday and stopping IT in it''s tracks.

    "You can''t escape my strings. Nothing can."

    Davian spoke to it, both staring at each other.

    One with rage and the other with a look of determination.

    "Abomination. It''s half hollow now."

    Chase observed.

    Davian spun on his hell and threw a kick at Doomsday''s chest. Such an attack wouldn''t have phased it before but just as Doomsday has grown even more powerful, the soul reaper more than matched the feat.

    No amount of struggling or roaring could release IT fast enough to avoid the kick.

    It''s Torso caved in along with a burst of pressure that blew back the monster towards where it had come from.

    Davian''s eyes glowed as Chesha Neko''s strings crept up his hands, forming into two shorter swords, similar to Byakuya and Kanshou from Nick''s memories.

    He had chosen these two because of how effective they were at slaying monsters.

    He started walking forward steadily. Then the walk transitioned into a jog, then a run.

    A sonic boom erupted from his back.

    A purple streak flashed around Limbo, headed on a collision towards a yellow streak.

    Their clash blew everything in a mile radius away. It was a small scale Armageddon.

    A storm of displaced air pushed the floating rocks towards each other.

    The Islands crashed onto one another over and over again. Those watching the spectacle could only stay away, too weak to engage in the altercation.

 Endless Escalation.

    (General P.O.V)

    Limbo.

    An infinite stretch of area, frozen in time.

    Shockwaves rippled out, wild and unbridled.

    The source of the periodic pressure waves seemed to be a space devoid of any floating rock islands.

    Most of them having been destroyed in a battle of such epic proportions, it changed the ever purple color of the sky, casting it a dull red.

    Space was torn with exotic energies from Doomsday''s unstable power and Davian''s Reiryoku.

    The wormholes in midair growing bigger and bigger as the fight wreaked havoc across the entirety of the Phantom Zone.

    Yet, the purple and green streaks clashing time and time again remained locked in a battle for supremacy.

    A battle...that Davian was losing.

    *******

    Whoosh!

    In a blur, a silver haired man holding two short swords in a reverse grip left afterimages as he streaked around a hulking form.

    The two twin sabers were flashed of light.

    Davian was carving out chunks of the monster but it healed just as fast as he dealt the damage.

    The task was only made more difficult as he had to dodge and evade Doomsday''s wild attacks. He had received a few punches which had been enough to show him that strength wise, the monster had already far outstripped him.

    Davian had to aim his strikes at spots that would normally incapacitate or outright kill a normal person, just to keep up with the onslaught.

    The fight had been going on for several hours and while he was still not exhausted, that didn''t mean he wasn''t mentally getting tired.

    Davian had lost count of how many times he had ''killed'' Doomsday only for it''s body to reform or come back to life...stronger and even more apparent - durable.

    "The swords are slowly losing their effectiveness. You can cut him but he just seems to heal from every injury and then adapts to it. Slashing him will get harder every strike you make."

    Chase observed.

    "Fine then. Time to change tactics."

    Davian ground out, releasing another wave of Respira at the Kryptonian Monster to create some time for his next move.

    The Respira blew forward, doing what it did best, destroy.

    Doomsday''s flesh slouched off, the epidermis of It''s skin disintegrating from the winds of time erosion that buffeted It.

    It roared in pain and anger, slapping it''s gigantic hands together and causing a spread out wind to rip out and blow away the Respira.

    Meanwhile the swords in Davian''s hands had just finished unravelling into threads, closing around his body and forming his purple string armor.

    "Round tw...ack!"

    In a speed that was astonishing, Doomsday shot out his hand and grabbed Davian''s neck.

    Davian widened his eyes, staring into the green orbs full of hate staring back at him. How had IT dealt with the Respira so quickly!?

    "Fuck..."

    Hundreds of thousands of strings jumped from Davian''s armored body and tore into Doomsday''s healing skin.

    slowly but surely the strings burrowed through the monster''s flesh, nerves, the lines of energy around it''s body and...something else, the power running within IT.

    ''Heat.'' the soul reaper realized.

    Heat accompanied by so much raw power. Power that could not be contained. There was so much of it...

    "Davian! Snap out of it!"

    Chase yelled.

    Davian blinked, only to find Doomsday''s eyes glowing yellow while still staring straight at him.

    The Reaper flicked his wrist, using the strings that had crept into the monster to turn it''s head to the side.

    Not a second later, a wide beam of yellow energy tore a hole through dozens of floating rocks, leaving dust and small stones occupying the dull red sky.

    "That was close..."

    Davian sweat dropped, gazing at his surroundings.

    The distraction at the display of power Doomsday wielded, cost the soul reaper.

    Despite not underestimating Doomsday''s growth, he had still underestimated it''s crazed intellect.

    The monster lifted one of it''s trunk like legs and with a bellow, slammed it onto the ground, destabilizing Davian''s footing and causing him issues with controlling the strings inside Doomsday.

    It''s eyes glowed once more and Davian could almost imagine a smile of victory on it''s face because they both knew, he wasn''t going to escape this.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Then the eye beams struck true, destroying everything in their path.

    ******

    "Davian!"

    Chase yelled in shocked surprise. That attack...the creature... it wasn''t only adapting to Davian''s strength but also his tactics, it was learning to bait and attack.

    How abominable.

    Chase decided he couldn''t sit back any more, those heat beams had dealt a lot of damage to Davian.

    Chase was his Zanpakuto spirit, if there was anyone else who could gauge the extent of his injuries, it was him.

    He needed to intervene. Help his wielder face this threat.

    Just as he was ready to leave the Inner World and join in the fight...a voice echoed out across the entire Inner World.

    "Oi, you damn cat. This is my fight. Stay the fuck out of it."

    Davian spoke.

    Chase blinked, then shook his head, turning around to walk back to his usual spot.

    How could he have forgotten who Davian was? He thought almost sardonically.

    Doomsday''s attack had been potent enough to take out everything that had been behind Davian.

    The Phantom Zone itself had been shaken to it''s core.

    However...

    Where Doomsday was an abomination, Davian was something else entirely.

    He was Death.

    He had wielded the Hand of God and the Hand of the Devil.

    "Alright then. Win."

    The cat said, making itself comfortable in its usual spot on the tree looking out into the cemetery.

    His wielder''s power was frankly unexplainable.

    Chase would have been amused to learn that apart from him, someone was finally understanding how dangerous Davian Mabuz could be.

    ******

    "How!? He should be dead!"

    In the deep layers of space, Batmite was shocked.

    There was a lot he was aware of and a lot more he was manipulating but even he knew, this growth - it was too fast. Too fast and unpredictable.

    The fight was never supposed to happen..

    But Batmite had manipulated the chances. Touched upon fortune and changed it to misfortune for his very hated foe yet...Davian had survived.

    Somehow his essence was sustained by Limbo''s very air.

    Maybe...maybe messing with this scary guy wasn''t a good idea. Maybe he should quit while he can. The Imp had thrown a lot at him but he never seemed to lose or give in.

    Batmite couldn''t forget Mr.Mzlyptlk</a>''s mess up with the Joker.

    And this guy...this guy was just as scary.

    Yeah he should leave... He should leave and go pran- play with Batman a little! That would surely be fun! Oh the chao- crime fighting! Crime fighting they could get up to!

    Yes!

    Silently and unknown to almost anyone, Batmite quietly left the scene with a wide mischievous smirk, leaving behind a final on-looker.

    Desire groaned to him/herself from the echoes of elation and desire left behind by Batmite.

    The Imp''s glee at the thought of messing with Batman was almost too much.

    Boohoo, now her/his entertainment was gone.

    She/he wanted to play around with the little man some more, control him to test her/his nephew.

    Now the little dude was scampering off...

    And she/he was back to boredom...oh wait.

    The little man said something.

    The clown. The Bat and The Ghost. How... promising. How exciting. What an excellent idea.

    So much enjoyment to produce. All he/she had was to nudge a few nudges, break a few rules and he/she would see it all cascade down into a beautiful distraction before she/he moved on.

    It wasn''t like she/he hadn''t been doing it all this time. Plus she/he couldn''t help it. She/he was desire. Whether that meant granting it, denying it, fulfilling it...all was under his/her purview.

    After all, the Joker had to be feeling left out and abandoned by Batman''s new obsession with Desire''s nephew.

    Let''s do something about that...

    ******

    (WHEN THE DOOM MUSIC KICKS IN)

    Despite missing half of his body...he was still alive.

    Smoking and hissing from his left side, where he was down half of his head, half of his torso, half of his groin and the left side''s limbs, Davian still stood strong, his right eye shocked at the damage he''d sustained.

    Then the eye glowed purple. A dark purple that seemed to pull in everything.

    No one had ever injured him like this before. Nothing had ever forced him into such a position.

    He was furious. And with that fury, came a clarity that wiped away all doubt. He was going to reap the soul of this thing.

    ''I''VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU. ONLY ONE OF US WILL LEAVE HERE ALIVE. AND IT WON''T BE YOU.''

    The entire realm rumbled. Davian''s voice echoing through as he instinctively used the gem hanging off his neck to touch upon the soul of Limbo itself.

    His body floated to the sky. The non-existent wind inside the realm picked up. Sand started to vibrate, rising up to the sky.

    Doomsday''s chest rumbled out with laughter. It was an ugly sound.

    "KILL..."

    It said.

    "So, you can speak now..."

    Limbo echoed out once more with Davian''s voice.

    "Good...this way, I can hear you scream."

    The soul reaper pushed his right hand forward, and then pulled on the strings still inside Doomsday.

    The look in the latter''s eyes changed. It could feel something getting ripped out, muscles were shredded and twisted, bones shattered and organs exploded.

    One side of the Kryptonian Monster''s body burst open, green blood, flesh and other visceral material flying out into the air, purple threads dancing almost hypnotically.

    Then the strings retracted, bits of flesh and blood still attached to them, leaving Doomsday missing half of It''s body. Davian''s way of getting payback.

    The other half of the Kryptonian flesh was used by by the Soul Reaper to reconstruct his own soul form, threads weaving Doomsday''s hybrid soul essence/physical material into the Soul Reaper''s missing left side.

    His soul form begun to undergo changes.

    A storm of power begun brewing above the two as both escalated the scale of the fight by achieving even crazier levels of power.

    Doomsday''s body healed once more. It''s entire left side regenerating as flesh coiled together stronger than ever.

    It''s body grew out of proportion. The left hand was bigger than the right, almost extending to touch upon the ground. The spurs and spikes were bleached white and seemed to vibrate with a monomolecular edge.

    It took a step forward, releasing a fresh wave of energy that made the air close to it tremble with exotic energies.

    It now had access to Reiryoku. The spirit energy manifesting as a green color from the earlier yellow lines.

    The white mask that had hitherto occupied one side of it''s face grew to cover the entire face.

    The hollow hole in its torso had also grown bigger.

    It''s eyes opened and it roared, arms spread out in an act of defiance, a beckoning to the god floating above it.

    The roar was an issue of challenge. For it could feel new power. Power that it had never had access to before. A new evolution.

    With this it would rage. Kill... destroy. Shatter the Earth under and break the heavens above. It...

    A heavy presence fell onto the floating rock Island Doomsday stood on, without warning.

    A Reiatsu that was nothing like what the budding intelligence of the monster had sensed from its target before.

    And with that presence, came a force. Like gravity itself, the spirit pressure slammed onto Doomsday''s shoulders and pressed It onto the ground.

    Veins popped across the monster''s hideous skin, flesh rippled, muscles shifted and bones creaked.

    The ground around it cratered. It''s legs bent lower, head tilted up to stare at the sky.

    Doomsday released a roar. The roar was immediately silenced as the Reiatsu from above increased. The pressure got even more oppressive. The Kryptonian Killing machine, took a knee.

    For the first time ever, Doomsday knew fear.

    It''s instincts were screaming at it to flee. To run from whatever the gathering black energy above was.

    For without knowing, Davian''s actions of using Doomsday''s own body to reconstruct his soul form had caused a long brewing change in the Soul Reaper to activate.

    Something had re-awakened.

    A metamorphosis that could now be completed as Davian''s full spirit capabilities were no longer suppressed by a physical form.

    A void within his soul grew with the taste of Doomsday''s exotic energies.

    A screech sounded out.

    Limbo froze.

    Then all sentient creatures within the prison turned as one to stare at the dark sun that had seemingly appeared in the sky out of nowhere.

    A breath passed.

    The heavy Reiatsu retracted or rather, nothing and no one could sense it anymore. The black sun rippled.

    Then shadow wings burst out. Hollow Davian emerged.

 Child of Death.

    (General P.O.V)

    Limbo as a dimension was separate from the main universe timeline.

    There was also only one Limbo but with different versions in it''s infinite expanse.

    It was connected to just about everything though wormholes in space.

    In some universes, the connection was strong enough that select sorcerers and magic practitioners could sense it.

    In others it''s presence was dimmer.

    But one thing that remained constant throughout Limbo, was the ever asleep Entity that was Limbo''s essence given sentience.

    And this entity was called Aethyr.

    And after eons of hibernation, Aethyr was beginning to stir awake.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Universe ??)

    Raven loved her teammates.

    But they were too noisy. Beast boy especially. While the change from her normally tragic or boring existence was welcome, the other side of having friends was that they were bothersome.

    Which is why she always made sure to have some time for herself. That time was used mostly to reinforce her mental barriers and meditate to keep her other side''s urges in check.

    The more she approached her 16th birthday, the more her demon side grew stronger. And with that strength came irritable mood swings.

    Meditation was crucial, though she knew it was only a temporary measure. The gem on her forehead was going to shatter soon whether she wanted it to or not.

    And with it''s destruction, ''He'' would emerge.

    She shook her head, forcing herself to think of happier things. Like Beast Boy''s face when Blue Beetle took the last cookie on the plate. Or Starfire''s glee at...

    The thought disappeared as she felt something.

    Her chest felt constricted and she unceremoniously fell out of her meditation. Raven briefly lost control of her power, causing her to land on the mat under her.

    Her eyes glowing black, she called onto her magic, creating a portal that she immediately jumped into.

    She had to tell the rest.

    Something was coming. Something very dangerous.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    It feels like I''m in water.

    It''s so dark in here. And peaceful too.

    What was I doing before? I feel like I''m forgetting something.

    I remember training in Infinity Island.

    I remember sparring with Shiva and Cheshire.

    I remember...pain.

    Anger and a deafening roar that had shaken me to my core. I remember... Doomsday. The face of the Kryptonian Monster came to the forefront of my mind.

    And with it was the fury from earlier. Only this time, there was no clarity.

    It started with a purple point of light, pulsing above me.

    I stretched out a hand, trying to swim to the surface. To escape these deep dark waters.

    Strings as black as death threads, coiled out from under me, ensnaring my body and pulling me down.

    ''No...''

    No matter how much I struggled to push through, I couldn''t. My mouth opened up in a shout. The strings tugging at my back became too much.

    I was...I was going to die here...

    I couldn''t sense Chase or feel any of my powers and I was losing strength in my limbs. What a sucky way to go.

    I should let go. Maybe it was time to rest. Maybe I had done enough.

    (Say it)

    The words appeared in the recess of my mind. I opened my eyes.

    ''What...?''

    Water flowed around me as I looked around for the source of the words.

    Eventually NY gaze took me down towards the bottom of the water, where a pair of green glowing eyes opened up.

    The Grim Reaper.

    The eyes were like burning flames. So powerful.

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    (Say It)

    The statement came again, this time in my own voice.

    ''I don''t know...''

    (Say. It.)

    My voice was filled with a note of frustration.

    I was confused.

    (Fine.)

    A rush of heat started spreading out across my entire soul form, gathering around my Saketsu in the form of a sphere.

    And then finally, the sphere exploded.

    (Ressureccion.)

    An echo rose up from the dark depths.

    (General P.O.V)

    Dark spectral wings burst out from a black cocoon in the sky above Limbo.

    Silence reigned as all nearby entities bore witness to the emergence of something that made the whole Phantom Zone struggle to maintain its structure.

    ******

    Zod stood at the very edge of a Rock Island, staring out into the battlefield.

    "By Rao, they have rearranged this entire section."

    A Kryptonian soldier commented. He couldn''t even blame them for their surprise.

    This level of devastation had surpassed anything Zod or his people could bring to bear. While Limbo operated on Will and fortitude, no amount could cause a permanent scar in the never changing realm.

    "What should we do Husband?"

    Ursa enquired.

    Zod stared at the black sun above Doomsday. Before he could answer, the cocoon burst open, revealing one side of a shadow wing.

    Darkness surrounded the skeletal form of the wings. A pulse of energy surged out as another wing broke free as well, fully revealing the creature to them.

    Ursa took a step back.

    "What is that?"

    It was a skeleton. A skeleton wearing a crown and burning in black flames.

    He''d never seen anything like it before.

    Zod rubbed his chest, noticing the difficulty in breathing. A pressure that was growing heavier by the second.

    And then it instantly disappeared. He couldn''t feel it any more. However, instincts honed over countless battles in service to Krypton told him of the growing danger.

    He narrowed his eyes.

    "We''re leaving."

    He immediately stated, turning back and walking away in full gaze of his soldiers.

    "Now."

    ******

    Nothing spoke.

    Even the wind seemed to have quieted down.

    The Spirit King gazed down, his body covered with dark flames. A white crown was placed above his skull.

    He had in his left hand his signature green scythe and his eyes were like miniature green suns glowing with intense light.

    Normally he would have needed to absorb shrouds and other spirits to enter this form but this time it was different. This time he had tapped into something else.

    His darker side. Death in its purest.

    Reiryoku unrestrained by a physical vessel filled the air. Too potent for anyone to sense, yet the reserves surpassed even the Head Captain himself.

    The skeletal shadow wings beat periodically, holding the Grim Reaper aloft. Like a god looking down at creation and finding it unworthy.

    There was a distant roar. Then an impact rippled out from below on the surface of the rock island, sending a pressure wave of wind exploding out.

    The cause turned out to be Doomsday''s lunge.

    The Kryptonian Monster cut through the air, clawed hands pulled back and ready to tear anything into tiny pieces as It rose up to attack Death itself.

    The latter looked unfazed by the coming danger.

    A few feet away from collision, the Spirit King finally made a move. He raised the scythe, it''s edge gleaming with deadly promise.

    "Denial of Existence."

    And then the Scythe was swung down. The slash was simple. But it was everything.

    All in its path died. Strings of existence severed completely.

    Doomsday''s figure was split into two.

    It''s body separated by the surge of darkness that rose up like a curtain while the slash continued on it''s way, cutting through deep layers of Limbo.

    Doomsday''s soul was shredded in the process. Nothing remained of the immortal unstoppable juggernaut. It''s flesh could no longer knit together or regenerate. Not while reality denied it''s presence.

    An inhuman cry sounded out.

    This one felt more like the dimension itself weeping at the wound inflicted upon it.

    The slash from the scythe having cut too deep into the dimensional veil.

    Matter was collapsing through the scar, pulled by a force from within.

    Aethyr, bearing a presence that was no weaker than the Reaper himself, awakened.

    ******

    Aethyr''s essence was connected to the dimension at all levels. Which is why it could sense everything and anything at once.

    "Who dares disrupt my slumber?!"

    His influence spread out as he swept his gaze throughout Limbo.

    Then his eyes landed on It. A being of such uniqueness that Aethyr was given pause.

    Rocks and stones gathered around and with Limbo''s energy''s acting as a binding force, a figure was formed.

    An old man, dressed in a gray cloak with a hood and a long gnarled staff.

    "Child of Death. What do you seek in my Realm?"

    The old man enquired, moving closer to the Reaper.

    The Reaper gave no answer.

    "No matter. This is my realm. I am it and It is I."

    Saying that Aethyr raised his staff and the wound in the dimension begun healing.

    The dark curtain of energy caused by the slash was compressed upon itself into the form of a small marble ball that floated calmly above Aethyr''s palm.

    "Fascinating."

    Aethyr commented at the roiling exotic energies contained in the sphere.

    "Such potent power."

    His eyes glowed.

    "Mmmh I see. You were not the instigator of this matter."

    Aethyr added after casually perusing time and watching the events that had unfolded.

    "Regardless, Child of Death. Your presence in my realm is too risky. The longer you stay here in that form, the more Limbo will begin to collapse around you. Begone."

    Aethyr declared with a wave of his hand.

    Space twisted as a repulsive effect begun to act upon Davian.

    Still, the Reaper made no move even after the repulsion increased dramatically and booted him out of the Phantom Zone.

    Once gone, Aethyr frowned.

    "Strange that he did not fight back. Then again, as the concept of Death, perhaps it can sense hostility and lacked to find any within me."

    He was about to go to and investigate the curious energy contained in the dark sphere when another presence made itself known.

    "That does not belong to you."

    Death of the Endless spoke from Aethyr''s back.

    The Essence of Limbo stiffened, turning around with a reverent bow. You do not show disrespect to any of the Endless.

    "Mistress Death."

    Death looked at him coldly.

    "You overstepped your boundaries Aethyr. We need to address such...behavior."

    All Aethyr could do was bitterly think to himself, ''how could I have overstepped my boundaries if I was just safeguarding my dimension?''

    *****

    (Universe ??)

    (The Titan Tower)

    In an open field behind a massive T shaped building, energy begun to gather on a single spot in the air.

    The wind begun to pick up.

    "Raven was right. Everyone get ready."

    Starfire said, floating to the air while her fists lit up with green light.

    "Oh man. Now I''m gonna miss the game."

    Blue Beetle complained, his hands forming into an energy weapon.

    Streaks of dark power struck out at the surroundings, carving grooves on the ground. None made it near the team as they were protected by a shield created by Raven.

    Finally the energy reached a breaking point and a portal formed, throwing something out into the physical world.

    "I''m not sure that''s the end of the World situation you were painting Raven. That looks more like a homeless dude."

    Beast boy joked as they approached the figure on the ground.

    "But...what I sensed..."

    "Was hopefully nothing."

    Nightwing said, stepping out of the Titan building.

    "Star called me, said you might need backup. Now what''s..."

    He stopped as he spotted a man with silver lying on the ground with a sword gripped in his left hand.

    "So who wants to explain this?"

    Nightwing sighed.

    Everyone looked at Raven.

 Trouble.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Light.

    Finally.

    The strings holding me down snapped. I started pumping my hands, swimming towards the purple light.

    It grew brighter and bigger.

    Soon enough, I broke through the surface. My eyes opened to the overhead lighting. I took a breath, grabbing the moment to figure out where I was.

    I was lying on a soft mattress with the covers drawn to my waist. Chesha Neko was still in my grip. I reached towards my neck and felt the gem hanging there.

    Then I wiggled my fingers and toes. A soft breath escaped me. Everything was right where it was supposed to be.

    "Don''t freak out."

    Chase spoke out from my Inner World. I blinked. What a weird thing to say.

    "Why?"

    I enquired, voice scratchy from disuse.

    "How long have I been out of it?"

    "A few days. But that''s not important. There''s something you should know..."

    "You''re finally up."

    Someone said.

    My back went ramrod stiff. That voice. It''s impossible. She can''t be here. She''s dead.

    I turned to my bedside.

    "Raven..."

    The name left my lips softly, my eyes trailing down her face. The red gemstone on her forehead, the hair, the pale skin and the neutral expression on her face.

    She frowned. I realized why, I had been staring. I closed my eyes, running a hand down my face.

    "Chase...are we dead?"

    I enquired through our mental link.

    "Not yet though not out of lack of trying on your end."

    He replied in a grouchy manner.

    "So, another universe?"

    I guessed.

    "How did you know?"

    Chase questioned, I could tell he was surprised by the lucky guess.

    "She''s younger than my Raven. She also looks...happier. As if she belongs here..."

    I replied, looking around.

    We seemed to be in a room that had clear glass panes that showed the San Francisco bay.

    "You''re in the Titan tower. You seemingly appeared from a rift in space."

    She narrowed her eyes.

    "A bad omen preceded your arrival."

    "What do you mean?"

    I asked, swinging my feet over the bed and sitting up. I looked down at my body, finding myself dressed in a tight grey t-shirt and pants.

    "Those are Dick''s clothes. They were about the only thing that could fit you. Though just barely."

    She explained, adding the final statement lowly.

    "Dick?"

    I asked.

    The only character I knew with that name was...

    "That would be me."

    Nightwing said, the door retracting to the wall and allowing him entry.

    Robin. Batman''s protege.

    But he was older in this universe.

    He studied me curiously. I could feel his gaze as he eyed me up.

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    "You gave us quite the scare. You''ve been sleeping for..."

    "2 days. I know."

    I got to my feet, sheathing Chesha Neko before turning to my saviors.

    "Thanks. But I need to get back."

    I said, strapping the sheath to my hip.

    Raven and Dick stared at each other.

    "Look, you''re not a prisoner here by any means. You can leave anytime you want but we were hoping you could tell us what happened to you."

    Dick explained.

    He had a point. Plus he was being reasonable. I sighed.

    "It''s a long story. One that I''m not completely comfortable telling right now. I need some time to process...things."

    I said, eyes jumping to Raven for a split second.

    "As I said, you''re not a prisoner here. Take your time and be careful."

    Dick responded with a smile.

    I threw one last look at Raven before leaving the building. It was easy. By using Fullbring to pull on the soul of the glass windows and making them completely clear, I could pass through.

    Once on the outside, I created platforms of spirit energy in the air, before slipping into a clean Shunpo and disappearing into the city.

    I had to get as far away from the Titan''s tower as I could. Seeing Raven brought back so many memories.

    (General P.O.V)

    The second Davian left, Raven turned to Dick.

    "He knows me."

    "What makes you say that?"

    Dick questioned.

    Raven folded her arms together.

    "The fact that he called me by my name? Or the way he looked at me was with familiarity. He didn''t seem particularly surprised about you either. It means that some way or another, he''s aware of who we are."

    A serious expression appeared on Dick''s face.

    "Are you sure about that? With our identities leaked by Brother Blood and his cult, maybe he has something to do with it."

    The statement came from Terra Markov, the new Titan recruit who had joined them just a year prior. She was leaning by the entrance.

    "You think it was smart to let him leave like that?"

    Nightwing stared at the glass window that Davian had left through.

    "We had no reason to keep him here. Besides it''s not like I didn''t foresee this. Let''s just say, we have eyes on him. Now, I need to go and get ready to patrol before the party at Kori''s and I new place."

    He added with a little excitement.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    This earth was uncannily similar to my previous one, though the year was 2017. Almost 7 years into the future.

    And it showed. Technology was more advanced.

    "Chase, any ideas on how we get back?"

    I wondered out loud.

    "Why? This could be seen as a fresh start."

    He responded.

    I paused in midair, floating above this world''s Gotham. Particularly, a certain spot.

    This version of the Tin Roof Club was more of a business than a villain hang out.

    "It''s not our world Chase."

    I shook my head.

    Tempting as the idea was, I still had people I wanted to kill or dismember back in my world, so the plan was to find a way back.

    Let the heroes and villains of this world deal with their shit. I was out.

    "Fine. Give me some time. I''ll think of something."

    My Zanpakuto responded before I felt his presence recede into my inner world.

    I left Catwoman''s club the same way I''d arrived, unseen, and flew a few more rounds around the city.

    Of course that''s when Karma tried to fuck with me. As I was flying through the commercial district, someone decided to rob a bank in the middle of the day.

    Then again, I guess that was the point. Everyone knew Batman mostly operated at night.

    By the time I flew down to the rooftop of the building, the police had already created a cordon around the block.

    It seemed to be a hostage situation. The thieves were holed up inside and a negotiation was taking place.

    Cop cars were arranged on the road to provide cover for the GCPD officers. And a crowd of people were gathered on the edges of the street, looking on at the unfolding incident.

    "It''s not like me to intervene."

    I murmured to myself.

    "But there are children inside."

    That decided it for me.

    I came in through the skylight.

    Glass broke under my feet as I landed on the floor of the bank. Immediately, bullets begun flattening around the green shield covering my body.

    Using my superhuman reaction time, I took one quick gaze around the bank and memorized where everyone was.

    "It''s fuckin Batman!"

    One of the thieves said, dropping thekr weapon out of fright.

    I sped forward, appearing behind him and grasping his neck.

    "No it''s not."

    The man''s body sailed to collide against one of his colleagues, both of them falling to the ground in a heap. The hostages screamed as all the guns turned my way and begun shooting.

    I streaked around the chamber, throwing b

    out light jabs and incapacitating shots, before materializing in the middle of the bank a few seconds later, surrounded by groaning bodies.

    The guns were placed off to the side.

    I looked at the Bank''s security, who was now free and scrambling for his weapon.

    "I wouldn''t point that thing at me."

    I warned before he could raise the gun my way.

    The guard gulped, looking around at the men on the floor, who had been terrorizing them only a few minutes earlier.

    "Th-thank you."

    I patted his shoulder.

    "Call the cops before they get back up."

    I motioned to the criminals before jumping out of the bank the same way I came in, through the skylight.

    I wanted to explore more of this world. See the differences and maybe find a way back to my own in the process.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Kori!? Anyone?"

    Dick frowned as he floored his motorbike. The team had been kidnapped.

    He had just come from checking in on Jaime (Blue Beetle) and Garfield (Beast Boy). The former had been caught off guard and electrocuted by a trap set for him in the shelter he volunteered at.

    The latter had also fallen for a trap. Though that was more to do with Beast Boy''s carelessness than anything else.

    Not to mention Robin had also been missing for a few hours now. And Kori wasn''t answering.

    That left Dick with only one option. He had to check the apartment, make sure Kori was safe.

    The instant he arrived there however, Dick knew that things were very serious as he was immediately attacked by Deathstroke.

    Dick had barely gotten away with his life but it was obvious he was the last Titan to remain free. The rest had been captured.

    He dragged himself out of the water, having been forced to jump into it, to escape Slade.

    That left him with one last place to check. Titan tower.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    It was about 5 in the evening that I returned to the Titan''s tower.

    I frowned when I noticed the smoke coming out through one of the windows.

    Raven...

    I increased my speed, covering the short distance quickly, only to find Nightwing dressed in a red and black costume standing in the middle of a devastated room.

    Earth spikes seemed to have punctured through the ceiling and the floor of the room.

    "What the fuck happened here?"

    I enquired.

    Nightwing whirled on me, throwing one of his Eskrima sticks my way. I swiped the weapon out of the air while raising an eyebrow.

    Nightwing stood down seeing it was me.

    "They took them. They took them and I''m going to get them back."

 Blasphemy.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Using Reikaku I scanned the room, picking up on signs of Raven''s demonic energy.

    "Looks like a fight happened here. Who was Raven fighting?"

    I asked floating to the torn up floor.

    "How did you know that...nevermind." Nightwing begun before shaking his head and turning his attention to the device in his hands.

    "I checked the footage. She was fighting Terra."

    "The blonde chick."

    I said, Dick nodding in confirmation.

    Peering over his shoulder, I spotted a blinking dot moving away from the city.

    "You put a tracking chip on her? I thought she was your teammate?"

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "Terra has expressed... difficulties fitting in. The tracking chip was for her own safety."

    He replied.

    I snorted, not even pretending to believe him.

    "What are the chances that you have one on me?"

    I questioned, crossing my hands together.

    Nightwing''s shoulders tensed.

    "We''re wasting time."

    He said, walked towards the door.

    "Let''s go, the tracker has a range. If you''re going to come with me, you need to know something. We don''t kill."

    I narrowed my eyes at his back.

    "Fine. Your world, your rules."

    Dick threw me a strange look over his shoulder.

    "So Raven was right. You really are from another dimension."

    "Maybe."

    I told him, following him through the door. We made our way down to the parking lot where he jumped on his bike and we were off.

    I trailed after him from the sky as he revved the bike''s engine and tore down the bridge connecting the Island Titan tower was on and the city.

    Things went like this for sometime, Dick occasionally making turns through the city streets, as he sped his way towards the location the tracker was pinpointing.

    (General P.O.V)

    High in the towering spires of Brother Blood''s cult headquarters, the cavernous chamber echoed with an eerie hush.

    Rows upon rows of devout followers filled the hall, their faces illuminated by the flickering torches that adorned the walls.

    They chanted in a rhythmic, hypnotic tone, their fervent devotion filling the air with an unsettling energy.

    At the center of the gathering stood Brother Blood, a figure draped in dark crimson robes, his sinister eyes gleaming with a fanatical zeal.

    He raised his hands, and the crowd fell silent, eagerly awaiting his words as if they were sacred scripture.

    "My faithful followers," Brother Blood''s voice boomed, resonating with an unsettling mix of charisma and menace.

    "Today, we gather to witness the culmination of my divine plan. The time has come for my ascension into godhood, and nothing will stand in my way."

    The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, their devotion unwavering.

    They believed that he was the one who would lead them to greatness.

    Brother Blood''s eyes narrowed as he continued,

    "For too long, the Teen Titans have been a thorn in my side, thwarting my efforts to attain true power. But no more! With the blood of the Titans, their very essence, flowing through my veins, I shall become unstoppable!"

    Raven and the rest of the Teen Titans were bound to a massive machine that pulsed with ominous energy.

    Their bodies were weakened. Despite the pain and exhaustion, Beast Boy glared defiantly not at Brother Blood, but Deathstroke.

    "You bastard. What did you do to Terra?!"

    The green skinned metahuman demanded.

    "Nothing monkey boy. No one forced me into anything."

    Terra replied, walking out from behind Deathstroke.

    "Terra..."

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Starfire and the rest couldn''t believe it.

    Raven groaned, waking up from her unconsciousness. She looked around, finding herself restrained in a machine that was similarly holding down her teammates.

    Her eyes landed on Terra.

    "You."

    Her voice was tinged with barely restrained fury.

    "Me."

    Terra smiled maliciously.

    With the crowd riled up, Brother Blood turned to Deathstroke.

    "The contract is incomplete. Where is Nightwing?"

    Deathstroke narrowed his eyes.

    "I told you some deaths would be unavoidable."

    Brother Blood frowned.

    "And I told you, even in death, there is still essence to drain. Power to feed on. Without Grayson, the contract is incomplete."

    His eyes jumped to Terra.

    "I''ll need a worthy replacement."

    "What?"

    Terra backed away in fear. She looked at Deathstroke.

    "Hey, this creep can''t be serious right?"

    Before she could get an answer, there was an impact on her chest. Looking down, Terra saw two darts sticking out of her Torso.

    "Bless you my child."

    Mother Mayhem, Brother Blood''s lover and second in command said.

    "Sorry Kid. A contract is a contract."

    Deathstroke shrugged, checking his phone as he received the money.

    With Terra strapped on the machine, Brother Blood walked once more before his congregation.

    "You see before you the so-called heroes,"

    He taunted, gesturing toward the captive Titans.

    "Their arrogance and self-righteousness have blinded them to the truth. They fight for a world that does not deserve their protection. I, on the other hand, have the vision and the will to reshape this world into an utopia, under my benevolent rule!"

    The crowd erupted into fervent applause once more, caught up in Brother Blood''s charismatic words and the promise of a new world order.

    They failed to see the darkness lurking beneath the charismatic facade, the malevolence that threatened to consume everything.

    "Begin!"

    He gave the order, walking towards the device.

    The machine activated, draining the Titans'' blood, their powers dimming with each passing moment, Beast Boy mustered the strength to speak.

    "You''re... nothing but a power-hungry tyrant! You''ll never be a god!"

    The machine begun to feed power into Blood through his back.

    Just then, the Cavern collapsed as something burst through the ceiling.

    A green shield appeared from above them, slowly floating to the ground.

    "Stop the atheists!"

    Mother Mayhem yelled, removing a gun and beginning to shoot at the green bubble shield.

    The cultists followed her example and started unloading their weapons at the shield.

    The shield rippled but held strong.

    "You''re going to have to do better than that."

    Davian proclaimed with a small smile.

    They had followed the tracker to this location some distance out of the city.

    Meanwhile, Nightwing creeped behind the machine, throwing an explosive battarang at the machine and blowing a huge chunk of it up.

    "Nooo!!"

    A guttural yell sounded out. Scarlet light flashed as the glow from the machine died down.

    "I see you Grayson!"

    Brother Blood roared, pulling his hand up, causing a section of the ground under Nightwing to break off and fly towards Blood.

    The chunk of rock came with a few battarangs stabbed into it. The whole thing exploded into small rocks that pelted the surroundings.

    The dust from the dynamic entry settled down, revealing Brother Blood. His body had undergone some very heavy changes. One of his arms was a dark purple, vibrating with magic.

    His other hand was an earthy brown and his torso was a fusion of different colors matching the Titan''s costumes.

    The process of transferring their powers had worked. Brother Blood could feel the power running through his veins. The new blood within him was hot with anticipation.

    "You cannot hide from-Ack!"

    A green bolt of energy slammed onto the back of his head, making him stumble a few steps forward.

    "Titans, Go!"

    Starfire called out as the rest of the team managed to extricate themselves from their bonds.

    Blue Beetle took flight, one of his hands changing into a high tech energy weapon while the other formed into a shield that blocked the rocks thrown his way by Blood.

    "Bout to teach you a lesson ��se."

    The Scarab clad hero said, releasing blinding shots at the self proclaimed god.

    "I''ll let you handle that."

    Nightwing told Starfire as he turned his attention to the fleeing Deathstroke.

    "I have another fish to fry."

    ******

    In the sky, Davian gazed down. The ruse was successful. He stormed in through the ceiling as distraction while Nightwing worked to free Raven and the rest.

    There was no more reason to keep playing. So he released his Reiatsu, selectively focusing it on the cultists.

    "You wanted to see a real god? Look no further."

    With glowing purple eyes, the Spirit Pressure released by his soul wreaked havoc among the ranks as cultists fell one after the other.

    Mother Mayhem looked around in shock.

    "...God."

    She stated, her legs losing strength.

    "Don''t look so surprised."

    Davian said, standing beside her as if he''d always been there.

    "Against true power all else is inconsequential. Watch as I demonstrate that fact beyond all irrevocable proof."

    He begun walking forwards to where Brother Blood was fighting the Teen Titans. His steps were slow.

    Beast Boy in a Buffalo''s form ran forward trying to ram into Brother Blood.

    Brother Blood grasped the Buffalo''s horns and spun, throwing the animal towards Raven who was in the middle of casting a spell.

    Davian appeared before her, hand held out, he pulled on the soul of the air, creating a coccoon of wind around Beast Boy.

    The latter shifted into a hawk, screeching put a thanks as it dipped towards Blood once again.

    "Don''t let your guard down." Davian pointed out to Raven.

    "Invest more in learning about your magic. There are some crazy shit you can do if you put your mind to it."

    That said, he decided that the fight had gone on for too long.

    Raven blinked her eyes in surprise as Davian disappeared at crazy speeds.

    She had never seen anyone move that fast before. Not even Kid Flash.

    Starfire stopped in midair as an impact rang out from Blood''s position.

    "Whoa..."

    Beast Boy said reverting back to his human form while standing next to Raven.

    Blood was grasped by the neck, struggling to pull away while choking.

    "Im... impossible..."

    The self proclaimed God stuttered, staring into Davian''s bored eyes.

    Blood''s right arm pulsed with magic. Shadows crept up from below them, seeking to bind Davian. With a flex of his Reiatsu, the shadows were expelled.

    The whole cavern begun to shake as Blood begun to use Terra''s abilities.

    "None of that."

    Davian said, grabbing Brother Blood''s hands and tearing both of them off.

    Blood sprayed out along with a surprised cry. The scarlet life essence escaping through the missing portion of the Cult leader''s limbs, covered the ground around them.

    Brother Blood''s mouth was opened in both fear and pain.

    "I promised someone I wouldn''t kill you and this won''t. Consider this a worthy punishment for your blasphemy."

    Leaving the Cult leader on the ground, Davian floated up.

    Now that this affair was over, he could get back to looking for a way out of here. His mind want to the butterfly Tattoo on his wrist, he''d tried to connect to it but that hadn''t worked.

    Chase was yet to tell him if he found anything too. Maybe it was time to seek out experts in dimensional travel and...

    "Deathstroke!!! I will kill you!!"

    Of course that''s when Terra roused from her sleep and decided to bring the whole cavern down on them in anger.

    Davian sighed.

    "Good grief."

    He flash-stepped to her back and chopped her neck, causing her to fall like a puppet with it''s strings cut.

    As for Deathstroke who was trying to sneak away, Davian''s hand lit up as he released a chant less Bakudo spell.

    Ropes of fiery yellow energy formed by Bakudo no. 9: Horin, ensnared Deathstroke, holding him captive.

    "I had him."

    Robin said in a grouchy tone.

 We Need To Talk To Him.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    It was weird seeing such a scathing expression on a child.

    For that is what Damian Wayne aka Robin was, a brat that had admittedly grown up in an environment that gave him power and the promise of a grand destiny.

    That can go to anyone''s head. Let alone an intelligent and capable Wayne.

    Still, I didn''t like the sneering face.

    "Quit looking at me like that Brat. He was going to run away."

    "Who are you calling a brat..."

    He went to unsheathe his Katana, planning to point it my way.

    "Never brandish your blade at a superior opponent, if you won''t get the time to even use it. I will cut you down before you make a single move."

    My Zanpakuto was halfway unsheathed, Chesha Neko''s pommel stopping his hand from completely removing his Katana from its Scabbard.

    A brief pulse of my Reiatsu gave him pause. The look on his face changed, growing contemplative.

    "This is not over."

    The young Wayne bit out and left, but not before throwing a frown my way.

    "Threatening a child? How droll, my wielder."

    Chase''voice spoke to me from my inner world.

    "Old enough to kill is old enough to threaten as well Chase. Besides, he needs to learn that potential and talent doesn''t equal victory. If he can''t gauge an opponent''s strength and react accordingly...well, the Wayne Bloodline will sadly end with Bruce."

    I answered.

    "Yes. Sadly. I''m sure you would be so heart broken by that."

    Chase said in a bored tone.

    I chuckled.

    "You know me so well."

    "You know, speaking to yourself is a worrying sight for a man with the power of a small army."

    Deathstroke pointed out.

    "Nope. You don''t get to talk."

    The bakudo 9: Horin''s energy tape extended to cover his mouth.

    Soon every cultist and bad guy was rounded up. I didn''t like the way some of them were staring at me with wonder. Especially Mother Mayhem.

    I didn''t want some cultist to build a shrine for me or something. The stares were weird enough that even the Titans picked up on it. So I excused myself and left.

    "So, now that you''re back, did you find anything?"

    I asked Chase.

    My Zanpakuto spirit sighed in frustration.

    "I have a few leads but none are too solid. I still think the answer lies with the Tattoo Shiva gave you. The other alternative is to go back into the Phantom Zone and then make your way back from there to our earth."

    Shit.

    "There is one other thing we can consider. The Justice League."

    I told him.

    Chase was understandably skeptical.

    "Are you sure? You don''t do well with authority. Especially a group that has Batman in its ranks."

    I would be the first to admit I was a dick at times. Especially when it came to someone telling me what to do.

    However, my hate for authority and Batman aside, this was the only viable choice.

    I flew for a short amount of time before making it back to the Titan''s base of operations.

    Nightwing and Starfire were missing. Blue Beetle was forthcoming and informed me they were left behind to handle the aftermath of the fight and talk to the cops.

    (General P.O.V)

    In the gleaming halls of the Watchtower, the Justice League assembled for a critical meeting.

    Starfire and Nightwing, both leaders of the Titans, were invited to join the discussion.

    The reason for their presence was the being called Davian, whose appearance and assistance during the clash with Brother Blood had raised concerns among the League members.

    As the heroes settled into their seats, Batman, ever vigilant and cautious, addressed the room.

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    "3 days ago, a silver haired man appeared unannounced on Titan Tower. The Titans brought him in and provided whatever care they could, even though such matters are supposed to be handled by trained professionals."

    The Dark Knight said, glaring at his protege.

    Nightwing laughed sheepishly, scratching his head.

    "Believe me, we had a good reason not to."

    "Davian, as he is called proved instrumental in the battle against Blood and his cult. He is not a bad man. At least, I believe he is not."

    Starfire chimed in, hands crossed over her impressive rack.

    "That remains to be determined."

    Wonder woman added her own thoughts.

    "Yeah. He could have helped you just to get close to the Team. Like Terra."

    The Flash''s statements, seemed to make the mood in the chamber tense.

    Nightwing tightened his fists.

    "It wasn''t her fault. Deathstroke saved her, trained her, indoctrinated her...used her."

    "The fact remains, that he is an Unknown."

    Superman amiably begun.

    "If there is a chance that he might not be who he says, avoiding that betrayal should be easy if we treat him with the caution his circumstances deserve."

    "Could you provide us with a detailed report on his abilities?"

    Manhunter requested.

    Nightwing nodded, his hand steady as he swiped his hand above his wrist computer, sending a document to the Watchtower''s console.

    "Davian is a formidable opponent."

    A real time feed of Davian floating above the rooftop of Titan Tower while meditating appeared.

    "He has displayed remarkable speed, possibly surpassing even Kid Flash''s highest record."

    "His strength is yet untested, but his swift dispatching of Brother Blood, who was then in possession of all the powers of the Titans, suggests it is substantial. He held him by the neck easily."

    Nightwing rattled off.

    "His durability is also noteworthy," Nightwing continued.

    "He effortlessly broke through a cavern wall during the battle and emerged unscathed. Though that might have been because of the green shield."

    Green Lantern raised an eyebrow.

    "Green shield?"

    Starfire hummed in confirmation.

    "He has shown the ability to form green spherical constructs to aid him in his battles."

    "Those are all impressive abilities. Concerning especially for someone who appeared out of nowhere. Are there any more powers or abilities we should be aware of?"

    Cyborg enquired.

    "Indeed," Nightwing confirmed.

    "We''ve talked about how he can create a shield construct in a vibrant green hue, offering him added protection."

    "On top of that, he has also displayed control over the wind, manipulating it expertly. Additionally, he possesses heightened sensory perception, allowing him to sense his surroundings keenly."

    Nightwing''s explanation was clear cut and direct.

    Flash whistled.

    "This guy sounds like a heavy-hitter. Do we know at all, where he came from? And is he a metahuman, alien or one of those ancient Sorcerer types maybe? What do you think Zatanna?"

    Most of the heads turned to stare at the resident magician.

    "You don''t need magic to give the impression that you can do magic Flash. Your run-ins with Abracadabra is proof enough."

    "But?"

    Batman asked, knowing Zatanna wasn''t saying everything.

    "I felt something...3 days ago. Not magic but something else. An energy that doesn''t come from this dimension."

    She explained, the implications easy enough for everyone to understand.

    "So he could very well be from another universe or dimension then? Like the Crime Syndicate."

    Shazam proposed.

    Starfire stepped forward, her ethereal beauty complemented by her serene yet authoritative demeanor.

    "We have not been able to determine his origin as of yet. It is possible that he hails from another dimension but he has remained elusive on that matter."

    She shared a brief look with Nightwing.

    "We suspect he''s looking for a way back."

    Wonder Woman nodded thoughtfully.

    "I''m curious about something. Did he give any indication of why he helped the Teen Titans?"

    Nightwing hesitated before answering.

    "It''s...strange. He seems to know Raven on a personal level. Though Raven swears she''s never seen him before."

    "Maybe not this Raven." Superman rubbed his jaw.

    "If we''re right about him hailing from a different universe, maybe he has a connection with a parallel version of Raven? Did he act like that with anyone else?"

    Nightwing shook his head.

    "Not really. But he wasn''t surprised at us. I mean BeastBoy alone can be something that can take some time getting used to but he paid him no attention."

    "What about Raven herself? How did she react to his presence?"

    Zatanna asked.

    "She''s joined him for a couple of meditation sessions and he''s been teaching her how to use her magic better."

    Nightwing answered.

    "On what she feels...Raven is not the most outspoken of us. She struggles to open up and usually keeps to herself."

    "So that''s why you decided to keep him in the tower. There''s a chance he knows of your secret identities and you need him somewhere you can watch him. Smart."

    Flash complimented.

    "Learned from the best."

    Nightwing said, eyes briefly landing on Batman.

    The conversation went through a brief lull.

    Batman leaned forward.

    "We need to talk to him."

    "So soon?"

    Wonder Woman asked skeptically.

    "We must proceed with caution, Batman. A being with such extraordinary powers and unknown intentions could be a significant threat. I propose we monitor him before approach."

    Martian Manhunter interjected.

    "I agree with J''onn. We all know you Bruce. You''ll turn the meeting into an interrogation the second he steps through that entrance. At least let him acclimate to this world before the rough welcome."

    Hal said.

    "Giving him enough time to plan his next move if he has more than innocent motives on our world."

    Cyborg shook his head.

    "I''m with Bats on this, a quick meeting will give us information to work with in case things go wrong "

    From there the meeting devolved into the League discussing on the matter. Some were for meeting (interrogating) Davian and the rest were against that. Opting for watching him from a distant.

    "Does it always end like this?"

    Starfire questioned her boyfriend.

    They had excused themselves as the League took a vote on the matter.

    Nightwing sighed at Starfire''s question.

    "Not really. This whole Davian thing has them worried. It''s not like the League to be worried."

    Starfire frowned, looking down at the ground, a lot of thoughts running around her mind.

    Nightwing seeing this winced, a caring expression appearing on his face.

    "That said, I''m sure we will pull through just like we always do."

    He told her softly, rubbing her back.

    Starfire looked up, smiling at her boyfriend. She leaned in and they kissed.

    Stepping back She smiled at him.

    "You know, Mr.Grayson</a> you''ve been an excellent boyfriend these past few days."

    "Oh? Really, please tell me more."

    Dick smirked at his girlfriend.

    The entrance to the League''s meeting hall suddenly retracted to the walls, Shazam stepping out. He took one look at them and smiled sneakily.

    "You guys were so about to make out!"

    He looked at their flushed faces, realized what he had said and quickly apologized.

    "Oh sorry. They''re ready for you."

    Once inside, Martian Manhunter grabbed the initiative to talk.

    "It has been decided that the sooner we meet our new friend the better. In addition, the League has resources that can be used to help him find a way back to his own world."

    Nightwing''s eyes briefly landed on the stoic Batman. He was wondering how he''d convinced the rest.

    Despite that, he accepted the task with a resolute nod.

    "I''ll do my best to bring him in. I agree that we need to ascertain if he can be an ally. After what I saw, I don''t think we want him as an enemy."

 A Thoughtful Gift.

    (General P.O.V)

    The sky at night above Titan tower was beautiful.

    Stars gleamed from afar, and the city lights gave the entire area a sort of lively feel.

    I closed my eyes and spread out Reikaku, encompassing a small portion of the city from the long distance away.

    Souls moved through the sidewalks, the road and the clubs built along the shoreline, with a view of the bay.

    Through Reikaku, a new sensation made itself known. Hearts pumping hot blood, joints creaking and brains firing off with numerous neural activity.

    "Your Tairyoku manipulation has gotten better."

    Chase observed.

    "Yes...it seems to have a natural synergy with Reikaku. Allowing me to not only sense souls but also flesh."

    I expounded.

    "I wonder..."

    The words left my lips softly as an idea dawned on me.

    I held both hands up and pulled.

    My right hand pulsed with purple light. Spirit energy roiling in a tumultous fashion before gathering in a small marble made up of Reiryoku.

    My gaze next fell to my left hand where something very similar was happening. Life energy, Tairyoku or Ki if you want to call it that gathered into another marble. The difference was that this one glowed a gentle yellow.

    And it was also slippery. Where Reiryoku felt like air given weight and mass yet still easy to move, Ki was like a liquid. A liquid with properties of a wet slippery soap.

    It wasn''t easy to control. Not because it was unwieldy but because it was too much so. One stray thought and it would start doing it''s own thing.

    The yellow marble kept breaking down no matter how many times I tried to shape it.

    "Dammit."

    I cursed as I lost focus and it broke down once more.

    "You do know life energy is meant to stay within the body right? It''s the power of the physical vessel."

    Chase interrupted.

    "Yeah."

    I replied, pulling on Tairyoku once more. I could feel the way it moved through my veins, flesh and bones. The way it seemed to make the ends of my hair stand up.

    "I saw how Savage used it. Aside from manipulating flesh and commanding the marine life, he didn''t push himself enough."

    Chase snorted at my response.

    "You didn''t give him time to."

    I looked up with a frown.

    "True."

    Shrugging, my mind went back to Tairyoku. I pulled the energy through my left hand, watching as the skin grew an obsidian black before similarly colored fur appeared above it.

    Pushing more Tairyoku in saw the limb grow even bigger in size and power.

    Using the same hand, I tried to channel Spirit energy. Sending Reiryoku to enhance the already enhanced limb.

    Beads of sweat begun rolling down my forehead. Both energies seemed to want to do their own thing. Reiryoku couldn''t find purchase where Tairyoku reigned.

    I stopped pulling on both energies after they made it clear they weren''t going to play nice.

    "Don''t feel too broken up. You''ve made phenomenal progress with the rest of your abilities."

    Chase comforted me.

    I sighed, rubbing my face and accepting the small victories.

    "Yeah... you''re right Chase. Maybe, I should just take it slow."

    I replied after much thought. Chase and I entered into a peaceful silence that was interrupted by a voice from behind.

    "Beautiful isn''t it?"

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Of course I''d felt them come up. Reikaku''s passive range still measured in hundreds of feet.

    "Raven."

    I nodded, looking at her over my shoulder. She had on her cloak but within it, a simple black t-shirt and shorts.

    "Can I join you?"

    She floated forward.

    I shrugged.

    "Free country. Plus it''s your Earth. You have more right to it than I can claim."

    She giggled, the sound bringing back memories.

    "Were you meditating?"

    She enquired.

    "Yes."

    I breathed in.

    "Meditation calms the mind by clearing all stray thoughts and leaving you centered. Or so my teacher/friend used to say. She was very skilled and knowledgeable on the subject."

    I told her, staring at her from the corner of my eyes.

    At the way my Raven seemed to flash around her. Her phantom glowing with white power. Boundless magical power that...

    I realized she was staring at me in wait.

    "Sorry, I didn''t catch that. Could you repeat what you said."

    I told her honestly.

    "Oh. I said, she sounds strong."

    Raven explained, looking out into the city.

    "I wish I had that. I wish I could invoke the same kind of respect I hear in your tone from my teammates."

    I blinked, then started laughing.

    "Oh trust me Rachel, you don''t need to be worried about that at all. My meditation teacher while powerful had also gotten that power through necessity."

    "I''m sure she would have given all that up just to belong like you have. Plus, real strength can only be gained when you have something or someone to fight for. Believe me, I''ve seen it."

    "What- what happened to her?"

    She tentatively asked.

    I sucked in a deep breath...then released it.

    "Hey, you wanna learn how to meditate the correct way?"

    I suggested, changing the subject.

    Raven looked at me with a blank stare.

    "Dude, are you seriously going to pretend you didn''t hear me? And why did you call me Rachel? I never told you my real name."

    I smirked at her.

    "Rachel Roth, daughter of the cosmic asshole entity known as Trigon. You hate your dad with a passion."

    I watched as the blank stare transitioned into something else. Surprise.

    "Your biggest fear is turning out like him. You want to get strong enough to face him the day he shatters the gem on your forehead and comes to this world."

    I stopped, watching as she closed and opened her mouth like a fish.

    "How-?"

    She begun.

    "How do you think? A man appears from a rift in space and seems to know everything about you. Either I''m a stalker or an interdimensional traveller, stuck in your universe with a close relationship or attachment to your parallel self."

    "You do know one of those scenarios is more believable than the other right?"

    She questioned blankly.

    "Which one?"

    I asked innocently, enjoying the easy banter that naturally formed between us.

    Raven snorted.

    "So what''s she like? This parallel version of me. Does she suck as much at conjuration magic? What about soul manifestation? I always get exhausted after doing it."

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "You already seem to believe that I''m telling the truth."

    She smiled.

    "Empath remember? Or does your Raven not have access to..."

    ''She''s-dead. Has been for a couple of months now.''

    My lips parted but the words couldn''t come out.

    Eventually I settled for removing my sheath and placing it over my lap. The red gem on the side of the scabbard was similar to the one on Raven''s forehead. And she noticed it too.

    She stared at the thing with a pale face. Her jaw tightened.

    "Is that what I think it is?"

    I nodded, plucking the gemstone off the sheath and holding it up.

    "But you don''t need to worry. ''He''s'' not imprisoned inside. The gem was a gift from my Raven. She gave it to me after we fought and defeated her Father. My Earth''s version of-"

    "Trigon."

    Raven muttered softly, looking away.

    "So she...beat him."

    Her tone was hopeful.

    "Yeah. It wasn''t easy. And there was a lot of sacrifice involved. But we managed to deal with him, for good."

    I answered.

    Raven''s fingers which had been tightened into fists and placed on her lap, eased.

    "That''s good to hear. That somewhere out there, is hope. That we can win."

    Something heavy landed softly on her lap.

    Raven looked down with question, with then turned to slowly growing wonder.

    "An introduction To Offensive, Defensive and Support spells for Dark Mages.

    She read out loud. Then stared at me quizzically.

    "Did you just pull it out of the gem?"

    "The one in your hands is Volume one."

    I told her, removing two more tomes, and holding them up for her to see.

    "The first tome covers basic darkness and shadow spells, the second is intermediate spells and the third is Master grade spells. Oh and yes, I pulled them out of the gem. Were you expecting a gift from you to be boring?"

    She snorted.

    "Where did you get them?"

    Raven asked with awe apparent in her voice. She couldn''t help but open the first page.

    "There''s this awesome place called the Tower of Fate, Raven st- borrowed them from there. I can''t learn the spells within. Counter them yes, but not learn them."

    Which had always been a bummer.

    Then again with my Fullbring, let alone Bankai...it would have been redundant.

    I saw how instantly engrossed she got. This Raven seemed starved for knowledge. She was younger, more sheltered and eager to learn.

    She looked at magic with childish wonder where My Raven had looked at it as her strongest weapon.

    "And they''re all yours."

    I dropped the bombshell.

    She paused in her reading, turning to regard me with surprise and gratitude.

    "Thanks!"

    She shouted in excitement.

    I raised an eyebrow at the outburst, causing her cheeks to flush with embarrassment.

    "I mean are you sure?" Raven questioned, hugging the tome closer to her chest.

    "Most magicians would kill for just one of the pages on these books, irrespective of the volume. And you''re just... handing them over to me?"

    "I told you, they''re useless to me. Besides, you need the arsenal. I can tell you that the next few years will not be pleasant."

    Nick''s memories contained a lot of information about this universe.

    And I could see where it was headed. Eventually the Justice League go up against Darkseid and lose. Badly.

    The universe ends with the Flash running back in time and bringing forth a new timeline.

    I stared at Raven''s elated face, realizing I couldn''t let that happen.

    My eyes went to the stars as I mulled over things and warred over decisions.

    "Thank you. I truly mean it. no one has ever given me such a thoughtful gift."

    Raven said softly, a gentle and easy smile on her face.

    "You''re welcome."

    I responded.

    Eventually, Raven retreated into the tower after making me promise that we would do some more meditation sessions together.

    Meanwhile, I stayed out there, in view of the stars and the nightlights with a lot of thoughts running around in my head. And by the morning, I had been meditating for more than 6 hours.

    With the first rays of the sun peeking in from the east, I stood upright from my cross legged pose, decision already made.

    "Chase, change in plans. We kill Darkseid and then leave this universe."

    I informed my Zanpakuto.

    Chase on his part only had one statement to say.

    "When do we start?"

 Plan B.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Just so you know, I didn''t interrupt you the first instance you came up with this idea because the moment was cool."

    Chase informed me, bringing me to a halt in the air above the bay.

    "Wow, and here I thought your belief in me was unshakeable."

    I replied blandly.

    "This is not a joke Davian. The fourth world...is not something you can think of taking on alone."

    He responded heatedly, his tone dripping with seriousness.

    "Relax Chase. I''m not taking on the entire Fourth World alone. I''m not dumb. I''m only going after Darkseid and Apokalips."

    I corrected him.

    Killing him would stop what was coming, guaranteeing Raven''s safety long after I''d left this universe.

    "Do you even hear yourself? There is no difference! Despite your current power, you will stand no chance against one of his generals..."

    "I beg to differ."

    I cut in stubbornly.

    "I know I can kick that prick G. Gordon Godfrey''s ass. He has a very punchable face. And Granny Goodness is just a sadistic old woman who should be put through the torture she''s inflicted on others. Desaad is likely the easiest to deal with. Him and Kalibak are either driven by greed or fear. Men like that have no will to stand up to me. To stand and face Death."

    The latter two were only a matter of releasing a couple of Respiras on their collective asses.

    Actually none of them could pose any meaningful danger but Chase was likely worried because of their ''nature'' as conceptual beings of the fourth dimension.

    "I see you''re putting more of your friend''s memories to use."

    He commented.

    "Yeah. They''ve been growing clearer. Which is why I know what you''re likely worried about."

    I got the sense that he was narrowing his eyes at me.

    "Really now? You do?"

    He responded snidely.

    "Cut that out."

    I growled a little in annoyance.

    "More sarcasm doesn''t suit you. You''re already too much of an ass."

    "Well excuse me for trying to be the voice of reason here."

    He threw back.

    I laughed.

    "And this coming from the Cheshire Cat."

    "I''m not the one whose reckless behavior almost cost us our existence. My Wielder,you are an irresponsible, reckless individual and I''m surprised that you''ve survived this far. I''m even more surprised that I''ve helped in your crazy stunts."

    He said in a tired tone.

    "Oh come on Chase. Live a little!"

    I yelled, dipping towards the bay and flying closer to the water.

    My finger skimmed the surface, touching the cold liquid.

    Yes, you heard that. Touching it. There was no green bubble shield to block me from doing it.

    For I had achieved true flight. No more flying around in a green bubble.

    It had been easy to discount my progress in Fullbring when compared to Reiryoku and Tairyoku.

    However, it just clicked as I''d been meditating and reviewing my fight with the Cult guy and his bunch of fanatics.

    Raven had been in danger and I''d just reacted, pulling on the soul of air and stopping Beast Boy from colliding with her.

    So it stood to reason I had the control to do more than just pull on something''s soul anymore.

    I could manipulate it.

    The water below me begun freezing around my hand. I left a trail of white sheets of ice above the surface of the ocean as I approached the city.

    "So what''s the plan?"

    Chase enquired.

    "Now we stack all the cards on our favor and afterwards, look for the one person who can get me to Apokalips."

    "What do you mean stack all the cards in our favor?"

    Chase asked the question I was waiting for.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    "Easy. See, you were right. I can''t approach Darkseid like any other opponent."

    My tone turned grim.

    "If he''s anything like Trigon, then I either need another White Raven or Bankai to actually permanently put him down.vNow</a> because I don''t have that, I''ll need to rely on a few temporary power ups."

    My flight trajectory was therefore headed towards Salem Massachusetts, where I knew the Tower of Fate likely was.

    It had been the same for my Earth. And the differences between the two were very minor.

    A few hours later, I was pulling on the soul of air above Salem to obscure my presence.

    I hadn''t had a plan on how to find the Tower, but a judicious use of Reikaku gave me an almost omnipresent awareness on everything in my zone.

    A few scans around the city and I''d eventually found a hot spot for magical energy.

    The winds carried me down, blowing past my clothes and ruffling my hair slightly as I lowered to the ground.

    The spell formation hiding the Tower seemed to open up to me.

    I passed a veil and appeared above ruins.

    "This makes no sense."

    I said in a little surprise, looking around at the wildly different environment from what I was expecting.

    The Tower was right where I''d initially thought but it was in ruins. Flying lower, I could detect the source of the magic I had sensed before even more clearly.

    The ruins sat on a Leyline node. Meaning, the material making up the tower while entrenched in the taste of deep magic, that magic had faded away a lot time ago. Absorbed into the air and the node itself.

    "Now what?"

    My Zanpakuto asked as I landed.

    I crouched closer to the ground, running a hand over the broken bricks that had made up Doctor Fate''s base of operation.

    ''Fuck. I don''t think I''ll find what I''m looking for here.''

    "Plan b."

    I finally answered, taking flight and leaving the scene as quietly as I had arrived.

    Next was Philadelphia.

    What was in Philly you might ask. Easy, Shazam. So hopefully The Wizard as well.

    I cut through the air at speeds that definitely violated a few State rules but I couldn''t care less.

    My initial plan had failed and it had left a slight frustration in me.

    Going up against Darkseid would have been easy with all the magical artefacts I could have accessed from the Tower.

    Not to mention, getting my hands on one of the most powerful mystic items in the universe.

    The Helmet of Nabu.

    Unlike others, I didn''t have the fear of having my body taken over. I had complete control of my flesh and soul essence.

    The strategy was juicing myself up on some crazy levels of mystical energies and then unleashing all of it on Apokalips.

    But this was only a minor setback.

    Plan B thankfully panned out.

    The second I got within distance of the city, I could feel the magic permeating the air. It buzzed erratically. Chaotically.

    The source being a figure standing on the rooftop of Sivana Industries, aptly named Sivana Towers.

    "Please don''t tell me I''m what''s got you so agitated."

    I said, smiling amiably at the Old man with a long beard and staff dressed in gray robes.

    The Wizard Shazam. No, not Billy Batson Shazam. This guy was the original Champion of the gods and his soul was unlike any other I''d seen. A battery of magic energy.

    "You''re not from here, Stranger. What do you seek in the Rock of Eternity?"

    The old man said, brandishing his staff my way.

    I flew down, hands raised up.

    "How did you know what I was after?"

    I asked, a little impressed.

    "Maybe divination?"

    I guessed, looking around.

    "And where is the Champion of the gods, surely if my presence brought you out, then you must think I pose a serious threat."

    "You misunderstand your situation. I am the Wizard Shazam. The first of my kind. I have given power to saviors and dictators, faced beings of godly power and won. I do not need the power of a child to deal with anything, Stranger."

    The Wizard replied with a no nonsense tone, smacking the bottom of his staff onto the ground.

    Power rippled out in a weaving pattern.

    "Ayo, what the fuck are you doing?"

    I asked, cautiously pulling on Fullbring to create a protective shield around my body.

    The concrete below us rippled and with the rooftop as the epicenter, everything changed.

    Space shifted.

    Rocks teeming with mystical power rose up on my sides to surround me. The sun disappeared, hidden away by the high ceiling that stretched hundreds of meters above us.

    A testament to his power, the Wizard had forcefully relocated us into his realm.

    "You brought me to the Rock of Eternity."

    I realized, noticing the familiar architecture from Nick''s memories.

    The Wizard stood at his full glory on a raised platform that overlooked the hall. Behind him, worn by time were seven thrones.

    And along the walls on both of our sides were statues. Seven ones to be exact.

    The Wizard narrowed his eyes at me.

    "Yes. To talk."

    "And if that fails?"

    I asked, stepping onto the floor of the chamber.

    "Then fate will weave it''s strings and what will come to pass shall come to pass."

    He replied cryptically.

    I dropped the shield around me and allowed my spirit sense to fully immerse me in the air inside the mystical realm.

    The Rock of Eternity, according to Nick''s memories, was created from a large rock formation from Heaven and another from Hell.

    I guess thats why I felt such a strong connection with the dimension. My Bankai manifested in the Hand of God and the Hand of the devil. Two opposing forces.

    The Rock was a focal point of all magic in Earth. Each breath filled me with mystical energy. Too bad I couldn''t really use magic directly.

    My eyes fell onto the seven statues around the chamber. These statues were the reason I''d come seeking the Rock of Eternity.

    I didn''t need to use magic directly, if I

    could cheat.

    "You-byou''re not a normal, are you?"

    The Wizard said, tilting his head.

    "Even now...magic seems to gravitate towards you but you possess no gift to use it."

    I unsheathed Chesha Neko and held the weapon up. Despite brandishing my weapon, the Wizard merely raised an eyebrow, unperturbed.

    "That''s what I intend to change, at least temporarily."

    He narrowed his eyes at me.

    "What do you mean?"

    Instead of answering, I activated Shikai, unravelling my Zanpakuto into hundreds of thousands of strings that begun waving around.

    I extended a thread forward, spearing through one of the statues.

    "I apologize Wizard. I do not mean to behave so brazenly in your lair but I would ask you to trust me."

    I said.

    The entire Realm shook as the threads sank through the enchantments woven on the Statue.

    "Stop! You do not know what you''re doing!"

    He demanded.

    "I don''t want to fight you."

    I told him as the first statue was fully wrapped in my strings.

    The Wizard raised his staff threateningly.

    I snapped a finger and more threads; which had been lying in wait, speared through the ground under his feet, ensnaring his body and covering him within a coccoon of purple strings.

    "You''re lucky he wasn''t expecting a sneak attack like that."

    Chase pointed out.

    "He wouldn''t have agreed to my request. It would have taken too much time to convince him. I''ll apologize later."

    I told him.

    "Then do what you need to do fast because while your strings are powerful, they can''t hold someone like him forever."

    Chase warned.

    I turned away from the incapacitated Wizard to stare at the Statues belonging to the Seven Deadly Sins. Otherwise known as the Enemy of Man.

    To go up against Darkseid, I needed power. So what would happen if I absorbed the seven deadly sins like I did before with Shrouds?

    Plus as representations of humanity''s moral vices, the Sins were like the bridge between the Spirit and the Flesh.

    I was eager to see what would happen if I took them into me by devouring their essence.

    Cracks begun appearing on the first Statue. With a resounding crack, the whole thing shattered into a dark red smoky energy.

    Numerous screams sounded out from the smoke, a mis happen face appearing briefly.

    The sin of anger tried to escape but my threads were faster. They wrapped around the Sin''s essence.

    And then I pulled it into me.

    My chains of mortality shattered.

 The Seven Deadly Sins part 1/2.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Power ups were nothing new to me. That said, absorbing one of the Seven Deadly Sins had a wildly different effect than what I was expecting.

    I could feel a well of power in the middle of my chest. Like a second heart pumping demonic energy as opposed to blood.

    It was intoxicating.

    It was addictive.

    Especially for my inner Hollow. I could sense that side of me much more clearly now. The later memories of my fight with Doomsday had been cloudy and unfocused.

    Now the fog in my mind was clearing and I could see a reflection of my face in Doomsday''s eyes as I dominated It.

    I witnessed as it saw me for what I truly was mere nanoseconds before it''s presence dimmed under the light of my blade.

    (... his darker side. Death in its purest.

    Reiryoku unrestrained by a physical vessel filled the air. Too potent for anyone to sense, yet the reserves surpassed even the

    ...)

    The memory felt so fresh and visceral. As if pulled from the recess of my mind by something.

    It was hard forgetting the potent RAGE at such a creature defying my core existence.

    At that moment I had wanted nothing more than to make Doomsday suffer. Despite that, I couldn''t help but feel pity for a broken soul. In this case, Whatever Doomsday had been was even worse, a shattered soul.

    With the confirmation given from Nick''s memories, I learned that Doomsday had never chosen this path. Yet his existence had been one filled with pain.

    Another casualty for the world to fuck.

    Still, this was only one more lesson that I needed to learn. In life, only death was fair.

    That reconfirmation of a base truth, allowed me to weed out what was actually influencing me and increasing my fury without my knowledge.

    "You believe yourself strong enough to influence me but I have crushed gods, Sin of Anger."

    I spoke, addressing the final vestiges of Anger within me left stirring in the wake of my devouring.

    My will surged out, submerging Anger''s own dastardly existence and entirely tearing it''s soul apart.

    Like a boat dancing in the violent waters of the ocean, the waves of my essence capsized his boat in its entirety.

    A cooling sensation fell upon my mind as my anger subsided, immediately falling back under my control.

    I blinked and the illusion disappeared, replaced by the sight of the wide cavern with stalactites adorning the high ceiling and 6 more seven deadly sins statues for me to absorb.

    Anger had tried to influence my rage. I smiled in amusement, so, they could fight back huh?

    The next statue belonged to a waif like being. It had elongated limbs, a droopy face and a pot-belly.

    I didn''t even need to absorb it to know it was Sloth. My strings extended with the striking speed of a cobra, ensnaring around the essence of the sin contained with the statue.

    I pulled it into me without giving it time to even put up a fight.

    Once Sloth disappeared into my soul, the dregs of demonic energy that had manifested within me after absorbing Anger, grew to a camp fire. Not much but still more impressive than a regular demon''s reserves.

    At least a mid ranking one. Similar to som of the ones Constantine had...

    I lightly knocked my mind with the bottom of my palm as Nick''s memories rose up to the forefront of my mind.

    Smoke wafted off my shadow as my inner Hollow''s fire was stoked by absorbing Sloth.

    "This is taking too long."

    I said, impatience welling up in me as I took to the air and extended all my strings out at the last five statues all at the same time.

    Of course I knew it was Sloth''s influence in me making me impatient but I couldn''t discount the idea that came from that lazy part of me.

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    Why waste any more time and energy absorbing one sin after the other when I could simply devour them all in one instance?

    "And what do Nick''s memories say about this crazy idea?"

    Chase asked.

    "The memories indicate my body will most likely break down. Why?"

    I ended the statement with a question.

    "Well, as the Seven Cardinal Sins are like lesser Anthropomorphic beings, whose existence is not tied to their physical vessel, they can''t die."

    Then I proceeded to answer it.

    "They can''t die right? So how come Anger did?"

    Chase wondered out loud.

    My strings pierced into the layers of stones that was the Cardinal sins hide.

    "Because, it wasn''t a true death. I tore Anger apart but sooner or later, the combined anger of all sentient creatures in the universe will eventually come together and reform into a new consciousness."

    "It''s why this is nothing more than a temporary boost in power. Sooner or later, the Sin''s abilities and powers will slip out of me as Reality reforms them in hell."

    The threads dug deep. The entire realm shook hard enough that I was worried the stalactites hanging on the ceiling would fall down.

    My worry subsided when large inscription arrays flashed on the walls, stabilizing the quaking and trembling before it caused a shift in the Rock of Eternity''s interior decor.

    My threads wove around all 5 of the Sin''s essence. Their souls.

    Then I pierced that final layer and pulled their power into me.

    My body begun glowing as a black hole appeared on my chest, pulling everything into it. The wind picked up, carrying stones and dust my way as I focused heavily on the Seven enemies of man.

    "Your eyes are doing the glowy thing."

    Chase pointed out, trying hard to seem impassive about everything.

    However, I could tell he was curious to see what would happen if I absorbed all seven of the Sins.

    Gluttony fell to my power fairly quickly. And with it''s demise came memories of a time long past.

    Absorbing Envy reinforced those memories. I could see a beautiful child, burdened with inglorious purpose.

    Absorbing Greed gave me a time for when the sins had arrived on Earth. 8000 bc.

    Devouring lust only seemed to give me a deeper understanding of my own body. The ability also felt like it would be an immense help at getting a date.

    "Good. You need to get laid. Maybe that will fix your...well everything."

    Chase didn''t miss the chance to tease me.

    Unfortunately for the trickster cat, I was on the last Sin and my mind was currently occupied by a fight for dominance against the strongest Sin of all.

    Pride could resist my threads to an extent. It''s core self was hard to crack. It''s will more than often surged up to clash with my own, seeking to use it''s brethrens'' powers that lay within me to bring me to heel.

    I snorted, releasing Spirit Pressure and making the entire chamber vibrate. I floated to the ground gently, looming over the last Statue belonging to Pride.

    "You will obey me, Pride. I leave you no choice. Let go of your innate arrogance and bow."

    I addressed the Sin with an evil smile.

    "Wow, telling the Anthropomorphic presentation of pride to let that same pride go. Conniving."

    Chase commented.

    "Conniving but also merciful. So what will you choose?"

    I questioned.

    Before the Statue could decide, I wielded Reiatsu like a hammer and crashed it into small stones and rocks.

    The phantom of a roar sounded out before disappearing through the halls of the Rock of Eternity.

    Devouring pride gave me everything else. Pride brought with it more concrete memories.

    The sins had been released from their initial prison by Pandora. She was the one who had inadvertently caused their creation.

    And now that I had all the powers of the Sins, I could do it.

    I could use Demonic energy as a bridge to fuse Tairyoku and Reiryoku.

    At least for the fight again Darkseid. It wouldn''t be anything like Bankai but because I couldn''t force a Hollow transformation like before, this was the viable path to victory.

    By using borrowed power...

    A traitorous part of me whispered. I ignored that voice. For Raven. For her safety.

    The black hole on my chest stopped pulling everything into it. I held my body closer to myself, feeling the build up of something huge within my chest.

    A certain heat that I had to release.

    With a roar, I unleashed it, causing an eruption of dark demonic flames to erupt out of me.

    The dark flames ride on the coattails of a shockwave that made the strings holding the Wizard captive tremble slightly, failing to stop the Wizard from uttering one single word.

    "Shazam!"

    A blue lightning bolt appeared out of the fucking ceiling and hit his staff. The strings around his body were shredded by divine energy.

    "No!"

    I yelled, pulling back my hand and creating millions of strings from the destroyed ones, before sending them towards the Wizard at fast speeds.

    The Wizard''s eyes widened at the oncoming onslaught. With deep glaring eyes locked onto my own, he slammed the bottom of his staff onto the floor.

    Another pressure burst, this time from him, threw back several threads. I twined the threads tighter and sent them into the ground.

    "I do not wish to fight."

    I declared, my voice an amalgamation of different voices.

    "So says the intruder."

    The wizard snorted.

    The magical arrays covering the walls flashed golden. With my strings inches way from him, about to tear through the floor and ensnare his feet, golden chains shot out of every crack in the walls, every hole in the rocks and every crevice in the chamber.

    Funnily enough, he didn''t use the chains to defend himself. Instead, he sent them towards me while leaving himself wide open.

    A second later I knew why. The gem on top of his staff glowed.

    My strings bounced off an invisible shield and I understood his play. Meanwhile this was as good a time as any to test out the Sins deadly abilities.

    I pulled on Sloth''s innate power, causing time to go into a slowed state in a small zone around my body. The chains stalled long enough that I slipped into a Shunpo, disappearing from his gaze.

    I appeared on the ceiling, the claws on my feet grabbing the Stalactites while I hid my body within my phantom dark wings.

    Wait...

    Clawed feet? Phantom wings.

    I did a scan of my biology with Tairyoku and came up with some interesting results.

    "You have horns too, incase you''re Wondering."

    Chase told me.

    "How do you feel? Any overwhelming urge to plunge the world in a state of chaos?"

    He continued on to ask.

    "I feel- I feel...Strong. powerful."

    I declared, opening up my wings to reveal millions of chittering locusts that fell down towards the Wizard in a massive cloud.

    Each of these insects were created by Gluttony''s abilities. Each of them had one purpose. Feed.

    I was turning into a demon...and I was loving it.

 The Seven Deadly Sins part 2/2.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The locust''s wings beat the air, producing a sound akin to heated metal thrown into an ice bath.

    The Wizard remained unfazed. He swung out the staff in his hands, causing white flames to shoot out towards the cloud of ravenous insects.

    I smiled.

    "Wrong move."

    The flames washed down the locusts'' tiny bodies, doing absolutely no damage before the gluttonous insects begun to feed on the magic contained within the spell.

    "Impossible!"

    The Wizard exclaimed, another slam of his staff causing a tall wall of Earth to rise off the ground in the path of the insects.

    "Impossible? What''s that?"

    I asked as the locusts didn''t bother to even go around or over the earth wall. They ate through it.

    "Cursed abomination! I am at the end of my patience."

    The Wizard yelled, lifting both hands to the sky.

    Golden magical circles manifested in the air. They were right under me as I hang from the Stalactites and right above the clouds of insects as they finished tearing through the earth wall.

    "Heavenly light!"

    Following the Wizard''s spell incantation, arrows of light begun falling out of each circle, raining upwards to destroy me while simultaneously targeting my gluttonous locusts, by raining down as well.

    The circles were shooting magic from both sides. Okay that was kinda cool.

    I looked up, or rather down at the oncoming shower of arrows made of light, then I opened my mouth.

    A vortex appeared before it, a suction force pulling the arrows into my mouth. The holy light glowed as it descended down my throat into Gluttony''s bottomless stomach.

    The light wreaked havoc on my insides, seeking to destroy me from my base, the cells. My organs squirmed, getting vaporized and healed over and over again but it was a slow process.

    So I pulled on Lust''s manipulation of the body''s chemical components.

    Using it, I released various growth hormones and enhanced cell division. Then boosted the process with Tairyoku.

    My body healed back up, becoming stronger in the process. My bones evaporated under the heat before reforming back even harder. My flesh became even tougher, my skin transitioned into something darker.

    Along with the manipulation of Tairyoku on top of that, my body changed, growing bigger and more menacing. I stretched out my wings, showing off my demonic form, with a hollow hole growing more and more prominent on my belly.

    A certain red light begun to glow on my chest. I wonder what would happen if I mixed demonic energy and Reiryoku.

    The cero that was a result of the stray thought, was created by Wrath''s flames of rage and my hollow side''s instinctive use of Reiryoku.

    A rumble sounded out as I opened my mouth and let out an inhuman roar. Two different energies clashed in the air before my lips, gathering into a small scarlet marble.

    Then I released it, the air blazed under me, the magic circles torn apart easily as the cero went on to leave a smoldering crater on the floor of the chamber.

    My feet landed on the edges of the crater as I landed, the huge wings at my back blowing away the dust hanging in the air.

    (General P.O.V)

    The Wizard had a hand infront of his eyes to shield himself the dust.

    The impact caused by his opponent''s landing died down.

    In all his thousands of existence, this wasn''t the first time he had had to fight a power crazed individual.

    The only problem was that this time...he didn''t think he could win not without destroying the realm.

    "Tell me something Wizard, why do you stand opposed to me?"

    The enemy, now more demon than man asked, rising to his new height.

    Davian held his hand up to the air. A second later, the locusts created by Gluttony''s power flew around him, fusing into his being through the dark arm.

    Priming his magic after finally deciding to get serious, the Wizard answered.

    "You have no idea what unholy powers you wield. Powers not meant for mortals. This is my final warning, stand down and relinquish the seven deadly sins or..."

    "You''ll kill me?"

    The man asked, now mere inches away from the Wizard.

    A sharp claw was pressed onto the side of the Wizard''s neck, causing blood to drip down and fall onto his pristine white beard.

    "There are worse things than dying."

    The Wizard replied, turning his gaze to stare at the intruder.

    Davian narrowed his glowing eyes at the Wizard. Then he lowered his clawed hand.

    "I apologize. My behavior has been horrendous." He chuckled without mirth.

    "I came here to ask for help but I can see I overstayed my welcome. I shall leave now."

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    He said abruptly, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away.

    The Wizard blinked in even more surprise. Usually the Sin''s essence would influence the individual whom they were possessing yet...this man seemed to be in control of them. It was unheard-of.

    Still...he had a duty.

    "I cannot allow you to leave with the Cardinal sins."

    The Wizard spoke up.

    Davian waved a hand at his back as he kept on walking forward.

    "I''ll bring them back. I just need to kill someone strong to protect a friend. If you''re worried about the Sins escaping, don''t. My powers allow me full control of their abilities."

    "You misunderstand, young man."

    The Wizard''s voice boomed.

    "This is not up for discussion. You might be reasonable to an extent but I have a responsibility."

    Magic begun to go haywire. A funnel of energy seemed to surround the Wizard, ruffling his clothes as he floated into the air.

    Davian looked back, his expression impassive.

    "You must have realized it by now. We can''t fight without your Realm sustaining damage. You would risk that just to stop me?"

    The Wizard held Davian''s gaze stubbornly.

    "The Rock of Eternity is the point Heaven meets hell, Creation meets destruction, the beginning meets the end. It is one of a kind. So no, I cannot allow it to be destroyed. But I am not without options. For example as the center of both heaven and hell, I can call upon certain helpers..."

    A magical beam shot into the ceiling, slamming into the rocks above and causing four individual cracks to run down the walls.

    The cracks glowed different colors as energy that felt like an unholy fusion of the divine and the demonic wafted out.

    Davian looked at the cracks curiously, each one set roughly where the cardinal directions would be. North, East, South and West. The cracks widened, growing bigger.

    "What is this?..."

    A sonorous voice escaped one of the cracks. The North one to be specific. Blood begun pouring out of it, spreading across the floor and causing misshapen and grotesque forms to rise from it.

    They cried out in inhuman voices. The hands of those dead in a battlefield clawing at the air while crawling towards a calm Davian.

    "This power brothers...it feels like Death."

    A second voice wheezed from within the East crack.

    Mosquitos carrying all manner of diseases buzzed out from within, filling the air with an even denser cloud of insects than before.

    They would not only destroy all plant life merely by existing but they would suck everything and anything of sustenance, causing untold famine and drought.

    "He''s more like me than death."

    Another deep voice spoke up from the Southern crack.

    "See the promise of conquest in his eyes."

    The neigh of countless marching horses, and the sound of trumpets signalling victory reached Davian''s ears from this particular crack.

    Davian looked around with interest, seeing the effects each crack was causing onto the chamber. Add the fact that he felt something familiar from the last crack; the one on the west, and everything made finally made sense.

    "I see."

    He said addressing the Wizard behind him.

    "You opened mini portals into the realms of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. But the portals are only partially open because you do not want to risk release them upon this reality."

    The Wizard didn''t answer. He was too busy chanting a long series of incantation. But David managed to catch the Wizard''s increased heart rate as confirmation.

    Additionally Davian didn''t bother stopping the Wizard''s chants. No, something more interesting had appeared.

    The Horsemen were powerful beings. That fact carried some interesting prospects.

    "An apt description. I can feel the Wizard''s meddlesome touch. This spell restricts much of our power from coming through."

    The North crack, the one belonging to War said.

    "War is right. I can only push through some of my crestions. They haven''t had the taste of life force in soooo long." Famine bemoaned from the East crack.

    "I can just feel the vibrant energy buzzing within you...let me have a small taste, yes?"

    He addressed Davian.

    The mosquitoes in the air, changed directions instantly, flying towards him on the ground.

    The soul reaper snorted, releasing his Reiatsu.

    The cloud of buzzing insects was forcefully smashed into a thick black paste that gathered above Davian''s hands in a ball.

    "Restricted or not, you have no idea who you''re in the presence of."

    The now Demonic looking Davian replied.

    "Incredible power. He''s no normal being."

    Conquest commented.

    "Forgive Famine. He''s always been a reckless fool."

    War said amiably, the Northern crack widening slightly, causing more blood to flow out.

    "Twas but a mere test, brother."

    Famine said.

    "Ignore the other two. I believe it is about time we introduced ourselves. I am Conquest of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. When the final bell tolls, we shall walk the world uncontested and Victory shall be claimed on the battlefield."

    His statement ended with a pulse of light from the south crack.

    "I am War. Glorious war. Release us for you are Kin and we shall help you destroy the Wizard. Then the world."

    War declared from the Northern crack.

    "Kukuku...I am Famine and I care not for war or conquest. I have been famished for millennia. My objective is much more basic. More natural. Feeding. I want to dedicate my existence to this lone endeavor, devouring everything."

    The East crack announced.

    "I don''t think that exactly helps with your case."

    Davian said, crossing his hands above his chest.

    He''d let them talk because he needed information.

    So he was right.

    The four horsemen huh?

    What an opportunity. If he could absorb them...the power he already had stacked on top of the abilities of the Four Horsemen would guarantee that Darkseid and anyone else standing in his way would fall.

    "I don''t think I need to scream ''trap'' for you to see through the Wizard''s machinations, right?"

    Chase said.

    "He wants me to try and absorb them. That''s what you mean."

    Davian responded.

    "Exactly. There must be something he knows will happen to you if you do. You need to be careful."

    Chase warned.

    Davian knew that Chase was right. However a part of him wanted to try it out regardless. All he has to do was extend his strings forth into the gaps and pull in their power.

    Now the question was, should he take the bait or...

    (Don''t.)

    A voice spoke directly into his soul.

    Davian made no reaction but inside he was surprised. That wasn''t Chase. And Chase was the only one who could communicate with his soul.

    (I can feel the threads of death binding us together. You are as much a facet of her as I am. Maybe even more.)

    Tentatively, Davian extended his Reiryoku out, his eyes falling onto the final crack. The west crack

    (You''re the fourth. Death.)

    (Call me the Headless One. You are more closer to her than I am.)

    Death answered.

    (My brother''s bicker but they fail to see the truth. I am sensing a lot of power from the Wizard, he''s been concentrating all his energy into the staff. I would caution you to be wary.)

    Death added.

    "Hate to break it to both of you but you''re too late. The Wizard guy seems to be ready to unleash his attack."

    Chase informed Davian.

    The soul reaper shifted his attention from the Horsemen to the Wizard. His hand wrapped around the handle of Chesha Neko. He was confident he could take on anything the Wizard could throw at him.

    But he truly didn''t want to kill him. The grip on the Zanpakuto loosened. Maybe this time going about things differently was the right call.

    Davian raised his hands in a gesture I''d surrender.

    "Okay okay, Old man. Time out. I''ll hear you out if you hear me out. No need to bring the whole place down over a misunderstanding."

    For the first time ever, Davian stood down.

    The Wizard who had been in the process of binding Davian by using the powers of the Horsemen stopped.

    Davian sat cross legged on the ground, placing Chesha Neko next to him. His body shrunk, the bulky and muscular physique from before disappearing.

    The phantom wings unravelled into a smoke that was absorbed back into his body. The Wizard found himself staring at a relatively young man with silver hair.

    "Can we just talk it out? We can still fight afterwards if you want."

    Davian''s hand plunged into the red Gem on the sheathe, coming out with a half empty bottle of liquor.

    "Join me for a drink Wizard, I doubt you get a lot of guests here."

    The silver haired man offered.

    The storm of magic around the Wizard died down as he descended into the ground.

    "Very well. I shall share a drink with you and lend a ear."

 An Earnest Talk

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I nodded in gratitude at the Wizard.

    "Thank you. It''s not always I meet someone with enough sensibilities to listen."

    "Don''t blame them too much. You have a very punchable face."

    The Wizard said, landing on the ground before me.

    "True. I haven''t seen it but he sounds very punchable."

    Famine added from his crack.

    "No one asked for your opinion. Plus, why the fuck are these guys still around huh?"

    I directed the question at the Wizard.

    "I am not a fool."

    He snorted.

    "This could very well be a trap to lure me in. They are here as insurance in case you try anything."

    He answered, getting seated on the ground to my opposite.

    "Fine but this talk is private. They don''t hear anything."

    I made a stipulation.

    "That is acceptable."

    He acquiesced.

    I pulled onto the soul of air, ensuring that whatever the Wizard and I talked about would remain between us. No sound could be transmitted beyond our close space.

    "Fascinating."

    He commented.

    "That was not a magic spell. You influenced the very essence of air. Magic can achieve the same but not easily."

    He looked at me strangely.

    "You are an interesting man, stranger."

    He nodded to himself.

    "Davian. My name is Davian Mabuz."

    I formally introduced myself, getting a bit fed up with the ''Stranger'' and the ''intruder'' he called me before.

    "Well met."

    He replied.

    "Then you may address me as the Wizard, Shazam."

    He inclined his head.

    "Sorry about the unannounced visit. Let''s try this again."

    I thrust out my hand in a gesture of goodwill. Maybe Chase was actually right? There was a time and place for battle and this wasn''t it.

    By all units of measurement, I was the one who had instigated conflict. It only made logic that I would be the one to end it.

    He stared at the rough and calloused palm before shaking it.

    I noticed the strength in his grip. The old man was carrying a lot of physical force under his wily form.

    With the introductions over, I retrieved two cups from the red gem, before proceeding to pour liquor in both.

    He received the cup with a nod.

    "I guess I should start from the beginning..."

    I sighed, knowing it was going to be a long tale.

    ******

    "Mmh."

    The Wizard hummed after I''d shared everything with him.

    "So you''re from a different dimension, where your friend died but you recently arrived on this Earth and found out that a parallel version of her was still alive."

    He started, pausing slightly to gauge my reaction.

    "Through some unknown means you know of a world ending threat that is coming for the mortal world, and so you decided to save her by acquiring the abilities of the Seven Deadly Sins for more power. All in a bid to attack and kill Darkseid before the Apokaliptians invade the Earth once more. Is that about right?"

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    He questioned blandly.

    I winced internally at his dry tone.

    "I told you I had noble goals."

    "Noble?"

    He enquired with a slight chuckle.

    That chuckle evolved into full blown laughter.

    "Noble he says! Hahahaha..."

    "I don''t exactly see why he''s laughing."

    I grumbled to My Zanpakuto.

    "Really? You don''t? Let alone the fact that you don''t know how you''re going to get there...did you forget you don''t have an actual Plan?!!"

    My Zanpakuto ended his statement with a yell.

    "I do have a plan!"

    I shot back before I could control myself. Unfortunately the statement came off more defensive than I had intended.

    ''Fuck, I can''t admit that I''ve been winging it. Maybe I should really think of a legit plan. Something that makes sense.''

    "I feel like I should have been more drunk for that."

    The Wizard said, looking at his empty cup and shaking his head.

    We had finished the whole bottle. Unfortunately, I found out I couldn''t get drunk anymore, which was a bummer. Tairyoku made it all but impossible.

    "So what exactly does your companion think about this idea?"

    The Wizard asked out of nowhere, his stormy gray eyes establishing contact with my own.

    I narrowed my gaze at him.

    "How''d you know, Old man?"

    "You mean the way you seem to go unfocused and stare at the open space at times? And the way your expressions seem to shift in response to something?... I suspect they don''t support this ''noble'' goal of yours."

    He said cheekily before leaning forward.

    "So I''m curious about what they think."

    He added.

    Looking into his silver eyes, I made a decision.

    "Chase you wanna say hi to our host?"

    Instead of answering, the Cheshire Cat popped up on my shoulder.

    "Sup."

    He said, staring at his claws and wiggling them.

    "Mmh. A Trickster."

    The Wizard hummed in interest.

    "I know of a cat like you. You''re both more than what you seem. Though Puck has always been a bit too conniving."

    "Wait, you know Puck?"

    Chase wondered, much more animated.

    "Who''s Puck?"

    I wondered.

    "A trickster fae from the land of the faeries, though he''s never really been seen in the centuries he decided to come to Earth. But that''s besides the point."

    The Wizard narrowed his gaze at Chase.

    "Tell me something Trickster Spirit, what do you think is likely to happen. Your companion goes on with his foolish plan, attacks Darkseid and then they suffer for millennia in a state of unheard-of pain, or he wins."

    "That''s easy."

    Chase drawled.

    "He''ll win."

    He concluded. His tone was confident though he didn''t seem to like his own answer.

    I couldn''t help the smile that graced my face. A smile I fearlessly threw towards the Wizard.

    "You should know something. Chase is rarely, if ever wrong. If he believes I can do it then..."

    "Hold on."

    Chase interjected from his perch on my shoulder.

    His body unravelled into a blue mist before appearing beside the Wizard and I in his human form, his chin placed above his steepled fingers.

    "Davian is powerful. That much is undeniable. Sometimes, that goes to his head and he forgets that while power is not new to him, he''ll need more to go up against similarly powerful individuals who are not afraid to think."

    Ouch.

    I was getting burned by my own Zanpakuto.

    "Hey, I let you handle the plan part of things because we''re a team."

    I responded, crossing my hands over my chest.

    "And we are, my Wielder."

    Chase sighed.

    "But you''ve seen it as well. You''re twice as effective when you go about things with a solid plan. You can half-ass all the fights you''ve been in, but not this one. Not if you don''t want the whole Fourth World to retaliate against you and yours."

    Raven''s face flashed before my eyes. Then Cheshire''s, Danny''s, Harley''s and even Shiva''s.

    "I have seen and heard enough. Now I understand."

    The Wizard spoke up suddenly.

    Our attention turned towards him.

    Lesser men would have wilted under the intense gaze he was throwing my direction. I never looked away.

    I must have imagined it but I did catch a glimpse of begrudging respect. With a sigh, the Wizard looked up to the high ceiling of the chamber.

    "It is a foolish yet honorable endeavor. It fills me with hope that humanity will still exist long after I..."

    His statement trailed off as he got lost on his thoughts.

    Chase and I shared a look.

    "Apologies. My mind was occupied with my greatest regret. A mistake I am yet to come to terms with even after all these years."

    The intensity in his gaze returned.

    "I shall allow you to hold onto the Seven Deadly Sins if you do something for me."

    He proposed.

    Chase and I looked at each other. Two growing smiles matched each other.

    "Alright, tell me what you want."

    "Eons ago, I trusted a murderer with the power of the gods. I made him powerful. Gave him strength to match his unyielding Will. I believed such a match up would be unstoppable."

    He looked up.

    "I was right. And also wrong. For his unyielding Will ensured no one could oppose his reign and power. I made him a champion of the gods as a guiding light for humanity. He perverted my good intentions as Man''s protector and coveted more power."

    His explanation stirred something in Nick''s memories.

    "You''re talking about him. Black Adam."

    I guessed.

    The Wizard returned his gaze back to me.

    "In those days he was simply known as Teth-Adam. A man who had lost everything to a tyrannical ruler."

    "He could have been the greatest monarch history has ever known. He could have elevated Kandaqh past it''s prime into a new age of prosperity. Alas, man is prone to hatred more often than Love. Love means giving away your pride, forgiving and to a man like him..."

    "That has never been in the cards."

    I finished.

    "He sounds a lot like you to be honest."

    Chase observed.

    "With one major difference."

    The Wizard interrupted.

    "Your companion has you, Trickster. Whenever his consciousness will get the better of him, you will be there to act as his voice of reason."

    The Wizard explained.

    Normally that would be enough to make Chase and I laugh at the notion of him being the voice of reason, but I could see the point he was trying to make. Power really did corrupt.

    My strength made me arrogant enough to break into a Grand Wizard''s realm. Power felt like a universal ''get out of jail free card.''

    And I''ve been abusing it to my benefit for so long. It was about time I started taking responsibility of the strength I had.

    I looked into his eyes.

    "Okay. What do you need me to do?"

    The Wizard run his hand over his long beard.

    "As much as killing him would have been the wise choice, he is not a completely evil man."

    "Recently I have been sensing fluctuations in his prison. Someone or something is trying to break him out. Your job is to prevent that. Do this for me and the powers of the Sins will remain within you, up until you do manage to kill Darkseid. I''ll even provide a way into Apokalips."

    Chase and I looked at each other.

    "Done."

    I replied with no hesitation.

 The Great Prophecy.

    (General P.O.V)

    ~Earth 16~

    Zatara could remember the meeting that had happened between him and the Morningstar a few weeks ago.

    He''d teleported right at the entrance of the Devil''s Nightclub, a charm to dull his presence over his form, ensuring the droves of people moving in and out of the establishment did not notice him.

    "Lux."

    The magician read the name emblazoned above the double doors guarded by two mean looking bouncers.

    He snorted.

    "How ironic."

    (It''s rude to keep people waiting...)

    A melodic voice drifted to his ears.

    Zatara stared at the entrance to Lux as if it was the entrance to hell, which it may as well have been...and sighed.

    No way about it. He''d come too far to go back.

    Walking in through the doors, the environment transitioned from a relatively quiet atmosphere to loud music booming and bodies moving to the beat, pushing upon each other.

    He ignored all that, tipping his hat lower to avoid being spotted by the cameras around the place before systematically working his way up the stairs to the loft.

    He managed to catch the eye of the Bartender, a pretty dark skinned woman. Then she barred her teeth at his direction and he quietly looked away, stomping on his unreasonable dislike (read: hate) for demons.

    The steps carried him to another set of ornate double doors. These ones were framed with gold on the edges.

    They swung open into a loft with more vanity. Opulence couldn''t exactly describe the room. Priceless paintings, expensive furniture and a fully stocked private bar with all manner of drinks.

    His magical senses alerted him to a void in space to his left.

    To his left, the chamber exited out into a balcony where the void he''d detected, turned out to be in the shape of a man, overlooking the fully loaded night club.

    There was a certain essence in the air around the man. Zatara gulped. He''d faced down beings that could unmake him to his cells, sorcerers whose magical power dwarfed his own.

    But nothing had ever prepared him for this.

    Before approaching him, Zatara studied his back. He was tall, dressed in a white and black suit, black hair nicely trimmed and was leaning on the railing with an air of nonchalance.

    "You can stare all night, I don''t mind. But what will your daughter think if you''re gone away for too long?"

    Lucifer asked, throwing a small smile over his shoulder at Zatara.

    The magician tightened his fingers into fists.

    "Zatanna is growing into an exceptional woman. She understands that my job is very volatile."

    He would not rise up to the bait.

    The look in Lucifer''s eyes changed. They narrowed.

    "Interesting. I was expecting a man whose hatred for demons would blind him, causing him to lash out. I am not usually very wrong."

    Lucifer turned to fully face him and Zatara had to do a double take. How could someone be so physically attractive? It was bordering on unnerving.

    Unearthly beauty. That was what the former angel possessed.

    "So what can I do for the Justice League''s resident Logomancer?"

    The Devil drawled, stepping into the room. He held up a hand before Zatara could speak.

    "Let me guess...you want to see your wife? Maybe bargain for her soul? We can work something out you know."

    Lucifer tempted with glowing red eyes, a conniving smile on his face.

    As much as Zatara wanted to accept that there and then, he refused, tearing his eyes away from the Devil''s gaze.

    Instead, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a vial with a white liquid inside.

    "Oh, the blood of an unicorn, given freely."

    Lucifer observed with a glint in his eyes.

    "Perfect for brewing or powering exceptionally useful enchantments. Something even I with all my advantages would have to exert a little too much influence to get."

    Zatara knew very well just how priceless the vial was.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    "I got it from John. He said that one day I would need to come and see you. A day he wished would never come."

    Zatara responded, studying Lucifer''s face to read his expression.

    "Mmh...Old Johnny John up to his usual back up plans underneath back up plans. Where is he I wonder?"

    Lucifer replied, walking around the private bar and grabbing two glasses.

    "You drink?"

    He offered.

    Zatara caught himself about to say no.

    "Yes...please."

    The night was still young and he was stressed and needed a break and...

    Zatara flexed his magic, glaring at the Devil.

    "Stop that. Stop influencing my judgement."

    He said curtly.

    Lucifer chuckled.

    "Apologies Mate, I''m the Devil. Making people fall is sort of my thing."

    He shrugged.

    "So...John sent you here. Pray do tell, where is he?"

    "He''s dead. But you already knew that."

    Zatara answered, annoyed at the mind games he was being forced to play.

    "Dead...I know dead."

    Lucifer muttered, taking a sip from his glass.

    "Are you sure ''he'' is?"

    Zatara blinked, placing both hands on the counter and leaning in, his pulse picking up slightly.

    "You''re saying he''s not!?"

    "I''m saying...he sent you here for a reason."

    Lucifer held out a hand.

    Zatara looked at the Unicorn blood in his palm. Magicians would literally kill for this. Even just as a collectors item, it was invaluable. With a lot of regret, he placed the vial in Lucifer''s hand.

    The Morningstar''s fingers wrapped around the vial and when he opened his palm once more, it was gone.

    "You want to know what you don''t know."

    Lucifer started.

    "You want to know who or rather what the League''s new Headache is. The kind of being that can survive seeing the end of time. One touched by the Endless. A child of one of the Extremes."

    Zatara nodded resolutely.

    "Let''s start with what I don''t know."

    Lucifer smiled.

    "Wise decision."

    Then he proceeded to speak and Zatara''s eyes widened. The shock was so great, he sat down on the stool provided, removed his hat and asked for a drink.

    "Is...is any of it true?"

    Zatara asked, hoping beyond all reason that it was not.

    For the first time ever, Lucifer looked at him with seriousness.

    "I never lie."

    ******

    Elsewhere

    (DCAMU)

    ~Earth ??~

    (Kahndaq)

    The wind blew past the barren wasteland, screaming as it slapped against the huge rock formation stretching from north to east.

    The sun glared down at the desert from straight overhead, sending rays of heat down at the two groups locked in battle.

    Though calling it a battle was an overstatement.

    "Bloody hell Luv, when you said things would get nasty, I didn''t think you meant it literally!"

    John Constantine, a man who had survived almost everything complained as he followed behind his captor and savior.

    He had to step over dead bodies belonging to Intergang members. All of them together hadn''t even stood a chance. His captor had mowed them all down.

    Their high tech laser canons had been sliced to pieces by a simple slash from her sword. Their armored vehicles had been crushed and swatted away as if they were flies.

    And still, he had a feeling she hadn''t shown every iota of her power. Well, what could you expect from the daughter of THE Evil god?

    "Quit whining. If I''d known you would be this much trouble, I would have gone for your parallel version."

    Grail, the Daughter of Darkseid said.

    "Sorry Luv." Constantine smirked.

    "I''m afraid you''re stuck with me. You wouldn''t go through the trouble of grabbing me out of hell and bringing me to another Universe just for shits and giggles. If you''d wanted a simple Spell-breaker, any efficient Magus would have sufficed, but you chose me. You need me."

    The question was why?

    His eyes, staring at the gray skinned beautiful woman infront of him narrowed. Why indeed had she chosen him?

    "Ugh. Do you have to be insufferable about it?"

    Grail asked, moving through the wreck of vehicles and bodies while approaching the entrance of the Cave.

    A bullet pinged off her cheek. She stopped, looking to her left, a maniacal smile spreading across her face.

    "Alright human, I gave you your chance and you failed to kill me. Come out and die with honor."

    She called out to the one who had shot her.

    A couple more bullets bounced off her chest.

    Grail''s eyes glowed red.

    "DIEEE!!"

    Twin Omega beams were launched out of them, curving around the air and the smoking wreckage before utterly destroying the rest of Intergang who had been hiding behind cover.

    It was fast. It was unexpected and Constantine knew there and then he couldn''t take her on. He needed to observe her some more.

    If it came down to it, he had ''Him'' to rely on. With ''His'' power he could maybe stand a chance.

    "Forget it Magician. I shall never align myself with a mortal being."

    Trigon spoke up from within Constantine''s soul after sensing his intentions.

    Constantine bit back a curse. He was alone in this, possibly up against someone who could crush him like an Ant. Nothing too surprising there.

    "You want to know why I rescued you? Brought you into another Universe?" Grail asked, sheathing her swords.

    "A prophecy, eons in the making."

    She added, her voice soft and grim.

    And so she begun. Her explanation almost mirroring what Lucifer had revealed to Zatara.

    "Prophecy?"

    Constantine snorted.

    "I''ve learned not to stake a lot of..."

    "You doubt me Magician."

    She said, looking over her shoulder at him, her red eyes glowing menacingly.

    "The prophecy exists. And it heralds the arrival of the Fifth world. You see, the Source is solely responsible for the Old and New Gods. The Old Gods peverted the gifts granted to them and so like weeds, were quickly uprooted. Their power plundered by those who came to be known as the New Gods."

    "But the New Gods were imperfect beings as well. And so, a prophecy was given to Allfather once he sought counsel on his eternal war with my Father. And the Source spoke of a Fifth world. One that will be rebuilt from the ashes of the Fourth."

    Constantine made no sound, too entranced by her words.

    "And a man with silver hair and a sword with an edge sharper than a divine weapon would be the catalyst. Darkseid will get his hands on the ANTI-LIFE equation and only this man, with unholy and holy powers, shall stand between the God of Evil and the destruction of countless worlds."

    Man with silver hair?

    Constantine knew exactly who that was. How ironic it was that even after coming back to life he couldn''t escape the Grim Reaper?

    "Wait."

    The magician called out.

    "What about the two of us. Where do we belong in all this?"

    Grail was silent, then she ran a hand over her hair, her back standing straight with regal authority.

    "Do you honestly believe I would let anyone else kill my father? Darkseid will fall at the hands of his daughter. I will stop the fall of the Fourth World and shatter that prophecy!"

    Her tone was full of conviction.

    The pieces all started to add up.

    That''s why they were in Kahndaq. The kingdom of Black Adam. Yet...the crypt where his body had been imprisoned was only recently discovered in this world, unlike his own where he''d been active for a decade already.

    "But for you to achieve all that, you need power and because the New Gods can kill and absorb the divine essence of the Old Gods...who better to act as a conduit for you other than...Teth Adam. The champion of the Egyptian Gods."

    Constantine concluded.

    "Well done Magician. I''m impressed, You were able to connect the dots easily."

    Grail smiled.

    "Now you understand why I especially came for you. ."

    She complimented, staring at the entry way into the cave.

    "You are going to help me gain power and in exchange, I will get rid of the prisoner jailed in your soul."

    She told him, walking into the cave.

    "Join me and let''s break a prophecy."

 Batmans Interlude.

    (General P.O.V)

    ~Earth 16~

    (Batcave)

    In the dimly lit expanse of the Batcave, the Dark Knight''s gloved hands quickly and with inhuman dexterity typed on the Batcomputer.

    Blueprints for what looked like a large satellite were highlighted on the screen. A simulation running on how the station would be constructed.

    The Lantern ring was off his finger, fixed on a port connecting to the Batcave''s computer system. He was using it''s superior functions to speed up the processing power of the Batcomputer.

    The Dark Knight himself stood before a sophisticated holographic interface, his focused gaze fixed on the intricate blueprints of the massive satellite which would be suspended in orbit around the moon.

    The purpose of this Satellite? A prison. One that would be virtually inescapable for anyone.

    The Green Lantern ring pulsed gently, its green glow illuminating the cave''s shadows.

    Were there any other Green Lanterns present, they would have been shocked at the way Batman accessed the ring remotely.

    "Ring," Batman''s voice was steady, cutting through the hum of machinery that was the only sound in the facility.

    "let''s review the security protocols for the Meta Prison. We can''t afford any breaches."

    The AI embedded within the ring responded with a calm and concise tone, "Affirmative, Batman. The prison''s outer shell consists of a specialized composite material, reinforced with a lattice of nth-metal alloy to withstand extreme forces. The surface is coated with a refractive layer to deflect energy-based attacks."

    Batman nodded at the explanation, his fingers tapping on the holographic interface to zoom in on a section of the blueprints.

    "And what about the energy field that''s supposed to neutralize the prisoners powers?"

    He enquired.

    "The Nullification Field is a combination of advanced Tachyon emitters and a localized variation of the Thanagarian chronal technology," the AI explained, adding,

    "It disrupts metahuman abilities by interfering with their bioelectric signatures, making their powers ineffective."

    "Hmm."

    Batman hummed, satisfied yet concerned.

    "We need redundancy. What''s the backup plan if the field fails?"

    The ring was ready with an answer.

    "The secondary containment system employs a gravimetric lattice network using said principles of Thanagarian Chronal tech. Should the Nullification Field falter, this lattice will activate, subjecting the inmates to localized gravitational distortions that will render them immobilized and disoriented."

    The ring explained.

    Nth metal was truly invaluable.

    Moving on to another section of the blueprints, Batman frowned as a thought occured to him.

    "I want to ensure no unauthorized access to the control center. How is that being addressed?"

    He asked.

    The ring pulsed gently.

    "The control center employs a quantum entanglement lock. It''s accessible only through a unique biometric signature that I have stored. Any attempt to tamper with the control center''s systems will trigger an immediate lockdown and summon a squad of Bat-Drones for response."

    The AI replied.

    "Good," Batman muttered, his eyes narrowing in scrutiny. That was hopefully enough to stop any clones, imposters or shape shifters.

    "What about communication? I want this facility isolated from external contact."

    "The prison will have a subspace communication relay."

    the AI explained.

    "It will operate on a frequency that''s outside conventional detection, and it will be shielded by a quantum-frequency interference barrier, ensuring that all communications remain within the prison''s network."

    Batman studied the blueprints for a moment longer before turning to face the ring directly.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "I need this to be perfect. Not sufficient. Not convenient. Perfect. The security of this prison is paramount. We''ll be dealing with some of the most dangerous metahuman villains, including...Him. And we can''t afford any mistakes."

    Davian''s face flashed through the Dark Knight''s mind. He knew that he hadn''t died. And he knew that Davian was coming for him.

    Sooner or later, he would arrive seeking retribution. This prison, built with technology from not just Earth but other worlds would be Batman''s final card.

    The AI within the Green Lantern ring responded with unwavering confidence.

    "I understand, Batman. I will oversee every aspect of the construction process, and ensure that the security measures are executed flawlessly."

    With a final nod, Batman left the holographic interface and approached the pedestal the ring was placed on. He pushed it onto his finger.

    His hand traced the insignia of a Lantern embedded onto the crest.

    For weeks, he had studied its potential, unlocking its secrets to revolutionize not just Gotham City, but the world. He hadn''t stopped on just building a high tech prison.

    No.

    "Ring designate the Meta Prison as the Vault. Then open up our other projects."

    Batman addressed the AI.

    It complied.

    Around him, an intricate web of holographic displays flickered, showcasing a multitude of innovative technologies he had developed with the ring''s help.

    A hologram to his right, projected a desert landscape, transformed by an advanced water purification system that could provide clean drinking water to even the most arid regions.

    Another display illustrated a sprawling array of solar panels, generating an abundance of renewable energy for remote communities.

    On a separate screen, it showcased a modular medical unit, powered by the willpower, capable of diagnosing illnesses and performing surgeries remotely in underserved areas.

    While most of these were on still on the testing phase, some were complete and only waiting for a good marketing and distribution plan.

    He also had to file for a lot of patents. Anything that Wayne Industries couldn''t do would be outsourced. But whatever they could, would be used to make people''s lives better.

    "Open up a new file."

    He ordered.

    The Ring worked to achieve his orders and after that, Batman got lost in the complex algorithms dedicated to research and fine-tuning his ideas into workable projects.

    "Disaster relief through flying medical drones that can drop vital supplies to disaster-stricken areas...well, you''ve certainly been busy Master Bruce."

    Alfred commented, standing off to the side with a tray of breakfast

    "Alfred."

    Bruce Wayne acknowledged.

    "Alas, he speaks."

    The older man said snidely, placing the tray on a table set aside from the work station.

    "I''ve been busy trying to save the world Alfred."

    Batman said curtly.

    "Forgive me, Master Wayne. I forgot that it was your job to solve all the world''s problems. Meanwhile young Dick came down here last night to talk to his father, only to receive a rather abrupt dismissal."

    The butler responded.

    Bruce winced.

    "I was...working."

    He sighed, running a hand over his face and removing his cowl.

    "Wait, last night?"

    The Dark Knight suddenly asked, a bit surprised at how fast time had slipped by.

    "People typically have breakfast in the morning Master Bruce. Atleast in other households."

    Alfred lightly admonished his adopted son.

    Bruce looked down. Then he let out a long breath, kneading his temples to alleviate the stress he was in. Now that he took a second to notice it, he was actually very tired.

    "I''ll talk to Dick after he''s back. I just need to finish up down here."

    Bruce promised.

    Alfred watched the boy he had seen grow up into a man and similarly sighed.

    "Alright then. But I will add a stipulation, 2 hours then you rest. 2 hours and I''m cutting off the entire mansion''s and the Batcave''s power grid. 2 hours Master Bruce."

    Then Alfred left.

    5 minutes into his work and Batman noticed he wasn''t alone. Thinking fast, he drew a batarrang and threw it on top of the staircase looking down at the Batcave.

    The Batarrang was caught by a red clad hand.

    "Hello Bruce."

    The Flash greeted, his voice scratchy with either disuse or overuse.

    And his general condition wasn''t the best too. His nose was caked with fresh blood, he was missing a hand from the bicep down to the fingers and his costume was littered with scorch marks.

    The look in his eyes...

    He seemed lifeless. Unlike his Flash.

    "You''re not our Barry. Where are you from? An alternate timeline? A parallel universe? The future?"

    Batman asked.

    The flash used the railing for support with his free hand, as he descended down the stairs, coming to a stop below the steps.

    "Right on the third one."

    He snapped his fingers and pointed at Batman.

    "You never lose your edge. Even when you''re half dead on your feet. Too bad we still lose. Badly."

    Batman narrowed his eyes.

    "What do you mean?"

    The Flash instead of answering, looked around the Batcave.

    "So have you done it yet?"

    He asked out of the blue.

    "Done what?"

    Batman responded with another question, his patience withering.

    "Turned the Batcave into a super mecha. You do that in the future and it''s a really cool moment. Too bad that it still doesn''t help. Nothing does."

    His tone turned grim, his eyes unfocused as he was pulled into his thoughts.

    "He comes like a storm, blowing past every and anything. How can anyone come back from the end of time? He''s never been a speedster so how..."

    The Flash stated at Batman straight in the eyes.

    "Do you know?"

    (Ring, scan for any anomalies in the cave.)

    Batman spoke to the ring through the mental link he had established.

    (Affirmative. Temporal fluctuations detected, 3 meters to your left.)

    The ring answered.

    3 meters to his left was where the Flash was standing.

    "You''ve become really savvy with that thing. Better than Hal and even John."

    The Flash commented.

    Then he groaned in pain, falling to his knees as his body lost energy. Batman hurried to his side.

    "Flash! Stay with me! Who did this?!"

    The Flash chuckled, wheezing.

    "You already know. He- he...took my hand Bruce and even now, it''s still disappearing, being de- devoured by time."

    Batman looked at the dismembered limb and spotted a miasma of black, slowly but steadily disintegrating the flesh, bone and cloth on what was left of Barry''s arm.

    "I can''t vibrate fast enough to hold off the effects anymore. I used up most of speed coming back."

    The Flash told him.

    "Ring scan..."

    Batman begun, only for the Flash to stop him by holding his hand.

    "We all die Bruce. In a few months time, he will be back and we''ll pay for our sins. He''s- the Reaper is coming for us. But more importantly, he''s coming for you Bruce. For your soul!"

    The Flash warned, his eyes crazed.

    His body stopped vibrating. Stopped staving off the effects of Respira...the Flash disappeared into flakes of black energy that drifted through the air, leaving the Dark Knight shell-shocked in one place, staring at the spot one of his friends had occupied a few seconds prior.

 Ill Handle Everything.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    One thing I hadn''t expected when entering the Wizard''s lair, was just how beneficial it could be for me.

    Meditation while inside the Rock of Eternity came much simpler. It required no judicious effort on my side.

    The Rock itself was an amalgamation of different self sustaining environments.

    The numerous tunnels and halls winding around the rocky premises, led to verdant green ranges that opened up into humongous mountains capped in white.

    There was also a lake full of lava, a pit with a darkness that no light could penetrate and my personal favorite...a garden that wasn''t unlike Rama''s with one notable exception.

    Rama''s garden was distinctly Asian, maybe reflecting on the culture that worshipped her. The Rock''s garden in comparison was just a place of tranquility and serenity.

    It had been two days since my talk with the Wizard. Two days which were spent getting used to the Cardinal Sin''s abilities.

    Apart from the general abilities that a basic champion of a higher power could access (though calling the Sins higher power was laughable) there were abilities like sin induction I hadn''t even tested yet.

    I had asked if I could try the abilities on the worst of the inmates contained within the Rock (turns out, it doubled as a prison as well) but the Wizard had refused entirely.

    Left with no other choice, I did what I could, loads of meditation, visualization and Image training. And every second spent on the Garden, I could feel myself inch further up the ladder to true power.

    I hadn''t managed to mix the energies like I''d planned but that was okay. I didn''t have to figure everything out.

    Right now however, I wasn''t working on Tairyoku or the demonic energy of the sins, no, I was working on what I should have during this training month in the first place.

    My control over Reiryoku.

    And while meditation served an important function, it wasn''t that fast in helping me regain the full control I once had.

    Battle on the other hand was exactly what I needed. If my soul could adapt to stress like Nick had disclosed, then pushing myself would yield better results than sitting around.

    Again, there was an issue with this plan. And it was that there wasn''t anyone to spar against.

    I would have taken on Deadman, Shiva and hell even Doomsday once more, just to improve a smidgen. That smidgen could mean the difference between life and death.

    I wasn''t dumb. I knew the monumental task I was about to embark on.

    That''s when I''d realized I wasn''t completely unlucky. There was one more sparring partner I could use. Someone who knew my powers better than even I did.

    Chase.

    Which is why, while my physical body was in a deep meditative state in the Garden, my Zanpakuto Spirit and I were crashing steel in my inner world.

    Chesha Neko swung out at blinding speeds, headed for Chase''s neck. He shifted from his humanoid form into his gigantic state, my sword bouncing off his metallic like fur.

    The impact sent a ringing through my hands.

    I pivoted with the motion, my fingers tracing a path of green light as I pulled on the soul of the Dimension with Fullbring.

    The desert we were fighting on rumbled as the sand rose up in a wave, weeding around his legs and pinning him down to the ground.

    There was no way he could escape this.

    I thrust out a hand, the palm rippling with power.

    "Hado 16: Hakai no ��nami. (Great wave of destruction)."

    An air vortex appeared before my hands, consisting of billions of cutting winds, smaller than a thin strand of hair. It was an ability inspired by Byakuya Kuchiki''s Bankai, senbonzakura kageyoshi.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    My variation didn''t have any beautiful roses however, just pure destructive force.

    The Hado hit, causing a cloud of sand to rise up to the air.

    Following the aftermath, Chase appeared at the eye of the storm. His fur rippled with spirit energy as it had not only managed to protect him, he didn''t look injured in any way.

    "You''re going to have to try better than that."

    My Zanpakuto spirit told me with a smile on it''s intimidating face.

    I matched his energy with a smile of my own.

    "I knew you were going to say something like that. Shikai..."

    We continued tearing up the desert before I was interrupted by the summons from the Wizard.

    I''d been in the middle of punting Chase away when the mental transmission had bombarded my psyche out of nowhere.

    (I require you in the main library. It is time.)

    ******

    The hallways kept shifting around during the night.

    That was the only thing that made sense because I remember the way to the Library being west from the garden.

    Now it was north.

    I used my Reikaku to trace The Wizard''s soul and then headed towards him. When I arrived at his location, it was a large chamber with tomes, scrolls and parchment.

    "For a Library, you''re missing an awful lot of books."

    I commented.

    The Wizard huffed.

    "You''ve said that before. And I believe I told you, this library contains original works and spells from before books were invented."

    "Still, actual books would be nice."

    I shrugged.

    "You''re enjoying this. Annoying him, I mean."

    Chase pointed out from my Inner World.

    The Wizard sighed.

    "This is why I avoid human interaction."

    I chuckled, walking around the desk table, passing by rows of shelves containing yellowed scrolls and parchment to get to where The Wizard was standing.

    "What is this?"

    I asked in interest, managing to get a full view of what he loomed before. It was a huge basin of water.

    A basin constructed out of rock with numerous inscriptions and symbols carved on it''s sides.

    There water within the basin was clear. The Wizard''s hand hovered over it as he closed his eyes and muttered something too low for me to hear.

    The water in the basin suddenly rippled. And then it changed. A scene clearer than any 4k video appeared on it''s surface.

    It was the view of the Earth from outer space.

    "This is called the well of Fagran, a magician who lived in the 16th century. He was a rather...unscrupulous individual who used his magical abilities to create spells and practices that aided him in his perverted antics."

    The Wizard answered as the scene zoomed in on a certain location in Africa.

    I whistled.

    "Dude was out here creating things to spy on aristocratic women."

    "I did eventually catch him. I believe you passed by his cell a few halls ago?"

    The Wizard said with a smile that reminded me how seriously dangerous he was.

    The image zoomed past the clouds. The wide view presented from the sky showed huge Sand dunes and a desert landscape within the region of Sinai Peninsula.

    A stretch of sparsely populated land which bordered the Mediterranean and the red sea.

    Then finally our eyes landed on a large range of rocks that was a few hundreds of miles from the neighbouring settlement which was the capital city of Kandaqh, Shiruta.

    The Rock range wasn''t as abandoned as one might have expected from basically the middle of nowhere.

    Infact there seemed to be a lot of activity happening down there.

    "Is that smoke?"

    I questioned, spotting overturned vehicles, some of which were burning, causing a smog to rise up into the air.

    More indication that something big had happened was the splotches of red that I could identity as blood on the rocky terrain. That along with craters and trenches that looked like a recent addition to the region.

    There was also other pieces of destroyed machinery and equipment lying around and although the view was clear, it wasn''t as close to the ground as it should have been.

    "Why don''t you pull in closer?"

    I asked the Wizard. Surely with his power...

    "Then they will know someone is watching."

    He replied, zooming in on the image and enabling me to spot the two figures walking towards the entrance of the crypt.

    "Isn''t that..."

    Chased begun but I was already letting out a litany of curses.

    "How can he be alive!?"

    I demanded from no one.

    "I take it you know one or both of them?"

    The Wizard said.

    "Yeah. I know both. Though for different reasons."

    I replied.

    He furrowed his brows, confused.

    I was too. Constantine was on this Earth. It could simply be a version of him but something told me I wasn''t that lucky. He was the Constantine I knew.

    And the other figure, a grey skinned woman wearing a black cloak and walking with purpose towards the Crypt, sent alarm bells ringing through Nick''s memories.

    I was looking at Grail, Darkseid''s daughter. Was this a trick by fate? After deciding I was going to murder Darkseid, destiny brings me across the path of his daughter.

    It was...almost poetic in a way.

    And she was powerful.

    Seriously, the kind of things Nick''s memories told me she could do was simply too OP.

    She had Darkseid''s omega effect and strength along with being trained by the fucking Amazons.

    "They are the ones seeking to Awaken Teth Adam from his sleep. You will have to disapprove them of that notion."

    The Wizard spoke up.

    "Do this and I shall keep my part, giving you a way into Apokalips of the Fourth World."

    The risk had just gone up a level. Constantine while skilled and tricky could be easily handled.

    Grail on the other hand...

    "Atleast now you''ll get the challenge you''ve been looking for."

    Chase commented.

    It was true. And my soul vibrated with the thought of crashing against the child of a New God. Not just any New God but The New God.

    I looked up, my eyes coming into contact with The Wizard''s own expectant gaze.

    "Do it. Get me there and I''ll handle everything."

 And So It Begins.

    (General P.O.V)

    A massive impact shook the entire rock formation.

    Within the crypt, the rest of Intergang, composed of Manheim, Whisper and 5 more men perked up warily. Manheim looked back the way they came, grabbing his radio.

    "Squad 2 come in."

    He called out.

    What answered him was only static.

    He switched to the next channel. The squad guarding the perimeter.

    "Squad 3 report."

    More static. Static that was followed by another earthshaking impact. The radio turned on briefly.

    "Stay bac- HEl-Ack!"

    There was the sound of the laser cannon humming before the channel went completely dead.

    "Something is going on up there."

    Whisper O''daire, the beautiful red head by Manheim''s side said.

    The stocky, muscular man with a hard squarish face hummed in agreement.

    Manheim stared at the open space before them. At the carvings and hieroglyphs on the wall, all leading down to the center of the chamber where a massive stone pillar shaped like a prism stood.

    This was the mother load. He couldn''t have complications. The client expected success. He would deliver.

    "Do it. Take 3 men with you and..."

    Thats when the ceiling above them collapsed.

    "Get back!"

    Manheim yelled out a warning while he himself slammed onto Whisper, throwing the both of them out from under a massive piece of rock.

    Manheim rolled to his feet, his hands tightly gripped on the laser cannon he had with him.

    "What was that?"

    Whisper groaned as her and the rest of Intergang got to their feet. The ones left alive at least.

    2 bodies had been squashed under a boulder. The fact that Squad 2 and 3 were not responding meant that whatever this threat was, they''d taken them out as well.

    "Who?!"

    Manheim demanded angrily. Losing the men wasn''t the sore point. It was the powerful weapons in their possession he was worried about.

    Acquiring those weapons hadn''t exactly been easy.

    The leader of Intergang ground his teeth at the setback.

    "Whoever you are, I will make you pay for this."

    He promised, turning the cannon upwards, readying to shoot.

    A seductive chuckle rang out.

    "Oh will you now?"

    Two very fast scarlet beams shot out, zig zagging around the chamber and tagging everyone within.

    Manheim could only stand rooted in place as the Omega beams destroyed his men.

    Whisper reached out her hand towards him, eyes wide as the energy consumed her from within. She let out a panicked scream that sent shivers down Manheim''s spine.

    All that remained were their ashes, drifting in the air. Manheim''s heart skipped a beat as his body instantly went cold.

    He gulped, looking up at the source of the beams.

    With glowing red eyes and a mocking smile on her face, Grail descended to the ground.

    "Oh don''t look so glum human. Your death shall be swift and painful. Thank me for the mercy."

    The walls of the cave were filled with the flash of scarlet light. Manheim managed a brief shout of agony before him and the laser cannon disappeared under the deadly Omega beams.

    Light from above hit the floor of the chamber. It''s source being the hole Grail had burst through.

    Constantine looked down at the dust filled chamber. Grail''s strength was almost as much as Big blue. She would be nigh impossible to beat if she managed to get her hands on the powers of the Old Gods.

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    ''Come on you monumental arsehole. I need your assurance when the fight breaks out.''

    Constantine patted the side of his chest.

    The left side of his face changed, the skin shifting to red with Trigon''s features.

    "Never!"

    Constantine''s face returned to normal with a scowl. Fuck. Trigon was still refusing to cooperate.

    "Well magician, will you keep me waiting the entire day? I have a father to overthrow!"

    Grail''s voice reached his ears from inside the chamber.

    Constantine bit back a litany of curse words and cast a levitation spell on himself.

    Then he descended into the chamber, his coat flaring in the air.

    Once on the floor, Constantine looked around.

    "An awful lot of dust here."

    He observed.

    "Ashes from slain ants."

    Grail answered off handedly, eyes roaming around the chamber and the massive stone prism at the center. This was it. The deepest level.

    The Champion of the Old Gods had to be here, inside the prism. And with him came the connection to an entire Pantheon.

    "How did these guys even get here? The magical traps in the crypt were so annoying you had to punch through multiple floors."

    The exorcist wondered out loud.

    Grail bent down to the ground, grabbing something left behind after Manheim''s death.

    "Of course."

    She said, holding up the Mother box. The device pinged, sensing her blood and heritage.

    "Agents of Apokalips."

    She said.

    "To a degree."

    Constantine added.

    "These guys looked more like mercenaries than agents."

    "Desaad must have anticipated my actions and now seeks to deny me of my path to strength."

    She frowned.

    "Meddlesome fool. I will string him up by his organs before the glorious fire pits of Apokalips."

    Constantine blinked.

    "That seems... excessive but you do you, Luv."

    "You need not concern yourself with my plans Magician. You do your part and I''ll do mine. Break the seals."

    Grail replied.

    Right. He hadn''t forgotten why she''d brought him here in the first place. He turned to study the symbols on the walls and the prism at the center.

    With the light shining from the hole on the ceiling, he could see how it seemed to highlight a few almost invisible lines of text binding each symbol to each other into a massive network.

    Constantine whistled.

    "Whoever put him here knows what they were doing. This magic formation will not be easy to unravel."

    "Can you still do it? I have no need for you otherwise."

    Grail mercilessly told him, her eyes lighting up with the promise of death.

    ''You can''t keep Killing everyone you psychopath.'' Constantine thought to himself.

    "Of course I can do it. Might take time though."

    "Time that you won''t get."

    A new voice said from above.

    Constantine stiffened.

    "Oh blood hell."

    He said, turning his head up to establish eye contact with the last person he ever wanted to see.

    "I was wondering when you''d show up Mate. But did you have to follow me all the way to another universe?"

    The Brit questioned, grinding his teeth together.

    This was bad. He''d thought stopping Grail from unleashing Teth-Adam and stealing his power was a problem. Now he had to deal with Davian Fucking Mabuz.

    "Another meddlesome fool. Man''s world is truly a place of idiots."

    Grail muttered, her Omega Beams lighting up before blazing a trail through the air.

    Constantine was about to stop her when he realized this was perfect. He should let them fight it out. Meanwhile, he could release Teth-Adam from his prison, turning the fight into a three way between juggernauts.

    Davian turned his attention from Constantine to the Omega Beams cutting impossible corners while headed towards him.

    The beams slammed onto the Fullbring shield he constructed and bounced off.

    "Impossible!"

    Grail said, shock apparent on her face.

    "Nothing can block or dodge my Omega Beams."

    "Well, I just did."

    Davian responded imperiously.

    "Hado 7: Akai Inazuma."

    The soft incantation was followed by the air within the chamber humming.

    "Do something or we''re both dead!"

    Constantine yelled at Darkseid''s daughter, looking up at the red streaks of lightning about to drown them under a storm of Reiryoku.

    "Handle your part Magician, I will deal with this pest!"

    Grail declared, taking flight and plowing through Akai Inazuma''s lightning and onto Davian.

    She slammed into his midsection and the two of them burst out through the roof of the ceiling, then a few more floors before they were outside, flying through the air.

    Davian looked down at her. They were both suspended in midair, pushing past the lower atmosphere while headed to Outer Space.

    "It''s useless you know."

    The Soul Reaper said, slamming an elbow onto Grail''s back.

    The impact made her release him.

    The New God coughed out, breath leaving her lungs. Davian grabbed her hair, using it to spin her before he let go.

    Then he appeared on her body''s path and backhanded her. Slipping into another Shunpo, he appeared before her once more and slammed a knee on her belly.

    He did this a few more times.

    Grail''s eyes widened even further in pain. She was actually in pain! Someone was capable of hurting her. Who was this man? And how could a mere human be this powerful?

    Finally she was grabbed by the neck. The Soul Reaper pulled her face closer to him. Grail found herself lost in his purple eyes.

    "Now that I''m here, your small conquest is over, New God."

    Davian declared.

    With bloodied teeth, Grail begun to laugh. Her eyes lit up with the glow from the Omega Effect. This close and even Davian would need to be cautious against their effect. Yet, he displayed no fear.

    A shiver went up Grail''s spine.

    "Finally a worthy challenge!"

    Darkseid''s daughter laughed maniacally.

    "Before that fool succeeds I shall enjoy breaking you."

    She promised, unsheathing her swords and swinging out.

    Davian let go of her in a nanosecond, pulling Chesha Neko put of it''s scabbard half way and using it''s flat side to receive the slash.

    The impact produced sent a pressure wave rippling out.

    "You could have used that chance to back away yet didn''t. Why?"

    Davian asked Grail, a little curious.

    "Why would I? I always move forward! I never turn back. That''s a coward''s way!"

    She punctuated the statement with a left hook that would have devastated anything else but which was received by Davian on his palm.

    The Soul Reaper shook his head, a small smile on his face.

    "I swear, you''re worse than me. Reckless but powerful. Let''s see what you can really do!"

    Before Grail''s eyes, his previously crazy speed went up a few levels. She never saw where the blows were coming from.

    *******

    Down at the Crypt, Constantine looked up and all he could see were flashes of red and streaks of purple.

    He turned his attention to the Magical seal and concluded his preparations.

    He couldn''t go slow like he''d initially planned. If either of them were to win, it would either spell doom for Constantine or the world.

    He bit his thumbs, producing blood. Then he slammed the digit onto the floor. With his blood as the conduit, the exorcist could connect to the Formation.

    He couldn''t break the formation from the outside; that would take too much time, but he could give some assistance to the prisoner and let them do so themselves.

    With a loud sound, a crack appeared on the prism in the middle of the chamber. Constantine stepped back.

    "And so it begins."

 I Am OP.

    (General P.O.V)

    ''How is this possible?''

    She thought to herself, unable to stop her descent.

    The air screamed under a falling object that slammed through the side of a cliff.

    The object, which turned out to be a female figure, clipped off pieces from the rock formation before carving a groove through the ground.

    Another fast moving object followed right behind, landing on the ground with a massive impact.

    ''He is relentless.''

    Grail grit her teeth, leaning forward and storming forth. Her sword shone under the light of the sun, cutting through the air while headed for her opponent''s neck.

    "Hado 1: Sho."

    Came the soft mutter from her opponent.

    Her eyes narrowed as her instincts told her to dodge. Grail strafed to the left, successfully escaping the shockwave that burst out of Davian''s flat palm.

    "You will have to try..."

    Her words were cut short as Davian slammed his foot onto the ground.

    An entire chunk of Earth rose up under the Soul Reaper''s manipulation of his Fullbring. He had used it to pull on the soul of the Earth.

    Grail''s eyes widened as the chunk briefly hid the sun away, looming above her. It must have been 2 football stadiums across. And the weight was most likely in the tens of thousands of tons.

    Then Davian pulled a hand back and punched it.

    The whole chunk exploded.

    Thousands of fast moving pieces of stones and rocks pelted the surroundings, causing a cloud of dust to rise up to the sky.

    Davian made no other move, content to wait.

    A slow smile worked it''s way onto his face. He could feel her soul, vibrant and unyielding.

    Two spots of red light appeared within the dust.

    Then a pair of Omega Beams cut through the air in an unpredictable fashion. Davian''s eyes however, tracked the beams easily.

    Despite his attention seemingly being focused elsewhere, his hand came up as he grabbed onto Grail''s blade.

    The Omega Beams landed on Davian''s left shoulder, eating through clothes, flesh and bones.

    Yet the fingers holding onto Grail''s blade failed to falter.

    "You used the Omega Beams as distraction to try and land an attack. Smart."

    Davian complimented, using a combination of Tairyoku and Lust to regenerate his shoulder.

    Grail watched the whole thing in fascination.

    "How is this possible? How can you tank my Omega Beams? Let alone heal from them? I didn''t hold back."

    She said.

    Davian hooked his foot on her ankle and pulled her closer to his body, wrapping an arm around her neck.

    "You''re powerful. But I''m godly."

    He whispered to her ears.

    The New God tried to extricate herself but Davian''s strength far surpassed hers, adding more to her surprise.

    "You''re godly?! Well I aim to kill gods. So too bad for that pretty face but you''re dead!"

    Saying that, Grail took flight, pushing both their trajectories towards the rock range before them.

    They both clashed through the hard exterior of the rock, creating a tunnel through the compact stone before coming out from the other side.

    ''Shit, I can''t shake him off regardless of what I do.''

    Grail thought as they swerved in the air, uncontrollably.

    Davian''s Sheath glowed as he used his Fullbring to grab onto the soul of air around them, bringing their momentum to a halt in midair. Below them was a view of the desert and the rock formation acting as Black Adam''s prison.

    "Tell me something. That man you came with..."

    Davian begun, referring to Constantine.

    "The magician."

    Grail smiled to herself.

    "He''s useful. I might not be your equal strength wise but soon I''ll show you why I am the daughter of Darkseid."

    Davian narrowed his eyes.

    "That wasn''t the question. How did you get him out?"

    Grail shrugged. Or rather tried. Her shoulders were still firmly held within Davian''s embrace.

    "How did you get him out of hell?!"

    Davian demanded harshly, tightening his hands around her.

    "What''s...ugh...it to you?!"

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    Grail yelled, feeling her torso steadily getting squeezed.

    "Because I put him there."

    Davian answered, sending a bolt of shock through Grail.

    She immediately found herself free, causing her to turn around readily, eyes glowing with the promise of Death.

    "Sorry about the rough treatment, princess. But I need to know how you were able to do that. Answer me or die."

    Davian said, causing the brunette to blink in question.

    "I am Grail. Daughter of Darkseid. How dare you..."

    A massive beam of pure black energy passed by her left cheek. Davian''s hands lowered slowly.

    "That was an attack that can erode your personal time. New God or not."

    He raised his brows in challenge.

    "How did you free him from hell?"

    Grail turned around to face where the attack had landed. A patch of grey ground appeared on the rough terrain. She blinked.

    "A time attack?"

    She muttered to herself, turning to regard Davian with a strange look on his face.

    Her entire demeanor underwent a change.

    "You''re interesting."

    She said, floating up to him seductively. Her wrists were grabbed before she could place them on Davian''s chest.

    "Seduction won''t work. Answer me."

    Davian stated.

    "Oh? I''m not trying to seduce you..."

    Grail smiled coyly.

    "I just love my men...powerful."

    Bam.

    The impact was low but fast enough that even Grail didn''t feel it before she was sent off to Dreamland.

    Davian had delivered a very fast chop to her neck that saw her going unconscious.

    Her body slumped over but he was ready, scooping her up into his arms.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I stared down at the grey skinned New God in my arms. Her lips were slightly parted and in sleep, she looked much less threatening than she actually was.

    She hadn''t answered me on how she''d succeeded in bringing Constantine back to life. Let alone to an entirely different Universe.

    That information could be the key to my getting home. I decided to knock her out and interrogate her later. Right then...my attention was needed elsewhere.

    Constantine had almost succeeded.

    "You were stalling. You never stall."

    Chase commented.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    At Chase''s statement, Davian turned his attention to Black Adam''s crypt.

    "I thought of something on our way here, Chase."

    Davian begun, adjusting Grail''s body before beginning to fly towards the Rock.

    "Think about it Chase. What better way to fully adjust to foreign power than actually studying a being with the essence of the gods running through them? Teth Adam is the perfect example of this. He might be the missing piece in fusing all the different energies running within my body."

    "That wasn''t the deal you made with the Wizard."

    Chase was quick to admonish.

    "The Wizard was never going to be helpful to us Chase. Not in the way that really matters. You think he''s concerned with helping us find a way home? Someone with the Powers of the Cardinal Sins?"

    Davian scoffed.

    "He was going to deal with us, if you know what I mean."

    He added, body falling through the hole created by Grail.

    Right into the depths of Black Adam''s prison.

    "Still, why ally yourself with Black Adam..."

    Chase begun only for Davian to immediately cut him off.

    "I have not allied myself with anyone. I''m simply using them to further my goals."

    Davian insisted, feet landing on the steps leading to the raised dias holding the stone pillar.

    Everything was for Raven. He''d been fighting for himself for so long that...he couldn''t mess this up. Couldn''t see another Raven die.

    His landing placed him right behind Constantine. The other man turned around, hands raised up as he backed away.

    "You''ve gotten stronger."

    The Magician commented while gulping, his back smacking onto the cracked pillar. His eyes trailed over Grail''s limp form, body slung over Davian''s shoulder.

    ''Damn. He took her out. And so quickly. I stand no chance. Unless...''

    The magician tried to call onto Trigon once more.

    However, ever since Davian had appeared, Trigon had hidden himself deeper in Constantine''s soul. It would have been funny if it weren''t for the circumstances.

    "What are you waiting for?"

    Davian asked Constantine in a bored tone.

    "Release him."

    "What?"

    Constantine frowned.

    "You heard me."

    Davian smirked, cracking his fingers in preparation.

    "You were going to release Teth Adam, champion of the gods, to fight me correct? Do it. It''s your only chance of making it out of this alive."

    Both men stared at one another.

    "Why?"

    Constantine finally asked.

    Davian''s Reiatsu burst out, slamming onto the Magician and sending him to the floor.

    "I''ll do it myself if you insist on wasting my time."

    His steps echoed as he walked forward, passing by Constantine''s form before stopping infront of the pillar that now had numerous cracks running down it.

    "And to answer you, I thrive on challenge. I want to see how powerful the Champion of the gods is. Among other things."

    Davian shrugged.

    "Wai- ack!"

    Constantine''s words were cut off as he groaned. The spiritual weight on his shoulders pressing him further onto the ground.

    Davian placed a hand on the surface of the pillar and smiled.

    "I can feel a lot of divine power within this pillar."

    He muttered.

    The look in his eyes changed, growing sharper.

    "Respira."

    He intoned.

    Instantly the time erosion slammed onto the pillar, eating away at the stone.

    With a resounding impact, small stones and rocks pelted out, striking the walls of the chamber.

    The dust died down, revealing a figure kneeling on the ground, a black body suit with a lightning insignia on his chest. Magic and divine power seemed to buzz erratically around his body.

    Davian smiled, watching the entire thing unfold with a small smile on his face.

    He could count on Respira eroding even magical formations, though that was mostly because Constantine had already whittled away at the initial magical restraints.

    The prisoner who had just been released took a deep breath. The first one in Millennia. He opened his eyes, surveying the scene with familiarity.

    "My prison. You freed me."

    Teth Adam said, turning to focus his gaze on the dark skinned man standing infront of him.

    Even in his weakened state as he was, his senses were telling him that what was standing infront of him was something different from Human.

    "I did. And I present to you a proposition."

    Davian begun.

    "Become my servant and I promise you one thing. Retribution."

    In Davian''s inner world, Chase snorted.

    "You''re not really giving him a choice here. You know how he''s going to react. He would rather die."

    The Zanpakuto spirit pointed out.

    "Whatever do you mean?"

    Davian asked innocently through their connection.

    "I am merely giving him a choice."

    "One that you know his pride won''t allow. You''re just looking for an excuse to take him down. To not get blamed for being ''unreasonable.'' "

    Chase laughed while continuing.

    "Don''t misunderstand me, my wielder. I am happy to see this side of you. The trickster persona. I was wondering whether I''d ever get to witness it. There is a reason why you have the Cheshire Cat as your Zanpakuto spirit."

    Meanwhile just as Chase had predicted, Davian''s offer didn''t seem to go over well with Black Adam.

    The latter tilted his head to the side.

    "I think not."

    Suddenly, he pushed out his hands, causing blue streaks of lightning to explode out of his fists, surging forward towards Davian.

    The lightning slammed onto the latter, washing down his form without doing any damage before the energy eventually gathered above the Soul Reaper''s palm.

    "You probably thought something different would happen."

    Davian chuckled with mirth.

    "That your attack would strip me of my flesh and burn me to ashes."

    Davian said, adding Reiryoku to the lightning sphere above his hand.

    Black Adam stepped back, wary.

    The sphere changed colors. From a blazing blue to a bright red. The same red that was present in Hado 7: Akai Inazuma.

    Davian pushed his hand forward, sending the red sphere of lightning towards Black Adam.

    The Champion of the gods blinked...then his world knew pain.

    "Aahahhghhhh!!!"

    He screamed as his own modified attack wreaked havoc through his flesh.

    "Sorry to disappoint, but I am not just powerful. I am impossible to defeat."

    The Soul Reaper declared, watching as Black Adam was subjected to Billions of volts of energy.

    Eventually, Adam slumped to the ground, body smoking as he passed out.

    And with only minimal effort, Davian had taken out three formidable opponents who would have even been a problem for the Justice League.

    "It''s official now."

    The Soul Reaper said to himself as he looked down at Black Adam.

    "I am OP."

 I Did Good.

    (General P.O.V)

    Breath in.

    Breath out.

    She focused on the movement of her breath. At the gentle waves and pulses from the center of her demonic energy. A spot within her chest.

    Like a second heart.

    The bridge to her soul.

    Then the energy would be automatically cycled around the body. First to the gem on her forehead; her father''s prison.

    The liquid like energy would flow around the lattice. Inspect the spell work even without input from her. After so long, her powers were her. She was both the energy and the physical vessel.

    This unique trait was only shared by one other individual. From her initial inspection of Davian anyway.

    Yet, in other ways he was even more special case. A being that could exist as both a soul and body.

    A true Enigma.

    It wasn''t like Trigon whose entire being was entrenched into a singular concept so much, he didn''t need a soul or a body to function.

    She knew without a doubt that her father would never die. Not in the truest sense. As long as Evil existed, then so would Trigon.

    "That''s right daughter and soon enough I shall escape my prison."

    Trigon reached out with his intent upon feeling Raven''s soul energy.

    Raven''s eyes opened.

    "I would rather die first than let you out!"

    She barked, her eyes glowing with darkness.

    The shadows in the room seemed to intensify.

    Trigon begun laughing maniacally.

    "It''s not up to you now, is it?! You''ve felt it too right?"

    Raven clenched her jaw. She had. For the past few weeks. She had initially thought her emotions were influencing her powers due to trepidation over her coming birthday.

    But that wasn''t it.

    That would have been the favorable outcome. Alas! life was not that easy for her. She was always playing it on Hell mode difficulty.

    "You know the truth. You can''t hide from it, daughter."

    Trigon''s voice rumbled through her mind once again.

    "A source of power, very much like my own. A piece of me from the wide multiverse, brought to this world."

    It was true. There were two Trigons in the same dimension. One of them was bad enough...two would be a catastrophe. It would be the end of the...

    "No! I''ll go to the League with this. As long as we can keep you separate then you will go nowhere."

    Raven said in a determined tone.

    "For how long? You''re soon to come of age daughter. Soon to bloom into what you were meant to be. A true daughter of Trigon. I can give you this world as a gift! Join me before it''s too late Raven."

    Trigon''s tone took a softer approach.

    "This could be your Legacy daughter..."

    Raven shook her head

    "A legacy of pain and suffering? I refuse! I will shatter my very soul just to keep you from winning, Father."

    She spat out with as much vitriol as she could.

    Trigon''s rage was like a volcano simmering with hot Lava, about to blow.

    "Yet again you spit at me."

    Like a thick blanket, his will pressed onto her chest, making it hard for her to breathe, yet Raven stood in defiance.

    "How dare you deny me...you INSOLENT WHELP!"

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    Trigon bellowed.

    "I HAVE DESTROYED COUNTLESS WORLDS. TORN UNIVERSE''S ASUNDER WITH ONLY MY INTENT! MY POWER IS-

    "Yo."

    A bored voice greeted, coming out of a yellow vortex.

    The glow of the boom tube washed away some of the shadows in the room, as a man walked out.

    Davian looked around the room, then at the device in his hands that was gently pulsing. The mother box.

    "I swear I was aiming for the roof."

    He shrugged.

    "Oh well, this will work too."

    Raven could only watch, alongside Trigon as Davian stepped out fully and behind him came a spherical green bubble that was holding 3 people within.

    All of them were passed out.

    Or at least it seemed so.

    But one of them in particular filled Raven with fear and worry. Because their presence here was a risk.

    There was no mistaking it. She could feel her Father''s essence within him...

    "What do you think you''re doing!?"

    Raven hissed, her demonic energy surging to her hands as she warily looked towards Constantine.

    "You shouldn''t have brought him here!! You don''t know what you-"

    "Jeez, relax. It''s not the end of the world."

    Davian said, groaning while stretching his neck.

    "Nice room, brighter than I thought it would be."

    Raven blinked in surprise.

    How could he be so nonchalant about this?! Trigon could...

    Constantine''s fingers twitched. A crack appeared on the gem imprinted on her forehead.

    ''Oh no,'' her heart skipped a beat. It was already happening.

    "Hahaha! It''s Too Late!"

    Trigon laughed from within the gem.

    "I can feel it! My salvation! Soon I shall be free! unopposed!"

    "Yeah...no."

    Davian said, pointing a finger at the gem and sending a black beam towards it. The beam smacked onto the gem and immediately the entire thing shattered.

    Time seemed to stop for a minute.

    The air grew thick.

    "Aarfhhhc!!!!"

    Trigon''s shadow manifested above Raven''s body in a smokey form.

    His form seemed to be disintegrating into the air, body devoured by the rampant energies of Respira.

    "No...no no NOOOO!!"

    Trigon couldn''t believe it.

    "What are you?! You''re not Human!!"

    He cast a terrified look Davian''s way. The soul reaper merely sank onto Raven''s bean bag. (a gift from BeastBoy)

    "Hey, that''s racist man."

    He said in the same bored tone from before, blowing strands of hair out of his face while sinking his whole weight onto the bean bag.

    "Man,this is comfortable. Gotta get one of these."

    Trigon could feel himself being spread out across multiple time Instances. His essence was getting scattered into the past, present and future.

    It was a pain unlike anything the dimensional entity had experienced. He extended his hand out to his counterpart inside the Bubble.

    "I- we only need to merge! Yes, that will work!"

    His scarlet form turned into tendrils of power that extended out towards the shield..

    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you."

    Davian called out, grabbing the remote off the table before clicking the TV on.

    Trigon ignored the being. He only had to combine with his alternate self to keep himself grounded in this timeline and then they would pay. All of them!

    Including Raven! He would chain her up and use her to grow his own army of human-demon hybrids. And then he would use that army to conquer everything once more! Yes! YES! YES!

    IT WAS AT HAND!

    The first tendril touched the green bubble.

    The spherical shield vibrated. Immediately the time erosion working on destroying his body seemed to be dramatically amplified.

    "WHAT! IMPOSSIBLE! I am an Extra-dimensional Entity! A god! Nothing should harm me!"

    The Lord of Evil cried out in terror.

    Davian had used Fullbring to pull on the soul of Respira, not only enhancing it''s properties but it''s power.

    "Impossible..."

    Trigon could only watch as his left side completely dissolved into the air.

    "Told you so."

    Davian added, surfing through the channels.

    "Nothing good to watch. That''s a bummer. I wanted to just chill for a while. Fighting in the desert can take a lot from a guy."

    Trigon could feel his mental capabilities slowly deteriorate. A consequence of having pieces of his consciousness strewn about.

    "I curse-"

    He begun, only for Davian to turn towards him.

    "Chase?"

    Then the second surprise of the day happened. One instant there was nothing then the next, a giant purple cat emerged from Davian.

    It opened it''s jaws wide and with one clean chomp swallowed Trigon.

    "Yuck." Raven was even more shocked at the human voice that came out of it''s mouth.

    "Next time feed me something tasty. That was disgusting."

    The Zanpakuto spirit complained to Davian, before plunging back in through his chest.

    "So ungrateful."

    Davian shook his head.

    That''s when everything finally caught up with Raven and she made a noise at the back of her throat.

    "He''s...gone."

    She muttered to herself, running her hand over the spot on her forehead.

    "He''s really gone."

    She repeated, sinking to the floor in both shock and relief.

    "Yeah. He''s not really dead but having your consciousness scattered across the infinitude of the fourth dimension is as close to that as we can get with Trigon. It will take him approximately 7 million years to come back, according to Chase anyway. That''s the cat you just saw by the way."

    Raven''s mind finally caught onto the fact that the man infront of her...

    A stranger she had only known for a few days, had been the one to save her.

    Davian instantly found himself tackled by a hug from the much shorter girl.

    "Whoa!"

    He slung an arm over her shoulders to return the hug.

    Shuddering sobs rocked Raven''s body as for the first time ever, she let go and cried.

    She cried for Azarath, she cried for her mother, she cried for herself. At having to always be in control, lest the world paid the price of her mistakes.

    All the things she had endured. All of it came pouring out.

    Davian rubbed her back gently, a soft expression on his face

    "It''s okay. He will never hurt you again."

    His hands tightened around her while his jaw clenched.

    "I''m sorry I couldn''t save you from him earlier. Truth is, that attack was the only one with any chance of working and I hadn''t got the hang of it."

    ''Until now.'' He thought.

    It had been a novel idea. Why not use Fullbring to directly influence his other abilities?

    "He can''t hurt you anymore."

    He reiterated, his own eyes misting as he remembered his Raven. She was gone now but... looking down at the crying girl in his arms, one who shared so many similarities to both him and that other Raven...

    "I did good..."

    Davian muttered low to himself.

    Within his inner dimension, Chesha Neko looked out into the Inner World. The trickster Cat''s face was illuminated by the cloak of power surrounding him.

    "Yes. You did, my Wielder. Yes you did."

 Pride.

    (General P.O.V)

    The Boomtube''s activation was especially loud in the deathly silent desert.

    Then the first of the Para-demons flew out, wings flapping heavily.

    In seconds the sky above the Rock Formation that had previously held Black Adam imprisoned, was full of the monstrous creatures.

    The light from the Boomtube failed to die out. Infact it seemed to increase even more, sending out pulses that pushed the sand close to the portal away.

    A gangly figure, wearing a gray cloak draped over his form, stepped out into the sand.

    Desaad''s eyes roamed around the area, observing and studying the scorch marks, overturned vehicles, broken weapons and the dead bodies.

    He looked at the entrance to the Crypt, curiously. With a flex of his control matrix, The Para-demons immediately swooped towards the entrance.

    A few seconds later they flew out empty. There was no sign of the aggressor, the victim or any life inside.

    Desaad took a deep breath.

    A crooked smile appeared on his face, one that looked menacing and creepy.

    "She was here...with another flavor of energy. An old god, perhaps? No, something more. Something different."

    Then a Para-demon flew towards him holding something in its hands, a single strand of silver hair.

    "Oh? You found something."

    Desaad received the hair almost reverently, feeling the strong essences contained within that single hair strand.

    And just on the fringes of what he could glean, was a certain flavor. The same flavor he''d felt before. Desaad brought the hair to his mouth and licked it.

    His crooked smile widened impossibly.

    "How curious. How curious indeed that this backwater rock could hold the key to total domination of the self? Mmh...I should track this being down and present it to Lord Darkseid. The master shall surely be pleased."

    (Elsewhere)

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Raven detached from my arms, stepping back while wiping her tears away.

    She looked off to the side, one hand rubbing the other.

    "Umhm, sorry for crying on you."

    She mumbled with a blush.

    "It''s okay."

    I answered, feeling the emotional turmoil happening within her.

    "Let''s take a seat and talk."

    I suggested.

    "I''ll try to explain everything. I know you have questions regarding a few things."

    Her eyes briefly landed on Constantine, fear flashing through her gaze.

    "Don''t worry about him. There''s a reason he didn''t do anything when I took out your Trigon. This parallel version of your father knows exactly who I am. And what I would do to protect those dear to me."

    I punctuated the statement with a flex of my Reiatsu.

    Raven''s lips parted slightly.

    "Your soul, it''s the biggest I''ve ever sensed."

    She commented, slightly stumbling in place.

    "Are you okay?"

    I swooped in, grabbing her before she could fall. Then I carried her to the beanbag.

    The light of my Fullbring was soon enough washing down her body, inspecting her to find out what was wrong.

    "Your energy network is in disarray. No doubt backlash from breaking the gem but you''ll be alright. I''ve healed you."

    The light seeped into her, fixing the issue and helping her recover the lost energy.

    "Thank you."

    She repeated.

    Somehow I knew it wasn''t for dealing with Trigon. And her followup question proved that.

    "Why do you care so much about me?"

    And so I told her everything. There was no reason to hide. By everything, I spoke of not only Raven but how the fight with the that Raven''s Trigon had unfolded.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I even touched upon the White Raven, though she informed me that she had never entered such a form.

    Which meant there had to be a prerequisite. Shockingly, Nick''s memories didn''t really have much on that.

    At the end of it all, she didn''t call me crazy.

    And to me, that was enough. I didn''t need her to believe me. I only needed her to be safe.

    And to achieve that, I had to finish what I''d started. I looked at Black Adam and Constantine.

    I would need a quiet place.

    My gaze then landed on the Mother-box in my hand.

    That could work.

    (General P.O.V)

    Grail came to slowly.

    The last thing she remembered was a sudden pain at the back of her neck.

    Then the memories poured in and she understood what had happened. A man had bested her. Her, the daughter of an Amazon and Darkseid. Trained by the former to hone her warrior skills.

    Yet, that man had easily toyed with her. The most damage she had probably dealt him was cutting off a few strands of hair. Anything else was superficial.

    She''d never been dominated that easily. It struck at her warrior pride, bruised her godly ego but gently brushed against her feminine side.

    The figure of his taut muscles hidden behind the simple clothes he wore, the heated gaze he''d thrown her way while checking her out and his mellow voice as he spoke to her.

    All that had been new and for a brief second she''d wondered...

    "I know you''re awake."

    Someone said.

    A female voice.

    "You''re not a prisoner here. So I hope you understand there is no need for violence."

    The voice went on to state.

    Grail opened her eyes, the Omega effect glowing in them as she surveyed the room she was in and the other occupant.

    "Where am I?"

    She asked, reaching to her hip and finding her swords there. Her captor let her keep her weapons?

    How unexpected.

    Then again with her abilities, one might argue she was still dangerous with or without the weapons.

    Raven, who was floating in mid-air with her eyes closed answered,

    "You are in the Titan''s tower, specifically my room. Davian brought you here."

    Davian.

    That was his name.

    A good name for someone so powerful.

    "And where is he? I have claim on his head for humiliating me."

    Grail told her, rising off the surprisingly comfortable seat. It was yet another marvel of man''s world, strange furniture.

    And the room itself was different from what she was used to. It looked personal. Nothing bare-bones like a warrior needed or ceremonially gaudy or opulent like the Royal palace.

    Raven opened her eyes, revealing the dark glow within.

    She cast a surprisingly intense look the New God''s way.

    "I won''t let you kill him!"

    Grail looked back, tilting her head curiously.

    "Why? Is he your mate? The females of Man''s world are not put off by their masculine stench or hairy bodies?"

    "Whaaat??!"

    Raven asked, her cheeks turning scarlet red, as she shook her head.

    "No! It''s nothing like that! And most...some men don''t stink or necessarily have hairy bodies."

    Her explanation seemed to satisfy Grail as she nodded in realization.

    "I see. Intriguing."

    Still as interesting as it was, she had a mission to complete. And recent developments had shown that she needed more than just raw power on her side. She needed allies.

    And the fact that Davian had seen it fit to capture her instead of Killing her like she would have, showed that with the necessary incentive, she could recruit him.

    "Very well, I have decided then. I will find Davian and challenge him to single combat for the right to be his mate."

    She said, a deadly serious expression on her face.

    Raven was even more scandalized.

    "What?! You don''t just say things like that!"

    Grail looked at her strangely.

    "Why not? It is something I wish. Besides, I am an Amazon. I worship power in its purest form."

    A smile wormed it''s way across her beautiful face.

    "Raw dominating force."

    (General P.O.V)

    (Limbo)

    As if in support of her statement, a completely one sided fight was taking place in Limbo.

    Black Adam''s battered form crashed through a floating rock island, causing it to explode into smaller chunks of stones that struck the surroundings.

    Adam gained control of his flight, his jaw clenched as he stared up at his unbelievably powerful opponent.

    The Champion of the gods pushed off the air, flying towards him for what must have been the eighth time.

    His form blurred across the gray and monotonous environment, this time he came in with a punch covered in streaks of godly lightning.

    His opponent didn''t even bother to block the attack. Instead, the air around him grew thick. So thick that moving became a problem.

    "Fight me you coward!"

    Black Adam yelled at Davian, eyes glowing with anger and lightning.

    "Dumb bloke, charging in headfirst didn''t work the first time and it won''t work any other time either."

    Constantine commented on the fight happening in the air.

    He was standing on the edge of a rock island a distance away.

    Truthfully, all three men knew one thing.

    There was no way Black Adam could beat Davian.

    However, the latter seemed to have no intention of finishing the fight.

    Instead, he was curiously studying how Black Adam moved, how he attacked and his lightning manipulation abilities.

    "Attack dammit!"

    Black Adam yelled, his form streaking around Davian, letting heavy punches and kicks fly.

    The shockwaves from these attacks, would have been enough to destroy an entire city. Yet for all their power, they were nullified upon contact with Davian''s Reiatsu.

    "Just try harder."

    Davian encouraged.

    "Show me how powerful a champion of the gods is."

    "I''ve had enough of your games!"

    Black Adam abandoned trying to break through the Spirit Pressure zone and flew back, placing his hands together.

    "I will destroy you from this accursed fake reality you brought me!"

    Harnessing all the lightning he could, he sent out the biggest streak of divine lightning that he had ever created.

    The streak was as wide as an entire street, the electric energy within wildly striking out into Limbo''s inert air.

    The attack drowned Davian under. For a split second, Constantine entertained the thought that he was dead.

    Only for maniacal laughter to sound out from the Reaper''s position.

    "Yes. That''s what I meant Adam."

    Davian said, his form cackling with demonic lightning. Different from Adam''s divine lightning, this one was gray.

    And that''s when it all made sense to Constantine.

    He had been studying Black Adam''s abilities to find a way to replicate them.

    Case in point, the lightning that was covering him in its entirety.

    "How?"

    Black Adam looked terrified.

    Davian held out his palm, fascinated at the way the power seemed to calmly follow his orders.

    This gray lightning was stringer than Black Adam''s. While his was divine in nature, Davian''s was influenced by the Cardinal sins.

    This was Pride''s sin in full effect. Domination.

    Nothing could oppose him. His ego wouldn''t allow it.

    And so the opposite would end up happening. He had dominated that attack and as a result birthed a new power within him.

    "It''s simple Adam."

    Davian begun, gathering lightning infront of his palm.

    "My pride wouldn''t allow anything else than completely overpowering you."

    The lightning was gray and it was everything Black Adam''s wasn''t. The Champion of the gods disappeared under the more disastrous attack.

    "And then there was one."

    Davian said, turning his eyes to stare at Constantine.

 Prelude to Darkseid War.

    (General P.O.V)

    The Titan''s tower lay in ruins.

    The attack had happened suddenly and without warning.

    One second Jaime and Garfield had been playing video games, then the next the wall on the left had exploded inwards.

    "Beetle!"

    Jaime called out. Within a split second, his body was covered head to toe with the Scarab''s armor.

    No sooner had he done that, when something had sped out through the dust covering the place.

    A crossbolt. It slammed onto Beetle''s left shoulder and exploded. Jaime and the Scarab both let out a bloodcurdling scream, as the explosion ate through the armor and his flesh.

    "Beetle!"

    Beastboy cried out, then his gaze turned to where the crossbolt had come from.

    Another sped through the air. Thinking quick, Beastboy shifted into a fly. It''s huge compound eyes and numerous lenses allowed his reaction time to be enhanced as he flew forward, dodging the bolts easily.

    The dust had already begun to settle enough that Beastboy could see who was responsible.

    A tall figure wearing a purple and yellow costume that was decidedly from the era of the Italian Renaissance.

    They had with them a gray crossbow that folded itself into a high tech gun.

    "I see you little insect."

    Kanto said with a chuckle, before pulling the trigger on the gun, sending red bolts of energy lancing out towards Beastboy.

    Beastboy for his part flew up, evaded all shots as much as he could before winding back.

    Next he shifted forms into an elephant, falling towards Kanto while aiming to squash him under his weight.

    Only for another figure to jump over Kanto and deliver an earthshaking punch, smack in the middle of the Elephant''s head.

    Beastboy fell back into his human form, striking the floor with a loud impact and lying next to Jaime, passed out.

    "Kanto, let us hurry up and find the girl. Desaad has taken the left wing, we should regroup."

    Lashina, one of the female Furies told Kanto, Darkseid''s chief assassin.

    "But of course my dear. But first don''t mind if I help myself to a few bites."

    He said, walking towards a bowl of chips.

    "Ugh."

    Lashina sneered, crossing her hands together.

    "How you can stomach the food from this backwater rock is beyond me."

    Kanto stared at her with something akin to pity.

    "You have no idea how much you''re missing out. Backwater it may be, but the cuisines and elixirs of this world are second to few in the wide universe."

    "Just finish up and let''s go."

    Lashina acquiesced.

    (Elsewhere)

    The left wing was in similar disarray to the lounge.

    The only difference was that Desaad hadn''t given the heroes time to adjust.

    Para-demons poured out of the Boomtube in an endless stream. Bolts of green energy decimated a dozen of them but more simply took their place.

    "Give up children."

    Desaad addressed Nightwing, Starfire and Robin who were hiding behind an overturned table.

    The former two had been enjoying some private time when out of nowhere, a Boomtube had manifested right in the middle of their bedroom.

    Were it not for the intervention of Robin, both of them would have been taken down fast.

    "We can''t fight them unprepared. We need to fall back and strategize."

    Starfire said, unleashing more of her energy attacks at the Para-demons.

    "They''ve somehow jammed the communications. I can''t seem to reach the League, not to mention anyone else in the tower."

    Nightwing answered.

    Battarangs cut through the air, digging onto the arm of a Para-demon that had crept up to their side. The Para-demons entire hand exploded, sending a spray of green blood out.

    "Running is not an option. This is our base, we cannot afford to lose it. Hiyah!"

    Robin yelled, jumping out of cover, landing on the bed in the room and unsheathing his blade.

    Then he made another jump.

    At the apex of his second leap, his blade slashed out, cutting off the Para-demons wings.

    "No! Robin get back here!"

    Nightwing yelled harshly, before sharing an exasperated look with Starfire.

    "Is he usually like this?"

    He asked, grabbing his Eskrima sticks.

    "I told you he barely listens to anyone."

    Starfire said with a shrug as she got up, blocking the energy attacks shot at them by the Para-demons.

    "That looks like the head Honcho."

    Nightwing observed, eyes falling onto Desaad.

    "Maneuver 7?"

    Starfire questioned.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Nightwing accepted with a nod.

    The Tamaranean, grabbed him by his costume, spun and threw him straight at Desaad. Nightwing''s Eskrima sticks swung out towards Desaad''s sneering face.

    Only for a crossbolt to tear through his left thigh and send an electric shock through his body.

    Nightwing cried out as the streaks locked up his body functions. The last thing he saw was Starfire''s panicked expression.

    "Dick!"

    Starfire yelled, taking to the air, only for another Crossbolt to smack right into her back.

    "Two for one. Today is my lucky day. Well, everyday is my lucky day. Let''s see of we can make it three."

    Another Crossbolt shot out, this time headed towards

    Robin.

    The youngest Titan blocked the bolt with his blade before jumping back and creating distance.

    His face was twisted into anger after seeing Nightwing and Starfire get taken down by cheap shots.

    The situation was different now. Dire. If he got captured, the League would not know what had happened here.

    Loathe as he was to admit it, he knew what both Starfire and Nightwing would want him to do.

    "I''ll kill you."

    He promised Kanto, before throwing down smoke bombs to cover his escape and disappeared.

    (Elsewhere)

    Raven was in the shower, enjoying the hot water as it hit her back and washed away her exhaustion and worries.

    It felt good to not have to constantly have to think about keeping in control of her emotions.

    Losing her father was the single greatest thing that could have happened to her. She chuckled to herself. That sounded so bad when taken out of context...

    Still, just because her father was gone didn''t mean that everything was perfect. There was Grail to contend with.

    The Amazonian New God as she had introduced herself was the strangest person she had ever met.

    She had this steel like resolve yet contained within her a sort of excitement that could only belong to a child.

    But then she would say something and you would realize for all her ''simple'' thinking, Grail always considered every thought logically.

    It was endearing and frustrating at the same time. But again she was-

    Someone grabbed her by the neck. Raven''s heart skipped a beat and she was ready to pull on her magic and destroy whoever had the nerve to...

    "Shh!"

    Grail whispered from behind her.

    "Don''t make a sound. They''re here."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Following Black Adam''s death, his soul was forever trapped in Limbo.

    It would take time for his essence to reform as the Demonic lightning had effectively reduced him to nothing.

    Speaking of,

    The streaks of gray lightning cladding my body made me feel energized, my skin buzzing with power.

    A part of me had loved killing him.

    That part was the one influenced by the sins.

    I could feel them all.

    They wanted more. More death, more chaos, more depravity of the highest order.

    I turned my gaze to Constantine.

    "And then there was one."

    I growled, freely unleashing my killing intent.

    Constantine stumbled as the air around him grew heavier. Breathing became hard. Whether it was due to the Sin''s influence or not, I didn''t want to just kill him, no, I wanted to make him suffer.

    Relish in his screams of torment for what he''d done.

    I floated down gently with the grace of a god.

    ''You are one.''

    A part of me whispered in affirmation.

    ''Always have been...''

    ''always will-

    "That''s enough."

    Chase spoke, his voice booming out and cutting through the haze in my mind. I blinked, looking around.

    What had just happened?

    And why did I have Chesha Neko pulled slightly out of it''s sheath?

    "We have a problem. The Sins are influencing your emotions."

    Chase told me.

    It wasn''t like that possibility hadn''t been there when I''d taken the risk. Chase and I had theorized that due to my uniqueness, I could maybe control the sins.

    Clearly that had only been half true.

    "Did you find a way to perfectly fuse their abilities into me without any side effects from scanning Black Adam?"

    I questioned through our mental connection.

    The Seven Deadly Sins were polar opposites of the gods. In a way that ensured that they were also very similar.

    The gods symbolized different aspects of the world. For example, it could be the four elements or a particular concept like Demeter who was the god of Harvest.

    Another example was Hephaestus the god of the forge, who Nick''s memories informed me had created some of the most powerful weapons and artefacts in Greek mythology.

    And in the same way, the Sins symbolized the prime immoral practices. Though they were mostly entrenched in the Christian religion.

    Both groups could bestow abilities to their hosts. The difference between Adam and I was that, I had taken the Sin''s powers by force. In other words, while I had achieved my objective, it wasn''t a perfect fusion.

    Not like Black Adam.

    I was banking on Chase''s potent sensing abilities to figure out how to deal with their influence on my emotions.

    If anyone could figure it out, it would be him.

    "I might have an idea but it will take time to plan everything out. In the meantime, don''t use any of the sin''s abilities."

    He said and immediately after, I felt him retract back into the inner world.

    In reality our conversation had only taken up barely a second.

    And in that second, Constantine had gone into pant-shitting terror.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Bloody hell mate, if you''re going to do something, it would be preferable you do it before we both die again!"

    Constantine beseeched Trigon, body tensed for a fight.

    Trigon gave no answer.

    "How the great have fallen. John Constantine, Wizard and Exorcist extraordinaire, reduced to begging that which he hunted before for help."

    Davian mocked, floating to the ground.

    "Yeah well, whose fault is that huh? You sent me to fucking hell!"

    Constantine shot back.

    "Only after you tried to stab me in the back like a hundred times."

    Davian snorted,

    "But I guess that little detail slipped your mind."

    Constantine narrowed his eyes.

    "Job Hazard. Get over it. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices."

    "Mmh sure. Easy to say when you''re not the one making said sacrifice."

    Davian spat back.

    "Though I''m sure your time in hell has allowed you to reflect on your actions. Don''t make me kill you again because of your attitude John."

    Constantine blinked.

    "Okay mate, time out then. You seem to have a proposition."

    Davian smiled.

    "Indeed I do. You help me out with something and I''ll consider the debt between us fully paid."

    The Reaper offered.

    "And how do I know I can trust you?"

    Constantine asked.

    Davian raised his eyebrows. ''He'' was worried about getting betrayed? How ironic.

    "How about this, I kill you right now and send you back to hell instead?"

    Davian offered with an impassive stare.

    "That won''t be necessary mate. I believe you. I was just looking out for number one."

    Constantine quickly backtracked, raising his hands.

    Davian stopped before him, his face hard.

    "Well, here''s some advice for number one."

    He started in a no-nonsense tone.

    Before Constantine could react, Davian''s Zanpakuto had left his sheathe and slashed out.

    The magician blinked, taking a step back, only to bump into something. He turned around and found the corpse of a Devourer that had been creeping up on them.

    He hadn''t even sensed it.

    "Don''t fuck with me this time."

    Davian added, pressing Chesha Neko''s tip on the exorcist''s jugular.

    "Alright. No mind games. I promise."

    Constantine gulped.

    "Just, could you please get your incredibly sharp blade off my neck?"

    There was a tense moment when Constantine thought Davian wasn''t going to let him live. Then the sword retracted.

    Davian snorted sheathing his blade.

    "Let''s get out of here before the commotion attracts something worse than a devourer."

    The Mother-box in his hand pulsed as he sent his will within it.

    "What''s worse than this thing?"

    Constantine enquired, staring at the dead creature at his feet.

    "Limbo is in some ways like Hell. Which means it''s got prisoners and most of them are powerful assholes that will attack you just because they can."

    Davian answered.

    A yellow vortex appeared before them, created by the Mother-box.

    "This should...huh?"

    Davian paused, neck whipping to one side as he stared at something off into the distance.

    "Someone is watching us. Excuse me."

    ''Shunpo.''

    His speed instantly allowed him to close the distance between him and the eyes he had felt on them.

    He appeared behind a woman wearing a torn up white costume. She also had short blond hair that was bleached under the Phantom Zone''s dim light.

    "Who are you?"

    Davian asked.

    The woman immediately turned to him and he got a full look of her front. The costume she wore had the unique feature of a boob window on her chest, and her ample chest almost threatened to spill out of her cleavage.

    She had a curvy figure with toned arms and legs. Clearly a fighter.

    She was one of the most beautiful women Davian had ever laid his eyes on. Her beauty was on par with Grail and Wonder Woman.

    She was also very familiar. According to Nick''s memories, this could only be Power Girl. A parallel version of Supergirl from the main DC universe.

    Of course Davian had no context. Earth 16 only had Superman. There wasn''t a Supergirl as far as he knew.

    Someone with her looks definitely wouldn''t have flown under the radar.

    The look in her eyes showed exhaustion and wariness.

    "I told Zod I wasn''t going to join his little band of sickos so he sends the two of you?"

    Powergirl asked.

    "HUh?"

    Davian tilted his head in confusion.

    "Fine then. I guess I''ll just have to beat you to a pulp as a message to leave me the fuck alone."

    Powergirl spoke up again, then with a yell, she brashly advanced on the Reaper.

 Demise of the Old Gods.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Eons Ago)

    (The Reign of the Old Gods)

    A distraught farmer who had lost so much, once lived in a world of mortals and Old Gods.

    The mortals worshipped these Old Gods due to their immense power. They were giants. Walking concepts that fed unilaterally on faith.

    Faith offered to them by mortals. Yet the Old Gods were more interested in waging wars than actually hearing the pleas of their subjects.

    The Farmer had suffered loss after loss. And eventually, he reached his limit.

    He became disfranchised.

    He became faithless.

    Uxas, the son of Yuga Khan decided to take matters into his own hands. He approached the gods while they were asleep and whispered to them.

    He told each that the other Old Gods were plotting to kill them and seize their power. Due to his machinations, the Old Gods already predisposed to battle, evolved their conflict into a war for supremacy and survival.

    Eventually Uxas saw his plans come to pass. An Old God lay mortally wounded before him.

    ''What an ugly thing,'' he had thought.

    "Why do we have to be subservient to such... unworthy beings? Beings more concerned with fighting amongst each other than helping those who sustain their very essence?"

    He had mused to himself, standing behind the massive head of the Old God.

    "Little worm...pray to me."

    The Old God had wheezed out, life leaving it''s body.

    "Why?"

    Uxas had asked.

    "Because, I shall...*cough* give you what you desire..."

    The Old God had answered.

    Uxas had hoisted up his tool for tilling the land.

    "Very well. Then what I desire...is death to all of you, undeserving wretches. Death to The Old Gods!"

    And so his weapon had struck true.

    And the Old God had died.

    Uxas had absorbed his essence, becoming the first of the New Gods. His essence was no longer that of a mortal or a man. And that first taste led him to wanting more.

    Now tied to his new divinity, the Old Gods left, immediately felt him through their God Essence.

    Eyes glowing with the light of the Omega Effect, Uxas, now Darkseid looked out into the infinite expanse and felt their terrified stares.

    "Abomination!"

    "Unforgivable!"

    "Impossible!"

    Darkseid had laughed.

    "I am coming for you all. No longer shall we be lesser. Your era is over. So says Darkseid."

    The Old Gods had rallied together. Darkseid had kept good on his promise, destroying their brethren and taking their power.

    And so, they had come to a consensus. To save themselves and stop the Madman Uxas, they chose his brother Izaya, giving him power on par with Darkseid.

    Thus, Izaya dubbed as HighFather became the positive Counterpart to his brother.

    War raged, the Fourth World underwent massive upheaval between the factions of Darkseid and HighFather.

    Eventually the Fourth World was separated into two massive planets orbiting around each other, forever locked in a battle between good and evil.

    HighFather established New Genesis, a place of peace and beauty. It was the closest thing to heaven.

    Darkseid established Apokalips, a place of war and suffering. It was the closest thing to hell.

    Polar opposites, just like each other.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Their father, Yuga Khan seeing the destruction brought about by both, decided to take matters into his own hands and wrest control of Apokalips from Darkseid.

    He failed.

    Darkseid locked him away in the source wall, the final barrier separating the multiverse from the Overvoid.

    The source was the creator of all.

    Before Yuga Khan''s will was forever intertwined with the Promethian Gods stuck within the Source Wall, he had left behind a prophecy.

    "Just as you have betrayed your Progenitor Uxas, so shall you be betrayed. And the End of all shall come for you. Death itself lurks under your shadow, unseen. Only visible when you look at the corner of your eyes!"

    (Many years later)

    Myrina Black was the chosen Amazonian Assassin.

    But she believed her sisters had abandoned their duty to protect man''s world. Coming across the Evil God Darkseid, she saw his power and his plans for domination.

    Eventually he would come for Earth. So she sired a child in hopes that one day that child would bring about Darkseid''s End.

    Yet during the birth of the child, the Amazonian high priestess had a vision. One that foretold of a great calamity.

    Two immensely powerful beings locked in a battle that would shake the very foundations of the Cosmos.

    Myrina escaped, knowing they would blame her child and seek to kill it.

    And so the years passed, she trained her daughter into a fine Amazon and an even finer Warrior.

    Her daughter''s name was Grail.

    Yet, Myrina knew that just because she was a New God, Grail lacked the level of power wielded by her father and so they consulted the three fates.

    They denied her audience.

    They denied her acceptance.

    They called her Forsaken.

    Which had left only one option left. Grail was a New God. Hence, she could absorb the essence of other gods.

    And so begun Grail''s excursion into many worlds, seeking out the power of the Old Gods. With a Mother-box, something procured by her mother, dimensional walls became easy to traverse.

    Eventually her path brought her across someone unique.

    A being of pure strength and power. One without equal. Also one who didn''t want their vacation to be cut short because of some upstart beings bringing near to Earth.

    And so Lucifer had allowed her to take the soul of a certain resourceful Magician to aid her, wanting to see this entire matter through.

    The Devil had knowingly caused a massive shift in the timeline. And in doing so, the future was now uncertain.

    Lucifer couldn''t wait to see what would unfold as a result...

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    It''s official. Every superpowered chick I meet is crazy.

    Powergirl made good on her promise by coming at me like a rage fueled beast. I dodged every haymaker, punch, gouge and kick with minimal ease.

    We flashed across Limbo at dizzying speeds, me jumping from one Rock Island to another while she followed right after.

    Her body burst through each island without even slowing down, face set in a frown.

    Her heel came down on my previous position, tearing apart the rock island into two separate chunks. The dust died down to reveal me standing in mid air, one eyebrow raised at the destruction she had left in her wake.

    One thing you couldn''t say was that Kryptonians were weak.

    I speculated that Deimos wouldn''t have held a candle to her. Which meant 90% of the prisoners in the Phantom Zone wouldn''t stand a chance either.

    "Gah! Stand still will you?!"

    Powergirl yelled.

    I frowned.

    "Fine."

    She blinked at my answer before smiling while cracking her knuckles.

    "Really? Don''t blame me when I take your head off!"

    What a violent woman.

    She gave out a roar before shooting towards my direction, leaving a sonic boom behind her.

    "Eat Thisss!!"

    The air screamed around her fist in its path towards my cheek.

    (General P.O.V)

    Constantine felt it before he heard it. A vibration in the air, then a wind storm passed him by, blowing his coat and almost lifting up his body.

    "They''re mad."

    The Exorcist stated, kneeling on the ground.

    "This is as good a time as any to get the hell out of here."

    He bit his thumb drawing blood before using it to draw a magic circle.

    "I need an anchor."

    Luckily he had Trigon within him. The latter was connected by blood and heritage to a certain female teen superhero.

    Using his blood as the conduit (magic demanded a price in return) he could tap into that connection Trigon had with Raven and simply leave Limbo.

    Meanwhile the fighting happening between Davian and Powergirl seemed to have entered a lull.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "What?! How!"

    Powergirl demanded after her fist had failed to move me even an inch.

    The impact had produced a pressure blast bigger than a nuclear bomb. In the immediate area around us, nothing remained. Everything had been blown back, the rock islands shattering into thousands of smaller pieces that floated in the inert atmosphere.

    "I thought you wanted to take my head clean off?"

    I questioned her, tilting said head while staring at her in mockery.

    Powergirl grit her teeth.

    "I wasn''t done yet!"

    She pulled back her hand but faster than she could see, I backhanded her to sleep.

    The blow cracked the air loudly.

    Her body went limp in my arms.

    "Did you really think I was going to let you get another punch in?"

    I questioned the woman in my arms, before disappearing in a blur.

    My next step deposited me right beside Constantine, spooking him.

    "Bloody hell! Why would you scare me like that?"

    He asked, one hand over his chest. His body posture was angled slightly as if to hide something.

    He stared at the girl in my hands and raised an eyebrow.

    "What''s that?"

    I pointed at the pentagram on the ground he was trying hide away.

    "Oh this?"

    He shrugged.

    "Just an insurance incase things went bad. For you."

    At least he didn''t lie. I was ready to leave him here if he had.

    His eyes landed on the girl in my arms.

    "I mean look at her, she''s jacked mate. 10 times out of 10, I would bet on her winning over anyone."

    "He does have a point."

    Chase spoke into my mind.

    I mentally rolled my eyes at him.

    "Great, now you''re on this Asshole''s side?"

    My Zanpakuto spirit snorted.

    "I''m on the side of jiggly..."

    I cut off the transmission, shaking my head at his antics.

    Still, something needed to be said.

    "I''ll only say this once-"

    I paused.

    Then sighed, turning around to regard another uninvited guest. Or rather guests. It was a group of men and women, all wearing one piece body suits.

    The leading man was muscular underneath his outfit and on his chest was a very familiar logo.

    It was a stylized "Z" within a shield like design and Nick''s memories immediately identified it as the Emblem of the House of Zod.

    Fuck.

    These guys?

    "Greetings, I am General Zod."

    The man on the lead introduced himself, his voice deep and commanding.

    He continued,

    "The woman in your arms is a part of my group. Release her to me and we shall have no quarrel, stranger."

 9 Birds One Stone.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Zod.

    General of the Kryptonian army.

    One of Superman''s greatest enemies. All I could think at that moment however, was that he had a really punchable face.

    I took the chance to study him and his traitorous squad while he was busy trying to intimidate me into handing over Powergirl.

    9 of them. 7 men and two women. They hovered behind him in a clean formation, showing how disciplined they were.

    Their souls were strong. Very strong. Clearly these were men and women bred for war. Nick''s memories confirmed it for me. Playing around with genes was nothing new for the Kryptonian society.

    Each member had a role to play the second they were conceived.

    "Are you even listening?"

    Zod questioned with narrowed eyes.

    Constantine shifted next to me, creating some distance. I smiled. That was wise.

    "No. Not really."

    I replied.

    "You see, I believe in the saying, Finders Keepers. Not to say she belongs to me or anything but I suspect she doesn''t like you guys much."

    "Watch your mouth you insignificant trash."

    One of the women next to him sneered. I tagged her in my mind as Bitch despite Nick''s memories informing me of her identity. Ursa, Zod''s wife.

    Zod raised a hand and she settled down. Then he gently floated down onto the Rock Island.

    "She told you this?"

    He asked, trying to sound amiable.

    "No...more like screamed it actually. The very second she saw me, she thought I was working for you."

    I swept a glance across the whole group.

    "Clearly something is wrong with her eyes because I would never be caught in those body suits."

    I added with a chuckle.

    "You must be suicidal."

    Zod smiled darkly.

    "Tell me Stranger who are you and why does it seem as if you do not know me? Every being in the Phantom Zone knows who I am."

    I took a step forward, putting me at level with his eyes. I was just a tiny bit taller than he was.

    I didn''t look away from his gaze.

    "Oh, I know you. The real question is, how do you not know of me?"

    He blinked, then his eyes widened slightly.

    "You... You''re the one who fought the creature."

    He said in realization, referring to Doomsday.

    "Ding ding, someone get you a cookie."

    I quipped.

    "Impossible. He''s lying my love. No one can put up a fight with that thing and survive."

    Ursa- sorry, Bitch said, eyes roaming over my body before she dismissed me.

    "And yet we all felt it...it''s Dead. Truly Dead."

    The other woman in his squad pitched in. Her attitude was less bitchy than Ursa''s but it was clear I was nothing in her eyes.

    It wasn''t their fault. They couldn''t really sense my power. I had much more Spiritual Energy than everyone in Limbo combined.

    Only someone at my level or higher could sense my Reiryoku. I was also keeping my Reiatsu in check lest it burst out and crushed Constantine into paste.

    "Regardless, hand over the girl and you can walk away."

    Zod ordered, making to move past me towards Constantine who was holding Powergirl in his arms.

    "That''s not a good idea Mate."

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    The Exorcist voice came from my back, addressing Zod.

    "He''s never been keen on walking away even when he should. Trust me, I know."

    "And I''m not keen on repeating myself. Hand. Over. The. Girl."

    Zod said, placing his palm on my shoulder.

    Constantine took a few more steps away from me.

    "Bullocks, he''s going to tear this place apart."

    His words reached my ears.

    I didn''t bother telling him that despite these guys being powerful, there was no way they could push me that far.

    I looked at Zod''s palm then in a bored tone, replied with a single word.

    "No."

    "Allow me to crush them both for you, General."

    The biggest of the Kryptonian''s, a giant that was more than 7 feet tall spoke up.

    By his statement alone, I could tell he was more Brawn than Brain.

    "There''s nothing I hate more than being talked down at. Let''s change that."

    I addressed the Kryptonians still hovering in mid air.

    Using Fullbring, I pulled on Limbo''s soul. Gravity pressed down on their shoulders, forcefully bringing them down onto the ground with us.

    I turned my focus to the shocked General.

    "Remove your hand or lose it."

    I could spot the internal turmoil in his eyes. I''d caught him off guard. Finally self preservation won. Just as he was about to lift off his palm, Chesha Neko left it''s sheath and slashed out.

    One swing and I took his hand clean off his shoulder. Now, in the Phantom Zone you couldn''t feel pain. However, due to the nature of my abilities being soul based, the edge of my blade could cut past the physical body and into the soul.

    Zod released a massive howl of pain, taking a knee while holding his shoulder.

    His arm lay on the ground before him.

    ''"General!""

    Came a chorus of cries.

    "My love!"

    Ursa yelled in surprise and anger.

    "Yaahhh!!"

    The giant Kryptonian released a furious roar before bounding towards me. I aimed a finger pistol his way and released a bolt of demonic lightning.

    "Did you already forget you can''t use the Sin''s powers?!"

    Chase chastised.

    "Sorry. Couldn''t resist frying his ass."

    I responded with a smirk.

    The lightning bolt had zapped him across the air, off the floating island we were on, to smash on another a distance away.

    The second attack came from the only other woman in his squad. I saw her jabs from miles away, sidestepping the one-two, before she pulled into to my personal space, leg kicking out towards my chest.

    I blocked the attack, grabbing her foot, then spinning and throwing her towards Ursa who was tearing towards me in blind rage. The both of them collided, bowling over each other.

    "Stop."

    I raised a hand, increasing the gravity on the Kryptonians before I switched my attention to their leader.

    Zod stared up at me hatefully.

    "I took your arm as a warning Zod. However, I will not hesitate to kill you and your troops if it comes down to it."

    I warned.

    "The only reason I''m sparing your life is because you''re part of an endangered species. Just as it is Death''s duty to take life, so it is within my power to spare it. Be thankful."

    The look in his eyes was anything but thankful. I could feel his pride demanding he jump up and attack me. Rip me apart and bathe in my blood.

    However, for all his faults, Zod was not stupid. He knew he couldn''t fight me and win. And what I had said was true. They were part of an endangered species. Each of them was worth more alive than dead.

    I turned around the second I saw him accept his defeat.

    I had already wasted enough time here, I needed to go back to them physical world. Leaving someone uncontrollable like Grail in the material world was just asking for trouble.

    "Let''s-"

    I begun only for someone''s hand to break upon the shroud of Reiryoku I kept around me at times. The blow was impressive enough that I actually felt it.

    I was pushed forward a few steps, my hair unravelling from the messy knot I''d tied it up in.

    "Who told you you could turn your back on him? On Dru-Zod?!"

    Ursa said in faux bravado after attacking me. I could however see her trembling arm.

    It was clearly broken at the wrist.

    "Ursa! What have you done?!"

    Zod demanded, spotting the look in my eyes.

    "You stupid bitch."

    I muttered, looking back over my shoulder blankly.

    "I am going to rip you apart."

    "It''s a good thing then, that I''ve found a way you can benefit from their deaths."

    Chase spoke to me, no less angry than I was.

    Attacking someone from behind was the scummiest shit ever. Real power demanded you face it head on.

    I released my Reiatsu, and with it Reikaku spread out to encompass the whole area.sybe</a> Constantine was right and I was going to tear this place apart.

    Ursa gulped, her face paling as she took a few hesitant steps back. That same caution was shared by the rest.

    "How?"

    I asked Chase, already deciding that I wasn''t going to spare them.

    "A soul spell. A unique one. Something that might work but probably won''t. You see we can directly sublimate the Sin''s powers into your body, making it even stronger."

    He answered.

    "How?"

    I asked, turning around in preparation.

    "Using the Mother-box, we will influence the Seven deadly sins essence within you. Then by sacrificing a few strong souls, we can skip the whole practical aspect and simply achieve the results we need. Initially, I wasn''t going to propose this idea but...recent developments shows that we can kill 2 birds with one stone. Or rather 9."

    He answered.

    I smiled, catching on his train of thought.

    "Chase you brilliant cat. That''s genius. Let''s give it a try."

    I complimented him, pulling Zod''s arm towards me.

    Ursa decided she didn''t like that and took a leap towards me once more. A few meters from me and her body slowed down, she started moving as if wading through a thick syrup.

    An effect caused by my potent Reiryoku.

    "What about the Sin''s abilities? Will I still be able to use them?"

    This was the real question.

    I would need more power to face the God of Evil. The fight with Trigon had only reinforced that idea. So I couldn''t risk losing them.

    "Maybe, maybe not. It''s a risk. All that matters is getting rid of their influence on your emotions. How useful is a power that makes you lose self control?"

    Chase returned with a question.

    He was right.

    Still, treating Spirit energy as if it was magic? Not to mention using New God tech to make changes in my body?

    How the fuck had we reached this stage? Last week, I was coming off my first month of training. This month was supposed to be spent working on Reiryoku manipulation.

    Still, I had already established the fact that nothing ever went according to plan when it came to me.

    I stared at the arm in my hands. This will work. It has to. Otherwise the Sin''s abilities would be useless to me.

    "So how do we do this?"

    I asked the natural follow up question.

 Pseudo-Champion.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Nanda Parbat)

    The sun stood at its zenith, shining down on the white capped mountains.

    The mountain range cast a shadow over a big chunk of the city of Nanda Parbat, to the point torches were lit across the walls surrounding the city.

    At the highest part of the city however, a beautiful garden basked in the full glory of the local star, it''s height enough to breach past the shadows.

    The Goddess Rama Kushna sat in a meditative position staring out into the city of her devotees.

    The time for the crisis that had been looming over them was at hand. The time for war, had arrived.

    Rama could feel the strings of fate lightly ripple with the shockwaves caused by the battle happening in the future.

    The impact was strong enough to be felt even in the past. And that was adding to the problem that they already had.

    The one about the escape of the Forgotten gods from the Graveyard of the Gods.

    The incursions had been set to happen later on in the new year but that timeline had been moved up now.

    And the one destined to face these Forgotten Gods was nowhere to be found. Lost in Limbo. Even with her divine powers, she could only confirm that Davian was still alive, not his location nor who he was with.

    The Earth needed a savior however. And it was for that reason...

    "Enter."

    The Goddess said.

    Lady Shiva walked in from the back, followed closely by Boston Brand (Deadman) and Jade Nguyen (Cheshire).

    "I respectfully disagree with this decision." Shiva immediately begun talking,

    "While trained they lack the necessary fortitude to..."

    "Then you will teach them what they lack."

    Rama Kushna interrupted, not turning around from her meditative position. She opened her eyes before tilting her head up to stare at the sun.

    "The emergence of darkness necessitates the birth of light to combat it. Our light is currently off training somewhere to get even stronger."

    She looked over her shoulder.

    "Which means that as his companions, it naturally falls on you to shoulder this burden."

    Deadman and Cheshire stared at each other. An unspoken conversation seemed to go on between them.

    Then they shifted their attention back to the Goddess.

    "We''re in."

    Cheshire answered for both of them, Deadman only giving a curt nod.

    "Good. Now the question remaining is, can you hunt down and kill a god?"

    (Elsewhere)

    The streets of Metropolis were filled with pandemonium.

    Concrete and debris from destroyed buildings and wrecked vehicles filled the shattered streets.

    Civilians ran wildly, screaming in fear at the Para-demons swooping down and abducting Civilians, taking them to a massive alien ship off the coast of Metropolis.

    The ship was designed to be intimidating and featured a matte'' black color.

    The wind blew past a group of Para-demons about to grab a bus full of young kids. The aliens were sent spiralling out into the surroundings as Superman manifested above the bus.

    In Gotham, the Batwing circled the Wayne Tower in an evasive maneuver. Behind the craft was an entire troop of Para-demons following closely.

    Some of the creatures released shots from their high tech energy weapons. Batman saw the attack from miles away and strafed to the right, dodging the beams.

    Unfortunately they landed on Wayne Tower and decimated the top office.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    "That is not what I meant by remodeling your office sir."

    Alfred''s voice spoke through Batman''s comms.

    The Dark Knight smirked slightly.

    "Yoh know me, Alfred. I aim to exceed your expectations."

    Central City, the Flash could be seen blitzing past, rescuing the people in the clutches of the Para-demons before doubling back to disarm them and tie them up with tough metallic cables.

    "Didn''t anyone ever tell you not to play with guns?"

    The fastest man quipped.

    The Para-demons struggled, trying to break through the cables but failed.

    "Good luck getting out of those. It took me 0.07898 seconds to twine them up. Adios."

    The speedster gave a wave and blitzed off.

    In major cities across the United States, the same attacks were happening.

    One minute, everything had been going okay, then the next, these alien ships had appeared out of nowhere, passing through Boom Tubes.

    Para-demons, massive hulking humanoid aliens that could fly, had begun pouring forth from the ships and started snatching people away.

    *******

    In San Francisco at a certain Tower, things were a bit different.

    For starters, Raven was sneaking around in her own base as they sort to escape their pursuers.

    She could normally create a portal to take her anywhere she wanted but something was wrong with her magic.

    It felt as if it was being blocked.

    "Desaad."

    Grail had said once Raven had brought up the matter.

    "One of my father''s lackeys. He''s the smart but decidedly cruel one."

    Grail further explained as they crawled through the ventilation shaft.

    "He must have put up a magic negating field."

    "Wait, he can do that?"

    Raven was incredulous. For starters her ''magic'' wasn''t actually pure magic. It was more like demonic energy with the flavor of the mysticness.

    "There is little that you cannot do with a Mother-box. Let alone it''s stronger counterpart...a Fatherbox."

    Grail answered, her eyes shining in a little greed.

    If she got her hands on one of those...

    A dull thunk! Sounded out as a crossbolt dug itself through the base of the ventilation shaft.

    Grail smiled.

    "They found us! Which means it''s time to fight! Hiyaaa!!"

    She yelled with glee, tearing apart the shaft with her Omega Beams before jumping through.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Okay so how do we do this?"

    In response to my question, Chase sent forth a single word.

    "Shikai."

    Immediately, I smiled, knowing exactly what he had meant by that.

    "I don''t like the look in your eyes. What are you planning?"

    Constantine questioned.

    "Keep an eye on her. We won''t be here for too long."

    I told him, getting close to Ursa who was still caught in my Reiryoku field.

    Her soul seemed to have been stunned by the weight of my Reiatsu as she made no move even as I stopped beside her.

    My eyes made contact with Zod. They drifted from my face to my hand and what I had clutched in my fingers.

    His dismembered arm.

    Then they drifted back to my face and the small smile tugging at my lips. My eyes said it all, ''keep watching.''

    His heart seemed to skip a beat as he realized what was about to happen.

    "Don''t."

    Zod bit out, legs trembling as he stood on his feet.

    "Don''t you dare..."

    Krwaaaack!!!

    Before he could complete his statement, the arm swung out, making contact with Ursa''s head.

    At that instant, I felt a surge of glee and strength rush into my hand. A maniacal smile tore across my face, causing me to exert more strength than I had planned.

    This was payback for the cheap-shot.

    I wanted to see if I could burst apart her head. A heat was burning within my chest. Fury, I realized, my face actually hurting from the crazed grin stretching my lips.

    There was a pressure wave that rushed out into Limbo''s inert air. My clothes ruffled as the dust died down to reveal a gruesome scene.

    A headless Ursa fell to her knees, her body tilted on its side as she fell off the edge of the Rock Island into the darkness below.

    Silence reigned.

    "Mmh, wasn''t intending for that to get messy so quick."

    I said with a frown, already suspecting what had happened.

    "I told you not to use the Sin''s abilities before we dealt with the issue of control."

    Chase chastised.

    I shrugged.

    "Yeah yeah...I was already going to kill her anyway. Plus she was a bitch."

    I could see her soul rise up to try and leave for the afterlife. Unfortunately, Limbo was a spiritual realm. The only outcome for her would be to join with the realms''s essence.

    But fortunately or unfortunately for her, I had plans for her soul.

    I held out a hand and the soul gently approached it. It was a grey thing. Almost bordering on black.

    "See."

    I told Chase smugly.

    "Her murky soul confirms it. She really was a bitch during her life."

    Mmh. I looked up, sensing a disturbance in the force( haha). Seriously though, I was about to witness something that could only be scene in an anime.

    A rage moment.

    "Ursa..."

    Zod muttered, staring down at the ground.

    "You...you killed her. You FUCKIN KILLED HER! BY RAO I SHALL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

    The stones around him begun to float into the air. The aura around him changed, a shroud of gray energy cladding his body.

    "Is it just me or is that energy familiar?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto, fully unsheathing Chesha Neko.

    Zod looked up, revealing completely black eyes.

    "No doubt about it...the memories are foggy but I remember someone who had this exact energy signature."

    I added, leaning forward slightly.

    "Not someone- something. Specifically, the consciousness of Limbo itself. It has attached to Zod''s soul, making him a pseudo champion."

    Chase, reliable as usual came through with an answer.

    "That''s what expelled me out of the Phantom Zone."

    I realized.

    "Yes. And you know what that means..."

    Chase prompted.

    "I''m no longer fighting just Zod. I''m fighting the Phantom Zone itself."

    (General P.O.V)

    "I spared you once Child of Death, on account to your lineage. No more. This time, you shall die and forever be trapped in my realm."

    Aethyr, hidden behind layers of space said, looking on at the battle about to unfold.

    *******

    Never had he felt such rage.

    And with that rage came power. Power strong enough to move mountains. Strong enough to break planets.

    Zod''s brilliant strategic mind was replaced by this animalistic urge to tear apart his enemy.

    All reasonable thought fled from his mind, leaving one singular thought, kill. With a single lunge, he spelled his doom.

 24 hours.

    (General P.O.V)

    The air trembled as Zod rose to his feet, his hair waving wildly in the air. His face was twisted in a feral expression, and his presence alone pressured the Phantom Zone itself.

    "What is this...power?"

    One of the Kryptonians behind Davian wondered out loud.

    His tone was full of awe and hope.

    "General..."

    Faora, the other female Kryptonian muttered, trying and failing to get up from the ground.

    Zod hit his chest with his one hand. A sign to his soldiers. One that was a promise of victory.

    Then the rage filled man shifted his focus to the enemy. One who had taken away half of his heart.

    The memory of Ursa''s headless body falling into the depths of Limbo sent a fresh wave of hate and rage through him. This wasn''t going to be a battle for conquest. But one for vengeance.

    "You..."

    Zod begun, his eyes, two swirling black pools that threatened to pull anyone in and submerge them in their inky depths.

    "I''ll destroy you."

    He told Davian, flying forward slowly.

    He wanted to savor the look of fear on his face as he realized what was about to occur. Yet...he saw none.

    Davian merely raised a single brow.

    "Oooh I''m sooo scared."

    He mocked in derision, cleaning his ear with a finger.

    "Your threats are nothing I haven''t heard before, Zod old boy. Can''t you come up with something original?"

    Such impudence!

    How could the fool not sense the power Zod held within himself?! It shook the core of the Phantom Zone!

    He must have overestimated Davian. That was the only thing that made sense. Taking his arm must have been a fluke! An accident.

    In Zod''s mind, there was no way Davian was as calm as he pretended to be. He must have been shaking in his boots and trying his best to appear blase''.

    Very well...he wanted a real threat? Zod would do him one better.

    He would make him a promise.

    The Kryptonian'' General''s face twisted into an ugly sneer.

    "How about this, I''ll twist your head from your neck and beat your companion and that El bitch you''re protecting to death with your spine."

    He didn''t stop there,

    "Then I am going to find a way out of here, go to your world, kill everyone there, men, women and children. And in the ashes of your planet, I shall rebuild Krypton anew!"

    Davian blinked, then he chuckled darkly.

    The Reaper spread out his hands and declared,

    "10/10! That delivery was flawless and intimidating! That''s what I''m talking about! Then come! Show me how powerful you are, General Zod! Show me where you get the confidence to taunt Death itself!"

    There was no more talking needed then.

    "Yaaahhhh!!!"

    Zod gave a loud yell before lunging forward with the force of a Rocket during takeoff.

    His single hand was cocked back. It didn''t matter that he had lost the other one. With this new power brimming within him, he would not only kill-

    Huh...

    Why did it feel as if he was moving in slow motion?

    He turned his head around. Limbo''s inert atmosphere burned around him as he surpassed the speed of sound.

    The air cried out as he poured more energy into his speed. It paid off, he was now moving above the speed of lightning in just a nano-second.

    And yet his reaction time never lagged behind. Using the principles of Torquasm Vo, his body and mind reached a state of perfect unification.

    He had ascended from a mere mortal into something else.

    A God.

    And that state allowed him to finally see what had been hidden from his gaze all these years spent in the Phantom Zone. There were so many rifts in space!

    So many ways they could have escaped their unfair incarceration. All they had needed to do was simply push.

    He wished he''d known that before. Maybe then Ursa would be alive. But that was in the past. He was a God now. He could bring her back.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    After all he had power now. He was more powerful than anyone. More powerful than the Creature, Doomsday.

    More powerful than even Rao himself.

    He refocused his attention towards the Enemy.

    More powerful than-

    Huh?

    What?!!

    How?!!

    This presence. This aura.

    (A miasma of black energy shooting upwards, penetrating the Phantom Zone''s sky and then spreading outwardly with infinite strings attached to this skeleton with burning green fire, a green scythe in one hand and dark spirit wings flapping gently behind...)

    He blinked. The vision disappeared.

    Davian''s cocky smile returned.

    Zod snorted. That must have been a trick of light. He was power incarnate. Nothing and no one could stop him.

    Least of all something-

    Huh?

    There it was again!

    This time the image lasted longer as Zod dove into it with his senses. And he found out the truth. Like a wound in space, the Reaper stood above all in Limbo.

    How could anything be so completely... completely...

    Completely...

    Empty.

    ''Because you are witnessing Death''s real form.''

    The answer came unbidden to him. It just appeared in his mind.

    And that''s when reality struck. He couldn''t win-

    At that very instant, Davian raised his sword and smirked, not only moving at the same speeds that Zod was, but doing so easily.

    "Chase...*it''s feeding time.*

    His tone changed, growing hollow as his presence grew even larger. Large enough to completely dominate any strength Zod thought he had.

    "Gladly!"

    Chase answered, from the depths of the Reaper''s inner World.

    The Blade in Davian''s hand unravelled into purple strings that quickly reformed into a massive cat''s head.

    The cat opened it''s maw and before Zod could even blink, he was swallowed whole in a single bite.

    Silence.

    "That was much better than last time, my Wielder."

    Chase commented, burping slightly.

    Davian threw his head back and laughed.

    "Oh man! That was so fucking cool! Dude actually thought I was going to waste my strength fighting him when he could pull infinite power from the Phantom Zone itself."

    "No... General..."

    Faora said slowly. Her and the rest of the Kryptonians couldn''t believe it. One minute their salvation had seemed at hand.

    Then the next...

    "Mmmh..."

    Davian heard her.

    He looked over his shoulder, his face impassive as his now loose hair hang over his eyes.

    "Chase, how many of them do you need for the spell?"

    The Soul Reaper enquired. It didn''t feel as if he was talking about lives. His tone contained no remorse over what he had done or...what he was about to.

    Chesha Neko''s strings, quickly wove together to build the rest of Chase''s body. Towering over 15 feet, the cat''s monstrous figure prowled, shifting it''s body to walk around Davian.

    "Bullocks...that''s one huge cat."

    Constantine muttered to himself as he took a few steps back.

    The female Kryptonian in his arms shifted, the commotion seeming to rouse her.

    Chase licked it''s teeth, tongue running along their length.

    "All."

    He finally answered.

    Some of the Kryptonians yelped in fear as the massive creature approached.

    "Please...spare..." Faora begun, only for long tentacles to emerge out of the cat''s mouth, grab onto every last one of the remaining Kryptonians and pull them inside the Zanpakuto Spirit.

    "Mmh...tasty."

    Chase commented on the quality of the food.

    "And you say I don''t get you nice things. What''s nicer than 9 arrogant Kryptonians who thought themselves above everyone else?"

    Davian asked his Zanpakuto spirit, patting it''s leg.

    "I thank you. And with this... we''ll be able to handle your little sin situation, my Wielder."

    Chase'' voice rumbled, its form folding upon itself before it turned into a Zanpakuto, gripped in Davian''s hand.

    The latter stared at the sword in his hands with appreciation.

    "Call me Davi, Chase. And good work."

    Constantine looked grossed out with everything that had happened.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Did you just...eat them?"

    The Exorcist spoke up from his position, face twisted in disgust.

    "What?"

    I looked at him weirdly.

    "Don''t be preposterous. I didn''t eat them, my Cat did."

    "Huh."

    He scoffed, staring at me strangely.

    "Your cat...that thing is a cat?"

    I couldn''t help it, once more I found myself laughing as I moved past the confused Exorcist, patting him on the shoulder.

    "What you think you know about me is nothing compared to what I actually am."

    I held up the Mother-box in my hand, connecting with it''s essence by diving into its soul.

    Yes, she had a soul. And it was one of the purest I had ever seen. I hadn''t needed to interact with her so directly before. Creating Boom Tubes was like the most basic of her functions.

    But what I had planned needed more than that.

    (You''re very efficient.)

    I complimented the sentient computer.

    Calling her that was akin to telling her she was beautiful.

    She pinged at me, sending pulses and beeps that I could easily interpret as gratitude and endearment.

    "Okay Chase, now-"

    Mmh.

    I stopped, eyes narrowing as something tugged at my senses.

    My eyes drifted down to Chesha Neko''s sheath and the red gem that was sending a beacon at me.

    I had the gem connected to the New Earth''s Raven, so that if she was in any form of danger that she couldn''t protect or save herself from, I would be informed.

    No matter where I was or what I was doing.

    "You''re right. I can sense through the rifts in space that all 52 universes in the known multiverse are facing a crisis, my Wielder."

    Chase informed me.

    "A crisis of the Apokalips kind."

    "Darkseid."

    I said out loud.

    So he has begun to make his move.

    "What! How do you know that name?!"

    Power girl who had been pretending to be asleep, immediately jumped out of Constantine''s arms and demanded.

    I looked at her quizzically. At her torn costume, the bedraggled appearance and instantly it all clicked.

    "That''s who you were fighting isn''t it? Darkseid or rather his forces"

    I said in realization.

    Powergirl opened her mouth in surprise, then closed it, pressing her lips together as a flash of pain appeared on her face.

    She gently drifted down to the ground, her body trembling with hate and rage at what seemed like bad memories.

    "They swarmed us. Kal used the only thing he could to save me, the Phantom Zone projector. I lost another home."

    She bit out painfully.

    "First Krypton and now..."

    Powergirl looked away.

    "I know all about losing homes. And the people you care about. I understand what you mean."

    I told her with a sigh, sympathetic to her plight.

    She turned her baby blue eyes my way and gave a shaky nod.

    "Sorry for attacking you. I thought you were with-"

    I raised a hand, stopping her.

    Then lowered it for a handshake.

    "Let''s start over...my name is Davian. Davian Mabuz."

    Powergirl stared at the hand and eventually grasped it.

    "I''m Powergirl...but my real name is Kara Zor-El. Not that a secret identity matters now..."

    She greeted, a small smile spreading across her beautiful face.

    "Constantine''s the name, love. Though it doesn''t seem as if you care that much."

    The magician introduced himself.

    The Kryptonian turned to him.

    "I know who you are. Or rather a version of you."

    Kara responded, hands held across her ample chest.

    "The League had a protocol in place, in case you ever went rogue."

    "Oh...so not charmed huh?"

    Constantine chuckled nervously, while scratching his hair.

    "Not even close."

    Powergirl replied blandly.

    Meanwhile, I was in discussion with Chase.

    "How long will the spell take?"

    I asked, only to receive some unfortunate news.

    "24 hours."

 Hold Down The Fort.

    (General P.O.V)

    The instant Grail landed in the hallway, numerous Cross-bolts cut a path through the air, moving at fast speeds towards her.

    Her eyes glowed and the light of the Omega beams promptly swallowed the projectiles. Kanto jumped back, dodging the eye beams, which tore off chunks from the floor.

    "So feisty la fille."

    Darkseid''s chief assassin exclaimed dramatically, pulling on his weapon to send more sharp bolts at Grail.

    Every single one of them was aimed at places meant to deal lethal damage.

    Grail was prepared. She tensed her body, her flesh''s natural resistance to damage coming into play. The bolts shattered on her impervious skin.

    Kanto''s hand trembled slightly.

    "Oh dear. That is about the only trick I can do."

    He said with a slightly bitter expression.

    "Yeah well, now it''s my turn! My Omega Beams will turn you to ashes!"

    Grail yelled, releasing another twin attacks that zig zagged around the cramped up hallway.

    Only for her head to whip to the side as Lashina to burst through the wall to Grail''s left, landing a punch across the Amazon''s face.

    The resulting shockwave made the whole hallway shake, increasing the risk of the destroyed upper floors of the tower falling on top of their heads.

    Grail spat to the side, her face twisted up in a bloodthirsty grin.

    "You''ll pay for that Fury bitch."

    Lashina remained undeterred.

    "For the daughter of Darkseid, you sure are surprisingly weak."

    The Fury replied.

    Kanto winced.

    "Take that back Lashina or else she''ll fry you."

    Grail snapped. A roar rising up from her throat. Her eyes glowed in preparation for an attack, only for a few round pellets to fall onto the ground between the two women.

    "Close your eyes and cup your ears!"

    Raven said, jumping out of the shaft and pushing Grail to the ground.

    The flash bombs exploded, filling the air with smoke.

    Lashina and Kanto were unprepared, stumbling away disoriented.

    Grail''s form flew out of the smoke, slamming onto Lashina, sending her and Kanto both flying out of the building.

    Raven hurried to the end of the hallway after them. She looked out through the hole the three had created but only spotted Grail hovering in mid air.

    Lashina and Kanto had fallen into the bay.

    That wasn''t all. A shadow was cast over the smoking Titan''s tower. Turning her eyes towards the sky, Raven''s face paled.

    A massive alien ship was floating above their base!

    Para-demons flew into and out of the distant San Francisco, bringing civilians into the massive ship.

    "I''m gonna go and bring that whole thing down."

    Grail decided, slamming her fist into her open palm.

    "Wait! We have to rescue the people inside first."

    Raven cut in, stepping out into the open air while calling onto her magic.

    With Kanto and Lashina out of the picture, her abilities seemed to return. Whatever was blocking her magic had stopped.

    "Plus, that must be where they took my teammates. We need to work together to get them out. Not even you alone can take on all these creatures."

    Raven added, flying beside Grail.

    "Fine." Grail snorted.

    "You can save your precious teammates but I have a bone to pick with that ugly bastard Desaad. He''s mine."

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    With the fairly simple plan, both cut a path towards the ship.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "24 hours is too long Chase. By then Darkseid''s armies could have already taken over the planet. We need a different solution."

    Time was of the essence, and I needed all the power I had at my disposal to face the Evil God.

    "Well, I''m out of ideas. 24 hours is reasonable if you consider the uncharted territory."

    He answered.

    That wasn''t good enough for me however. What I needed was a way to bypass that timeframe.

    I looked around, maybe I could take advantage of the Phantom Zone, pull on it''s soul and influence the speed of time.

    No, even with all my power that wouldn''t be an easy task. Not to mention, Aethyr would fight for control. I had a feeling he wasn''t a great fan of me. Especially considering I seemed to have a knack for destroying his realm whenever I was in it.

    Mmmh. Maybe controlling Limbo was out of the question, but the idea had merit. Instead of manipulating the time difference in such a large scale, I could do so in a small field around me.

    And fortunately for me, I had a skilled magician that I could use.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Time to make yourself useful Constantine."

    Davian told the exorcist while approaching him.

    "I need a time dilation field. One that can run at no less than 10 times faster than real-time."

    Davian told the magician.

    That would lessen the 24 hours into something under 30 minutes. For him it would still be 24 hours, but on the outside, an hour wouldn''t have even gone by.

    Constantine looked at him strangely.

    "What do you need a time dilation field for?"

    "Does it matter?"

    Davian asked in a little annoyance.

    "Can you do it?"

    Constantine said nothing for a few seconds before he slowly nodded in thought.

    "Theoretically, sure."

    He shrugged.

    "That said, I don''t think I can get you to 10 times. Not unless..."

    His eyes drifted to the gem embedded on Chesha Neko''s scabbard.

    His eyes gained a glint.

    "That gem is a powerful magic conduit. If you can store your spirit energy inside it, I can use it to power up a spell formation that can speed up your personal time. That can only go up to 7�� however."

    He mused to himself, sounding unsure.

    Davian''s eyes grew unfocused as he had brief conversation with Chase.

    Then he looked back to the exorcist.

    "Fine. That''s still doable."

    He unstrapped the scabbard on his hip, removed the gem and held it up.

    Next, Davian pulled on his Reiryoku and begun pumping in a ridiculous amount of it into the gem. The gem devoured it ravenously, glowing a mixture of purple and red.

    Then with a reluctant frown, the Reaper dropped the stone into Constantine''s open palm. The Exorcist closed his fingers around the gem brimming with the most exotic energy he had ever sensed.

    The things he could do with this energy were endless. Severing the connection between him and Ultron being chief among them.

    Davian grabbed his wrist in a vice grip.

    "It''s no secret I don''t trust you Constantine. Don''t mess this up."

    The Reaper warned, flexing his Reiatsu.

    Constantine gulped, his magical senses briefly overwhelmed by Davian''s Reiatsu.

    "Trust me mate, I''m not suicidal. I''ll only use it for it''s intended purpose then give it right back."

    The Exorcist assured, taking a knee and beginning to make alterations to the magic formation he had previously created to escape the Phantom Zone.

    "I wouldn''t need to use it as a battery, if I had enough reserves to do it myself."

    He grumbled, throwing a glance at Davian and a silent Powergirl.

    "And for all your power, neither of you are exactly magic savvy."

    "I don''t need magic to pommel your face in."

    Powergirl snorted.

    "You''re a very violent individual, you know that?"

    Constantine responded with a sigh.

    "I''m glad you noticed."

    Kara said, walking towards the magician with a hostile look on his face.

    "It will make it easier for me to beat you to a pulp WHEN you do eventually betray us."

    Even Davian seemed caught off guard by her intensity.

    "One thing I didn''t tell you was what happened when Darkseid came for my world. A minor detail in the grand scheme of things, sure but important none the less."

    She stopped before him, fixing him a heated glare.

    "While everyone stood to fight, you ran away like a coward! You left Zatanna and the rest of the League to fend for themselves! The truth is that in every world John Constantine, you are a fucking PIECE OF SHIT WHO ONLY LOOKS OUT FOR ONE PERSON! YOURSELF."

    Powergirl yelled accusingly, eyes glowing with hate as she regarded the magician.

    Constantine cocked his head to the side, looking unfazed.

    "That''s right sweetheart, I''m an asshole. I never once pretended to be anything else. That version of me that ran away had the right idea. Why die when he could live to fight another day?"

    Powergirl found her punch blocked by Davian''s palm before it could land on the Exorcist''s cheek and take off his head.

    "You can''t trust him."

    Powergirl told Davian, trying to overpower him.

    "I know."

    Davian agreed softly.

    "But for all his faults, he''s useful."

    "Tch. Screw this."

    Powergirl said, breathing harshly while backing away.

    "I''m outta here."

    She took to the air and flew away.

    The two of them watched her go, then Constantine sighed, turning to Davian.

    "Thats the third time I''ve almost died today. Staying with you is bad for my health."

    "Less talking, more doing."

    Davian told the magician, walking a distance away before sitting at the edge of the Rock Island in a meditative pose.

    He placed Chesha Neko across his lap and begun to prepare himself for the process, ignoring the magician at his back.

    Constantine stared at the direction Powergirl had flown in and frowned.

    Then he shifted his entire focus to drawing the formation.

    (Earth)

    "Batman to all League members, anyone free to gather in Metropolis. I know how we can take them all out."

    The Dark Knight called into his comms.

    "Why Metropolis?"

    Green Lantern asked,

    "I have my hands full with Coast City."

    "The bulk of their forces seem to be concentrated in Metropolis, no doubt due to Superman''s presence."

    Batman explained, his jet plowing through dozens of Para-demons as he approached the Alien Ship above Gotham bay.

    "The other reason is that the vessel above Metropolis seems to be their main control hub. The Para-demons are connected via a group link and the origin of the signal coordinating their movements is coming from..."

    "Metropolis."

    Superman concluded, his freeze breath freezing the wings of a few Para-demons in the sky.

    The humans they held within their grasp fell to the ground, only for a scarlet blur to streak through the street, grabbing them before they could land.

    "First one here."

    Flash said through the comm link.

    "Good."

    Batman said, ducking a volley of attacks from the Apokaliptian vessel''s security measures before deploying a missile that struck the ship on it''s side, causing it to tilt and fall into the Gotham bay.

    "Hold down the fort before the rest of us get there."

    The Dark Knight told his teammates.

 Coordinated Attack.

    (General P.O.V)

    It didn''t take long for the whole League to gather in Metropolis.

    Once there, they mounted a coordinated attack.

    Batman, Superman and Aquaman moved on to deal with the Apokaliptian ship. The main aim being to shut down the hive-mind controlling the Para-demons and save the people who had already been abducted.

    The rest of the League had the job of dealing with the Para-demons in the city that were wreaking havoc.

    And that''s how it had been for the last 20 minutes.

    ******

    A glowing yellow rope snaked out through the air, wrapping around a group of Para-demons.

    The Greek Demigod in control of the Lasso, danced in the air, releasing the Para-demons towards Shazam.

    "Who''s ready for some thunder?"

    The Champion of the gods asked, throwing his hands out and unleashing a wave of yellow Lightning that devoured the Para-demons.

    A few missiles blew up behind him, blackened Para-demons falling off the sky from the resulting smoke.

    "What your back Shazam."

    Cyborg told him, diving down towards a different group of the same creatures, his shoulder weapons priming up with energy.

    A flash of yellow weaved through the streets, running rounds around the Para-demons and creating a tornado that blew them to the sky.

    "You''re welcome!"

    The flash said, running off to another part of the city.

    Cyborg narrowed his eyes, his cybernetic eyes placing the Para-demons in his target. He had the shot.

    "Kapoow!!"

    Shazam yelled, sending several wild bolts of lightning down at the whirlwind, frying the Para-demons, before Cyborg could even pull the trigger.

    "I had that."

    The half man half metal said blandly once the champion of the Gods reached him.

    "I know."

    Shazam replied cheekily.

    Cyborg shook his head and they both flew down to the ground, joining Green Lantern and Wonder woman, who had a group of snarling Para-demons tied up on the floor by her Lasso.

    The Para-demons fidgeted, releasing unintelligible animalistic howls at the Leaguers.

    "What are they saying?"

    Wonder Woman asked Green Lantern.

    The space cop shrugged.

    "How should I know? just because I know some aliens doesn''t mean I know every alien language."

    He cast a glance at the snarling creatures.

    "If that is even a Language."

    "No more fliers coming through this way."

    Cyborg informed them once he landed.

    Flash materialized beside them in a burst of speed.

    "I''ve dealt with all the stray Para-demons in the city. I think we got them all."

    He looked around.

    "We''re still missing two of us."

    He said, referring to the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight.

    Wonder Woman turned to regard the Apokaliptian Spaceship off into the ocean. It wasn''t as clear from this far out but the vessel was smoking, seeming to have sustained attacks.

    It was also falling slowly into the ocean.

    "They should be done by now."

    And speaking of the devil, Batman''s jet flew over them, turning around at the end of the street, to hover beside the group.

    The hatch opened up and Superman flew down with someone held in his hands by their collar.

    A large man with a scraggly beard, savage eyes and a bloodthirsty smile on their face.

    "Oh look at that, Supes brought a friend to work."

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    Flash commented as they all surrounded the pair.

    Superman pushed the man forward.

    "Guys, meet Kalibak. He''s Darkseid''s son. And you won''t believe the story he has."

    Superman said, introducing the New God.

    (Elsewhere) ~OA~

    Over millions of light years away another conflict was about to unfold.

    This particular conflict wouldn''t be confined to a single planet. The outcome carried with it the fate of thousands of sectors across different galaxies.

    Trillions of sentient beings would be affected by the result.

    Ganthet of the Guardians of the Universe watched with mounting unease as their once tranquil planet, Oa, became a battleground.

    Every active Green Lantern Corps member had been summoned from every corner of the galaxy to defend their sacred home, the Central Power Battery, against ''THE'' imminent threat.

    Ganthet had known that sooner or later it would come to this.

    And no matter what transpired here today, the Guardians could not lose. He looked at another of his race, the same determination gazed back at him.

    There was the rumble of multiple Boomtubes.

    From without, in the darkness of space, thousands of Apokaliptian spaceships entered OAn airspace, hovering on the outskirts of the Atmosphere.

    "It is time."

    Dennap another of the Guardians of the Universe said, her face beset with worry.

    "For the sake of everything...let''s hope we do not lose."

    The sky overhead became a swirling mass of emerald energy constructs as thousands of Green Lanterns took their positions, rising up to form a formidable barrier around the planet.

    More than half of them moved on ahead to face the advancing enemy.

    The rest reinforced the barrier around the globe, concentrating most of their forces around the city.

    The Apokaliptian vessels turned their weapons towards the Green Lantern. But they didn''t stop there, the ship''s hatch opened up and hundreds of thousands of Para-demons flew out to meet them.

    Kilowog at the head of the attacking force tightened his hand.

    "Lanterns! Say it with me! In brightest day..."

    The corp chant was recited universally by every single Lantern. The emerald light of their environmental shields flaring up been brightly.

    "Okay Poozers! Show me what you got!"

    Along with Kilowog''s yell, a construct was formed from his extended hand. A large emerald shield, bolstered by the immense will of the gathered Lanterns covered their front.

    The first of the attacks landed on it, drowning the much smaller group of Lanterns under heat and light.

    The atmosphere on Oa was heavy with tension, the very air charged with the palpable fear of the Lanterns left manning the barrier around the planet.

    Down on the ground, the Guardians looked on as the battle truly begun.

    Ganthet found himself skeptical of their chances yet again.

    The Corps had faced countless adversaries throughout the eons, but this was different. This was a threat of cosmic proportions.

    A threat that no longer saw the need to sit out the fight.

    A sudden hush fell over the assembly of Guardians.

    "He has arrived."

    Ganthet said gravely, a Boomtube directly appearing above the barrier around the city.

    To be specific, right in the sky over the Central Power Battery.

    The Guardians exchanged grave looks as they ascended to the sky. No matter what, the Central Power Battery could not be lost.

    Out from the swirling yellow portal, emerged a hulking figure, his presence casting an ominous shadow over Oa.

    The intruder had ashy gray skin that seemed to absorb the light around him. His muscular build radiated power, and his glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness.

    The Green Lanterns recognized him instantly, and a shiver ran down their spines. Darkseid had arrived.

    "Lanterns! Remember your duty!"

    Tomar-Re, the commander of the barrier squad yelled as he flew towards Darkseid, followed by hundreds of his fellow Lanterns.

    "For the Univer- "

    Tomar-Re''s head and Torso disappeared as twin Omega Beams disintegrated his upper body. Then the beams danced through the air, zig-zagging through hundreds of Green Lanterns in a single second.

    "How cruel."

    Dennap muttered looking away from the horrifying sight.

    "We should consider a retreat."

    Another of the Guardians suggested with a gulp. Ganthet didn''t pay attention who it was due to the dire circumstances.

    "It''s too late for that."

    Ganthet said flying forward.

    "We finish this now."

    The statement seemed to bring back focus. He felt his colleagues energies flare up as they tapped into their innate abilities.

    Another Green Lantern turned to ash before they could reach Darkseid. The latter not even paying attention to the Lantern.

    The Lord of Apokolips floated down to the surface of Oa with an eerie grace, his presence spreading out and pressuring the Green Lantern barrier under him.

    "Halt! Lord of Apokalips. We have no quarrel with you. This unprovoked attack shall be answered with the necessary backash."

    Pazu Pinder Pol, a Guardian with a bald spot declared.

    Darkseid remained silent, gazing down at the barrier with an impassive expression.

    Then a wide grip split across his face.

    "You think this can keep me out? Laughable!"

    He pulled back his arm and slammed a massive fist down.

    The whole planet shook from the impact.

    The barrier shattered like broken glass. The Lanterns maintaining the barrier convulsing, most of them going into a catatonic state.

    Ganthet and the rest of the Guardians slowed the ones who fell through telekinesis, gently lowering them to the ground while their full attention was still on the sky.

    "I am Entropy."

    Darkseid''s booming voice echoed across the desolate landscape.

    "I am the end of all. I am Darkseid and all is mine."

    He sneered, his voice dripping with malice.

    "The only reason I have allowed you to live this long was because you were inconsequential. A bunch of old men and women playing at god."

    The Guardians, their diminutive forms surrounded by an aura of authority, remained undaunted.

    Ganthet, the eldest of the Guardians, flowted forward, his voice unwavering.

    "The Cosmos has a structure. A balance that needs to be maintained at all times. There are rules in place even you are subject to."

    A defiant murmur of agreement rose from the Green Lanterns around, their power rings glowing brighter in response to their determination.

    Darkseid''s lips curled into a malevolent grin.

    "You seek to deter me with words of caution now? Just look around, your soldiers are dying, yet you do nothing."

    The New God taunted.

    Ganthet remained unfazed.

    Darkseid''s smile seemed to widen.

    "You''re right however. Light needs Darkness and Darkness needs light. Death gives meaning to Life and vice versa."

    Ganthet''s heart skipped a beat at the evil grin on the god of Evil''s face.

    "However, the master of the ANTI-LIFE equation is essentially above such base distinctions. I can rework reality to my image. The perfect Utopia or Dystopia depending on your view."

    So that was what he was after?

    "You would subjugate Countless lives for what, to escape your fate of forever being locked in a stalemate with Good?"

    Dannep asked in horror.

    Darkseid finally managed to reach the ground.

    "Not to escape. To fulfill it. My fate has always been to rule. To conquer. I conquered the Old Gods and took their power. You are next Maltusians but have no worry, with the Central Power Battery, I will be thus closer to the missing piece."

    "Then its decided. There is no more need for talk."

    Ganthet cut in, streams of blue energy shrouding his body.

    "You truly are despicable, Darkseid."

    Darkseid''s eyes glowed red hot.

    "Don''t die too quickly Maltusians."

 Darkseid Wins.

    Chapter 162: Darkseid Wins.

    (General P.O.V)

    Darkseid stood triumphant amidst the smoldering ruins of Oa, the once-mighty Guardians of the Universe and the Green Lantern Corps reduced to mere ashes.

    His eyes, burning with a light similar to the fires of Apokolips, surveyed the devastation around him.

    Broken constructs and fallen Lanterns littered the battlefield, a testament to his overwhelming power.

    A slow chuckle rumbled out of the giant god as he levitated forward with purpose.

    Below him, the lifeless body of Ganthet lay in his path, a jagged chunk of metal piercing through his chest.

    Ganthet, despite his grievous injuries, summoned the last of his strength and reached out, fingers trembling, trying to grasp Darkseid''s boot.

    The Evil God couldn''t be allowed to get to the Central Power Battery.

    If he did then all hope would forever be lost, not even the other Lantern Corps banding together could stand up to him.

    Ganthet''s eyes, filled with determination, met the cold, unfeeling gaze of the godlike tyrant.

    Before the Guardians outstretched fingers could touch Darkseid''s boot, a searing blast of Omega beams shot forth from the New God''s eyes, disintegrating Ganthet in an instant.

    "How unsatisfying."

    Darkseid''s voice rumbled like thunder as he mused,

    "I told them not to die too quickly. Unfortunately, they did."

    He then turned his eyes to the prize, the source of the Green Lanterns'' abilities, and continued his relentless approach.

    Above him lanterns fell under droves of Para-demons. Darkseid''s armies plunging out of Apokaliptian ships and glowing golden portals hanging in the air. It was a slaughter.

    Uninterrupted in his advance, Darkseid soon arrived before the Central Power Battery��the heart of the Green Lantern Corps.

    None of the opposition got to him. The Para-demons made sure of that.

    With a cruel grin, he plunged his massive hand through the lantern-like structure surrounding it. Shredding and tearing exotic metal apart with his fingers until they finally closed around the pulsating core.

    Darkseid had a plan, a sinister purpose that had driven him to this moment of triumph.

    A prophecy that had haunted him for eons. One passed onto him by his coward of a father.

    And the signs that the Prophecy was close to being fulfilled had already started appearing. The major one being the revelation that he had a daughter.

    A mission to retrieve her from Earth had been quickly handed over to his most competent general and his son.

    Maybe the girl would be softened by living among inferior beings. Maybe Kalibak could use that familial angle to wrap that business up quickly.

    Failure to that, the Para-demons with them would be more than enough to deal with the Heroes as Desaad and Kalibak extracted his daughter.

    As for him, preparations had to be made. After searching for many many years across many many worlds, the Anti-life equation had still remained elusive.

    His biggest failure.

    His final reward.

    Yet he was yet to obtain it. And now he couldn''t wait any longer. Drastic measures had to be taken.

    With the prophecy looming over the New God, Darkseid explored other options in the path of total dominion.

    With his generals help and the unwilling sacrifice of millions Apokaliptian slaves to Desaad''s experiments, Darkseid finally stumbled on another option.

    Anything to increase his current scary power.

    A decision that saw the summary devastation of the Green Lantern Corp.

    Not because they had been a thorn on his side but because they possessed something he wanted.

    And no one denies Darkseid.

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    By harnessing the immense power of the Central Power Battery, a source of boundless willpower, he could create ''an'' Anti-Life Equation.

    An imperfect version of course, seeing as you couldn''t create something like that. A concept rooted in existence from the dawn of the first being.

    This Knockoff Anti-life equation would be more like a sentient virus that could spread across the universe and bring all beings under his control.

    With a few restrictions that he was planning on ignoring.

    The prophecy foretold his death at the hands of a mighty being.

    What would happen then, if this so called ''mighty'' being were to fall under the effects of Darkseid''s Anti-life equation?

    Total domination of the self.

    Such an outcome would not only disrupt the prophecy rendering it void, but it would also allow the New God to gain a new powerful General as well as further his plans to achieve the real Anti-life Equation.

    The God of Evil said nothing as he used his omega effect, pulling in the Central Power Battery''s energy.

    The emerald light flowed through him, mingling with his own dark scarlet Omega power.

    He closed his eyes and concentrated, drawing upon the purest of will contained within this emerald light.

    A grid appeared in his mind, one that glowed with individual lights pulsing across the universe. One that showed potential for drive. The fire that was lit up by hope.

    (Will) in its most basic form.

    ''How... underwhelming,'' he thought.

    Will was essentially another string of equations to decipher for a being that hailed from the 4th dimension.

    Darkseid''s mind raced as he calculated the complex equation, connecting with the collective will of the Universe and then spreading out his omega effect across it.

    With one move, he literally infected a small part of the emotional spectrum.

    The God of Evil had full control of the emotion: Will.

    *********

    Close by, in the debris of the Guardians'' home, a wounded Green Lantern coughed, pushing off a chunk of rock with a pincers construct.

    He stumbled forward with a groan, falling to his knees while looking up and gasping in shock.

    His colleagues, his students, his friends, they were being torn apart.

    Kilowog made to rise up, only to find that he was missing a leg and an arm. The bleeding wound dripped copious amounts of blood onto the ground, dying it purple.

    With that sight a dizzy spell hit him. He wanted to fight but he couldn''t fight. He was dying.

    He would bleed out way before he jumped back into the battle.

    The Bolovoxian grit his teeth, the three fingers of his available hand biting into the dust on the ground in frustration.

    "Who''s the Poozer now?"

    He said to himself with a sigh.

    If he couldn''t fight then he could at least inform the others that Darkseid was coming.

    It wouldn''t stop with the fall of the Green Lanterns corp and the Guardians of the Universe. Pockets of criminal organizations all across the universe would cease the opportunity to take over the territory protected by the defunct corps.

    The Reach would be stirred up and begin their expansionist and conquest ways.

    Chaos would reign across the universe.

    Kilowog couldn''t let that happen to a Universe he was about to leave behind unprotected.

    Hal was still out there, no doubt facing Darkseid''s other forces.

    Kilowog made a fist, he had to open a channel to him and any other surviving members of the Green Lantern Corps scattered throughout the cosmos.

    Before he could utter a word of caution, his ring unexpectedly grew dim.

    The fighting stopped. The Para-demons stopped attacking the Lanterns. And the Lanterns did not try to fight back. Their attention seemed to have been stolen by something.

    Kilowog''s eyes, all their eyes infact, were pulled to an emerald sun with a core of red, floating above the debris of the Green Lantern Corp headquarters.

    Darkseid, having absorbed the power of the Central Power Battery had forged a connection with the Green Lantern Corps.

    And now he was hovering in the air clad by a swirling storm of will energies.

    His dark scarlet aura coated by the emerald, radiated a menacing presence that resonated throughout not just the planet but the universe itself.

    Anyone connected to the emotional spectrum across the cosmos felt this ominous corruption of will, their rings and emotion channeling artefacts, pulsing with an eerie light.

    Darkseid''s voice, like thunder claps in the space above OA, echoed through the minds of every being present.

    "Willpower," he began, his words dripping with malevolence,

    "I''ve looked into, and it''s secrets lay bare. It is not the most potent force in this universe, but it''s an unyielding determination that defies even the gravest of threats."

    The emerald light around him shone even more as he continued,

    "But know this, Lanterns, willpower can be twisted, controlled, and harnessed for one''s own desires."

    Suddenly the shine of the emerald light waned, the glow paled, the green color withered as the Omega effect and Will energy combined to form a terrifying energy.

    A group of Para-demons flew in carrying a captured Lantern, called by their Masters will.

    For Darkseid Is.

    Darkseid reached out with a hand, tapping the Lantern on his forehead.

    The ring on the Lantern''s left claw begun to flash in a sick murky color. Then it spread out across the Lantern''s battered body.

    The Lantern''s red Skin turned a pale gray, their flesh shriveled up and their forms bent.

    The now transformed Lantern looked up with glowing red eyes.

    A growl escaped it''s mouth.

    Red beams swallowed him whole, disintegrating him on the spot.

    Darkseid continued after the terrifying scene.

    "Willpower is not merely a virtue; it is a weapon, a force to be reckoned with. A force I intend to use."

    Kilowog clenched his ring tightly, his resolve unshaken.

    "I will never let you corrupt our will. The green light lives on forever!"

    The Lantern said with a glare.

    Darkseid''s laughter echoed through the silent battlefield,

    "You misunderstand, Lantern. I don''t seek to corrupt your will. I seek to control it, to reshape it in my image. The power of will is a tool, and I shall forge it into a weapon like no other."

    With that ominous declaration, Darkseid''s connection with the Green Lantern Corps grew stronger.

    Kilowog looked around and saw the rings of his surviving compatriots get corrupted and in turn transform them into Thralls.

    "No!"

    The Lantern exclaimed, turning his eyes at the one responsible.

    "Darkseeeeeiiiddd! I will kill you!"

    Kilowog''s ring flashed as he shot off towards the sky.

    Behind Darkseid, a sickly green palm manifested. The construct slammed into Kilowog, throwing him back onto the ground.

    "Rejoice, Kilowog," Darkseid sneered, his foot pressing down on the battered Lantern. Kilowog, defiant to the end, spat at the God of Evil.

    Darkseid looked at his boot and smiled nastily,

    "You will soon clean that up yourself."

    Kilowog''s eyes went wide when his ring started flashing a sick green light. Beefore he could do anything, the light consumed him, turning him into a Thrall.

 The Climax part 1/3.

    Chapter 163: The Climax part 1/3.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    My surroundings changed almost immediately. However, not in the way I expected.

    I opened my eyes and found myself staring at the Wizard, Shazam. The old man''s gaze was intense as he looked at me.

    I gazed around, noticing that we were in one of the chambers of the Rock of Eternity.

    How?

    He noticed the question on my face and explained,

    "I''m connected to the Seven Cardinal Sins by fate. Seeking your soul in Limbo to talk to you was an easy matter."

    "Neat."

    I responded, wondering what exactly the Wizard couldn''t do.

    "You killed Black Adam."

    The Wizard continued, bluntly.

    "I did."

    I replied in a similar tone.

    We stared at each other for a few more seconds before he grunted.

    "Not ideal at all. But I understand."

    He nodded, closing his eyes.

    Then he opened them, and his gaze burned with an intense light.

    "You on the other hand, are in a perilous situation."

    He said.

    "I know what you are planning. Absorbing the moral decay of the sins entails more than merely gaining power. You could lose more than you gain."

    "I can control it."

    I told him with confidence.

    "I''ve had to fight fight for what I want. I will not stop now."

    The Wizard shook his head.

    "You are confident, that might help. Or it might be your downfall. Seven sins, seven trials."

    With those chilling words, the surroundings washed away as he disappeared, but not without leaving something behind.

    "I pray you preserve your soul."

    ******

    Seven Trials huh? Chase didn''t say anything about this.

    Then again, he did tell me I had to conquer the sins'' influence, so maybe this was how.

    The scene changed as I found myself in what could only be the first trial, a grand throne room befitting a king. Gold everywhere, servants at my beck and call.

    The air was heavy with opulence, and a lavish crown sat upon my head. I felt mighty. Strong. My loyal subjects adored me.

    My memories of being Davian Mabuz faded away, replaced by a life of luxury and pleasure. Decades of wanton desires and fulfilment.

    Of people pandering to me as their savior, their lord, their master, their king.

    Their god.

    Pride surrounded me, a ghost unseen by my subjects. A beautiful yet ugly thing, a serpent coiled around my neck.

    And it whispered in my ear.

    "You are a king, Davian, the ruler of all you see. Everything under the Heavens is yours to exploit. What more could you want?"

    Yes...

    I was, wasn''t I? I had gone up against powerful foes and emerged the victor. Trigon, Barragan, Savage, Doomsday.

    I was powerful. So I deserved to Rule! Was meant to rule!

    Then like a lightning shock, I realized the irony of my thoughts. I was turning out like Papa Fred.

    And Fuck that guy.

    I scoffed, resisting the arrogance that threatened to consume me. I''d seen it devour every s.o.b who thought themselves better than me.

    It wouldn''t do the same to me. I refused to let it.

    "I am no king," I retorted at the demon.

    "Kings grow fat from sitting on their asses, while I''ve fought my way through hell and back."

    The Serpent at my neck hissed in displeasure as I stood up from the throne.

    It coiled through the air, turning hostile as the throne room grew quiet. The servants attending to me, the soldiers guarding me and the subjects calling on my name paused, staring my way with blank eyes.

    I had broken then illusion.

    "You fool. You could have had it all. Why deny me?!"

    Pride sneered.

    Instead of answering,

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    "Respira."

    I activated my time erosion skill.

    An aura of black swept through the entire chamber, the whole throne room crumbling away into ash.

    "First trial." I snorted,

    "What a joke."

    (General P.O.V)

    Meanwhile, on Earth, the Justice League had just successfully repelled an onslaught of Apokaliptian vessels attacking North America.

    The Flash, panting slightly from the exertion of running across the nation, relayed disturbing news to his comrades.

    "Team, the Titans Tower in San Francisco is in ruins. It looks like they have all been captured," he reported, his voice laced with concern.

    His feet treaded the waters of the bay, headed for the mainland.

    Behind him was the still smoking Titan''s Tower.

    In Metropolis, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and the rest of the League stared at each other, contemplating their next move.

    Wonder Woman''s eyes fell on their prisoner.

    They had Darkseid''s son, Kalibak, in custody but were unsure how to proceed.

    She had been trying to use the Lasso to question him but something about was interfering with the artefact. It would only glow but Kalibak would stay silent.

    So she unsheathed her sword and placed it right under his neck.

    "Where have you taken the Titans? Answer me or you will be missing a head."

    She demanded coldly.

    The brutish New God smirked in mockery.

    "Going to end me, Amazon?"

    He leaned closer to the blade, hitting Diana with a confident glare.

    "I don''t think you have the balls. You hero types don''t kill."

    He sneered.

    Diana narrowed her eyes, her hands tightening ob the grip of her weapon.

    "Oh I believe we can make an exception."

    "Wonder Woman."

    Superman called out, placing a gentle but powerful palm on her shoulder.

    "He''s not worth it."

    The Man of Steel told the Amazonian Princess.

    Kalibak''s smirk returned.

    "That''s right. I''m not worthy. I don''t need to be. I''m a fucking God."

    Superman stared at him from the corner of his eye.

    "Besides, Batman has a plan on how to deal with him."

    "Don''t really see how that helps if the Princess'' intimidation didn''t work."

    Green Lantern said, crossing his hands together.

    "I made a call."

    The Dark Knight grunted.

    "Speak of the devil."

    Cyborg said, catching a glimpse of the new arrival as he floated down towards them.

    "You called him?"

    "J''onn, that was fast." Batman observed as he stepped forward to greet the Martian Manhunter.

    The Martian Manhunter was a retired hero. He had arrived on Earth a few decades ago and had made it his home.

    He''d been involved with the first iteration of the Justice League, the Justice Society, but had taken an absence from the field these past few years.

    "I was around when these things attacked, snatching people off the street. I had to intervene. Then you called."

    Manhunter answered, landing on the ground before them.

    "We are in need of your telepathic abilities." Batman gave a nod and went right down to business.

    "This is Darkseid''s son, Kalibak. I want you to read his mind and find out what we''re up against," Batman instructed.

    "You would dare!"

    Kalibak raged, trying to get up from the ground where the Lasso of Truth was tied around his body.

    Superman placed his hands firmly on his shoulders and pressed him back down.

    "Stay still."

    "Do it."

    Batman said.

    "Gladly."

    The Martian Manhunter responded, his eyes glowing green as he reached out with his telepathy, delving into Kalibak''s twisted mind, uncovering a chilling revelation.

    Everyone noticed the surprise on his face and tensed.

    "There''s a main Apokaliptian vessel orbiting above the planet,"

    J''onn relayed to the team.

    "It''s remotely controlling a network of Boom Tubes that allowed the Apokaliptian spaceships to emerge on Earth."

    "That''s how they attacked out of nowhere."

    Cyborg said, accessing the Mother Box in his custody, seized during the attack.

    "I can access their systems from a vessel and see about creating a portal into the main ship."

    He informed the rest.

    "Well, the one on Metropolis is out of the question. Seeing as we destroyed it."

    Superman commented, staring at the spaceship that was sinking in the ocean off the coast.

    Batman tapped his ear piece.

    "Flash, how many Apokaliptian Vessels remain active?"

    The Flash'' speed skyrocketed as he ran around the continent once more, passing through every city on America.

    "Huh, most of them have retreated through Boom Tubes. The only ones left are those that were destroyed after disabling the Para-demons."

    The Speedster informed Batman.

    "I see. Keep looking."

    Then he turned his attention to Kalibak, but addressed Manhunter.

    "Find out the chances of the Titans being on the main ship."

    Kalibak tried to break out of his binding and failed.

    "Do you know what..."

    He begun heatedly only for his eyes to go slack and unfocused.

    His shoulders slumped.

    "Huh, is that normal?"

    Shazam wondered.

    No one gave a response.

    "They came here...not to invade."

    Manhunter stated with a frown, perusing through Kalibak''s recent memories.

    "If it wasn''t for an invasion then what could it be?"

    Green Lantern asked, the shroud of will energy around him flickering unnoticed.

    Manhunter scrunched his prominent brows, diving even deeper. Manhunter found himself exerting more power.

    Kalibak''s mind was unsurprisingly hard to read on account of him being a New God,

    "Allow me to show you what I see. You''ll understand it better."

    Manhunter told the League, pulling them into Kalibak''s mind with him.

    The scene changed.

    A grand but gloomy throne appeared before their eyes.

    "Where are we?"

    Shazam questioned as they looked around.

    "Apokalips, we''re seeing Kalibak''s memories from his perspective."

    Kalibak was kneeling before the foot of a massive throne. A white haired and gray skinned man stood next to the throne. And on the throne itself sat Darkseid.

    "Father I..."

    Kalibak begun only to be interrupted.

    "Desaad."

    Darkseid''s booming voice rumbled out of him from his throne.

    "Yes, Master."

    The general who had been bowing next to Kalibak answered gleefully, standing upright.

    Kalibak stomped down on the flash of discontent within him at the blatant disregard.

    "Do not fail me. Bring back my daughter from the Earth. Use whatever means necessary."

    The memory cut short as the League came back to their senses, staring at one another in shock.

    "Darkseid has a daughter!?"

    Green Lantern yelled.

    The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on the League.

    Darkseid''s presence loomed large, stopping him would be their greatest challenge yet. Knowing that he had a daughter who was on Earth was not the ideal situation.

    "Chances that they found her already are quite high, seeing as the rest of the vessels have left the planet."

    Batman intuited.

    "We need to get to the main vessel before it leaves. That''s where the Titans were most likely taken."

    "There''s something else."

    Manhunter called out.

    "Huh, what the hell?"

    Hal Jordan interrupted as his ring begun flashing a sickly green color.

    He lost the glow around him and fell to the ground, luckily he had been hovering a few inches above it.

    "Lantern, what is going on?"

    Batman questioned.

    "I don''t know."

    Hal answered, holding up his fist to study the ring on his finger.

    "It''s...never acted this strange before."

    Kalibak begun to slowly laugh.

    "And so it begins."

    "What does?"

    Wonder Woman asked, tightening the Lasso of Truth around Kalibak.

    "T-t-that w-wont work on me Amazonian, remember. I''m a New God."

    Kalibak said, his eyes glowing red.

    "It''s why you called the M-m-martian."

    Everyone turned to Manhunter.

    "It''s what I wanted to inform you. Glimpses from the rest of Kalibak''s memories. Darkseid has plans for the rest of the universe, not just the Earth. And when we accessed his memories, ''He'' noticed us."

    Everyone present knew who he was talking about.

    In that same instant, dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of Boom Tubes manifested above Metropolis.

    "What the..."

    Shazam muttered.

    "Great, more Para-demons."

    Cyborg sighed.

    From the Boomtubes came growling sounds. However, instead of the Para-demons they were expecting, thousands of Green Lanterns infected by the Imperfect version of the Anti-life equation came through.

    "Now this is an invasion."

    The Flash whistled as he materialized right next to the League.

    A bigger Boomtube manifested right over them and from this particular Boomtube, a heavy presence announced the arrival of the God of Evil himself.

    A hush fell among the Leaguers.

    "Darkseid."

    Superman muttered grimly.

 Climax part 2.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Darkseid."

    Clark said grimly, staring at the New God in the sky.

    "I call dibs."

    He added, the air around him vibrating with energy as he rose up, intent on going after the big huncho himself.

    "Superman! Wait!"

    Batman tried to call him back but the Man of Steel ignored him, his scarlet and blue form cutting through the air.

    Hundreds of constructs tried to block his way, but he plowed through them easily, shattering the murky green energy shields and tanking any and all attacks.

    Darkseid looked on with a simple smirk.

    Then right before Superman could reach him, another boom tube opened and out came another Superman.

    This one was different. His body was gray like Bizarro and his eyes glowed with the light of the Anti-life Equation.

    Superman only had time to widen his eyes before he was carried up to the atmosphere after this new infected Man of Steel collided with him.

    "Did you really think I wouldn''t come prepared this time?"

    Darkseid asked the Justice League, spreading out his hands, causing more and more portals to open up around him.

    "Father..."

    Kalibak muttered in fear at the evil his own father was exuding.

    And from these portals, more heroes, not just Green Lanterns came out. Batmen, Wonder-women, Flashes...all members of the League and some villains. All of them infected. All of them under Darkseid''s rule.

    "You have got to be kidding me." The Flash said.

    "He can''t do that. That''s cheating."

    "Uh...guys. This is kinda bad. We can''t take on this many versions of us. What do we do?"

    Shazam asked, body crackling with divine energy.

    "We don''t have a choice."

    Batman said, seemingly unperturbed. His fingers flew over his wrist computer.

    "We make a stand and fight. They seem to be infected by something, so watch yourselves. I''ll need a sample of whatever is affecting them but other than that, the plan is to ensure none of the infected leave the city."

    "Not to be a downer, but how exactly?" Cyborg asked.

    "There was barely enough of us to stop a few hundred Para-demons. These look well over thousands if not more."

    And it was true, the infected heroes, Lanterns and villains numbered in the thousands. Each stayed floating in mid air around Darkseid, waiting for his next orders.

    Up in the clouds, shockwaves rippled out as two Supermen fought for dominance.

    As for the New God, Darkseid made no move. Content to watch them flounder about as they came up with a plan.

    Batman unexpectedly turned to the Flash, handing him a small syringe.

    "Barry, I need you to run. Get me a blood sample from one of them. We don''t know if whatever is affecting them is spread by touch so go at your fastest and be careful."

    The Flash looked towards Darkseid''s army which also had speedsters, versions of him and his flash family from conquered worlds. In a rare moment of seriousness, he gave a firm nod.

    "In and out, quickly. No problem."

    The Flash said, bending his knees in preparation before taking off.

    Immediately, the Anti-life Speedsters, their forms surrounded by dark red lightning streaks took off from the Lantern constructs they stood on, going after the Flash.

    "May the gods be with us."

    Wonder Woman said, brandishing her sword as the League prepared themselves for the final battle.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    My confidence returned after passing Pride''s trial easily.

    It showed that I hadn''t lost my edge. That I was still the same stubborn punk who had this unshakeable belief in self instilled within by what he''d been through.

    And so I was pumped up, ready for the next challenge.

    And boy was it unexpected.

    In the next trial, I opened my eyes in a busy street, leaning on a purple Cadillac.

    I looked down at myself, wincing at the gaudy shiny blue suit I wore.

    On my head was a hat and below that, black sunglasses framed my eyes.

    What the? This was the strangest outfit I''d ever worn. But goddamn if it didn''t fit me well.

    Others noticed it as well.

    "Yo, looking good bro."

    A skater complimented, riding down the street.

    Turns out I was a pimp in a city full of sin. Surrounded by glittering temptations and the seductive allure of wealth.

    I had my girls, I treated them well and made sure they were taken care of. No hurting the merchandise. The thought that this was simply a false reality only registered faintly in my mind.

    I couldn''t recall the faces of the women or the customers they dealt with. It was all a blur of pussy, clients and most importantly...

    Money. Lots and lots of green. Oh Lord.

    At the end of every week, I would count the earnings and marvel at how I was raking in over 30 grand.

    And business was booming baby. Even after paying the girls, I was still sitting on 15 grand each Saturday night.

    But then things begun to change.

    One particular night, I would find myself counting out the cash and stacking it up in a smaller pile than I was used to. This week''s haul hadn''t been that good.

    Competition had become fierce as more people joined in on the business.

    And the profits were dwindling.

    The past week had been a little over 20k. This time the earnings came at 17 grand. Not even enough to pay for my most expensive suits.

    That''s when, Greed ever the opportunist, finally leered it''s head.

    I was drunk and high off weed when his oily claws extended out to my shoulders. A hooded figure with gold teeth and blood shot eyes hidden behind a cloak.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    It leaned in, closer to my neck and then whispered,

    "You desire power and riches, Davian. They can all be yours. All you gotta do is reduce their cuts."

    Reduce the girls'' cut?

    I shook my head, my resolve unwavering.

    "No, that''s not possible."

    I knew a few of them in really bad situations, docking their pay was akin to a death sentence. I couldn''t do it...

    "Oh come on," Greed crooned.

    "They will be alright. Besides it''s only for a few weeks until business starts booming once more."

    The tone was sickeningly sweet. It''s determination to sway me potent and relentless.

    And...it was working.

    Yeah, he''s right.

    Just for a few weeks... I needed. No. I WANTED my share. I was the one doing the most! Me!

    Plus there was this gold chain that could go well with my alligator boots. Why do I have to suffer a loss when these girls made the wrong decision in life?

    Wait...

    Why would I think that? I had been in the same position before. Desperate, with no hope in sight. My real parents were addicts that sold me out for Chrissake!

    No. Fuck all that.

    "I can''t do it."

    I muttered, the haze of greed disappearing from my vision.

    "I can''t and WON''T exploit people like that. I''m an asshole but I''m not a monster. Some of them have kids they need to take care of."

    With each word, my conviction grew.

    The shadows in the room extended out towards me. The air inside the lavish apartment begun to reek of copper and Sulphur, with an underlying sour aroma. Like the taste of a coin.

    "So what?!"

    Greed roared in anger, tone changing from the sweet and persuasive voice to a wheezing and reedy one.

    The crisp dollar bills lying on the table next to me rose up in a blizzard.

    "You are Davian Mabuz, the Soul Reaper, the Spirit King, the Death of Trigon!! Why would you be worried about a few stupid bitches whose only worth in life is TO SELL SOME FUCKING PUSSY TO-"

    "Enough."

    I stated, my presence rippling out, pushing away the shadows and silencing the demon.

    Money literally rained down from the air.

    I cracked my neck, undoing the tie tightened around it. My memories were finally surging up to the fore front of my mind.

    And while I loved purple, I would never be caught dead in the ostentatious outfit I currently wore. It wasn''t me.

    I took a deep breath.

    "This is a test. A trial to see my resolve."

    I opened my eyes, glaring straight at the demon responsible for putting me in this challenge.

    "Oh shit..."

    Greed cursed, understanding that things were about to go badly.

    He tried to escape but I was ready. One single step and I crossed the room in an instant, grabbing it by its neck.

    I looked back, a little surprised.

    That was Shunpo. And I hadn''t really noticed, but even before that, I''d used Respira to destroy Pride.

    So, I could use my abilities in these trials huh?

    I smiled. Good to know.

    "Ack!", The Creature inside my grip coughed as I unknowingly squeezed it''s neck a little harder.

    "Let me go! I''ll... I''ll give you all the gold in the world! All the money in the galaxy! All influence in the Universe! All wealth under the heavens will be yours!!"

    It squealed pitifully.

    I smirked.

    "That''s your shtick? Cash?"

    I raised an eyebrow.

    "Bro, I got like 90m in my hammer space that I don''t even know what to do with. Besides, I''ve seen the darkness of greed in others. I won''t be its puppet."

    I shook my head.

    "The only thing I want from you...is your power."

    I finished.

    Greed''s eyes widened with the shadow of death as I applied too much strength, causing his head and body to pop due to the pressure.

    It''s remains splattered all around.

    "Yuck."

    I muttered, looking at the demon blood on the walls. It dripped to the floor and along with Greed''s other remains, melted into the shadows in the room.

    Those same shadows moved towards my body, crawling up my form and getting absorbed into me.

    A load of energy filled me up. It felt like a shot of adrenaline. Whoa...that hadn''t happened before. I flexed my hand, feeling a slight increase to my strength.

    Once the process was over, my surroundings changed once more. My memories were pushed to the back of my mind, too far to access as I was placed in another simulation.

    *****

    "Professor..."

    A seductive voice called out.

    I blinked. Had I spaced out or something?

    I looked around.

    I was standing on the stage inside a large room. A lecture room to be precise. The seats before me were filled up with my students, waiting on me to begin the lecture.

    Somehow I retained my memories in this trial. I knew what this was.

    The third trial, lust.

    The simulation had placed me in the shoes of a university lecturer in a precarious situation. He was surrounded by horny and beautiful temptresses.

    Lust enveloped my body like a shroud, I could feel her effect, she didn''t bother taking on a physical form.

    All the Sins before this had whispered, enticing promises of power and wealth. Lust didn''t do any of that.

    No. Hers was more subtle. She didn''t whisper...she coaxed my mind with images of nights spent in passion with all kinds of women.

    It didn''t help that all my students were very conveniently female.

    From all walks of life. Different ethnicities. Different personalities.

    And... Different worlds.

    "Professor?"

    A beautiful Red head who very much resembled Black Widow called out in concern.

    A few giggles spread out across the entire lecture room.

    "I think we have him tongue-tied girls."

    Harley Quinn said cheekily, leaning forward while chewing on gum.

    "I''m sure we can do something about that. Right girls?"

    Erza Scarlet, a character that Nick''s memories told me was from Fairy Tail said, using her requip magic to change outfits into skimpy lace.

    "No fair!"

    Elsa grumbled, ice creeping up her gown and-

    "You''re going to have to try better than that."

    I cut in.

    The whole chamber went quiet as the girls looked at me surprised.

    Then in unison, their lips stretched out seductively.

    "So, you see through my-"

    Lust begun to speak through them but I interjected.

    "Yeah, don''t really care. Hado no. 7: Akai Inazuma."

    I released the Kido Spell at maximum intensity.

    Streaks of red lightning washed down my form, drowning my ''students'' in a torrent of energy that shredded everything in the chamber.

    And in the aftermath, panting in the middle of a gray void, Lust in the form of a beautiful woman, tried to crawl away. Burns covering it''s entire body.

    "Look at what you did to me! My soft skin! My beautiful long hair! "

    It cried out.

    I stepped on its back, causing it to groan.

    "I''ve faced temptations in all forms by now. Money, power, women..."

    I rolled my eyes.

    "You guys are really not that creative are you?"

    I unsheathed Chesha Neko and plunged the blade through its back.

    A load of energy filled me up similar to the previous challenge.

    From there on, the trials became much easier. Retaining my memories and sense of self allowed me to basically bulldoze my way from one trial to another.

    The rest of the sins also grew smarter, as if they''d seen what I''d done to their brethren and taken my advice on changing things up.

    Wrath found me not as a man but as a raging sea storm, a tsunami of water wreaking havoc along the coastline.

    Wrath didn''t tempt me, it just sent overpowering anger and rage my way. Simple but effective. I felt the fury of the sea ignite my own anger, causing me to want to drown the whole world in the ocean.

    Funnily enough, this turned out to be my most challenging trial yet. My rage wanted to consume me. This wasn''t something I could fight with my abilities.

    It all came down to my conviction.

    "I''ve swallowed my anger time and time again. Your fury is nothing, sin of Wrath."

    The illusion broke. I found myself standing in the gray space from before. But I wasn''t alone.

    Along with a massive roar, a misshappen creature that looked like a cross between a dragon and a demon emerged from the depths of the void, it''s hide burning with hell fire.

    Red eyes looked down at me.

    "Then you shall die!!"

    Without a warning, Wrath flared up it''s burning wings, before diving down towards me, releasing a fire breath.

    "Finally." I chuckled.

    "Something I can punch around."

    I cracked my fingers and went on to meet the dragon head on.

    I won.

    ******

    The fifth trial transformed me into a colossal serpent, not unlike the plant serpent Ivy had had under her control a few months back.

    And in this form, I was insatiable in my hunger for sustenance.

    This was Gluttony''s trial.

    I would swim through interstellar space in my serpent form, passing asteroid belts and debris before settling on a star system and devouring any planet that could sustain the spark of life.

    The problem was that with each nourishment, my hunger only increased. I grew hungry feeding off more and more planets, causing me to seek out even more in a never ending cycle.

    Before long, I had to upgrade to devouring an entire star for energy. My form grew even larger as a result.

    Soon I moved on to entire star systems, then galaxies. Then entire clusters. I ate and ate, until there was nothing left to devour but the Heart of the Universe.

    Once I devoured that there would be no more universe cycles. This universe, despite being a false reality would forever be destroyed.

    And yet Gluttony urged me to devour it. Promising eternal sustenance. Freedom from the gnawing hunger.

    "More more more."

    The voice came from within me. An empty space inside my belly that demanded and demanded.

    I was bombarded with memories from my childhood. Of sleeping hungry because I''d failed to meet my quota. Of the days I would escape, only to end up sleeping on the streets and fishing for food in dumpsters.

    The Heart of the Universe would fill me to the brim. Never would I have to suffer through that torment again.

    And yet, those same memories also helped. They helped remind me I wasn''t the same scared kid from all those years back. I was grown. I wasn''t weak anymore.

    I was powerful. And...I didn''t need my body to survive.

    I was the Spirit King. I could survive as a soul even better than I could as a physical being.

    "You miscalculated. I don''t need my physical body to exist."

    I replied to the insistent droning of Gluttony.

    "Respira."

    This time, I activated it from within me. Gluttony screeched in the void of my belly, the time erosion devouring it before surging up to devour me as well.

    How fitting.

    More energy was absorbed into my soul. Gluttony had gone the way of it''s brethren. Dead by my hands.

    The last two trials were Envy and sloth. One tested my jealousy. Of which I had none. I knew myself. I knew what I was capable of and what I wasn''t.

    And the other tested my work ethic.

    It required no affirmation to overcome these last two trials. That might have been caused by my impatience to finish the trials. I had a fight to get to and a god to kill after all.

    So I wasted no time with cheap talk.

    I had already defeated the rest of the sins. Envy and Sloth were the weakest among the Seven.

    Finally, I opened my eyes in the same gray space as before.

    I had overcome them all.

    It wasn''t because I was righteous, or particularly smart but because I was stubborn and relentless.

    My own life had shown me horrors beyond imagination, and these trials were mere shadows of the darkness I''d conquered.

    The trauma I''d endured. The weakness, I''d left behind.

 The Climax part 3/3.

    (General P.O.V)

    Powergirl''s thoughts were in disarray as she flew through the dreary air of the Phantom Zone.

    The rock islands passed by in a blur, her trajectory taking her nowhere in particular.

    The inmates within this infinite prison, most of them powerful aliens from distant worlds, scurried away in fear upon spotting her.

    Whether it was her intimidating and unfriendly aura, or the fact she possessed a strong enough will to fly within the atmosphere of the Phantom Zone without fear, they avoided her like the plague.

    She paid them no mind, too deep into her thoughts.

    Finally she touched down on a particularly small floating rock and sat on the edge, in a sour mood, hands wrapped around her knees.

    She had lost everything and everyone. Her family on Krypton, her friends on earth...Kal.

    That last one stung the most. She was supposed to be the one to protect him but she had failed. Spectacularly so.

    Not only had she been late to get to him, he was already a man by the time she got to Earth. On top of that, she found out he was the World''s greatest superhero.

    Little Kal no longer needed her protection.

    But then he''d died. They had all died. Her second home, torn apart by Darkseid and his armies.

    Kal had saved her rather than let her suffer his fate. For the second time in her life, she had been useless, forced to be rescued like a damsel in distress.

    Her shoulders shook as she broke down, the weight of her sorrow proving too much to bear.

    She wiped away the tears falling down her cheeks angrily, detesting the vulnerability. She wasn''t the same weak Kara from before.

    She was powerful. And she had a target for her hatred and righteous vengeance, Darkseid. Her face twisted into a cruel expression as she imagined what she was going to do to him once she got out of-

    Whooosh!

    A wave of dust and air passed by her, pushing her short hair onto her face and ruffling the cape on her back.

    Following the pressure wave, a hush fell across Limbo as a heavy presence was felt by every inhabitant within.

    Shivers crawled up Powergirl''s spine as her survival instincts screamed at her to run. To escape.

    The space around her begun to tremble.

    The unchanging atmosphere of the Phantom Zone underwent a massive shift. The sky, as gray and inert as the rest of the surroundings suddenly rumbled with streaks of lightning flashing across the heavens.

    Powergirl got to her feet quickly, hands tightened into fists as she vigilantly watched her surroundings.

    Was it an attack? No, there wasn''t anyone else around her. Her senses were on high alert, she would have spotted them right away.

    Light erupted miles away from her position.

    Krakooooom!!

    Following the light, thunder cracked, a massive pillar of lightning falling down from the sky, surprising her by its sheer size and power.

    Powergirl squeezed her eyes shut as the vortex of energy overhead grew in intensity.

    Then hundreds of more jagged streaks landed relatively close to where she had left the other two.

    It was if the entire realm was furious at something and sought to completely obliterate it from existence.

    The lightning shower went on for a few seconds, before everything calmed down.

    "Could those two be responsible for that light show?"

    Powergirl wondered to herself as her mind went to her savior, Davian and that distrustful magician.

    She floated up, reorienting her body before shooting through the air back the way she had come. It didn''t matter if they were, she only hoped they were okay.

    Even without considering that she owed Davian, those two were also her only way out of this place.

    (Elsewhere)

    Raven and Grail had managed to get captured the second they were inside the Apokaliptian vessel.

    Which was a part of the plan.

    What wasn''t a part of the plan, however, was them being separated.

    Grail had been taken elsewhere while Raven was led to where she hoped the rest of her team was.

    The Para-demons escorting her had restrained her hands with Compliance cuffs.(one of Granny Goodnesses favorite toys).

    The high tech cuffs sent waves of agony through her body whenever she thought of doing something violent like attacking the Para-demons.

    After many winding hallways, she found herself being pushed through a wide chamber.

    And within it, her teammates were held inside glass incubators constructed along the walls, all of them passed out. Thankfully they didn''t look injured.

    Beastboy was in his human form on the far right, then Jaime Reyes(Blue Beetle), Robin, starfire and Nightwing in pajamas on the far left.

    "Guys!"

    Raven yelled in concern, trying to push past the Para-demons only for the creatures to growl, wrenching her back painfully.

    Raven''s eyes glowed, angrily turning towards the creatures.

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    "Why you- aarrghhh!!!""

    Her body was suddenly raked with torment as the Compliance Cuffs sought to punish her for her violence thoughts.

    Raven jerked on the floor, groaning in pain as she was hoisted up roughly and carried into an empty incubator.

    "Hold on, everyone," she silently said to herself, "I have a plan."

    With that, she allowed herself to be lowered into the glass incubator.

    Inside, her wrists and ankles were promptly bound by restraints.

    The Para-demons back away. Now that all the Teen Titans were in place, they could initiate the next step.

    *******

    (Main Deck.)

    Desaad was standing before a huge screen, when the Father Box interfaced with the Spaceship''s systems let out a series of beeps.

    "Perfect. The Teen Titans will make excellent Para-demon samples."

    The New God smiled at the accomplishment. Everything was going according to plan.

    Now to wait for ''her''.

    ********

    (With Raven)

    Ignoring the lingering pain flaring across her nerve endings, she closed her eyes and focused, delving deep into the new facet of her abilities, one that she had been taught recently by her new friend.

    Though in actuality, Davian exuded more of a big brother type of energy.

    She still didn''t know what to think of the fact that he''d been close to her dead parallel version but so far, he hadn''t treated her like a replacement to cope with her loss.

    Infact he''d helped her grow stronger.

    With his assistance, she had discovered some of the abilities that her parallel self had developed.

    One of the most useful ones being, Astral Projection.

    "The soul is immaterial and unbound. It has no distinct shape, color, size or smell. It can be anything. It''s potential is limitless. Focus...find the tether and then snap it."

    She could hear his words echo in the depths of her memories.

    And with an exhale, she followed his instructions and unravelled the tether holding her soul imprisoned within it''s mortal coil.

    Her astral form separated from her physical body and passed through the glass of the incubator easily.

    Her body slumped inside the glass capsule.

    She spared a glance at it, before focusing on the plan. She levitated towards one of her teammates, unseen and unheard by the Para-demons standing guard within the chamber, minutes away from beginning the process of turning the Titans into Para-demons.

    Not that that would happen, seeing as she was going to stop it.

    Floating through the air, she stopped before an unconscious Jaime.

    Then she reached out with her hands, phasing through the glass to place them on the sides of his head.

    She closed her eyes, imagining strands of mental and soul feelers moving from her fingers and into Jaime''s mind.

    Her consciousness brushed against two consciousnesses. One of them Jaime''s and the other, the Scarab.

    (Threat Detected. Engaging defensive protocol.)

    The latter reacted violently. The Scarab''s base program was always set to stop any and all efforts at removing the connection it had with it''s host.

    And it had felt a touch on their link.

    Blue energy crackled around the Scarab, and with a powerful burst of energy, it shattered the restraints that held Jaime Reyes captive.

    The Reach Technology flowed around Jaime, enclosing him within his signature, blue and black armor.

    The Para-demons in the chamber were taken aback, their attention momentarily diverted by the unexpected display of power.

    Blue Beetle took a single second to take stock of his surroundings. His eyes sweeping around the room, past the Para-demons before landing on his bound teammates.

    The eye lens of his armor narrowed.

    "Scarab, engage all offensive measures. It''s time to kick ass. Power mode."

    "Confirmed."

    The Scarab answered, deploying it''s pincers, arm cannons, wrist missiles and shoulder guns.

    Blue Beetle''s size increased as well. Power Mode was a state that enhanced the Scarab''s offensive capabilities.

    He was ready. Even as the Para-demons closed in on him, he was prepared to rescue his teammates.

    "Hold on guys, I''ll be right with you."

    (Main Deck)

    Grail''s face was impassive as they led her through the entrance and into the main deck of the Spaceship.

    Desaad had his back to her, watching the huge screen before him that was displaying the ongoing battle between Apokaliptian forces and the Earthlings.

    The Para-demon next to Darkseid''s daughter shoved her forward roughly.

    Grail reacted violently, jumping at it with a snarl, sinking her teeth through the flesh of it''s neck and then tearing out a chunk and spitting it to the floor.

    Grinning with bloodied lips, she exerted strength in her hands and shattered the cuffs restraining her wrists.

    The other Para-demon pointed it''s weapon at her, only for twin scarlet beams to escape her eyes and zig zag around the room, coming close to landing on Desaad before they curved around the New God and turned the Para-demon to ashes.

    "So, Darkseid''s daughter."

    Desaad said from his position, seemingly un-bothered by how close he''d come to dying.

    "As far as first impressions go...that was terrible."

    He added, turning around to face her.

    Grail cracked her knuckles, advancing forward as she replied,

    "Oh and it''s about to get even worse."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I opened my eyes.

    Huh?

    "Chase, why is your face uncomfortably close to me?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto spirit.

    The purple furred feline blinked.

    "Did you feel the change?"

    He asked. Then before I could answer, he smoothly backed away while regarding me.

    "Mmmh, strange."

    He seemed to decide, giving me an Once-over.

    "What are you-whoa..."

    I was rendered speechless as I got a full view of my inner world.

    It was different now. Very very different.

    For starters and maybe most notably, a massive sun hang above us, providing light onto the lonely and desolate landscape I had gotten used to.

    I got to my feet unsteadily, somehow I felt light. Too light, as if I could drift away into...

    I could breath.

    "Chase, is that actual wind?"

    I asked my Zanpakuto spirit, perching on his usual spot, a branch belonging to the dried tree that we had first met at.

    But- the dried branch had a leaf now.

    Just one.

    But it was green. And there was no green in my inner world.

    I started to look around. Among the dried grass on the ground, a few green shoots could be seen, penetrating through the blackened soil.

    Vines crawled up the gravestones. Their green stalks glowing with...

    I took a knee before one gravestone, touching it''s surface and the vines coiling around it.

    "Is this energy... life-force?"

    I turned and asked Chase, who had closely been watching my expression as I had studied the changes in my inner world.

    "Yes. So you see it then?"

    He questioned, uncharacteristically irritated.

    I blinked and he popped up above the gravestone, his claws scratching the stone and leaving long lines that seemed to be healed up instantly.

    "That thing up there. The sun."

    He began.

    "It just appeared out of nowhere the second you were done with the Sin''s trials. And it''s been producing loads of vitality."

    My lips parted in surprise as I caught onto what he was trying to say.

    "Vitality that is being absorbed by the graveyard."

    I said in realization, looking around.

    "Exactly!"

    Chase added loudly.

    "I don''t understand it! The physical and spiritual are separate! That is an immutable fact!"

    He fleeted around, popping up on another Gravestone to my right.

    "It''s almost as if your body is actively trying to reinforce your soul by sending lifeforce through your Spirit channels into your saketsu!"

    He exclaimed with wonder.

    "Wait, that would mean, Chase are you telling me I can give life to the dead?"

    The words left my lips in a jumbled mess.

    Yet no matter how preposterous it sounded, it felt...true. A truth I knew instinctively.

    He blinked at me, stunned.

    "I wouldn''t go that far but- you understand what this means..."

    I looked down at my body, only now noticing that I could feel it. My physical self. I had substance in a world without substance.

    This had to be due to the challenges I''d just undergone.

    The sins abilities, the trials. If there ever existed a bridge between the spiritual and the physical, then it would be them.

    The Cardinal sins. Demons that used physical wants and needs to corrupt the core, the soul.

    And by winning their trials and absorbing their essence, I had achieved something amazing.

    A fusion of Spirit Energy and Physical Energy. The very thing I''d been looking for.

    "No, I not only understand, Chase."

    I told my Zanpakuto spirit, my inner world pulsing at the beat of my heart.

    "I can feel it. I''ve bridged the difference Chase."

    I ascended to the sky, light pouring out of me and into the atmosphere of my inner world, permeating the soil and giving life to death.

    A sea of green begun to erupt around me as life was seeded across my dimension, pushing on death, not out of spite but out of necessity. The first step towards balance.

    The first step towards healing.

    "Whatever power I now possess, I am no longer just Death."

    I declared,

    "I am Life as well."

 Might Makes me Right part 1/2.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The light-show ended abruptly and I gently descended onto the ground.

    A ground that was covered by a soft layer of grass. The air blowing past me was fresh and carried with it power.

    A power that was running through my body, filling me with a strength I''d only felt once. The first time I''d ever achieved Bankai.

    But my Reiryoku didn''t feel overwhelming to my soul or body. It was gentle. Like a sleeping giant, softly rumbling as it awaited to be summoned.

    My awareness dove into what was happening within.

    The spirit nodes across my soul transferred Reiryoku through the spirit channels, before then melding into the Tairyoku (life force) contained in each of my cells.

    That combination was what gave birth to this new power.

    It was harmonious, strange and most of all...felt right.

    "So, what can you do now?"

    Chase enquired once I landed on the wildly changed graveyard. The vines coiling around the gravestones were now long and thick enough to hide the stone under a layer of green.

    I made a fist, mildly surprised by the strength I could exert in my hand. I felt like if squeezed too hard, the space within my palm would deform and distort.

    "I...have no idea."

    I answered honestly, just as confused as he was. Yes I had power. Lots of it, and I could feel it. My body had surpassed whatever notion of human it had started off as.

    I felt so different yet... basically the same. As if this was always something meant to happen. From the instant I fought Vandal Savage, the Life king, my journey to reach this astounding level had begun.

    Physically, I looked no different. There were no crazy changes to be observed. I didn''t suddenly grow taller than my initial height of 6''4 (Ah, seems like I''d been getting taller actually, last time I measured I''d been 6''2.)

    The point is, I didn''t have access to a new state or form. I was just me...only more.

    Elevated.

    "I''ll just have to figure it out on the go."

    I decided.

    "Do you think it''s smart to go out there and fight without knowing what you can do? Knowing yourself is a much half the battle you need to win, as knowing your adversary."

    He advised.

    Unfortunately, while he did make sense,

    There wasn''t time to spend finding out what I could or couldn''t do.

    "I''m needed out there Chase, I can feel it. The final battle calls for me. My soul reaper senses are tingling."

    I joked slightly.

    He did not look amused.

    "Look, I know you''re concerned."

    I said more seriously.

    "But you don''t have to. The way I feel now? Doomsday wouldn''t be able to land a single blow. And even if he did, I would probably shrug it off."

    And it was true as well.

    "Mmmh you sound confident...fine. go."

    He acquiesced, not really thrilled with the decision but understanding he couldn''t stop me.

    I gave him a thumbs up.

    He popped to my shoulder.

    "That said, I''m coming with you in case you need someone to save your ass."

    He decided in a tone that brokered no argument.

    "Okay then, hold on. Next stop, Limbo."

    I chuckled.

    Then I closed my eyes and followed the link I could clearly feel connecting me to the material realm.

    I breathed out, feeling the phantom stale and inert air of Limbo pass through my air ways.

    The Phantom Zone was truly weird. Anything living wouldn''t notice a massive change in their biological functions. You could still breath but you wouldn''t be breathing any substance.

    Shadows danced beyond my closed eyes and an almost consistent sound, like the erratic beating of bongo drums, reached my ears.

    Then I opened my eyes.

    It was to a sight I wasn''t expecting.

    "Welcome back, Mate- A little- a little help here?!"

    Constantine yelled out, face red with exertion as he maintained a yellow magical barrier around us.

    The erratic sound turned out to be hundreds of Limbo Devourers periodically slamming onto the barrier with wild abandon. The barrier already had cracks running all over it.

    "They just- just showed up out of nowhere when you started glowing."

    Constantine threw over his shoulder.

    I got to my feet, my body surging with so much power than I knew what to do with.

    "I was glowing?"

    I enquired, stretching my body to get rid of the kinks after staying in one position for so long.

    "Like a strobe-..."

    He trailed off as the Devourers strangely ceased their attacks the second I was on my feet.

    Their animalistic eyes begun to regard me with something akin to...fear.

    Constantine was breathing heavily, his eyes roaming around in question.

    "Not to sound ungrateful, but what did you do to make them stop?"

    How strange.

    "I have no idea."

    I tilted my head in confusion as well.

    Using my foot, I scraped the magical circle on the ground below. The energy flared before disappearing.

    Outside the circle, which had provided a zone that would restrict any phenomenon happening to me within it, I immediately noticed a difference with my Reikaku.

    My zone had expanded.

    A lot.

    I could now cover a massive chunk of Limbo, which was infinite. And now that I think about it, my claim wasn''t that impressive given Limbo''s endless nature.

    However, put in terms of the physical world, My Reikaku could cover the entirety of the Planet.

    I felt hundreds of awareness, some of the as powerful as I''d been before, look my way at my intrusive gaze. 99% of them scurried away to hide or conceal themselves in terror.

    However I could still feel them. None could hide.

    Reikaku had changed. It allowed me to not only sense the world around, but even the one beyond, below, under whatever you want to call it.

    Dimensions could be layered together or co-exist in the same reality but vibrating at different frequencies.

    ''Huh, I can now understand some of the info contained in Nick''s memories.'', I thought to myself.

    This change was welcome though, as I could also sense clearer. Something that allowed me to see what I previously couldn''t.

    And out of all the inhabitants of Limbo, one particular individual caught my attention.

    They were the 1% that didn''t hide, run or conceal themselves upon feeling my spirit sense.

    I turned my eyes to regard them or rather, him. An old oriental man with a grey moustache ending in two long strands of hair that went down to his neck, matched only by the beard on his chin.

    The moustache looked like whiskers. He wore a bamboo hat, with wild tufts of grey hair that pushed out from under the hat.

    He was also huge and much taller than me. His thick arms shifted with strings of muscles, jutting out of the sleeveless robe he wore.

    His eyes were calm pools, no sense of worry or fear at the fact I could see him.

    "It wasn''t me."

    I finally answered Constantine.

    "I''m willing to bet he knows though."

    I added, pointing at the form of the Old Man behind the Devourers.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "Where did this old timer come from now?"

    Constantine questioned, backing away as the old man approached us.

    The Devourers seemed to be under his command, letting him through before hovering above him protectively.

    Something felt familiar about him.

    His eyes ,stormy with anger landed on me.

    "I am Aethyr. The Principal deity of this realm."

    The entire realm echoed with the claim. The Phantom Zone''s essence swirled about him in a storm.

    "Call it Limbo, call it the Phantom Zone, one thing you must understand is this."

    He spread out his hands.

    And in so doing, his body begun to change. His skin turned red, his jaw grew wider,

    "This universe is Aethyr. I''m the bridge to your understanding, like the red sun to Rao''s priests, the burning bush to Moses."

    His bones creaked as if they were breaking, his size increased, his body morphing from a biped to a Quadruped.

    "Is that a fucking dragon?!"

    Constantine asked gob-smacked.

    Was he being serious?

    "I thought you fought mythical creatures all the time?"

    I yelled, pushing out my Reiatsu to combat the pressure Aethyr was exuding, creating a protective barrier around us.

    That''s odd, my Spirit Pressure feels so moldable.

    "Demons. Not dragons. And even Demon-dragon hybrids never get this nasty, mate!"

    Constantine shot back.

    Aethyr begun to speak,

    "You have intruded into the Oversoul''s realm time and time again. You have erased the line between its existence and yours, child of death. My existence and yours. You belong to Limbo. You belong to me."

    At the end of the transformation, we were looking up at a massive cat/dragon hybrid. It''s size was bigger than the Plant serpent, the Gillian Savage had created and even bigger than Deimos.

    It flared up it''s wings, huge fleshy constructs with pulsing veins across them.

    His shadow cast over the Rock Island we stood on and extended to the ones closer to our own. The Devourers that had hovered around him now maintained a safe distance, thousands of meters high in the sky.

    That more than anything was an indication we were about to get wrekt.

    "Mate, this is the part we run away."

    Constantine told me, backing away only to reach the edge of the Rock Island.

    "I don''t run away."

    I responded habitually.

    But even I could feel it. Whatever or whoever this Aethyr guy was, he was the most powerful thing apart from Rama that I''d ever faced.

    "I gave you a chance to leave on two separate occasions." His voice now contained a rumble.

    "YOUR ARROGANCE HAS LED YOU HERE. IF YOU WON''T LEAVE MY REALM, THEN YOU CAN STAY HERE AS ASH, DRIFTING ACROSS MY ESSENCE. PERMANENTLY!!"

    The Dragon''s chest bunched up. Light pulsed along it''s neck as it pulled back it''s head.

    "Oh, scratch that, this is the part we die."

    Constantine amended his earlier statement.

    The Dragon opened it''s maw wide,

    A sea of ghostly white occupied my vision. And even before they reached me, I could tell these were the hottest flames I''d ever felt.

    "Okay, this might be bad for us."

    I finally admitted, the dragon breath shooting down towards us.

    (General P.O.V)

    Powergirl''s flight speed didn''t slow down. She passed by dozens of Rock Islands, getting ever closer to the shining light way off in the distance, though by now it had all but disappeared.

    But she recognized this area of the Phantom Zone, she''d come this way before after all.

    One strange thing she noticed the closer she got, was how scarce and devoid of beings the surroundings became.

    The inhabitants of Limbo who like her had no doubt seen the flashing lights seemed to be missing.

    "More like hiding."

    Powergirl said to herself in shock, getting the answer to her question.

    She was stunned silly by the collosal dragon looming over the horizon.

    "That thing must be hundreds of meters long."

    She muttered.

    Measuring from the tip of it''s tail which was waving in the air, to it''s head, she wouldn''t be surprised if it was even more than that.

    She gulped. Davian and Constantine had to be down there.

    Facing that thing.

    And while she knew that Davian could protect not only himself but the magician as well, she still didn''t want to leave anything to chance.

    They were her ticket out of here. Plus she owed him.

    "Hey! You overgrown Lizard!"

    She yelled at her loudest.

    Unfortunately, the Dragon couldn''t hear her or it did but decided to ignore her taunt.

    So she flew down and grabbed a massive rock Island, hoisting it above her as she flew forward with a battle cry.

    Powergirl''s heart leapt to her throat when the Dragon pulled back it''s long neck and then released a pillar of white flames onto the rock islands below it.

    A solar wind blasted over her, burning her entire costume to ashes. Her indestructible body faired better but she still felt the heat.

    The rock Island behind her was immediately incinerated into nothingness. So was her immediate surroundings. Nothing was left for thousands of miles.

    Powergirl blinked.

    ''What the fuck had just happened?''

    Did...one attack really deal that kind of damage?

    Just one attack? She looked down at herself. She was naked. Her costume woven from Kryptonian fabric and designed to be indestructible had turned to ash at the heat.

    That meant...the other two were probably not alive.

    She had been a distance away, not even the target of the attack yet the mere heatwave generated had disintegrated her clothes.

    Davian and Constantine were probably dead. She...needed to go check.

    A shadow appeared above her. Powergirl turned her vision up, then up, Then up some more.

    A Red hide, spurs across it''s impossibly huge body, muscles shifting with power, spikes across the neck, leading up to a horned head.

    A long snout that exhaled smoke which blew the dust hanging around her away. Cat whiskers. Long cat whiskers.

    Then a massive mouth filled with rows of teeth, each bigger than her.

    And finally two cruel eyes, looking right. Down. At. Her.

    "OVERGROWN LIZARD?"

    Arthyr''s chest rumbled as it looked down towards the insignificant pest below him. How long had he been asleep that these little insects running around his place had gotten so brazen?

    ******

    For Powergirl on the other hand, things had just gone from fucked up to fucked up in all caps.

    The Dragon, it was above her.

    She needed to run. Away. Fast.

    Like right now.

    Without a single hesitation, the Kryptonian; usually brash, turned on her heels and flew towards the opposite direction.

    "NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU RUN... YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME."

    Aethyr''s voice reached her from her front.

    How could something so huge move so fast? Had it teleported? It didn''t matter. She changed directions, shooting towards the sky, whipping past Rock Island after rock island, headed for the Phantom Zone''s ceiling, if there even was one.

    Space begun to invert. Gravity flipped causing her to begin falling towards the sky. She gained control of her trajectory, cutting to the side as destruction was wrought behind her.

    Long claws cleaved through space, aiming to swipe Powergirl away.

    The wave of debris, reached her, but she managed to push through the spaces in between the claws.

    Fighting was not at all on Powergirl''s mind, she knew she stood no chance. It didn''t matter how much she could lift or how hard she could punch.

    She darted around, escaping another claw swipe as she approached an unstable space formed by the pressure exerted by Aethyr.

    Maybe that was a way out.

    "FOOLISH GIRL. I AN THE REALM ITSELF. YOU''RE WITHIN ME. I CAN SEE WHERE YOU''RE GOING."

    At the drop of his words, a force begun to suck her back towards the Dragon.

    She chanced a look behind her. Aethyr had his jaws wide open.

    Powergirl begun to fiercely fly against the suction.

    "No, no! Just a little-"

    She stretched her hand out, gritting her teeth as she encouraged herself to hold on, to push on...

    She knew what awaited her behind.

    "Aaahhh!!!"

    She screamed, giving it her all. She couldn''t do it anymore. It was too much.

    She let go.

    Snikt!

    A huge purple and white furred paw smacked Aethyr on the snout. The dragon''s head whipped back at the unexpected slap.

    It''s body was lifted by the surprisingly substantial force, plowing through hundreds of floating rocks and causing a massive shake up that could be heard all over the realm.

    "Not that I''m complaining, but cover-up."

    Davian said, appearing next to Powergirl in the blink of an eye.

    He extended his Zanpakuto out. The sword unfolded into thousands of purple strings that recreated Powergirl''s previous costume.

    "Spoilsport."

    Constantine cursed lowly from the green construct he was riding on.

    Powergirl ignored the magician, looking down at herself and flexing her body. The suit clung to her tightly. It was comfortable, even more comfortable than her real suit.

    "Thanks. Never thought I''d be happy to see you two alive." She nodded at Davian with a relieve smile.

    "Yeah. I wasn''t expecting it either."

    The soul reaper looked down at his hands.

    "But when that fire breath reached me, I just...knew I could take it. Absorb it. So I did."

    Davian turned to face their front. Before him, past the rock island they were on, Chase in his giant form had his back to them as he faced Aethyr.

    "Whoa... what''s that?"

    Powergirl asked.

    "Not what, who."

    Davian corrected with a smile.

    "And that my dear super babe, is hundreds of thousands of pounds of Chase. I don''t know about you, but I''m getting a better view."

    Davian took a single step forward, appearing atop Chase''s head.

    "I think the smart thing for us to do would be to stay as far away from them as possible. Sound good?"

    Constantine offered the Kryptonian.

    For the first time ever, Powergirl found herself agreeing with him.

    ******

    Davian bent, patting his Zanpakuto spirit on the head. Chase'' gigantic form was constructed by Chesha Neko''s strings.

    If this was what billions of strings could achieve, Davian was tempted to find out what Trillions could.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "So what number does this bad guy make on the list of those we''ve beaten? There was Trigon, Barragan, Savage and now him."

    I told Chase.

    "You forgot Doomsday."

    He reminded me, rumbling forward, fur rippling in readiness as Aethyr managed to get up from his fall.

    "IMPOSSIBLE!"

    The principal deity of Limbo said in shock, spotting me.

    "What? Surprised to see me?"

    I asked.

    "How was the slap? It''s nothing compared to what''s coming."

    The dragon flared it''s wings, rising up to face us.

    "TCH! IMPUDENT TRASH! I AM AETHYR YET YOU MOCK ME?!! I SHALL BURN YOUR SOUL!!"

    It pulled back it''s head and whipped it, sending a fresh wave of flames our way.

    "Ready Chase?"

    Chase snorted at my question.

    "Always with the suicidal moves huh? At least now we know a part of what you can do."

    I chuckled, jumping off his head to face the flames head on.

    I stretched out my hand, innately feeling the energy contained within Aethyr''s attack. The dragon hadn''t exagerrated. These flames were actually hot enough to burn someone''s soul.

    A fitting and very effective attack in a place like Limbo. Too bad he was fighting me.

    Using that sense, I grabbed hold of the flame''s essence then (pulled) it within me. The attack disappeared as the flames energy was processed and stored in my energy reserves.

    And then...

    I (pushed) all that energy through my feet and into Chase.

    First ability discovered: Energy Absorption, manipulation and Transference. Pride maybe?

    To be fair, my strings could do the same and my Bankai had an evolved version but the limits of this skill were unknown. Maybe it had restrictions on what types of energy I could absorb.

    ...Maybe it didn''t.

    Having already processed that absorbed energy within me, it manifested in Chase in the form of a skill.

    His huge forearm gained a black coating. The claws extending out obsidian black with an aura of rot surrounding them.

    Respira.

    The claws cut a path through the air, headed for Aethyr ''s neck. They neatly sliced through the god of Limbo''s neck, detaching his head from his body.

    The Dragon''s body staggered forward but failed to fall.

    Aethyr''s slow laughter sounded out from the fallen head lying across several rock islands.

    "I TOLD YOU, I AM THE REALM. THE OVERSOUL. YOU WOULD HAVE TO KILL THIS ENTIRE PLANE TO GET RID OF ME!!"

    He roared.

    "He''s right."

    Chase told me, but I was already flying forward. Something about what he said struck a chord with me.

    "Davian?"

    My Zanpakuto spirit called out but I ignored him, too entranced by this wild idea forming at the back of my mind.

    "You called yourself the Oversoul."

    I spoke to Aethyr.

    Wisps of blue energy extended out of the decapitated part of his neck, attaching to the underside of his head.

    "EXACTLY. THAT MEANS I CANNOT DIE."

    He said, emboldened. I knew he was priming for another attack. I just...sensed it. Because he was the Oversoul. Emphasis on Soul.

    "And this energy...it''s not exactly Reiryoku but it is a form of spirit energy. Which makes you not just the god of this realm but it''s core. It''s soul."

    I concentrated on one of the blue wisps.

    The strand extended towards me.

    Then I absorbed it.

    Everything went silent.

    "WAIT...WHAT DID YOU- JUST DO?"

    Aethyr asked in trembling tone.

    "I...I CAN''T FEel a part of myself..."

    I snickered.

    "Now I get it. Even when I was weak, I could absorb Shrouds and incorporate their power into me."

    I looked up, a fervent hunger burning in my eyes.

    "What would happen if I absorbed the core of a realm?"

    "No...I-"

    "Chase?"

    I called. My Zanpakuto felt my intentions and responded in action.

    Snikt! Slash! RkkkT!!!

    Aethyr''s soul form was turned into ribbons by a purple shadow. Chase darted in and out of Shunpo, slashing apart Aethyr, causing his body to spew out liquid spirit essence.

    At the end, the Dragon was floating on a bed of purple strings below me, it''s chest was exposed.

    "You have lost."

    I held out my hand to him.

    "Join me and become my servant and I promise to spare you and your realm."

    "Never!" The proud dragon roared.

    I retracted the arm.

    "Then I shall absorb you. Your will, your memories, they shall cease to be. You shall cease to be, Aethyr. Then I''ll remake this realm into something else."

    I warned. I never had an habit of leaving an enemy alive and I wasn''t going to start now.

    Aethyr stared back at me with stubborn eyes burning with discontent.

    "What- what gives you the right, child of death?"

    He bit out bitterly.

    "Because I won."

    I answered.

    The strings around him speared through his form.

    Then I reached out and the tip of my finger touched on a single strand. Aethyr was instantly absorbed into me.

    And within the blink of an eye, I found myself ejected out of the Phantom Zone faster than I could react.

    I looked around, extending my Reikaku out.

    I was in outer space, surrounded by stars twinkling from far away distances. And behind me, was the familiar curve of the green and blue planet I called home.

    Only now it wasn''t blue and green. It was burning.

 Might Makes me Right part 2.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Before you foolishly attack me, ask yourself one simple question girl."

    Desaad sneered.

    "Why aren''t you locked up with the rest of those idiot children who thought they could take on the might of Apokalips!"

    Grail stopped.

    "It has crossed my mind."

    She admitted.

    "But then I realize, I don''t give a fuck. I just want to punch your face in."

    The minute she got within a few paces of Desaad, the ship''s floor opened up under her. The lens of a huge device appeared from beneath, producing a unique pulse of orange energy that covered her in a sudden cocoon.

    "Target successfully detained."

    The ship''s AI said.

    "Energy reserves at 100%"

    "Excellent work Fatherbox."

    The cloaked villain said to the clunky device placed on a pedestal next to his seat, his fingers running over the box.

    He then advanced forward, stopping before the energy capsule, a cruel smile on his face.

    Grail tried to shout but her voice couldn''t be heard through the capsule. She pulled back her hand and begun raining punches across the bounds of her prison but nothing seemed to work.

    Her eyes lit up, filling the chamber with scarlet light. Then twin Omega beams launched off them.

    The beams bounced around the cocoon ineffectually before slamming onto her and getting absorbed into her body, without leaving behind a single scratch.

    Desaad wheezed in laughter.

    "Struggle all you want Child but there is no way you''re getting out of there. The capsule absorbs energy to sustain itself, so the more you strike it, the stronger and tougher it will be."

    The New God rattled off a few facts.

    "It is so powerful in fact that I theorize, nothing can break through-"

    That''s when a massive purple energy arrow, surrounded by a vortex of dark energy speared through the Main deck, nailing Desaad onto the wall of the chamber.

    The ship trembled, rocked by a massive shockwave caused by the impact of the arrow.

    It was sudden.

    It was fast.

    It was unavoidable.

    Desaad coughed out a mouthful of blood. What was that?...

    The New God staring disbelievingly at the projectile sticking out of his chest. Even Grail looked on with a perturbed expression on her face.

    It hadn''t taken long for her to value anyone else opposed to Apokalips as a potential ally. Maybe she was was going to get out of here sooner or later.

    Back to Desaad, he could feel pain!

    How was he feeling Pain?! He had eliminated that weakness ages ago! And not only that, the energy within the arrow seemed to be going erratic.

    Desaad premonition screamed at him to do something.A very big thing was about to happen.

    The New God could feel himself fading away. No- Could this be death? It couldn''t be. He needed to live! Desaad was needed for his master''s grand plan.

    He gathered all the energy he could, lifted his trembling hands and grabbed the shaft of the massive arrow.

    The black vortex of energy surrounding the arrow jumped onto him, disintegrating his fingers and wrists.

    "Hhn?"

    Was all he managed to say as the arrow on his chest blew up, spreading a wave of destruction across the entire chamber.

    Grail smiled when cracks begun to appear around her prison.

    ********

    (Earth''s Surface.)

    Metropolis had been turned into a battlefield of epic levels of devastation.

    The Justice League had tried to hold on. They had fought back valiantly, putting their lives on the line to protect the civilians being evacuated.

    The almost endless waves of Para-demons from the spaceships coming through the Boom-tubes were dealt with extreme prejudice.

    The information provided by Kalibak had been accurate so far.

    The League had beat back the forces of Apokalips almost too easily. The battle seemed to be over, the only thing left do being to save the Teen Titans.

    That''s when ''he'' decided to arrive. He wasn''t alone either. He had with him Lanterns from across the entire universe. All of them infected by something.

    A red and green virus.

    A false Anti-life equation.

    And that''s when everything changed.

    (A few gruesome minutes later)

    The remains of skyscrapers jutted out in the beautiful skyline of Metropolis.

    The skyline itself was filled with dust and smoke that heavily hang over the city. Swarms of Para-demons patrolled periodically, seeking out people to abduct.

    In a certain leveled block, at a clearing surrounded by the remains of buildings,

    Darkseid, the embodiment of malevolence, levitated, triumphant amidst the fallen heroes tasked to defending the world.

    The Justice League...had failed.

    Superman, the symbol of hope, his uniform torn apart, was now held captive by two enslaved heroes, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter.

    The former''s ring pulsed with a murky green light that sent waves of weakness across the Man of Steel''s body. The effect was similar to Kryptonite, ensuring Superman was too weak to defend himself.

    Both Hal''s and J''onn''s eyes glowed with an eerie, crimson light as they kept the Man of Steel on his knees.

    "How the mighty have fallen"

    Darkseid gloated while advancing forward, an entire platoon of Lanterns hovered in the space above him, all under his control.

    "I thought you had more fight in you, Kryptonian."

    He mocked the kneeling Superman.

    The God of Evil next surveyed a spot on the ground.

    Batman, the Dark Knight, lay on it, a gruesome wound in his chest where Wonder Woman''s sword had pierced through him.

    Alfred''s incessant calls for him to hold on through the ear piece were the second loudest thing he could ear. The loudest thing reaching his ears being a whistling sound.

    Coming straight at them.

    He couldn''t move, he''d lost so much blood any strenuous activity would make him keel over immediately, dead.

    This was bad... Darkseid had caught then unprepared.

    And the rest of the League faired no better. Each one of them suffering something worse than the one before.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Across the desolate street, Wonder Woman''s body was torn limb from limb. Her golden lasso was used to bind her to a streetlight like a gruesome trophy.

    The Amazonian warrior''s strength had been no match for the sheer brutality of Darkseid and Kalibak after he''d been rescued by his father''s arrival.

    She had lost copious amounts of blood, most of it pooling on the ground below her.

    Darkseid''s gazed passed over her to the next victim, the speedster.

    In a realm of never-ending torment, The Flash found himself trapped within a capsule of relentless red energy.

    His body spasmed as he relived life after life in a never-ending simulation, one created by the Omega Effect.

    With the Speed Force unique abilities, time had become his prison, each life seeming longer and even more painful.

    There didn''t seem to be a way out of this never ending cycle of torment.

    The Evil God''s final gaze fell to the Champion of the gods. The Old Gods, he corrected himself. Dealing with him had been simple.

    Shazam''s once-mighty form had been reduced to a charred husk on the very Earth.

    Darkseid hadn''t wasted time and had focused the full might of his Omega Beams on the champion, burning his skin to nothing.

    The hero who had once summoned the power of six powerful beings was nowhere to be seen.

    On his previous location was the small smoking form of a child.

    A job well done.

    Darkseid smirked, looking up at the news chopper flying in the sky while filming everything that was happening.

    He waved a hand. Murky green energy left his right palm and the aircraft was immediately pulled towards him by thousands of misshapen hand constructs.

    The chopper came to hover before Darkseid. It''s rotors rotating closer to The Evil God. He

    Said god held his hands behind him, his intimidating aura scaring the news crew silent.

    It was clear what he wanted, so with a nudge from the reporter, the Camera man gulped and rolled the tape, beginning to film.

    The God of Evil motioned around him at the fallen heroes.

    "Behold the fate of those who dare to oppose me," Darkseid begun, his voice a deep baritone one with a resonating effect.

    His red eyes blazed with power as he continued his speech,

    "Your heroes have fallen, and now, there is no hope left. I have taken the very essence of existence, and there is no one left to stand in my way."

    Across the world, everyone watching was chilled to the bone by his words. They had a ripple of power in them. As if anything he declared was law.

    "I expect rebellions, I expect revolutionaries...I expect weaklings battering against fate. For that is what you are. A tribe of insignificant beings that exist to be under my rule."

    He turned away from the Camera, flying down towards Superman.

    "I want you to watch me as I corrupt the best among you. I want your despair to fester. Your revenge to simmer. You hatred to magnify and burn true."

    He brought his hands closer to Superman''s head.

    "One simple touch and the symbol of hope you so vehemently look up at shall be the instrument for my destruction."

    His palm inched closer to Superman''s head when...

    A shower of purple filled the smoky sky. Millions and millions of arrows rained down on them at fast speeds.

    Over a hundred were headed exclusively straight for Darkseid.

    The God of Evil did not move an inch from his position. That said, the furrow in his brows and tightening of his left hand showed that this was something he wasn''t familiar with.

    ''Could it finally be ''him?'' The one prophesied to bring Darkseid down and usher in a new world, the fifth world?

    Darkseid truly did not have an answer. A bloodthirsty smile spread out across his face. He hadn''t met a good challenge on Earth but maybe this could be it.

    "Mmh."

    Darkseid hummed, his one active eye managing to make contact with someone a long distance away from the planet. Something about those eyes...

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The planet was burning.

    Literally.

    That said however, I found myself concerned with a more immediate problem. How the fuck did I get here?

    Did someone teleport me out of Limbo?

    That wouldn''t make sense, the only way that would happen is if they were immeasurably more powerful than I was.

    And even if they were, I would still have felt it. No. There had to be another explanation.

    Not to mention, why dump me in space of all places?

    I closed my eyes, concentrating on my link with my Zanpakuto.

    "Chase, can you hear me?"

    I called out.

    "Yes. I can. But where are you? You just disappeared on us."

    Chase said, voice projected through the link.

    Before I could answer, he popped up on my left shoulder.

    "Why are you in space?"

    He enquired, looking around at the cold and empty environment.

    "I don''t know."

    I spoke to his mind. This was the only viable way to communicate, as sound could not be transmitted through a vacuum.

    "But if I had to hazard a guess...I would say it has something to do with the attack happening to the planet. My theory is someone pulled me out so that I could help out with..."

    "Actually I think you''re responsible."

    Chase cut in musingly. He teleported off my shoulder, appearing infront of me, paws under his chin as he studied my body.

    "Your body is teeming with Limbo''s energy. No doubt a consequence of absorbing Aethyr into you."

    I looked down at myself, probing my body with Reikaku. An Ethereal swirl of grey energy continuously circled the outline of my soul.

    "You''re right. It''s echoes of Phantom energy. Coming from...Limbo."

    I said in realization.

    "I don''t think you were forcibly teleported out of the Phantom Zone. I think by absorbing Aethyr, you also absorbed the Phantom Zone into you, thereby expelling you out of the Dimension. I wouldn''t be surprised to find an expansion to your Inner World."

    Chase concluded.

    And sure enough when I closed my eyes, his suspicions rang true. My Inner World had massively expanded. It was now split into two distinct areas.

    I couldn''t wait to see it for myself. Something told me that there was more to the Sins'' abilities than my initial thought.

    "We can check it out later. Right now, we''re needed. The Earth is under attack."

    I told my Zanpakuto, eyes on the dozens of Spaceships that I could now spot around the Earth''s atmosphere.

    My enhanced senses seemed to have been amplified even more. I didn''t think they came from any particular Sin, so it must have been more of a general enhancement due to the fact the Sins were canonically demons.

    Anything that increased my abilities was welcome however. Anything to protect Raven. Besides, I lived for this. The challenges.

    My decision making had never the best and that had led to me getting into many dumb situations.

    I had fought for so long it was virtually the only thing I was good at. Take that away and I was nothing. Just a guy with a past he couldn''t escape from.

    So if my purpose was to be a death machine, a power hungry maniac with a monstrous cat roaming from one place to the another in search of conflict or Death, so be it.

    I gladly accepted it.

    I would play my role as the Grim Reaper to perfection.

    It didn''t hurt that a welcome change to owning my guilt and accepting myself was something good for once.

    Power. Incredible Power.

    One that would allow me to selfishly protect what I wanted and to ruthlessly dispatch those I wanted gone.

    This was my playing ground now. And I dared anyone to challenge me for it.

    "Oh my, what an intimidating aura that is."

    Chase commented, on the shroud of Reiatsu around me.

    I smirked, stretching out my left hand. Chesha Neko, woven across my clothes after I''d absorbed Aethyr, run down my form, several purple threads waving along my body.

    The threads converged on the palm of my left hand, combining and creating a majestic bow half the size of my body.

    I turned to fully face the planet, the glare of the sun casting a beautiful shade on one side of the Earth.

    "Chase, I need you to do something for me. Use your sensory abilities and give me some targets."

    I informed my Zanpakuto.

    Chase stared at the bow in my hands then at me as if I was crazy.

    "You can''t be seriously considering what I think you''re considering?"

    The smile on my face widened.

    "If what you''re thinking involves making a certain New God mad and scared shitless at the same time, then you''d be right. I''m about to fuck up Darkseid''s day."

    I pulled the bowstring back.

    Push.

    Pull.

    Reiryoku surged through my left hand, then Tairyoku came from my right. Both energies roiled around each other. A chaotic chain of purple and gold, each the opposite of one another.

    Chase shook his head in defeat.

    "I''ll bark like a dog if you make a shot from this distance."

    He wagered.

    ''oh you poor cat... don''t you know you don''t bet against me?''

    "Targets. Now."

    I replied with an hungry growl, eager to prove to him that I wasn''t just a good shot, I was a phenomenal one.

    Chase turned his focus fully on the Earth.

    A pulse of Reiryoku, very much like my own rushed out of him, spreading out across the entire region of the moon''s orbit around the planet.

    "Mmmh...That is one serious invasion." He begun,

    "There''s multiple Portals around the world acting as a gateway for the invaders. Swarms of... Those creatures - I recognize them."

    He turned to me with a serious expression ok his face.

    "They''re called Para-demons."

    The word sent warning bells across my mind. My grin spread even further.

    "Darkseid. Guess he couldn''t wait for death to come to him. Well, if he seeks my attention that badly then...it''s on."

    This was it. Nick''s memories painted this dude as a god. Undefeated, unbowed. If there ever was a battle I wanted to partake in, this was it.

    I closed a single eye, the other one, penetrating through space to tag anything my mind triggered as hostile to the planet.

    "Keep going."

    Chase complied,

    "41 massive spaceships across the globe. Hovering above some of the world''s most populated locations. They also seem to be abducting people."

    Reikaku paired up with my enhanced sight provided an almost Omni-present awareness across the entire world. So everything Chase said I followed and brought within my sight.

    "Among the ships, there''s the largest, the 41st, which is floating above New York and is most likely the main command station. I can''t quite get a read on this particular one. It- seems to be shielded somehow."

    His tone was tainted with frustration.

    "Let me see."

    I suggested, before then fully unleashing the power of my Reikaku''s sensory prowess. The true limits, or lack thereof on this particular skill, were fully displayed here.

    "2000 Para-demons- no wait a couple of them have just been blown out of the ship by..."

    My face changed as I cursed.

    "The teen titans are on that ship. Raven is on that ship!"

    "Well then, I believe it would be prudent if you introduced yourself."

    Chase told me, jumping back onto my shoulder.

    "In the process, we can find out what you can fully do. It''s a two birds one stone situation. You ready?"

    I snorted at his question. Was I ready? Why don''t I let my skill speak for itself.

    "Combo attack: Demonic Lightning Respira!"

    I semi playfully chanted, pulling back ok the string and causing massive arrows to form from the purple strings around my body.

    There were tens of thousands, then hundreds then millions.

    The arrows spun at my urging, gathering momentum and power. Then I pushed Respira through the attack, creating a vortex of time erosion around each Individual arrow.

    My target? Each of the 41 spaceships and the scores of creatures they held.

    "I feel like this moment needs a cool line."

    I said to myself.

    "''How about, Death has come knocking and you have no choice but to answer''?

    Chase suggested.

    I shook my head.

    "Nah that''s too long. Oh I know."

    I released the bow string. With a sudden pressure wave, the arrows sailed forward towards the planet at supersonic speeds.

    "He shoots...and scores!"

 Across the World part 1.

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    ::---------------------------------------------------------::

    Chapter 168: Final Battle: Across the World.

    (General P.O.V) (a few minutes earlier)

    The entire world was in a state of panic. This invasion was unlike anything Earth had ever seen before.

    News outlets across the globe were all reporting on the same thing.

    The 41 massive spaceships hovering above the most densely populated locations across the globe and the insect like monstrosities that kidnapped people off the streets.

    Nations had announced a state of emergency and most had curfews in full effect, hoping that containing people indoors would lessen the chances of them being abducted.

    Heroes and villains, bitter enemies and rivals, from all over the planet banded together at this critical juncture to fight the hordes of Apokalips.

    However even with the temporary truce, things weren''t looking good for the Earth.

    ~~~~~

    In Rio De Janeiro, under the fallen statue of Christ the Redeemer,

    Fire and Ice, two female superheroes unleashed devastating waves of attacks on Para-demons as they covered the evacuation efforts.

    They had already been at it for half an hour and exhaustion was steadily setting in. Around them were frozen bodies of Para-demons contained in ice sculptures, courtesy of the Cryo-kinetic in the duo.

    The two were now standing back to back fighting with everything they had.

    Huge swathes of flames poured out of Fire''s hands, the heat washing over a group of Para-demons headed towards them from the sky.

    Smoking and burnt bodies hit the ground before them. And still more of them were coming!

    Fire used her elbow to nudge her best friend, her ample chest moving up and down in exhaustion while her face was covered in sweat. Strands of her long hair clung to her forehead.

    "We can''t keep this up for long, Ice."

    In another part of the city, Thunderbolt a native of Brazil and hero just like the two women, was a mere blur.

    He raced down the street, grabbing civilians in danger in the blink of an eye, while delivering thunderous blows to any Para-demon he met on the way.

    ~~~~~

    All the way in Asia, Doctor Light, Kimiyo Hoshi, soared through the night sky above Tokyo, leading a cadre of Japanese heroes.

    Her white costume shimmered like a shooting star as she descended into the heart of the brightly lit city, where Para-demons swarmed like locusts, diving down to grab innocent civilians.

    "Y��shanai!" (No Mercy!)

    She yelled, unleashing beams of devastating light attacks.

    She didn''t need to hold back, the lights across the city fed her with more power than she could use. So she turned it on the enemy.

    Then once she landed, she proved to be even more dangerous at close quarters.

    With a flurry of precise strikes enhanced by her light abilities and graceful acrobatics, she tore through the creatures, dispatching them with a martial artistry that left her fellow heroes and onlookers alike in awe.

    ~~~~~

    In Moscow, the Rocket Red Brigade, a Russian team of Superpowered individuals in powerful suits of armors faced off against the Parademons as they descended upon the Red Square.

    Firing off hundreds of rounds and other powerful attacks, they protected the thousands who sought refuge in the Saint Basil''s Cathedral.

    ~~~~~

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The situation was very much the same in India as, the Jade Monk, standing in the heart of New Delhi, invoked ancient incantations, pulling power from the gods themselves.

    A shimmering force field enveloped the entire city, glowing with mystical energy.

    While it proved impervious to the relentless assaults of the Para-demons, cracks were already running down it''s length.

    ~~~~~

    In Mexico City, a family of three was about to be captured by a Para-demon when the creature was torn apart limb from limb.

    Green blood and bodily liquids dripped down onto the pavement, followed by the wet smack of the Para-demon''s remains.

    A weary voice sighed.

    "I do not like this senseless killing...but I also do not have a choice. Forgive me creature."

    In the air above the dead Para-demon, El Dorado, a hero with strength and abilities similar to Superman, bowed his head in remorse.

    The father of the family he had just saved, walked forward, standing protectively before his wife and daughter.

    The three of them looked up at their savior, who was dressed in green pants, a red cape and a long golden ornament that circled his neck before connecting with the belt on his hip.

    El Dorado felt their states and turned to face them.

    "Are you hurt?"

    "No."

    They shook their heads.

    "Thank you, senor."

    The father said, bowing in gratitude.

    "Think nothing of it. Walk down this street and you should see a member of the Justicia. They shall lead you to safety."

    El Dorado told him before turning and flying away.

    ~~~~~

    While all this was happening across the world,

    In a certain city in America, known for two primary things, one having the headquarters of one of the biggest multinational corporations in the world: Lex-corp.

    And two for being the home of arguably the greatest superhero ever, Superman, the final battle to determine the fate of the world was about to take place.

    In the outskirts of Metropolis, a carrier plane was quickly closing in on the destroyed part of the city.

    Even from afar, smoke rose above the Skyscrapers jutting out of the Metropolis skyline.

    Deeper in,

    Pandemonium reigned supreme across the streets of the city of tomorrow.

    Paramedics, emergency personnel and authorities filled the area, helping injured people or in the case of the latter, guarding the perimeter set up around the street to stop the advance of enemy forces.

    A few blocks away, and you entered a warzone.

    These streets were abandoned. Cars burned, leaving behind metallic husks, dead bodies lay unmoving on the pavement, and the military was hard at work fighting for the survival of their species.

    Tanks belonging to the national guard and the nearby military base regularly sent shots at the swarms of creatures filling the sky.

    Snipers filled the rooftops, picking off the Para-demons that tried to make it past the barricade.

    In retaliation, the Para-demons would swoop down and grab the soldiers in a bid to carry them towards the Apokaliptian vessels for the forced transformation into Para-demons.

    Then the new Para-demons would leave the vessel and begin assailing their former teammates.

    It was a losing battle and the army had already been forced to abandon their other checkpoints, the never ending onslaught pushing them deeper and deeper into the city.

    Behind the barricade, in a temporary tent set up inside an alley, the commander burst in with an injured soldier on his shoulder.

    "Medic! I need a medic!"

    He yelled out into the tent, his voice barely audible over the roar of gunfire on the outside.

    There was a flurry of activity as medical staff took the groaning soldier off him and placed him on a stretcher.

    Another soldier ran into the room after him.

    "The comms are ready Commander."

    He said, handing over the radio.

    The Commander snatched it out of his hands and immediately roared into it.

    "Where are the reinforcements?! I''m losing men out here!"

    There was a brief static before he received a response.

    "Back up is 5 minutes out Commander. Just hold on. Retreat if you-"

    "There''s nowhere else to retreat!"

    The Commander rebutted.

    "We''re already near the perimeter as it is. We lose any more ground and those things are going after civilians!"

    There was a brief silence, then the person on the other side amended their earlier statement.

    "2 minutes out Commander. Just hold on."

    Then the line went dead.

    ******

    In the outskirts of Metropolis, said reinforcements were now just entering the city in an aircraft. A carrier plane to be exact.

    The drone of the carrier plane''s engine was broken by the sound of a pair of boots slapping on the metallic floor of the cabin inside.

    "Colonel Flag!"

    A soldier called out urgently.

    "We''re coming up on Metropolis sir."

    The soldier saluted, stopping before Rick Flag.

    Flag nodded, strapping on his handgun in the holster under his shoulder.

    Then he turned to the cabin filled with soldiers and a certain special group of individuals the soldiers avoided like the plague.

    "Okay men! Listen up."

    Flag announced with a clap.

    "We are about to encounter heavy contact."

    The soldiers looked tense, most of them gripped their weapons tightly, a few prayed. All of them decked out in full combat gear.

    "Gamma group."

    Flag continued moving through the Cabin.

    "Remember the mission, you''re under Captain Luiz and your job is to act as back up to the main force facing those things. Hold the perimeter by any means necessary. Got it?"

    "Yessir!"

    Came a chorus from the soldiers.

    "Control tells me some civilians might have been left behind." Flag continued.

    "Therefore your secondary objective is to evacuate those you can. However not at the cost of your first objective. Do I make myself clear?"

    "Yessir!"

    He paused to let that sink in.

    "Do not, and I repeat, do not throw your lives away for glory. Work as a unit. Let the Justice League and the crazies sitting on the left side of this boat handle the bulk of the aliens. You''re just there to make sure the fight does not spill over to the civilian side."

    He said.

    "Hey fuck you Flag. Don''t lump me in with the rest."

    Bloodsport said from where he was leaning his head on the cabin walls, eyes closed.

    "What is that supposed to mean, you insufferable @_@$@&-!"

    Captain Boomerang let out a litany of insults aimed at Bloodsport.

    "Whoa whoa whoa!"

    Flag raised his hands.

    "Not smart Boomer. He''s going to be watching your back, remember?"

    "Let me kill him now. It should spare those things the trouble."

    Bloodsport said, removing his handgun from his hip.

    Just then, the entire plane buckled as something fast cut through the air next to the plane.

    "What was that?"

    Black Manta seated next to Clay face asked, turning to face the cabin window.

    "Huh sir?"

    One of the soldiers called out, similarly staring out of the small window.

    "It''s raining...arrows?"

    ******

    Batman''s breath came out in a sharp wheeze.

    He blinked.

    The blood loss must have been getting to him. Affecting his brain and causing him to see things. Otherwise, why was the sky tinted purple?

    The clouds above flashed with light, something- or rather somethings tore through them as they fell towards the Earth.

    Several of them speared through the Apokaliptian ship above the water.

    It was fast and unexpected. The Ship''s forcefield faltered, barely even stopping the shower.

    All across the world, the same thing was taking place. Fire and Ice were on their last legs when thousands of purple arrows decimated the ranks of Para-demons looming over them.

    The scene repeated itself in Russia, the Rocket Red Brigade having lost half of their forces were about to be forced to abandon the Red Square when the Para-demons assailing them were torn apart by the arrows.

    Tokyo, doctor light felt the attacks before they even landed. She informed the rest of the Japanese heroes and they retreated to watch.

    "Subarashi." ( brilliant),

    she muttered in awe at the spectacle while standing on the roof of a building.

    ******

    Surrounded by thousands of Para-demons and hundreds of corrupted Green Lanterns, Darkseid established eyes with the one responsible for the attacks.

    His gaze pierced through the atmosphere and space.

    Red eyes met purple eyes across the vast distance.

    "There''s the ugly bastard."

    Davian gave a small smile, lowering his bow.

    Chase who was floating in midair beside him had a shocked look on his face.

    "You...you actually did it. The arrows reached. All 41 ships have been hit. 90% of the Para-demons were disintegrated by Respira..."

    He muttered with awe.

    "And that''s not even the main show. Watch."

    Davian told him.

    A few of those arrows, hundred to be precise were not only thicker and more powerful but were slower as well, their trajectory set for Darkseid.

    "Hhmph!"

    The New God snorted at the incoming projectiles, his eyes glowing red before a pair of familiar beams zigzagged through the air, drowning the arrows under the heat of the Omega effect.

    Darkseid''s eyes widened a bit when the arrows held up to his attack, bursting through th

    e Omega beams without even slowing down.

    Something about those arrows seemed to counteract his Omega Effect.

    The arrows were about to pierce through him when the world stopped.

    A portal swirling with energy opened before the God of Evil. The Black Racer ran out of the portal, headed straight for the arrows.

 Across the World part 2: The Dreaming.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Every single attack hit it''s mark. All except for one.

    The arrows headed for Darkseid were bathed in the bloody light of his Omega beams, inches away from him.

    Regardless, the arrow''s flight speed and course were not the least bit altered or compromised.

    They still continued on their path to every vulnerable spot across his gigantic form.

    His eyes, his thick neck and every other place that when pierced through, would ultimately spell death for just about anyone.

    One thing I had immediately noticed about the fusion of Tairyoku and Reiryoku, was that the result was resilient enough to withstand anything.

    So when the arrows suddenly disappeared before they could land, I was surprised. Not even by using Reikaku could I feel my energy anymore.

    Those hundred arrows had each contained twice the power of the regular ones.

    And none of the latter had missed or been blocked, they had speared through metal and flesh alike.

    So you could guess just how crazy powerful the attack had been.

    One might even call it overkill but Darkseid was just a different kind of beast.

    You needed something like a planet killer to put him down.

    "The Grey bastard must have redirected that attack elsewhere, probably because he knew he couldn''t block them."

    I mused to myself, manic hunger for battle coursing through me.

    "Fine then, let''s see if he can dodge me if I was closer."

    I added, ready to clear the distance between us.

    "Davian, wait."

    Chase called out.

    What stopped me wasn''t his words but the slight tremble in his tone.

    Brows furrowed, I stared at my Zanpakuto Spirit, seeing fear apparent on his face.

    That was a first.

    My lips thinned as I vigilantly scanned the area for what had him terrified.

    "Chase, you''re worrying me a bit. What is it?"

    He said nothing, his blue orbs narrowed as he looked towards a certain direction. Earth.

    "Dodge."

    He stated out of nowhere.

    Without thinking, I immediately complied, pushing off my heel. Reiryoku gushed out of my feet while Tairyoku enhanced my body strength, allowing me to strafe to the right in a sudden jet.

    And just in time too, as a dark orange blur passed between us in the tenth of a nanosecond.

    Space itself screamed as the vacuum was pressured to accommodate a raw type of energy that felt... primordial yet familiar to me.

    The blur continued, speeding through space, leaving the Earth''s orbit around the sun. Streaks of orange lightning trailed behind it.

    Unfortunately for the fourth planet in our solar system, it was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Hundreds of millions of miles behind us, there was an impact that produced shockwaves strong enough to be felt at this distance.

    A massive change occured on Mars, the red planet exploding into chunks of rock and debris that sped outwards into the Solar system.

    The molten liquid iron core solidified into pieces of hard metal, some flying towards Earth while moving at supersonic speeds.

    Chase and I were dumfounded.

    "Mars...is gone."

    The words leaving my mouth didn''t make it any easier to believe what had just happened.

    It had happened so fast.

    "Darkseid was ready for you."

    Chase said through our bond, floating closer to my side.

    "So it seems."

    I agreed, pulsing my aura to throw away the debris and rocks headed towards us on their path to the innermost planets.

    Chesha Neko also extended into hundreds of thousands of strings that broke off into millions and then billions of threads. The strings rose up and speared through the pieces of the shattered planet flying past us, storing them within me.

    Another power discovered:- Bottomless stomach. Of course this could only be gluttony. Pretty standard as things went.

    It was a simple matter to consciously fuse my Bottomless Stomach into the rest of my Inner world.

    The action caused pieces of mars to appear in the sky of the green cemetery in my Inner World.

    The pieces spread out across the entire dimension, becoming an endless volcanic-red ring around my world.

    I cut off that train of thought, turning my focus to the more immediate matter.

    By all indications, the God of Apokalips came anticipating a tough battle.

    It would make sense that during his second invasion of Earth after he''d been beaten back by the League, he would come prepared.

    Chase sighed.

    "This is probably going to fall on deaf ears, but you need to be careful."

    He advised, noticing the intense look in my eyes.

    I didn''t answer, instead opting to expand the range of my Reikaku even further, reaching my current limit.

    There. At the exact location Mars had occupied. A dark orange light, pulsing with intensity... spreading out waves of familiar energy.

    It''s aura...

    It felt eerily similar to my own.

    It felt like death.

    "You feel it now, don''t you?"

    Chase enquired.

    My chest inflated as I took a deep breath. Even though nothing entered my lungs, it still calmed me.

    My heartbeat evened out.

    My senses stopped being overwhelmed.

    Push and pull.

    Reiryoku and Tairyoku roared within me.

    The latter enhanced my soul''s ability to read more information from my Reikaku and the latter provided a general increase in my physical parameters.

    "Yeah...I can." I answered Chase.

    "Its like chaotic lightning. An unholy blend between the Flash and Doomsday. It''s a speedster...one that can''t be slowed down, stopped, or outran."

    I tightened my hands into a fist, moulding the strings to form around me as armor. They covered around my skeleton and flesh, taking my Shikai form and more than tripling it''s effects.

    To finish the armor, a pair of purple wings sprouted behind me. This thing favoured speed. I couldn''t be too slow or else I would lose.

    In a fight, speed is almost always the determining factor.

    The increase in my power was exponential, taking me to a level of strength I had only felt once. Bankai.

    My skin tingled with energy, the shroud of purple and gold aura around me flaring up in readiness. I felt like I could take on a hundred Doomsdays and win.

    But even with that I wasn''t confident in my chances at winning this. Which made it all the more exciting.

    "It''s coming back."

    Chase informed me.

    And true enough, something cut through my Reikaku like a hot knife through butter. I flared up my wings.

    It pushed away the Quarks and Gluons making up the smallest unit of reality, leaving a tunnel in space that existed for less than a pico-second, twisting the vacuum and causing mini black holes that consumed each other before dying out.

    A headache threatened to consume me if I kept on reading more into what was happening.

    So I decreased the range of Reikaku to a few thousand meters around my body. Sufficient enough to tell me when my opponent closed in.

    Barely any time later, I sensed It.

    I brought up Chesha Neko, planning to hold it across my chest and block the attack headed for my neck with it''s flat side, only for the enemy to reach me before I could do half of that.

    And right then, clear as day, I felt my own mortality.

    Even with my enhancements, I was too slow.

    It was like I''d blinked and literal death appeared infront of me.

    The blur was now visible. My eyes captured it''s form and my mind recognized that what I was seeing was not meant to be here.

    On this plane.

    It''s dark red eyes made contact with mine. The creepiest part was the slow smile I saw on it''s face. I was rendered speechless and somehow immobile.

    Luckily, my vision changed as Chase used his instant teleportation, an ability he had never used on me before, to send us both to the other side of the moon..

    "Whew, that was close. That guy is dangerous."

    Chase told me from my side.

    Meanwhile I was staring at my arms...

    '' Even with the wings...he is still way too fast. Faster than me at least. ''

    I pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes in frustration. In all my fights I''d been the fastest. This one however, I was soundly defeated. Found lacking.

    It was annoying.

    I''d...almost died. Could I even die? Thanks to Chase I hadn''t needed to find that out. There was no question about it, he had saved me.

    "You can''t beat his speed."

    Chase told me.

    "Yeah, I figured that out myself."

    I responded sarcastically.

    But I couldn''t accept that. One way or the other, I was going to win and then move on to the final boss himself.

    Reikaku warned me of another devastating attack. This time the moon gained a hole through its center as the blur burst through.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    It was mere instinct that I did what I did. My spirit pressure (Reiatsu) erupted out of me filling a space of tens of thousands of miles all around.

    Reiatsu not only restricted movement but it could be used to pressure an opponent''s very soul.

    It worked marginally slowing it down and giving me enough time to see the coming attack.

    Another blink and Death was upon me once more.

    It wasn''t like looking at the mirror either, it was like staring at a reflection in a muddy pool of water.

    There was the whistle of a fast moving blade, the sound managing to vibrate my very soul.

    Shunpo had me evading to the left as the attack landed on my blade.

    I pivoted with the force, feeling my hands ring at the power behind it''s strike.

    Then it lunged at me again, moving somehow even faster while under the restrictions of Reiatsu.

    Lady Shiva''s lessons kept me alive in the next few milliseconds. It was a relentless wave of an incredibly fast moving sword clashing against two incredibly and impossibly super fast moving scythes.

    I was almost instantly pushed back. Immediately, I backed away by pulling in my aura and releasing it, using the flare to thrust off.

    The blur followed after me, we circled around the moon, which had a massive hole through its center.

    I didn''t bother looking back, zooming around in an erratic fashion and using the glare of the sun to hide my movements.

    Now that I had a brief respite and could think, my mind supplied me with a plan.

    ''Bakudo no. 21: Seinketon.''

    I said within my mind, red smoke wafting off me to cover my position, then it spread out, obscuring my position even further.

    Chase popped up on my shoulder.

    "We need to-"

    He begun only for me to grab him by the neck, throwing both of us back and saving him from a slash that would have split him apart. That made us even.

    The dodged attack flew past us, streaks of lightning striking out in the shape of the scythe, shaving away a small part of the moon.

    Strings jumped out of the red smoke that had filled the zone, enveloping the shadow before it could disappear.

    I pulled my fingers, tugging on the threads connected to the tips.

    The shadow''s body jerked and the ultra thin threads around it tore through it''s entire body, weaving around it''s veins, capillaries and arteries.

    The strings extended to the scythes but any of them that touched upon the shafts of both weapons immediately disintegrated. It was like...Respira was running through his weapons.

    Fine then, all I had to do was stop it from using them.

    I multiplied the strings around it''s hands, fully encasing them in Chesha Neko''s shikai.

    Like that...my opponent was under my control. It''s form stopped blurring, giving us the chance to finally get a good look at the thing.

    It had the unmistakable form of man, yet it could be anything but a man. In his hands he held two scythes made out of that same power, long glowing orange weapons that filled me with more dread than I had felt from anything.

    And on his feet were a pair of ski boards.

    They looked sharp and thin and with his whole body leaning forward, he gave the impression that he was snowboarding in space.

    Completely covered in a black costume that seemed seared into his flesh, he had orange lightning pouring off him in erratic streaks of energy.

    A metal face mask covered the upper part of his face, leaving only the mouth and chin exposed.

    The first true look at this new enemy also stirred something in the back of my mind. Nick''s memories jumped to the fore-front and I instantly knew who I was facing.

    The Black Racer. The weapons and physical similarities were uncanny.

    So, this is Darkseid''s trump card. Fuck. It''s a good one.

    Oh well.

    The malicious smile that had disappeared on my face reappeared.

    "Hey Chase, I need you to do something for me."

    I told my Zanpakuto, eyes never leaving the Black Racer who also seemed to be waiting for something to happen.

    "As long as its not another bet then I''m all ears. This foe demands nothing less than the two of us working together."

    Chase responded, showing his willingness to fight by my side.

    But that wasn''t what I meant.

    "Raven is still within the main Apokaliptian Vessel. I need you to go get her."

    "You can''t be serious. You want me to leave you here with this thing?"

    Chase stared at me as if I was crazy. And I admit, maybe I was.

    That said, I knew what this could be. My first true challenge after my recent power up. I needed to know how much I''d grown and I could only be pushed by someone of Black Racer''s caliber.

    "Trust me."

    I assured him, the strings on my fingertips detached from the ones holding the Black Racer captive.

    Then they twined together, shifting from several threads to two sabers glowing with Reiryoku.

    "I won''t lose."

    I promised.

    Chase said nothing for a second. Then he turned to face the front where the Black Racer stood, held within a prison of strings.

    "Okay, I''ll go get her. They won''t harm a single strand of hair on her head."

    He agreed, determination pouring off his tone.

    "Good."

    I responded in readiness.

    "Access the Mother-box in the Pocket dimension and use it to bring in some extra help from the Phantom Zone."

    "Got it."

    Chase nodded.

    Without a moment''s hesitation, Shunpo pushed me forward, leaving a dozen afterimages behind as I zig zagged around, hoping to confuse the Racer enough that he wouldn''t know where I would attack from.

    Only, the ploy didn''t work. His form phased out of the net of strings that held him captive and without wasting time, he streaked forward to face me.

    Our weapons clashed against each other, producing sparks that ignited into a storm of power that rippled out, pushing the remains of Mars floating around us away.

    The chance allowed Chase to teleport away, my Reikaku tagging him within the main Apokaliptian Ship millions of miles away.

    Nice.

    Now I can go all out.

    "Aaahhh!"

    I pulled on as much spirit and physical energy as I could, sending it to my twin sabers before slashing out.

    ''Getsuga Tensho!''

    The two getsugas roared forth, one gold the other purple before they combined into one giant sword slash.

    Knowing he could simply escape the attack with his superior speed, I made the energy contained within the attack go erratic early, causing another storm of power that shone like a second sun upon it''s explosion.

    The, ''fuck-everything-on-that-side'', which was my other name for getsuga, lived up to the hype, the shockwaves produced being strong enough to reach the moon.

    I knew that wasn''t enough to take out the fastest thing in the DC universe.

    So when a black dot burst through the storm of energy, not even the least bit harmed, I was ready.

    Tracking him with my Reikaku kept me informed of his location at all times.

    Nick''s memories and my new control over Reiryoku allowed me to try some really cool Kido that I hadn''t had time to practice.

    Now with the reserves I had, nothing was out of reach.

    ''Bakudo no.72: Tonzashu!''

    I chanted in my mind.

    The spell ignited at a single point, blue energy extending outwards and upwards to four points.

    Then the points formed an inverted pyramid, which solidified into a barrier. A air of speed at any instant of time also known as instantaneous speed later, the Black Racer collided onto walls of the bakudo spell.

    It looked around, the scythe in its arms moving with precision and effective movements without waste of time,

    Dark red scars crisscrossed across the weakest angles of the energy construct. A shape that could be considered a perfect creation due to the mystic-ness involved yet it couldn''t handle the Black Racer.

    The Kido burst apart into shards of blue that disappeared into nothing.

    (General P.O.V)

    After teleporting away, Chase hadn''t wasted time.

    Once within the Apokaliptian vessel, it had grown quickly apparent that the prisoners had taken over the ship.

    Raven vouched for him and with his assistance, the teen titans escaped the craft.

    They''d had to leave Grail behind, who had insisted in putting an end to her father''s machinations out of spite.

    She ended up destroying the main ship which controlled the Boom-tube network across the planet.

    On the rooftop of a skyscraper, Chase appeared with a flash of light. Behind him were a determined group of Titans.

    They wanted nothing more than to make Darkseid pay for capturing them.

    Very quickly, it became clear what they needed to do first.

    "Okay listen up Gang, this is the plan. We need to rescue the Justice League."

    Dick, Nightwing told his team.

    "Perhaps I could help with that."

    Chase suggested, then immediately popped away, leaving the whole team confused.

    That confusion ended when Chase reappeared once more with Constantine and Power Girl in tow. The latter was dressed in a variant purple costume created by a small spool of Chesha Neko''s shikai.

    Being Davian''s Zanpakuto spirit ensured that Chase had access to the same abilities, hence providing clothes to the nude Powergirl hadn''t been a challenge.

    The very first thing Powergirl did was take flight.

    "Where. Is. He?"

    She bit out, her body sucking in energy from the sun above.

    "Darkseid!!! Show yourself you coward!"

    She roared, taking to the skies towards the more devastated section of the city.

    "I wouldn''t wanna be on the receiving end of that."

    Beastboy muttered.

    "No, this is good. She can be a distraction while we extract the League."

    Nightwing told them. Above them the main ship lost power and begun to fall towards the Earth, it''s trajectory aimed towards the ocean.

    The network of Boom-tubes in midair begun to close up.

    ******

    "Father... what should we do? Desaad has lost."

    Kalibak who had been silent in the presence of Darkseid enquired. Things had been going so well for them but as always, the heroes found a way to make it back into the fight.

    "No matter. I have already won."

    Darkseid responded, palm extending towards Superman.

    "Once I convert their symbol of hope to my side, then I shall have beaten then completely. Then they shall understand."

    "Darkseid!!"

    An angry voice yelled from the sky.

    "Get your filthy hands away from my cousin!"

    "How arrogant!"

    Kalibak barked out in anger, jumping towards the enraged Kryptonian female.

    "You dare speak that way to my father? Learn your place!"

    Powergirl''s flight speed did not reduce in the slightest.

    In a split second she had plowed through Kalibak, tearing apart his body into a bloody mist, while pulling back her hand. Kalibak''s death was instantaneous.

    Then she thrust a fist out, managing to collide with Darkseid''s cheek. The impact produced was nothing to scoff at. Darkseid''s entire head disappeared.

    Kara''s eyes glowed red and with a wild scream that could be heard across the city she released a massive beam of heat from her vision, drowning Darkseid''s body under the intense heat.

    The result was a burnt corpse of the previous god of Apokalips.

    Everyone watching the scene froze in shock.

    Had...had she really done it?

    Had she actually killed Darkseid?

    Out in space, a different scene was taking place. One that would answer the question in everyone''s mind.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    My sword slashed out, blocking a scythe blade coming from my side. It''s strength was nothing to scoff at, causing my hands to tremble around Chesha Neko.

    We entered a brief struggle, the two of us pushing against each other''s weapons. My wings beat behind me, pushing me forth with enough momentum to make my strikes impossible to block, only evade.

    I was learning to anticipate their moves. I was getting good.

    The Racer then did something strange. They stopped.

    Then an evil smile worked it''s way across his mouth.

    "So, you''re the one prophesied to bring an end to me?"

    His voice, as deep as a bottomless well spoke into my mind.

    "And you''re the trump card. A proxy. A stand in. An instrument to do his bidding. A slave."

    I shot back, suspecting that there might have been more to this whole thing.

    Nick''s memories had never showed the Black Racer talking.

    My Reiatsu clashed with this aura in mid space, causing a number of effects to occur. Fortunately we were both far away from any type of civilization.

    "Join me Davian Mabuz... Join me and I can bring back your Raven."

    He offered.

    My hands grew slacker. How did he know?

    "Imagine that. She would look the same and wouldn''t remember much about her death. I can-"

    "Shut up." I interrupted. The offer...did it matter? Not really. I had worked through my loss and accepted it.

    "You''re not actually the Black Racer are you?"

    I guessed.

    We detached from one another. The Racer staring at me straight on, his eyes glowing with a scarlet light.

    Similar to Grail''s Omega effect.

    "How perceptive."

    He commented, hands spreading out.

    "But you''re absolutely right. I am not one simple thing anymore. Finally I''m in control of a body fast and resilient enough to keep up with me. Darkseid was as Darkseid Is. And he will forever be. Me."

    He concluded.

    Darkseid? My mind buzzed at the revelation. It couldn''t be true. Darkseid was in control of the Black Racer?

    Heedless to the disbelief coursing within me, he continued,

    "You came into this battle believing you could win. Allow me to prove you wrong."

    The space around us was instantly filled with the appearance of different colored portals. Indigo, blue, red, yellow, green and violet.

    The only missing color was Orange.

    And from within, the Emotional Electromagnetic spectrum flew out. 6 of the 7 Lantern corps. Thousands of aliens from across the universe, each wielding a power ring. Or in the case of the Indigo tribe, Staffs.

    But they were wrong. Each lantern seemed corrupted. Their skins were grey and their eyes shone with a red light. Murky and dim.

    "You''re not facing the Black Racer alone. Neither are you facing Darkseid by himself."

    He declared.

    "Meet my Anti-Lanterns. With the Anti-life equation, my influence has spread out through the Speed force, just as it has infected the Emotional Electromagnetic spectrum, a field of energy powered by the emotions of all sentient beings. All are under my control. No longer am I bound to one physical form. I exist everywhere at everytime and in everyone."

    (Elsewhere)

    A majestic white Raven soared through the azure and pink skies.

    It''s beak speared through huge and plump clouds, Shifting their lazy trajectory and separating them into puffy moulds.

    The White Raven cawed, the call like a beacon to all who could hear, no matter the distance, no matter the time. No matter the infiniteness of the Dreaming.

    Then it unfurled it''s wings, golden dust falling onto the puffy clouds, past that and it would dissolve into the wind.

    A rainbow worth of birds burst out of the clouds.

    The ground quaked and shattered as it gave way to a super environment. An extension of the green. A beautiful blend of exotic natures and species...

    The Raven was sprinkling life giving golden dust into everything. It''s wings flapping as it circled the entire landscape of the dreaming.

    Morbius looked up at the spectacle from the tallest tower of the Library. He had on his long dark cape, billowing into the shadows.

    And to contrast that gloomy image, a soft smile on his face as he watched a Life Entity soar.

    "She''s excited."

    Lucienne commented from behind him.

    His trusty head librarian.

    The one who resides within Dream''s Castle where his vast library is. She was originally the first Raven companion to Dream of the Endless.

    "Yes she is. She can feel what''s coming."

    Morbius answered softly. Then he blinked as if perturbed before turning to look behind him.

    "Oh Lucienne, I didn''t notice how fast time had flown by..."

    Morbius muttered in confusion.

    The dark skinned woman bowed with a similar smile on her serious face.

    "Alas not all of us have that freedom my Lord."

    Dream snorted.

    "Your wit is always appreciated Lucienne, but don''t be so free with one of the Endless."

    After millions of years together, this had become a sort of inside joke to them. Another caw from the Raven prompted Lucienne to transition back to her assigned role,

    "Forgive the intrusion Lord Morpheus, You have a guest. Your sister has arrived, sir."

    Lucienne''s voice was formal and free, accommodating but distant.

    "Mmh."

    Dream hummed.

    "She knows then."

    He mused.

    "Pardon my Lord?"

    Lucienne muttered in confusion.

    "The Answer Lucienne. You see, a war has been going on in the high heavens as it has on the lowest reality, the mortal world."

    He turned to face her fully, head bowed down with the hair obscuring his face.

    "And just as it has been going on in the high heavens...it has reached here. The highest heaven. To Us. The Endless, The Devil and God."

    Morpheus said.

    Lucienne''s lips parted in shock.

    "What..."

    "What do I mean?"

    Dream asked, snorting with a self deprecating sound.

    "A plot that stretches across billions of Years. Longer than you have been alive Lucienne... longer than gods and Apokaliptians, longer than immortal races. It was the age of true mortals. The first iteration to the universe."

    Lucienne sucked in a deep breath.

    "Lord Morbius, I''m not authorized-"

    "Hush now Lucienne, what are they going to do to me, destroy me?"

    He scoffed.

    "You cannot kill the core of imagination. I would be back. Only she has the ability to even-"

    He stopped, blinking in confusion.

    "Funny how time flies? Oh Lucienne...I didn''t see you there. Did you need anything?"

    Lucienne straightened up from her bow.

    "Forgive me Lord Morbius, I was coming to tell you...dinner is served."

    Neither seemed to recall the conversation that had happened a few seconds ago. It was like the interaction had been erased from time itself.

    Dream smiled.

    "I am a function that only looks human, Lucienne. I do not need sustenance. I''ve told you this before."

    As master and servant warred with words, a certain book in the vast library of the Dreaming was secretly extracted by a dainty pale hand.

    "Keep on suspecting brother, but there are worse things than death for you. For example, a budding crush on your own Librarian."

    Desire laughed.

    "Oh, I''m so dreadful. I wonder how long I can keep this up for..."

    The shadow''s congealed into a dark furred cat. The feline flashed through the volumes within the shelves, tapping into all the lives contained within each volume.

    Into their desire.

    Then he disappeared into obscurity from the dreaming.

    Later on, Lucienne would discover a missing book from the shelf. A book whose title read,

    Davian Mabuz.

 Showdown.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    ''Welp, this just got fun...''

    I thought to myself, casting my vision out.

    Stars twinkled from far distances, thousands of light years away.

    What was closer was the red dust and pieces of rock floating around us, the remains of a destroyed planet, Mars.

    Behind me was the light from the local star, casting my shadow onto the enemies directly to my opposite. Their numbers just a small portion of the full force surrounding me on all sides.

    There were thousands of them.

    And judging from their soul strengths,

    Each could stand up to my Earth''s Superman in power. Maybe not win, but few would.

    And that was not all. There was something inside them, an infection of some sort. One that made them subservient to the most dangerous foe around.

    The Black Racer. Or rather Darkseid.

    Looking into each of the Lanterns'' eyes revealed no individuality.

    They couldn''t fight his leash. Darkseid had them under his full control. Which was a damn shame too.

    Nick''s memories recognized some of the Lanterns.

    The green Lanterns were arguably the most well known, their emerald rings a beacon of fortitude and resolve.

    Now however, their power rings were dull and dim, missing the undying light of Willpower.

    They floated in a loose formation before me. The easily recognizable members like Hal, Stewart, Kilowog and Gardener were nowhere to be seen.

    Knowing the kind of trouble those particular ones could cause, Darkseid must have eliminated them first. The group I was about to face was mostly made up of strangers.

    Beside them, almost too close were the blue lanterns.

    Nick''s memories informed me that the light of Hope the blue lanterns tapped into, could only be used to it''s full potential in the presence of a green lantern.

    Different from the latter group, I recognized someone from the blue lanterns. An alien with pale skin that hovered with his legs crossed in a meditative pose. Saint walker.

    Unlike the rest of his corps who were watching me intently, he had his eyes closed.

    To the Blue Lantern''s right were the Red Lanterns. It was easy enough to recognize the central figure in the rage fuelled corps.

    Atrocitus, the leader of the Red Lanterns glared at me with intense fury burning in his eyes.

    The shroud of scarlet energy around him radiated a scorching heat even I could feel from where I was.

    To the Green Lantern''s right was the Indigo Tribe. They were a compassionate collective, wearing indigo robes and carrying staffs.

    Their power rings harnessed the power of compassion and usually forced their enemies to feel empathy for their victims.

    That said, no one particularly stood out. Their leader was a tall female alien with black eyes and the symbol of the Indigo tribe on her forehead.

    The Sinestro Corp was by far the largest.

    It had close to thousands of members while the rest of the corps only had a few hundred. The leader, Sinestro did not seem to lack awareness like the others.

    He was studying me, a certain curiosity in his gaze.

    ''I guess this means I was wrong. Not all of them seem to be under Darkseid''s full control.''

    And finally next to the Sinestro Corp, were the Star Sapphires.

    The violet energy around their bodies was less vibrant than usual, looking more like a dark purple. It''s shade deeper than the color of my Reiryoku.

    Their power rings pulled on the power of affection and at the lead was someone I knew from Nick''s memories, Carrol Ferris. She was a character who had dated Hal in the comics.

    The only corps missing was the Orange Lanterns. Or rather, Orange Lantern for there was only one member. Larfreeze.

    I guess even Darkseid wasn''t able to bring the greedy guy to heel. You see Orange represented Avarice.

    Besides that, the force gathered to stop me was nothing to scoff at. Were it me from before Shiva''s training...I would die from a single corp alone.

    Right then I was about to face the full might of all 6.

    All of them could survive in space, had a ton of experience fighting in this environment, create powerful constructs and in the case of the Indigo Tribe, influence my emotions.

    Lastly all of them were intent in putting me down.

    Good lanterns.

    Evil lanterns.

    It didn''t matter now. With the threat of the Black Racer looming large, the only choice I had was...to kill them all.

    "Well, will you take my offer?"

    Darkseid''s voice left the Black Racer''s lips, the speedster''s hand extending forward.

    A miasma of red and green colored energy begun to roil above his palm.

    "Join me and I''ll give you anything you want. Not just the life of your friend, I am willing to let you rule this pathetic world. One Earth is nothing in comparison to the rest of the wide multiverse."

    I rolled my shoulders in preparation.

    "Tempting offer."

    I responded through the established link in our minds.

    "But I think I''ll pass. And not for the reasons you think, Darkseid."

    My smirk seemed to irritate him,

    "I just really want to kick your teeth in."

    He could see it in my eyes. The time for talk was over.

    "Very well. Then Die!"

    He roared, his hand sweeping out in some form of signal.

    All the corps answered by priming their rings, the oath most of them recited, a corrupted version of the real thing.

    Without a single delay, the battle begun. My enemies attacks rained down at my position with Killing intent.

    My response was to disappear into a blur, vacating my position.

    Just in time as well. Dozens of different colored constructs swept through where I''d just been a split second ago.

    Space screamed from energy blasts, black hole generators, alien beasts constructs and dark matter bombs. I felt the heat and shockwaves behind me while my trail cut towards the Lantern corps closest to me.

    My hand was pulled back, the fist roiling with an immense amount of Tairyoku. My first target turned out to be Hal''s former lover.

    "Alright. We fight as one and die as one."

    She told the members of her corp.

    "Yeah!!"

    They answered back, voice somehow projecting through the vacuum of space. It had to be a special feature of the ring.

    I looked into it with Reikaku. Basically, they were using the Ring''s energy as a medium. By filling the space around them with the Ring''s power, they could send sound through, though it wouldn''t reach far.

    The Star Sapphires raised their hands, joining their power together to create a large dark purple shield around their group.

    I tried their trick. But instead of a ring, I used my Reiatsu to send sound out, effectively allowing me to speak in the vacuum of space.

    "Get. Out. Of my fucking way!!"

    I yelled, punching out.

    My Ki roared, bursting out of my hand in the shape of a golden fist. Hey, if they could create constructs so could I.

    The fist construct landed on the diamond shield, causing cracks to immediately spread out. Then with a resounding bang, the Life force within the golden fist was unleashed, drowning them in a huge explosion.

    The light from the explosion provided the perfect cover as I was already upon the next group, moving faster than Lightning.

    Through my Reikaku I felt the Star Sapphires scatter, most of them dead while a few others seemed to have survived the attack.

    The strange thing was that I didn''t feel any of their souls move on to the afterlife.

    The only notable thing that happened was the power rings abandoning the bodies of the ones I had killed.

    Strange.

    I didn''t have time to think more on it thanks to the Red Lanterns flying to meet me.

    The trails they left behind on their advance, glowing red.

    A fitting send off as they were coming to meet their maker.

    The first Red Lantern to feel the sting of my blade was a green skinned alien with long tentacles falling from its head.

    It''s face was twisted into a rictus of anger. Scarlet eyes established contact with mine, the power ring on the Lantern''s finger glowing ominously.

    Before it could use unleash the brewing attack, my foot landed on its chest.

    I felt the environmental shield around its form fold under my strength. The weight of my kick shattered the protective membrane, then the flesh gave way, bones shattered and it blood boiled.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    It''s entire body was turned into a hot mist.

    The blood drenched my face and chest, freezing upon my skin before a second Shunpo caused it to shatter.

    Dust and rock was pushed away on account of the burst in speed.

    I had more enemies to take out. The rest saw me coming and reacted accordingly.

    The dead Lantern''s allies pushed their hands out in unison, anger driving them. The rings produced beams of red light that combined. The result was the creation of an enormous draconic construct.

    Another group construct.

    The construct opened it''s jaw in a silent roar, it''s huge form storming my way.

    Chesha Neko was pulled buck in a laido pose.

    ''Blade of the grass crane.''

    I mentally called out one of the sword moves I''d seen Shiva use in our training. My Zanpakuto swung out a hundred times in the blink of an eye.

    Purple slashes occured around the Draconic construct,

    Dozens of sharp cuts criss crossing it''s body, before the ki I''d applied around the blade extended, making the slashes sink deeper.

    The construct shattered behind me, shards of red energy raining out.

    Like a shadow, I fell upon the red lanterns behind. Blitzing through their ranks and slashing in wild abandon.

    No movement was wasted, each swing and I reaped lives, completely decimating half of their ranks.

    "Bastard! Vengeance will be mine!"

    Atrocitus, the leader of the corps roared from the rear. The sound carried forth by the power of his ring.

    Rage surged within him as he finally decided to make a move. Red Energy brimmed behind him, scarlet flames propelling his form towards me.

    Huh, so it wasn''t a fluke. They could really talk under Darkseid''s control..

    Too bad my decision to kill them was already made up.

    I met Atrocitus'' lunge midway, Chesha Neko landing on the intimidating Axe Construct he timely created. The impact pushed him back. I could see surprise in his eyes at the outcome of our clash.

    Even I had no idea how strong I''d become.

    He jumped back in with heavy slashes, each move he made leaving echoes of flames roaring out.

    A thick layer of ki ran down my sword as we exchanged blows. He was good but not better. Here the true fruits of my training showed themselves.

    Chesha Neko changed forms into a spear.

    I used it''s long shaft to redirect an axe strike, before the sword shifted into a large hammer. I pivoted, adding to the momentum and landed a strike on his Axe.

    The construct shattered and he was thrown back for hundreds of meters, hands bending the wrong way.

    Reikaku informed me of the other Lantern Corps moving in to assist Atrocitus. I changed Chesha Neko back into a sword, ready for them.

    Only for the Leader of the Red Lantern to unleash a ring of flames around the two of us.

    "This is my battle! Stay back or face my wrath!"

    He warned them.

    They all stopped moving forward.

    Atrocitus'' hands cracked as the damage was healed, the murky green light I''d seen before, covering the injured limbs. I made sure to take note of that. The corruption inside them could apparently recover any damage they sustained.

    "You are very power-"

    The Red Lantern started, only for me to rudely cut him off.

    "This is boring."

    I spoke directly to his soul. Something I could apparently now do.

    "It would have been easier had you all attacked together. As it is, you''re just wasting my time."

    The last bit I declared out loud.

    Atrocitus blinked. Then blinked again. The heat around him increased, murky green veins growing prominent across his forehead.

    His anger was palpable enough that the zone around him trembled.

    "You do not talk to me that way human! Learn your place! Aargh!!"

    The ring in his hand glowed, another Axe Construct, this one much bigger than the one before appeared above his head.

    He pulled it back and then swung out. A swathe of flames leaving the blade on it''s path towards me.

    My face was illuminated by the liquid like flames. Yet I felt no danger from this attack.

    My left hand reached out and using Pride''s ability, I siphoned the energy out of the attack, using it to replenish the small bit of my reserves I had already used.

    The fire was instantly extinguished, rage energy easily getting sucked into my palm.

    Then,

    Shunpo.

    I appeared before a shocked Atrocitus. To his credit, the leader of the red lanterns still had his wits about him. At least enough of them to launch another desperate attack.

    He opened his mouth.

    I ducked under the hot boiling blood he sprayed out out of his maw.

    The light of the sun glinted off Chesha Neko''s blade as it slashed out.

    Metal met flesh and bone. Flesh and bone lost.

    My form materialized behind him, waving my Zanpakuto to get rid of the blood on it''s blade.

    Atrocitus stiffened.

    Then a thin trail of blood appeared around his neck.

    The Red Lantern''s head detached from his shoulders.

    The rest of the Lantern corps stopped in place, surprise evident in those who were aware.

    I raised my left hand, pointing the palm flat at Atrocitus'' headless body. Energy transferred from my spirit channels.

    ''Respira.''

    A black aura surged out, covering Atrocitus and completely killing him by disintegrating his flesh.

    My eyes stared into the Black Racer''s own. Why hadn''t he stopped me from Killing them? With his speed alone that would have been a simple matter.

    He merely floated before the green lanterns, a knowing smirk on his face. It irritated me.

    Something else caught my eye

    A scarlet light left Atrocitus'' ashes as it sped out into the universe. I snatched it up before it could leave, holding it within my palm.

    A red lantern ring. And it was struggling to leave my hold.

    "Mmph."

    I snorted, concentrating a small portion of Reiatsu on it.

    "Learn your place."

    The ring settled down, allowing me to feel the connection it had with Rage. The intense emotion was still corrupted like the rest of the corps.

    Could I cleanse it? Maybe. But my Sheath was still with Constantine who had needed it to survive the fight with Aethyr.

    But cleansing it wasn''t my job. My job was to kill. And Darkseid was long overdue. Just as I was about to crush the corrupt ring, he spoke up.

    "You sense it, I know you do. The equation to bring all under my influence."

    Darkseid spoke through the Black Racer.

    "The Anti-life equation has no equal. It has no limits. I can bring anyone I want under me. I own them. Both in life...and death."

    With that cryptic statement,

    A setback followed.

    All the bodies of the Lanterns I had killed, begun jerking. Their dismembered limbs started to reattach to their corpses.

    The blood that had frozen within them started to circulate through their vessels, roaring with green energy and the red light of the Omega Sanction.

    The dead Star Sapphires and Red Lanterns were covered in the Corruption. Stewing in it. The Anti-life equation. Something Nick''s memories told me Darkseid had been after for a long time.

    "Every single one of them you kill...is ressurected at my leisure."

    The Evil God continued

    "How can you hope to win...when my Army is simply unkillable?!"

    Something still bugged me. Why could I feel them? The dead lanterns I mean. Their souls...were still trapped within their animated corpses.

    I could hear their cries for freedom and retribution against the one who had corrupted their minds, souls and bodies.

    I raised a single hand...

    "&#_$#-"

    A few unintelligible words left my lips. Reality seemed to ground to a halt.

    The dead Lanterns stopped moving. Then as one...their bodies begun to break down into ash, their souls springing forth from the ashes. White and gray spheres of light.

    Finally free.

    Through my Reikaku, I sensed the Black Racer''s unfathomable surprise. His jaw hang open.

    "Enochian Language?! H- how is this... happening?! Who are you?!"

    Darkseid roared into my mind.

    Oh, I see now...

    I opened my closed eyes, my full influence as a soul reaper roaring forth.

    "You''re a fraud Darkseid. The ''Anti-life Equation'' you''re so proud of is nothing but an inferior copy to the real deal."

    I informed him.

    His version was a simple fusion of Will energy and his Omega Sanction.

    Shrouds appeared from the afterlife to ferry the souls of the dead away, adding to the shock he was feeling. I was a little bit surprised he could see them though. Then again, power wasn''t something he lacked.

    The Shrouds sensed my presence and begun to fly around me in deference.

    Master.

    Death.

    He who shall bring forth the fifth world.

    Command us. Tell us what to do.

    ByI could hear their whispers now. They spoke to me as if I was their leader. Their god.

    "Why are they attracted to you!?"

    Darkseid demanded.

    "How can you control them?!"

    I looked at him with a smirk.

    "Come on, you already know the answer to that."

    The Black Racer clenched his jaw.

    "No! I will never accept it! All of you! Attack!! Kill him and bring me his head!!"

    The rest of the Lantern Corps complied with his order.

    (General P.O.V)

    Sinestro watched as the members of his corps rushed out around him to fullfil the mad god''s wishes.

    He could also feel the compulsion on his very mind. His whole being wanted to do nothing else than attack the upstart who had disrespected the mast-

    No, not master. Sinestro had no master. He was his own man.

    The light of his ring intensified, the yellow being the only color apart from Hope to fight back the effects of the false Anti-life equation.

    That was mostly due to the green lantern power battery being used in conjunction with Darkseid''s formidable Omega Sanction as basis for the equation.

    He looked at the other being capable of resisting the effects.

    Saint Walker had no yellow ring to speak of. But so great was his mental fortitude that he could fight back the control.

    "If it''s making a move...we should do so now. Before Darkseid''s pet kills whoever this strange fellow is."

    Sinestro told Saint Walker.

    "Patience. What is meant to happen shall."

    Saint Walker replied.

    Before Sinestro could say anything else...a massive change occured in the battlefield.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Due to Darkseid''s command,

    All of the Lanterns decided to attack e masse.

    Reikaku told me I was about to be besieged by approximately 3491 lanterns.

    The Green light of Willpower, the red light of rage, the indigo light of compassion, the violet light of Love, the blue light of hope and the yellow light of fear.

    Protect the master.

    Surround him.

    Keep him safe.

    The Shrouds hovering around me whispered, orienting their positions to cover my front.

    "[No]"

    I refused.

    "[Just carry out your duty. Ferry the souls of the dead. The living should not concern you.]"

    They complied without argument, flying away and leaving me alone to face off against my opponents.

    A collage of rainbow attacks reached me from all conceivable directions. They were trying to box me in. The constructs created were more powerful than before. Each enough to destroy entire cities. All of them together?

    Even the Earth wouldn''t be spared.

    But this time I didn''t bother to dodge their attacks.

    Because I''d realized something.

    I took a deep breath of nothing, my chest moving up and down, before I exhaled in a sigh.

    This was an actual waste of my time.

    No matter how powerful the lanterns were, none of them could deal any damage to me. Their power meant nothing again my impenetrable skin.

    It meant even little against my boundless soul.

    Truth is...the only challenge here was the Black Racer and that was because of his speed. He was the one I was interested in fighting.

    "You''ve evaded death long enough Darkseid... and I have grown impatient."

    Saying that, I released the full effects of my Reiatsu.

    The world lost color. Everything became gray.

    The attacks froze in place. The Lanterns'' eyes rolled to the back of their skulls as they went unconscious.

    Space went back to being quiet. Only this time, with the addition of passed out bodies floating around.

    The Black Racer was also rendered stunned.

    The wings behind my back flapped. My feet kicked off, launching into a seamless Shunpo.

    Since the start of the fight I''d been thinking of ways to bridge the gap between the Black Racer''s speed and my own.

    Copying the Lantern''s constructs and vacuum communication capabilities had made me curious on what else I could copy.

    And that''s when my brain had supplied me with a certain skill from Bleach. Shunko. An advanced form of Hakuda that combined physical might with Kido spells.

    The skill was employed by three of the most skilled Soul Reapers in the Bleach verse, Yoruichi, Yoruishi and Soi Fon.

    The skill worked by expelling elemental Kido through your body like arms and legs to unleash devastating attacks that could level the surroundings.

    Not to mention by expelling the energy through the back of your shoulders and legs, the burst of speed would propel you forward several times faster than what you could do with Shunpo alone.

    And now I was going to use it, to make one last incredible attack.

    Maybe leave a lasting impression on the few presences I could feel watching from folded space. They needed to learn not to fuck with me.

    I leaned forward, Chesha Neko unravelling into strings that covered my form entirely. The wings behind me flared with energy.

    "Combo spell: Shunko-Had�� #88. Hiry�� Gekizoku Shinten Raih�� (�w�o���\��������, Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon!"

    The Hado spell left my shoulders, shins and heels in the form of purple streaks of lightning that felt out of place yet completely filled the zone behind me with immense Reiryoku.

    I surpassed the notion of speed.

    It was instant.

    Faster than teleportation.

    Faster than light.

    Faster than the Black Racer.

    The eyes behind the Racer''s mask widened slower as I materialized before the speedster entity.

    The suit of strings I wore extended into sharp claws on my left hand. Respira''s energy flickered around the tips of the fingers as they headed for the Racer''s neck.

    Time slowed down.

    "Death... you''re the end."

    The Racer said in terror.

    "Yes. I am."

    I replied, swiping out.

    Surprisingly, the Racer''s speed and reaction allowed him to lean back, avoiding the attack.

    Scarlet lightning strafed to my left, the Racer coming in for a scythe slash. Darkseid was no longer wasting time by monologuing. The blade cut through my chest, separating my torso from my hips.

    Only for the after-image I''d left behind to dissolve into billions of phantom strings that bound his soul in place.

    ''Bakudo no.42: Owari no nai unmei no ito (Endless Strings of Fate!)''

    Not even a speedster could escape that by phasing. It was a spell that targeted the soul. A new bakudo I''d created but hadn''t had a chance to use just yet.

    Without giving the Racer time to process what had just happened, I held my palm flat against his back.

    [Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness!] Hado 90: Kurohitsugi!!"

    Dark purple coffins filled the air. Then they fell, closing in around the Racer in a huge black rectangular box.

    Several spear like protrusions, each covered in Respira tore apart the Black Racer within the coffin.

    Electric energy buzzed erratically within as the Racer tried and failed to escape.

    A few long seconds later...the Kido dissolved, revealing a mess of bloody guts, crushed bones, pulped organs and lacerated skin.

    The Racer''s body was also being eaten through by Respira, disintegrating into nothing.

    I looked into its eyes and saw not Darkseid but...

    "Thank you... brother."

    Once the whisper left his lips, light died out in his gaze.

    The Racer''s body disappeared into flakes of black light that floated around me before fully dissolving into the nothingness.

    He called me brother...why?

    I was left...speechless. I had felt a familiarity with the Racer but... something told me our connection went deeper than that.

    Now then, I turned my focus on the Earth.

    Time to finish this. There were no more tricks the gray bastard could play.

 ??? Interlude.

    What the entire first volume plot devices mean:

    Davian''s truth.

    (??? P.O.V)

    Doctor Manhattan''s perception stretches across the vast expanse of the DC multiverse, his vision piercing the boundaries of known existence.

    As his gaze falls upon the newly discovered cluster of universes, an unsettling realization begins to take hold.

    These universes, unlike any he has encountered before, lie beyond his ability to foresee.

    They are a dark enigma in the tapestry of creation. Driven by curiosity and an innate desire to understand, he delves deeper, seeking to discern the distinguishing factor that sets this cluster apart.

    What he witnesses sent shivers through his quantum consciousness.

    *********

    In one of these universes lying at the center of the cluster, a ball of endless mortal potential, an iteration of Desire, one of the Endless, had committed an act unthinkable even to divine beings.

    Desire had fallen in love with God himself, a deity revered and worshipped by its inhabitants with a fervor unmatched.

    Their worship was extreme.

    Their love was infinite.

    Their devotion was boundless, their adoration absolute.

    They carried forth God''s Will. They lived for him and obeyed his teachings and commandments. They died for him in missions to bring others into the fold.

    They taught their children one way and one way alone. It was God or nothing. And they obeyed.

    They obeyed for centuries. The devotion grew...for centuries.

    The teachings evolved over the centuries. It was now, God.

    Ah era of pureness. And era of prosperity. An era of all things righteous. All things good.

    All things exist as they should and nothing can change that because all is Good and God is good. And its all him.

    Kill for him.

    Die for him.

    Speak to him.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Speak FOR him.

    Love him.

    Imagine Him.

    Simulate him.

    Be With Him.

    The Desire in their hearts had grown into an insatiable hunger, consuming them entirely.

    The collective entity of Desire of the Endless had been corrupted, its love for God taking a grotesque form, seeking to meld into the Almighty.

    In its pursuit, Desire devised a sinister plot.

    Desire manipulated its sister, Death, compelling her to fall in love with an entity she should never have loved.

    The details remained shrouded in mystery, but the outcome was clear.

    Death, an eternal being responsible for ushering souls into the afterlife, had become smitten, feeling emotions she had never known in her countless existences. She felt alive in a way she had never imagined.

    From this forbidden union, Death conceived, a cosmic event with profound consequences. Across the cluster of universes, iterations of Mistress Death found themselves with child.

    However, tragedy befell most of them as they miscarried, their divine pregnancies ending in sorrow.

    Yet, two universes stood out among the cluster. In these realms, the children were born and became the epicenter of a cosmic convergence.

    The first child was named Davian Mabuz, possessing boundless potential but trapped in an inert universe.

    The second child, named Davian Mabuzz, held boundless power but lacked control, resulting in a fractured existence.

    The first child''s life was marked by adversity, abandoned by foster parents mired in addiction.

    The second child fared no better, confined to an orphanage overseen by the enigmatic Hugo Strange, who subjected him to cruel experiments.

    Eventually, his uncontrollable power led to a catastrophic fire that burnt the orphanage down, destroying his records and closing the orphanage for repairs before Bruce Wayne took over its renovation.

    Two destinies intertwined by fate, burdened by the essence of who they were.

    Death, a silent observer, could do nothing to alleviate their suffering, bound by her purpose to interfere only when a life ended, never meant to intervene in the lives of her children.

    The time of reckoning arrived as the two Davians met their destined ends. One, Davian Mabuz, perished as he lived��selfishly, with a gun in his hand.

    The other, Davian Mabuzz, embraced selflessness in his final act, sacrificing himself to grant his counterpart a chance at life.

    The Act was incredible. Indelible.

    The two universes collided, producing an intense shockwave that stretched out across the entire cluster.

    It was unprecedented. Unexpected. The shockwaves were felt for thousands of quadrillion space ticks, resulting in the two universes collapsing into each other as a counter-balance from the Omniverse bounced back to the center of the explosion.

    The New 52 became the new 51.

    And the fusion of the two universes became the center of the cluster.

    Everything became connected to Davian Mabuz.

    *******

    An entire section of the Multiverse, it''s existence tied to one. Single. Man.

    Fascinating.

    In that moment, Doctor Manhattan comprehended Destiny''s intricate plan��to forge a perfect being, a being embodying dualities that complemented each other, much like the cosmic balance between dark and light, right and wrong, the Presence and the Great Darkness.

    By employing this being, Destiny aimed to diminish the station of God, ultimately seeking to devour the Almighty and ascend to godhood.

    It was a perfect plan, an ancient scheme, and Doctor Manhattan, with his omniscient gaze, could foresee the unfolding of events.

    And what he saw left him with a foreboding sense that this path held nothing but turmoil and cataclysmic consequences for not only the Manipulative entity, Desire but the Multiverse as well.

    For unknowingly, Desire had created the Destroyer of reality.

    A being that would cleanse away it''s selfish Uncle''s/Aunt''s sins. A being that was meant to be Villain but became something much worse, Death Itself.

    And death was Fair.

    Death was Equal.

    Death...did not discriminate.

    All were fair...Game.

 No Escape.

    (General P.O.V)

    In a section of outer-space, between Mars and Earth, a very strange scene could be seen.

    Floating in mid-space, was a lone bubble made up of blue energy with cracks running around it.

    The light of the sun millions of miles away glinted on the surface of the bubble, splintering in to various kaleidoscope of colors and light that highlighted the zone around the bubble.

    Surrounding it were bodies, similarly floating aimlessly in the vacuum of space.

    some of them were frozen stiff like corpses, only more literal, a layer of ice covering their diverse biological features.

    The rest were alive. If barely. And by alive, it meant they were mere puppets for the god of evil Darkseid, bringing forth into question which was better, freedom in death or enslavement in life.

    Two similarities were evident between the ones dead and those left behind.

    The first being that they had all tapped into the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, an energy field that is fuelled by the emotions of all sentient beings.

    it was the power source for all of the Lantern Corps, providing them with a wide range of abilities.

    Also known as the Spectrum of Light, it was also one of the Seven Forces of the universe.

    The spectrum of light was the power source for all of the Lantern Corps, providing them with a wide range of abilities.

    The second similarity were the flecks of scarlet and murky green energy passively being produced by the dead and alive alike.

    A brand, a symbol of Darkseid and his Anti-life equation. A reminder that they were enslaved.

    *****

    Within the blue bubble were two individuals.

    "What...is he?-"

    The leader of the Blue Lanterns, Saint Walker said to himself, eyes tracking the purple trail left behind by Davian as he headed for Earth.

    He closed his eyes, his skin shivering in fear as he remembered the kind of presence Davian had exuded.

    Saint Walker felt some movement behind, revealing Sinestro who was now just waking up after the Reiatsu attack had taken down all the Lantern Corps.

    The Sinestro Corp leader looked around, noticing he was in a blue sphere created from the energy of Hope. On the outside, members of his corp and the rest floated, completely soul stunned.

    Immediately, his memories came back to him. The hand with the ring tightened into a fist.

    Only he and his savior? seemed to be alive and moving.

    "You saved me...why?"

    Sinestro questioned.

    Saint Walker closed his eyes, a breath leaving his chest.

    "So much has already happened. I wish I could say it was all over. But something tells me the worst is yet to come."

    The leader of the Blue Lanterns turned to face his long time enemy.

    "I saved you because we have work to do Sinestro."

    "What nonsense do you speak of now?"

    Sinestro enquired, the yellow glow around him pulsing as he rose off the Shield''s floor.

    Saint Walker showed no reaction to the rude response, instead he went on to say,

    "The delicate dance between fear and hope births the spark of will. In this cosmic tapestry, balance is the key."

    He raised his right hand, the ring on his finger glowing bright.

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    "The infection...the fake Anti-life equation relegated us to foot soldiers for Darkseid''s ambition. I cannot feel it anymore. Yet- my heart does not beat with the steady rhythm of hope. Something big is coming."

    "Bigger than enslaving the entire Emotional Spectrum to do your bidding?"

    Sinestro snorted in disbelief.

    Saint Walker''s face was serious.

    "Almost certainly."

    Both figures stared at each other without saying a word, then Sinestro turned away with another snort, hands crossed over his chest.

    "Don''t expect me to thank you for saving me, Walker. I have decided to take my corp and leave this madness. If Darkseid wants to conquer one measly planet, then the rest of the Universe is mine for the taking."

    The shield around them dissipated as Sinestro begun to fly away.

    "We tread a path where even the most unlikely allies may hold the universe''s salvation, Sinestro."

    Saint Walker added as Sinestro begun to leave.

    "Every Lantern, including you, bears a fragment of this intricate design."

    Saint Walker''s insistent voice reached the former Green Lantern.

    "Mmph."

    Sinestro chuckled, throwing one final look back at Saint Walker and the planet behind him.

    "Good luck with-"

    The sound of a bird cry reached both their ears. A call out to the wilderness of space.

    Sinestro went silent.

    A massive white Raven had appeared out of nowhere.

    The Raven seemed to surround the Earth with it''s wings spread out across the planet''s atmosphere.

    On the other side of the planet, circling it as it battled against the white Raven was an... unexplainable beast.

    It''s form shifted from something that made sense to a totally strange and border line disturbing body.

    One second it would have haracteristics reminiscent of classic demons, such as horns, sharp wings, and a menacing aura.

    Then the next it could be depicted as a colossal and armored titan, evoking a sense of dread and power.

    Black skin the color of night...leathery wings with holes in them... Red Eyes that glowed with a familiar red...black teeth...sharp and menacing, dripping with acidic venom that melted anything it touched upon.

    Reality seemed to fold around the beast. As if fighting it''s very existence.

    This was clearly an enigma. One that left the ever confident Sinestro in a state of shock and terror.

    (Davian''s P.O.V) (a few minutes ago)

    My body brimmed with more power than I had thought possible before. The rampant energies from absorbing the Seven Deadly Sins had fully been intergrated into me.

    The battle with the 3491 Lanterns had more than helped me prepare for this. The final battle.

    A simple Shunpo and I was already blasting through the Earth''s atmosphere, my form resembling a falling star as I headed straight for where I could sense my Sheath and Chase.

    The first view of the planet after being stuck in Limbo for so long was surprising. I seemed to be above Metropolis but it was immensely destroyed.

    Skyscrapers were down, a smog filled the air and the sounds of battle still continued.

    A group of Soldiers seemed to be in a fierce confrontation with a troop of Para-demons. The soldiers were being pushed back by the horde but luckily they weren''t completely overwhelmed.

    That was mostly owing to the red, black and bleached blond haired broad smacking Para-demons away with a baseball bat.

    And her team of course.

    "Harley."

    I muttered to myself, a small smile briefly appearing on my face.

    Beside Harley, covering her back was Black Manta, wide scarlet eye-beams carving a charred path across the enemies in the sky.

    I spotted a few more members as well. There was Boomerang and Idris- sorry Bloodsport as well.

    It seemed that even in this universe, Waller still formed her little band of convicts to carry out her dirty missions.

    That said, it had been long since I''d seen Harley. Even if it was just a version of her. Both their souls were like mirror versions of each other.

    She was someone I didn''t mind considering a friend.

    And for that reason, let me lemd a hand.

    "Hado 7: Akai Inazuma."

    Wild erratic lightning left my palm, moving through the street, avoiding the Suicide Squad and the soldiers, before decimating the ranks of Para-demons, frying them in millions of volts.

    Burnt bodies fell from the sky in droves. The attack had been high profile enough that no one around could have missed it.

    I could feel their gazes on me through Reikaku.

    "Thanks, scary dude!! We''ll clean up down here!"

    Harley''s voice came from below, her pale hand waving at my quickly disappearing figure. The smile from before returned.

    "You''re welcome Crazy Chick!"

    I responded, increasing my speed now that I was getting closer to where I needed to be.

    I left the Suicide Squad and the army behind. From there on out, no infrastructure stood tall. All I could see before me was a large pile of ruins and debris.

    The multi-building residential area around Metropolis, structures worth billions were now torn apart concrete, shattered glass and shredded metal remains.

    And so was the number of enemies before me increasing.

    Para-demons filled the air around the entire block. It seemed like they had copied the soldiers and set up a perimeter around the shore, all to protect the ship floating on the bay.

    Let''s get rid of that first.

    I was quickly spotted by the Para-demons but fortunately, there was a plan for that.

    Reiatsu roared out of me, hitting the ranks of the creatures and immediately sending the hundreds of thousands of Para-demons to sleep.

    It was a literal rain of Para-demons.

    Energy brimmed from within me, as Shunko activated.

    The world narrowed down in my focus. I pushed off the air, moving through falling bodies that looked to be suspended in mid-air.

    "Blade of the Grass Crane: Zanjutsu edition."

    I called out the attack, applying both Reiryoku and Tairyoku onto the edge of the blade.

    Slash.

    Slash.

    Slash.

    3 purple lines appeared around the massive Apokaliptian vessel measuring thousands of feet across. The vessel tilted on its side, a section falling into the churning sea below.

    Then another section followed the first, an explosion rocking the water.

    The ocean erupted into a shower of sea water, that sprayed those close.

    The whole vessel becoming remains that sank into the depths of the sea.

    "Good."

    I said to myself, eyes staring at the God of Evil and his posse on the ground. Our eyes met for the second time.

    "Now there is no way you can escape."

 The Gray Lantern.

    (General P.O.V)

    An entire cluster of universes, all delicately interconnected through a singular being.

    Dr.Manhattan</a> had failed to save his universe. Maybe by understanding this Enigma more...he could learn where things went wrong so drastically.

    And so he descended on the Earth where the deciding battle was about to reach its unexpected climax.

    But kept himself hidden.

    (Elsewhere)

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    One swift attack.

    That''s what I owe him.

    No talking. I can''t keep wasting my time on this.

    Darkseid was going down.

    Now.

    With the ship destroyed, the only way out of the planet was through the Mother boxes.

    But I was going to get him before he could think of using it to leave.

    Reikaku allowed me to tag everyone present. One wide scan and I knew everyone''s relative position.

    Darkseid stood with his hands clasped behind his back in the middle of the entire battlefield.

    And behind him...

    Were his generals. A white haired New God, Grayven, a silver armored Steppenwolfe, a savage looking Kalibak and Granny Goodness with an evil glint in her eyes; behind her were the furies.

    They each had a league member captive before them.

    A larger scan showed Chase, Powergirl and Constantine trying to save people from a collapsed building.

    Strange that Kara wouldn''t be all over Darkseid''s ugly mug. But that was good. This way, there was less chance of friendly fire.

    "Now to end this."

    Chesha Neko formed into it''s bow form, the purple light it gave off a beacon in the gray sky.

    Darkseid and his generals finally spotted me.

    And with an order, the rest of the Para-demon army left alive rose up like a storm, headed towards me.

    And was it just me or were they faster than usual? Oh well...it didn''t matter.

    All around my body, more threads extended out, creating bows and arrows that hang in the air, all within my control.

    I pulled back the string, an arrow made up of twisting energy forming in between my fingers. The move was repeated on all my other constructs.

    I met Darkseid''s eyes.

    He looked up at me with shock in his face.

    "It''s too late to beg for mercy." I told him, seeing his death so clearly.

    "Fusion attack: Respira shower."

    I let it fly.

    One single arrow started it all, leading an onslaught that was going to ensure this entire thing ended.

    The arrows tore through the rest of the Para-demons easily. However, Darkseid and his generals was a different matter altogether.

    They tried to avoid the Respira Shower by hiding behind objects and the rubble lying around, but the arrows curved corners just to get at them.

    Some tried to block the arrows but they tore through any shields or barriers easily.

    They even withstood Darkseid''s Omega Beams, plunging through the God of Evil''s torso before coming out of the other side.

    Dead Para-demons fell from the skies, their bodies never hit the ground as Respira disintegrated them to nothing before that.

    Following the end of the abominable creatures, Darkseid''s generals followed. Few could survive an arrow through vital organs.

    But while the New Gods could claim such a feat, only the Black Racer had resisted the full effects of Respira.

    Darkseid finally fell, landing onto the ground in one knee, holding his chest in pain.

    I floated down to his position, watching as souls left the dissipating bodies of my enemies.

    One thing that made it strange was the color of their souls...

    Most of them were pure white. How? This makes no sense. Yet I could detect nothing wrong through Reikaku.

    Infact, Chase and Constantine were quickly coming to my aid from the city, my Zanpakuto no doubt having sensed my presence; not that I needed any aid whatsoever.

    I mean, I fought the entire Emotional Spectrum and won. Then I went onto defeat Darkseid and his underlings in a single move.

    "It''s over."

    I told the God of Evil.

    "Your tyranny."

    "Wh-why do this...?"

    He stammered, the edges of his wounds dissolving into black smoke.

    I frowned.

    "You''re really asking me that? You invaded the planet. I would have let it slide, I''m not even from this Earth after all. But unfortunately for you, there is someone I care about in this planet."

    "Someone I seek to protect no matter what. It''s just bad luck on your part."

    I completed my statement, feet touching the ground right before his kneeling form.

    A cold breeze that carried the scent of the sea blew in from around us.

    "Wh-what..."

    He stuttered.

    "What- are you talking..."

    Before he could complete the statement, the Respira finally caught up to him.

    His upper torso went up in a plume of black energy that disappeared into the air.

    Silence reigned.

    All around me, I was surrounded by souls hovering in the air.

    "It''s finally over."

    I breathed out a sigh of relief, unravelling the string armor around me before strapping the weapon at my back, attaching it to the fabric of my haori.

    I turned around to walk away just as News-choppers and the military finally arrived.

    Without the threat of the Para-demons...they could move in and reclaim the zone they had conceded to the invading force.

    Meanwhile I was running a full scan on where Raven and the others were. The fact that Chase was around ensured that he had more than likely saved them.

    Huh...how long has it been since I left my Universe? It was supposed to be a two month training trip and...

    fuck, it''s already been 2 weeks.

    Time moves differently in the Phantom Zone otherwise it would have even been longer than that.

    I looked at my wrist, at the butterfly tattoo Shiva had placed there using Rama Kushna''s abilities. I wonder how she''s doing as the goddess of Karma''s champion.

    Not only her but Jade, Deadman and the Park Row Ties. Danny should have already carried out the first part of the plan needed to get back at Batman.

    Oh I hadn''t forgotten that...

    Revenge is a dish best served cold...and unexpected.

    He wouldn''t know what was-

    A bullet pinged off my eye, flattening against my pupil before falling to the ground. Huh?

    I plucked it off the air and held it up in the light.

    "A sniper bullet?"

    I questioned.

    Another bullet landed on the ground between my feet, digging into the tarmac.

    I looked up with a blank expression.

    The soldiers...they were all staring at me strangely. Mot that I was unused to seeing terror on the faces of my enemies but I thought they knew I was on their side.

    "What is the meaning of this?"

    I asked, holding up the flattened piece of metal.

    "Stand down you monster! or we will put you down!"

    The words were transmitted through a megaphone, gripped by an officer standing at the back of a jeep.

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    Monster? Were they talking to me? I took another step forward and that seemed to be the cue.

    They opened fire.

    Through my Reikaku, I felt hundreds, then thousands of bullets, leave barrels from machine guns and automatic rifles, the trajectory aimed at my position.

    What the fuck were they thinking?!!

    I clenched my jaw, Reiatsu pouring out of me. The bullets moving at supersonic speeds were slowed down by the heavy spirit pressure before finally stopping before me.

    The soldiers stopped shooting upon witnessing the unexpected scene. Most of them backed away in fear.

    "I don''t know what''s the meaning of this. but I don''t care, you tried to kill me...I won''t forgive that."

    My words while intimidating wasn''t what sent them into a fresh wave of terror.

    The savage smile on my face did.

    I pulled on the soul of air using Fullbring; with my sheath so close to me, it was easy.

    Then I promptly returned the bullets to the owners.

    "Take these back...I don''t want them!"

    My fist extended to my front, before I stretched the fingers out.

    The air answered me, repelling all the bullets into the barrels they''d left.

    The wind screamed as it was torn apart.

    The guns in their hands promptly blew up, throwing the soldiers away with broken and shattered limbs.

    Explosions rang out across the ranks of the military, the vehicles going up in flames. They were lucky I didn''t indirectly kill anyone.

    I waved a hand and used Energy Transfer, absorbing the flames through my hand.

    "Davian!"

    A voice called out from behind the destroyed ranks of soldiers.

    My Zanpakuto spirit. A smile stretched across my lips as I spotted his blue coat glowing with an ethereal moonlight.

    He was in his giant form, lumbering towards the disarrayed military in a path headed straight for me.

    He jumped over the soldiers and even I, landing at my back with a deafening roar leaving his ferocious mouth.

    Shadows bloomed at my back. A beam of grey energy bursting out through Chase''s back.

    Agony rippled through my Saketsu. It felt like my soul had been stabbed by a red hot rod.

    I gasped in surprise and shock, taking a few unsteady steps forward while watching Chase body tremble before teetering.

    Time stopped. Chase...he''d saved me.

    But...

    He''s hurt. I could feel it through our link. He was hurt pretty bad.

    I slipped into a clean Shunpo, appearing infront of him just as another grey beam was about to pierce through his body.

    I didn''t have time to counterattack.

    My hand reached out, focusing Spirit energy on the center of the palm then releasing it. A purple barrier appeared around us.

    Whoosh!

    Bang!

    Krakoom!

    What!? The barrier broke apart, dissolving as if acid had been poured all over it. That was Reiryoku. One of the most potent energies in all reality.

    I shoved more power into the barrier using both of my hands, only for the gray beam to pierce through the construct without delay.

    Inches away from face,

    A green energy filled my vision, belonging to a resilient emerald barrier elected to my front.

    And the barrier itself was a result of my other power. A power I hadn''t realized I''d missed.

    My Fullbring floated in the air before me, blocking the gray beam easily.

    "Good you got here right on time."

    I said, addressing the magician behind me.

    Constantine had held my sheath in his possession since we left the Phantom Zone.

    I felt him run over to check on Chase, who had changed from his giant form to his normal form to conserve strength.

    My teeth ground upon each other. It was taking everything in my power not to...

    Focus. There''s another attack.

    Using the full extent of my Fullbring to connect to space, I teleported the attack away. The gray beam disappeared and I stumbled a step back, one hand on my Saketsu.

    How is he?"

    I asked, my breath coming out harshly.

    "He''s...not looking good mate."

    Constantine answered.

    "And neither do you... your hair, it''s turning gray."

    I could see the loose strands hanging over the side of my head. He was right.

    "Mmmh. The sheath can heal us so- so we''ll be fine. But- I cannot let this insult go unpunished."

    I looked up with furious eyes.

    "Whoever you are...show yourself."

    I announced, using Reikaku to try and pin point the one responsible''s location.

    The dust finally settled...

    My eyes widened.

    "No- this is... impossible."

    I was shell-shocked.

    In the place of Darkseid''s dead generals were...

    The Justice League.

    Batman''s cape waved in the air, attached to a half dissolved body wearing his costume.

    Wonder Woman was tied up by her lasso on a street-light.

    The dark aura of Respira having torn a hole through her chest and was now fighting against the divine energy in the lasso, which was half disintegrated already.

    Shazam lay in the middle of a crater, just blackened bones inside the red and white suit.

    His body seemed to have valiantly fought against the effects of my attacks, but ultimately...all fall to time.

    The Flash was nowhere to be seen, though I felt a soul with lingering effects of the Speed force hovering about.

    The rest of the League had met the same fate.

    All killed by my attack. An arrow to the heart.

    "No- this is all wrong."

    I tightened hand on the handle of my sword.

    "It wasn''t them I killed. It can''t be them..."

    Reikaku hadn''t lied to me when I had tagged each of them. Their presence, their auras...they were all New Gods! I didn''t make a mistake.

    The worst part were the Para-demons I thought I had killed. While there was some truth to that... another group had been caught in the fight.

    6 souls...

    All young...

    The Titans.

    No.

    I sank to my knees in despair, surrounded by ruins and the remains of this Earth''s heroes. Shrouds appeared from the afterlife, aiming to take them to the next phase of existence.

    The loose fabric on their ghostly frames waved in the air, a silent soliloquy for the dead.

    "Begone."

    I muttered.

    The Reapers paused, shivering in place at my order, before they disappeared back into the spirit world.

    "It''s what I wanted to tell you..."

    Chase'' voice reached me. He sounded weak.

    "All this...none of what you saw was true. It was all an- an illusion."

    I blinked, eyes cast down towards the ground. My fingers dug into the concrete, tearing through the cement as I battled with my rage. An Illusion?

    What kind of illusion was powerful enough to deceive Reikaku?

    "I only have two questions. The first... where is Rachel? I don''t sense her soul among the-"

    I swallowed the bitterness.

    "Among the dead."

    This time I didn''t receive an answer from Chase.

    "Let me answer that..."

    My shadow extended out from beneath my feet. It flowed through the torn concrete ground like thick oil, stopping a few paces to my front.

    The shadow''s oily form expanded, growing bigger before reforming into a monster.

    "Darkseid."

    The name left my lips with as much hatred as I could inject.

    Bursting with huge muscles on his grey physique, the god of Apokalips seemed to be completely new being.

    Smaller than before, his muscle mass seemed to have been compressed to become denser. His eyes were no longer glowing scarlet. They were black...

    Devoid of any light. Infact they seemed like the very anti-thesis of it.

    And on his chest, was the symbol of a hollow circle.

    At my words, he threw back his head and laughed.

    "Darkseid? How wrong you are. I am not the god of Apokalips you once knew, little Godling. I am... something else entirely. And...here, I''ll prove it to you."

    He chuckled sinisterly, holding something up.

    The hatred burning within me reached a boiling point when he revealed what he had clutched in his grip.

    A torn purple cape, scratches all over her ruffled costume and a red welt on the side of her cheek.

    Darkseid 2.0 had her by the hair.

    Rachel.

    "You would have saved her already if I were the God of Apokalips. You more than have the speed for it clearly."

    The oily looking bastard saying, his lower body changing into goop as he swayed around eccentrically.

    "But! You can feel it, don''t you little Chosen one?! One wrong step and she is dead! Hahahaha!!"

    "Let her go you sick bastard! Let her go or I''ll kill you."

    Constantine said, flicking the cigarette butt in his fingers away as he walked forward.

    I stretched out the hand holding Chesha Neko.

    Constantine looked down at his chest. Chesha Neko''s blade blocked his way.

    "Stay out of this...Trigon."

    I bit out, flexing my Reiatsu to suppress the consciousness of the Inter-dimensional Demon.

    Constantine groaned as he bowed down.

    "But m- my daughter..."

    I ignored the two of them, instead turning around and walking towards Chase. I could feel both of their eyes following me.

    "Stop."

    Darkseid 2.0''s voice rumbled out like thunder. My pace didn''t slow, nor did my gait falter.

    "Stop or I break her ne-"

    He begun to threaten but I cut him.

    "Shut up. So impatient. Can''t you wait? I''ll be there to kill you in a few seconds."

    I replied in annoyance.

    The gravel under my feet was disturbed as I bent down to pick up Chase''s hurt form. The light of the Sheath washing down his entire body.

    The wound on his chest, It wasn''t healing. Something was actively stopping it from closing up.

    "Hey...Davi..."

    He called out.

    "Save your strength. I''ll send you to the inner world to recuperate. Once I''m done Killing, resurrecting and then killing this fucker over and over again, I''ll fix my mistake and then be there."

    I promised.

    His breathing evened out. His torquoise eyes staring up at me knowingly.

    "Don''t...beat yourself up. Everyone slips up."

    I said nothing, my loose hair casting a shadow across my face.

    "One last thing."

    He spoke up.

    "This new enemy...he is right. He''s not infact Darkseid. The latter tried to do something drastic and monumentally stupid after you defeated the Racer. We all felt it. Like a shockwave across time and space. And then...it happened."

    Foreign memories poured in from Chase.

    It started with Powergirl attacking and seemingly Killing Darkseid.

    But then the remains of his body had turned into a dark sludge that sank through the cracks on the ground.

    Thats when a grey gas, with the same energy signature contained within the beam that had hurt my Zanpakuto spirit, started rising off the ground.

    The soldiers trying to break through the ranks of the Para-demons were pulled back from that section of the city.

    The Titans, after escaping Desaad had decided to aid Power-girl in rescuing the League, most of whom had already been taken out; the news shocking everyone across the entire world.

    The gray gas started affecting them, causing them to cough and begin suffocating seconds before I had arrived.

    "It was a trap. The gray energy...it seems to pull people into unbreakable illusions and that''s without including the suffocation gas."

    Chase continued,

    "Constantine and I thought we were saving people from the collapsed buildings- but we were actually fighting against the soldiers, halting their advance. Be careful, don''t trust your senses. They will lie to you."

    And with that final word, Chase turned into his spirit form and left for my inner world.

    I stood up, staring at the gloomy sky.

    "I understand now. The entire fight with the Black Racer...you were stalling weren''t you?"

    "As we were fighting, you were extending your influence through out the rest of the Lantern Corps, not just the Green."

    I mused,

    "And one by one you used your fake Anti-life equation to infect them. Twist them into a version you wanted. A Lantern corp that is powerful enough to mess with the perception of anyone. Achieving true control over anything with life and emotions."

    Silence reigned among the three of us. Then...

    "Hahahahahaha!!! Exactly! You''re right! I am the Death of the Emotional Spectrum! The Absence of Light! The void within each mortal heart. The corruption of color and vibrance. I am no longer Darkseid...call me Obsidian! The Gray Lantern!"

    Darkse- Obsidian declared proudly.

    "I have heard enough of your meaningless prattle! Give me back my daughter New God!!"

    Trigon''s voice escaped Constantine, the trenchcoat he wore bursting apart as his frame increased in size.

    The Demon immediately flew up, long white hair with streaks of blonde waving behind his head.

    Obsidian started to laugh.

    "Yes! Yes! Come and fight me little Demon! Come and let me extinguish the flames of your anger!!"

    Shadows rose up from every nook and cranny to block Trigon''s path.

    Chesha Neko left it''s sheath for a single nano-second before it was back in my hip.

    "Oi, I wasn''t done talking."

    The shadows were slashed apart and forcefully scattered. Trigon stopped in midair, head turning to stare at me in caution.

    I established eye contact with him.

    "Don''t pretend to care about Rachel now, you asshole."

    He blinked. Anger flashed across Constantine''s features before it was gone just as quickly.

    "Save her."

    Trigon said as he descended, body changing back to the sorcerer.

    Constantine stumbled next to me, hands shaking as he reached for his shredded coat pocket.

    "Bloody hell mate, never let a demon take the reigns. My body feels like shite."

    "Tend to the others. I''ll handle him."

    I ordered, eyes jumping to Obsidian.

    Chesha Neko left it''s sheath mid-stride as I approached him.

    "Good luck."

    Constantine threw from my back.

    I wasn''t going to need it.

    Obsidian watched me curiously.

    "What do you hope to accomplish by fighting anymore? I have won. I can control what you see, hear, smell, think and feel. How will you defeat me. Let alone save her?"

    He held out his hand, showing me Rachel''s passed out form.

    "I''m not entirely convinced by something." I spoke up in a skeptical tone.

    "You claim to not be Darkseid but you were him once correct?"

    Obsidian narrowed his dark eyes.

    "Correct."

    "Then tell me this...how do you go from being an asshole albeit a powerful one, to this downgraded evil laugh gimmicky type of villain?"

    I questioned.

    "What?"

    Obsidian''s voice rumbled with anger.

    "Do you have any idea what-"

    "See I have a theory. I think Darkseid did infact corrupt the Emotional Spectrum. But by doing so, he also inadvertently corrupted the Emotional Entities. He probably tried to leash them...but failed. All that power? The emotions of an entire universe?"

    I shook my head.

    "Too great for any one to bear. He failed, didn''t he?"

    Obsidian said nothing.

    "And the result of that failure...is you. A remnant of what a New God is. You called yourself the Gray Lantern?... don''t be stupid, this is not a fanfic. There are no Gray Lanterns..."

    I tore into him, denying his power.

    Nick''s memories told me there were infact Grey Lanterns in DC. Grey not Gray and they pulled their abilities from absolute apathy. They simply... didn''t give a fuck. In comparison, Obsidian was like a child in a sugar rush throwing a tantrum.

    "Damn you!!!"

    And sure enough, he roared in fury, sending thousands of shadows creeping toward me.

    "I haven''t done this for a while."

    I said, mostly to myself, lifting up my sword.

    "And frankly I don''t think you''re worthy of this but you played with me and mine. Such a thing is unacceptable."

    Reiryoku poured in from my left hand. Tairyoku poured in from my right.

    Push

    Pull.

    "Ban-kai."

 A Talk With the Blue Guy.

    Chapter 173: A Talk with the Blue Guy.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Ban-Kai: Owaranai Chesha Neko."

    (Unending Cheshire Cat)

    A pillar of light rose up from Davian''s position.

    Storms of wind rushed out as reality struggled to maintain its structure with the manifestation of a being not meant to be in the mortal world; too great was his power.

    In the sky above the perimeter elected by the military, a news chopper was struggling with the sudden rippling winds that hit it from the ground.

    "Get us closer..."

    The reporter said.

    Alarms begun flashing across the aircraft, warning them of impending doom.

    "Are you crazy?"

    The pilot asked, turning the chopper around.

    "Can''t you see the massive wind storm under us?"

    The aircraft wove in between buildings as it escaped the effects of Davian''s authority.

    The sky above Metropolis was awash with purple and gold light, pushing the gloomy cloud cover away.

    Obsidian, holding Raven by her hair stopped his brewing attack, the shadows in his control pausing in place as he beheld something he had never witnessed before.

    Not as Darkseid or even his new existence as the Gray Lantern.

    "No, I''m stronger. I hold the power of the Emotional Spectrum."

    The Gray Lantern said to himself.

    "There is no way anyone has this kind of power..."

    The purple and gold light died out.

    And Davian was revealed. Shirtless, his muscular brown body was dotted with scars from his rough upbringing.

    White hair with streaks of gray danced around his head from the roiling of energies surrounding him. And his eyes... Obsidian had never seen so much apathy.

    It was like his life in the eyes of this new...being was worthless.

    But all that paled in comparison to what was on his forearms. Two gauntlets.

    The moment Obsidian''s eyes fell upon those dark, foreboding gauntlets, a dreadful realization washed over him.

    He understood that he was utterly outmatched, outgunned, and outclassed. Panic surged through him like a tidal wave, drowning his confidence.

    Without a second thought, Obsidian turned on his heel and took to the skies, leaving a trail of fear in his wake.

    His lantern, once a symbol of his denial over emotions, flickered with uncertainty.

    The world''s salvation had been brought about not through physical might, but by the paralyzing grip of fear.

    "Too late to run."

    The statement reached his ears, just as he was about to break through the upper stratum.

    Huh?

    Obsidian chanced a look behind him and saw Davian raise his hand while still on the ground. Then he clutched the palm into a fist.

    Crisscrossing lines of green and black strings flashed on his vision. The strings were EVERYWHERE he looked.

    The air around Obsidian suddenly got heavier, closing in on him from all sides. His chest felt constricted and squeezed.

    "Don''t you dare play with me!"

    The former New God yelled, his forearm shifting into a dark spike that he plunged straight through Rachel''s chest.

    Only for her body to fade away into nothing. She was no longer in his hold.

    "Impossible."

    Obsidian muttered to himself, looking around. Something was wrong. The sky...why was it white? Why was everything white?

    When had it gotten that way?!

    His shoulders grew heavy. Breathing got hard. But-how? He didn''t need to breath.

    "You think you''re the only one capable of affecting the senses?"

    His opponent voiced out.

    "Where are you coward?! Show yourself."

    Obsidian roared, pulling on his abilities before producing a storm cloud of gray energy.

    "Take this! A world of infinite illusions!"

    The storm cloud blew outward, only to transform into a group of brightly colored birds that flew away around Obsidian''s body.

    "Impossible."

    The Gray Lantern muttered, backing away.

    "I can control aspects of reality."

    Davian said.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The grid flashed around Obsidian as the birds were transfigured into a massive lightning storm. Streaks of purple demonic lightning fell from the sky toward Obsidian.

    "Haha! You think such an attack can injure me?"

    Obsidian laughed in false bravado, creating an umbrella of gray energy above him.

    The umbrella failed to hold up for even a single second.

    Obsidian''s body was fried and he fell from the sky, creating a massive crater on the ground.

    He still had enough awareness to hear the rest of Davian''s statement.

    "You''re nothing to me, Obsidian. None of the enemies I have fought were ever this weak..."

    In the real world,

    Obsidian''s body hadn''t moved an inch from his previous position in the air.

    He had a blank look on his face that would be exchanged for a terrified one, each time he realized he was stuck in an illusion.

    Only the illusions were expertly layered. Davian''s use of the hand of god to attach and reattach strings in the web of life ensured that his brand of illusions were truly unbreakable.

    Speaking of, the Soul Reaper hadn''t moved from his position. Yet, one second he had nothing in his hands, then the next, he was cradling Rachel''s body gently.

    She shifted in his arms, face twisted in pain.

    The light of the sheath washed down her body, healing her of her injuries.

    "Dav- Davian...?"

    She blinked, muttering softly in question.

    "Yeah...it''s me. I''m here."

    Davian replied with an uncharacteristic gentle smile on his face.

    Rachel seemed relieved.

    "Oh. That''s...good."

    Then she jerked in alarm, turning to stare at the sky towards Obsidian.

    "Wait. You need to be careful. He''s..."

    "A non-issue."

    Davian cut in, tightening his palm into a fist once more.

    Obsidian''s body was squeezed from all sides. The Gray Lantern let out a bloodcurdling scream.

    His limbs shattered and his Torso burst apart into an oily sludge that splattered onto the ground.

    Davian smiled at Rachel''s surprised look.

    "See, a non-issue."

    He said, helping her up.

    "That''s not it...we tried to destroy his body before too but he somehow came back..."

    She replied, legs still shaking weakly.

    "He comes back huh?"

    Davian murmured to himself in thought.

    "Yeah. There is a trick he uses."

    She bit out.

    "Destroying his liquid form didn''t work. It''s how he lured in Grail and swallowed her into the sludge."

    Davian narrowed his eyes.

    "I see. He must have a pocket dimension within him."

    He placed a hand on Rachel''s shoulder.

    "Stand back, let me..."

    "No! I wanna fight him."

    Rachel refused with a surprising burst of energy.

    "You don''t understand how I feel. I was helpless against him. You can''t tell me to sit this one out."

    She told the Soul Reaper stubbornly.

    Davian opened his mouth, then closed it.

    "Okay."

    Unexpectedly, he acquiesced.

    "Wait... really?"

    Rachel asked in shock. She hadn''t thought he would agree so readily.

    "To be fair...I won''t always be around to protect you."

    The Death God informed her.

    "You need to be able to fight for yourself. Besides even if he can''t die normally, this guy is kinda weak to me. He''s a downgrade and a total waste to use Ban-kai on."

    He held out a hand to his front.

    "So... he''s all yours."

    "Thanks."

    Rachel told him, a teary smile on her face.

    "I won''t lose."

    She wiped a lone tear away, walking forward with her Demonic magic brimming within her.

    "Besides, I needed to show you my newest trick. Courtesy of a mutual acquaintance."

    "Mutual acquaintance?"

    Davian asked blankly.

    Before Rachel could answer,

    The sky above them was suddenly plunged into darkness as shadows from all over the city rose up into the air.

    They combined into Obsidian once more. Only this time he wasn''t smiling.

    "You dare let a child face me?!"

    He demanded from Davian.

    ''so, she was right. He came back.''

    The Soul Reaper thought.

    "This child can speak for herself thank you, very much."

    Rachel said, her palms pressing together.

    From within the folds of her cape, a white light rushed out, smashing onto the shadows around Obsidian and lighting up the surroundings.

    The caw of a bird sounded, followed by a White Raven emerging from Rachel''s position, before taking off towards the sky with a flap of it''s wings.

    There was another explosion of energy from the clash of light and darkness.

    On the ground, Davian had a small smile on his face as he watched his student stand up for herself.

    "Well, someone''s gotten stronger."

    He observed, witnessing the battle of light triumph against darkness. Rachel was actually keeping up. Now he knew who the mutual acquaintance was.

    "Raven."

    He muttered, only this time her name wasn''t clouded by pain.

    "It''s rude to stare you know."

    The Reaper said, addressing the presence he could sense hiding behind him.

    "Forgive me."

    A polished voice spoke up from his back.

    "I did not intend to be rude."

    Davian shrugged, hands crossed together as he continued to watch the fight.

    "Nah it''s cool. You here to fight me?"

    Doctor Manhattan blinked, revaluating the being before him.

    "Such an endeavor would be meaningless would it not? Seeing as you are much more powerful than I am."

    Davian finally chanced a look behind him.

    "Well color me surprised. You really are the genuine article, aren''t you?Only a being at my level can sense the true depths of my power."

    "The Gauntlets."

    Doctor Manhattan said.

    "They should not exist side by side, but do. Is this the reason why you''re such an Enigma?"

    Davian waved a hand, his authority surging out, making the fight happening above them seem inconsequential at the power he could casually call on.

    The action seemed to make time seemingly rewind around them.

    The destroyed buildings and properties, the burning wrecks of vehicles, the dead bodies lying on the street, the injured in the emergency stations...

    Everyone affected by the invasion, not only in North America buy across the entire world.

    It was like none of it had happened. As if it had been a fever dream.

    ~~~~~

    Once more, eyes were cast down into the mortal world.

    "Mmph."

    Davian snorted.

    "Still can''t keep your eyes to yourself huh, Nekron? You''ve been watching me for months now. Once I''m done here...we should talk about boundaries."

    The eyes seemed to linger for a few seconds before disappearing.

    ~~~~~

    Davian shook his head in annoyance.

    The water in the bay gently lapped against the shore. The sun shone down.

    It was a new day again...

    "You undid it all."

    Doctor Manhattan finally said, observing their surroundings. Cars honked on the street. And a few people were watching them from the shore. The scene of a glowing blue guy on the beach must have been too eye-catching.

    "The entire invasion."

    "Not really."

    Davian said, falling backwards, only to land on a bench that appeared behind him, created by his Hand of God.

    The world around them froze in time.

    "Something like stopping time is easy, but rewinding it is a hassle as I''m sure you no doubt know. I didn''t undo any of what happened. I simply fixed everything that was destroyed in the aftermath."

    He explained.

    Doctor Manhattan pressed his finger onto the side of his head. Then he blinked.

    "Incredible. You put everything back together perfectly."

    He bent to the ground, lifting something off it.

    "Even the life of this insignificant ant."

    He said, staring at the confused ant running on his finger.

    "You sound shocked. As if you couldn''t do the same if you wanted, Manhattan."

    Davian responded.

    "I could but...there are restrictions in place."

    Manhattan replied, letting the ant go.

    "Every universe has it''s laws. You seem to not be affected by that at all. Perhaps that''s why they..."

    "Wait."

    Davian said, lifting a hand.

    "If you''re about to tell me something vague and cryptic about a future enemy or some shit like that...don''t."

    He sighed, leaning back into the bench while watching the sky.

    The White Raven''s light was still fighting against the shadows of an ever changing monster.

    The battle had already left the earth as both combatants traded blows above the atmosphere.

    "I would rather not know. I''m finding it hard to be excited already without you spoiling what''s going to happen."

    Doctor Manhattan said nothing for some time. Then he cocked his head to the side.

    "Mmmh, how intriguing. You are not bothered that I am here, despite the fact you seem to know me. You only seemed to be interested on whether I came to fight you or not."

    Davian sat up, a lazy smirk on his face.

    "Should I be interested in anything else? All I know is fighting. All I do is fighting. All I love is fighting. And I''ll take on anyone, anytime. So keep whatever warnings I''m sure you have to yourself."

    "Even if I told you, you are soon to die?"

    Manhattan asked.

    Silence fell in between the two.

    "Even then."

    Davian answered, the confident smirk on his face, only increasing.

 Unveiling of the Cosmic Forces.

    VOLUME 3: THE FIFTH WORLD.

    Info dump imminent.

    (General P.O.V)

    Darkseid''s second invasion on Earth, despite leaving multiple places devastated and countless lives lost, seemed to have left no lasting impression.

    All over the planet,

    Time had seemingly rewound on the attack.

    The dead, the mortally wounded, the ones stuck in caved in structures, everybody was back.

    This wasn''t like Gotham''s destruction in the hands of Trigon where Davian couldn''t save everyone.

    No one who died due to the invasion remained dead.

    High rise collapsed buildings, debris filled cities, the smog above the atmosphere of the planet...all the damage was gone and everything was back to normal.

    Well...kinda.

    Reality seemed to be frozen across the entire universe as an important conversation took place between two very powerful individuals.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Wow, she''s really going at it huh?"

    I muttered, watching Raven deliver an ass kicking of great magnitude to Obsidian''s ass.

    Using the Hand of God, I manipulated the great river of time. Distinguishing the strings from each other was getting easier.

    While black strings represented Death in some form or other; coincidentally these type of strings swirled around my Hand of the Devil, other strings could be any color irrespective of the material, structure and essence of anything.

    The only other string that was predominant in a certain concept was the opposite of the black strings, white strings.

    These were special. They felt like Enochian script woven into threads. Strings that didn''t just connect one thing to another, but one that carried it''s own mystery and power.

    The words of God.

    Fitting that these strings swirled around the Hand of God on my right. These threads were full of life and meaning.

    By tapping into them, I could unravel the swirling ball of yarn that was existence around us.

    As stated before, threads in the web of life appeared as a grid of interconnected rainbow threads with no end or beginning.

    It was all a bundle of everything cluttered together in the structure of existence.

    And by extending out my white strings, I could tap into any string and from there connect to a concept of reality like Time.

    Therefore, achieve the impossible like pausing the entire temporal progression.

    I could already feel the universe fight against my influence but the pushback was feeble at best. I could ignore it easily.

    Speaking of the white strings, I wasn''t the only one they were attracted to.

    Though instead of webs, Raven''s wings sprinkled golden-white dust onto the ground, reinvigorating whatever the dust touched.

    The dust and the strings were similar. They had the same source. Nick''s memories had a suspicion who.

    The Presence. The God of DC.

    And not to mention, the other side of my Bankai, Hand of the Devil, was something that seemed to resonate with Death of the Endless.

    Which would make sense as to why Nekron had been stalking me.

    I could feel his intent to do me harm. Like a cloying sense of danger since the moment I''d stepped into this universe.

    However, something had always kept him at bay. Something I couldn''t see had protected me.

    All things considered, I wasn''t comfortable with the idea of being involved in any way with the God of everything or one of the fucking Endless. Let alone Death.

    I was even less comfortable with the idea of Rachel being involved in this.

    Though I couldn''t help but fear she already was.

    Her abilities were amazing. The white light she was producing managed to not only keep up with Obsidian''s Gray Lantern abilities, but she was actually overwhelming him.

    The Hand of God pulsed to her every strike, attuned to the white Raven''s Cry. She made the strings hum in excitement.

    Interesting.

    "Davian," Doctor Manhattan began, his voice carrying a cosmic weight that seemed to resonate through my very core.

    "That name...do you know who gave it to you?"

    "Huh, you still here?"

    I asked, crossing a leg over the other. I''d forgotten why I''d stopped Time( first to temporarily exempt the world from Raven''s and Obsidian''s battle; they were effectively out of sync with reality. And second to have an uninterrupted conversation with this guy.)

    He had just asked something. Oh yeah, how I got my name.

    "No fucking clue."

    I answered bluntly.

    Silence reigned between us.

    My mind strayed and I realized that with everything that had been happening, I had forgotten to really take proper care of myself.

    For instance, I missed some Teriyaki chicken.

    I''ve been fighting for so long I even forgot to eat.

    Now that I think about it, I haven''t eaten in weeks, yet my body still functioned like normal.

    Must be another perk of attaining Tairyoku. Do I even need to sleep anymore?

    "Your actions have consequences, Davian,"

    Doctor Manhattan spoke up, cutting me from my thoughts, his tone unyielding.

    "Darkseid''s defeat has opened a door, but not in the way you might expect."

    My skepticism grew along with my interest.

    So I pressed for answers.

    "What do you mean by ''opened a door''? What''s happening?"

    In response, Doctor Manhattan extended his hand...and then proceeded to exert his control over the web of life around us.

    I narrowed my eyes.

    He could...touch the strings?

    "The Multiverse is a tapestry woven from the threads of something called the seven hidden forces of the universe."

    he explained, his power sending the grid around us in disarrayed vibrations.

    "These Seven Forces can be split into two categories, Anti-Crisis Energy and the Crisis Energy. Two opposing poles of cosmic power."

    I leaned in, now very interested, trying to use Nick''s memories to confirm what I was hearing.

    "Anti-Crisis Energy and Crisis Energy? What are they, and how do they affect the Multiverse?"

    Doctor Manhattan''s form seemed to shimmer with a subtle impatience, yet he continued to elucidate.

    "The Anti-Crisis Energy is a force of connection, harmony, and generational unity."

    He paused for effect,

    "It binds individuals to their past and history, fostering concepts like feelings, magic, and motion."

    There was almost nothing on these Seven Hidden Forces in Nick''s bundle of memories.

    And he was a super comic fan.

    So my skepticism remained steadfast. I needed to know more.

    "And Crisis Energy?"

    "Crisis Energy," he continued, "is born from selfishness, greed, and the shattering of connections to the past. It erases memories and causes reality to reset."

    I processed this information, my mind racing with questions.

    I didn''t need Nick''s memories to see the similarities between Anti-crisis energy and my Hand of God, Crisis energy and my hand of the Devil.

    Had I somehow stumbled into this... specific power-set for Bankai or had someone, a powerful entity I didn''t know, forced me to develop this way?

    Questions. Questions. The only way they could be answered was ironically by asking even more.

    "Tell me more about these forces. What other manifestations are there?"

    I questioned, this time my tone was devoid of the blase'' attitude from before.

    Doctor Manhattan''s eyes flickered with a subtle acknowledgment of my curiosity and dare I say, respect. "I agree. Let us delve deeper into the Seven Forces of the Universe. Maybe then I''ll understand why you are so different from the others."

    That grabbed my attention.

    "Others?"

    Instead of answering, Manhattan launched off into another Info dump. One that I didn''t interrupt, seeing as I was now interested in what exactly I was caught up in.

    "Speed Force," he began,

    "is part of the Harmonious Forces. It''s the energy field that grants the universe motion and powers the Flash Family and all Speedsters."

    Nothing new there. Nick''s memories told me the same.

    "The Still Force," he continued, "opposite to the Speed Force, is based around entropy and inertia. It negates motion and can accelerate the force of entropy itself."

    Okay. Interesting. Very interesting.

    If I had that during the fight with the Black Racer, that battle would have been over quickly.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Then again, the same could be said for Bankai.

    I could negate motion and accelerate the force of entropy by manipulating reality itself, so having access to the Still Force would be redundant.

    "The Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum,"

    Doctor Manhattan went on,

    "is also part of the Harmonious Forces. It gives the universe emotions and powers the Lantern Corps. Each emotion has its own entity, from Rage to Love, and even Death."

    Fortunately, Nick''s memories contained no contradictory facts, just different ones.

    My curiosity couldn''t be contained any longer.

    "What about the Invisible Spectrum?"

    I asked, half forgotten memories of an issue where Sinestro gains access to the Invisible Spectrum, surging to the fore front of my mind.

    Doctor Manhattan blinked, seemingly not expecting the question.

    "The Invisible Spectrum," he explained, "is the opposite of the Emotional Spectrum and includes Ultraviolet, which feeds on buried primal emotions, especially hatred. It is part of the Seven Hidden Forces."

    "So that''s what Darkseid was planning to pull on after combining the Emotional Entities and corrupting them? Seems like something up his alley."

    I mused, finally understanding the wider scope of the God of Apokalips.

    Doctor Manhattan didn''t bother to deny nor confirmed my suspicions.

    His expressionless face made it hard to know what he was thinking.

    "The Life Force,"

    He picked up where he left off,

    "represents quasi versal Harmonious Uniformity. It interconnects all living beings and is wielded by one of the protectors of this world. The one called, Aquaman. He is connected to the nurturing oceans, the font of all life."

    Oh yeah. There was something like that in Nick''s memories.

    Who would have thought that Aquaman had this much power?

    I mean having access to the Life Force had allowed Savage to battle me at my full powered Shikai state.

    "Its counterpart, the Death Force, brings death to all things, even immortals like the gods, sending them to the Graveyard of Gods."

    Manhattan tilted his head to the side.

    "I''m sure you are already aware that you have a powerful connection to these two forces in particular. Life Force and Death Force swirl around in perfect harmony. It is...strange."

    I looked up at him with a smug smile.

    "I''ll take that as a compliment."

    "It was not meant as such."

    Manhattan replied bluntly.

    "Only very few beings have a connection to more than one force. Less are the numbers with a connection to two. Of those, there are very few others who can achieve control over all the forces. There''s Perpetua, me and I suspect...you as well."

    All this was just too wild.

    Regardless, I wouldn''t lie and say I wasn''t elated to be finally getting some answers.

    "You want to take a seat? You been standing there for a long time."

    I offered, conscious of the fact he hadn''t moved an inch from his position.

    "Time is inconsequential. You have halted it''s progression."

    He responded, his tone almost accusatory.

    I rolled my eyes.

    "If you don''t want to sit, you should have just said so."

    I leaned forward, palms on my knees as a contemplative look appeared on my face.

    My skepticism had slowly given way to acceptance.

    "There''s so much more to these forces than I ever imagined."

    I shook my head.

    Much much more. More than Nick''s memories would have told me at least.

    Doctor Manhattan nodded, his form shimmering with cosmic awareness. "Indeed. The Sphere of the Gods, for instance, grants magic to the universe and powers gods and god-like beings, like the New Gods or those of Olympus."

    So basically every divine being and magical practitioner pulled their power from the realm of gods.

    It''s a concept similar to how Marvel Sorcerers can access different dimensions for power.

    The only difference was that in DC, the Sphere of the Gods was It. There weren''t any multiple dimensions to tap into.

    There was only one unified realm of magic, the divine and imagination.

    "The Void Wind," he explained, "is its opposite, derived from the harsh gales that blow from the Graveyard of Gods. It snuffs out magic, divinity, and the like."

    Oh yeah. I remember Rama Kushna telling me something about that. Actually, I was expecting an attack soon from some of the Forgotten gods.

    That is, if some of my energy was still hanging around creating vortexes and wormholes into the spirit realm.

    Hopefully there was. I wanted to test my new power against some worthy opponents after Darkseid had turned out to be a disappointment.

    "The Dimensional Superstructure," Doctor Manhattan''s voice cut through my thoughts,

    "governs all things imaginable and unimaginable and is part of the Harmonious Forces. It is wielded by those put in place to monitor all creation."

    Now this, I had no idea what it was, despite the cosmic entity before me being clear cut and concise.

    My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but Doctor Manhattan''s revelations were far from over.

    "The Collective Unconscious," he went on,

    "gives knowledge and wisdom to others and is part of the Seven Harmonious Forces. It grants telepaths their power and is wielded by the greatest of minds."

    "The Black Apple," he explained, "is its opposite, a force around forbidden knowledge that is part of the Seven Hidden Forces."

    As I tried to absorb this flood of cosmic information, I couldn''t help but ask the question that had been burning within me.

    "You mentioned Perpetua earlier. Who is she, and how do I fit into all of this?"

    Nick''s memories didn''t seem to go deep into her identity. As if information about her was covered by a fog of uncertainty.

    For the first time, I saw hesitation on Manhattan''s impassive face. Oh, then this has to be good.

    "Come on, you said I was more powerful than you right? So what are you so terrified about? Whoever this Perputua is, she can''t be that much stronger right?"

    I insisted.

    Seeing the logic in my words, Manhattan began to speak. But he didn''t say what I thought he would.

    "As you are currently, I estimate that she is Googolplex times more powerful than you."

    I sat up straighter. Googolplex times huh? That meant 1 followed by 101?? zeroes.

    As close to infinity as you could get, though that wasn''t saying much when infinity literally meant, no end.

    Fuck. That''s still way too strong for me. Even I can admit that. I steepled my hands together, my elbows resting on my knees.

    "Mmh. I see."

    I hummed, understanding that she wasn''t someone to fuck with.

    Manhattan didn''t think I did, as he launched off into who exactly she was,

    "Perpetua is a manifestation of the sixth dimension, an entity bestowed with influence and power by the Unseen Hands, conceptual entities on par with the True Creator, the one above everything, the Source."

    Manhattan said.

    The explanation left me with more questions than answers.

    "So, this Perpetua chick, is she good or an asshole like most Cosmic Entities?"

    "She was tasked with creating the multiverse but strayed from her duty."

    The blue entity replied.

    "Let me guess, she got power hungry and sought to dominate all of creation and rule over it."

    I said with a knowing sigh.

    Doctor Manhattan nodded solemnly. "Yes, and like Perpetua and her sons, you are a being of great power. You possess the potential to not only shape the destiny of one universe but existence as a whole."

    Mmh.

    That''s troubling.

    I didn''t want to shape existence. Not really.

    That kind of power meant less challenges.

    I''ve been picking fights since I got here. What the fuck was I going to do if in the future I was going to be so powerful no one could stand up to me?

    "Well, there''s not only one universe or even multiverse out there. "

    Chase spoke into my mind.

    A smile appeared across my face.

    "Feeling better are we? Gotta say Chase, you had me worried for a second there."

    "Yeah, while he''s not the most powerful enemy we have come across, Obsidian''s illusions caught me off guard. I''m not back to a hundred percent but... I''m getting there."

    He responded before continuing,

    "As I was saying, There are countless dimensions across the Omniverse. There is no shortage of challengers."

    "You seem to be in conversation with someone. Could that be your... Zanpakuto?"

    Manhattan asked out of the blue, making me blink in surprise.

    "How does he know about that?"

    Chase asked.

    "You know what a Zanpakuto is?"

    I echoed my Zanpakuto spirit''s question out-loud.

    "Yes."

    Doctor Manhattan said, bringing his fingers to his brow.

    "Do not be alarmed."

    I felt a foreign force try to shroud my body but my Reiatsu gave a violent push back. Doctor Manhattan had tried to teleport away with me but failed.

    Undeterred, he tried once more, this time adding,

    "I need you to trust me, I do not seek to do you harm."

    I got to my feet, the bench below me unravelling into strings on the grid. Using the Hand of God I could weave the threads into anything I wanted.

    "Just ask for permission before you try to teleport me next time, and we won''t have a problem."

    I told him.

    My eyes turned to the sky where Raven and Obsidian, two polar opposites were still fighting.

    Though Obsidian was missing chunks of his formless body.

    His shape shifting defied logic, changing him into different shapes and states easily.

    But no matter what shape he was in, Raven''s attacks still managed to inflict lasting damage on him.

    "The fight isn''t going to last much longer...so we can''t be gone for too long."

    Manhattan gave a nod.

    I pulled my Reiatsu closer to my body, curious as to where he wanted to take me.

    I felt his potent power affect the space around me and instantly, we popped out of the universe.

    I felt it happen clearly as well.

    ********

    Darkness prevailed across my vision for an infinitesimal second.

    A foreign feeling that showed me the depths of reality and the beginning of unreality gripped me.

    Space opened up to me, showing me what existed beyond existence, the void.

    A blank canvas with sprayed paint all over the white backdrop.

    The paint symbolized the spheres of reality all around us.

    Multiple universes existing alongside, beside, next, the bottom of, the top of, the underside and the same planar frequency of each other.

    Some Older than the existence of thought. The existence of being. Of personality.

    Just an endless stretch of primal energy, feeding upon and getting destroyed by each other.

    I pivoted around, to see where we had come just come from.

    A cluster of universes grouped together, almost too close.

    There was Rachel''s universe; the prime Earth, Earth 16 where I was from and a couple more universes in the cluster that seemed to have been affected by Darkseid''s reign of terror.

    I saw the beginning of my universe, Earth 16. From the big bang, to the formation of the Earth, to the Jurassic period until the era of human development.

    I witnessed the many struggles the early species went through, I saw a hundred generations of Wayne''s.

    The introduction of magic into the world through Shazam, the Wizard.

    The second world war where the Justice Society gave it their all to fight the Axis powers, and get no recognition.afterwards</a>.

    I saw the descent of a Kryptonian ship onto Kansas. The first indication of the age of heroes. The dawn of the greatest heroes in the world, the Justice League.

    And what they represented.

    Time passed, and I saw Rachel''s birth. A daughter of Trigon.

    A lonely child with magical abilities greater than a normal magician due to her heritage.

    Her struggles to fit in. Her unstable abilities...and the family she managed to make.

    I saw everything happen. All the events from the start of this universe,

    Up until my arrival in this universe and,

    Breath left me as something was torn out of me.

    I placed a hand on my chest, staring at Manhattan in question.

    "What was that? I felt something get ripped out of me."

    "The universal imprint. A vibration frequency that slowly manifests in your being from the universe you were born into."

    Vibration frequency? Makes sense, this body had initially belonged to my counterpart and he was born in Earth 16.

    "What you felt was your frequency undergoing a sort of reset. Now you''re no longer tethered to any universe."

    He concluded.

    ''Not tethered to any universe huh? That sounds...freeing'', I thought taking a deep breath of nothing, gazing out into the Multiverse.

    For the first time ever, I was free. Truly free.

    Here. In this impossible in-between spaces. Surrounded by a collection of marble like Spheres, with trillions of galaxies swirling in a motion around the center of the each universe.

    Radiant and full of power and purpose. I felt the bright light of life reach me from the outer bounds of creation.

    An empty space where nothing existed. Yet even here, I found strings. Dark as the night, they still existed. And that meant I could control them.

    "Welcome to the Overvoid."

    Manhattan said, hands spread wide to introduce me to beyond existence.

    His glowing blue form very apparent in the darkness of the nothingness.

    "Also called the Pale World. The canvas upon which reality exists. The in-between multiverses. From here you can go anywhere in the wide Omniverse."

    He went on to say.

    I floated closer to his side, a purple glow shrouding me in a later of Reiryoku.

    I breathed out, my energy roaring around me to provide a stable atmosphere.

    "Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but why did you bring me out here?"

    While all this was impressive, I was still conscious of the fact, I''d only key the guy a few minutes ago.

    Doctor Manhattan said nothing. Instead, he turned around and pointed to a lone universe, far away from where we were.

    Our wide view narrowed in on it.

    "We are here."

    He said.

    It was like, I blinked and we turned up around the universal boundaries of a strange universe.

    A complex world comprising of six dimensions connected to the central one, the World of the Living.

    The energy of Reiryoku, or Spirit Energy, pulsed through me, creating an immediate connection with this universe.

    "This place..." I began, already suspecting where we were.

    "It''s so full of spirit energy."

    Doctor Manhattan, in response to my statement, informed me,

    "With the level of power you currently wield, you can traverse the Omniverse at will. Going from one universe to another in relative ease. Let us get closer."

    We slipped through the boundaries around the spherical soup full of life, appearing in the atmosphere after of a normal sized town on the Northern Hemisphere of the planet.

    "We''re in...Japan."

    I muttered in surprised realization, staring at the unique architecture and building designs across the town.

    "Karakura town to be precise."

    Manhattan pitched in, giving me the final clue as to where were, confirming my suspicions.

    Karakura town?

    "Bleach."

    I said.

    "You actually brought me to Bleach."

    Manhattan said nothing, face set in its usual stoic expression.

    I couldn''t believe this. Of all the places we could have gone to, and he brought me to this universe.

    "Hold on, I need to check something."

    I told him, using my Hand of God to take control of the Reishi in the air.

    While there were strings weaving existence in this universe just like the others, the Reishi was more prominent.

    Or rather, it gathered around me like metal shavings to a magnet, attracted by my power.

    Every breath I made filled me with Reishi. I clutched my hand into a fist, feeling the strength there.

    Then...Reikaku expanded to it''s full range, covering not only the world of the living but the rest of the 5 dimensions attached to it.

    Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, Dangai and Hell. (Jigoku)

    And all doubts were dispelled.

    None of the powerful beings in Bleach sensed me, owing mostly to my use of the Reishi in the air to disguise my presence.

    I took a step forward, slipping into shunpo and appearing in the park where Chad had had his first fight with a Hollow back in the series.

    Manhattan popped up next to me in almost the same instance.

    Sakura leaves from a few trees, blew past us, swirling in the air. The park was abandoned as it was very early in the morning.

    "How- how did you find this place?"

    I turned around and asked my companion.

    "Better yet, why are you doing this? What''s your end goal? You brought me here, why?"

    The questions came in fast.

    Doctor Manhattan blinked, a strange look passing over his features.

    "I delved into your past to understand you and the origins of your strange abilities. That is how I stumbled upon this universe. One whose inhabitants share your blend of abilities."

    I frowned.

    "Why?"

    "Because...I need to know, Child of Death...with your special heritage, what kind of world are you going to create from the ashes of what already exists?"

    And all I could say to that was,

    "I don''t a give a fuck about creating, I am the Reaper, a destroyer. I do much better wrecking shit up."

 Tainted Desire.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Earth 16)

    ''On the left, coming in with an energy lance.''

    Batman dodged by stepping back. Then emerald light glowed from his back.

    Hundreds of green, thorn-tipped tentacles jumped out, tearing apart the Para-demon attacking him.

    The world was in crisis.

    Owing to the sudden invasion of Apokaliptian forces.

    The Justice League had gathered for a final stand in Metropolis.

    And the destruction wrought had already surpassed the usual weekly superhero vs supervillain battles.

    There was no end to the enemies in sight. No matter how many they put down, more just kept pouring out of the Boom-tubes in the air.

    The Emerald Knight''s ring glowed, causing the tentacles at his back to extend out into a wide area, grabbing every Para-demon around.

    The number was more than several dozen.

    Then with a squelching sound, the tentacles ripped the Para-demons to shreds.

    Green blood and gore rained down around Batman, his environmental shield keeping his costume from getting stained.

    Superman narrowed his eyes after seeing Batman''s bloodthirsty dispatch of their opponents.

    "Bruce, are you okay? You seem more agitated than usual."

    The Man of Steel asked, flying closer to the Emerald Knight.

    "I''m fine Clark."

    Batman answered, willpower surging around his body.

    "This invasion."

    He stated, gazing up at the hundreds of Boom-tubes in the air.

    "I know how we can end it. I need to close the portals."

    Superman jerked his head in a nod.

    "You''re right. But first we need to evacuate the civi..."

    "There is no time. The enemies we face are familiar. At least to the ring."

    Batman cut in, using his will to connect with all the Justice League''s comm devices.

    "They''re called Para-demons. And their leader...is Darkseid."

    "I know that name..."

    Wonder-Woman said, narrowing her eyes.

    "The Amazons have protected the World for many eons. In a distant past, my sisters answered the call to defend against him and his horde."

    She said, using her Lasso to grab a Para-demon.

    "I never thought he would be back. Maybe if we interrogate one of them we can find out where Darkse-."

    Wonder Woman was cut off in the middle of her statement, as Batman suddenly and without warning, took off toward the sky.

    "Aaand he''s gone. Sorry D."

    Flash patted Wonder Woman on her shoulder.

    "Was it just me or is he... different?"

    Green Arrow enquired.

    "With everything that''s happened...can you blame him?"

    Canary pitched in.

    Now everyone was watching the sky, staring at the fading trail of green light that was the Emerald Knight.

    "We''ve lost so much. J''onn, Hal... I''m afraid we might lose him too."

    Black Canary added in a solemn tone.

    "And it''s all that damn ring''s fault."

    (Elsewhere)

    In the ethereal realm known as the Threshold, where the boundaries of desire blur and twist like a mirage, a monologue of twisted introspection echoed through the air.

    It was a discourse on the concept of Loving God, one that delved far deeper than the mere yearning for physical desires or the need for companionship that mortals across creation so ardently sought.

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    "A love that goes deeper than familial bonds," the voice mused, its tone both haunting and contemplative.

    "Such love is not selfless like a mother''s, it''s selfish like a rejected lover''s. Needy like a neglected child. Possessive. Greedy."

    As these words danced through the chamber, a slow and haunting orchestral melody filled the air.

    A misty veil of desire shrouded the surroundings.

    The chamber''s walls, crafted from clear glass, offered a view into a surreal, pinkish cloudy expanse beyond.

    In the center of this chamber lay a pool, its waters shimmering with a golden hue.

    Within, an androgynous figure with jet-black hair as dark as midnight and eyes as sharp as a cat''s gaze, swam with languid strokes.

    This was Desire, a being with an allure so captivating it bordered on the unnatural.

    Beside the pool, seated upon a rickety chair that groaned under her weight, was Desire''s twin, Despair.

    She observed her sibling''s monologue with a detached and melancholic expression. Occasionally she would jot down something in the coloring book she held in her hands.

    "A craving that cannot be denied," Desire continued, their lips curling into a smug smirk that enhanced their already otherworldly beauty. "It''s wrong. So dreadfully wrong yet burns with a passion hotter than the flames of hell."

    Desire rose from the liquid, splashing the golden pool around, and droplets trickled down their perfectly sculpted form.

    Their voice rose, gradually shifting from seductive to deranged and manic.

    "I will love you more than a mother can love a child. I will love you more than a man can love a woman. I will love you more than anything can! I WILL MAKE YOU MINE GOD! I WILL SHOW TRUE DESIRE! THE LIMIT OF WANT! AN EXPLOSION OF PLEASURE! A TASTE OF TRUE DEPRAVITY. I WILL LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU LOVE THEM!!!"

    Their voice quivered with madness.

    As they spoke these words, their appearance began to deteriorate.

    Desire''s once-flawless features contorted into a grotesque visage, with pus, boils, and blisters emerging across his skin.

    He grew emaciated, with bones protruding beneath the rash-afflicted surface.

    His golden eyes transformed into a pale, milky white with flecks of gray, while his mouth decayed into a grotesque array of rotten teeth.

    With a maniacal laugh, he declared, "You will not scorn me anymore! I will have you! You will be mine!"

    Silence reigned as the Orchestral melody finally reached its end.

    All that could be heard was the gentle laps of the golden liquid against the pool''s edge.

    And...an incessant scribbling.

    "Stop that annoying sound Despair. You almost ruined my monologue."

    Desire admonished her.

    Despair, chastised by her brother''s outburst, dropped her coloring book and retreated into herself.

    She stammered apologies, unable to articulate her thoughts.

    Desire sighed.

    "Save it. I know you''re sorry. But you can''t help what you are."

    Desire, still gazing at the heavens through the Threshold, muttered to himself, "Just like I can''t help what I am."

    A self-derisive giggle escaped his lips as he covered his face with his hand.

    He turned to look at his reflection in the pool.

    "To think... my tainted desire... would turn me into such a loathsome and hideous form."

    The ugliest thing he''d ever seen stared back at him. It made his cold heart burn with the flames of hatred.

    Breathing out, Desire closed his eyes, falling back into the pool.

    "Nothing another dip into the Ichor won''t fix."

    The liquid churned as he submerged himself, ichor passing over skin and rejuvenating.

    Within no time, Desire had returned to their perfect form.

    Yet, despite the flawless exterior, there was no joy in his expression. "Even the blood of a God-King is losing its effect. I can feel myself changing into that... thing once more,"

    he muttered with the first hints of frustration in his tone.

    But then, a slow and wicked smile crept onto his face.

    "Despair, oh dear sister," Desire called out as he emerged from the pool, golden Ichor cascading from his divine form.

    "I believe it''s time we brought this show to a curtain fall. Our little pet project has finally left the nest! The egg has hatched!"

    Despair eyes wide with surprise asked,

    "You mean, Dav- Davi- Da--"

    "Yes."

    Desire impatiently interrupted.

    "Our little nephew has spread his wings. He''s ready for his Destiny."

    "What about Death and Dream? They will figure out you''re behi- be- behi- hi-"

    Despair started stuttering again.

    "So what if they do? I have you."

    Desire replied, smiling down at her wolfishly, in all his naked glory.

    Despair looked away shyly.

    "I- I- I..."

    "You will finally get to use your coloring book. Our siblings will be in awe of what you can create, little sister."

    He said, kneeling before her and caressing the cover of the coloring book in her hands.

    Despair blinked, naked desire apparent on her face.

    "Just imagine...your greatest wish... your secret desire. to be acknowledged. To be seen. To be...admired and loved...and all you have to do, is show them the beauty of your creations, Despair. Show them the art and thought you pour into it..."

    Despair''s hand tightened on the coloring book.

    "Do you- do you think they will really like it?"

    "But of course...why wouldn''t they?"

    Desire responded in a sickeningly sweet tone, golden eyes glinting with a secret only he knew.

    Behind him, steam rose out of the golden pool.

    On the farthest side of the wall, lying on the steps to enter the pool, were bodies.

    Corpses that belonged to...Dead Gods.

    Female and male, beast and humanoid.

    From different cultures and various pantheons.

    These Divine Beings had their throats cut, with the blood flowing into the Ichor pool.

    Out of all these corpses, one stood out in particular.

    With silver hair and a full beard stained with Ichor, Zeus'' body was speared to the wall, his own lightning bolt stabbed through his chest.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Bleach.

    I still can''t believe I''m here.

    I mean, Bleach was my favorite Anime show out of all the ones Nick had tried to get me to watch.

    "Itadakimasu."

    I said with a smile at the waiter, receiving the steaming hot bowl of Ramen.

    You couldn''t come to Japan, no matter which version it was, and not try out the food. Especially Ramen.

    The waiter smiled before excusing himself.

    I grabbed the chopsticks and got to work eating.

    The first taste was glorious, filling my mouth with various flavors that meshed so well! And the broth was just... heavenly.

    "You''re sure you don''t want anything?"

    I asked my silent companion.

    "I have no need for-"

    "Sustenance yeah yeah, you said that already."

    I rolled my eyes.

    "But neither do I and you can clearly see me stuffing my face."

    Manhattan said nothing.

    He''d been gloomier than usual ever since I told him I didn''t give two flying Fucks about creating existence or whatever it was he meant.

    The both of us were inside a Ramen shop in the market district of Karakura town.

    Of course the sight of a huge blue man and a tall African-American with silver hair and a sword on his hip walking into a restaurant, was bound to grab attention.

    So I applied Reishi around the both of us to disguise our true appearance.

    To everyone inside, we were just two normal looking office guys.

    Urahara''s shop wasn''t far from the Ramen Shop (which is the reason I initially picked this particular Ramen shop) and from here, that''s where we were headed to.

    I couldn''t pass on the chance to meet the guy and maybe get some more information on Kido.

 Repercussions Part 1

    Chapter 176: Repercussions Part 1.

    (General P.O.V)

    An hour or so had passed since the two cosmic entities had arrived undetected in Bleach.

    Davian had his face buried in another dish.

    A stack of empty bowls and plates were on the table next to him. He couldn''t help himself. The food was just too good!

    "You''re really not having anything?"

    The silver haired man asked his companion. Doctor Manhattan blinked lazily without replying.

    "Fine. Suit yourself."

    The Reaper snorted, slurping up a noodle and sighing in content.

    Davian then leaned back in his seat, patting his belly.

    "Man that was good. I haven''t had food in a while. Especially that good."

    He reached into his pocket dimension and a neat row of dollar bills appeared on the table. The amount was easily in the thousands.

    "Alright. I''m full now."

    He gave another sigh of content, before jumping to his feet.

    "We can get back to the Multiversal exploration or whatever this is."

    Doctor Manhattan looked bemused.

    Something that wasn''t helped by Davian''s laughter as they exited the establishment.

    ******

    "Arigato."

    The waiter bowed at them as they left.

    A few feet from the restaurant, Davian suddenly stopped, brows furrowed.

    "Now what?"

    Doctor Manhattan questioned in what was his first instance of true exasperation.

    Davian snapped his fingers.

    "I knew I was forgetting something!"

    A resolute look appeared on his face as he turned to Doctor Manhattan.

    "Give me a second, there''s something I need to do first."

    He said, before abruptly teleporting away.

    A second later he was back with a different look.

    "Yo."

    His hair was tied back and he had switched out the jacket for something a bit more fitting for the day.

    A gray vintage band t-shirt, faded, ripped jeans and combat boots adorned with chains stomp.

    "You went back."

    Manhattan observed.

    Davian nodded with a smile.

    "And fixed everything. I couldn''t keep the universe waiting in a frozen state. Who knows how long we will be away? So I decided to put everything back to normal."

    It hadn''t taken long either. And even if it had, time was relative.

    It was a single second for Manhattan but Davian had spent the entire day in Prime Earth.

    And the reason he stayed there for such a short time, was because he knew the Justice League would have wanted to talk to him.

    Unfortunately for them, that was a conversation he wasn''t keen on having.

    Dealing with one Batman was enough.

    So instead, he chose to spend the day with Raven and the Teen Titans.

    "Obsidian?"

    Manhattan inquired.

    "Don''t act like you don''t already know he''s been dealt with."

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    Davian rolled his eyes.

    Fake Darkseid was nothing like the real deal.

    After letting Raven completely overwhelm him, Davian literally waved his hand on what remained of Obsidian and undid him from the sub-atomic level.

    He literally unmade him, hence restoring the Emotional Entities back to their real selves. All the Lanterns caught up in Darkseid''s scheme were freed from the control of the fake Anti-life equation.

    "And I hope you don''t mind... But I brought someone along for the ride."

    Davian added, stepping aside to reveal...Grail.

    "A New God."

    Manhattan muttered, turning to Davian with his usual blank expression,

    "Are you sure that was wise?"

    "Of course it is."

    Grail herself cut in, walking towards the powerful being who could undo her with a single thought.

    "It was either that or I was going to take over my Father''s vast empire, become the New God of Evil and then wage war on everything."

    Manhattan blinked down at her.

    "You are not lying."

    Grail crossed her hands over her ample chest, gazing curiously at the blue god infront of her. She could sense he was just as powerful as the other entity behind her.

    "I''m an Amazon, a warrior. I make no false claims."

    Manhattan turned a questioning glance Davian''s way.

    "She promised she was going to behave."

    Davian shrugged, moving past the two of them.

    "So I thought, heh, what the heck. Now let''s go, we''ve been standing here for too long and I wanna see my Cat goddess."

    *****

    "I''m tired."

    Jinta said, throwing down his broomstick and leaning on the door of the Urahara shop.

    "It''s only... morning though..."

    Ururu said timidly.

    The two children, Jinta, a boy dressed in a white t-shirt and red shorts and Ururu, a small girl wearing a floral dress were supposed to be sweeping the pavement before the Shop was officially opened.

    ''Supposed'', being the key word as one of them was more concerned with enjoying the morning sun, a straw in his mouth.

    "Don''t care." The little boy said with a shrug,

    "I''m still tired. Tessai ran us to the ground yesterday. All that training and for what? Hats and clogs can handle any- huh?"

    He was interrupted by a shadow appearing over him. Quickly, Jinta stood up, broom in hand.

    "Ururu! Stay behind me. I''ll protect you from these weirdos."

    Jinta moved infront, pointing the broom stick towards Davian and his companions who had just entered the compound.

    "Whoa, calm down kid. We didn''t mean to startle you."

    Davian said, smiling down at the two.

    Grail on the other hand was not as nice.

    "Weirdos?! Who are you calling that you little brat! I will-"

    She began, furiously stomping towards the two.

    Only for Davian to chop the back of her head.

    "Do nothing because we agreed on a few ground rules."

    Davian continued sternly as the New God rubbed the spot on her head in surprise.

    She was a warrior! An Amazon! So how could a simple head chop hurt that much?

    "Impressive application of Reiatsu."

    A deep voice said from behind the two children.

    "You have managed to weaponize it enough you can mold it however you want."

    A black haired tall man in an apron and glasses commented, stepping out of the shop.

    "Thank you." Davian nodded,

    "Impressive sensory skills as well. Not many could tell that I was doing that."

    He returned the compliment with one of his own.

    "Tessai? Who is it? Customers maybe?"

    Another voice reached their ears from within the shop.

    Sharp clops sounded out, heralding the arrival of another person. The owner of the establishment.

    He was dressed in a dark green, long-sleeved kimono over a simple outfit. A wide brimmed hat adorned his head where long strands of blonde hair were peeking out.

    A simple cane was clutched in his left hand, and he walked forward like a man tired of his own body.

    A black cat sat perfectly balanced on his shoulder, sleeping.

    "Ah, just the man I came all this way to see."

    Davian said, stepping forward.

    "Hello, Urahara Kisuke."

    (General P.O.V)

    Across the wide expanse of reality,

    In the deepest recesses of the Multiverse, beyond the reach of mortal comprehension, there exists a dimension known as the Orrery of Worlds.

    Constructed in the space between worlds called the Bleed, the Orrery is profound and so infinitely vast, that it defies all conventional laws of physics and existence.

    Here, at the highest echelon of cosmic understanding, resides a place where the most powerful beings gather to discuss matters of universal consequence.

    The Orrery itself is a breathtaking sight to behold.

    It manifests as an ever-shifting, radiant sphere, composed of countless interlocking gears, spheres, and spiraling energies.

    The gears represent the intricate interplay of realities and dimensions, each one a world within the Multiverse.

    The orrery''s constant motion symbolizes the dynamic nature of existence, as worlds collide, merge, and diverge in an eternal cosmic dance.

    It is essentially, an extension of the Rock of Eternity. Or rather it would be fitting to say the Rock of Eternity was a dimension attached to the Orrery.

    ******

    (Orrery of Worlds)

    (Space above the Rock of Eternity)

    In a sprawling golden chamber, the meeting was about to start.

    The Lords of Order and Lords of chaos were in attendance, manifesting as two sides of a scale, they weren''t physically present as that would have led to an unnecessary clash between the two.

    Their positions were divided by a figure dressed in green, the Specter, floated off to the side, power wafting off him.

    With a blinding flash, the next being arrived.

    Resplendent white wings flapped in the air behind Gabriel as he descended onto the floor, where an old man dressed in white robes was meditating.

    The old man was the Wizard, Shazam.

    "Good. Almost everyone has arrived."

    Shazam said, nodding at Gabriel.

    The angel nodded back, white wings tucked behind his shoulders.

    There was a pop and Mr. Mxyzptlk appeared above the Specter, falling on him and sitting in his shoulders. The Specter gave no reaction.

    "Oh my, were you waiting for me?"

    The Fifth Dimensional Imp asked with an air of importance.

    "Settle down Imp or I will make you."

    A new voice said from behind the Specter.

    "Huh? Who dares-"

    Mr. Myxzptlk stated, turning around to see who had the gall to speak to him in such a way.

    Rama Kushna''s impassive stare met his eyes. Dressed in a silky green gown, her power and aura was nothing to scoff at. None of the beings here were weak.

    "Oh it''s you Rama. Nevermind. I''ll settle down."

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> changed his tune very quickly.

    "And now everyone has arrived."

    The Wizard said, getting to his feet.

    "I don''t think I need to tell anyone why we are here. It''s time. The Fifth World is upon us and we need to decide, whose side do we fight on? The side of the Creator...or the side of Davian Mabuz?"

 Repercussions part 2.

    (General P.O.V)

    "We should kill him."

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> said into the wide chamber.

    "He''s too much trouble. A guy I know got messed up for fuckin with him..."

    He added with a grim expression.

    "Absolutely not, Imp."

    Rama Kushna refused vehemently, glaring at Mr.Mxyztplk</a> who immediately hid behind the taciturn Spectre

    Rama looked around,

    "If anyone here wants to lay a hand on my beloved champion, they will have to go through me first."

    "Alright, everyone settle down. No one wants to cause any trouble for anyone else."

    The Wizard mediated.

    "That said, I know the man myself. Maybe letting him live is the right call. Or maybe destroying him now is the easy way out of this."

    "Or maybe you''re all just a bunch of fools."

    Rama Kushna spoke up.

    "Going against him is declaring a war you cannot win."

    "Troubling matters indeed."

    A voice sounded out from the Left scales representing the masters of Order.

    "The Lords of Order shall stand on the side of the Creator. Davian Mabuz should face death."

    "As short sighted as ever I see."

    A darker more conniving voice escaped the scales on the right.

    "You Lords of Order will always be stuck in the past maintaining the Status Quo. How pitiful."

    The Lords of chaos gave their opinion.

    "And yet, out of everyone here, you Lords of Chaos have suffered a greater loss at his hands."

    The Voice from the left scales replied.

    "Rooting for the enemy, I see. How suitably chaotic. Kukukukuku."

    Mxyzptlk giggled, fleeting from the Spectre''s shoulder to hover above the weighing scales that were in perfect balance.

    His eyes glinted with mischief as he asked,

    "I wonder, how would he react if he knew you were the one to put Klarion up to his antics...Mordru."

    "Does it matter?"

    The scales on the right pulsed.

    "We are on the side of progression. Of change. Klarion was weak and so he lost. The Reaper is anything but weak. He will usher in a time of unpredictability and chaos. We put our full support behind him."

    "Very well then, that makes 2 votes out of 7. One for supporting him and the other for supporting the Creator."

    The Wizard called out.

    "Naturally, I am on Father''s side."

    Gabriel spoke up for the first time.

    "However, I find myself in a unique position. We are pre-meditating murder. Is there truly no way to solve this amicably?"

    Mr.Mxyptlk</a> snorted,

    "Get a load of this guy."

    He pointed his thumb at Gabriel.

    "You looking for a way to ''chicken'' out Gabe?"

    Gabriel stared at him blankly, then in the coldest tone,

    "Insult me again and I will strike you down Imp."

    Mxyzptlk gulped, hands raised.

    "Ah...I was only joking around Gabe old boy."

    "2 votes for the creator, 1 for the Reaper."

    The Wizard announced.

    "I believe my choice is no secret. I am on the side of my beloved. Fate weaves a strange pattern around him. No strings of Karma can touch him."

    Rama Kushna said.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Now it was 2 votes against 2 votes. Only three of the individuals in the chamber were left.

    "Mmph! I guess it''s my turn then."

    Mr. Mxyzptlk said, swiping his nose with a thumb. He cleared his throat.

    "Fuck that guy. I''m on the side of truth, justice and the American way!!"

    He declared, spreading his hands out in an onstentious way.

    The chamber stayed silent. No one was impressed.

    "Oh. Sorry, wrong quote."

    Mxyzptlk coughed.

    "Let me try that again. I irrevocably, completely, definitely, most assuredly, gallantly stand on the side of- the Big Guy."

    A tiny finger pointed to the sky.

    Applause sounded out along with a spray of confetti, as the Inter-dimensional Imp used his abilities to add what he would call ''Flavor'' to his words.

    "3 votes for God. 2 votes for Davian."

    The Wizard stated.

    All eyes turned towards one Individual.

    The Spectre.

    "What about you brother?"

    Gabriel inquired.

    The chamber went quiet as everyone waited with bated breath.

    The Spectre''s choice would decide it. The Wizard Shazam was impartial as the Overseer of the Orrery.

    If he supported Davian then...The Wizard would be forced to participate.

    If his vote was in favor of the Creator then...the Reaper would be in trouble. He would have the entire array of cosmic entities coming for him.

    Cloth rustled, the Spectre''s cloak waving in the air behind him. Then the Spirit of Vengeance looked up.

    Mr.Mxyptlk</a> popped away from his shoulder.

    "Finally waking up huh? About time..."

    The Imp snorted, but from the thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, one could tell he was terrified of the Spectre.

    Green eyes glowed from underneath the Spectre''s hood. Anyone who met his gaze felt as if a blade was placed under their chins.

    This was the Wrath of God personified.

    Rama Kushna on her part met his gaze head on, not even looking away.

    The Spectre blinked. And then in a voice that reverberated across the entire chamber, he said,

    "Him."

    Only a single word had left his mouth. A few seconds passed as the rest waited for him to elaborate.

    "What do you mean by Him?"

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> demanded.

    "You can''t just say something so vague."

    "Him."

    The Spectre repeated.

    The Wizard, Shazam blinked.

    "Ah, I see."

    He got to his feet, the tip of his long beard licking the floor.

    "I guess the decision falls to me then, seeing as it''s 3 votes for God and 3 for Mabuz."

    "Whaaaaaaatt???!! You chose Him??!!"

    Mxyzptlk couldn''t believe it, his hands were pulling on the ends of his hair.

    "The Spirit of Vengeance betrayed it''s own self?!"

    "That is Impossible!"

    The scales on the Left pulsed erratically, glowing yellow as the Unified voice of the Lords of Order voiced their disbelief.

    "How can the Spectre make such a mistake??! How could you abandon your duty and your God?!!"

    "Hahahahahahaha. Who knew things would get this interesting?"

    The Unified voice of the Lords of Chaos interjected, the scales on the right glowing a dark red.

    "Gabriel old buddy."

    Mxyzptlk turned to the Arch-angel.

    "You gotta talk to your angel pal. This is madness!! And take it from me, I have more than a few screws loose!!"

    The Imp implored.

    Gabriel on his part was staring at the Spectre in thought. One could see the turmoil in his gaze.

    Closing his eyes, he sighed.

    "I understand. May his Will be done."

    "What are you talking about?"

    Mxyzptlk questioned the angel.

    "Are you telling me that...you don''t have an issue with this!!? You''re just going to let it be?!"

    Instead of Gabriel answering, someone else cut in.

    "You are the one with the issue here."

    Rama Kushna pointed out, the suddenness throwing off Mxyzptlk.

    The Goddess of Karma and Balance stepped closer, stormy eyes locked on the Fifth Dimension entity.

    "Tell me something Imp, out of everyone here, you seem to hold a special grudge towards Davian. Why is that? What has he ever done to you?"

    "I admit, I am curious as well."

    Gabriel pitched in.

    "It''s too out of character for the Imp indeed."

    The Lords of Chaos added.

    Mxyzptlk looked around the chamber, gritting his teeth.

    "You would all like to know wouldn''t you? You would all like to hear about my humiliation. My shame. The reason I hate Davian Mabuz...is because, he showed up the greatest champion of all. He embarrassed Superman!!"

    His face changed into a beastly shape. The eyes were cold and evil, his chin sharpened and giant fangs sprouted from his upper jaw.

    "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HIM!! The Bastard deserves nothing less than death for humiliating Supes!!! No one else but me can do that!!"

    Harsh breaths left his tiny chest, fingers curled into fists.

    "Mmmh." Rama Kushna hummed, a cold light flashing in her eyes.

    "It''s decided then...you are my enemy Imp."

    Divinity begun to pulse around her body. Her long hair waved in the air, an oppressive power no less than Mxyzptlk''s radiating out into the surroundings.

    "Oh, what''s this?"

    Mr. Mxyzptlk sneered.

    "As the Goddess of Balance, you are not allowed to intervene in the matters of the Mortal world. Yet it''s because of you that we are in this mess in the first place."

    "Is this true? If it is, Goddess or not, she should be punished."

    The Lords of Order eagerly cut in.

    "How droll. Like a mongrel jumping at scraps. Now you want to flex whatever measly power you have."

    Their opposites interjected.

    "Whatever side you Weaklings of Order stand on, we shall be on the opposite."

    "Punish?"

    Rama Kushna grinned savagely.

    "With what power little Imp? I am not your average God."

    She turned her gaze to the chamber.

    "Do not presume I am afraid of any of you. No matter what happens here, conflict is inevitable. I have seen it. What matters now is the side you''re on."

    "Oh my, that sounds as if you''re declaring war on the Fifth Dimension."

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> said, his lips turning up into a wide grin that reached the corner of his eyes.

    "And on the Lords of Order too."

    The scales on the Left pulsed with the Statement.

    "I don''t care what or who you are."

    Rama replied with a smile.

    "Even if you do defeat me...do you think you can stand up to...''Him?''"

    The chamber instantly went quiet.

    Rama Kushna snorted.

    "I didn''t think so. My champion will survive and thrive. I have foreseen it."

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> grit his teeth in Indignation and anger as he stared at the goddess.

    Both their sights clashed in mid-air. The entire chamber begun to rock with the release of their power.

    "Enough."

    The Wizard spoke up after a while. The words didn''t seem to have any effect though. The Goddess and Imp still looked ready to trade blows.

    "I tire of this as well."

    Gabriel added, coming in between the two.

    "Fighting is not allowed in the Orrery. You could damage the Multiverse due to your recklessness."

    He flared his wings, holy power radiating off them.

    Everyone, even the feuding two couldn''t help but look his way.

    "Do you understand me?"

    Gabriel demanded.

    "Mmph. Fine. I won''t cause any trouble."

    Mr.Myxzptlk</a> said, before adding,

    "For now."

    "Keep him away from me and we are good."

    Rama Kushna said with a roll of her eyes.

    "Good. Now that that''s settled, it''s time for me to break the tie."

    The Wizard said.

    All attention was refocused on him.

    "And my vote...goes to...The Presence."

    There was a moment of silence...and then pandemonium hit the chamber.

 Sides Have Been Taken.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Well, that''s unexpected."

    Gabriel said in reference to what had just occured.

    The Wizard''s vote had changed everything...

    And nothing good was going to come of it. He could already feel the heavy atmosphere in the chamber.

    Sides had been taken...

    "What is the meaning of this Wizard?"

    Rama Kushna turned to the Old man, her tone dripping with icy coldness.

    The Wizard said nothing. Instead, The Inter-dimensional Imp jumped in, glee apparent on his face.

    "Mmmhhhhh..."

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> smiled wolfishly, predatory eyes fixed on the Goddess of Karma and Balance.

    "It means..."

    The Imp trailed off, snapping his fingers.

    "KltpzyxM!"

    Immediately, the entire chamber shifted from the Orrery space into a different dimension.

    One where the laws of space and time were mere suggestions to the whimsical and mischievous denizens.

    "And now, scatter!!!"

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> added, his reality warping abilities turning the walls of the chamber into rose petals that flew out, revealing a different scene.

    The skies were blue, red, purple, white and all manner of colors.

    Celestial bodies hang around close to the ground. Small homes built in all manner of architectural designs and color dotted the area in no rhyme or reason.

    Fields of sunflowers, magnolias and lilys spread out as far as the eye could see.

    Islands of verdant green fields hang around in the air, floating serenely over head.

    The home of the Imps.

    Rama Kushna looked around, they were standing on a stage. And before them were hundreds of Imps, each with enough power to alter the Cosmos.

    Shouts ranging from,

    "Welcome back Mr. President!!"

    To,

    "Myx I love you!!!"

    Permeated the area.

    Flashing signs were held in tiny arms as the gathered Imps celebrated the return of Mr.Mxyzptlk</a>. The strangest thing was the costumes some were wearing.

    Outfits that resembled those of Earth''s heroes like Aquaman, The Flash, Wonder-Woman...e.t.c.

    There wasn''t one of each, either. There were multiple Aquamen, Flashes, Wonder-Women and so on.

    The only two notable heroes from the League without counterparts among the gathered Imps, were Superman and Batman.

    That said, there was a Batman around. Or rather...a Batmite.

    Standing away from the rest of the Imps, Batmite stared at Myxzptlk with anger in his face.

    "That fool...he has no idea who he is messing with. None of them do..."

    Then his eyes landed on Rama Kushna. With wide eyes full of terror, Batmite backed away.

    It was...her. That woman! She was very dangerous!

    He had to get out of here. Without a single word Batmite popped away.

    Back on the stage, Myxzptlk ascended to the sky, body glowing with aura.

    "Hahahahahaha yes! Yes! my friends and assorted heroes of the Mini League! Give me all your adoration!!!"

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> yelled.

    "We love you!!"

    "How did Superman Defeat you this time??!"

    "Who are those behind you!!?"

    "Huzzah!!"

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> basked in the glory, fleeting in the air from one side to another.

    His body obeyed no laws.

    One second he was swimming in the air like it was water, the next he was flying on a mini Imp-Krypto, an Imp that resembled Superman''s dog, then the next he had majestic wings just as large as Gabriel''s.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "Hey Gabe Old Boy, what do you think of these babies?"

    Mr.Myxzptlk</a> asked, flashing his wings at them.

    Gabriel sighed in mild irritation.

    "God give me strength."

    Mr.Myxzptlk</a> grew angry.

    "Well he ain''t here. I make the rules."

    He clapped his hands and everything disappeared. The Imps, the Entire Fifth Dimension...only the stage remained where the other Cosmic Entities stood.

    "See, I just destroyed everything."

    He boasted, then clapped his hands once more.

    Everything and everyone returned.

    "Mmph! And now I just brought it all back. Can your goddddd do something like that?"

    Gabriel said nothing, his long black hair shielding his face. That said, a hand was on the handle of his sword. Voice hard as granite, he spoke,

    "I warned you Imp but you didn''t listen. I-"

    Mr.Mxyzptlk</a> snapped his fingers. Gabriel instantly disappeared from the Fifth Dimension. The Imp had banished him from the Fifth Dimension.

    "Jeez, can''t even take a joke that guy. Angels are soooo uptight."

    The Imp shrugged, picking his nose.

    "Yeah. Boring Angels."

    The Imps cheered in support.

    "Your wings look sooo cool Mr.President</a>!!"

    "Marry me Myx!! I love you!!"

    Mr.Myxzptlk</a> smiled even wider, his lips reaching the corner of his eyes.

    Giggling he spun in mid air.

    "Yes! keep em coming loyal fans! Praise my creativity more!"

    Rama Kushna stared at the rest of the Cosmic Entities, The Spectre was impassive as usual, the Wizard Shazam was floating in mid-air, eyes closed and...huh, there was supposed to be a scale representing the Lords of Order and Chaos but...they were now nowhere to be seen.

    She looked up, knowing who was responsible. Myxzptlk. He must have sent them away the same way he did to Gabriel.

    Two sharp looking Chakrams manifested in her hands.

    "Enough!"

    Rama Kushna called out.

    The entire field quieted down.

    "We all know why you brought us here Imp."

    She continued, her divinity roaring within her.

    "In this realm of pure imagination. The realm you''re most powerful in...you want to end us. The ones who support my beloved champion."

    Mr.Myxzptlk</a> looked at her blankly for a few seconds.

    Then...the smile returned. Only this time it didn''t reach his eyes. It was more calculated. Sharper.

    And in a normal tone, he asked a question that instantly caught Rama Kushna off guard.

    "Who''s ''we''?"

    "Huh?"

    The Goddess of Karma and Balance blinked.

    "What games are you playing now Imp? The others-"

    She turned to look to her sides.

    Only to find herself alone on the stage.

    The Spectre was nowhere to be seen. Neither was the Wizard.

    "Where did all of them go...?"

    Rama Kushna questioned. Her divinity would have informed her had they left. She had Karmic strings with all of them.

    Threads that could not be severed.

    Not when the fate of all creation hang in the balance and she and the others represented the factions at the crux of it all.

    That''s when things begun to change.

    Cruel laughter escaped the gathered Imps. Most of whom were looking at her with derisive, borderline sadistic gazes.

    "You still don''t get it do ya, lassy?! Hahahaha."

    Mr.Myxptlk</a> chuckled.

    "It was a ruse! A con! One that I pulled off elegantly! The performance of a lifetime! I made you see what you wanted to see!"

    The Imp flew down to her.

    "Lemme spell it out, Rama...the vote was cast! Death to the Reaper!!"

    He spread his hands out.

    "Death to the Reaper!"

    "Death to the Reaper!"

    "Death to the Reaper!"

    The other Imps joined in on the cheer.

    Rama Kushna looked on, surprise evident on her face. While Imps were generally mischievous and playful, none of them except a few were this aggressive. Or even violent.

    Something was wrong.

    "What have you done to them?"

    Rama Kushna demanded, referring to the Imps.

    "I cannot see their karmic strings! Have you corrupted them somehow Mxyzptlk?"

    "Tch." Mr.Myxzptlk</a>''s eye twitched in annoyance.

    "I would be more worried about myself, if I were you. The others, they all agreed on following through with the plan and you...Are. The. Bait."

    Rama Kushna gasped, then her face turned red with anger.

    "I understand now. You are all in it. They are gathering their forces for an attack, aren''t they?"

    She bit out.

    "You''re going to use me to lure my beloved Champion to the Fifth Dimension, where he shall fight against the armies of heaven, the Lords of Chaos and Order, The Spectre and lastly the Wizard and his Divine champions. It''s an execution."

    She accused.

    "Ah, tut tut, you forgot about us...the Toon Force!!"

    Mr.Myxzptlk</a> said, spreading his hands out.

    The Imps behind him roared in cheer.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "That''s some good sake."

    Davian commented, licking his lips while placing the cup down.

    "And this wine ain''t half bad."

    Urahara returned the compliment, taking a chug right out of the bottle.

    "So uncultured."

    Davian said with a shake of his head. Then he grabbed another bottle from the pocket dimension in the gem.

    And with a wide smile, he raised it up.

    "Gotta say, you''re my kind of company Urahara! Hahahah!"

    Urahara burst out in laughter as well.

    Grail, sitting next to a stiff, expressionless Manhattan who was facing a similarly impassive Tessai, managed to make eye contact with Yoruichi in her cat form.

    Needless to say the silent conversation going on between the two women, was not favorable to either Urahara or Davian.

    "I hope you stay for lunch Davian..."

    Urahara offered.

    "But of course."

    Davian smirked.

    "How could I refuse such an offer? Although I don''t need to eat... I''ve found the Japanese cuisine to be very delicious."

    "Tessai makes the best Curry rice you will find in all the country."

    Urahara bragged,

    "As long as you don''t mind a little spiciness in your food."

    "Are you kidding?! I love things with a little heat in them."

    Davian was quick to answer.

    "Is that why you''re walking around with one planet Destroyer and someone with the aura of an advanced Captain?"

    The unexpected question came from Yoruichi, her voice deep and manly as Davian''s.

    The latter''s eyes sharpened.

    "Your senses are quite something...Flash Goddess."

    The mood in the room immediately grew tense. Yoruichi narrowed her eyes.

    "How do you know that name?"

    Urahara raised the bottle of wine in his hands, taking another large gulp before placing it on the small table before them.

    "Such information in the wrong hands could be... dangerous for us, Davian."

    The former captain of the Research Division of the Gotei 13 said.

    "I am well aware."

    Davian answered.

    "Rest assured, I am not working for or with Aizen. The reason I know that name is because... I''m powerful enough to do so."

    Yoruichi jumped off Urahara''s shoulder.

    "Really now? Powerful you said?"

    The feline smiled playfully.

    "Then how about this...a demonstration of your prodigious power."

    Davian took a sip of his sake, a lighthearted smile appearing on his handsome face.

    "I don''t mind sparring with any of you guys. I could learn a lot."

    He responded in an easy tone.

    Looking closer, no one would have missed the glint of sharp excitement in his eyes.

    Yoruichi snorted, seeing through his facade.

    "Another battle junkie huh?"

    She turned to Urahara.

    "What do you say Kisuke, you up for it?"

    Urahara scratched his head.

    "I''m not sure I like you serving me up like that Yoru. But,"

    His gaze sharpened as well. Eyes clashing with Davian.

    "I can''t say I''m not interested. I''ve never studied an Otherworlder''s Reiryoku before. This could be prime research material."

 The Scales of Balance Shift.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Earth 16)

    (Nanda Parbat)

    The sun''s rays pierced through the heavy clouds, Illuminating the golden walls of the secluded City.

    One particular building crested above the rest, a Pagoda, the shrine of the Goddess of Karma and Balance.

    Leading up to the Shrine was a long staircase.

    And at the very top of the staircase, 3 individuals stepped off the final step, finally arriving at the entrance of the shrine.

    "The Goddess''s Avatar is a warrior of unmatched spirit."

    The Jade Master informed the other two in an impressed tone.

    "She''s been meditating non stop for the last 2 weeks."

    "Nonstop?"

    Deadman, floating on The Jade Master''s left, cocked his head in question.

    "Meaning no food or rest? Wild."

    "It''s Shiva. She''s as hardboiled as they come."

    Jade, who was on the other side of the monk, replied.

    Speaking of, she looked different.

    Gone was the long and shaggy mane of black hair that had become synonymous with her alter ego, Cheshire the assassin.

    Now her hair was cut short. The strands barely reaching her neck.

    Her frame had also filled out. Something that was apparent in her toned arms.

    She had developed. Her burst threatening to spill out of her outfit.

    Spirit Energy roiled within her.

    No longer was she dependent on the Cheshire mask for power. Her soul had adjusted and she could now produce spirit energy from it''s stronger core.

    Davian had ensured that the energy placed in the mask would not become a clutch. Rather...it would coax out her latent potential.

    And now...her Reiatsu was nothing to scoff at.

    The Jade Master felt slightly pressured by her lieutenant level reserves.

    "I guess you''re right."

    Deadman finally responded as they passed through the entrance of the Shrine.

    They found themselves in a garden with a serene pond in the middle.

    The pond was surrounded by Japanese maples, cherry trees and flowers like the Oriental poppies.

    "We''ve all changed so drastically. And to think, one man is responsible."

    Deadman added, reminiscing his life before he met Davian.

    Had you told Deadman that Constantine would die, and that he would willingly and unapologetically work for the man responsible, he would have scoffed at your insanity.

    Maybe even been insulted at the question on his loyalty.

    But now...

    His floating form descended closer to the ground. Then, his body lost the blue glow shrouding it.

    He shifted states from a spirit being into a physical one. A real living breathing person.

    One that was dressed in a generic black tuxedo,

    Boston Brand, a man in his early to mid 40''s had appeared in place of Deadman.

    Boston took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of his lungs expanding within his chest.

    The small breeze blowing past them, swept through his hair, tickling the light stubble on his face.

    "I can never get enough of this place. The air is so fresh. Nothing like Gotham."

    He commented.

    "Anywhere is better than Gotham."

    Jade told him just as they passed through the garden and into the back of the Shrine.

    "That''s true."

    Deadman chuckled.

    The Jade Master stopped, not moving an inch further.

    Boston and Jade looked back at him in question.

    "I cannot follow you past this point."

    The Monk bowed, hands in the sleeves of his robes.

    "The Goddess'' Avatar awaits for you through this exit."

    Jade returned the nod and kept on walking.

    "I''ll see you later for a rematch of our Pai Sho match."

    Boston promised with an incline of his head before following after Jade.

    Then they were outside.

    Or rather on a balcony that was built along the edge of the cliff.

    Here, a lone sakura tree stood and under it, sitting in a cross-legged pose, was Shiva.

    Dressed in white robes, that contrasted well with her midnight black hair, she managed to cut an intimidating figure.

    The hair was tied back in a tight Ponytail and her beautiful face was twisted into a troubled expression.

    Upon sensing their presence, Shiva opened her eyes, gazing at them with eyes the color of gold.

    "You two made it. Good, we have a problem, I cannot sense the Goddess anymore. I have lost my link to her."

    Boston and Jade shared a look of surprise.

    "That means she failed to convince them. They must be responsible for why you can''t feel her."

    Boston intuited.

    "Those stubborn bastards refused to listen to her huh?"

    Jade said with a growl.

    "They would rather plunge us all into chaos than let Davian live?"

    "I mean with everything the Boss has been doing out there... I''m surprised it took someone this long to want to deal with him."

    Boston pitched in.

    "Yes. Despite his better judgement, the boy is as reckless as ever."

    Shiva said while standing up.

    "He destroyed the Entire Fourth World."

    Boston whistled.

    "He must be crazy strong by now."

    "We must prepare."

    Shiva told them, turning to face the mountains past the cliff.

    "The scales of balance have shifted. They lean more onto the side of conflict now. We have to bring him back."

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    Both Boston and Jade were caught by surprise.

    "With everything the Goddess has told us about who Davian actually is, there is no way to avoid a confrontation. And because this is his home universe...they will come searching here first."

    Shiva sighed.

    "The world wouldn''t survive that. Not without it''s strongest fighter. It''s time for the Reaper''s return."

    (The BleachVerse)

    (General P.O.V)

    "Cool Secret Training Room."

    Davian said, surveying the environment.

    It was a small pocket space isolated from the real world. Immense Reishi hang in the air.

    "It really matches with the theme of this world."

    They were gathered in an underground chamber below Urahara''s shop.

    Something was immediately apparent...this was an Ambush.

    An unprecedented but not completely unexpected situation.

    It was clear in the way Urahara hadn''t disguised their knowledge of Davian and the other two being from other worlds.

    Yoruichi''s proposal for a sparring match was a cover up. A reason to bring them down here. Where they could be dealt with permanently.

    But before that, let us backtrack...

    After Davian had accepted the challenge, they had all followed the three soul reapers down into the basement.

    Nothing had been said along the way.

    And even the earlier easy banter among them had seemed to fade with every step taken.

    Grail had made eye contact with Davian on multiple times, warning him of what she could sense.

    "It''s a trap. There are Multiple life signs on the outside that just appeared the second we made our way down here."

    She had spoken into his mind, using the Omega effect to transmit her thoughts.

    Her control was crude and Davian had had to use his abilities to mask the energy fluctuations from the senses of the three Soul Reapers infront of them.

    "I know. Just follow my lead. I wanna see where this goes."

    Davian had informed her.

    With his Reikaku, of course he had immediately sensed the hundreds of Reiatsu''s that were closing in.

    Grail had frowned, turning to regard the other member of their party, the ever silent Manhattan.

    "You okay with this, big guy? Walking right into a trap? Not a very strategic move if you ask me."

    Grail questioned.

    "It doesn''t matter. All that matters is the choice ''He'' makes when the time comes."

    Doctor Manhattan had answered, eyes briefly landing on Davian, before he clammed up once more.

    The choice ''He'' makes? Could he be talking about Davian? Grail wasn''t a fool.

    Not just anyone could undo the damage her father''s forces had wreaked across their Universe''s Earth.

    Yet to Davian it had been a simple matter. He had killed her father and saved her.

    Grail suspected that in her bid to distance herself from her New God heritage, she had embroiled herself into something else when she joined the Reaper in his Multiversal journey.

    Something just as big.

    And the silver haired man beside her, walking without a single worry, was in the middle of it all.

    "You worry too much."

    Davian had smirked at her, patting the top of her head. Confidence rolled out of him.

    "It will all work out. Nothing can harm us here. And that''s with me being modest."

    ''He''s right,'' Grail had realized. Loathe as she was to admit it.

    The three of them were all powerful in their own right.

    And defeating them wasn''t something anyone could just do. Not even with numerous enemies boxing them in.

    At a certain level, numbers stopped mattering, and only beings on the same level could face off against each other. And the three of them were more than powerful to face anything.

    Even entities at their level. Beyond Omega.

    Not surprising when you considered, (A) Grail was Darkseid''s daughter.

    (B) Davian was basically Invincible and (C) Doctor Manhattan literally had more power than he knew what to do with.

    So despite knowing they were walking into a trap, the other two had followed Davian''s example and played the clueless card.

    Up until they had arrived.

    Urahara had spread his hands out as their path opened up into a wide cavern with dirt walls and a high ceiling.

    "Welcome to my man cave."

    ''Even at a time like this you can still joke Kisuke?''

    Yoruichi had wondered, perched on his shoulder like she was.

    She jumped off him and immediately disappeared into a black flash. No one commented on it.

    The one who would have called it out, Davian, was busy looking around, his gaze hungry to capture anything and everything.

    The entire Cavern was research material. A canvas that showed a different approach to manipulating Reiryoku.

    He was learning so much.

    This way of applying Spirit Energy was something he hadn''t seen before. He would be damned if he lost the chance to study it.

    Trap or not.

    Seals lined the walls of the structure. Some were meant to cloak immense levels of spirit pressure. Some were durability enhancing arrays to ensure the place didn''t cave in during a fight.

    There were more complicated seals which Davian had to use his Reikaku to even understand.

    The compliment he gave Urahara had been his unbridled honesty. He really was impressed by the ''Man-cave.''

    An instant later, a dark skinned woman dressed in a tight yellow and black outfit, appeared next to Urahara in a burst of speed.

    Dust rose up as the Flash Goddess was revealed to Davian and his team.

    Yoruichi had returned in human form, her body vibrating with her Reiatsu.

    "You''re the cat from before."

    Grail immediately observed, eyes lighting up with scarlet light.

    "So, you were this powerful all along? I have a feeling I''m going to enjoy this trap."

    "Oh?"

    Yoruichi smiled, lightly tapping the ground with her foot.

    "So you know about the Ambush."

    "Right from the second we walked into the store."

    Davian spoke up, tearing his gaze from studying the training room and refocusing his attention on Urahara and his team.

    "In hindsight, things were too normal and quiet. Even in the Seireitei."

    The Reaper walked forward, arm resting on the pommel of Chesha Neko. He stopped a few paces infront of his team.

    He and Urahara stared at each other.

    "Man, and I thought we had a budding friendship happening between us Kisuke. We even shared Sake, that is supposed to mean something right?"

    Davian asked, shaking his head.

    Urahara dipped his hat.

    "Listen, I acknowledge you as my guests. And it pains me to do this but...could you please leave?"

    He looked up.

    "I''m not talking about the store either. Leave this earth. This Universe. The alternative is...we fight. And we lose either way."

    "Huh?"

    Davian frowned.

    "Explain."

    "You know this was a trap and yet...you followed us down here."

    Tessai cut in before Kisuke could talk.

    "Why?"

    "Because I do what I want."

    Davian answered, glancing at him from the side.

    "It''s as simple as that."

    The Reaper shrugged.

    "I go where I want to go. Besides, I love a challenge. And to me, facing off against all the forces of this world is the highest level of mutual respect you can show. You wanna fight me? Fine, more than fine. I''ll take you on anytime. In other words Kisuke, I am not going anywhere."

    Chesha Neko rang as it left the sheath. The sound especially loud in the chamber.

    "You really are a battle junkie."

    Yoruichi said with a shake of her head.

    "Guilty as charged."

    Davian shrugged his shoulders.

    "That wasn''t a compliment."

    Yoruichi growled.

    "And, I don''t agree with Kisuke about letting you go. I say we deal with you. Right here Right now."

    Saying that, Yoruichi sprang forward.

    Urahara''s cane blocked her way. Grail''s eyes, which had lit up in preparation dimmed slightly.

    "Get out of my way Kisuke."

    The Flash Goddess demanded while gritting her teeth.

    "Yoru stand down, we talked about this."

    Urahara said.

    "We cannot trust any of them. This is uncharted territory. The smart move is to not make any allies or enemies."

    "Too little too late!" The Flash goddess threw her hands up.

    "We already made our decision. It''s our world at stake Kisuke. Everyone we know. Tessai back me up here!"

    Tessai said nothing, a complicated expression on his face.

    "I have to admit, I am curious about something."

    Davian interrupted.

    "You knew we were not from this dimension. How? I made sure to hide our arrival."

    The three soul reapers stared at each other. A silent conversation seemed to happen among the three.

    "No reason to not tell them. It''s the least we can do before they die."

    Yoruichi shrugged, backing away.

    "I''ll answer that."

    Urahara stated, scratching his head.

    "Before you arrived, someone else did. A pale woman with a butterfly tattoo calling herself, Death. She destroyed the Seireitei, Hueco Mundo and Hell just to prove a point."

    Upon mentioning her description, Grail''s back stiffened.

    Pale Woman? With a butterfly tattoo and calling herself Death? It couldn''t be one of the Endless, right?

    Davian''s eyes narrowed.

    "Why? What reason would she have to do that. Besides, I can sense everything in this universe. Those dimensions still exist."

    "She brought everything back...but we were left with the memories of the attack."

    Yoruichi said, her voice gaining a touch of fear and respect.

    "And she promised she would do it again if we didn''t capture and kill the Other-worlders set to arrive soon. She meant You."

    "It has put us in quite a spot you see."

    Urahara interjected.

    "Pale Woman? Who could that be?"

    Grail questioned, staring at Davian. She wanted to see if he knew who they were talking about. Maybe she was wrong.

    "A scorned lover perhaps?"

    Davian stared at her in disbelief.

    "That''s the first thing that comes to your mind, really?"

    A light blush appeared on the New God''s face.

    "It was a question. And a veiled compliment. Strong males attract strong females. That''s what happened with my mother and father."

    Davian shook his head. She wasn''t wrong but still...

    "In any case, I am allowing you to go. Leave this dimension and don''t come back. Its a way out."

    Urahara cut in.

    "What if she returns?"

    Grail questioned.

    "Then you will be in deep trouble. She is more than powerful enough to destroy this whole dimension after all."

    "That''s enough."

    A loud voice rumbled out as hundreds of figures suddenly appeared around the two groups.

    The Enemies that had been closing in, finally arrived, pouring through the entrance in multiple instances of Shunpo.

    An old man led the charge.

    The Full squad of the Gotei 13, Genryusai Yamamoto at the helm.

    Behind him were the Captains of each division. The whole underground chamber trembled with their presence.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Let me take over.

    I''m connected to everything. I can feel the threads permeating from me into the ether, which in this context is the Reishi in the air.

    And before long, I have it all under my control.

    This bubble of world. The Bleach verse.

    I loved the story.

    I loved the power system and cool fight scenes.

    And I loved the characters.

    They were my idols. No matter how bad things got, the Main Character and his team found a way to make it out.

    It was the opposite of my reality. It was something I craved for. The power to make your own choices.

    The thing I connected with and related with. But this was a harsh existence.

    Now they stood in opposition to me. The Bleach Verse considered us Enemies.

    And...I couldn''t blame them. Someone had forced them to this. To stand in opposition to me.

    I looked around, my small team was surrounded on all sides by Soul Reapers. Characters like Shunsui Kyoraku, Ukitake, Mayuri and yes, even Aizen faced me, ready to fight.

    All the captains were present. And so were their Lieutenants. It seemed as if the full might of the Soul Society had been marshalled to deal with me.

    The Head Captain, Old man Yama stepped forward, eyes locking onto me.

    "I do not know who or what you are."

    Yamamoto begun, lifting his cane to the sky.

    "But my very being denies you. It seeks your absolute destruction. Bankai: Zanka No Tachi."

    I do not seek to cause war. I do not seek to cause strife.

    But, this world has risen in defiance against me. Forced or not, there''s only one thing left to do.

    I will have to fight. To be honest, this is much better than seeking out the strongest individuals Bleach had to offer, and fighting them one by one.

    This way I could end all this in one gigantic One vs Many.

    I haven''t had one of those in a while.

 Cunning Aizen.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Bakudo no.39: Enkonsen."

    A round disk of rotating yellow Reiryoku appeared before the tip of Ichimaru Gin''s sword, the captain of the 3rd Division. One of the four main combatant divisions.

    The barrier blocked the errant whips of fire that reached them after Yamamoto had activated his Bankai.

    "The Head Captain went all out from the beginning."

    Gin whistled, his purple hair dancing in the air due to the immense shockwaves being produced.

    "Scary."

    "The opponent deserves nothing less. He is very powerful."

    Aizen stated softly from beside Gin.

    The barrier the latter had created to shield them gained cracks as the heat increased.

    The fight had truly begun. And only the seals around the walls of the Underground Section were preventing the whole roof from coming down on their heads.

    Gin tilted his head, staring at Aizen strangely.

    "My my Captain Aizen, I have never heard you give such high praise."

    "Well, he''s not wrong exactly. Only forgot to mention the other two are just as powerful."

    Kyoraku, the Captain of the 8th division pitched in from where he was seated on a rock.

    A sharp light shone in his eyes as he gazed straight through the flames at Dr.Manhattan</a>.

    Manhattan felt the gaze and stared back.

    Kyoraku tore his eyes away, the grip on his Zanpakuto tightening.

    "We can''t win this."

    He said.

    The other Captains and their lietenants around him heard his words, sending a wave of shock across through them all.

    "Captain Kyoraku..."

    His lietenant, Nanao Ise trailed off, staring at his powerful back.

    She knew just how much strength he could wield, so hearing him admit such a thing was...

    "That''s unexpected."

    Kenpachi cut in, unsheathing his sword and walking past his fellow Captains.

    His towering figure, hardened face and wild hair contrasted with the cute little girl on his shoulders.

    He stopped next to Captain Kyoraku.

    "To hear such cowardly words from you, Kyoraku. I''m disappointed."

    Kyoraku smiled helplessly, as he motioned forward.

    "Be my guest. Try and attack then."

    "Kenny cut em all down! I''ll cheer for you!"

    Yachiru, his lietenant clapped, standing upright on the large man''s head.

    "Alright."

    Kenpachi replied with a battle hungry smirk.

    "Stay put Yachiru. This won''t take long "

    He reached for his eye patch and savagely ripped it off.

    Immediately the entire underground chamber begun shaking with the weight of his Reiatsu.

    "Jeez, the oaf forgot he''s not alone."

    SoiFon complained, hands crossed over her modest chest.

    "But...he has the right idea. I want to fight as well..."

    She said, however, her eyes were locked on the other side of the fire storm.

    At Urahara''s group. Specifically, her. The Flash Goddess. She had a score to settle with Yoruichi.

    The ground begun to crack under Kenpachi.

    "Hahahahaha! Let me show them all how it''s done!"

    Letting loose a Shunpo, the Captain of the most unruly division in the Gotei 13; the 11th, burst forward like a freight train.

    The difference in skill level was apparent. While Davian''s Shunpo was clean and designed to waste no single drop of energy, Kenpachi''s was the opposite.

    Like the propulsion from a rocket engine, Spirit Energy exploded out of him in blazing waves.

    In the blink of an eye, he was already above the barrier of flames enclosing the Head Captain and Davian''s group.

    The edge of Kenpachi''s sword was chipped, yet the force with which it came down instantly parted the flames.

    Shadows danced around the chamber as the fire surged to the ceiling.

    "Tessai."

    Urahara called out, face illuminated by the scarlet flames.

    Tessai, the former Kido corp''s commander stepped forward.

    "Bakudo 81: Danku."

    An invisible wall of Spirit Energy rose up, stopping the storm of flames on its tracks.

    Aizen stated at Tessai, only to meet urahara''s gaze.

    The two looked at each other without anyone saying a word. Then Aizen turned his attention to the battle once more.

    A battle that was only getting heated.

    *******

    With animalistic eyes glinting with malice, Kenpachi''s blade came down on Davian''s head.

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    "Die!!"

    The Captain of the 11th Division shouted in glee.

    Bang!

    A pressure wave was produced, pushing the flames hot enough to disintegrate metal away from the group.

    "Incredible. He blocked Captain Zaraki''s blade with a single hand."

    Nanao muttered, palm covering her mouth in shock.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I have to admit, I was enjoying myself. The old man could through around some nasty attacks.

    None that could hurt me though, given that every attack he''d made was forcefully dispelled by my Reiatsu.

    But things were only getting more exciting. Someone had interrupted the fight by coming at me.

    I stared up at the Soul Reaper dumb enough to come in between the Old Man and I.

    Then a smile broke out across my face as my eyes came into contact with a monster''s.

    A Kin. Someone cut from the same cloth as I.

    Kenpachi Zaraki.

    "You''re not strong enough to challenge me yet, Zaraki. Get Unohana to train you a little first."

    I told him, his chipped Zanpakuto held within my palm.

    "Is that right?"

    He asked, gritting his teeth as his Reiryoku increased. The ground below me cracked, his spiritual pressure pressing down on my shoulders.

    I chuckled a little at the weak force. While his power was immense, To me, there wasn''t a difference between him and a seated officer.

    I exerted a little strength through the hand holding his Zanpakuto.

    Snap!

    The blade shattered like brittle glass.

    There was an explosion of Spiritual Energy as the battle maniac''s Spirit Energy went haywire. He flew back, haori shredded apart to reveal his scarred physique.

    But I wasn''t done.

    My forearm turned black as I pulled on Tairyoku.

    Strings covered his back towing him towards me as I prepared to deliver a punch straight at his face.

    "Bakud�� # 99: Kin."

    An elderly voice called out.

    The ground trembled as a white fabric spread out on it''s path to me.

    Only for it to disappear under the light of scarlet beams. I recognize that attack.

    "Hey, stay out of this. It''s my fight."

    I told Grail, annoyed that she had intervened.

    The New God rolled her eyes at me. This woman...

    Through my Reikaku, something unexpected happened. I immediately looked towards the Captains side.

    Another Bakudo Spell, this time from Kyoraku was cast. The spell manifested as a spiritual rope that wrapped around Kenpachi''s waist, pulling him away from me.

    Oh no you don''t.

    Shunpo took me to the air.

    Chesha Neko slashed out, cutting the tether apart. Kenpachi''s body begun to drop only for me to grab him by his hair, spin and send him hurtling towards Kyoraku.

    But that wasn''t what had grabbed my attention. No one seemed to notice it, but Aizen was up to something. His actions seemed blind to the rest.

    "Pay attention."

    The Head Captain''s voice reached me, necessitating me to focus on him.

    "Had�� # 57: Daichi Teny��."

    Another Hado?

    He was pointing his Zanpakuto to the ceiling.

    Looking up, I found out why.

    Burning meteors were descending upon my position. I could already feel the heat.

    "Not bad, Old Man Yama. Guess I have to respond in kind. Cheshire Spider Web!"

    I called out the name of the attack like a Shonen protagonist.

    Purple strings manifested above me, shooting out and connecting to the walls of the chamber. The strings wove together like a spider''s web.

    The meteors halted in their descent, held at bay by the web.

    "Mmh... powerful."

    He tried to whisper but I still heard the Head Captain''s reluctant compliment.

    This was powerful?

    Wow, these guys are really weak if they''re impressed this easily.

    My feet landed on a string, holding me aloft in the air. That explains why I shattered Kenpachi''s sword so easily.

    The fire around Yamamoto disappeared, seemingly absorbed by his sword.

    "I take back my earlier compliment."

    I said, using Fullbring to project my voice through the air.

    "You guys are pitifully weak."

    "That power..."

    Urahara said in reference to the green shroud around my sheath.

    I''m not surprised that he knows about Fullbring. If anyone would, it would be him.

    Not that it mattered right now. No, I wanted a fight. A real challenging fight that would push me to my brink.

    I didn''t know how powerful I was. And I suspected that I had to.

    Something was coming.

    Something bigger than anything I had ever faced before. I could feel it in the air. Hear it in the shadows. And this...pale woman only confirmed that...it was already here.

    So this fight had to happen.

    "Either you give me a good fight...or I burn this whole place down to the ground and spare your enemy the trouble!"

    I declared.

    (General P.O.V)

    "This man. He''s troublesome."

    Captain Komamura, the final captain in the group said.

    "Yeah. He just called us weak. I feel insulted."

    His Lietenant, Tetsuzaemon Iba added, a frown on his glasses clad face.

    "Insolent Junior!"

    Yamamoto yelled, slashing out towards Davian. A dragon made up flames rose up to meet him.

    Davian allowed himself to drop towards the ground. He raised his hand and using life force to mold his flesh, his hand increased in size, a layer of black energy covering the fist.

    He punched out, destroying the flame construct and pushing back Yamamoto.

    The Head Captain was not to be outdone. He speared the tip of his Zanpakuto down onto the ground.

    Pillars of flames burst out of the floor. Davian wove around each easily.

    With clawed hands, he slashed out, five sharp strings vibrating with Respira, launching at Yamamoto.

    The Head Captain sensed the ominous energy contained in the attack and took off in a Shunpo.

    A wheel of flames then came at Davian from his left.

    Placing a hand before him, a shield of green energy covered his side. The fire washed around Davian who used his other hand to absorb it with energy transference.

    The Reaper proceeded to aim the hand at the Head Captain.

    Boom!!

    A brilliant beam of purple Reiryoku surged out.

    "That was a chantless Hado 88: Hiry�� Gekizoku Shinten Raih��."

    Tessai said in a shocked tone.

    "He can cast Kido? But how?"

    Nanao asked in a similarly surprised tone.

    "Hhmph!"

    The Head Captain snorted.

    "Bakudo 81:Danku!"

    An invisible barrier appeared around him. In addition, the storm of flames burning on his position, surrounded the shield for more protection.

    The Hado clashed with the barrier, resulting in Wild arcs of energy rippling out across the entire chamber.

    The whole place was shaking terribly and pieces of the ceiling were starting to fall towards the ground.

    Unexpectedly, Yamamoto''s shield could not block Davian''s attack for more than a second.

    The demonic lightning infused Hado burst through Danku almost immediately.

    A massive pressure wave spread out, obscuring their position.

    "I can''t see anything...what happened?"

    Tetsuzaemon questioned.

    "Head Captain..."

    The Lietenant of the first Division, Chojiro Sasakibe said worriedly.

    He had never seen the Head Captain so overwhelmed before.

    Silence reigned for a few more seconds. Then...

    Step.

    Step.

    Step.

    "Huh?"

    Kyoraku looked to his side, only to find Aizen walking towards Urahara''s group.

    "Captain Aizen? Where to?"

    The flowery haori wearing Kyoraku inquired.

    Aizen said nothing.

    His steps were measured and slow.

    Soon enough, everyone had turned away from the results of the fight to curiously watch Aizen.

    He slowed down as he arrived before Urahara and his team.

    "That''s far enough, you bastard."

    Yoruuchi warned, ready to pounce.

    Urahara''s hand on her shoulder stopped her from making a move.

    "Aizen."

    Urahara greeted.

    "Urahara."

    The enigmatic 5th division Captain replied, a small smile on his face.

    "We cannot defeat them. Not without sacrifices."

    Aizen continued, reaching into his Haori. His hand came out holding something.

    A purple ball inside a dodecahedron prism.

    Urahara''s face twisted into shock.

    "A...Hogyoku...you succeeded? How!? I made sure to delete all records-"

    "I have my ways."

    Aizen stated, the light from his glasses glinting.

    "I know yours is more complete. You also understand what needs to be done. Both pieces of The Hogyoku combined can grant the desires of those around it. With it-"

    "We have a chance at taking them down."

    Urahara finished.

    "Exactly."

    Aizen agreed.

    "Captain Kyoraku, what''s a Hogyoku?"

    Nanao, his lieutenant inquired.

    "Something that shouldn''t exist."

    Kyoraku replied in a serious tone.

    ''Aizen...what are you planning?''

    *******

    Urahara adjusted his hat.

    "Not the worst of plans."

    He finally admitted.

    "That said, why would I trust you of all people?"

    Instead of answering, Aizen merely stepped to the side.

    Something fast moving passed over shoulder, plunging through Urahara''s chest before any of them could react.

    "What?!"

    The other Captains were rendered speechless.

    "Urahara!!"

    Yoruichi called out, grabbing hold of Kisuke''s falling body byjust as Gin''s zanpakuto retracted.

    A trail of blood flowed down his chest. The sword seemed to have pierced through his Saketsu.

    "Aizen!!!! You will pay for this!"

    Tessai yelled, Reiryoku pulsing within him.

    On the side of the Captains, everyone turned to face a smiling Gin.

    "What is the meaning of this Captain Ichimaru? Why did you attack him?"

    Captain Komamura asked, unsheathing his Zanpakuto.

    "Settle down, will you? Your incessant babbling is annoying."

    Aizen called out.

    Immediately, everyone gathered in the chamber, except for Gin and Davian''s group went ramrod stiff.

    And then, one by one, they all fell to the ground, immobile.

    "Now then," Aizen begun, turning to his side to address Davian who was seating cross legged on a rock out crop, old man Yama''s defeated form on the ground before him.

    "I suppose you want to know what is happening."

    Davian looked around at the fallen captains.

    At his new ''friend'' Urahara who had proceeded to betray him only minutes after welcoming him to his home.

    "Nah, not really."

    The Reaper shook his head.

    "I suspect you''re about to Power Up. Do what you need to, as long as you give me a good fight, I''ll be satisfied."

    Davian shrugged.

 Going Home.

    (General P.O.V)

    "What did I Miss?"

    Chase'' voice unexpectedly reached my mind.

    "So, sleeping beauty finally decided to wake up huh?"

    I playfully joked, a smirk on my face.

    "Yeah."

    Chase grumbled.

    "I''ve been hit before but that bastard was powerful."

    My mind went to Obsidian or rather Darkseid-Negative. Why the name? Because he was the God of Evil, minus the power.

    Chase could have taken him out himself if he hadn''t been worried about me and fallen for a sneak attack.

    "Don''t worry. Raven took care of him for you."

    I disclosed.

    "Raven?!"

    Chase inquired, shock apparent in his tone.

    "You mean, the actual...Raven?"

    My smile softened. I sent over my memories of the events.

    "Yeah. And I know where she is...or I have an idea."

    "Then... You''re going to get her back right?"

    He asked in a hopeful tone. He''d missed her just as much as I had, apparently.

    I nodded.

    "Bet. Just need to handle a few things first. It''s the final curtain, Chase. All our enemies might be coming for us soon, I can feel it..."

    Chase went silent.

    I could feel his own Reikaku briefly surge out, encompassing the entire Bleach universe. Paired up with my recent memories, he immediately understood what was going on.

    "I see. Then we''ll just have to prepare and when they show up, do what we always do. Kick some ass."

    My Zanpakuto spirit replied, determination pouring out of his voice.

    "Exactly."

    I chuckled. Man, have I missed him.

    "In the meantime, I''ll just have to be satisfied with beating up the whole Bleach-verse."

    It''s worth noting that while I was talking to Chase, Aizen had begun to monologue to a defeated Urahara.

    Every single Soup Reaper in the Underground Chamber was lying on the ground. Aizen had done something to immobilize everyone.

    "...the plan was initially to use mortal souls to create an Oken. A key to access the Soul King''s palace and kill It."

    The Soul Reaper captain begun.

    "But then, I figured why not substitute the mortal souls for something more powerful. Soul Reapers and not just any, but Captain and Lietenant class "

    "Here you go, Captain Aizen."

    Gin said, handing him something after ruffling through Urahara''s clothing.

    An almost exact replica of the Hogyoku on Aizen''s other hand.

    The Captain of the 5th division smiled.

    "I knew you couldn''t resist carrying it with you. Not when it could have provided you with an advantage. In that way, you are very predictable."

    Aizen mocked.

    "So this all looks bad. For the Gotei 13, I mean."

    Chase commented.

    I shrugged.

    "You''ve seen my memories. Can you really blame me for not helping them? Kisuke brought us down here...to kill me. Having Aizen one up them is like killing 2 birds with one stone. I get my revenge and also get to fight someone powerful. Win-win."

    That said, all this was taking too long.

    "Hey yo? Could you hurry up and fuse the two Hogyokus already? That''s what you''re planning to do, right?"

    I called out from my perch on the rock, cleaning an ear out with my pinky.

    Aizen and Gin stared at each other.

    "So impatient."

    Aizen responded, bringing the two artefacts together. Reishi begun to roil around in a vortex surrounding him.

    "You should know. You cannot rush genius."

    He added.

    I jumped off the rock outcrop, flash stepped and landed before the two Soul Reapers.

    "And you should know...I don''t care."

    I sheathed my Zanpakuto, cracking my knuckles.

    "Do not mistake my patience for tolerance, Aizen. You''re wasting my time. It''s either you Power up now, or I kick your ass and take the Hogyoku away from you, understand?"

    "Is he always this...hardboiled?"

    I heard Grail ask Dr.Manhattan</a>. It almost felt as if she was...impressed?

    Remember Davian, no sticking your dick in crazy. Then again, I wasn''t exactly sane either. And it''s been long...

    "Focus. The last thing I want to see in your thoughts, is you fucking Darkseid''s daughter."

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Chase said bluntly.

    I shook my head, the image of Darkseid''s ugly mug ruined the fantasy for me too.

    "Quick question, why do you want to fight so much?"

    Gin asked, walking to stand before Aizen who was in the process of merging both Hogyokus.

    "Is that a trick question?"

    I cocked my head to the side. Was he not listening?

    "I don''t need a reason. I just love a good fight. The same way anyone would love a good anything. Good food. A good fuck. Though the last one might be an enigma to you...seeing as you have never really boned Rangiku...no matter how many times she gives off ''Fuck Me'' energy."

    Gin''s face turned stormy.

    "Now you''re just going off on the wrong person."

    Chase accused.

    "Can you blame me? I just want to fight. I''ll be a dick if it makes them attack."

    I responded.

    And sure enough,

    "Shoot to kill, Shins��."

    The Purple haired Shinigami made the first move, all traces of humor gone from his face.

    Oops, seems like I''d touched a nerve.

    My right hand came up and slappes away Gin''s blade. The thing could lengthen as fast as a bullet shot from a gun.

    But I was faster. Way way faster.

    He pulled it back and thrust it at even higher speeds. A golden shield of pure Tairyoku manifested infront of me.

    The tip of his blade bounced off my barrier.

    Still moving fast, it sliced apart the top of the rock outcrop I''d been sitting on. the upper section sliding to the ground.

    "Bastard!"

    Gin yelled, appearing like a shadow to my left. What''s he talking about? He''s the bastard for ruining my seat.

    Shinso shot out towards my neck a few times but I leaned out of the way, hands in my pocket.

    We flashed across the entire chamber, moving at speeds that would be invisible to anyone below the Lietenant level.

    Each of his sword strikes was dodged or when I felt like it, deflected.

    If I remember correctly, his Shikai Shinso was decently strong. Enough to push the main character back when he was in his Bankai form.

    Not to mention, He was a master swordsman. And his Shunpo wasn''t bad.

    But to me...none of that mattered. He was still pitifully weak. Which is why I didn''t bother fighting him with Chesha Neko.

    Push

    And

    Pull.

    He extended himself and I was suddenly there, coming up from under his shoulder, my palm about to cover his face.

    Gin gulped, his eyes opening up wide in shock.

    He hadn''t anticipated I could be so much faster than him.

    Please, I''ve been going up against Speedsters like the Black Racer. In comparison, Gin must have been moving like a toddler.

    My palm covered his face.

    "Had�� 7: Akai Inazuma."

    It begun with a single red spark. Then electric streaks of energy escaped my palm, pouring into the purple haired Soul reaper''s body.

    "Aaarghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!"

    Gin couldn''t hold in the screams of agony.

    His body was smoking from the erratic lightning wreaking havoc upon his soul.

    I pivoted and in a move similar to how I''d taken out Kenpachi, I threw the 3rd Division Captain back to his buddy.

    Gin''s haori was nothing but strips of fabric hanging off his frame. He sailed through the air towards Aizen...

    Only for a Garganta to appear infront of his body.

    His form disappeared from my sight after plunging into the portal. What came out was something different. A barrage of blue colored balls. Ceros.

    They moved fast, clearing the distance between the Garganta and I in the blink of an eye.

    I spread my hands out, and using Energy transference absorbed the spirit energy within each.

    A man with black hair, an eye patch, two pistols and wearing a fur coat appeared out of the Garganta.

    I know him.

    4 more Gargantas manifested around Aizen.

    I used my Reikaku to scan the gate-portals just like I had been doing to every single Kido or Reiryoku manipulation I''d witnessed.

    "You''re growing your collection of spells much easily by simply witnessing them being performed. I can see why you decided to stop in this world first."

    Chase observed.

    "You can thank Manhattan for that. He''s the one who brought us here. Now I''m thinking it was to prepare me for what''s coming."

    I replied.

    "And now with the inclusion of the Arrancars, all you need is some Quincies and your Spirit energy skills will grow tremendously."

    Chase told me.

    And boy was he right.

    Aizen had just called in backup. And from first glance, it was the strongest of the Espada who had arrived.

    From Espada Numero uno Stark, to number 2, Barragan Luxembourg ( not the same one I''d fought before. This was the real version and he was weaker.)

    Espada number 3 was the best Waifu in the series, Tier Harribel. I was tempted to call this whole thing off just to get a taste of-

    "Ugh... you''re getting more unrestrained in your thoughts. I don''t need to know what you humans like doing to each other in your ''private'' time."

    Chase commented, causing me to laugh.

    "Come on, it''s been months since I had a girlfriend. Cut me some slack."

    I shot back.

    In case you were wondering...no, I wasn''t taking any of this seriously.

    There wasn''t a point. I could stand here and let them rain their attacks on me and nothing would work.

    The last two Espada were number 4 and 5.

    To me, these two were the most interesting Arrancars in the series.

    Number 4, Ulquiorra was a taciturn pale figure that could give Manhattan a run for his money in being stoic.

    And number 5, was another Kenpachi, Nnoitra Gilga.

    Behind each of them were their Fraccione, and a bunch of more hollows.

    All in all I counted a force of over 50 hollows. All of them stronger than a Gillian.

    I couldn''t help but clap.

    The sound, managed to grab even Aizen''s attention away from the Hogyoku; which was halfway merged in to it''s true form.

    "Gotta say Aizen, smart of you to bring your army here just to buy yourself more time."

    I started.

    "How long do you think they will last against me? I''m a-"

    I stopped in the middle of my statement.

    Wait...the energy waves coming off the Hogyoku, felt strangely familiar. Familiar as in, I''d felt that brand of energy before.

    "Chase, can you feel that?"

    I asked.

    "Yeah...it feels like, one of them. The Entities who''ve been watching us for the last few months."

    He answered, proving my suspicions to be true.

    This changes things.

    My true Reiatsu poured out.

    Immediately everyone standing fell like puppets without strings.

    The Gargantas were forcefully closed as my Spirit pressure collapsed the holes in reality.

    It didn''t matter who it was. From Espada 1 to 5, everyone passed out. Had it been me from 3 months ago, maybe this fight would have been challenging.

    Even Aizen fell to his knees, a shroud of power surrounding him, pulsing forth from the Hogyoku.

    "I guess you won''t get to witness the Espada''s moves."

    Chase asked.

    I didn''t say anything for a few seconds. Up until I arrived before the kneeling Aizen.

    My gaze was on the Hogyoku infront of him.

    "You- said you would wait..."

    Aizen spat out hatefully, glaring at me from his position on the ground.

    How fitting.

    "That''s before I felt the kind of energy coming off this thing."

    I replied, watching as his expression changed.

    "Initially, I thought you were going to use the Hogyoku to evolve yourself to a higher life form. That''s why I said nothing when you used your Kyoka suigetsu to secretly place Spirit locking seals on everyone here."

    I''d seen him Flash step around, placing patches of papers on everyone''s back, excluding Yamamoto as during that time...we had been fighting.

    "But that wasn''t your plan at all, was it? The Hogyoku''s power...is not meant to be this... ominous."

    I touched the halfway merged artefact.

    "It feels more like death energy in the form of a bomb, amplified to take out not only the mortal universe but the entire dimension. This whole reality would have been devoured by death energy. You haven''t been real with me Aizen."

    Contrary to what I was expecting, Aizen begun to chuckle. Then the chuckles changed to full out laughter.

    "They tried to hide it from us...but I know what this world truly is. She told me..."

    He said in a crazed tone.

    "It''s all Fake, isn''t it?! This world...me, I don''t really exist do I? The soul king...meant to be the strongest thing alive, is just a figment of imagination, created by a normal weak everyday man."

    "He''s gone off his rockers..."

    Chase commented.

    "So why does it matter if I create a bomb to take out this fake reality?! It''s not real in the first place!!!"

    He concluded, breathing harshly.

    "I''m... disappointed in you."

    I admitted, grabbing the Hogyoku off the air and sending it to my Pocket Dimension.

    Aizen struggled to unsheathe his Zanpakuto due to the pressure on his shoulders.

    He then stabbed it on the ground, fingers tight around the grip.

    "We made a deal...I deliver your death and I get...True Existence."

    He told me, trying to get up and fight.

    I stared at his eyes through his glasses and saw that he knew he''d been tricked.

    Not just tricked... he''d been manipulated.

    "You''re not the Aizen I thought you''d be."

    I unsheathed Chesha Neko, placing it on his neck.

    "But, I still respect you for fighting till the end. Seek Truth in death."

    Chesha Neko slashed out. Blood painted the air.

    I didn''t look back to see his head fall onto the ground. Chesha Neko made a ringing sound as I placed it back in its sheath.

    A single step and I was standing next to Manhattan and Grail.

    "We''re leaving."

    I informed them, walking past both and towards the exit to this place.

    I was angry.

    Nothing had turned out like I''d expected. I hadn''t had a super one vs many fight and I hadn''t gotten to fight Aizen at his full Hogyoku evolved form.

    Someone had spoiled it for me.

    This...Pale Woman. I had a feeling I knew who it was. And with the distinct energy in the Hogyoku, I could track her down.

    It was time to go home and finish this.

 Hunt.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Gather closer."

    I instructed Grail and Manhattan.

    This was just as we passed through the exit of the underground training chamber.

    They wordlessly complied, stepping nearer to me. I formed a green shield around us using Fullbring, enhancing it''s structure and durability as much as I could. The shield pulsed brightly.

    It was ready.

    "Not even gonna say goodbye?"

    A voice said from my back.

    I sighed.

    "You''re the one that decided to play dead."

    I looked over my shoulder, catching Urahara leaning on the frame of the exit door.

    "Can you blame me?"

    He shrugged.

    "I didn''t want to fight you. You would crush me in a heartbeat."

    He said with a sincere smile.

    I snorted.

    "Well, you''re not wrong."

    I turned my back to him, holding something up for him to see. The Hogyoku.

    "If it''s this you want, then you''re out of luck. I''m not giving it back."

    Urahara stayed silent.

    Then,

    "You can keep it. I can''t think of anyone who would be able to take it from you. Besides, it''s corrupt nature would only lead to trouble for me and my allies. I prefer boring but peaceful days as a shopkeeper after all."

    I smiled.

    "Wise choice. Then I guess this is goodbye, Kisuke Urahara."

    "I suppose it is, Davian Mabuz."

    He added.

    "Let''s go."

    I told my companions, whisking us out of the BleachVerse.

    Star constellations and heavenly bodies passed by us, as the shield popped through the dimension wall of the universe we were leaving.

    We appeared in the Overvoid. Am infinite realm of nothingness. The Overvoid was different from the bleed. The bleed was the space between Universes in a local multiverse.

    The Overvoid was the space between multiverses.

    There was an even high plan of non-existent however.

    Something even greater than the Overvoid. But, as I was, I could only sense it, not pierce through its walls or journey there.

    "Wow...it''s all so majestic."

    Grail said, looking around at the pure white space around us and the rainbow colored marbles of existence that were multiverses, just calmly floating around.

    "I''m keeping an active cloak around the barrier. Step out and the things that make this their home will be onto you."

    I warned her, wary of her excitement.

    Manhattan was already well aware how dangerous this place could be. Infact, I could only access the Overvoid because I saw him do it the first time.

    "I''m not stupid. Of course I wouldn''t leave the shield."

    Grail snorted, tapping the barrier with her finger.

    The whole thing rippled like water.

    "But...are you sure this thing can keep us protected? It looks kind of...weak."

    Weak? Weak!!?

    Are you fucking-

    I ignored her, instead turning towards Manhattan.

    "The pale woman. Start talking."

    I told him, my tone deadly serious.

    Manhattan blinked.

    "I can only tell you, it is not who you think it is."

    I narrowed my eyes. That wasn''t saying much. Still, I didn''t think I would get anything else from pressing him. That wasn''t how you dealt with someone like him.

    Besides, it was enough that he had confirmed I was wrong to suspect who I was suspecting. Gah, this whole thing feels so convoluted.

    "My initial suspicion was Death of the Endless."

    I disclosed to the two.

    "That was my theory as well. The second I heard about the butterfly tattoo, I knew it could only be her."

    Grail spoke up, eyes narrowed.

    "But it was not her."

    Manhattan reminded.

    "So an impersonator."

    I mused.

    "That''s not even the most important question."

    Grail countered.

    "Indeed."

    Manhattan agreed.

    "There is still the matter of how she knew we would be, where we would be."

    Fortunately I had the answer to that. It was in the Hogyoku. The corruption Urahara was talking about within the Hogyoku felt... familiar.

    Now that I could focus on it, I noticed a few things. Rather than calling it Death energy, it would be more fitting to call it, unliving energy.

    "I think...whoever this Impersonator is- she and I have a connection. That''s how she knew where we would be. From there, it would only be a simple matter to manipulate the time stream of that universe and arrive before we did. Giving her enough time to scheme."

    Even as I said it, something told me I was right.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "You sound so sure."

    Grail commented, gazing at me strangely.

    "You''re finally getting used to Transcendent perception."

    Manhattan observed.

    "Transcendent perception?"

    Grail inquired from him.

    "Upon crossing the boundary between mortality and true conceptual immortality, a being''s core self is elevated to a different class. Call it the final evolution."

    Manhattan explained,

    "This final evolution comes with increased sensory perception and the awakening of Divine Sense. Though your Divine Sense shares traits with Omniscience. You are simply able to know what you need to know."

    "In other words, I''m a badass among badasses."

    I said, finally succeeding in tracking the Unliving energy within the Hogyoku back to it''s source.

    "As if you couldn''t get a bigger head."

    Grail rolled her eyes.

    "Don''t hate the game...hate me. Because I''m just that awesome."

    A trail of grey energy was highlighted in the white space of the Overvoid.

    "Jackpot."

    I turned to the other two,

    "The rest of my questions will be answered by our target herself. No more guessing games."

    I smirked.

    "Who''s ready for a hunt?"

    ********

    The first thing that my eyes captured upon arrival, were souls.

    Trillions of sentient glowing spirits, aimlessly wandering in a world devoid of light.

    A massive black sun hang overhead, sending rays of darkness throughout the realm.

    The only source of light was the light passively produced by the souls themselves.

    "Well, someone clearly miscalculated. This feels more like Limbo."

    Grail said, pointedly staring at me.

    "I did not miscalculate anything you brat. We are right where we need to be."

    I answered, annoyed.

    "Ah!? Brat! You''re the same age as me!"

    Grail yelled.

    "The Reaper is right. The sight you see before you is the domain of Nekron, God of the Unliving. The Hogyoku''s power led us here for a purpose."

    Nekron. So, I wasn''t wrong. He was my number one suspect. Well, number two if you count Death.

    I was also a little surprised the blue bastard spoke up in my defense.

    "FINALLY, THE FAKER HAS ARRIVED! And to meet him, I come. Death to all things! Perish! Draw the last breath upon my arrival!!"

    A monstrous black skeleton dressed in shadows and the very essence of darkness manifested from the black sun above us.

    Oily tendrils of darkness fell to the floor, submerging thousands of souls in a wave of liquid darkness.

    The darkness gathered into a pool on the ground. One that popped with a grey miasma and what I was now terming as Unliving energy.

    A skeletal hand reached out, longer than the Eiffel tower, grabbing onto the pool''s edge. Then a second limb broke through the surface of the pool.

    It smashed onto the edge of the pool, causing an earthquake to ripple out and shake everything.

    Very quickly, a shadow fell upon the souls and us. The being that was formed was easily bigger than 10000 feet.

    Which I guess made sense as one of it''s arm as stated before was longer than the Eiffel tower. And the Eiffel tower was a whooping 1000 feet.

    And that was before he stood upright. When he did, it was like facing up a Titan. No wait, a God Titan.

    I was impressed!

    "Nekron the god of Unliving! Everybody!!""

    I called out, clapping my hands amazed by the bastard''s horrifically awesome entrance.

    "You''re such a geek."

    Grail said, unimpressed.

    What was left of Nick in me blossomed. My own soul shuddered at the fact Nick''s memories were influencing me this much.

    I wasn''t chuuni.

    I couldn''t be a weeb!

    These antics...they were unlike me.

    So I turned to my front and unsheathed Chesha Neko. To get back my glorious Alpha male attitude, I was going to have to soundly beat the crap out of a similarly cool bastard.

    Sorry Nekron, but I''m about to kick your ass so bad, you''re gonna complain to your momma.

    (Grail''s P.O.V)

    The second Davi unsheathed his weapon, I was instantly reminded who it was I was standing next to.

    Immediately, the entire realm shook with the weight of his power.

    It instantly became harder to breath. Something told me that if it weren''t for his own shield, I would have been crushed by his presence alone.

    A pressure wave exploded out of his position. And Davi disappeared.

    I stumbled backwards a little, gentle but unnaturally warm hands holding onto my shoulders, stabilizing me.

    "Are you alright?"

    The owner of the words, the blue guy who radiated power even greater than my father asked.

    But even though I appreciated his concern, the monotonous way he spoke...chilled me to my bones. He was so... mechanic and unfeeling.

    Stop. That''s the weakness talking. I''m not weak. I''m strong. I could have taken over the Fourth World if I''d wanted. I was Darkseid''s daughter.

    ''But you bend a knee to your father''s killer.''

    I heard my mother''s voice echo through me.

    ''Stop it, Davian won fair and square. That''s a warrior''s way.''

    ''Vengeance is a warrior''s way...''

    My mother''s cold voice echoed back.

    Towards the end, Desaad''s poison had messed with her mind. That''s why I made extra sure to enjoy his screams as he died.

    I made that bitch bastard squeal like a pig. Or in this case a sow.

    Besides, when someone had the power Davian had, all notions of vengeance were thrown out of the window. It wasn''t about me anymore...fate itself sang with his significance.

    And I was here to witness all of it.

    Nekron''s own power was insurmountable. And yet...

    A shield of darkness formed between it and Davi. The latter was smirking in the mischievous way he usually did.

    Without even wasting a single drop of energy, Davi punched out. I also had to admire his control.

    The punch broke right through the barrier Nekron had created.

    "Impossible!!"

    The massive skeleton exclaimed in surprise at the punch. A punch that shook the entire realm.

    ''Idiot. You should have just given up. Davian is thousands of times faster than light speed.''

    I thought to myself, a little sour at the admittance.

    I could only go a tenth of that. And from the very second we met, Davi was operating on a different level.

    His power...had left me feeling weak. How anyone not blessed with a New God heritage or an Amazonian bloodline like me, could ever reach my power level and even exceed it was crazy.

    But here. In this undead dimension, just as the darkness had creeped in on us, the Reaper''s presence rippled out in defiance.

    And I was reminded why my father could never hope to stand up to him.

    Pure emptiness. That''s the only thing I saw through my sixth sense. That''s the only thing fighting him would bring Nekron.

    Death.

    In all caps.

    D.E.A.T.H

    There was no surviving Davian

    I don''t know how it happened, but... he''d become the true incarnation of Death''s wrath.

    Something about his heritage...he was like a new god, fighting for a piece of the pie.

    Luke Apollo against Helios.

    The Child of Death would naturally attain a deathless Domain but it wouldn''t be easy anymore.

    Most of the Death-gods would not ignore the challenge any longer.

    And the strongest of them all- at least below Death herself- Nekron would be the first to challenge him.

    However, what they haven''t considered...is who they fight.

    He had come out of nowhere.

    I knew nothing about his past. I knew nothing about this grudge with Divinity he seems to have. Or his hunger for power.

    Nor anything about his past. He claims to come from another Universe and yet...he seems to know us all so intimately.

    What a mysterious guy. He fought without even knowing what side he should be on. All to protect someone he cherished.

    And at times, he mumbles to himself. As if he''s speaking to somebody no one else can see.

    And yet, even after I fell under thousands of Para-demons, the first face I saw was...his.

    Him and the Life Entity, peering down at me. The latter was flapping it''s wings, filling the space around us with golden flecks of light.

    And then he offered me a hand.

    At that moment, whether it was the Omega Effect or an instinct born out of my Amazonian bloodline, I could recognize his true power.

    He was a GOD.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Impossible!"

    Nekron yelled in shock as I plowed through his darkness shield.

    "That shield contains the repellent energy of a supermassive black hole. How did you break it so casually?!"

    He demanded, raising a hand to the dark sky and bringing it down on my position.

    I stared at the descending digits.

    "Impossible. My middle name."

    Boom!!

    The souls behind me were instantly thrown back by the pressure wave produced, as my forearm colored black with Tairyoku, collided with his hand.

    He took a single step backwards, his own strength coming up short to mine.

    Shunpo.

    I popped up next to his neck, hand pulled back. The air cried around my fist as it landed smack dab on his cheek.

    Thwack!

    The blow produced a loud thunderclap, Nekron''s body lifting and flying thousands of feet away.

    He landed, creating a crater with his body.

    Shunpo brought me to stand on his chest, peering down at him. All traces of humor were missing from my face.

    "Hey, I know that wasn''t strong enough to take you out."

    "Damn you, Child of Death!"

    His chest rumbled out as he lashed out with his left hand, a black Scythe manifesting on his left hand.

    Chesha Neko blocked the blow easily.

    "You have been watching Chase and ai for months. Even when you were doing your best to hide, I could still smell you out. Like a rat hiding in the shadows."

    He didn''t seem to like my statement.

    "Aaarghhhhhhhhh!!! I shall end you where you stand boy! Darkness descent!!"

    Nekron roared in anger.

    Through Reikaku I detected the fall of millions of dark lances and alikes falling from the black sun. Headed straight for me.

    I raised Chesha Neko and wordlessly entered Shikai.

    "Chesha Neko Spider Web shield."

    I pointed to the sky and activated the defensive skill. Strings launched out, attaching to the very air.

    Nekron''s attack was stopped in its tracks, but the God of Unliving was Unwilling to accept that. I detected another Scythe slash headed for my neck.

    Clang!

    A massive Purple Cat appeared at my back, using it''s claws to Barry the scythe.

    "A sneak attack, how ungodly."

    Chase told the downed deity.

    "Impossible. This cannot be. How can you be this powerful?"

    Nekron demanded, still on the ground.

    And he wasn''t coming off it anytime soon. Reiatsu was making sure of that.

    "I''m the one with the questions here so let''s get down to it. You know, I have more than enough Power to kill you and take over your realm if I wanted."

    I began, sitting cross-legged on his chest.

    Chase lay down behind me, providing me with something to lean on.

    Nekron said nothing.

    "Tell you what, if you answer me one simple question, I''ll leave you be and never enter your realm again. Scouts honor."

    I offered.

    "What would you want to know...?"

    Nekron asked in a subdued tone.

    (Grail''s P.O.V)

    It''s over? He- defeated Nekron in seconds!? How?

 Revolution.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "Jeez, I don''t like the way you''re looking at me Nekron. One might think I''m bullying you."

    I complained at the potent rage I could sense in him.

    "That is exactly what you''re doing."

    Chase grumbled from behind me.

    "Hush you. I''m trying to be nice to the guy."

    I whispered to my Zanpakuto spirit.

    Under us, Nekron swallowed in bitter anger. For starters, I had entered his Kingdom without permission, kicked his ass, sat on it and now I was forcing him to answer my questions.

    It was humiliation.

    Especially given the fact that this was his realm. So I guess I could understand his hatred. That said, I didn''t care whether he was mad or not. This fucker had been spying on me for months.

    He should be grateful all I was doing was sitting on his chest.

    "Okay, Nekron old buddy. First question is worth a hundred points. Lie to me and I''ll know. Did you impersonate Mistress Death to try and fuck with me?"

    I asked, my face set in a stony expression.

    Silence.

    Then,

    "Yes."

    He finally answered.

    "Mmh. I see."

    I hummed.

    Unexpectedly, I got to my feet.

    "Okay. Chase, we''re done here."

    I told my Zanpakuto spirit.

    Chase blinked at me as if I was crazy.

    "Done? That''s all you wanted to ask?"

    He inquired.

    "Yup."

    I told him, sheathing Chesha Neko and withdrawing my Reiatsu. I sneered at the Lord of the Unliving.

    "There''s nothing else for us to do here. This guy is weak. Pitifully so. We''re wasting time."

    Nekron said nothing but the fury in his eyes only kept on growing.

    I jumped onto Chase''s back, promptly ignoring the Gigantic Skeleton deity.

    "I miss Rama and the others. It''s time to go home."

    I said, patting the Zanpakuto''s soft furred back.

    "If you say so."

    Chase complied, jumping off the skeleton. The wind passed by us and before we could crash, Chase popped away, landing softly on the soul infested ground.

    The spirits drifted away from our path, wary of the power hanging around Chase.

    I smirked as I heard the sound of shifting rock and rubble behind me. Unbelievable amounts of energy gathered within Nekron as he got to his feet.

    Through my Reikaku, I felt him manifest two sharp scythes, the blades longer than my entire body. The blade vibrated with Unliving energy, compressed to form an ultra thin edge.

    Perfect. Now attack me.

    The ground trembled as Nekron took powerful steps towards me, his long skeletal limbs pulled back.

    "Die!!! Child of Death!!!"

    He slashed out.

    How cruel. Judging by the Scythe''s trajectory, he''s trying to dissect me shoulder to hip.

    Very well then...I will show you no mercy either.

    I spread out my hands, pouring my entire presence into Nekron''s realm, the land of the Unliving. It''s entire foundations shook. One might think I was aiming to destroy it.

    But my motives were much more beneficial to the denizens of the realm. Upon it''s destruction these souls would be torn apart by the void.

    Wasteful.

    Let''s not do that.

    I have a much better idea.

    Up until now, I didn''t really have a realm or dimension I could call my own.

    And I had already lived my human life as a hobo. There was no way I would spend my immortal one without a seat of power.

    So, why not make this dimension my own? The energy meshed well with me. As was the purpose of the realm. The Afterlife.

    I was already associated with death and souls. It was basically perfect for me. But I couldn''t just up and steal it away. A few Ancient Laws prohibited that.

    So why not change tactics? Instead of snatching the realm from Nekron...what if I allowed the souls here to choose who the better master was.

    I poured in all the power I had gathered and stored using Energy Transference (Man, absorbing the Seven Deadly Sins was the best idea I''d ever come up with)

    All that energy was molded and compressed on the palm of my open hand. Then I added Tairyoku in large amounts, for equal measure

    A pulsing golden sphere appeared above my palm, facing the sky.

    "Here comes salvation."

    I mumbled to myself, then released it.

    The ball shot to the sky, exploding into flecks of energy resembling the Life Entity''s life giving power.

    Nekron''s hold on the dimension begun to shatter apart in a second, Unliving and living energy colliding in the air.

    You see, I''d learned something from fighting Aethyr. A cosmic entity in it''s own realm was the Primary power.

    They were in full control. All powerful, all knowing, all sensing...all that crap.

    But that hadn''t deterred me. He''d still gotten his ass kicked and devoured. His realm? The phantom zone? Was integrated into my own Realm.

    Frankly I didn''t give a fuck. Whenever it was a contest of strength, I was confident in myself.

    Whether it was in their realms or outside, anyone that fucked with me was getting bodied.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    As long as there was a body to punch or slice apart with Chesha Neko, I wouldn''t fear anyone.

    And that unyielding mindset was what had brought me this far.

    Forget all that, this is not a question about my strength. It''s a question about how to use it.

    While a Cosmic Entity was all powerful in his realm, all you had to do was take away their hold on it. Basically...

    Obliterate their essence from the realm itself. Erase their mark in the air, the soil, the environment. In some cases even the Life. All that just to kill them.

    Had I wanted to do that, I would have used Respira on Nekron.

    But...I had made him a promise that I would not harm him as long as he answered my question.

    And at my new level, giving your word shackled you to the Ancient Laws. Don''t worry, I was planning on dealing with those pesky laws soon...

    Because of that, I needed a method to make him...disappear. Attacking me had given me the reason( even though I had engineered that by turning my back to him).

    Now all I needed was a way.

    And what better way than...by causing a revolution!!

    The next question would be, why the weird move? And my answer? What happens when you pour water on fire?

    One puts out the other.

    So I introduced Tairyoku, which is Living energy, into the Unliving realm. And despite Nekron having eons of experience against me...our altercation had bowed him.

    He was now afraid of me. His sneak attack was nothing than a desperate attempt at survival. His will was weak.

    Or rather my own was powerful enough to shatter apart his mark on the realm with my Life Force.

    My smile widened as the Tairyoku infused in the air begun to infect the land of the Unliving with life.

    Grass, plants and trees blossomed in an instant, a wave of green spreading out over the barren wasteland full of rocks and hard ground.

    It was a repeat of what had happened after upgrading my Inner World.

    On Nekron''s first eye-blink, the green had already covered the mountains.

    By the time he realized what was going on, half of his realm was a paradise teaming with life.

    And as Tairyoku flowed within the ground, it formed large cavities and pools of water; oceans, seas and lakes spread out.

    It begun with a single worm. And on Nekron''s second blink, birds soared in the sky.

    Animals, real flesh and blood walked about, deers prancing over to watering spots as predators like tigers waited patiently, hoping to grab unsuspecting prey.

    By the time he realized what was happening, the Tairyoku was affecting the souls in his realm.

    His very subjects. The reason the land of the Unliving was called: the land of the Unliving.

    But instead of the Tairyoku affecting them in the same wondrous way it was affecting Nekron''s barren dimension, I held back some of its potency.

    There was no such thing as a free gift. My benevolence, grace and blessings; the souls were going to have to earn them.

    Standing on top of Chase''s back, surrounded by roiling green hills, white humanoid figures floating around and a gigantic Skeleton at my back, about to eviscerate me from top to bottom, I realized something.

    My life...was fucking awesome.

    "Show me you''re worthy of my mercy!"

    I spoke to every soul spread out across the entire realm.

    I spoke into their very cores, using the little Tairyoku I allowed in them to awaken their consciousness.

    But only that. Too much Tairyoku would either disrupt their soul forms, Killing them. Or give them physical bodies.

    Both outcomes were undesirable. I only used a little bit of Tairyoku to give them back their minds.

    The entire Realm had a dulling effect on the Spirits.

    Whether because Nekron had wanted obedient subjects or another equally inane reason, I shattered the effect.

    Now they stared, listened and waited atentively as I offered them a way to salvation.

    "Choose."

    I declared to every unbound spirit in the realm.

    "Me, or this asshole who has let you wander in this barren wasteland like zombies, will-less and aimless for eons."

    "How dare you?!!"

    Nekron roared, completing his swing. The blade slashed down.

    "What will you choose? Submission or Salvation!?"

    I announced, Chase offhandedly commenting that my eyes were glowing purple.

    Inches away from my neck, the momentum of the Scythe halted. I snickered, pressing on the tip of the blade with my finger.

    Sharp weapons. And they also contain his essence. I think I might keep them when I''m done with him.

    Speaking of which,

    "What?! No! Stay back you pests!!!"

    Nekron yelled in fury.

    "I shall obliterate you from existence!!"

    Looking behind me, a proud smile split my face in two.

    Thousands of Souls had jumped him. They were holding onto his bones, climbing up his limbs and trying to snatch the Scythes away from him.

    "You are truly cunning my Wielder."

    Chase commented.

    "Hahahahaha! It''s not cunning Chase! If you oppress a people for too long, eventually they form a revolution!"

    I declared, millions of emboldened souls passing by me, all flying towards Nekron.

    (?? P.O.V)

    I don''t know who I was before.

    But I remember feeling frustrated before I died.

    Frustrated with myself. I had died tired, sad and lonely.

    But instead of achieving eternal rest like many religions so carelessly throw around, there was nothing.

    The only thing I know for a fact is that I found no rest from my existence.

    I am still as tired, sad and lonely...only this time without even knowing why.

    And then...

    I heard HIS VOICE.

    HE MUST BE GOD!

    AND GOD COMMANDED WE SHOW HIM OUR WILLINGNESS TO FIGHT. I DON''T REMEMBER ANYTHING BUT I KNOW WHAT THIS IS.

    A CHANCE AT... SALVATION!

    And so we moved on to carry his bidding.

    He showed us the way. We have to show him we''re worthy of... being saved!

    (General P.O.V)

    "This is crazy!!"

    Grail said, almost tearing her hair out in frustration and disbelief.

    "How did he do that?! How could anyone!? Defeating Nekron is one thing, but turning the entire realm against it''s own master!!?"

    "The Reaper is not any normal Entity."

    Dr.Manhattan</a> informed her while also gazing at Davian with a complicated look.

    The Reaper was atop the biggest and most ferocious Tiger Grail had ever seen.

    "Even amongst Cosmic Beings, few can rival his potential or more importantly, his tenacity."

    Dr.Manhattan</a> continued.

    The New God next to him shook her head.

    "He just...terra-formed the fucking Afterlife."

    Grail added, still shocked.

    "I saw that and you saw it too..."

    "Indeed."

    Manhattan replied, the complicated look changing into a thoughtful one.

    "I wonder what his true limits are."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Was I cackling like a mad man watching things play out?

    Yes.

    Was I enjoying the havoc and chaos I had wittingly caused?

    Yes.

    On the other hand, Nekron didn''t share the same feelings.

    "How dare you!!"

    The God of the Unliving was being accosted by his very own subjects, right after losing control of his realm.

    It would be an understatement to call him mad. Especially when the souls kept up piling on him, immobilizing his skeletal frame and generally being a nuisance.

    "Get him! everybody!"

    I cheered.

    "Get him with the power of teamwork!!"

    My words emboldened the souls and more of them attacked Nekron. I had never laughed so hard in my life.

    "You do know there is no way they can take him down right?"

    Chase asked.

    I couldn''t stop the snicker that escaped me.

    "It''s not about taking him down Chase. I wanna see how this plays out. I showed them a way, and they took it. Gave them a rope and now they want to hang him on it. Nekron has been a massive dick to his ''subjects''. And now they''re going to make him pay, even if they have to die in the process."

    I responded.

    My words might seem harsh- indeed they were. Yet I had no time for freeloaders. If they couldn''t fight for themselves why should I?

    "ENOUGH!!!"

    Finally tired of the nuisances, Nekron''s full presence rippled out, immediately destroying the souls around him, turning them into pure soul energy.

    "Pathetic weaklings! I am your God! How dare you Oppose me?! I am Nekron, God of the Unliving and I shall not be DENIED!"

    He pulled back his Scythe and slashed out, mowing down millions more.

    Instantly, the number of souls I could perceive in my Reikaku drastically dwindled.

    Soul energy hang in the air around him as he begun to take large steps towards Chase and I, black eyeholes staring right at me.

    "Now what?"

    Chase inquired.

    I licked my lips.

    "Now for the unexpected plot twist."

    I aimed my hand at Nekron. Or rather, the Soul Energy above him.

    More souls flew past us, all advancing towards Nekron.

    "Move!"

    A single Scythe slash had an area of effect counted in miles. Only by using Reiatsu in a barrier like way, was I blocking the attacks.

    Everything else, even the life I had so meticulously created, rotted under his Unliving energy. The grass, trees and animals died.

    The hills behind us lost their upper sections from a single slash. The green disappeared as it became a barren wasteland once more.

    And yet the attacks continued on, targeting every soul in the Infinite realm.

    Nekron had gone insane. It wasn''t hard to see what he was planning. Now that the realm wasn''t his...he would destroy everything and everyone in it.

    Too bad I''m here.

    The soul energy in the air finally gathered together under my control.

    And using a combination of Fullbring, Tairyoku and Reiryoku...I begun to create souls by injecting Seeds of Sentience into them.

    A seed of sentience was just a fancy name for a compressed ball of Tairyoku and Reiryoku bound together through Fullbring.

    The soul energy had belonged to approximately 17 billion souls. In only a few seconds, Nekron had destroyed that many.

    Say what you will about his bitchy attitude but he had power. Lots of it.

    Compressing the Soul Energy of 17 billion spirits and adding in the Seeds of Sentience...had a strange effect.

    Immediately...the entire dimension groaned at the collective power that appeared out of nowhere.

    Millions of lieutenant class Reiatsus emerged as 1 million brand new souls, each containing the combined soul energy of about 17000 sapient spirits appeared.

    Success.

    These souls glowed Golden instead of white and their combined aura halted Nekron in his tracks.

    The God of Unliving looked around him, noticing the golden humanoids hanging in the air, waiting for my orders.

    "Impossible!! How?!"

    The God of Unliving demanded in horror.

    He backed away. 1 million souls, each with the power of a Lietenant of the Gotei 13 was nothing to scoff at.

    "Even for you my Wielder...this is too insane..."

    Chase commented, slack jawed.

    Meanwhile, I raised a single hand to the sky. Then brought it down, finger pointed at Nekron.

    "Bring me his head!"

    I gave the command and my new subjects were all too eager to please.

 The Soul Lanterns.

    (?? P.O.V)

    Nekron was mowing us down like weeds. A single slash of his scythe unravelled the spirits around me into pure energy.

    Yet we persisted, afraid but unyielding. This was more than about fearing death. This was proving God right. That his mercy was not unjustified. That it was not without reward.

    Our undying loyalty and unquestionable submission.

    So I flew in with my compatriots, a hunger for revolution burning within my chest.

    My soul naturally aligned itself in the dry and empty air of the land of the dead. My right hand stretched out before me, as if pulled by a tether around my finger.

    Like a ring...

    A green ring...

    Huh? What nonsense could I be thinking of now when God is counting on me?!!

    Nekron, the bastard had to pay. It was God''s Will.

    And so it shall be done.

    But it wasn''t easy. Not even close. Sure, we could temporarily hold him down. But that was because he was shocked that we would dare attack him.

    Thus his anger was followed by another reaping of souls.

    I don''t even remember dying.

    All I saw was another Scythe slash, a gray energy around it''s blade and then, I was floating- lighter than I had ever been.

    I felt myself become undone from the inside out, my soul body fading away into energy.

    Energy that was rising towards the sky, joining the rest of my compatriots. Only there was no coming back from this.

    This was actual death. Soon non-existence would kick in and this caricature of life in death will cease.

    But I found freedom in this state. No longer would I have to feel this unending frustration.

    It was a new lease. Not in life or death but acceptance of the non-existence. I had served my purpose and now I could let go...

    Right?

    (Show me you''re worthy of saving!)

    God''s words jarred me from my self deprecation. Accepting the end while noble in its own right, was also stupid.

    It was in simple terms... giving up.

    How was this showing him I was worthy of saving?

    With strength I didn''t know I had, I held onto my fading conscious. No longer able to retain my soul body, I became a formless cloud of energy, fusing with the pool of soul energy in the sky.

    Even then I refused to rest. I refused to give up.

    The soul pool was dense and thick. Almost like a cloud of infinite energy and potential. It was filled with multiple swirling pockets of chaotic nature.

    The pockets acted like vacuum cleaners, pulling in all the energy they could.

    I started feeling the pull as well.

    It was God''s power. Instead of fighting against it, I allowed his power to guide me.

    His presence was greater than a billion Nekrons. No, it was greater than an infinite number of the skeletal bastard.

    I was in awe of his splendor, able to sense it so clearly now. I couldn''t be wrong. This was truly God.

    The fusion was seamless. I melded into the collective consciousness of all the spirits in the Soul Pool.

    Immediately, a fight for supremacy arose. And I understood the task God had given me. It was to lead them. It was to come out on top and take over.

    Willpower surged out of me and instead of getting pulled into the vortexes of energy around the strongest souls, I pulled them into me.

    I used their energy to replace what I had lost. Portions of my very soul. Quickly it became apparent that I was different.

    My pull was greater than all the other consciousnesses fighting for dominance.

    I pulled in all of them. The losers and winners. And I told them...

    (It''s God''s Will)

    And they listened.

    My soul started reforming, quickly gaining substance. And with the reformation, came memories. My memories.

    And one thing stood out.

    "Hal Jordan of Earth, You have the ability to overcome great fear..."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "You totally knew this was going to happen, didn''t you?"

    Chase asked, staring at me curiously.

    I kept my face blank.

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about Chase. It''s kinda worrying that you think I''m some kind of genius. Do you really think I specifically set all this in motion just to create an army of Soul Lanterns, name pending, led by arguably the greatest Lantern in DC? Please... that''s the kinda thing Urahara would do."

    "Mmmmh."

    He hummed, unconvinced.

    "Planning things out is not my style. You know I like to get up close and murderous."

    I added.

    "Mmmmh."

    He hummed once more, still not convinced.

    Okay, okay, okay!

    ...He''s right. I did plan it all out. Muhahahahaha.

    Beware my strategic mind, peasants!

    I should use it more often. It was satisfying to plan something and watch it succeed.

    Not as satisfying as punching someone or finding ways to Power up but close enough.

    "I''m just happy you''re not as reckless this time around."

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Chase admitted.

    He even had the gall to look relieved! Whaaa...that''s the best thing about me! I was Reckless Davian. That was my thing!

    "In any case...this changes a lot of things."

    He added staring at the battle occuring, in particular the subject of our discussion. The revived and completely subservient to me, Hal Jordan.

    "If the League hated you before...now they will hate you even more.

    "You''re right."

    I nodded,

    "Those fools won''t look at the bright side. They won''t see this for what it is, a new life. But who cares? I''ve outgrown them all."

    Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman...my power eclipsed their strongest forms.

    Cosmic Armor Superman was a different story. That dude was bigger than Limbo itself. At least from Nick''s memories. What a fight it would be if we clashed...

    The only other being on his level from the League, would be Wonder Woman fueled with Anti-crisis energy. (But that future was not going to happen due to my interference)

    My grip on Chesha Neko tightened thinking about the strongest beings that stood on the upper echelon of the multiverse. I wanted that...and I would get it.

    "...if they keep this up they might even win."

    Chase''s voice brought my mind back to what was happening.

    Hal Jordan was outperforming everyone else.

    While the rest could be termed as judicious in their efforts, he was a stand out. He was dealing out actual damage.

    Dressed in a golden black costume reminiscent of his regular Green Lantern suit,

    He sent massive gold constructs at Nekron, actively pushing him back. The rest of the souls while not impressive were powerful as well.

    Let me go back a little.

    There were billions upon billions of souls in the Land of the Unliving. And it was just Earth alone. To be exact my earth. This Davian''s Earth.

    Yes...that calls to question if whatever remained of Davian''s soul was here in this afterlife. I had scanned for him the second I''d arrived.

    But there was nothing...

    Somehow, that stood out to me.

    But enough about that.

    Out of that number, only 17 billion souls had had enough Will to fight back. They were the most resentful. The most bitter. The most obstinate.

    And all of them...were combatants in their own way and practice. Having had a lifetime of expertise as Emperors, Kings, Warlords, warriors, soldiers, archers, mass murderers, Serial Killers, just your run of the mill Human Monsters.

    And then I had fused them together, combining sets of 17000 of them into one soul. A golden soul. One that possessed Lieutenant class Spirit Energy reserves.

    And that was only the start. The Seeds of Sentience within each of them, created a matrix that allowed each soul to try and absorb the rest.

    They battled it out...

    With only the greatest of the 17000 becoming the Dominant consciousness.

    My army was literally filled with the best of the best. The ones with the most force of will and fortitude.

    The ones who WOULD keep on going even when there was no destination.

    But that didn''t mean the rest just disappeared. NO.

    They were turned into experiences and know how. All their skills and talents transferred into the dominant consciousness.

    That is scary to imagine.

    Well to my enemies at least. My seeds of sentience ensured that they were beholden to me. Completely and fully under my control. They died and lived under me.

    I could fuse them. Unfuse them. Turn them into automatons, delete and change their memories, personalities, past and even their future by weaving the threads of existence through their souls.

    I could regenerate from them...take possession. Devour for more power...

    "Ah, you have this scary look on your face right now. It''s like you''re hungry and hard at the same time."

    Chase commented, drawing me back to reality.

    Bad Reaper.

    No eating loyal Subjects. Unless...

    "Should I...leave you to yourself for a bit?..."

    Chase asked.

    Oh you furry purple cat. When are you gonna learn? There is nothing in this world as orgasmic as gaining power. And more POWER! And fighting with that Powaah! And fucking everybody up just because you got the...

    "POWAAAHHHHH!!!"

    I yelled out, my voice serving as more motivation to my army of loyal Soul Lanterns!

    (Hal Jordan''s P.O.V))

    "POWAAAHHHHH!!"

    The master''s powerful voice reached my ears, spurring me on.

    Truly a Worthy Lord! Even his lungs are godly!

    "You hear our Lord? He blesses us! We shall not fail the Reaper!!"

    """We shall not fail the Reaper!!"""

    My men, All our God''s men called out in a cheer. Our souls ignited, pushing us to become stronger and faster as we descended upon the faker.

    I allowed instinct and experience to take over. The Soul Energy within me was easy to control. No doubt due to God''s blessings.

    It weaved around my finger, reinforcing the Golden Ring construct on my finger, giving it even more detail and design.

    The ring had a weird insignia on it''s head. The same insignia that was branded on the rest of my Soul Brothers.

    It was a symbol to show that we belonged to him, our master. A Cat skull with burning flames in its eyes surrounded by a circle of Enochian script.

    I willed and numerous golden constructs were built in an instant.

    I could have gone for my signature Army of Constructs. It was strong enough to go up against Larfreeze and his army of Orange Lantern constructs.

    But instead I went for John''s iconic style.

    Guns.

    And lots of guns.

    And more guns.

    Galaxy busters. Universal shakers, dark matter powered blasters, temporal and spatial rending bazookas and of course the ever reliable machine guns with an infinite cache of ammo.

    Because I just wanted to vent. I wanted to let it all out. To destroy this thing that dared to even breath the same air as God!

    Die! Die!

    My guns blazed, tearing off chunks of Nekron''s bones and pushing him back.

    His own field of energy, a localized zone that the self created ring on my finger informed me he could use to warp reality, quickly adapted to my relentless attacks.

    The zone grew stronger in response, nullifying the most lethal of attacks.

    My soul brothers followed my lead. And even more devastating attacks landed on his field.

    The shadowy zone of influence flared out, disrupting our Soul Energy and detonating the attacks before they could reach him.

    He''s sacrificing defense for utility. How unthinkable! He strategizes instead of grovelling in hopelessness below the Master''s feet!!!

    How dare he? We can strategize too!!

    "Soul brothers! Switch to physical attacks only!"

    "Okay Soul Bro."

    "You got it man."

    A few... eccentric ones used soul kido to project their voices outward. Those fools. The master is watching. I''mma fuck em up later.

    It was a switch to physical attacks. So I abandoned John''s style of attack and went for Kyle''s.

    A huge robotic Samurai appeared around me. Outfitted with all manner of blades, hooks, shuriken and daggers.

    My soul body shot forward, sparks flying out as I parried the Scythe Slash attack coming our way.

    Nekron switched his focus to me.

    "You. I remember you, Lantern. Even in death you cause trouble. Begone!!"

    Another Scythe slash came down on my head.

    But the skeletal bastard forgot I wasn''t alone.

    My soul brothers poured in around me, blocking the slash and leaving all manner of blows on Nekron. Attacks which caused shockwaves to ripple out.

    A punch lifted him up, A hammer strike threw him to the ground and an axe cracked his skull.

    I pulled back in, joining the action by cutting off his fingers, making him drop one of the Scythes.

    I sent an order through two of my soul brothers. The scythe would be a good tribute to our God. They swooped in and grabbed it.

    Unexpectedly, Nekron took offence to that. But he fucked up. Massively.

    "Daviannn!!!""

    Nekron called out in fury.

    "Face me yourself Coward! Face me like a real man or are you a spineless little brat that Mama Death chose to leave behind because you were...weak."

    I am ashamed to say all we could do was survive from there on.

    The master was terrifying when angry.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    My world ground to a screeching halt.

    By association, the world ground to a halt itself.

    What did that bitch just say?

    (General P.O.V)

    "Ohhh fuck..."

    Chase sighed out, fur sticking out of his back as he stepped away from Davian. Slowly.

    He threw a hate filled glare Nekron''s way. That idiot had no idea what he had just done.

    Davian had a secret. One that he had kept to himself but one that Chase had deduced due to their connection.

    The Reaper wasn''t all there. He wasn''t right in the head.

    And that showed itself in how he chased after more power. Almost with wild abandon. It was why he never backed down from a fight. And that was because he hated being weak.

    But what he hated even more...was for someone to call him weak.

    *******

    For grail, it instantly became harder to breath. Out of nowhere, Davian''s full presence burst forth and everything in the Land of the Unliving froze.

    Manhattan''s hand gently landed on Grail''s shoulder.

    "Let us withdraw for now. It would be in the best interest of our health."

    He told her.

    Grail couldn''t even nod. But there was nothing more she wanted than to get out of there.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I took a step forward. My Arny of Soul Lanterns immediately retreated to my back.

    Space made way for me and Nekron''s face appeared below. Shocked, he tried to back away but could not. I held him in place by sheer presence.

    I crouched in midair, one hand on my cheek as I stared the skeleton down, expressionless.

    "Why are you still on your feet?"

    My question was followed by an earthshaking impact as my Reiatsu pressed down on him.

    "Aargh!"

    The Lord of Unliving pitifully mewled, his bones shattered and ground to dust. The localized zone around him reformed his body. Only for Reiatsu to break it down again.

    And again.

    And again.

    At some point he started apologizing.

    "Forgive me! I-I am sorry. I-"

    "Don''t care."

    I threw out, crushing him to dust once again.

    And again.

    And again.

    The pleading changed to trying to make a deal with me.

    "I''ll tell you everything Reaper! I''ll tell you who- who planned this! The mastermind!"

    "Don''t care."

    I would probably know from his memories once I devour him anyway.

    More crushing force broke his bones. His rate of reformation was slowing down. He couldn''t keep up. How sad. And...WEAK.

    I continued crushing him to nothing without fail. And as I did so, I made sure to make it as agonizing as possible.

    At some point...he went into Spirit Shock. His own consciousness was breaking down.

    I didn''t care...

    More crushing.

    He called me weak. How dare he? More crushing, this time adding Respira to the mix.

    Nobody called me Weak. I had more than earned my strength. I was a God, a simple fact.

    I wasn''t weak.

    MORE CRUSHING. AND CRUSHING...

 Cosmic Authority.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    More crushing. Crush. Crush him. Crush it all.

    Crush EVERYTHING. Destroy it all. Tear everything apart. Reduce this entire realm into nothing.

    Respira Maximum!

    Black flames blazed in my eyes, burning without heat across my body.

    Then those flames fused with my Reiatsu, causing waves of decay energy to permeate out into the environment.

    The zone around me changed, the black fire burning the very air. My cloak of energy pulsed with Respira''s brand of unique energy.

    Even more flames rushed out. And in an instant, everything went silent. It was jarring. As if time itself had taken a break.

    I couldn''t sense or feel Nekron anymore. Not his consciousness nor his essence.

    ''Did I just accidentally annihilate his soul? How careless of me. The plan had been to devour him. Oh well.''

    He was only good for his memories anyway. The Realm was no longer shackled to him so I couldn''t get any more benefits from absorbing his soul.

    That''s why the sore loser had decided to destroy it all.

    ''Speaking of, shouldn''t there be a realm?

    I wondered, looking around and finding...well less of it.

    That''s when the haze cleared out. My anger subsided and I blinked.

    ''Did I do this...?''

    I thought to myself.

    The Land of the Unliving was reduced to what the phantom zone had looked like, before fusing it with my Inner World.

    Islands of floating rocks drifted lazily in space, going on for miles and miles.

    The floating rocks seemed to revolve around me in a controlled orbit, similar to the sun.

    In this case I was the sun, the center of it all. Simultaneously pulling them to me, Yet keeping them at bay by way of a strange force.

    The Respira Maxima channeled through my Reiatsu had also changed. The black flames shifting into a dark purple color. No doubt it was influenced by the color of my Reiryoku.

    The shadowy decay fused with the heavy Reiatsu, dancing around me in a chaotic rhythm, sending waves of heat and light outward at a controlled rate.

    The light illuminated the entire space my Reiatsu occupied.

    This seemed so familiar.

    I dove into my Reiatsu using Reikaku to enhance my senses.

    A whole new world appeared around me.

    Oh my.

    My Reiatsu was everywhere and simultaneously everything. And by everywhere I mean, it occupied the material and immaterial. The physical and the spiritual.

    Let me explain.

    You know gravity? Of course you do. It''s the thing that holds everything together. The canvas upon which reality rests.

    My Reiatsu emulated Gravity. It was gravity. It held the floating rocks up, attracting and repelling just enough that the rock islands would remain in the cycle indefinitely.

    All without colliding into one another. As stated before, the islands were numerous. Like an asteroid field on one of the rings of Saturn. Only in this case I was Saturn, only bigger.

    Confusing? Tell me about it. It was happening to me but even a simple explanation couldn''t suffice to paint the full picture.

    It was all too...unexpected and Strange. I had merely been aiming to punish Nekron but my anger had led to much more than that.

    In a way it felt...natural.

    The destruction of the Land of the Unliving. Or at least it''s metamorphosis into...this copy of a Star System.

    My Reikaku delved deeper, allowing me to see and understand more about this new space.

    There were tiny spatial fractures hanging around, pulling in matter and sending it elsewhere.

    To combat that however was my Reiatsu yet again. It was doing more than just emulating Gravity.

    It was closing those tiny cracks the second they appeared, fixing my created reality.

    How fascinating.

    Then came the physical objects. The contents in the soup that was My Reiatsu, so to speak. For example, the floating rocks.

    From the largest boulder to the tiniest pebble, everything was made of my energy. Of my Reiatsu. I''m not kidding.

    Respira Maxima had destroyed every single drop of foreign energy (Unliving energy), in my Spirit pressure zone. Naturally that meant even matter wasn''t spared.

    The floating rock islands were the remains of Nekron''s dimension only now they were filled to the brim with my essence. My mark so to speak.

    Down to the atom. Down to the very layer separating reality from unreality. Even the veil around my reality was made out of my own Energy.

    Reikaku was a massive help here. I finally got the full picture.

    Everything in the created reality, a stated before, revolved around me. Around my soul self. The core of my being.

    And radiating out from my core was my Reiatsu. Only it wasn''t merely just Spiritual Pressure anymore. Now it contained something else. A Universal truth.

    My very own COSMIC AUTHORITY. A present field in which I could do anything I wished.

    A combo of all I was as the Reaper.

    Tairyoku, Reiryoku and Fullbring all together with the essence of the Cardinal Sins and Respira Maxima.

    All my abilities, combined into one Influence. That of the Reaper.

    Culminating into my own Conceptual reality. My own Cosmic Authority.

    This is true power.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Everything orbiting around me was symbolic. It was a new state of being where I could create a stable existence on a whim.

    I was an actual God. Let that sink in. My strength, speed, durability and Energy Reserves already placed me above the likes of Darkseid and the Black Racer.

    Now that I could fuse all my abilities into one singular thing known as Cosmic Authority, I was untouchable. The potential things I could do with my Reiatsu were mind boggling.

    Like this, I could sneeze and kill the me from 3 days ago. The same guy who caused this whole thing to happen in the first place. Thanks me.

    As for how it could be three days?

    I guess I''d gotten caught up in my anger and lost track of time. Man,it had been some time before someone pissed off like that.

    But...

    The good thing was this-

    I call it the Davi Star System.

    There are no planets yet and it''s a bunch of rocks floating around but at least the Unliving Energy had cleared out, having been absorbed and broken down by Reiatsu.

    One might notice the similarities between Cosmic Authority and Nekron''s localized reality warping field. It was basically the same thing.

    My Cosmic Authority was a large zone around me that emulated a star system. Within the Davi Star System, which measured over a hundred light years across in its infancy, I could control everything.

    I was both God and the Devil.

    Yet...

    For all that power and influence, the Davi Star System felt incomplete and too small. To be fair, a hundred light years across was no joke.

    The Sol System where Earth was, measured 12 trillion miles across. In comparison, my Davi Star System was 50 times bigger.

    A part of me however, found it lacking. Davi Star System was created from the foundations of a massive Dimension. An afterlife no less. Meaning there had been no conceivable boundaries for the Land of the Unliving.

    There was still more I could do to upgrade it. My entire being demanded it. A bigger zone for my Cosmic Authority to work with only made sense.

    It''s time. That bastard Manhattan mst have foreseen this. That, despite my refusal I would end up doing it anyway...

    Here and now... I shall create the core of the Fifth World.

    Time lost all meaning...

    (General P.O.V)

    Surrounded by a field of energy, a group of individuals floated on top of a massive boulder in orbit around Davian.

    "Whew...I thought we were going to die."

    Grail said, breathing heavily while gazing up at the dark purple sky.

    "I expected this but not this fast. Or to such a degree."

    Manhattan muttered from her side, a shimmering blue barrier around the two of them.

    "You expected him to destroy the realm, almost killing us in the process?"

    Grail asked with a raise of her brows, propping herself up on her elbows.

    "Yes."

    Manhattan replied without hesitation.

    "The Reaper is in a state only few ever reach. He has begun crafting the seed of his own Reality. The creation of The Fifth World is underway. Everything else is inconsequential to him. Even us."

    Grail blinked, speechless. She thought she understood Davian but if anything, she was realizing how much of an Enigma he actually was.

    It was as if, his hidden layers had hidden layers.

    "Fifth world huh..."

    She muttered staring at the dark purple sun in the middle of the realm.

    And within the sun was a handsome man, body shrouded with black flames.

    "Yes."

    Dr.Manhattan</a> responded.

    Grail felt a shiver spread down her spine, and turned to stare at the blue Cosmic Entity behind her, meeting his soulless gaze.

    "Why are you staring at me like that?"

    She questioned with a frown.

    "The time has come, Daughter of Darkseid. The reason the Reaper spared you and your machinations was for Apokalips. Will you give up your heritage for his sake or not?"

    Manhattan''s question filled her with a strange feeling.

    Then her mind went back to the fight with her father''s forces. Davian had dominated the great Darkseid. For all her power, she knew she was weaker than Darkseid''s pinky finger.

    Yet Davian had halted his invasion and killed him.

    When all is said and done, Strength was might. And only the strong got to decide what they wanted.

    She made her choice.

    Eyes burning with resolve, she got to her feet, staring at the strongest man she had ever laid her eyes on. Davian Mabuz.

    "Anything the Reaper needs from me... I''ll provide."

    Unbeknownst to her, a small smile graced Manhattan''s face before it was quickly gone.

    "So be it."

    Manhattan replied,

    "Let us witness this momentous event. I assure you, few if any such beings can lay claim to the same."

    (With Chase)

    "Master Chesha Neko."

    Hal Jordan, who seemed to have gotten used to his role as The Captain of the Soul Lanterns, was on a knee behind Chase.

    "We are yours to command while the Lord is occupied."

    The rest of the Soul Lanterns had copied him, all million of them showing respect to the Purple Furred Zanpakuto Spirit.

    Chase on his part was staring at Davian. He, more than anyone else could feel what Davian was trying to do.

    "He is really going to attempt it now?"

    The Zanpakuto spirit muttered to himself.

    "Then again, he wouldn''t be Davi if he did the expected."

    The Cat spirit looked around.

    "However, to think he could create his own big bang and then use the resulting impact to combine everything into Reiatsu. How ingenious."

    And he was still far from being done.

    ''Which means...''

    Chase briefly turned his sights on Grail and Manhattan.

    ''He is going to need her soon. This created reality exists outside of time and space, meaning it needs a physical anchor. And what better anchor than Apokalips?''

    Things would only get rockier and meta from here.

    "I gotta get these brats out of here before they die by accident."

    Chase decided, a little of his attention split to maintain a barrier around the Soul Lanterns, protecting them from Davian''s Spirit pressure.

    Otherwise their souls would be instantly crushed.

    The cat turned around to face them.

    "Listen up. I am going to send you some place safer. I''ll bring you out when Davi is done doing his thing. We don''t want to interrupt or distract him, got it?"

    The Soul Lanterns lowered themselves to the ground even more.

    "Of course. Anything for the Reaper!"

    Hal stated with fervent dedication.

    """Anything for the Reaper!!"""

    999,999 more voices joined him in his declaration.

    ''Not bad.'' Chase thought to himself.

    ''Davi finally has an army of his own.''

    The trickster cat opened his jaws impossibly wide, and in one smooth motion, he sucked in the air. Or rather, the one million Soul Lanterns below him.

    They all disappeared into his open maw.

    His form turned into a shadow as he jumped off the rock island, flash stepping across the rest of the way, on a path to Manhattan and Grail.

    "Time for the next step. Preparations."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    It''s. Not. Working...

    Sweat poured down my face as I glared at the 2 glowing spheres of energy above my open palms.

    On my right hand was a light purple sphere of energy and on the left was a dark purple sphere.

    The light purple was the essence of my Inner World, the Graveyard. The entire Inner World had undergone changes however.

    It now looked like a veritable paradise. The dry and barren desert landscape of Hueco Mundo was replaced by verdant green hills and all manner of vegetation.

    Perhaps the biggest change was the Reishi, otherwise known as natural energy, that was passively being producing.

    The Dark Sphere on the other hand was this new Reality. The Davi Star System. One formed from the remains of the Land of Unliving.

    I was trying to fuse them together. That would in turn upgrade my Cosmic Authority.

    But it felt as if I was pushing against all of creation trying to combine the two realities. A barrier of energy separated the two and no matter what I did, I couldn''t get past it.

    Not even by using Fullbring to pull on the very souls of both realities worked.

    Okay, time to change tactics. What am I missing?

    My mind begun processing information faster than the fastest Supercomputer.

    I pushed Reikaku to it''s limit, trying to study both spheres and find out what was keeping them apart.

    "That''s it."

    I figured it out after a few more minutes of trial and error.

    The realities were too similar. Which you would think would be a good thing but it wasn''t.

    When you place like poles of two magnets near each other (north to north or south to south), they will repel each other.

    The same thing was happening here. I needed a counterforce. Or rather a binding agent. But what?

    Wait, the reason they repelled each other was because both realities were spiritual in a sense. Meaning they didn''t exist in the physical world.

    One was created from the remains of the Land of the Unliving which was an Afterlife and the other was my Inner World.

    Which existed only within me.

    So all I need is a physical anchor...

    My head whirled around, Reikaku extended out for hundreds of light years.

    There.

    I found who I was looking for, Grail. She was standing next to Chase and Manhattan on one of the floating rocks. Our eyes met and I knew she understood her role.

    Good. That saves me time.

    I stared at Chase and he nodded. A second later, his body unravelled into purple Strings that flooded the rock island, flowing around Grail.

    She closed her eyes, Chesha Neko''s threads spearing through her flesh without hurting her. It weaved through her muscles, her organs and bones, going even deeper.

    Upon reaching her eyes, I felt connected to a pool of infinite energy. The Omega Effect.

    But that was not my goal. The strings went even deeper, diving into the connection her soul had with the Omega Effect before finally...

    Got it. The blaze of heat from the firepits, the cloying stench of machines from a merciless world and the almost faded essence that belonged to Darkseid.

    The Fourth World. Apokalips.

    Grail''s body levitated up, covered in an intricate Chesha Neko thread armor.

    Thousands of feet above the Rock Island, her eyes started glowing red. Following that, scarlet beams of energy escaped them, shooting towards me at light speeds.

    The distance was cleared instantaneously. And the beams finally landed right in the middle of both spheres.

    A red sphere begun forming, the essence of the Fourth World collecting and being compressed. Immediately there was a pull from the new marble.

    Tendrils of energy extended from the left and the right, the light purple marble and the dark purple one.

    And then...

    I succeeded.

    The balls fused.

    Reality shattered.

 1000 years.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Everything disappeared and I was left in a featureless white space.

    The void. Oh great, I''m back here again.

    Nothing existed for infinite distance in all conceivable directions.

    I seemed to have been booted far away from the main DC Multiverse, as even the balls of universes I had grown accustomed to seeing were nowhere in sight.

    My Reikaku could cover at least a hundred billion light years. But a single universe in the Multiverse was at least 10 times that.

    //AN(TheDC universe has been stated to be bigger than our own universe which is 93 billion light years across)

    Despite that, nothing living or dead existed as far as I could sense. It was all void, void and more void around me.

    Speaking of, I was different as well. Differently dressed I mean.

    Looking down at my body...I was wearing a black Metallica T-shirt, one I used to own before.

    The t-shirt was paired up with grey khaki shorts and my old Nike Jordans covering my feet.

    Where did the clothes even come from?

    Using Reikaku to study them, I theorized what I had been wearing before had been destroyed, and Cosmic Authority had created these clothes from my memories as replacement.

    Nice.

    I brushed a hand over my Zanpakuto, not trusting my eyes. The familiar hard ridges of Chesha Neko''s handle assured me.

    Moving on, I noticed something strange.

    There was a thin film of energy around my form, warping and glowing golden.

    Probbing it revealed it was Cosmic Authority.

    The combination of all my powers. The strange aspect was the restriction on its size.

    Extending it out like before was impossible.

    The white space simply pushed back with equal intensity.

    I couldn''t impose the field over the void, especially when there was a slight pressure coming from it, as if the void sought to eject me from this space of non-existence.

    And the pressure was increasing. I suspected that without my Cosmic Authority, I would have gradually been crushed to nothing.

    This presented a question, why hadn''t we faced the same problem while traveling from the Bleachverse?

    ''It has to be the distance.''

    Maybe I was too far away from habitable space.

    Maybe it was the same concept as the Hyperbolic Time Chamber from Dragonball; the further in you walked, the more gravity increased and harsher the conditions became. (Thanks Nick for the memories of that anime, I wonder if one day I might fight Goku and the others.)

    But fighting was sadly not a top priority now.

    Note, that all of that was just conjecture.

    But I suspected I was right. Especially with the force acting on me seeming to grow stronger the longer I stayed in one place.

    To deal with it, I started moving, alleviating some of the pressure.

    I kept Reikaku extended out as far as I could, searching not only to find out where I was but for my companions.

    Where were Chase and the others? The million strong Soul Lanterns under my command, Manhattan and Grail.

    Even looking within me yielded no results. I couldn''t hear Chase''s voice.

    For the second time ever, his presence went missing.

    The first time had been intentional on his part. I had come to rely too much on his power and so he stayed silent to teach me a lesson.

    But this time, something was different. It was like the Void outside was reflected in me.

    Empty.

    I couldn''t even sense my Inner World, or the Davi Star System, nor the Fourth World, Apokalips.

    Wait...it wasn''t that I couldn''t sense them, it was that there was nothing to sense anymore. The realms seemed to have merged into something.

    Something that sat at the center of my being. A dense core of swirling white energy that made even me wary.

    It floated in the middle of my chest.

    Right where my Saketsu was.

    Probing the core with Reikaku revealed something noteworthy.

    Potent energy. Compressed to an unbelievable extent. Energy that upon release would most likely destroy an entire universe.

    Energy made up from 3 realms, 2 spirit dimensions and 1 physical one. Held together by Fullbring, given potential amd structure by the Hogyoku.

    I stopped prodding it. Who knew what would happen if I accidentally made it explode?

    I would probably die in the aftermath. All my senses pointed to this happening. Not even Cosmic Authority would save me then.

    "Chase!"

    I called out once more, just like I had done a few times before.

    "Grail!"

    Yet even with enhancing my voice, the sound travelled only a few inches away before disaapearring.

    The Void rejected and ejected everything.

    Then, could it mean that Chase and the others had been sent away before being crushed? Or maybe they were crushed into nothing to the point not even their souls remained. Not everyone had Cosmic Authority protecting them.

    "You''re worrying too much."

    I slapped my face lightly.

    Dr. Manhattan was with them. And given that we were the same level powerwise, (in terms of how much damage we could deal and how much we could take, we were equal) they were probably fine.

    I needed to focus on something else.

    I needed to figure out what all this was. I had a feeling I was ''Meant'' to do something here but I didn''t know what.

    Oh well, time to tour the place. Maybe I can even get some training in. It''s been long since I felt the gains.

    (??? P.O.V)

    My poor child.

    He''s been through so much.

    What kind of mother am I? I made a promise to myself that I would be nothing like my own parents.

    But, I still abandoned him, my own child.

    At least our mother tried to raise us before giving up, ( apparently she had better things to do) that''s Mother Night for you, heart as cold and dark as the primordial edict of darkness she symbolized.

    But at least she tried. I never did. I didn''t get to hold him long enough to know if I even wanted to.

    Raising an Endless was no easy task. Especially one sharing the same edict I did...

    Death.

    The mirror of life. Yet there was more...

    Something he was yet to awaken from his father''s side. The Lord of Balance was more powerful than I could ever hope to be.

    Davian was only one boy out of his numerous powerful children. But out of them all, he was the one most like his Dad.

    Which meant his potential was limitless.

    What a strong child, within half a year he has transcended to heights unknown to creatures even older than I am.

    He''s clearly ready.

    Worry not, son. I might not be able to talk to you but I''m always watching. Death is after all everywhere.

    And for missing your birthday, I have a present...

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    How long has it been?

    Honestly I had no idea.

    Though it felt like a few months.

    I''d been constantly on the move, never staying in one place for too long.

    I had no need for food or sleep, my body could exist, powered by my own Power. Tairyoku to be exact.

    I hadn''t simply been idle, either.

    Reikaku was still extended out as far as I could stretch it, covering hundreds of billions of light years. Yet nothing came up on it''s radar.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    But that didn''t discourage me. I looked at it as some form of training.

    A few more months passed.

    Due to constant use, I had refined the use of Reikaku, enough that I could even sense the microscopic layer of the Void.

    However while reality was made up of 3 elementary components, time, space and particles...no matter the scale, the void was as empty as ever.

    I ran a few more experiments.

    By removing a few rations from my pocket dimension, detaching and weaving a few of Chesha Neko''s threads and throwing the Rations into the void, they were instantly rejected and sent away.

    I could still sense my threads afterwards, which meant the void wasn''t destroying matter, just expelling it.

    I couldn''t teleport away on my own power but at least if I ever get desperate or tired of this place, I had a way to leave.

    A few years passed.

    By now I had figured out a way to tell time by studying the compressed ball of energy floating in my chest.

    It kept on passively absorbing energy from me.

    I noted the rate of the absorption and came up with a system to tell how much time passed.

    That meant heavy and long calculations.

    Nothing my mind couldn''t handle.

    But there was more. I started actively sending in more energy into the ball.

    The ball grew even scarier. It''s size remained the same but it''s color changed.

    The white sphere gaining flecks of different colored starlight.

    Soon enough a decade went by.

    I grew accustomed to Cosmic Authority, learning how to control my combined energies efficiently.

    I had been wasteful before but now not a wisp of power was lost.

    Despite a decade passing, the environment hadn''t changed. It was all white everywhere I looked.

    I even increased my flight speed to it''s limit, remaining at a constant 100 times the speed of light.

    A ray of golden energy, cutting through empty space, alone in the endless void.

    I felt like I could go even faster.

    I hadn''t really thought about it but what was stopping me from pushing my limits?

    So I begun to send all the energy I could spare,(most of it was being absorbed by the ball of compressed power in me) into improving.

    The ball had grown in size as well.

    After 10 years of shoving in enough potent energy to destroy dozens of universes, I guess it made sense it would get bigger.

    Whoa. This is unexpected.

    A couple of months later, I got the idea to pull in outside energy and guide it to the marble.

    It was just something that occured to me as I was observing the energy composition of the golden marble. It wasn''t made of a single energy.

    My cosmic authority was the combination of Reiryoku, Fullbring, Tairyoku and the essence of the Seven Deadly Sins; demonic energy. The Hogyoku kept it all together.

    The marble was a pot that contained all these different energies, swirling in a chaotic soup of potential.

    I wonder what would happen if I added more various energies.

    The plan worked.

    A few weeks after getting the idea, I used my innate connection with the Speed Force to pull in its energy from the outside.

    Remember, whatever my strings tapped into, a metaphysical connection would be created. One that couldn''t be broken by distance or time.

    It was just there. A phantom link.

    I learned to harness the speed force in it''s entirety, adding it to the marble in my chest while also improving my own speed.

    Shunpo evolved in response to that. And golden streaks of lightning sparked and zapped the void around me.

    My speed shot up even more. I was now moving a thousand times my previous speeds, making it 10,000 times the base speed of light.

    Lightspeed was the universal speed limit. Anything with mass approaching this limit required an infinite amount of energy to maintain or exceed that speed.

    This being the void, the energy requirements were even more outrageous.

    For the first time ever, I felt a constant drain on my reserves.

    This revelation spurred me on. It meant I could get stronger. By perceiving the limits to my personal power, I could work to break past that limit.

    I increased my speed even more.

    Time manipulation, dimension crossing, molecular vibration, osscilation, cloning...

    All the base abilities of a speedster.

    I learned them. I even learned how to incorporate the skills to my own catalogue of abilities.

    In the end, I fused the Speedforce energy I was receiving into Shunko; a higher application of Shunpo and Kido.

    I could say with absolute certainty, I was one of, if not the fastest speedster in all of creation.

    The marble sphere within me was the size of a golf ball by now.

    So I slowed down after decades of nonstop flight and power experimentation.

    I stopped, settling in a meditative state and delved into the marble.

    If before, the energy within was capable of destroying a universe, now it was potent enough to destroy an entire cluster of universes.

    How terrifying.

    I wonder...

    I focused and then begun to compress it even more. Veins spread out across my body, waves of golden aura escaping into the void...and permeating it!

    Even the void couldn''t get rid of it.

    More time passed and when I was done, the marble was back to the size of a watermelon seed.

    I kept on flying and when that grew boring, I trained by using Shunko to clear massive distances.

    When that got boring as well, I begun to work on my other abilities.

    Mainly I focused on practicing my sword skills.

    While Shiva had taught me her own style of fighting, it was mostly suited for someone with skills but not power.

    I had more power than skills. To remedy that, I decided to create my own set of sword skills.

    One that utilized my Cosmic Authority to it''s fullest.

    Surrounded by millions of my own clones, all wielding Chesha Neko, their bodies pulsing with Cosmic Authority, the fight begun.

    Sword blades shot out, devastating demonic lightning painted the canvas of white space with purple brushes of energy.

    Massive flesh constructs powered by the Speedforce and Tairyoku attacked me with impunity.

    It was pandemonium.

    And the result was not unexpected.

    I lost.

    Not once not twice.

    Everytime I had these training sessions,

    I lost and lost and lost and lost.

    Time kept moving.

    3 centuries went by. It was still only the void.

    A few interesting things happened during that time.

    I compressed the marble ball within me a couple more instances. Each time it grew more concentrated, the aura of danger coming off it increased.

    And every second, I kept shoving in all the energy I could spare.

    I had no idea how powerful it was now.

    After using Speedforce energy for so long, something strange occured.

    My Cosmic Authority begun to produce it passively. It just happened. Like Thawne''s negative speed force, I could use the field of power to basically do everything a normal speedster could do.

    This led to me wondering what else my Cosmic Authority field was capable of.

    So I used the rest of my innate connections.

    I was connected to demonic energy through the essence of the Seven Deadly Sins. But Demonic Energy was not as useful as Speedforce energy, so I left it alone.

    That left me with a few more options.

    Darkseid''s Omega Sanction, The emotional electromagnetic spectrum and divine energy from the Hand of God and Devil Energy from the Hand of the Devil.

    That said, the latter two were impossible to decipher. I spent 5 full years trying to understand the core intricacies of my Bankai but came up empty each time.

    Even using Reikaku, all I got was the sensation of boundlessness. Things would be easier of Chase was around.

    With that failure, I changed gears and decided to focus exclusively on deciphering the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum.

    My connection came from Obsidian.

    Having used Chesha Neko to tank his attacks, as well as undoing the damage caused by his fake Life Equation, a connection had been formed between me and the Lantern corps.

    The Life Equation had corrupted every single Lantern Corp with the exception of the Orange Lanterns.

    Deciphering these emotions was much easier than understanding how the Speedforce worked.

    As a bonus, I gained connection to the Omega Sanction, a field of energy that basically had one job...destruction. It''s destructive capacity was at level with Respira.

    Unfortunately, thet made it''s use in combat rather redundant.

    The same could be said for the Emotional Electromagnetic spectrum.

    None of the Lantern corps possessed abilities I didn''t particularly already have.

    Especially with Chesha Neko''s string capabilities.

    Once my Cosmic Authority field started passively producing the Emotional Spectrum, I felt a connection slot in place and 9 rings were created on my fingers.

    Each one symbolized an emotion.

    Blue ring for Hope, green ring for Will, Orange for Avarice, Yellow for Fear, Red for rage, Indigo for Compassion and Violet for the Star Sapphire''s love.

    The last two rings were...weird to say the least.

    On the thumb of my left hand was a black ring. This ring felt like UnLiving energy. The less potent death energy from Nekron.

    I had the most connection with this ring. Though it was the most redundant out of the others.

    On the thumb of my right hand was a White Ring. It was on par with the black and a direct antithesis to it.

    This ring felt like a combination of all the other rings excluding the black one. The energy it exuded was also similar to Tairyoku or rather, Raven who was a life entity.

    All the power of the electromagnetic spectrum in my hands. Yay...

    Was this what Darkseid had been going for? As expected of a loser.

    Despite the cool factor, the electromagnetic spectrum added Zero to my abilities.

    It''s only use was the energy it produced. Energy I immediately sent to the marble in my chest.

    Now that I had grown a bit more powerful, I decided to have another fight with my clones.

    This time I added a million to the initial million.

    Now I was facing a force of 2 million Davians. Each a master of death. Each with access to my abilities except for Bankai.

    That meant Shikai, Cosmic Authority and Kido.

    Thankfully they had no will of their own, just my combat skills and battle instincts.

    I lost, miserably infact.

    500 years had passed since I found myself in this place.

    My Metallica T-Shirt, Khaki shorts and Jordans had long since worn away and broken down despite being creations of Cosmic Authority.

    I blame the clones and their relentless attacks. Tch, bastards.

    I weaved new clothes from Chesha Neko''s strings and kept moving.

    700 years in,

    I created the foundation of my own personal sword skills.

    After facing defeat for so long, I had had enough.

    I called them, the Death God Sword Arts. A style that incorporated the pinnacle of my understanding of death, the ceasing of life and my Blade.

    Using them, I won my first fight against 3 million of my clones.

    One single slash...and the entire Void, at least the zone around us quivered at the power behind the strike.

    The attack plowed through hastily created string shields, bypassed their fields of Cosmic authority entirely and turned them into nothing.

    For Death is the absence of life. The final state of being...

    Death God Sword Art first Stage:- Non-Existence.

    I resolved to never use it in the real world, else I might split the Universe in two.

    800 years in,

    I had fought against 5 million of my clones...

    But they all fell to the first stage of my Sword Art.

    Not even 10 or 20 million could defend against it.

    I changed tactics. It wasn''t a number''s game anymore.

    What I medded was quality opponents. That desire led to me creating a measly thousand clones and then allowing them to use Bankai.

    Oh boy.

    It wasnt even a tough battle.

    I lost almost immediately.

    Bringing Bankai into the mix complicated things and I found myself barely keeping up.

    It was clear the first stage of the Death God Sword Arts while powerful, was not enough.

    The marble ball within me had grown back to the size of a golfball.

    I spent a few years compressing it down.

    At this point, I was following an instinct, one that told me to keep on pushing more power into the marble.

    900 years in,

    After losing several times, even against 100 clones, I finally understood why Bankai was the ultimate equilizer.

    You need to understand something.

    Cosmic Authority was a field of energy that allowed me to do anything.

    I could break down air molecules and build them back up into an ice cream cone. I could turn my enemies into Earthworms.

    I could create real life, with a soul, personality and past.

    There was nothing I couldn''t do. That said, Cosmic Authority could be stopped or negated by a being stronger than me.

    Bankai was a different story.

    I could control the web of existence using it. And even in this void where there was nothing, I could control my own strings of existence, making myself as powerful as I could imagine.

    That was the true power of Bankai. And the Clones abused it with Impunity.

    And without using it myself, nothing in my Arsenal could beat that.

    So I created the Second Stage of the Death God Sword Art.

    Death God Sword Art Second Stage: Void Thrust.

    Void Thrust was as you guessed it, inspired by the void.

    By thrusting out, I could create a beam of death energy that would pierce through everything, targeting the core of the soul.

    The First Stage: Non-existence destroyed everything in it''s path, shields, the body and soul

    But it could be dealt with by my Bankai. The clones simply manipulated their threads of existence and tanked it.

    Yeah...you heard me right.

    The Second Stage:- Void Thrust targeted the core of everything.

    Where all the strings of the target''s existence converged.

    There was no blocking it, only evading.

    But how could you avoid an attack that was thousands of times faster than light?

    Suffice it to say, I won.

    Even against a thousand of my own clones with Bankai''s active...

    It was a tough battle that pushed me to my limits( still wasn''t using Bankai)

    But I won.

    1000 years passed,

    I finally came across something.

    It was at the very edge of my Reikaku''s range.

    It just...appeared, shaking me to my core.

    A collosal mountain of incredible size. For a second, I thought it was the boundaries of an Universe.

    Then it started moving towards me, faster than even I could fly, covering millions of light years in a split second.

    It was as if the void around us had no hold on this thing.

    And whatever it was, the aura it exuded...

    "Fuck...this is bad."

    I muttered.

    Even a billion Davian clones wouldn''t stand up to it. It was just that strong.

    The risk of dying if I fought this thing was high. So why was there a hungry smile on my face?

    Why was my heart pumping with anticipation?

    Why was my hand around Chesha Neko trembling with the urge to attack first?

    Had staying in the void for a thousand years made me crazier than before?

    As the being''s humongous shape finally appeared in my vision, I found the answer to my questions.

    I was a slave to getting stronger. And even against Insurmountable odds, there was no way I would ever retreat.

    It had been a thousand years since I fought someone powerful...I was eager to see how much strength I now had.

 GOD

    Chapter 187: GOD.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I whistled.

    The pressure the entity brought with it was immense.

    The film of Cosmic Authority covering my form flared up, pushing back against it''s weight.

    It wasn''t even here yet!

    Chesha Neko''s handle was firmly held within my hand in preparation for a fight.

    More and more of the being''s form was revealed, shocking me to my core. It was...even larger than a universe.

    And most of it''s mass was still hidden under layers of obscure space. The only reason I could perceive it''s actual size was due to the shape of it''s soul.

    The soul provided the template for the body. And vice versa.

    Speaking of which... The soul itself was weird. I couldn''t exactly pinpoint why, but it felt like...even with my absolute control over souls, this one was out of my reach.

    As the being got closer and closer, so was my vision completely obstructed from the view of the void behind it.

    Judging from its shape, it resembled a dragon. A violet colored dragon with scales that glowed with infernal power.

    It had a huge head, with completely yellow eyes that I couldn''t tell whether they were looking at me or through me.

    The head led down to a long neck, a distinctly feminine Torso with long powerful limbs topped with sharp claws, and massive wings that spanned the length of several universes.

    Finally it''s tail was a long serpent, topped with mishappen purple and Black spikes on it''s spine. The spikes climbed down to the tip which was a terrifying cobra like head.

    The head danced in the void behind it, caught in a mind numbing choreography with the beat of it''s wings.

    Speaking of wings, they blanketed the whole void, a shadow actually forming under it!

    "Impossible."

    I murmured to myself.

    The void rejected anything and everything. Including me! The only reason I could stay was due to Cosmic Authority.

    Yet this thing was capable of casting a shadow in a place with no concept of light, except it''s own.

    I tensed.

    Was the difference in power that great?

    As if I wasn''t wary enough, a storm of sound exploded out of it''s mouth, displaying sharp teeth that at the bare minimum had to be billions of miles long.

    I won''t lie, I gulped.

    Cosmic Authority flared up as the storm of sound reached me even at my distance.

    "I am the Ultimator! Personification of the 10th dimension! The Ultimate Dimension of All!! Tremble at my Power!!"

    The storm of sound turned into intelligible words.

    The Ultimator? Personification of the 10th Dimension? There was a tenth dimension?! What the fuck! How did I not know that?!

    "I am the material manifestation of Implicate/ Explicate reality. I am what was, what shall be, what can be, what should be, what would be, what might be and of course...what IS!"

    Another storm of Sound reached me, this one blowing my hair back.

    This time I had a response for it.

    "I. Don''t. Care! Death God Arts first Stage: Non-existence!"

    I twirled Chesha Neko, it''s sharp edge glowing with an ebony energy.

    Then I swung it, unleashing a wide arc that slightly resembled a getsuga tensho, only impossibly larger (longer than 2000 Burj khalifas stacked together) and more powerful.

    The attack sailed the length of space between the Ultimator and I. I diverted a little of the energies I was sending into the marble within me, shooting forward at impossible speeds.

    Non-existence reached Ultimator, splashing across its scales harmlessly. But I knew that attack wouldn''t have worked, which is why I was right behind it, ready to perform my coup de grace.

    "Death God arts Second Stage: Void-"

    "You''re a feisty one!"

    The Dragon like being whispered in a distinctly feminine voice. Even it''s whisper contaimed enough power to throw me back, disrupting my focus.

    "Survive this! Ant!"

    Energy gathered at the space in front of both it''s mouths, the draconic one and the serpentine one.

    I jumped back, a shunpo barely bursting out of my heels before the space I was in was blasted to kingdom come by two massive violet suns.

    I strafed to the right, running along the Entity''s side without looking back. Reikaku aready informed me of what I would find...twisting chaotic space as the void tried to expell the energy of both attacks.

    Slightly clicking my tongue, I unleashed another Non-existence slash, knowing fully well that it wouldn''t be effective.

    But it wasn''t supposed to be. I. Just needed cover.

    The attack headed for it''s neck. Once again there was an impact that produced a shockwave, one that rippled out into the void as whisps of black energy.

    Ultimator swept out it''s wings, producing a powerful gale of energy that I leapt over, Shunpo depositing me one top of its head.

    Every creature despite its size or power had a major weakness. The eyes.

    "Death God Arts Second Stage: Void Thrust!"

    The attack activated seamlessly, and a sharp anavoidable beam shot out of Chesha Neko''s tip, crossing the distance quite quickly.

    "Let''s see you dodge that!"

    I couldn''t help but laugh in glee.

    There was nothing I couldn''t reap! Nothing I couldn''t kill!

    "And fast too."

    Another storm of sound left its mouth.

    Then the beam landed on its eyes, and it pierced right through, attacking the core of its soul.

    Through Reikaku...I felt something shift.

    The attack had undoubtedly connected and a Soul had died, it''s threads of existence cut off from reality as a whole. Yet...

    That soul was merely one in an infinite number of souls within Ultimator.

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    "It is my sacred destiny to ingest all other dimensions and lifeforms. To make them part of myself. Four dimensions have already fallen to me! Yours shall be the fifth!"

    The storm of sound blasted into my ears and I finally understood what I was facing.

    So that was why it''s Soul felt so weird. This creature with a stupid name like the ''Ultimator'' was as it claimed, the actual Personification of an entire dimension!

    The number of souls it held within it''s body was almost infinite. Four dimensions worth of souls. That was like four Multiverses!

    And given that dimensions scale up in power...it was strange that I could even perceive it, let alone attack it.

    Yeah...I''m outta here.

    Without a second thought, I turned tail and ran, pushing my speed to the limit.

    Millions of light years were crossed in an instant, the golden sparks of my self produced Speed Force providing me with propulsion.

    I could stay and fight but it would be eons before I destroyed the souls within it just to get to it''s true self.

    And not to mention, I could die in the process!

    Through Reikaku, I felt it shift its collosal form, wings flapping as it followed after me.

    "Leaving so soon!?"

    A storm of sound reached me.

    I chanced a look back and gaped, the distance I had cleared in an instant, was cleared by Ultimator in the fraction of that instant!

    A shadow appeared above and below me, it''s jaws closing in on my body, even at the speed I was going at.

    Fuck... I wasn''t going to outran it.

    "Alright! Let''s see you deal with this! Shikai!"

    Reiryoku roared within my Zanpakuto, strings tangling and untangling in the air, weaving over a thousand of me.

    They stood their ground, each of them releasing the Death God Arts point blank at it''s open mouth.

    While I couldn''t kill it, I could still hurt it enough that I could escape.

    What I wasn''t expecting was for it to screech. This screech was different from the storm of sound it produced whenever it spoke.

    It was cutting, it was targeting and it was disorienting.

    Immediately, my mind was rendered numb! And my whole body couldn''t move.

    Not even to stare behind me, witnessing aa death came for the Reaper.

    My thread clones were forcefully unravelled into strings that were then destroyed in the resulting vibrations produced by the screech.

    The jaws clamped down on my form and I was swallowed whole.

    Death for the first time ever, came to me.

    The loss of life was something intriguing. It wasn''t a Loss so much as a transition from a physical form into a spiritual one.

    And that''s what happened.

    I closed my eyes expecting pain and unending torment...but it never came.

    I opened my eyes and found myself in what appeared to be a wide cavern with glowing violet walls.

    Far off, were tall white towers that I recognized as teeth. Which made the cavern its mouth.

    The ground was fleshy but even attacking it with Respira yielded no results.

    The walls begun to vibrate ominously. I pulled Cosmic Authority around me, enhancing my durability in anticipation of an attack.

    It didn''t help. Something about this entity and vibrations was strange. It was akin to living sound. The screech from earlier had freezed my movements.

    The vibrations surged out, humming through my Cosmic Authority like it wasn''t even there...

    And then my body simply disappeared, unravelling into a stream of energy that joined the Ultimator''s boundless form.

    I became just another victim.

    (General P.O.V)

    "Mmhhh delicious..."

    The Ultimator said to itself after swallowing and processing that Upstart.

    She had felt his aura and been intrigued by it. It''s not everytime that one came across such a powerhouse.

    Especially one with the distinct aura of an Endless.

    His soul was probably the purest she had ever seen! And that was taking into account that she had devoured countless of them.

    All that was left was for her to process the energy from his soul, then she would have enough power to go back after those Imps.

    They had dared to push her out. But with her might and the power of the Reaper, the Fifth Dimension would be hers to devour! Then the Fourth and the third, and the second and everything! Including the source.

    Oh how she was excited!

    She coiled her form onto the ground, smoke escaping her nostrils.

    She was running into a slight problem processing the soul, but her prey''s body was already dissolved into her.

    The soul would follow. It was only a matter of time. Her mouth contained the edict of devour, there was nothing she couldn''t absorb.

    Though instead of outrightly merging it''s essence with her soul, she wanted to burn it, cause it unending torture for thinking it could oppose her.

    Months went by as she fell into an undisturbed slumber. This was the reason she enjoyed spending time in the Void. Nothing and no one would disturb her here.

    Months turned to years.

    Years to decades...

    Then something changed.

    Ultimator stiffened.

    Why was her energy being drained? All of it, the violet light glowing across her scales was dimming, steadily being absorbed by something at the center of her chest.

    She tried to stand up, only for her legs to quiver with sudden weakness. She tried to flap her wings, but they didn''t respond.

    Ultimator raised her head to the empty sky and howled in pain and a new emotion, fear. Pure unmitigated terror.

    Because...

    It was taking it all!!

    She turned her focus within her...and paled!

    All her souls! An almost infinite amount were gone!!

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Oh yeah.

    The feeling of gaining them gainz is...indescribable.

    The elation at absorbing my enemy''s own power and adding it to my own had never felt this good.

    One might call it cheating, I call it... Yeah it''s cheating. But who gives a shit? I was ready to burst with power. Literally.

    The ball of energy within my Saketsu had finally reached critical.

    After feeding it my energy for 1000 years, then absorbing Ultimator''s numerous souls, converting them into power by energy transference...the ball had changed from golden to a pure white sphere the size of a grape.

    And now I knew what to do.

    The reason I had been stuck here for a thousand years. Alone in the endless void.

    It was to create.

    The seed had matured.

    And all I had to do was...let it bloom.

    Thank you, Ultimator for devouring my body, otherwise this would have hurt like a bitch. Your fault for allowing a master of souls access to your endless amounts of them.

    I had been biding my time. And now, this is payback.

    Right at the core of Ultimator''s self, I reached into my Saketsu, pulling out the matured seed of the fifth World.

    My world.

    "Bloom."

    The energy within went erratic.

    I didn''t look away for even an instant. I wanted to watch the whisps of white as they surged out, hear the void as it trembled, crying out in alarm at the power I was outputting.

    It''s hard for humanity to grasp something on the scale of galactic, let alone universal.

    It was sudden.

    A big bang.

    With me at the epicenter.

    Ultimator''s body was immediately shredded into nothing as potent power filled the void, changing its structure, giving it meaning, expelling the void as the energy imposed itself onto space that shouldn''t exist.

    The void was torn away by the power, leaving true nothingness around me. No white space, no void. Just a soul with intent floating in the aftermath of Great Destruction.

    For one single second, I felt it.

    The Space above all space, the gray Void.

    A dimension a few steps higher than where I was. The space the Land of the UnLiving occupied was as stated before, a spiritual one.

    And so was my own Inner World. The fusion of both resulted in something similar, only instead of calling it spiritual, I termed it as ''Unphysical.''

    That was because I could still bring it out, by imposing my Cosmic Authority into the material world.

    And within that field, I was God. The only way to defeat me would be to directly suppress my Cosmic Authority with your own.

    And even with that, I still had a few tricks up my sleeve. Bankai gave me control and destruction over the Grid, the Web of existence.

    Using Bankai in tandem with Cosmic Authority and I would be hard pressed to think of someone who could defeat me. Maybe those monsters who had millions of years on me.

    That was not adding the endless amounts of soul energy at my disposal, left over from devouring Ultimator.

    All in all I was powerful. The most powerful I had ever been.

    BUT.

    The gray space I briefly sensed in the wake of the Big Bang...it was something extraordinary.

    Something not just anyone could touch upon.

    It felt...empty for most of its endless area. As if in wait.

    The Void above the Void. The highest dimension.

    And just before my perception was pushed out, I felt him.

    The Lord of All Balance.

    And then I blinked. The memory of what I had seen was scrubbed from my mind and call me cautious...but I wasn''t eager to figure out whatever that had been.

    All too soon my perception was pulled back into what was happening around me.

    The pressure wave from the big bang overtook the light, clearing trillions of light years all around, stealing area from the void.

    Following the shockwave, blinding light erupted, tearing through the fabric of nothingness. I beheld the birth of a universe.

    My Universe. A spectacle beyond comprehension.

    Through Reikaku, nothing was hiddden from my gaze.

    Streams of energy danced in chaotic harmony, giving rise to particles that ignited the cosmic canvas.

    Explosions of unimaginable force echoed through the vastness, creating galaxies, stars, and nebulae.

    Time itself seemed to shudder as the universe unfurled its magnificent tapestry.

    I watched as space expanded, stretching like a cosmic symphony.

    The dance of matter and energy played out in a cosmic ballet, each movement leaving a trace in the fabric of existence.

    Gravity emerged, afirve I felt even as a soul. It weaved the threads of reality into intricate patterns, a symphony of creation, a celestial masterpiece unfolding before my ethereal senses.

    In those first fleeting moments, the laws of physics wove themselves into the very fabric of the cosmos.

    Forces intertwined, matter coalesced, and the elemental building blocks of reality crystallized.

    I wished Chase was here to see this.

    The universe, in its nascent glory, unfolded its wings, embracing the potential for infinite possibilities.

    As the cosmic chaos settled into a delicate order, I felt a profound sense of awe.

    The beauty of creation, the elegance of the unfolding cosmos, resonated with a harmony that transcended understanding.

    The melody of birth, of Tairyoku in naked pride, the dance of particles, and the grandeur of celestial bodies, all came together and formed a breathtaking spectacle.

    And as I lingered in that cosmic vantage point, witnessing the birth of the universe, a whisper echoed through the vastness.

    "It''s beautiful."

    The words escaped my essence, a simple acknowledgment of the pinnacle my journey had taken me to.

    My own reality.

    My own Universe.

    My own existence.

    Cosmic Authority roared out now that the void wasn''t actively trying to supress me. It filled the entire, newly created space.

    And I could finally sense everything, control everything.

    I was truly GOD.

 The Quintessence.

    Volume 4: The Reaper.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Main DC Universe)

    Earth.

    An enduring planet.

    Probably the most resilient and well protected place in the entire universe.

    In the same way, also the riskiest place to live.

    And that was due to the large number of heroes; Each dedicated to safeguarding the birthplace of humanity.

    And the villains that oppossed them; each dedicated to causing as much trouble and chaos as they could.

    On this day however, things were different.

    Peaceful.

    Never had an enemy stronger than the combined might of the world, arrived on Earth and made a simple request, all without resorting to violence.

    The Justice League and the leaders of the UN, some of the most influential figures in society, were in meeting with the group which had introduced itself as The Quintessence.

    The meeting took place in the UN. The location the Quintessence had teleported in. A bright flash of white lightning heralding their arrival.

    They seemed well versed in Earth''s politics and governing system. At least enough to request for an audience with the leaders of the world.

    From there it had been a scramble to get the news out and call in the League. After all, they handled this kind of business.

    The Watchtower was of course updated on everything happening across the globe, it didn''t take long for the full might of the Justice League, almost all members to arrive on scene.

    *******

    John Stewart was immediately taken aback by the central figure of the Quintessence. A group of 6 distinct alien entities.

    "Ganthet?!"

    The Green Lantern had exclaimed, cameras flashing around them.

    "John."

    Ganthet had nodded in greeting.

    "I apologize for stopping by without warning, but the matter at hand could not wait."

    "Lady Hera."

    Wonder Woman, floating by Superman''s side had immediately gone down on a knee upon spotting the tall and beautiful woman beside Ganthet.

    She was the prime example of a mature woman, her waist was thin, hips were wide and her entire body glowed with divine energy.

    Her face possessed an uncanny otherworldly beauty and her bearing was unmistakably Royal.

    The goddess of childbirth and marriage, the queen of Olympus, Hera.

    Hera had sneered down at Wonder Woman, but otherwise chose to stay silent.

    While she absolutely abbhored any of her Husband''s bastards, she was smart enough to see the bigger picture.

    The Gods had chosen a side. And the enemy standing in opposition to them required nothing but absolute cooperation. That meant whatever allies they could find.

    He was just that powerful.

    "I feel like a monkey on display." Highfather standing on Ganthet''s other side had complained at the flashing cameras and the attention on them.

    They were in a courtyard adjacent to the Conference Building.

    Surrounded by UN peacekeepers; military personnel from across the entire planet and the bane of anyone caught in controversy, the press.

    The Justice League on their part, stood directly opposite the Quintessence.

    The two groups had some measure of privacy as the zone around them was left empty. The onlookers wary of getting caught in the crossfire, if it came to blows.

    "Why did you set our arrival point to such a noisy location, Wizard?"

    Highfather had grumbled some more.

    "We do not have time to scour the Entire Universe for him."

    Ganthet had spoken out in defense to Mamaragan, the Wizard Shazam.

    "Even divining his location has failed. This is naturally the only other option."

    "Indeed."

    The Wizard had replied, eyes briefly landing on Shazam whose face was filled with many questions.

    ''He''s matured.''

    The Wizard had thought to himself. The Billy he knew would have abandoned all protocol and etiquette and jumped in to catch up, or rather demand answers that The Wizard was wary to give.

    He didn''t forget what he had sacrificed for this.

    Just remembering Rama Kushna''s disappointed look almost made his guilt overwhelm his conviction to see this through.

    ''I''m doing all this for you Billy. So that you don''t have to face that Monster.''

    With all of the League mostly gathered, the last member arrived in style.

    A green batwing touched down on the courtyard with nary a sound, a breeze surging out and ruffling the flags of the member nations built along the second floor hallway.

    The same hallway that connected the Conference building to the General Assembly Complex.

    The Batwing dissipated into will energy, losing its form and structure, leaving behind it''s pilot, the Emerald Knight (Batman), covered in a green shroud.

    Ganthet''s face had soured. Strangely enough, the League hadn''t seemed happy to see him either.

    That was a few minutes ago.

    Now they were inside the Conference Building and Ganthet had the stage.

    "People of Earth."

    He started, addressing the Ambassadors and delagates in attendance.

    "My name is Ganthet and I am a Guardian, part of the Green Lantern corps and a friend to many of your beloved sentinels."

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    "Sentinels? Is he talking about us?"

    Shazam whispered to Flash who shushed him, uncharacteristically serious.

    The League sat on the left side of the stage, while the rest of the Quintessence occupied the right, though the Spectre hovered above his seat, an imposing figure radiating power.

    "Behind me,"

    Ganthet continued with a gesture of his hand,

    "Are members of the Quintessence. A group of the Highest Order of beings, charged with the protection of the universe. We are mere observers. Only intervening when we need to."

    "And what is your business here?"

    Superman, the one chosen to be the League''s representative inquired.

    "We are after a dangerous Individual."

    Ganthet replied, his tone going low.

    "This man."

    With a wave of his hand, a green pannel created from Will Energy appeared above Ganthet''s palm.

    A gasp went through the crowd of officials. The common man probably wouldn''t recognize him at first glance, but the attendees knew him. They were after all government officials.

    """It''s him."""

    """ The Reaper."""

    """ I heard he destroyed Gotham, and then brought it back."""

    """ He sank an island in the Caribbean!"""

    A few commentaries were audible from those who recognized him.

    "That''s-"

    The Flash muttered in surprise.

    "Davian Mabuz. Otherwise known as the Reaper."

    The Emerald Knight stated from his seat, interlocking his fingers together.

    "I should have expected this. Only one man can bring this kind of attention and heat to the planet."

    The Emerald Knight added, eyes narrowed under his green cowl.

    "I''m sorry. Heat?"

    Green Arrow questioned, not expecting an answer. They had grown used to this version of Batman.

    He was essentially just a honorary member of the League at this point. Most often than not, he wouldn''t bother coming for the League''s meetings.

    "You can''t sense it, but while Ganthet, Hera and the Wizard are powerful, the other two are the problem. One of them is of course, the Spectre. The other..."

    The Emerald Knight trailed off.

    "Is someone just as if not more dangerous."

    Zatara cut in gravely. The league turned to the magician.

    "You don''t know who he is. But I do."

    Zatara further explained.

    "His name has been lost to time, or maybe he never had one to begin with. So he goes by another. The Phantom Stranger."

    "This is so not how I thought my Saturday morning would go."

    The Flash sighed.

    "Okay, so we have the Guardians, the Olympians, the Specter, the old guy Wizard-"

    "Shazam."

    Shazam interrupted the speedster.

    "His name is the Wizard, Shazam. And yeah we share the name. It''s a title given to the god''s champion. He''s responsible for giving me my powers."

    "Oh...alright."

    The flash replied.

    "So Wizard Shazam, the New Gods, The Guardians, Olympians, The freakin Specter and lastly The Phantom Stranger. All working together. All after Davian. For what? "

    The Flash wondered.

    "I''m sure some of those factions like the Olympian Gods and the New Gods have always been on opposing sides, right?"

    "Looks like he''s about to answer that."

    Black Canary said.

    Back on the stage, Ganthet picked up where he left off,

    "This man..."

    the entire room hang on his every word.

    "Threatens not just your planet...but all of creation. We need to find him and put a stop to his machinations."

    "Then you won''t have much luck here."

    The Emerald Knight stated, getting up from his seat.

    Ganthet''s brow scrunched up in annoyance.

    "And who are you to decide that?"

    "Someone who''s been after him for months."

    The Emerald Knight responded.

    "Yet I have found no traces of him anywhere across this planet. He is elusive just as he is powerful. If you came here thinking you''d find him, you''ve wasted your time."

    That didn''t tide over well with the Quintessence.

    "And who are you to tell us what is and isn''t a waste of time?"

    Hera mocked, one leg lazily slung over the other.

    "Take off the ring and you''re just a man."

    The Emerald Knight''s lips thinned.

    Then in a gesture that was extremely unexpected, he wrapped his palm around a finger on his right hand and tore off the Lantern Ring.

    A flash of green exploded out.

    The Emerald Knight''s costume shifted from green and black to his iconic gray and black outfit.

    Another gasp doumdee out from across the chamber.

    The Dark Knight''s cape waved in the air behind him.

    "You''re wrong. I take off the ring and I''m Batman."

    Batman responded, glaring at the Quintessence.

    "And the six of you are trespassing on my planet."

    (Elsewhere)

    Out in space, a lone satellite was orbiting peacefully.

    Then things suddenly changed. The satellite''s angle was tilted, and a panel on its side retracted.

    A beam of green energy shot out of the satellite, blazing through the debris hanging in space before connecting to another satellite. Then that satellite connected to another. Then another.

    Up until there was a network of satellites, creating a web of energy that eventually connected to the Watchtower.

    The skies flashed green.

    The Earth found itself enclosed within a bubble of emerald Will energy.

    (The U.N)

    "Impossible!"

    Ganthet said, staring up at the ceiling of the building with glowing eyes that could see through matter.

    The windows were transparent so the people in the chamber were privy to what had the Guardian worked up.

    "How can you harness Will without the ring?! Answer me!"

    The Guardian demanded from Batman.

    "I learned to synthesis my own."

    Batman replied cooly, throwing the ring in his hands at Ganthet.

    The Flash blitzed to the Dark Knight''s side, throwing a hand over his shoulders

    "Wrong yet again. It''s not Impossible. That''s just Batman for you."

    The Speedster chuckled.

    "Glad to have you back, Batsy."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I could feel it all.

    Every breath I took, the Universe seemed to inhale with me.

    I fully opened myself to it, immersing my spirit into the ebb and flow.

    A new sense, one different from Reikaku awakened within my soul and I could not only feel it all, I was it all.

    Every shifting atom across the cosmos.

    Every active electron colliding against each other, every molecule attaching and detaching constantly due to the pervasive heat that could not support life at this nascent stage.

    I was intertwined in all the fusion reactions happening silmuteneously. And it was beautiful.

    I delved deeper into the experience. And that''s when I heard a thump. One in perfect sync with my non existent beating heart. ( I was still a spirit)

    It was gentle. And soft. The heartbeat of the Universe.

    She was so young. Barely an infant, just newly born.

    Yet, the connection between us told me she was aware. Intelligent. Not in the same way humans, mortals or even gods were however.

    Her awareness was less about sentience and more about a collective wakefulness.

    Every star, every singularity, every superheated rock that would eventually form into a planet was a part of a huge edifice of interconnected Atoms, Electrons, Protons, Quarks...you name it.

    She was all of it. Not a centralized or selective consciousness. She was everything at once. Any life that formed in the future would also be part of her.

    Bearing a mark that could not be erased.

    My mark.

    In that same way then, she was me as much as Chase was. A separate entity yet...part of a bigger whole.

    I opened my eyes,

    Upon my exhale, cosmic nebulae was blown away, black holes would eject hot matter and energy; forming young blue stars the size of several million suns.

    Smaller black holes would collapse into singularity, leaving pockets of unstable spatial rifts where energy would gather forming a wide range of cosmic phenomenal.

    Some of them might eventually spawn into pocket dimensions or even self sustaining universes.

    Though that would take an indescribable amount of time and luck. That was because these rifts were closed the second they emerged.

    With nowhere else to go, that energy would then be used to continuously expand the Universe.

    "You need a name."

    I decided, staring out into the cosmic web, teaming with heat, light, matter and the potential for something incredible.

    Life.

    I couldn''t keep calling her the Universe. She was conscious afterall.

    A faint burst of elation came from my creation at the thought of a name. Laughter escaped me. Someone was eager.

    I flew forward slowly. But of course slow for me was hundreds of times the speed of light, the surroundings passing by me in a blur.

    Which wasn''t that much if you considered the scale of the Universe.

    I passed a few super clusters, galaxies and even the occasional but rare super massive black hole.

    I was still in spirit form, and I needed a body but once I created one for myself, I was excited at the thought of training inside the core of a Black Hole.

    It just seemed like an effective way to train.

    That was neither here nor there. I had to learn how to walk before I coould run.

    So I passed by everything without stopping, ignoring most of the wonderful scenery.

    All in a bid to get to the center of the Universe.

    I promised myself I would do a grand tour once I was done with the more immediate issues.

    For instance, something was calling put to me from said center.

    A few things to note, my Universe was approximately 10 trillion light years across. That was almost a hundred times greater than an average sized universe.

    Secondly she was unsuitable for life as I knew it.

    By that I meant, any weak creature or plant that depended on oxygen or greenhouse gasses would struggle to survive within her.

    She was still young. The heat from the Big Bang hang around still, and it would take time before things started cooling down.

    The other thing about the Universe, due to it''s sheer size; size that was still gradually increasing, the laws of physics governing everything were different.

    Gravity was much stronger here, the effects enhanced to contend with the expanding realm.

    I could feel it warp around the celestial bodies, a field of potent power that was hard to differentiate from Cosmic Authority.

    The life I created here would be on average 20 times more physically resilient than a normal human.

    The other thing I noticed was that the closer I got to the center, the hotter and brighter things got.

    Finally I arrived.

    And if the outskirts of the Universe were beautiful, then the center was indescribable.

    Clouds of all possible shades of color floated around a star system, bloated with cosmic radiation and exotic particles.

    In the middle of the star system, was a huge purple star sending off heat and bright light across the entire space.

    I floated forward slowly, following after the insistent call. The source of which turned out to be a small Tower orbiting the sun.

    A very familiar tower.

    "The Tower of Fate."

    I muttered to myself.

 Death$ Gift.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I could scarcely believe it.

    The last time I saw the Tower, it was whisked away into space and time right after Nabu had been defeated.

    And now it was back. Right before my eyes.

    "Is it just me or is it even bigger?"

    I wondered, flying down to the chunk of rock the Tower was built on.

    The closer I got, the more apparent it became that I was right. The Tower of Fate was much much larger in scope than I remembered.

    While before it was just a little over 5 storeys, now it was the size of a hundred Burj Khalifas. All stacked up on top of each other.

    And yes, it''s an overused comparison but nonetheless true.

    That was well over 100,000 meters.

    It made the rocky planet the tower stood on, which was actually the relative size of the Moon, seem small.

    The tower itself was also unique. Or more unique than before if that made sense.

    The very tip of the jutting structure had a massive clock that was slowly ticking down.

    Further study with Reikaku informed me the Clock was not just for Aesthetic purposes.

    It seemed to be connected to the entire universe. A link that I didn''t spend more time investigating due to it''s complexity and my own impatience.

    By then I had broken through the atmosphere of the small planet, descending to the ground along the tower''s length, while silmuteneously studying it as much as I could.

    It seemed to have multiple levels that I couldn''t peek into, even with Reikaku; the first time something had entirely blocked my perception.

    It intrigued me, increasing my desire to enter the Tower and find out the mysteries hiding within.

    Quickly, the ground appeared below me, hiding behind a golden cloud cover. Past the clouds and I finally got a real look at the planet.

    My senses were assaulted by a wide range of stimuli. The air hung heavy with energy. Energy in the form of golden mist. Had I had a body, every breath taken would have filled my lungs with a load of magic.

    The cloud cover turned out to be part of the golden mist, permeating the lower levels of the Tower, floating closer to the ground due to it''s richness and weight.

    And through it, the landscape was revealed, a land of wonder and mysticness.

    The terrain was mostly rock but still possessed an alien beauty that painted this place as far from mundane as possible.

    Perhaps the most intriguing aspect, were the huge collection of boulders lying around everywhere.

    Some were gigantic enough to appear as hills. A large collection of them formed ranges that surrounded the Tower.

    The ground itself was predominantly black and fertile with the same energy that was everywhere.

    However, instead of various plants and vegetation, the whole area was dotted with huge purple crystals that were dozens of meters tall. The Crystals grew along side said boulders and rocks.

    Even more gems and precious minerals glowed brightly on the ground. And from a brief scan with Reikaku, the surface of the entire planet was the same everywhere.

    A miner''s wet-dream.

    My feet gently landed on the steps leading to the Tower.

    Before me was the courtyard and right in front of the entrance, were two massive statues glowing with power.

    Before walking in, I bent and picked up a single purple gemstone, studying it with Reikaku.

    The energy within this simple gemstone astonished me. Not only was it similar to magic, it was so concentrated that the energy had been compressed into a solid form.

    "No, not magic."

    I said to myself, staring at the sky and the massive purple sun sending down waves of rich energy onto the planet. The root cause of the golden mist and the strange energy gems.

    "Davi Energy."

    I muttered to myself.

    The name resonated with the energy across the planet, causing the very air to gently tremble.

    I stood up, rolling the gemstone across my fingers. I didn''t have a body but could give my soul enough substance to interact with anything. The sensations were muted though.

    ''After I study the Tower and name the Universe, creating a new body will be the next step.'' I decided.

    For now though, I couldn''t hold back my curiosity. Shunpo deposited me right at the entrance to the tower, which was a large wooden door with veins of purple energy across its face.

    I was seeing a theme here. The Sun was purple, the gemstones were purple and even the door itself had purple.

    That wasn''t all.

    On either side of it was a statue.

    The first was strangely enough, me in my Grim Reaper form. Or rather, the form I took on after absorbing millions of Shrouds.

    I gotta say, whoever carved it really captured my image.

    Even the eyes, which glowed with a...you guessed, faint purple light. Bony wings were spread out on my back and a long scythe was slung over the statue''s shoulder.

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    On its other hand however, was something strange.

    A Motherbox.

    The very same one I had in my Pocket Dimension. I removed it, a hum of foreign energy spreading out across the entire planet.

    The golden mist which I was now calling Davi Energy, was instantly attracted to the Mother box.

    The New-God sentient computer started going haywire. It beeped and begun absorbing loads of Davi energy, so I sent it back to my Pocket Dimension.

    The Motherbox disappeared back into storage, only for it to be pushed back out.

    "Oh, so you don''t wanna go back to that stuffy place huh?"

    I mused, trying to make sense of the intent and emotions it gave off.

    It beeped and hummed in my hands, confirming my suspicions. I could hear it, and indeed it didn''t want to go back to the Pocket Dimension.

    Or rather it couldn''t, one taste of Davi energy and the Motherbox wanted more.

    I chose to let it keep absorbing energy. There was more than enough after all. Besides I was curious to see what would happen to it afterwards. Maybe it would evolve and provide me with some new tricks.

    There was a lot I could do with a Sentient Computer.

    The second Statue was of Raven.

    I had noticed it from my peripheral but now staring straight at it, took me back.

    Back to those simple days when it was just me, her and Chase. She had tried to teach me magic only for us to come to the realization I was a talentless noob who could only swing a sword.

    You ask me, the Statue while impressive, still failed to really capture her face.

    She usually twisted the corner of her lips when she was in deep thought. Her eyes hadn''t glowed white like the Statue''s but in a way they had been even brighter. Especially when she gave one of her rare smiles.

    I sat cross-legged before the two statues.

    For 20 minutes, I stayed there, reminiscing about a time long gone by. And the promises made.

    Promises I was yet to keep. I sighed, running a hand down my face. I had been so vocal about bringing Raven back and also killing Batman''s rogue gallery.

    Yet, even with all my power, both things seemed insurmountable now as they did back then.

    Logically, I was afraid of failure. And that had led to me simply coasting by. I acted like it was her memory I was trying not to tarnish, but I had had more than enough chances to resurrect her.

    "Forgive me Raven."

    I whispered, touching my forehead onto the ground before the Statue.

    The Motherbox beeped softly, as if to offer some measure of comfort. Hah! Consoled by a machine. My life was strange.

    "I promise you Raven, I will get you back. One way or another."

    I got back to my feet, a little less burdened.

    The Motherbox in my hand had also stopped absorbing energy and had suspiciously gone silent.

    I secured my Zanpakuto, prepared myself and with the device still in my hands, walked to the huge doors of the tower.

    My palm laid flat across the door''s length. I exerted a little strength and pushed it open.

    With an audible creaking, the door swung open slowly, revealing a warm and comforting Hall on the other side.

    The ground was laden with a soft looking carpet, the walls were framed with paintings of me and Chase in various battle scenes, the ceiling had a massive chandelier that sent warm light down and-

    I was about to walk in when I stiffened in place. The Motherbox in my hand fell to the ground on account of the sudden surprise that hit me.

    I don''t know what I was expecting, but not this.

    "Hello, Davi. Long time."

    Raven smiled, greeting me from a plush couch at the end of the Hall.

    (General P.O.V)

    "What is this?"

    Hera demanded from Batman, standing to her full height.

    "You have lowered a planet wide barrier. Are you confident in your ability that you would risk being trapped in here with us? The Quintessence?"

    "You''re wrong, my Queen."

    Wonder Woman told her, the Justice League coming to stand with Batman and the Flash, making their loyalties known.

    "You are the ones trapped in here with us."

    "Insolent!"

    Hera raged, divine power rolling off her, pressing down and making the air in the conference building heavy.

    A sparking lance appeared in her hands.

    "I should have killed you when you were still a child, Diana! You and your whore mother!"

    "Bring it on, bitch."

    Wonder Woman shot back, grabbing a hold of her Lasso.

    The League prepared itself for a fight. Already, the commotion was causing armed soldiers to enter the building due to the panicked screams and noise from the delegates.

    [Acrra Avante]

    A loud but calm voice stated, casting a spell.

    Immediately, all sound in the room disappeared.

    Mamaragan the Wizard, sighed from his seat.

    "We did not come here looking to fight."

    He said, his voice the only thing audible in the chamber.

    All eyes were on him.

    "If you truly care for this world, then listen. Davian, the one you call the Reaper is now in a class of his own. He has achieved power that few could dream of. Power that scares those of us in the Quintessence."

    His words had everyone enraptured.

    "And anyone with that kind of power will seek to exercise it. That means getting vengeance on those who have wronged him, taking what he desires for himself without opposition and just generally being an headache that an organization like the Justice League cannot handle."

    Another sigh escaped him, his gaze far away.

    "Truth be told, this is a selfish endeavor. The Reaper needs to be contained. One way or the other. And I know you understand that. I have been where you are. Protected the world when it needed me. It''s your choice but your best option, is to work with us."

    "And you think anyone will buy that crap?"

    A new voice cut in.

    Right in the middle of the stage, a garganta manifested into existence. From it''s dark depths, a red costumed individual floated out. But he wasn''t alone.

    "The League might."

    A second voice mocked, this one distinctly female.

    "It''s like them to be shortsighted like that. As if they stand a chance against Davian."

    "You two. Stay focused."

    A third female voice pitched in. This one was more authoritative than the other two.

    Deadman, Cheshire and finally Lady Shiva fully emerged out of the Garganta in full view of the world.

    The spell of silence the Wizard had cast was somehow broken by the three''s entrance.

    """Supervillains?! Here?"""

    """Wait, I know her!"""

    """ What do they want!? First aliens and now assasins and ghosts"""

    """The ghost guy...I think he''s a hero."""

    """Now I remember! That''s Lady Shiva! Our government has files on her involvement with a certain shadow organization!"""

    Most of the delegates here were privy to secret information unknown to the world.

    And Lady Shiva was infamous and dangerous enough that almost everyone in the know, would immediately recognize her visage. Crappy for an assasin?

    Yes.

    But she was more a fighter than an assasin. She wouldn''t kill you from the shadows. No, she would face you down and absolutely wreck you.

    "Batman, that''s-"

    Zatara begun.

    "Deadman."

    Bruce finished, narrowing his eyes behind the cowl.

    "With Cheshire and Shiva."

    "Anyone have a guess what the three of them are doing together?"

    The Flash asked.

    "A few months ago, Deadman went off the grid. The three of them were in Infinity Island minutes before it sank."

    Batman answered.

    "Yeah. And we all know what happened there, don''t we Batsy?"

    Deadman taunted his former friend.

    "I wonder if you told your team what you and the Flash did. What you and the Flash have been doing from the start..."

    The Flash standing next to Batman widened his eyes. How?! How did he know!? Immediately, his head turned to the rest of the League, hands raised up.

    "I-"

    "Come on, don''t lie now."

    Deadman added, walking closer to the League.

    "You should have known that the truth has a nasty habit of always coming out."

    With every word, Barry felt his world shake. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. He couldn''t even bear to look at his teammates. He knew what he would see would be questions on their faces.

    "... Flash?... Flash!"

    He heard someone calling him. But their voice sounded so far away. The only thing Flash could hear was Deadman''s voice.

    "Surely, they have the right to know, that you and Batman are-"

    Instantly, the world slowed down for the flash as he entered Flash Time.

    Barry didn''t want to hear it anymore. He needed some time to think. Everything was catching up to him too fast.

    He didn''t want Iris to hear of his screw ups. She would never look at him the same.

    "Fuck fuck fuck fuck."

    Flash was now in a crouch, hands wrapped around his shins as he had a mental breakdown.

    "I can''t! I can''t! I can''t! Stupid! Stupid!"

    He slapped the sides of his head.

    He stayed like that for more than a minute in FlashTime.

    Then he sighed, getting to his feet. All the while, the world stayed on pause.

    "I don''t have a choice..."

    The Speedster said lifelessly. His body started vibrating.

    "They will understand one day. That everything I''ve done has been to protect this world. They will understand one day."

    It was decided then. To keep his secret, he was going to have to kill everyone in the building.

    ::------------------------------------------------------::

    AN// WTF Barry!? You''re going to kill EVERYONE?!

 Paradox

    (General P.O.V)

    (3 months Back)

    Black Canary Reports:-

    Location: The Watchtower.

    Date: 12/8/2010.

    Time: 0400hrs.

    Psychiatric Report: Subject - Barry Allen (The Flash)

    Introduction:

    Barry Allen, known as the Flash, has presented a complex mental landscape marked by a series of troubling events.

    Those events follow the reveal of a traitor among the ranks of the Justice League.

    We believe Jonn Jonzz tempered with Barry''s mind.

    This report aims to document key observations, psychological shifts, and anomalies in his behavior, shedding light on the changes that have transpired within the hero''s psyche.

    Observations:

    -Nightmares and Insomnia: Barry Allen experiences intense and vivid nightmares, disrupting his sleep patterns and causing chronic insomnia.

    Shadows and spectral images persist in both waking and dreaming states, contributing to a severe lack of restorative rest.

    - Depression and Social Alienation:

    The Flash displays signs of deep-seated depression, resulting in a perceptible withdrawal from his social circles.

    Colleagues have reported a growing distance, highlighting the impact of this emotional struggle on his interpersonal relationships.

    3. Uncontrolled Use of Speed Powers during Sleep: Disturbingly, Barry has manifested his super-speed abilities involuntarily in his sleep.

    This phenomenon has led to an unprecedented acceleration through dreamscapes, causing further distress and raising questions about the integration of his powers with his subconscious.

    4. Sudden Relationship Breakup: The hero abruptly terminated his romantic relationship with Iris West, providing no coherent explanation.

    This unexpected separation has left emotional wounds, adding to the overall turbulence within Barry''s personal life.

    5. Swift Recovery with Unexplained Changes: Strangely, Barry emerged from this tumultuous period seemingly unharmed and, to some extent, transformed.

    The abrupt cessation of his mental turmoil occurred without a discernible cause, leaving a void in our understanding of the events that transpired.

    Subsequent Behavioral Anomalies:

    Post-recovery, a shift in Barry''s demeanor has been noted.

    A newfound ruthlessness has emerged, with his super-speed abilities now wielded not just against villains but indiscriminately, suggesting a troubling enjoyment in causing harm.

    Conclusion:

    The Flash''s mental journey, marked by nightmares, depression, and a mysterious recovery, presents a challenging diagnostic puzzle.

    The sudden behavioral changes, especially the hero''s inclination towards inflicting harm, warrant further investigation.

    As his psychiatrist, I''m inclined to continue monitoring without judging.

    As his friend, I''m worried...

    (Present Time)

    The Flash wasted no time.

    In Flash Time, his speed was already several times that of light. Far faster than anyone else could perceive with the exception of another speedster.

    Even Superman, someone who the others thought could keep up with him, had actually always been as slow as a snail in his eyes.

    Maybe that was why he took him out first.

    Faster than Clark could react to, Barry had completed his move.

    One second Superman had a head, the next it was frozen in the air, separated from his shoulders and falling towards the ground.

    Before the Kryptonian''s brain could slowly catch up to the fact he was dead, the scarlet Speedster had already taken care of all the representatives in the chamber.

    They were dead. None of them spared. Delegates from every nation in the world, including Themisycra and Atlantis.

    This was the focal point. The start of the war. The third world War, called the Humane Insurgency.

    Where anyone with abilities, Metahuman or Mutate was hunted down and promptly executed. It was a scientific shift in what the Human Race could achieve.

    An apotheosis. An evolution in ideology brought about by emotion and FEAR of the common man.

    A superhuman had killed their leaders. What was stopping that Superhuman from killing or worse enslaving them?

    The consequences of the Flash''s actions ran deeper than that. You see, he didn''t stop at one atrocity. Barry was too far gone for that.

    It wasn''t enough to commit one Amicicide.

    The rest of his friends...had to go as well.

    Diana roared out, throwing her Lasso to obstruct his way.

    By the time Diana''s neural synapses fired up and her brain caught up with reality, her fate was already sealed.

    "Too slow princess."

    Barry whispered next to her.

    "That''s my afterimage."

    Then he streaked around her form, blurry fists raining down her body, the Flash pounded every inch of her skin at 1 �� 10^(-15) seconds. A femtosecond. The quadrillionth unit of a second.

    Diana was exposed to speeds similar to that of chemical reactions at a molecular level. She was promptly turned into dust.

    "Hahahaha."

    The Flash laughed in disbelief, staring at his hand.

    "I pulverized her. Literally."

    "Dammit Barry!!!!"

    Black Canary yelled, turning to face the Flash while letting out a devastating sonic scream.

    She''d seen it happen.

    Seen him...change over the weeks and months. The same lovable goof was nkw killing their teammates.

    She could have done something. Saved him before he snapped.

    "Those were our friends! What''s wrong with you?!!"

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    A vibrating hand was shoved through her chest for her trouble.

    The Flash stared down at her with a wide remorseless smile

    "I''m sorry Dinah...but, I''ve found out I have a taste for killing."

    Barry answered, then increased the molecular oscillation of his hand.

    Dinah burst into blood and gore.

    "No-"

    Green Arrow started notching an arrow only for Barry to enter Flash time once more, evading a spell from Zatara.

    The speedster ran outside and came back in with a detached flag poll that he mercilessly used to skewer 5 league members with.

    Aquaman, Green Lantern Stewart, Zatara, Hawkman and Hawkgirl groaned in agony as they found themselves stabbed through the midsection and pinned to the wall.

    "Stop this madness Allen!"

    Captain Atom warned, taking flight with power roiling within him.

    "Don''t force me to hurt you!"

    Only a single second had passed since The Flash had decided to kill everyone.

    Superman''s head bounced on the floor just then and an instant later, Captain Atom found himself in the Sahara.

    With his containment suit breached.

    "Motherfuck-"

    An explosion rippled out from his position.

    Back in the UN, the Flash was in a contest of speed with Shazam. The champion''s eyes were glowing as he kept the speedster in his vision.

    Only Shazam out of the ones left had enough perception to see what had happened.

    Barry was killing everyone.

    Solomon''s wisdom told him to retreat. Achille''s courage refuted that.

    Lighting washed down his hands.

    He was going to stop the Flash if it was the-

    Shazam''s limbs locked up. What the...how?

    His vision became blurry but not enough that he couldn''t see the vibrating hand jutting out of his chest.

    His costume hissed as red streaks of electric energy ran through his body.

    "Do you feel that?"

    Barry questioned from behind.

    "That''s billions of volts wreaking havoc across your body. It''s only enough to disrupt your movements but the main show is what comes after."

    Shazam was then exposed to the Speed Force. The dimension governing all of time. Speed force energy was channeled through him, colliding with the divine energy inside his godly form.

    The champion was shredded from the inside out by the volatile reaction.

    His body simply turned into wisps of energy that the Flash banished into the Speedforce.

    "And then there was one."

    Baery stated, facing off against his final teammate.

    Batman.

    The Dark Knight was silent, unnaturally still with a stern and grave expression on his face.

    Since the execution began, he''d been stuck in one place without moving an inch.

    "Truth be told Bruce, I''d rather not kill you."

    Barry said, blitzing to the Stage, approaching the Dark Knight.

    "You have half a dozen contingencies for me, but I only needed one for you. Which is why I placed you in Flash Time from the beginning. Your mind can perceive all that is happening at the speed of light, but your body is too slow to react..."

    The Flash stopped before him. Then he placed his palm flat on Batman''a chest and shoved him backwards.

    Bruce was swallowed into a portal that sent him straight to the Speedforce.

    "You''re my contingency. Just in case."

    The Flash whispered staring at Batman''s former position.

    "You didn''t intervene."

    The Flash said, turning to the Quintessence.

    "Even after I killed all my teammates. Including a Green Lantern and an Amazonian. Iwas sure that would have pissed off the Guardian and Hera. So why?"

    "The Quintessence are observers. We do not ingratiate ourselves in the conflicts of mortals."

    Highfather explained, hands folded on his chest.

    "Besides we are of the same agenda Speedster."

    The Phantom Stranger interjected.

    "Itsthe reason you haven''t killed the Reaper''s companions. You seek to know his location through them, right?"

    The Flash turned to Lady Shiva, Deadman and Cheshire. The latter two were staring at him in disgust. It made him...irritated. They were the villains. He was the good guy.

    Half of the Speedster''s face was covered by blood, which made his slow sadistic smile even more savage.

    "Yeah..."

    He just had to kill these three and his secret was safe. Besides, killing them would likely bring out the Reaper.

    And then these guys would handle Davian and The world would be safe.

    He would be its savior.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Life has never been easy for me. And I get that we can''t all have everything.

    We can''t all be winners.

    I was a loser for most of my first life. I lost everything. My adopted parents, because apparently they really weren''t my true parents, my other family; which I had to kill for murdering Nick, my parallel self who sacrificed everything for me, Raven...

    It was an extensive list. Only recently, when I finally had the power to push back against Fate''s machinations, had I stopped losing.

    Now I was winning.

    Looking at the beautiful face gazing up at me...

    The face of the only person who mattered in this second life, I felt...a genuine smile stretch out across my face.

    "Hey Raven."

    I responded, the words almost choking on my throat.

    Her body seemed to tremble on the couch. She silently closed the magic book she was reading and stood up.

    Then I felt something collide onto my chest. Her body.

    "Oof"

    "I missed you. So very very much."

    Raven cried, squeezing me in a bear hug.

    "Please don''t ever leave me again Davi! Please please please please..."

    I was dumbfounded. Tongue tied.

    Then I remembered she was hugging me Raven. Was. Alive.

    And she is hugging you, you fucking idiot. Do something! Hug her back! I wrapped my hands around her just as tightly as she was.

    And there. There was no mistaking it. The hurried beat of her heart. The fluttering of her lashes as she blinked back tears.

    The tensing of her muscles.

    "Ack!"

    I coughed as she punched me on the side of my stomach.

    "I see you''re sensory skill has gotten better. Now you can even bypass my magical barrier."

    That''s Raven alright.

    I got the message and retracted Reikaku.

    "How were you able to touch me in my soul form?"

    I asked curiously, comfortable with the easy way we always interacted. Falling into the groove. Her groove.

    She decided to answer through demonstration. Stepping a few feet away from me, she spread her hands out.

    Pure infinite Tairyoku pulsed through her body. It was life, in a way I couldn''t make it.

    Mine would always be tainted by my experiences. Any life I created, especially the Soul Lanterns, would be bred for battle.

    Warriors.

    Evil or good, men or women. All of them would be saddled with a fate destined for lifelong conflict. They would be drawn to war and battle like moths to flame.

    Such doesn''t make for a stable civilization.

    But Raven. She was connected to the true source of life. She-

    A light ball exploded before my eyes, slightly blinding me by its brightness.

    "Ow, ow."

    I winced, seeing black spots.

    "That''s what you get for using that skill again."

    Raven growled.

    The cutest sound ever.

    "Now listen up Davi."

    Motes of light from her body gathered infront of her chest into a ball.

    The light intensified, swirling until the ball was compressed into...

    "A soul? How-"

    I asked, shocked.

    "How can I manipulate souls when I''m not a deity of Death?"

    She smirked.

    "You forget Davi, I create life. And souls are life. It''s not about the physical form alone. Even after death, the souls of the departed still exist, meaning...they live."

    More energy gathered into the ball.

    "And if it lives, I can control it...I am It."

    The ball transitioned from a spiritual form into a physical one, a bird.

    To be precise, a Raven.

    The bird started flapping it''s wings in a lazy pattern around the chamber, before settling above the fireplace on a framed Demon Head.

    "Wow, Raven...that was incredible."

    I was absolutely gobsmacked. And my face probably showed it, based on the shy but slightly happy look she was giving me.

    "I understand now. That''s how you were able to hug me. By directly interacting with my soul."

    I told her with a lopsided grin. Kinda dumb I didn''t realize it before.

    "Not just that."

    Raven whispered, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ear. Then she stepped forward and kissed me.

    It was. Sudden.

    But I liked it. I dove into the kiss, pulling her closer. Her body leaned into mine, relaxing onto my chest.

    And time lost meaning.

    When she pulled back, we were both breathing heavily. Despite the fact I was in Soul form, my chest thumped fast. My fingertips tingled.

    Raven''s cheeks were flushed, her eyes lidded and heavy. Her lips...those plump soft lips quivered, almost pulling me in.

    Fuck it.

    I kissed her back. And time lost meaning for the second time.

    Then I felt Cheshire''s mask crack. My body jolted up. Raven blinked in surprise, reaching out to me.

    "What''s wrong Davi?!"

    I brought my hand up to eye-level, letting go of Reikaku and using something I didn''t use often. The butterfly tattoo on my wrist.

    The one Shiva had given me when I accessed the Phantom Zone for more training.

    "Sorry Raven. A friend of mine is in trouble."

    I told her while stepping back, hoping I hadn''t screwed up my chances with her for interrupting our...actually what was it?

    We were seeing each other now? It was clear I liked her and she liked me.

    Or was it just a one time thing, or...

    Focus! Don''t get distracted! Cheshire''s mask was imbued with a bundle of potential.

    Potential for growth. It shouldnt have been broken so...easily.

    You see Reiryoku was a strange thing.

    To create her and the PRT''s (Park Row Ties) masks, I''d relied on Fullbring to add on the ''effect'' of growth. By now Cheshire might have been as powerful as a Lieutenant.

    With the mask? Goddamn, that would place her on the level of a captain class Visored.

    Something was wrong. If she was dead because of me...because I chose to fuck away than deal with-

    "Hey."

    I felt a gentle hand land on my shoulder.

    Looking back I was met with the softest, most understanding expression I had ever seen on Raven.

    "Let''s go save your friend."

    The most beautiful girl I''d ever laidmy eyes on said to me, showing her support.

    Damn. How the fuck did I get this lucky?

    "Okay."

    I grinned back.

    "Let''s go save the Assassin, The Ghost and the badass Martial Artists."

    "Sounds like there''s a joke in there."

    Raven replied, tapping my shoulder. Immediately, I felt a force touch upon my soul.

    Curious about what she was planning, I allowed her power to affect me.

    My soul gained substance, tangible amounts of Lifeforce swirled around it, forming a physical form to house it.

    I stared at my arms, intrigued.

    "Did you...just create a body for me?"

    "Close. But no. That''s just a temporary vessel. I''m afraid your current soul is too strong for a normal body. Even one that I create. You will need to construct a godly vessel powerful enough to channel all your immense abilities."

    I clutched and unclutched my hand, feeling the strength there.

    She created a blade made of light and swung it at my neck. The blade shattered into motes of energy upon contact.

    "I didn''t feel a thing."

    I told her, inspecting myself.

    Raven smiled proudly,

    "Just because it''s temporary doesn''t mean it''s weak. The muscles are tougher than those of a Kryptonian under a blue sun. It should hold up for a few hours."

    Good. Now we could go. I still had to name the Universe but whatever was happening on Earth needed my attention.

    Luckily, the butterfly tattoo on my hand was more than enough to trace my way back to the DC multiverse.

    It was after all connected to not only Rama but her champion as well, Shiva.

    Without wasting anymore time, we disaapeared in a flash of light.

 Breaking Through Time and Space part 1.

    (General P.O.V)

    Hera, the queen of the gods watched the proceedings with a cruel grin.

    Few things were as entertaining as watching Mortals absolutely wreck each other.

    The massacre in front of her reminded of the good old gladiator days. Men would skewer and slash each other apart, mercilessly.

    And ferocious animals like lions and tigers would devour packs of prisoners in the colliseum. She sighed at the nostalgic scene.

    The only thing better than watching the blood dripping down to the foot of the stage, was witnessing her husband''s bastard''s death.

    The Wonder Woman. Oh, how she despised Diana...

    So this was good. She had no complaints.

    Zeus on his part, would no doubt be furious. And the world of man would probably feel his wrath as a result. She couldn''t wait to see it.

    While Hera had been born from power, into power and with power, her husband was the King of Olympus.

    And while she could openly mess with any other Demigod, he held a certain fondness for the Amazonian Princess.

    Hera was barred from ever acting on her jealousy.

    However...Zeus wouldn''t have anything to reprimand her for now. She wasn''t the one who had killed his precious Diana.

    Not to mention, the Quintessence were only supposed to be observers.

    It wasn''t her fault that the speedy mortal took Wonder Woman''s life

    faster than they could react to(something that was actually concerning).

    Speaking of the devil, Hera felt a telepathic link form between her and Zeus.

    The smile on her face widened to vicious levels. She couldn''t wait to tell-

    [Wife! Get back to Olympus now!]

    Zeus ordered in a tone that brokered no argument.

    Here''s face twisted in a frown as she snorted.

    [Mmph! You don''t command me Husband. As the Olympian emissary in the Quintessence, I have certain responsibilities that outpace my duties as a wife.]

    She could almost feel Zeus gritting his teeth in frustration.

    [You fool! He''s coming! And the kind of power I feel from him is staggering. Get back or I won''t be able to save you!]

    He warned, almost pleading.

    Hera stiffened on her seat.

    The others noticed it as well.

    "What is it, your highness?"

    The Wizard questioned.

    Instead of answering, Hera immediately stood up.

    "I''m afraid I''ll have to take my leave. Something came up."

    She finally replied, smiling tightly.

    "Why? What happened?"

    Ganthet asked in suspicion.

    "You seem bothered."

    "Nothing."

    Hera shook her head. She contemplated warning them...but then again, it would be fun to watch the aftermath.

    "My presence is merely required in Olympus. That is all."

    Hera immediately activated her teleportation circle. Light glowed from beneath her feet, covering her body.

    "Farewell now."

    She waved her hand at the Quintessence.

    She was about to teleport away...when the entire building trembled.

    The teleportation circle fizzled out as two individuals appeared inside the conference building.

    Hera swallowed, her heart skipping a beat. She was too late...

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Following the link between Shiva and the butterfly tatoo, Raven and I appeared within a scene that resembled a slaughter house.

    The chamber was wide and filled with people. People who had been alive seconds prior.

    I extended my Cosmic Authority out, covering not just this universe but the local cluster.

    Maybe I had overshot our landing and this was a different universe? It was hard not to believe that.

    I''d only been gone a few months, right? So how could something like this come to pass?

    How could the UN headquarters be turned into something straight out of a horror movie?

    People were torn apart gruesomely. Heads laid on the ground next to decapitated bodies, fresh blood painted the walls and the stench...

    Shit and piss.

    Raven covered her mouth and dry heaved beside me.

    "They all died so awfully. I can feel the screams coming from their flesh as it was being shredded and eviscerated. So much pain and suffering..."

    She winced, rubbing the sides of her head.

    Yeah. Looking at the torn apart limbs, the blood pooling on the floor and the unblinking eyes widened in terror...it was clear that whoever was responsible, had wanted to make it hurt.

    "Did you do this...Barry?"

    I asked, shifting my attention from the massacre to the Flash, who was visibly vibrating with Speedforce energy and looking very guilty.

    His hands were covered with fresh blood, giving credence to my suspicions.

    The Flash had killed all these people. Fuck...this is going to be annoying to deal with. Is he being controlled or something? I studied his soul, there was no outside influence forcing him to do this, so...why?

    We made eye contact, defiant eyes meeting my own passive ones.

    I injected a little power into them, making the Flash falter, before taking a nervous step back.

    It''s still him. If he has the capacity to show fear then maybe he did this intentionally.

    "You know, there''s no love spared between the League and I."

    I said, stepping forward.

    He backed away warily.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "But you, a superhero killed them. You killed your own teammates Barry..."

    I continued.

    "Why?"

    The Flash''s face twisted into a mocking grin.

    "I don''t have to explain myself. Not to you, you monster."

    "Monster?!"

    Deadman, unexpectedly came to my rescue.

    "Who are you deluding Flash?!"

    The Spirit growled in anger.

    Oh yeah, some of the Leaguers were once Deadman''s friends. It made sense he would be mad.

    "We all know who the true monster is...look at your fucking hands, you sadistic fuck! You killed them all!"

    Deadman spat out hatefully. I''d never seen him so...angry.

    "You should pay!"

    His body started pulsing with spirit energy, looking ready to attack.

    I snapped a finger and using Cosmic Authority, unravelled his energy control. Spirit energy slipped from his grasp everytime he tried to hold it.

    "Huh? What the?"

    He stared at his arms in question.

    "The four of you..."

    I addressed my team, Raven, who was beside me, Shiva who had her hands folded above her ample chest, Cheshire, with one hand cocked on her hip and the mask on her face slightly scarred and finally Boston Brand, the Deadman.

    "Leave this to me. Find out if there''s anyone alive down there and help them."

    I would have loved to chit chat and catch up, but this took precedence.

    Now that I was back, it was high time, I took responsibility for this world.

    At least in honor of my parralel self. And seeing as this was a political nightmare, the fall out would be immense.

    Humanity naturally leaned into blaming someone for their problems, this wouldn''t be different.

    I could already picture it. The prosecution of anyone with abilities.

    I wasn''t going to idly stand by and let the planet destroy itself in an internal war.

    That means delivering the culprit responsible for the atrocity committed here.

    Chase would probably find the whole incident ironic and funny. The thought of me standing on the side of justice would have him cackling madly.

    "You have one choice Barry. Come in quietly and I won''t have to break your legs."

    I told the speedster, sensing the massive amounts of Speedforce energy he was priming through his body.

    With the resolute look in his eyes, it wasn''t hard to figure out what he was planning.

    I smiled, approaching him slowly, releasing a fraction of a fraction of my aura.

    "Are you...really thinking of fighting me?"

    I couldn''t keep the humor from my time at the thought of it.

    Barry''s face paled, staring around the room. Particularly the spot with the high level cosmic beings, I had been ignoring since we arrived.

    "They''re not gonna help you buddy."

    I tutted at his ignorance.

    "Nothing can protect you from me. Just, come in quietly."

    Instead of listening to reason, the Flash decided to bail.

    "Fuck this. You''re not my problem anymore."

    He grit his teeth and disappeared in a flash. No pun intended.

    "Haiya. Spitting right in the face of my genorisity, huh?"

    I can''t believe the fastest man alive was this shortsighted. I could sense the entire universe. AT THE VERY LEAST!

    And he thinks he can escape me? What''s that saying, you can run but you can''t hide. So fitting. He was already passing by a small town in East Africa. Where was he even going?

    It would be better to leave the planet, no? At least then it would feel as if he tried.

    "Boss!"

    Deadman called out from behind with urgency, rushing forward.

    "Look out!"

    What he was warning me about turned out to be an attack. Though it would be more accurate to call it a divine energy canon. There was no mistaking that power.

    An old God.

    The attack which was dozens of feet in width and glowing golden, landed on my body.

    And was immediately absorbed into the membrane of Cosmic Authority coating my form.

    Not even my clothes were ruffled. The attack had been so. weak.

    I went for my hip, wrapping my hand around Chesha Neko before deciding against it. There was no one here who qualified to see my Zanpakuto.

    Instead, a sigh escaped me as I turned to face what I would later come to know as the Quintessence.

    Nick''s memories allowed me to recognize all of them.

    The green guy hovering above the group was no doubt the Spectre.

    Next, I recognized the Wizard, Mamaragan easily. Which made me wonder why he hadn''t done anything when The Flash killed Shazam.

    The well dressed black guy with white eyes was the Phantom Stranger, a figure that few knew little about, including me. His aura felt distinctly holy.

    The short blue guy was Ganthet of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

    Then there was a tall statuesque man with a well trimmed beard and an aura that resembled Grail.

    Finally, was the bitch that had thought it wise to attack me while I was distracted.

    She had on a sneer on her face that made her otherwise beautiful face, ugly.

    "You guys are dumb."

    I chuckled at their baseless confidence. Confidence that allowed them to stand before me and act like we were equals.

    "You could have slipped away anytime. Escaped and I wouldn''t have pursued. But now, you have my full undivided attention."

    Hera, who still had her hands aimed my way, stumbled back in shock.

    "It...did nothing? How are you not dead?! Answer me you-"

    "Shut up."

    Shiva stated in a tone that showed she had finally had enough.

    The hiss of her blade leaving it''s scabbard sounded ominous in the wide chamber filled with corpses.

    "You''re like am annoying fly. Buzzing around too much."

    Divine energy no less than Hera''s surged out of her, bearing Rama''s unique energy signature.

    "And who are you to tell me, the Queen of the Gods, what to do?"

    She sneered down at Shiva.

    "Oh she''s done it now..."

    Deadman muttered, pitying Hera.

    "Me?"

    Shiva smiled.

    "I am the champion of the Goddess Rama Kushna, the goddess of Karma and balance."

    She pointed a thumb my way.

    "I''m also this idiot''s Sword and Martial instructor."

    Oh come on, don''t throw shade like that.

    "-But most importantly, I''m the one who will beat the snot out of you."

    Without another word, she charged up her body with divinity, dashing towards Hera at high speeds.

    Unfortunately, someone blocked her way. Ganthet, with a shroud of green energy stretched the space between the two to infinity, meaning no matter how much Shiva ran forward, the distance would keep increasing at the same rate as her speed.

    "Let''s not be hasty."

    The Guardian said amiably.

    "We are mere observers. We do not engage in conflict. In the same vein, I shall not allow you to attack one of the Quintessence."

    "Damn you! You think this can stop me?!"

    Shiva slashed out, an energy blade launching towards the Quintessence.

    The blade was filled with mysteries that even astounded me.

    The Death God arts were the culmination of my understanding of Zanjutsu but I could tell, in terms of pure talent, Shiva outpaced me.

    Ganthet frowned, waving a hand and teleporting the attack away. He knew he couldn''t block it, so naturally that became the only available option.

    "I see now. Rama Kushna left you a piece of her soul. That''s how you can tap into her abilities."

    "She must have suspected the vote would not go her way."

    The Highfather speculated.

    Vote? Now I''m curious.

    "Only cowards gang up on an opponent."

    Shiva pounted her weapon at them.

    "And knowing my Goddess, there was no way she would have lost to you. Which means you tricked her. All in a bid to get to Davian. I won''t let you touch a single hair on my student''s head!"

    This just keeps on getting more and more interesting.

    "Should we...help her?"

    Cheshire asked, twirling her Sais in readiness.

    Even the other two looked prepared to intervene. It was a little surprising just how much camaraderie we''d built.

    And crazy considering how far we had all come. We were once enemies and now...these people wanted to fight for me and each other.

    And I knew, if it came down to it, they wouldn''t hesitate to sacrifice themselves for me. It was...strange.

    Still,

    "No."

    I stopped them from intervening. This was my shit to deal with.

    "Shiva...stand down."

    I blinked next to her, placing a palm on her shoulder.

    My teacher narrowed her eyes up at me.

    "Why? You think I''m so weak that I need your help, boy?"

    She demanded hostilely.

    I tightened my palm on the shoulder, staring right into her eyes. There was only one way to deal with Shiva. You could not show weakness.

    My eyes glowed with a tiny bit of power. Shiva blinked, looking away and sheathing her sword with a sigh.

    "You know, this is all your mess, Mr. Death God. You disappeared on us. Deal with them how you see fit but remember, after this, we''re having a long discussion."

    Oh boy. Bet that''s going to be fun.

    But with her out of the way, the Quintessence brought their focus to me.

    Their true target. It was clear to see really.

    "Let me guess, Mamaragan."

    I addressed the Wizard, about the only member of the Quintessence that I knew personally. Though that was his parralel self.

    "You guys are so terrified of my power, that you thought, ''hey let''s mess with this dude''s friends and hope when he comes back, we all don''t die a gruesome death.'' Is that right? And you wonder why I called you dumb."

    Space begun trembling around us. It wasn''t apparent on my face, but I was fucking mad.

    According to what I''d heard, they''d done something to Rama. There was no forgiveness for that.

    Reiatsu slammed down onto them, Immobilizing their bodies. The Spectre fell from the air, landing on his knees while the rest groaned, pressed onto their seats.

    "What- is...this power?!"

    Hera asked in terror, trying to move her limbs but failing.

    "Release m- me! Or suffer Olympus'' wrath."

    I cocked my head, increasing the pressure on them. Bones started creaking. To their benefit though, none of them died! Which was a little surprising as I was using 10% of my Reiatsu.

    "Wait."

    Ganthet bit out.

    "Everything will be explained if you come with us."

    "Come with you?"

    I questioned lowly.

    "And why should I do that when I can simply kill you, devour your souls and learn what I want anyway?"

    None of them had an answer to that.

    "That''s what I thought."

    I added, steadily increasing my spirit pressure. If they were rendered helpless at 10%, there was no way they could handle anything above 20.

    "Mmh."

    I paused, looking towards the East.

    "Stand back...something is coming."

    I informed Raven.

    Not even an instant later, the Flash appeared in my vision, going at speeds millions of times faster than light.

    Behind him was havoc, the entire conference building would soon go up in shambles, the building''s structure shattering slowly in my perception.

    The effect was only delayed due to how fast we were both perceiving reality.

    "Let''s see if you can tank, an Infinite Mass Punch!"

    The speedster roared out, his right was visibly vibrating.

    Infinite Mass Punch? The name of the attack dislodged one of Nick''s memories and I knew that no matter what, I couldn''t take the attack head on.

    It''s science.

    Net F= M*A.

    The faster an object moves, the more it''s inertia and weight increases.

    Meaning as the flash was now moving at millions of times faster than light...the Infinite Mass Punch would deliver a force greater than I could properly defend against.

    Even with Cosmic Authority, this was going to hurt. And if I dodged, the ones behind me would get the blunt of it.

    Fuck. No choice then.

    Power gathered on my fist, and without wasting time, my punch collided with his.

    Space and time collapsed around us.

 Breaking Through Time and Space Final Part.

    (General P.O.V)

    Barry Allen.

    The self proclaimed fastest man in the world.

    Yet, there were a few things even he couldn''t escape from...

    For the last 3 months, Barry had been having the same recurring nightmare.

    He would find himself in pitch darkness, staring at the emptiness of the void and at the thing that laid beyond his perception.

    The darkness would then offer its hand for him to take.

    And he would refuse. Fighting with everything he had.

    Denying its existence lest he went insane. Decrying its presence lest he lost himself in the dark depths.

    Visions of his sins and failures would hound him endlessly. Up until he finally woke up, drenched in sweat.

    Each night was a struggle to hold on to his ideals. But with Iris and his friends, he managed to stay strong.

    All the while keeping it all to himself.

    He never told anyone about the nightmares.

    He didn''t want to burden them.

    Then one night, instead of showing him his shortcomings and failures, the darkness showed him his mother.

    It promised reunion. Not in death but in LIFE.

    And for the first time, the Flash''s will faltered.

    It is said, stare into the abyss for too long and it will stare back.

    Infinite mass punch.

    An attack rooted in physical laws of the material world. An attack that carried with it the force of a white dwarf star.

    Terrifying power.

    In comparison, it still couldn''t hold a candle to Davian''s cosmic authority. In it''s passive state, it formed a barrier that was basically indestructible.

    And that was only its defensive capabilities.

    The field of power that surrounded Davian, shone brighter when it was used to create a zone of reality warping around his body.

    The Flash''s attack had blown apart the entire conference building with one of those punches.

    And even without taking into account the further desiccration of the corpses in the building, the power behind the blow threatened his companions.

    So Davian did the only thing possible, he absorbed all of it through energy transferrance, a function of the sin of pride within him.

    All that power was taken in and stored. In the end, the Reaper''s defense proved too much for the punch to break through.

    The Flash disappeared again in a burst of speed.

    Davian turned to his companions, shunpo timely depositing him right in front of Deadman, an open palm holding back the Flash''s fist from punching a hole through his friend.

    The speedster had doubled back, going after the weaker of Davian''s squad.

    When that didn''t work,

    Another force of impact hit the Reaper dead on.

    His skin rippled from the second Infinite mass punch but otherwise the energy was transferred into Gluttony''s bottomless belly.

    Davian narrowed his eyes at the Flash, grabbing his wrist to stop him from running away.

    "You tried to kill me. Understandable. You tried to hurt my allies, unforgivable."

    With glowing eyes, all the accumulated power from the Infinite mass punches, was released through the palm placed flat on the Flash''s chest.

    The Flash widened his eyes, then he begun vibrating his molecules at a frequency similar to the shockwaves that assaulted his body.

    Th ground beneath and behind him cratered as the entire U.N sank into a mile wide trench.

    The buildings toppled over, smashing and colliding onto each other.

    "Azarath! Metrion! Zinthos!"

    Raven called out, taking to the air.

    Her soul self, a massive dark Raven, flared out its wings... stopping time, thereby halting the destruction unfolding.

    "You can''t fight here Davi!"

    Raven called out, shadow tendrils of mystical might leaving the tips of her fingers and reinforcing the structure around them.

    "The planet won''t survive!"

    Davian realized she was right. He released the Flash and quicker than the speedster could escape, Davian tapped him on the chest, tagging him with his energy.

    Now no matter where or how far the Flash ran, Davian could track him down. Even if he escaped to another dimension.

    The speedster was off again, giving them a brief respite to strategize.

    "Shiva, Cheshire, Deadman. The three of you back up Raven. I need to deal with certain fools."

    The Reaper said while staring at the Quintessence. Teleporting away, he forcefully dragged them with himself.

    (Different Universe)

    Hera blinked in confusion when she and the others, found themselves floating before a purple sun.

    To their front, standing in space without anything to stand on was Davian.

    He had his back to them, head tilted in a gesture of contemplation, hands in his pockets and his silver hair tied into a loose knot.

    "Where are we? What is this place?! Why did you bring me here?!"

    Hera demanded, a noticeable quiver in her tone.

    "I''m warning you Reaper. I am the Queen of Olympus. You risk a war by abducting me."

    Yet Davian stayed silent.

    "Answer me dammit!"

    "Oh for the love of all that is good and pure, could you please shut up?".

    Highfather cut in from where he was standing beside her.

    "You Old Gods are nothing but mewling whelps with too much arrogance than brains."

    Hera turned his way, shocked anger apparent on her visage.

    "You watch your mouth Izaya! Who do you think you''re talking to?!"

    She tried to call onto her divine might, only for all the energy to slip out of her grasp.

    "That won''t work."

    Davian informed her, speaking for the first time since they arrived.

    "I have negated your divine domains. Even your immortality. The only reason you can survive out here is because I allow it."

    The words stunned Hera to silence. Say what you will but she was no fool.

    The situation had turned out quite unfavorably. Now the only thing to do was to comply lest the situation escalated.

    "You created your own universe?"

    The Wizard Shazam questioned, sounding impressed.

    "And one so complete, it can exist without parralel branches? How extraordinary."

    Mamaragan spun in place, taking in the stars twinkling from thousands of light years away.

    His mystical senses were suppressed but he could still tell, for a new and young universe, it was on a class of its own.

    And everything, the brush strokes of reality and the canvas that was space, were all connected to one focal point, the Reaper.

    Davian shrugged at the compliment.

    "This is the culmination of everything I have been working towards. Of course it''s Extraordinary."

    Despite saying that, Davian felt in his mind there was more he could do.

    While the feat of creating his own universe was positively grand, he couldn''t get rid of the memory of that gray space.

    The void above voids. He had a feeling that his universe would only attain completeness if he upgraded it to that level of spatial dimension.

    But the Quintessence didn''t know that. They were so easily impressed and he was yet to even name the dimension.

    "Regardless, I brought you here to eliminate any escape routes," The Reaper declared, facing them.

    The maniacal smile on his face gave them all chills.

    "In other words, Quintessence, welcome...to your graves."

    *******

    A scarlet and yellow trail, basically invisible to everyone, passed through Central City.

    This was of course the Flash. He knew he''d fucked up. Majorly. What was he thinking going up against that guy?

    The only choice he had now was to leave the city, maybe even the dimension. But despite the urgency, he couldn''t help it.

    There was one thing he needed to do first.

    "Iris."

    Barry muttered, vibrating through the walls of the Citizen Newspaper building, just to catch a final glimpse of her.

    To be clear, the Flash felt no remorse for what he had done. Try as he might to conjure up the feeling of guilt, he couldn''t.

    He could vividly recall the horror on Shazam''s face as Barry killed all their friends. Each death more cruel than the preceding one.

    He stared at his hands, still contained within the walls of the building Iris worked in.

    Even at his incredible speeds, the blood on his hands and costume remained unscathed by the searing winds.

    The speed force provided a protective membrane around him that dealt with drag and friction.

    However, he couldn''t let her see him like this.

    "Iris..."

    He muttered, entering Flash-point and appearing before her frozen form. His hand reached out to her, to caress her beautiful face.

    She was the most beautiful woman he''d ever laid his eyes on. And maybe she would understand one day. That he had to do what he did. That the League had to die.

    He still didn''t have a concrete answer why, but what did it matter? He knew it was the right thing to do. Every bone in his body sung with conviction.

    Maybe she wouldn''t see him for the unfeeling monster he was.

    An inverse of his former self. Maybe she wouldn''t compare him to Thawne, like he definitely was.

    "You''re...my salvation, Iris."

    Barry whispered.

    When he blinked, he found his vibrating hand shoved in through her chest. How did that happen?

    "Huh..."

    He...didn''t understand why he did that...

    No.

    He did.

    Gently retracting his hand from her chest, his palm was now stained with blood and fragments of her torn heart.

    The Flash stared at the wide hole on his girlfriend''s torso. Her face remained serene, death was yet to catch up with her.

    And yet again...the horror didn''t come. The self hatred was not present. The only thing he felt was...the absolute confidence he was right in his actions and motives.

    He knelt before her, took hold of her palm and smiled.

    "Don''t worry Iris. In this way, our connection will endure beyond both life and death. I shall treasure your SOUL."

    Getting to his feet, a sigh escaped him,

    "I need to leave before that guy catches up to me. I still can''t beat him head on, even with speed."

    He turned his eyes onto the roof of a building across the street.

    A small smile worked its way onto his face.

    "But first, I need to deal with a certain peeping tom."

    *****

    On said roof of said building, the Reverse Flash, aptly named as he was the greatest rival of the Flash, backed away slowly.

    He''d witnessed what Barry had done in the U.N and had followed him here.

    The fact that he killed Iris, his so called ''lightning rod'' did not inspire much confidence in Thawne, on his chances to survive an encounter with this new Flash.

    "That''s...not good. Shit."

    Thawne stated, speeding away only to get clotheslined out of nowhere, then smacked onto the door leading to the roof.

    "Hello, Thawne."

    The Flash greeted cooly, one hand retracted, pulsating with the intensity of a power drill.

    "Barry- I mean Flash. Lovely day, what are you-"

    Thawne started nervously.

    "Quiet."

    Barry cut in lowly and menacingly, placing the vibrating hand right under Thawne''s chin.

    "I need to know how to tap into the negative speed force, and how to combine it with the real speed force."

    He demanded, eyes glowing with greed.

    "I bet that will make me faster. Faster than him."

    "Are you...really Barry...?"

    Thawne asked in alarm, he couldn''t even vibrate out of the hold the Flash had on him.

    The grin on Barry''s face grew wider.

    "Actually, a thought just occured to me. I could just siphon all your speed away. That would be more effective than simply telling me how to do it, right?"

    Thawne shook his head in horror.

    "No. Hold up, let''s think this through first."

    "I have."

    The Flash responded, plunging his vibrating hand through Thawne''s chest.

    Wisps of black smoke started wafting from the wound on Thawne''s chest. A gasp escaped him as he felt his speed being drained.

    "Wait...Barry!" Thawne pleaded,

    "Not my speed! Flash! Not my speed!"

    *******

    Davian had just finished dealing with the Quintessence when he popped up behind the Flash and a shriveled up Thawne.

    "Not my speed Barry...please not my speed Flash. My speed it''s gone...its all gone."

    The latter muttered weakly, lying on the ground before the Flash.

    The Flash''s form was wreathed in red and yellow streaks of power. The electric energy of both opposing speed force alignments was highly volatile. Enough to melt his friction resistant costume into his skin.

    "Ahh yes. The power to be the fastest! The power to be the strongest!!"

    Declared the Flash.

    "Fastest?"

    Davian chuckled, cracking his knuckles,

    "Not even close. And strongest? Boy, you don''t know what real strength is. Let me demonstrate."

    "What-?"

    Barry glanced backward, his once bright red eyes now tainted by the negative speed force he absorbed from the Reverse Flash, widening with a mix of recognition and madness.

    "Already here? And to think I thought those guys would have occupied you- oof!"

    Like a ghost, Davian appeared before the Speedster, a fist digging into the Flash''s gut.

    The Flash coughed, falling to his knees and puking his guts out, all over Davian''s boots.

    The Reaper narrowed his eyes in disgust.

    "Gross."

    A backhand slammed onto Barry''s face and he was off, shooting through the side of a different building, shattering the glass pannels before landing onto the street a block away.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Tires screeched and horns blared out from that direction.

    Davian turned his attention to the Reverse Flash.

    He looked at one of the fastest characters in all of fiction and turned away, walking to the edge of the roof while musing to himself,

    "How the great have fallen."

    "Wait...please."

    Thawne gasped, trying to reach out with a thin, shriveled up hand.

    "Help me..."

    Davian stared forward blankly.

    "It''s too late for you. Your body won''t survive...though your soul might."

    A trail of scarlet and yellow ran out of the city, only to hit a shimmering purple barrier around the perimeter.

    Davian had locked down Central City upon tracking the Flash here. He didn''t feel like chasing the Speedster down all across the globe.

    "Please..."

    Thawne pleaded, his body beginning to break apart into ash. Ironically, the legs were the first to go.

    Davian finally spared him a look, purple eyes staring at the speedster''s pitiful form.

    "No."

    He coldly delivered, dashing Thawne''s last ray of hope.

    ******

    The Flash''s body bounced off the barrier, slamming onto the ''welcome to Central City'' sign, before his momentum carried him away.

    He dug a groove with his body.

    Dragging himself up, his regeneration worked it''s magic and his broken hand was soon fixed. It happened even faster than before. In only an instant.

    "Is this the effect of fusing speed force with the negative speed force?"

    He muttered to himself, the side of his face which had been torn apart by Davian''s slap healing up as well. Though not as fast.

    "The combo does give you a boost in regeneration."

    The voice of his enemy commented from above him.

    "The negative speed force huh? So you stole your Nemesis'' speed?Interesting."

    The Flash stared at the immaculately clean boots before his eyes, then they tracked upwards, landing on the owner.

    "But if you think that will protect you from me, you''re solely mistaken."

    Davian growlesld down, eyes glinting with the promise of retribution.

    The Flash got to his feet, resolve still burning within him. He was right. So everyone else had to be wrong.

    "You know, it''s said Superman has to constantly restrain himself to avoid accidental fatalities," Barry started with a frown, rubbing his still-aching cheek.

    "He''s not the only one. I''ll settle the score for that slap. Right Now."

    His form blurred forward, afterimages of his hands left behind as he punched out billions of times in a second.

    Each of his hits did nothing however. The field of energy around Davian protected him from harm.

    Physical attacks weren''t working, so he changed the strategy.

    Blitzing around the Reaper, a red and yellow tornado appeared around him. This move was meant to disorient, and when the target is getting light headed from a lack of air, that''s when the Flash would attack.

    There!

    Barry dashed forward, only for Davian''s kick to slam onto his face out of nowhere.

    The hit packed a lot of power. The Speedster''s teeth shattered and jaw broke.

    His body flew off, crashing through a store front, through the back wall and out onto the street on the other side.

    The Flash groaned, blood and bits of teeth, pouring out of his mouth, while straining to put his hands under him.

    Eventually he pushed himself up, facing the end of the street where Davian was calmly and methodically approaching from.

    ''Not even a single hair out of place.''

    The Flash realized bitterly.

    Time to pull out all the stops. The red electric energy from the negative speed force ran down his left hand.

    Streaks of the yellow, belonging to the real speed force, ran down his right hand.

    What then, would happen if he combined the two?

    He brought bith hands together and found out.

    A massive beam of red and yellow energy surged down the street, amid the screams of the civilians caught in the crosshairs of the battle.

    The beam hit Davian dead on, the unstable energies colliding with his barrier chaotically. It warped but held on.

    Then he pushed back, and the speed force energy rippled out, creating an explosion of power that swallowed the entire street.

    Almost everybody instantly died.

    Almost, because a man had survived. This man was a scientist working for Kord industries.

    He''d been enjoying the day with his wife and two kids when the unstable speed force energies exploded, destroying everything in their path.

    Chris, the name of the scientist had watched his family disintegrate before his very eyes.

    When the energy hit him, it had a different effect. A more unpleasant one. Chris was ripped away from the Time-stream.

    He would later find himself outside of time. A realm he described as a ''lockbox safe from the manipulations of time and space. A wasteland of the forgotten.''

    He would also swear vengeance on the Flash and the Reaper before donning the moniker of Paradox.

    Once the wave of destruction had passed, the Flash was shellshocked to see that even such a volatile attack had failed to rattle the Reaper.

    Fine then.

    If he couldn''t beat the Reaper head on,

    "Then I''ll just have to outrun you."

    With a burst of speed force energies, the Flash took off deeper into the city.

    There was no need to look back, he knew Davian was following right behind.

    "Outrun?"

    Davian asked from Barry''s front, already having outpaced the latter.

    "There is nowhere to run, Bare."

    The Reaper taunted, calling the Flash with his nickname.

    "You will pay for killing all those people."

    Barry changed directions, streets blurred around him as he quickly came upon the barrier''s boundary once more.

    He didn''t have enough speed for another Infinite mass punch but if he vibrated his molecules on the same frequency as the barrier...

    Zzztttt!

    Krwack!

    "Son of a bitch!"

    The Flash cursed out in pain, his body assaulted by the energy running through the barrier.

    "It''s...sentient?"

    He speculated, staring up at the huge dome.

    Bam!

    He felt himself get grabbed and a second later he was slammed onto the barrier again, this time on the West side of the city.

    His surroundings blurred once again as his back met the hard barrier a second time. This repeated for half a dozen instances.

    Finally the Flash found himself kneeling in front of Davian, head bowed, breathing heavily with his eyes wide and set in an expression of disbelief.

    He''d never been thrashed so thoroughly before...

    His body was steaming, the speed force doing its best to heal his spine, broken limbs and liquefied organs.

    The familiar loathsome boots appeared in his vision.

    "Had enough yet?"

    The Reaper questioned.

    Barry found himself nodding.

    "Good, now answer me this."

    Davian used the tip of his shoe to lift up the Flash''s chin.

    "The souls of the people you killed...where did they go?"

    He might have looked calm but underneath he was seething in anger. He should have absorbed that attack instead of trying to push it back to the Flash.

    That was a rookie mistake. And people died as a result.

    The Flash''s shock intensified even more. And a new emotion surged up within him.

    Fear.

    Instead of answering, the speedster phased through the ground, undisturbed.

    That was the only avenue of escape left. He''d underestimated the Reaper.

    He wasn''t just too powerful, he was also very perceptive!

    ~~~~~~~~~

    The second the Flash sank through the ground, he enacted his plan.

    A time remnant detached from him, phasing through the soil and onto the surface, before running away the opposite direction of his other self.

    His rate of accelaration took him from supersonic to FTL in a matter of moments. And right before he could crash onto the purple barrier around the city, a speed force vortex appeared and he entered it.

    If he couldn''t beat Davian in the present, then maybe with some help from a certain paranoid detective, he could do it in the future of the past.

    Images of timelines and alternate dimensions passed by him, none of which was the one he particularly wanted.

    He couldn''t go back a few days or even weeks. The time remnant went back a full 2 months.

    There was much to prepare after all.

    Unknowingly, Davian was privy to the Flash''s plan.

    And after absorbing Thawne''s soul he knew how to better tap into the capabilities of the Speed force.

    Therefore, creating a Time Remnant that followed the Flash back to the past was easy.

    With the tag of energy he had on the Speedster, there was nowhere the Flash could escape to.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~

    (Main timeline)

    (The Present)

    The day was peaceful in the park.

    Birds chirped excitedly, ducks floating serenely on the clear lake.

    The steady drip of the central fountain as it sent water cascading down beautifully gave the entire place a calming atmosphere.

    Pockets of people could be seen enjoying their time in the sun.

    It was midday and the city was only just receiving the dire news on the tragedy that had taken place in New York.

    A tragedy caused by their city''s top hero no less!

    If that wasn''t indication enough, the purple barrier around Central city that had just sprung up, had people even more worried.

    The ones in the park, were mostly clueless about all that.

    A park was a place to relax and unwind from the pressures of the concrete jungle around them.

    But here, here they could hide away from all of it.

    Just like a certain old couple was doing. They had been together for the last 30 years.

    And the bench they sat on had been a part of their lives for decades.

    "Move!"

    A fast moving object burst out of the ground, blasting through the two senior citizens, turning them into a bloody mist.

    The Flash materialized briefly, staring at his blood-soaked body in disgust.

    "Yuck. I have old people in my mouth now."

    A teenage girl, part of a group of four teens, couldn''t contain her scream as she witnessed the entire incident.

    The Flash turned his gaze their way. In an instant he was in the middle of them.

    Or rather their remains. On his left hand, he held the screaming girl by the neck.

    "See what you made me do."

    He brought her closer, savoring the scared look on her face.

    "F-flash?"

    "Really Barry? Bullying an highschooler?"

    Davian calmly appeared in front of the bench.

    "That eldery couple had 10 more years in this world. You stole that from them."

    He said evenly.

    "And of the 3 kids you just killed, one of them would have grown up to become a decorated General. One who would play a vital role in stopping an alien invasion."

    Davian closed his eyes, rubbing his brows in mental exhaustion.

    He could end this. Just snap a finger and it would be over for the corrupted speedster before anyone else died.

    He wouldn''t even need to snap a finger! He could think it!

    The problem was the missing souls...

    It''s what stopped him.

    And there in lied the problem.

    He was attuned to the domain of death and souls more than anyone else he''d met. So how were they disappearing from his senses?

    Once dead, a soul would and should be escorted to the afterlife by the shrouds or other types of Death gods. This wasn''t the case here.

    That, compounded with what he had learned from the Quintessence, clued him on the existence of a larger scheme.

    One designated to deal with him.

    He couldn''t kill the Flash because he was the only lead he had to getting some answers.

    But that didn''t mean he wouldn''t make it hurt. Davian raised a single finger, pointing it Barry''s way.

    "Put her down. Now."

    He ordered.

    "Come closer and I snap her neck faster than you can blink."

    The Flash scoffed.

    "Are you sure about that? I can blink pretty quickly."

    Upon the drop of his words, the Flash''s hand was severed from the elbow and Davian had the girl in her hands.

    "Aarrggh!! You bastard! You took my hand!"

    The Flash yelled, holding the section that was spurting out rigorous amounts of blood.

    Davian quietly healed the girl''s bruised neck through his power over flesh and even boosted her body''s immune system.

    "I''m sorry I couldn''t save your friends. But once I get their souls back, I''ll bring them back. I promise."

    He told her, gently rubbing her head.

    She looked up at him dumbfoundedly.

    "Who- why?"

    "Shh, you''re in shock. Get to some place safe, while I deal with this maniac."

    Davian pushed her in the direction of the other fleeing civilians.

    Thwack!

    Out of nowhere, a punch landed on the Reaper''s face. The shockwave produced, threw the girl away screaming.

    A purple shroud covered her and the other civilians in the park, teleporting them away.

    "That''s payback for my hand!"

    The Flash cackled.

    "It grew back the very next second, so I guess that punch was more for ruining my fun. You won''t steal away my destiny Reaper!"

    The Reaper took note of the Speedster''s words. So, just like he''d thought, there was a purpose and reason behind the Flash''s insane actions.

    "Well done. I felt that."

    Davian grinned, staring down at the shorter man.

    "Doesn''t mean it hurt though. I didnt even move from this spot."

    The Flash found himself immobilized in place. Retracting the fist that was still pressed on Davian''s cheek became a fruitless endeavour.

    Unbeknownst to him, Davian was holding him in place using the essence of Sloth, one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

    Pride was energy manipulation to an insane degree and an overwhelming presence that would leave others in awe or terrified.

    Gluttony was a bottomless dimension where anything that entered it would be devoured and turned into power or simply stored.

    And Sloth could induce lethargy on a target or completely immobilize them like a statue.

    Davian was yet to use the rest, although he knew what their individual abilities were.

    The hold was conceptual in nature and breaking out of it required power that a speedster simply didn''t possess.

    Even blinking for the Flash was hard.

    "Now let me show you how you throw a punch."

    The Reaper brought a hand up and oh so very slowly, he thrust it forward.

    In the eyes of the Speedster however, this punch carried the cumulative power of half a dozen Infinite Mass Punches.

    It was a death sentence that upon landing, even with his enhanced regeneration, he wouldn''t survive.

    What a surprise it was, when a massive black colored lightning fell from the sky and hit Barry right on top of his head.

    Even Davian was momentarily surprised. His sloth induced hold was deactivated and the Flash immediately created distance between them.

    "Whew! That was close. You''re powerful. Desire really outdid themselves with you."

    The Flash spoke, but it wasn''t his voice.

    Davian narrowed his eyes, before nodding to himself.

    "I understand now. You both are and aren''t Barry."

    The thing before him shared the Flash''s features but the disparity in personalities was like day and night.

    Where Barry was kind...this version of the Flash felt no remorse and was intentionally cruel.

    Chesha Neko was slowly unsheathed, dying the entire park with its glorious light.

    The Flash whistled.

    "Damn, that sword is immensely powerful. I might take it as a souvenir once you''re dead."

    "Shikai."

    Davian released his zanpakuto. His immense Reiatsu doubled in intensity.

    "I could deal with you without using this...but, I need to free all the souls contained within you. That''s what you''ve been doing. Consuming souls of the people you kill just to keep up with me in my base form."

    Davian finally knew where the souls were disappearing to. Anyone the Flash killed would have their soul absorbed into him.

    "Tch. Don''t get cocky. This body is merely a puppet! My true form could undo you with a thought. You would be the one struggling to keep up!"

    The entity within Barry shot back heatedly.

    Then it''s mood changed, a mocking grin on his face.

    "But you are not wrong per se. You grew wise to our plans too quickly. Now I suppose you want to know why everyone wants to kill you."

    "Not really. There are always people trying to kill me."

    Davian shrugged, twirling Chesha Neko, before unravelling it into strings that covered his right hand. "Comes with being a badass."

    Plus, the Quintessence had become very vocal once Davian introduced them to Papa Fred''s special interrogation practices.

    "Ooooh such a big bad Reaper."

    The entity sneered,

    "Too unfortunate then, that you couldn''t stop them from taking Rama Kushna. But I''ll tell you what, beat me and I''ll give you all the answers you want. Especially...about dear old Dad."

    At this, the Entity''s face changed.

    "He ran away like a coward when it was clear he couldn''t defeat my Master."

    "I highly doubt that."

    Davian replied, flipping him the bird.

    "But if beating you to death is the only way to get answers out of you, then I''ll happily oblige...Empty Hand."

    The being within the Flash was rendered speechless.

    "How-"

    Taking advantage of that brief moment, a string bullet shot out of the tip of Davian''s middle finger.

    The string blasted Barry''s head apart, sending brain matter and blood flying out. Only for tendrils of black energy to piece the brain back together.

    "That might have worked on the puppet but not on me. Not when I''m the one in control."

    Empty Hand cackled madly, speeding off towards the city outskirts.

    "Then all it means, is if I kill you in his body...you''re done for."

    Davian said to himself, disappearing in a gust of wind.

    Hovering in mid-air, the Reaper thrust his right hand down. Purple threads shot out of his fingers, weaving together and creating giant spikes that flew down, slamming onto the ground and shattering the streets.

    The familiar scarlet and yellow trail evaded all the projectiles unscathed, only to land in Davian''s trap.

    The barrier around the city started shrinking and with Empty Hand''s speed, he crashed right onto it at terminal velocity.

    The Flash''s entire body was turned into paste, like a bug on the windshield of a car.

    The barrier continued shrinking, selectively ignoring the buildings, people, animals and the environment.

    Eventually it was only as big as a hot air balloon. Only stopping when it was about the size of a small car.

    The dome''s bottom molded into a sphere that Davian pulled his way.

    Chesha Neko extended from the threads wound around his hand. The gleam along its edge hinted at the blade''s formidable sharpness.

    Then Davian swung out a million times in a single second, sword phantoms overlayed on top of one another.

    The purple sphere exploded into a massive energy bomb, wisps of darkness left floating in the air, after the attack landed.

    Davian held his hand flat, aiming for the coalescing darkness before him.

    "Give it up already! I cannot die!"

    Empty Hand''s voice was affected by a weird tonal inflection, making him sound inhuman despite the vaguely humanoid body reforming from the darkness.

    "Had�� #99. Gory��tenmetsu (����ܞ��, Five Swirling Dragons of Destruction; Viz " Five Dragon Destruction")

    As soon as Davian completed the chant, his energy ruptured, forming 5 dragons made up of Davi Energy.

    The dragons sped forward, encompassing the entire area Empty Hand occupied, in destructive purple flames.

    Flames that shone like a second sun in the air. The light show was too high profile for people to miss, some of them standing on the sidewalk to film the fight, while the smart ones high tailed it out of the scene.

    The flames burned with the intensity of the sun, Davian regulating the heat radiating out so as to not harm anyone.

    Unexpectedly, the flames imploded, disappearing into Empty Hand''s mouth.

    He slurped it all up, sighing in contentment as he rubbed his belly.

    "Thanks for the snack."

    Davian looked at him as if he was a fool.

    "Even if you absorb it, that energy is still mine to command. Explode."

    "Uh oh."

    Empty Hand muttered, then ruptured into chunks of nothing.

    This time when he reformed, Davian was right there, waiting for him.

    The Reaper''s strings shot out, weaving through Empty Hand''s/ the Flash''s body.

    "I''ve grown tired of this farce. I shall read your soul myself and learn what I want. Whether you survive or not is none of my concern."

    Empty Hard''s face split into a wide knowing grin.

    "Sure, go right ahead."

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    ''Reiatsu was never meant to be wielded like this.'' I thought to myself, pushing it into his soul.

    Here''s the thing. This guy possesses many Authorities. Unlike my single one however, I could tell Individually, he was weak.

    All those authorities were being borrowed from somewhere. They weren''t his authorities. Just a tap into the raw power that an Authority gave you.

    I guess having many of them made up for the disparity in power between an original authority and a borrowed one.

    That said, he contained enough authorities that I could kill his body but not his soul. Every attack I unleashed his way had healthy dose of Respira mixed in.

    But while his body always got wrecked badly, he could pull onto that power through his soul and fix or replace his physical form.

    Such a nuisance.

    I couldn''t unleash bankai on him either. My Reiatsu would more than multiply hundreds of times and the planet would be shattered in an instant as a result.

    This was what my instincts told me.

    So when I say I was growing tired of the farce. I meant it.

    Eventually, wielding Reiatsu like a knife, I tore through his outer barrier and gazed upon his soul.

    Immediately, my viewpoint widened immensely.

    Space relocated around us and for a full second I was exposed to the lowest of all dimensions.

    The dwelling of the true manifestation of chaos, darkness and all things unholy.

    Empty Hand was on his knees before me, hands spread out, chest thrust out with a gloating expression on his face.

    "You fool! You gazed into the Great Darkness! Even I, his Right Hand knows better than to gaze so flippantly! Your soul shall be devoured!!!"

    While he was right that I could feel something trying to jerk my soul away, I didn''t see what the big deal was.

    For starters, the pull was so weak it was like a kid trying to forcefully pull you somewhere. I could just shrug it off.

    And secondly, the effect seemed to be a passive ability of the Great Darkness.

    The most mysterious entity in Nick''s memories right next to The Phantom Stranger. At least the latter was locked in the dungeons of my tower, so I could learn anything about him if I wanted.

    The Great Darkness was just...God in his opposite form. All his patience and creation turned into wrath and destruction, then personified.

    And I was facing him.

    I had noticed I didn''t have Chesha Neko with me. It''s weight was missing from my hand.

    "A mental projection."

    I mused, staring around.

    "Gazing into his soul, which is disgusting by the way, allowed you to pull my mind into your realm."

    I spoke to it.

    I didn''t see what the scary thing about this guy was.

    He was just a massive fluffy cloud with ominous pale orbs that I think were eyes, and numerous black tentacles that...oh now I get it.

    Despite that, I remained fearless. I was a God now. What did I have to fear?

    [You have his arrogance]

    The thought appeared in my mind, soft and amused.

    "Huh..."

    I tapped my ears.

    "This is not how I thought a meeting with an eldritch cosmic being would go. I''m supposed to be driven mad, right?"

    A piercing wail accompanied by a series of seriously vocal unknown and alien languages, echoed through the walls of my mind.

    "Gah! Stop that!"

    I flexed the full effects of my Reiatsu, undoing the whole effect instantaneously.

    "I keep grudges you know..."

    I glared at hus terrifying visage.

    "Be careful what you wish for."

    He answered giving me the feeling he was enjoying playing with me.

    This is bad.

    It meant, this thing wasn''t worried at all about what I could do. I needed answers and then I wasn''t wasting a single more picosecond here.

    "We made a deal with your guy over there."

    I pointed at Flash/Empty Hand. He was still kneeling, facing away from the Great Darkness.

    [Oh yeah yeah...that guy]

    The Great Darkness nodded as if he was only just noticing Empty Hand.

    [He''s not that important. But you, you are...]

    Oh really...

    Empty Hand''s shoulders shook at the statement from his Lord and Master.

    The dark cloud trembled before forming into a tornado that blew up into the sky. Then it was swept away by some unseen force, revealing a shapely figure.

    My lips thinned, fists tightening.

    "Are you mocking me? You have no right to take her form."

    Rama Kushna''s face split into two, lips widening unnaturally.

    "She''s the goddess of Karma and balance, dear boy."

    It appeared behind me, caressing my shoulder.

    "That means she''s equally connected to the dark just as she is to the light. Similar to dear old Pops..."

    I snorted,

    "No matter how many times you try to bait me with that bullcrap about a father I never had, it''s not gonna work. I wanna know, why...why have him ruin Barry''s life? Why kill those people? Was it all to get at me?"

    "Hahahaha don''t be silly dear boy, you inflate your self importance''...is what I would have said to anyone else. But the truth is yes, yes Reaper. It was all for you."

    It whispered, coming to stand directly in front of me.

    I couldn''t bear the fake softness on Rama''s face.

    "Change back."

    I curtly told It.

    We held gazes for a while before It stepped back and shifted into Raven.

    I saw red and then in the blink of an eye, I was staring at Powergirl''s huge cleavage.

    "Sorry, wrong pair of jugs that second time."

    It laughed with Kara''s voice.

    I swear...I''m going to kill this thing.

    A glint appeared in its eyes.

    "See, that''s why. That''s why I went to such elaborate lengths to hurt you. That fire. That drive."

    It clapped, a cushy throne made of Shadows appearing under it.

    "Unlike the others, you possess the power to fuel that fire. In other words, Davian Mabuz, you interest me, because you have the power to kill me. You are the True Godslayer. First of his kind. Desire that little twerp really went all out. Hahahaha!"

    What...

    I shook my head.

    "Then why are you picking a fight with me? If you know I could kill you, wouldn''t be wise to stay on my good side?"

    I wanted to hear It''s reasoning.

    "That''s an obvious answer, ain''t it?"

    Powergirl''s body shifted into someone tall and statuesque. Shiva. Grr this asshole...

    "It''s in my nature, my young disciple."

    It said with Shiva''s authoritative tone.

    "Stop. You''re not her. I won''t tell you a third time."

    I gave the final warning.

    "I fight on the side of chaos and darkness, my opposite fights on the side of light and order."

    It explained, still wearing Shiva''s face.

    "Why wouldn''t I want to mess with someone who can potentially end us both? Should I greet you and play nice then?"

    It continued, standing up.

    "Before you, I could not foresee death. Now I can."

    The whole chamber chilled over, shiva''s eyes colder than I''d ever seen before.

    I didn''t avert my gaze even once. Shiva''s body threw back it''s head and laughed, then It shifted into another body.

    This one was male. Golden skin that glowed with power, hair in different shades; there was green, yellow and white. And the eyes, I felt like they could see into me.

    It was unnerving.

    It smiled with the new face, an amiable smile. But one that sent shivers across my spine. Goosebumps broke out of my skin.

    When was the last time I''d been this nervous?

    "The fool down there was both acting on my orders and his own. He is a part of me with autonomous will just like the rest of my agents of chaos and destruction."

    TheGreat Darkness recounted, slowly flying closer.

    "He gathered all the necessary information, worked his sources, and struck when the iron was hot. Good for him, he was a minor inconvenience at least."

    "Minor inconvenience?"

    I bit out in disbelief.

    "He killed inn-"

    "Innocents?"

    It cut in, snapping it''s fingers.

    "There! Done. All of them are back to life along with everyone killed in the UN conference building, I believe it''s called."

    What?

    "Hell, I''ll even heal up the little speedster he took possession of. Your Time Remnant has a handle on the Paradox situation so I won''t help with that."

    "Why?"

    I asked, grabbing him by his pretentiously gaudy outfit.

    "Why do all this? Why fuck everything up and then fix it all as if we didn''t live through it?!"

    The grin on It''s face dropped into a blank expression. I found myself immobilized. My Cosmic Authority flared up around me. It would protect my mind at-

    Crash!

    It''s numerous Authorities burst through mine like wet paper. I was terrifyingly powerful. But this thing was on an entirely different level.

    "To make you understand what it is you''re coming to kill. Next time we see each other boy, do not stand opposed to me."

    His mouth came closer to my ears.

    "Oh, and before I forget..."

    My head immediately started aching. The words he whispered to my ears felt like the Enochian language but slightly different.

    "You want more power? master more authorities."

    He tapped my shoulder and the hd on me dissapeared.

    "Maybe in the final battle you''ll give me a good warm up."

    His palm was placed flat on my chest.

    Bam.

    He exerted a little force and I felt myself get thrown out of his dimension forcefully.

 Call To Arms.

    (General P.O.V)

    ( A Few days ago)

    On the roof of a tall cathedral, a blue sphere materialized.

    The sphere''s light waned, fading away to reveal a group of 2 and a cat.

    "And where is this supposed to be?"

    Grail questioned, surveying the old architecture around.

    "Welcome to Gotham."

    Chase replied with a wide grin.

    "Davi and I holed up here some time back."

    He explained, languidly stretching his back on Grail''s shoulder.

    "Mmh soo comfortable."

    The Cheshire Cat purred, settling his haunches down.

    "Oi, get off, you stupid cat! I''m not a horse!"

    Grail barked out, throwing him aside.

    A figure appeared on Chase''s path, intercepting his body and gently catching him by his two front legs.

    "How rude, little New God."

    Cheshire hissed from his new position, legs wildly kicking the air.

    "You trying to dirty my beautiful fur?"

    "Are you alright Master?"

    The figure holding him up, turned out to be one of the numerous soul lanterns Chase had within the Inner World.

    This particular Soul Lantern was a beautiful brownskinned woman with an ample chest. She slowly held the trickster cat to her torso, craddling him in her bussom.

    Chase who had been angry at the blatant disrespect Grail was showing him, forgot all about that. A dopey smile appeared on his face.

    "My fur smarts a bit, could you hold me... even tighter?"

    The Trickster Cat asked innocently.

    Grail stared at Chase in disgust. To think the Reaper''s cat was this perverted.

    "Do you want me to annihilate her for laying hands upon your divine fur?"

    The Soul Lantern offered, unsheathing her short sword and pointing at Grail.

    The latter of whom was watching the whole incident with folded hands.

    "No..."

    Chase yawned dismissively.

    "No need for all that. Besides, I consider it an Upgrade. No meat on her really."

    "Excuse me?"

    Grail questioned, eyes glowing scarlet. No meat on her? seriously? Was he blind? She had a sizable bust, thank you very much!

    "Fur-smarting aside, we have a duty."

    Manhattan cut in, walking between the two.

    "Let us focus."

    The Cat and the New God glared at each other, before Chase started chuckling,

    "Things got heated there, little New God. You have fire in you."

    He complimented.

    "I don''t need to hear praise from you Cat, but I appreciate it none the less."

    Grail responded.

    "Now that the Drama''s over, we best be getting to what brought us here."

    Chase said, his playfulness gone. He jumped ontop of the Soul Lantern''s head.

    "We can''t keep Davi waiting. We need to collect the few allies we can and go back him up."

    "Not to sound pessimistic, but what kind of allies can we expect to find here?"

    Grail asked, looking down at the quiet city.

    "I don''t sense anybody strong."

    "Strength is much more than the ability to stomp whoever is in your path, young lady."

    A new voice called out.

    All around them, shadows shimmered as figures in red Oni masks appeared, prompting Grail into a battle stance.

    "Enemies."

    Her eyes lit up with the Omega Effect. There were 10 of them, surrounding Grail and the other two in a loose circle.

    Before she could release her eye beams, something landed on the ground right in front of her.

    Black fleshy wings spread out, several feet in length. The wings led up to a lightly muscled physique that was a cross between a human and a Bat.

    The creature growled, a menacing sound that rumbled forth from its chest. Orange eyes stared back at her scarlet ones fearlessly. Warning her not to make any sudden moves.

    Despite the Intimidating aura, Grail could tell that the new arrival was a bit on the young side.

    The fact that a child was brandishing sharp claws her way made her hesitate.

    "Put those away Kid."

    Danny Fulio, leader of the PRT told Jason Todd, The Bat of Crime Alley.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "I believe they''re friends."

    The old man stated with a knowing smile thrown Chase''s way,

    "In fact, I guarantee it."

    Chase jumped off the Soul Lantern, shifting into his Human Form midair.

    A young man dressed in a Victorian era suit with coattails, a pair of snowy white cat ears and a purple tail, appeared by the time his feet landed on the floor.

    Chase held out his hand in an amicable greeting,

    "We haven''t had the pleasure of a proper introduction. You can call me Chase."

    Danny grabbed the hand and shook it with a firm grip. He knew who this was. He could feel it instinctively through his mask.

    "Danny. The young brat growling over here is Jason and this is my crew. Well, the Reaper''s Crew anyway. We owe a lot to the Boss."

    "Well, turns out he''ll be in trouble soon."

    Grail interjected, understanding that these guys were who they had come for.

    "At least according to him."

    She pointed her thumb Manhattan''s way.

    "Trouble?"

    A member of the PRT behind Danny questioned.

    "Sounds like Fun. Ever since we cleaned up Crime Alley, things have been kinda boring."

    "Yeah!"

    Jason agreed, changing into his human form. A small boy that was just entering adolescence was revealed. He had blue eyes and was dressed in a loose T-shirt and a pair of grey shorts.

    A black half mask covered his upper face.

    "If it''s a fight, I want in! You guys promised you''d let me help."

    He pointed his finger at Danny.

    The older man sighed.

    "As you can see, we''re not exactly lacking the eagerness to help out. Tell me, what can we do to assist the Boss?"

    ******

    (Location: ???)

    (The Headquarters For the League of Shadows)

    In an Unknown Island, the new headquarters for the League of Shadows was recently built.

    Surrounded on one side by a tall mountain, and the other by the sea, the large complex constructed near the coast, was crawling with the best assasins in the world.

    The training yard itself was at the very edge of the complex, facing a cliff with a sheer drop. Sharp coral reefs and stones waited at the bottom.

    Various dummies were set around the training field, each one occupied by a single shadow.

    "Remember! Your body IS the weapon."

    Ra''s explained from the top of the stairs overlooking the training yard.

    "Harden it, sharpen it. To the point you do not need a pointy metal to make a kill."

    He raised a single hand, and swiped it out, decapitating the wooden Dummy''s head in one move.

    "Your body is a far deadlier weapon."

    ""Hai!""

    The shadow trainees shouted out in acceptance.

    The familiar light of the blue sphere appeared next to Ra''s. His personal guards jumped in to intercept whoever it was, but Ra''s raised his hand.

    "Return to your training."

    He ordered the shadows below the steps.

    ""Hai!""

    "Ra''s Al Ghul,"

    Chase called out.

    "It''s time to repay your debt."

    ******

    (Prime Earth)

    (San Francisco)

    A press conference was being conducted in front of the tall Titan tower.

    The glass walls gleamed beautifully in the vibrant day.

    Prime Earth had fully recovered despite the planet experiencing Darkseid''s invasion just a week prior.

    "My father, Trigon is a- monster."

    A black haired girl said into the mic.

    Rachel.

    She stood on the stage, looking out onto the sea of both heroes and regular people. A couple of rogues and some villains were present too.

    Everyone had gathered for the momentous occasion.

    "He''s cruel, vindictive, uncaring but most of all...powerful."

    She continued.

    "For the longest time, I believed and justifiably so, that I couldn''t fight my destiny. That I couldn''t escape my fate. That my legacy was to serve him."

    Her voice carried over softly, filling the entire field.

    "But then ''HE'' arrived. And everything changed."

    Her face lit up into a small smile.

    "By ''He'' you all know who am talking about right?"

    The crowd laughed.

    "I mean, it would have been hard to miss the single man fighting Darkseid''s hoarde alone."

    The crowd hollered.

    "When everyone else had been taken out... he not only persisted, he also achieved victory."

    Cheers escaped them, growing rowdy at her words.

    Behind Rachel, Nightwing and the others watched on with various happy expressions.

    "And if that wasn''t enough, he fixed all the damage wrought by the forces of Apokalips. Collapsed buildings, shattered streets, broken dams."

    Rachel paused.

    "Even those who died during the invasion...he brought them back. All of them."

    The cheering and applause this time was deafening.

    Rachel stepped back, gesturing with one hand at something behind her.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, I am of course talking about none other than, Davian! The Reaper!"

    Something gigantic was hidden under a large grey sheet behind her. The sheet was pulled away to reveal...

    A huge statue carved in the image of Davian.

    Strands of his silver hair hang on the left side of his head, an uncaring and slightly arrogant smirk forever etched onto his handsome face and his left hand laid on the handle of Chesha Neko, poking from his hip.

    "He didn''t ask for anything in return...even after he saved all our lives."

    Rachel added softly, gazing up at those eyes. If she squinted, she could almost imagine them glowing purple.

    "Join me in celebrating this statue, for there in lies a gratitude we cannot repay."

    Her words touched everyone''s soul, leaving them staring up in awe at Davian''s likeness.

    The Statue was built right before the entrance to the tower. It was tall too, measuring 10 feet in height. Like a silent Guardian, forever looking out into the bay.

    The light of a blue sphere manifested on the stage next to Raven.

    The light died down to reveal a group of 3 and a Cat.

    Chase''s eyes immediately fell on Davian''s Statue. The Zanpakuto whistled.

    "He was arrogant before...but now he''ll be downright insufferable. Nice statue though."

    Rachel gasped upon seeing Chase.

    "Chesha!"

    She squealed in happiness, running forward and tackling the Cat in a hug, surprising her team and the Justice League.

    "Hey, you ever seen Rachel this happy?"

    Beastboy asked the others.

    "Once."

    Starfire answered with a sweet smile.

    "And even then, he was still the reason."

    She made it known who she was talking about by staring at the Statue.

    "Yeah yeah I missed you too kiddo."

    Chase said, allowing the other girl to hold him in her embrace.

    Fortunately it was brief, to which Chase was grateful. He''d only allowed it because, next to Davian, Raven and her parralel selves were his second favorite human.

    Rachel backed off, eyes gazing around, looking for something. Or rather someone.

    When she couldn''t find him, she turned to Chase.

    "Where is-"

    "That''s why we''re here."

    Chase said in a serious tone.

    He popped right onto the podium, staring down at the gathered capes.

    "Listen up. I''m not here to collect some debt you feel you owe Davi or some other dumb shit like that. My aim is to recruit you for a battle unlike any you''ve ever seen."

    Murmurs broke out from the crowd.

    "Silence."

    Chase commanded, releasing a smidgen of intent their way.

    "If you live for glory, for grand purpose, then I can assure you, nothing will ever come as close to this. If you sign up, know that you might definitely die, but we will absolutely win and bring you back. This... Is a call to Arms!"

    His voice and face were broadcasted throughout the world. The unveiling of the statue of the Man who saved the world, having been made an international affair.

    It wasn''t just North America that had been saved after all.

    Regardless, this turned out to be a good opportunity for Chase to find allies.

    But never was he expecting the kind of numbers that stepped up to join the fight.

    "We are coming."

    Superman said assuredly, floating above his colleagues.

    Nor was he expecting the Prime Justice League to be the first in line.

    He wasn''t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

    Their enemies thought Davian was fighting alone. Boy would they be surprised when Chase turned up with an Army.

    "Wait for me, Master."

    The Zanpakuto Spirit said to himself.

    Only one last place to go. Atlantis. Enlisting the help of the Atlanteans was a good idea.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I was back in my body, staring at the sky.

    Reikaku surged out, scanning the local universe to find out my location.

    Central City Park, the North West region, close to the lake. I was alone...

    Lying on my back, the grass under me a soft bed, with my focus on the sky.

    It was cloudy. The kind of clouds that carried rain. It only took a few minutes before big fat drops started falling from the sky.

    I felt each individual drop intuitively, instinctively. I could see into its make up, 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 Oxygen atom.

    It was...knowledge. And with knowledge came control...

    The raindrops slowed, inches away from my body. By then my surroundings were pouring, heavily.

    "2 sets of enemies."

    I muttered, remembering what I had learned from the Quintessence and the Great Darkness.

    "God and the Devil."

    I stopped freezing the drops in midair, allowing them to splatter on me. In seconds I was drenched.

    But I remained unbothered and with an hungry smile.

    "Another challenge. Something tells me that this will blow everything else away."

    But I couldn''t win as I was. If I was going to go up against not only the Presence but the Great Darkness...then I had to get even more powerful.

    First, I''ll consolidate the power I have now and then, it will be time. Time to acquire more Authorities.

 Naming The Universe Part 1.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    Having reached a conclusion, I sprang to my feet, causing water to ripple across the ground and dampen the grass beneath my boots.

    Speaking of, the clouds had cleared up and the warm rays of the sun cut through the humid air, gently landing on my face.

    My Time Remnant should have been back by now. Hopefully with the Flash''s Time Remnant in tow.

    I couldn''t really go back to the Great Darkness'' realm without him. It seemed to be hidden from my perception, similar to the Void above the void.

    In addition, I wanted to save Barry. If I could handle whatever influence Empty Hand held on him then maybe the real Flash would be back.

    Why was I trying to save my enemy, you ask?

    To be honest, I didn''t have a clear answer to that. But if pushed, it would have something to do with Redemption.

    I had gotten mine, even after all I had done. Who''s to say Barry didn''t deserve a chance at his?

    In any case...that depended solely on him.

    I had Reikaku stretched out across the entire Universe, partly in hopes I would sense my Time Remnant''s arrival and partly because I was looking for Chase and the others.

    Their presence had brushed against Reikaku fleetingly, lasting only a moment before vanishing once more.

    Seems like they were up to something, somewhere far away. Chase should be aware of my presence, so whatever had his focus must be important.

    It doesn''t matter. We would meet up soon anyway.

    A grin brightened my face as I sensed a distortion in the space behind me. Turning around, I found myself face to face with my Time Remnant, a slightly bored look on his face.

    And in his hands, dead to the world was the Flash.

    His chest rose gently, showing he was still alive. His uniform however was flayed and his body littered with injuries that were regenerating quickly, but not as fast as before.

    "You''re late."

    I told me, approaching the two of them.

    He shrugged, hoisting the Flash on his shoulder before stretching out his hand for a fist bump.

    "Let''s fuse and you''ll understand."

    He suggested.

    Normally that would be impossible. But he was essentially me. Even now I was connected to his soul just as he was to mine.

    If I were to die, then he would still live on as the Reaper. Not as a replacement but the genuine article, just a few seconds older.

    Recombining was a simple matter of aligning our relative timelines and synchronizing our souls.

    I bumped his fist and the two of us bled into each other. There was a bright flare of purple before I opened my eyes and found myself on the same position as before. Only alone.

    Alone but with the addition of several memories and an unconscious Speedster on my shoulder.

    "He chased him across multiple dimensions?"

    I couldn''t help but ask, going through the memories of the fight.

    Using the portal, the Time Remnants crossed over from one universe into another multiple times.

    There was a zombie world, a world I suspected was Twilight; where else did vampires glow blue when exposed to the sun? , a Cultivation realm where the ceiling of power was too high for even I to sense...

    In fact, it was crazy to think that those old seclusive Cultivators hadn''t immediately attacked upon sensing the two of them.

    Same goes for a dimension that had been completely taken over by an Eldritch Abomination. One that gave the Ultimator a run for her money.

    Yet despite the ant-like speedsters fleeting about at high speeds, the Eldritch abomination had refused to attack.

    Why?

    Anyway, it didn''t really matter. I had things to do, people to kill, a universe to name and a certain Raven haired Life Entity to kiss.

    Not exactly in that order though. I fastened my grip on Barry and then disappeared from my position.

    The sensation of space folding around me was brief and then I was at my intended location.

    The conference Hall in the U.N.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    The entire chamber was filled with Paramedics checking up on the recenty ressurected. The walls still painted red with their blood.

    How trippy it must have been for the Victims.

    And why hadn''t the Great Darkness fixed that little tid-bit?

    "It''s a goddamn reminder.'' I said in realization.

    This was his way of telling me he welcomed my challenge. It was also a sign of my own failure.

    These people wouldn''t have died had I arrived a few seconds earlier. I needed more power. Especially now that it feels as if I''m being watched.

    "Davi!"

    Raven waved at me from a section of the stage that was occupied by the Justice League and my team. I smiled her way, thank god she was alright.

    And still as pretty too.

    The weight on my shoulder became noticeable owing to the various eyes staring at Barry.

    There was confusion, hesitancy, anger and downright hatred in the eyes of every person in the room.

    Including the Justice League, although they had compassion for their wayward member.

    I was given a wide berth on my approach to the team of superfriends. And almost every eye was on me as I cleared the distance between us.

    "It wasn''t his fault."

    I informed the chamber, injecting as much sincerity as I could.

    "Though it seemed like him in the act of harming you, it was someone else pulling the strings, not truly him."

    A few of them winced at the memory.

    Yeah, maybe I shouldn''t have brought that up so soon.

    "He was a puppet to the true culprit."

    I finished, whispers breaking out through the crowd.

    "How can we trust you?"

    Someone asked.

    "You could be lying to save his neck."

    The frown that came down on my face caused him to gulp and back away.

    "I know what dying feels like too."

    My response elicited surprise and skepticism.

    They didn''t believe me.

    "You feel the warmth leave your body, the breath leave your lungs and one sense after another goes out. Your sight, hearing...and eventually, you stop feeling entirely. Like a Light switch being turned off."

    There were no more questions after that. The hostility directed at the Flash didn''t diminish in the slightest but that said, no one was clamoring to lynch him, so...progress??

    "You saved us."

    Superman stated, a strange note in his voice.

    "Even with our shared past. Why?"

    "Good question."

    I said, staring at the Man of Steel. The last time we came to blows, Trigon had taken control of him.

    Things worked out in the end, but one slip up from both sides and one of us wouldn''t be standing here today.

    I had been prepared to neutralize Trigon''s threat that day, even if it had meant sacrificing the greatest hero in the world.

    "What''s in the past, is in the past. It''s high time we stopped letting old regrets and guilt define the future."

    And in a gesture that would have had Chase wondering if it was me or an Imposter, I offered Supes my hand to shake.

    None of the League Members behind him spoke up in objection. For too long theur fear of me had ensured I was firmly an enemy in their eyes.

    But I was tired of labels. I wasn''t a villain, nor a hero. I was just me. Deal with it.

    Superman grasped my palm in a tight grip and shook it. I could see the earnestness in his eyes.

    "See, it''s much easier to make friends than enemies right?"

    Raven asked, cheekily shoving me with her elbow.

    I sighed, giving the Kryptonian''s hand one final shake.

    "I''m not opposed to this...truce."

    I worded it like that because no way was I going to get chummy with these guys. I could let go of any bitterness I had towards them, yes, but that didn''t mean everything was fixed in an instant.

    There was also the fact I didn''t agree with how they operated. Sometimes taking one life to safeguard countless others was the right call.

    The League on the other hand was an advocate for life. Even the lives of worthless shitbags like the Joker.

    "Truce?"

    The tall Amazon behind Superman snorted,

    "That would require a measure of trust."

    She suggested without malice.

    "I''ll take him off your hands."

    Superman offered, reaching out for the Flash.

    I placed another tag of energy on him. Fortunately after scanning him, I discovered that Empty Hand wasn''t in control anymore. That said, his bio-aura contained the essence of the Great Darkness'' realm.

    It was smart that I brought him back. He was going to be essential to the [PLAN].

    Handing him over, I took a second to better understand how the League and I could have some common ground. A measure of trust required an important gesture.

    Raven must have sensed my intentions as she held me back. Or tried.

    "You don''t have to."

    She told me, grip tightening on my bicep.

    "You have nothing to prove to anyone, Davi. Especially not to them."

    God I love this girl.

    "I know."

    I said, smiling down at her.

    Then I stepped forward. By now a few members of the press had been allowed access into the conference, cameras flashing and questions rattling around.

    All focus was turned my way as I got to the center of the stage.

    "Ny real name is Davian Mabuz."

    I formerly introduced myself to the chamber,

    "But you can call me the Reaper. Your Reaper. I have saved this world a number of times after all. Not as a hero or a villain, but as a native."

    I paused, gesturing to the Justice League.

    "Your public Heroes and I have decided on a truce. Many dangers to our world exist that they cannot handle alone. As a gesture of trust, I hereby allow you to call on my assistance if you ever need it. Just say my name 3 times, and I''ll be there."

    A sufficient enough Measure of trust. Diana nodded my direction with approval.

    With that, I snapped a finger and teleported my team and I away.

    We arrived home.

    The massive purple sun that appeared before them stole their breath away.

    Deadman was left gaping like a fish, opening and closing his mouth without uttering a single word.

    "Incredible."

    Cheshire muttered, wide eyes and wildly gazing around.

    "I''ve never seen a purple Sun. And what''s this place boss?"

    "I''m curious as well."

    Shiva interjected, a small smile on her face

    "The essence and energy in here feel like you..."

    Glad to see my teacher was still as sharp as ever.

    "Welcome...to my universe."

    I spread out my hands in a gesture of hospitality.

    "I created this place from my own soul. You''re safe. No one can find it or even enter without my permission."

    "You...created all this?"

    Cheshire asked skeptically.

    "All of it."

    I said with a content grin.

    "Down to the smallest grain of sand. And in case you''re wondering why you aren''t suffocating in the vacuum of space, you can blame that on me. In here, I am God."

    The sun''s rays intensified, pulsing along with my statement as if to give credence to my authority.

    "So...cool boss."

    Deadman patted my back,

    "You have your own Batcave now. Only you know, on a universal scale."

    "How about we have this conversation over some tea and cookies?" Raven suggested.

    "You can all catch up with each other inside the Tower."

    "The tower?"

    Deadman asked in confusion, looking around.

    "What Tow- oh thaat Tower. I never even noticed it."

    He directed the attention of the other two to the structure.

    It was floating along a path around the sun and seemed to glow with a range of colors, the dominant ones being purple and grey.

    "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

    Raven chanted lowly, mass teleporting everyone to the entrance of the Tower. This was the closest they could get. Only the Tower Master could teleport into the Tower.

    "My turn."

    Raven giggled, skipping to the front.

    "Welcome, to the Tower of Fate!"

 Naming The Universe Final Part.

    Chapter 195: Naming The Universe Final Part.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    A few hours passed as I interacted with my friends.

    Was it weird to think of them as such? Definitely. But...I trusted them enough that I could call them that.

    The lounge inside the Tower was cozy, with the heat from the fireplace filling the room with a certain warmth, that was right at home in the calm atmosphere.

    An empty tray with crumps of the softest cookies I had ever tasted, lay on the table before us.

    And everyone was leaned back in their seats, discussing this or the other.

    Cheshire and Deadman were arguing about something, Raven watching with the occasional laugh at their expense. I couldn''t help but notice how close these two had gotten.

    It made sense, force people to stay together for a long period of time and they would naturally form a bond.

    I was happy for them. And me.

    One person that was missing however, was Shiva.

    I looked around, finally spotting her retreating out of the room.

    ******

    Excusing myself, I found her at one of the Tower''s numerous windows.

    She was staring through it with her shoulders set in a relaxed state, taking in a deep breath, before letting it out in a soft exhale.

    "This place is beautiful."

    She said, discovering my presence.

    Okay, I''ll admit. That wasn''t the first thing I thought she would say.

    "Davian, there''s no need to maintain a distance."

    A gentle smile played on her lips as she glanced back at me.

    "I wouldn''t want people to think I''m dangerous."

    But you are. You so are.

    I moved closer, halting beside her, my gaze fixed through the window. The sun still commanded the sky, albeit from a greater distance than earlier.

    The Tower of Fate traced an elliptical path around the sun. In specific points along its orbit, the distance between the tower and the sun increased significantly, creating the illusion of a more distant sun.

    That didn''t diminish its beauty or it''s larger than life scope.

    "Thank you."

    I told her, sincerity pouring out of me.

    "I owe you more than I can ever repay."

    This woman trained me, help me live up to my potential, all without asking for anything in return. She accepted Cheshire and Deadman wholeheartedly, and the three of them had formed an unlikely bond. One where I was the linchpin.

    It made me question if I was deserving of such loyalty.

    "Why?"

    I couldn''t help but ask, staring at her face to gauge her reaction.

    "Why do you three trust in me so much? What have I done to earn your confidence?"

    "You will change the world someday Davian."

    Shiva said after a while, her tone full of surety.

    Then we fell into a comfortable silence watching the stars twinkling in the sky.

    "And such an undertaking...is not easy."

    She continued, face as cool as always.

    "It makes sense you might need my help, so I''ll offer it gladly. The other two feel the same."

    Wow.

    Ain''t that something. I guess the answer was really that simple. Just a teacher looking out for a student.

    "But we want a baby."

    She added, completely derailing the conversation and causing me to stare at her with a dumbfounded expression.

    "You what a baby?!"

    I asked, scandalized.

    "And who''s we?"

    Shiva turned to face me with a gentle look, rubbing her belly.

    "Rama and I discussed it. A child between the Reaper and The goddess of Karma and Balance would be powerful. Enough to be a torchbearer of the world you create."

    "Still..."

    I ran a hand through my hair, a little in frustration. It wasn''t that I was opposed to the idea but...

    "That''s...not something that can just happen Shiva."

    "Why not?"

    She raised an eyebrow.

    "We''re not asking for commitment if that''s what you''re thinking. I can feel the unbreakable connection you have with Raven. Our arrangement would not put that in jeopardy."

    Raven was the biggest part of it, I''ll admit. I had no idea how she was going to react once I told her.

    "Do it."

    Unexpectedly, her voice came from our backs.

    "Raven."

    I turned around, spotting her leaning on the side of the entrance to the hallway.

    "What are you saying? Would you really be alright with something like that?"

    I asked gently, trying to understand her motives.

    "It''s destiny Davi."

    She explained, walking towards The two of us.

    "The goddess of Karma and Balance can see the strings of fate, woven in the tarpestry of existence. That child would be important as well as cherished. You should do it."

    She concluded, placing her head on my chest.

    Hesitantly, then more sure of myself, I wrapped my hands around her body, holding her close.

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    "But if you''re giving her a child, then I want one as well."

    She made her desire known, staring at Shiva with challenge.

    What was my life turning to?

    I found myself wisely tightening the hold I had on her. This girl is too precious to lose.

    "Of course, anything for you."

    As long as she was happy, I was happy as well.

    *****

    Next on the agenda was organizing accommodations for our guests. Raven guided the trio to their designated rooms.

    Within the Tower''s residential wing on the third floor, chambers lined the hallway. Each room featured a sizable bed at its center and an adjoining personal bathroom.

    Golden lamps hang from the ceiling, casting warm light down into the room.

    Raven selected the grandest chamber for us �C the master bedroom.

    It was evident she anticipated us sharing the space. I had no objections; the idea of spending the night cuddled up with her was more than welcome.

    *****

    Placing Chesha Neko''s scabbard on the drawer next to the bed, I shed my amber coat, unraveling it into strings that rejoined Chesha Neko.

    Soon I was shirtless, seated on top of the bed.

    Raven had excused herself for the bathroom, and I patiently waited for her to finish before I could take a much-needed shower.

    "Hey."

    Speaking of her, she appeared at the entrance to the bathroom, one hand coyly clutching the towel around her body.

    "Hi."

    I gulped, trying my best to keep my attention away from her exposed thighs...or cleavage.

    Something that was difficult due to the Towel''s short size.

    "I was hoping you would join me. The shower is really something..."

    She offered, shyly twirling her hair with her finger.

    I gulped once more.

    She was inviting me to take a shower together.

    "I''d be delighted."

    I eagerly rose from the bed, striding toward her and lifting her into my arms.

    She yelped in surprise, securing her hands around my neck.

    "Someone''s eager..."

    "Are you kidding me?"

    I asked with a smirk, closing the door with my foot.

    "I wouldn''t miss this for anything."

    *****

    The next day found me up early.

    There was no concept of day or night on the rock outcrop housing the Tower of Fate.

    And the only way of telling time was throug the huge Grandfather clock in the lounge area of the tower.

    It was 3 in the morning when I found myself walking down a hallway, headed to the center of the tower where I could feel something calling me.

    I was shirtless and my Zanpakuto was left in our room, along with Raven who was asleep after our shower escapades.

    The stroll served to both clear my mind and provide a moment for strategizing my next move.

    My adversaries wielded formidable power, enough to cast a shadow of hopelessness over my current state.

    I had an authority, a very powerful one at that.

    But as we had seen from Nekron, someone with a more powerful Authority could negate yours. Which is exactly what I had done to him.

    Then the Great Darkness did the same to me. Total suppression to the point I couldn''t move when he had me in his grasp. Such weakness sickened me.

    I needed more authorities, at least no less than the number he had.

    More authorities meant more power and more power was never unwelcome.

    It was too soon for another chat with the Quintessence who were locked in the deepest layer of the Tower, the dungeons.

    But I was able to confirm what they said from Shiva and the others. Rama Kushna had been captured for trying to defend me.

    There had been a vote from the Quintessence and a few members affiliated with them. The Lords of Order who stood on the side of Order and the Lords of chaos who stood on the side of Chaos.

    The latter had advocated for my existence, the former sought my death.

    The side of order won. The side of God. Of stagnation.

    But...they fucked up. They made the whole thing personal. It was clear I had enemies.

    And while the two groups mentioned couldn''t have been more polar opposites in their decision, it was a decision made from the viewpoint of the eternal struggle between Good and Bad.

    The others not so much. The angels wanted me gone because I threatened God''s existence and the Fifth dimensional Imps simply hated me.

    Then there was Ganthet, who I had no grudge with. I suspected he joined the proceedings mostly to safeguard the Guardian''s authority in the grand scheme of things.

    It was a situation of either join the majority, or refuse and complicate their standing on the Cosmic stage.

    Universal politics. Ugh.

    The Olympians was mostly on the same deal. Though their participation in my prosecution stemmed from the fact Earth was under their jurisdiction.

    Specifically, the West where most of this shit seemed to happen often.

    The Phantom Stranger and The Wizard Shazam were the only two whose underlying motives remained elusive to me.

    I couldn''t fathom why they hadn''t chosen to ally with me. Had I not instilled enough confidence in Mamaragan to make him realize that being my adversary was unwise?

    I guess not.

    Too bad for them then. They must have thought I was done for.

    But even if I had to fight the forces of Good and the forces of Evil at the same goddamn time, I wasn''t going to back down.

    I say bring it on.

    Which is where we circle back to- more strength.

    Power was needed if I were to save Rama.

    Power was needed if I were to defeat my enemies and make them regret ever defying me.

    My thoughts were interrupted as I finally arrived before two massive double doors.

    A huge golden Ankh was imprinted on the face of the door.

    The call intensified, and I found myself placing a palm on the surface, right over the Ankh. Then I pushed them in.

    The entrance swung open noiselessly, allowing a stream of bright golden light to cascade onto my face.

    Stepping inside, I found myself in a spacious, mostly empty chamber adorned with murals along the walls.

    Murals that depicted me and all the battles I had been in. From fighting Killer Croc, The Flash Jay Garrick, Superman, Trigon...

    To off world battles with the fusion of Oceanus and Barragan, Darkseid, Obsidian, Aethyr and even the Ultimator.

    The scenes of my triumph occupied the entire chamber in a grand display of pure dominance over my foes.

    Who could be the artist responsible for this amazing chronicle of my life?

    The answer was the Tower itself.

    Right before my eyes, new scenes begun sprouting, painted by invisible hands.

    These new scenes showed the Flash and I racing across multiple worlds. Everything that had happened since the U.N incident.

    The tower was recording my life.

    "Amazing."

    I muttered, running a hand across Chase''s ferocious form in a scene where we fought the Kryptonians.

    That wasn''t all to the chamber as well. As stated before, something had been incessantly calling to me from within this room.

    In addition to the murals, the sole occupant of the chamber was a sizable golden sphere.

    Enveloped by a column of purple light extending from floor to ceiling, the sphere stood prominently in the center of the chamber.

    The source of the call.

    Light from the sphere highlighted the scenes on the walls, giving them an otherworldly sense of realism.

    I approached the sphere, appraising it with Reikaku. Only to remember that Reikaku was ineffective within the Tower.

    Instead, I curiously reached out and touched it.

    Immediately, I was aware of the entire Tower.

    [Heavenly Treasure Awakened]

    A purple text box manifested before me.

    I withdrew my hand, a little surprised.

    Heavenly Treasure? Could it be talking about the Tower?

    [Affirmative]

    [Please Identify Yourself as the Tower''s Master to Unlock basic control]

    Two text boxes took center stage in my vision. I blinked, willing them away.

    They were relegated to the back of my mind, a sort of sensation that upon prodding would maximize the text boxes and display information.

    Apparently, whatever this was could read my mind.

    "You''re the tower itself. Aren''t you?"

    I questioned, voicing my suspicions.

    [Correct]

    [Please Identify Yourself as the Tower''s Master to Unlock Basic Controls.]

    Must be a formality.

    Following instinct more than anything, I placed my hand on the sphere and injected my energy into it.

    There was a sort of click. Then a row of text boxes appeared.

    ******

    [Basic Control Unlocked]

    [Identified... Davian Mabuz, The Reaper]

    [Authority: Ultimate]

    [Welcome, Master. I am a basic Interactive Interface, with no will of its own]

    [Basic Control of the Tower involves:]

    [-Multivariate Dimensional Analysis for Trasdimensional Traversal(Dimension Hopping)]

    [-Adaptive Battle Training Simulation Deck]

    [-Infinite Barracks]

    [-Crafting Emporium]

    [-Mystical Library]

    [-Relic and Treasure Vault]

    [-Universal Core Intergration]

    Evolving the Tower will unlock Intermediate Control []

    ******

    Whoa.

    Talk about an early Christmas present.

    I knew the Tower of Fate was something that defied all odds. It had been the home of the Supreme Sorcerer Doctor Fate after all.

    To have it passed down to me...

    What great fortune.

    Raven would be excited to learn there was a mystical library.

    I on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to check out the Adaptive Battle Training Simulation Deck. I''ll just call it ABTS-Deck.

    If it could help me come up with more authorities then I was game.

    Even just a simulation where I fought multiple copies of myself was welcome. It was a means to power.

    Right from the start, I could tell the ABTS-Deck was going to be my favorite room.

    That said, something more immediate took precedence. I had to name the Universe.

    Fortunately, with the Tower''s basic controls available to me, I had a way.

    I closed my eyes, my palm still pressed onto the warm golden sphere.

    I dove into the connection between us, perusing the options that appeared in the form of text boxes, finally landing on the one I wanted.

    [-Universal Core Intergration]

    I tapped on that option and the entire Tower vibrated. Then a deeper connection was established and I found myself inextricably linked to the Universe through the Tower.

    All trillions of light years across, and the cosmic bodies within it.

    This is it.

    Time to give you a name.

    I felt the Universe''s base consciousness pulse in a rudimentary form of elation.

    "Ultima."

    I declared.

    "The fifth World."

    The ultimate realm.

    The Universe above universes.

    Created on the foundation of an entity from beyond the 10th dimension.

    It was a fitting name. And she seemed to like it.

 Shukai part 1.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I don''t get it.

    Another wave of annihilation passed by my cheek, drawing a hint of blood but absolutely wrecking the environment behind me.

    I responded by clearing the distance between my opponents and I with a clean Shunpo.

    I don''t get it. I''ve been fighting my clones for the last 5 hours in the ABTS-Deck.

    The deck can simulate any environment. Forest, desert, an open plain, a city, a mountainous landscape...you name it.

    Right now we were sparring in the middle of space, surrounded by large heavenly bodies and far away stars.

    I was facing down 10 of my clones, all of them in Bankai mode and with access to all my abilities. More than enough to push me to the next level.

    You couldn''t go wrong with a trial by combat. It''s how I grew stronger.

    So why, why was I seeing minimal progress?

    I was supposed to feel myself get stronger, faster, more efficient with how I handled my Cosmic Authority.

    There shouldn''t have been a cap to my power. There shouldn''t be a ceiling.

    Yet, I sustained the same wounds 5 hours in, that I fell for during the first hour of the spar. There was no noticeable increase in any of my abilities.

    No experience gained from fighting myself.

    "Stop."

    I sighed, blocking the tip of a clone''s Chesha Neko with my finger.

    The wide vacuum of space stretched out as far as the eye could see. With a wave of my hand, it dissappeared.

    I was left in a white space, the default mode of the ABTS-Deck.

    The ten clones bled into me, unraveling into strings that were absorbed into Chesha Neko.

    I stared down at my hands. This wasn''t going how I thought it would.

    After naming Ultima, I decided to immediately solve the next biggest issue, Power.

    That meant trying out the ABTS-Deck.

    "What am I doing wrong?"

    I questioned.

    "I can''t seem to grasp another concept pertaining to my Authority. Let alone come up with several more authorities. How am I supposed to defeat either of them?"

    It was a dilemma. I could do nothing in front of The Great Darkness. That feeling of weakness...was demeaning.

    "Man...watching you go about this the wrong way is exhausting."

    Someone said from my back.

    Surprised that anyone could sneak up on me while inside the Tower, I turned around, ready to face down the intruder.

    Only for my face to freeze in shock.

    He was in a word, bright. His golden skin glowed, two differently colored eyes meeting my own from under lustrous locks of hair.

    He was also tall. Very tall. Something like 7 feet tall. Wearing a long flowing robe that revealed his muscular chest. A sword peeked out from his hip, the aura around ot giving me the feeling of danger.

    And lastly that face. So similar to my own, yet containing an Otherworldly beauty that surpassed anyone I had ever seen. It was so unnatural yet I could tell this was his actual appearance.

    There was no glamour.

    I know this guy.

    The Great Darkness said he was my father. How dramatic. Was he expecting me to be moved? Then he didn''t know me well enough.

    "What are you doing here?"

    I aimed Chesha Neko at the Stranger. My supposed father.

    "The answer you give will determine how badly I hurt you."

    "So presumptious."

    He stated, moving forward and for the first time, I witnessed what lay beyond the concept of speed.

    Instantaneous movement.

    I never noticed him change location in his approach. One second he was several feet away, the next he was inches away from me, curiously tapping Chesha Neko''s tip.

    "You think you can beat me?"

    He continued with a question.

    "The fact you cannot sense how outmatched you are spells doom for your friend''s lives, Mr. Reaper."

    The bastard was mocking me. No one mocks me.

    "Ban-"

    I begun, only to find my lips and body immobilized. Just like before withthe Great Darkness, my power was forcibly suppressed.

    ''Not just anyone can do that. This guy is powerful.''

    Am also getting tired of this bullshit.

    "Ssh, that''s enough of that."

    He said, lowering the tip of my sword.

    "I didn''t come here to fight. And if you listen to me, I might help you out with your little problem."

    I found myself able to speak once again. Though I didn''t do it immediately.

    When I did, it was to ask a question.

    "How were you able to get access to not only my Universe but the Tower? And why can''t I seem to kick you out?"

    "You''re worried someone else might do something similar."

    He responded.

    "I wouldn''t be concerned. See I''m a special case. I possess a few powerful Authorities. Two of which stack together to ensure I cannot be contained, imprisoned, sealed, Suppressed or Restrained. There is no place I can''t reach, no barriers I can''t breach."

    I couldn''t verify the truth of his words. He was totally completely unreadable. No hint of energy escaped him, no hint into his true motives as well.

    However, I chose to trust him, not due to giving the benefit of the doubt, but out of sheer necessity, as he had a firm grip on me.

    The promise of power.

    I wouldn''t have minded some guidance in getting stronger.

    Then I was going to use that strength to kick his ass for invading my Universe.

    "You could have just knocked."

    I pointed out.

    "How? It''s not like there was a door..."

    He said blankly.

    I shrugged, refusing to let it go. He''s a super powerful entity, he could have found a way.

    A few minutes later, I was seated cross-legged on the white floor of the ABTS-Deck, a cup of steaming green tea in my hands.

    The brewer, My ''Father'' seemed to enjoy the practice, pouring the tea into his own cup.

    "My Master always says...sharing a cup of tea between strangers is the first step to understanding each other."

    He chuckled,

    "Pretty obvious in retrospect, but he has this wise way of saying things that gives his words more gravitas."

    I took a sip, finding the tea to be quite good actually. There was a certain warmth that flowed down my throat, easing my anxiety and relaxing my stiff shoulders.

    "Feeling better?"

    He asked with a knowing look.

    "Yes," I exhaled, sensing the previous frustrations gradually dissipate.

    "A bit."

    "Good to hear. Master Iroh would be pleased that I''ve mastered brewing his signature Jasmine tea."

    He happily chimed.

    "It''s supposed to calm the nerves and ease stress."

    I nodded, having felt the effects firsthand.

    "Now, let''s delve into the details, shall we?"

    Suddenly, his tone shifted to a more straightforward one.

    "Simply put, you don''t grasp your abilities."

    "Huh?"

    I muttered dumbly.

    "What are you talking about? My cosmic authority-"

    "Is a hodge podge of different DC power systems and barely learned abilities thrown together haphazardly without rhyme or reason. Frankly, it''s a wonder you were even able to transcend in such a corrupted state. And even in doing so, the transcendence became halfway incomplete. Amateur work at best, childish at worst."

    He absolutely tore into me.

    I...had nothing to say to that.

    "Though I can''t blame you, you''ve likely never had a powerful Master to guide you. Your martial arts are impeccable though and your sword skills might rival some of your uncles''."

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Uncles?

    He wasn''t even trying to hide our relationship anymore. Then again, why would he?

    "As you are right now, you have all my potential without any of the direction."

    He stated.

    I tightened my hands into fists. Normally, I would have a comeback ready for that. But...something told me he was right.

    My Cosmic Authority was not supposed to be strong against weaker opponents but weak against powerful ones. It was supposed to level the playing field.

    "Then how? How do I solve that issue?"

    For several seconds, he didn''t answer. Then he took a small sip of his tea.

    "You do what I did, you understand yourself. More Authorities does equate to power but not efficiency. You will be locked from your true potential if you go down that route. I has to master my elements one after the other. What you need to do is focus on the fundamentals. One step at a time."

    "Focus on the fundamentals."

    I echoed his words. I still didn''t get it but his statement on understanding myself left me with a strange feeling.

    "It''s evident where your primary source of power lies��within your remarkably potent soul," he remarked, a hint of awe in his voice.

    "I''ve never encountered anything quite like it."

    The compliment aside, his words kept on echoing in my mind.

    Focus on the Fundamentals huh? There was something I was missing. Something intrisic yet so simple. So basic.

    "How did you get so strong?"

    I asked him.

    He rubbed his chin in thought.

    "By mastering myself before trying to master the outside world. Your cosmic authority can be suppressed by someone more powerful."

    "And that''s because, besides your own created existence, you will never have 100% control of the outside reality. There is always someone older, stronger, more experienced."

    "However, by mastering yourself, even against formidable opponents, you can resist without depending on external factors. Your power becomes a tempest of Internal Will. "

    There it was again. Mastering oneself.

    It kept on standing out to me. What was left for me to master in myself? What was I missing?

    I raised the cup to my lips, only to find out that no tea remained. I had...drank it all down.

    And in a flash of inspiration, I suddenly knew what I needed to do.

    When all was said and done, my source of abilities did come from my soul. Was it that simple? Yeah...it was.

    "That''s it."

    I muttered, covering my mouth with my palm. How could I have been so blind?

    "I need...to reach the next evolution of my Soul. The final state. Whether that be something higher than a Bankai or a fusion of all the three Soul Races, it''s clear what I should do."

    I looked up at him, spotting a confident smirk.

    "I need to become The Soul King."

    That''s how I master myself. By mastering my very own soul.

    (General P.O.V)

    "This place is extravagant."

    Grail commented, staring out into the banquet Hall around them.

    "Not necessarily a bad thing though. I like extravagant."

    The chamber could be described as tastefully adorned. Refined furniture, subtle lighting, and delicate ornaments, culminating in a grand and beautiful atmosphere.

    "Annax Orin takes great pride in the beauty of the Palace."

    A dark skinned young Merman informed them, guiding the four through the opulent chamber filled with Merfolk.

    "The walls are inlaid with gold and precious metals from all across the seven seas."

    "And the wine is exceptional as well. How is it crafted?" inquired Ra''s Al Ghul.

    He had joined Chase''s team to repay the debt he owed Davian, for saving him from Savage and Klarion.

    Now he was part of the alliance.

    "The Xebel vineyards."

    Kaldurahm, their guide answered the Demon''s Head curtly, a noticeable difference from the way he interacted with the other 3.

    "Her highness, Queen Mera is beloved by her subjects. They supply the palace with the best quality wine you can find in all of Atlantis."

    "It does taste good."

    Chase echoed, seeking to ease the awkward tension.

    "I might have to borrow a few barrels for Davian."

    The Zanpakuto spirit was in his humanoid form, a pair of cat ears and a tail, the only indication of his true form.

    Kaldur smiled at him.

    "But of course. Anything for the savior of Xebel."

    "Ah, Kaldur, I see you''re doing an excellent job of entertaining our guests."

    An authoritative voice spoke from their front.

    A duo made way as they approached Chase''s squad.

    Chase bowed his head at the King and Queen of Atlantis.

    "Your highnesses. Thank you for allowing us an audience."

    "Please, call me Orin. And this is my beloved wife, Mera. I believe we have much to discuss with you and your...party?"

    Aquaman replied, staring at the other 3 standing behind Chase, eyes lingering on Ra''s Al Ghul.

    "Allow me to introduce my friends."

    Chase took the opportunity,

    "The blue guy is Dr. Manhattan, he can destroy the Universe ten times over."

    Upon hearing that, the nearby Merfolk displayed astonishment on their faces. Unfazed by their surprise, Chase pressed on,

    "The femme fatale with us is Grail, she''s very dangerous and I''m sure you''re well aware of the Demon''s Heir, Ra''s Al Ghul."

    The Zanpakuto spirit concluded the introductions.

    "Yes...he and I have tussled in the past."

    Aquaman said with a frown.

    "Which is why I caution you. I understand, you seek allies to help The Reaper fight. But I must insist you-"

    Queen Mera placed a hand on her Husband''s arm, subtly silencing him.

    She turned to Chase.

    "My husband means well. That said, I''m indebted to your Master. Despite not knowing either of you well, a favor deserves repayment. We won''t inquire about your affiliations. If you require assistance, we''ll gladly provide it."

    Chase smiled, a sigh of relief escaping him.

    "For a moment, I feared you might be narrow-minded. What''s approaching doesn''t discriminate, King Orin. It impacts us all��heroes, villains, and everyone in between."

    Aquaman sighed.

    "I suppose, as long he behaves then you are welcome here. To echo my wide, Atlantis will give you our full support."

    "About that, I need to ask. What is it exactly you want?"

    Queen Mera enquired.

    Dr. Manhattan stepped forward.

    "I have seen what comes for the world. The only way the planet survives is with an alliance with the Reaper. Forces beyond the capacity for the League to face are coming here."

    "A war. So shortly after the previous one?" Aquaman pondered with a weighty tone.

    "Though I acknowledge we didn''t experience the full extent of Darkseid''s invasion a few months ago. We only had to contend with a few parademons, but even that resulted in casualties."

    "This planet got lucky."

    Chase told them.

    "Others not so much."

    Grail interjected.

    "Davian singlehandedly defeated my father and his corrupt army. What''s coming is worse than that. And it''s headed straight for us."

    "Then what do you propose? What''s the strategy? A pre-emptive attack or shoring up our defence and huddling down."

    Aquaman questioned.

    At that exact moment, a green portal shimmered into existence within the Hall, and through it came the Justice League, Batman at the lead.

    The Flash was noticeably absent.

    And Lex Luthor was questionably present, standing between Superman and Wonder Woman.

    "Neither."

    The enigmatic supervillain stated with a smile, seeming to have overheard Aquaman''s question.

    Luthor was dressed in a prison uniform.

    "Nice party. Why wasn''t I invited?"

    "Focus."

    Batman growled at him.

    "We have a job to do."

    "The League?"

    Kaldur asked in confusion.

    "What are you doing here? How did you get past the magic barrier? It''s not possible to portal into the palace, and what is Luthor doing here?"

    Luthor smirked, holding up four fingers.

    "I can answer that. By order of your questions, the league is here because it understands we can only survive what''s coming by working together."

    "Secondly, we were able to portal into the vaunted palace of Atlantis due to the Relocator. It''s not fully functional but in its current state, this much is possible."

    "And thirdly, I''m here because you need me."

    He concluded with a proud smirk.

    "Ugh, I forgot how much I hate this smug bastard."

    Green Arrow whispered to Black Canary, hands folded.

    "He''s not wrong. Luthor was instrumental."

    Batman stated, before glaring at his fellow Billionaire.

    "However, his usefulness is swiftly dwindling. Maybe a trip back to Belle Reve is in order."

    Luthor paled.

    "Wait wait...I still don''t get it."

    Kaldur asked, momentarily losing his composure.

    "When did all of you have time to plan all that out?"

    All eyes turned to Dr. Manhattan.

    "A mindlink formed by Manhattan. All our allies, connected mentally across not only this world, but Prime Earth as well."

    Chase explained, tapping his head.

    "Allowing you to trade information and strategize all without being in the same room. Or the same world."

    Kaldur muttered in realization.

    "Sharp as ever Kaldur. "

    Black Canary complimented.

    "Thank you Black Canary but no. The true genius is the person who came up with the idea."

    Kaldur replied humbly.

    "That would be me."

    Chase spoke up with a serious expression.

    "And we offer the same deal to you, King Orin. The purpose of our arrival was to have you join the Mindlink. Our enemies are grand and fast approaching, our allies scattered. We must be-"

    The entire palace shuddered, cutting him off.

    "What was that impact?!"

    Aquaman roared out, gazing around the chamber.

    Another tremor rocked the palace, causing cracks to form on the walls.

    "Guards! With me."

    Aquaman ordered with authority.

    "Wait, King Orin!"

    Chase''s voice reached him, halting his progress forward.

    Chase'' ears twitched in agitation.

    "Let me handle this."

    ******

    Outside, the palace barrier shimmered, magical energy coming from the city, slamming onto the palace grounds with heavy shockwaves.

    The barrier folded, the pressure from the water it kept at bay almost popping it and risking the lives of those from the surface: Chase and his squad.

    Beyond the palace barrier, was the rest of Poseidonis, the capital city of Atlantis.

    In a flare of blue, Chase and Doctor Manhattan appeared within a protective sphere, above the city.

    "It''s just as I thought. They''ve come for me."

    Chase muttered with a narrowing of his eyes.

    Around Poseidonis was another barrier, shaped like a dome. It was both magnitudes larger than the one encompassing the Palace, and packed with more immense magical energy.

    An exit and an entrance point were situated at opposite directions along the dome, serving as a means of accessing Poseidonis.

    The entrance was currently in shambles. Destroyed by...

    "The Heavenly Host. God must have hated playing catch up to his Opposite. Both of them want a piece of Davian that bad, huh?"

    Chase chuckled.

    "Indubitably."

    Manhattan answered stiffly.

    "Whoever kills the Anti-divine gets to plunder the remains."

    Chase turned his head to face Dr. Manhattan, wearing the most solemn expression his human visage could convey.

    "What does that mean?"

    Before Manhattan could answer, another tremor rocked the outer barrier and in a deep booming sound, it popped, deadly waves of magic rushing into the city.

    The water roiled and churned violently, heralding the destruction about to befall Poseidonis.

    "This conversation is not over."

    Chase told Manhattan, waving his left hand.

    Bright white enochian characters appeared on the back of his palm. The characters weaved together into a script around his wrist and on his fingers.

    White claws jutted out of his finger tips, glowing with incredible might. Chase sank his claws and intent into the web of existence, negating the magical energies about to hit the city-state.

    Above them,

    White wings flapped behind a golden figure, descending upon the blue sphere housing Chase and Manhattan.

    "You use the Light exceptionally well."

    The Arch-angel Gabriel stated, unsheathing a golden greatsword.

    "Alas, such sacrilegious acts will not be tolerated. I smell the pungent hold you have in the dark as well."

    Chase lowered his hand after dealing with the potent mystical energy. A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

    "What? Going to preach to me about serving two masters? God and The Devil?"

    The Zanpakuto Spirit sneered,

    "No need. My loyalties lay elsewhere."

    "Of course, with the Reaper. Correct?"

    Gabriel asked, hundreds of his heavenly host flying down to his position.

    The Archangel spun his sacred weapon, his intense gaze fixed on Chase.

    "Thats why I''m here. To bring this to an end. You''re coming with me."

    Chase turned his focus inward and unmuted the Mindlink. Immediately, he was bombarded by questions from the rest of the team.

    [Are those angels!?]

    Green Arrow stated in shock.

    [I need to get out there!]

    King Orin''s desire to save his kingdom, culminated in an irrational demand.

    Just as the few Leaguers were busy telling him why that was a bad idea, Chase''s voice cut through all the noise:-

    [Everyone, listen up. It''s time to start the plan]

    Chase informed.

    [With Manhattan''s knowledge of spatial coordinates, the Relocator should be accurate enough to not slighshot the planet across various dimensions. He can get you to Davi.]

    [What about you]

    Batman asked, immediately understanding what Chase was planning to do.

    [They''re here for me. I can buy you enough time to activate the Relocator and leave.]

    Chase explained.

    [I''ll catch up afterwards]

    Almost everyone thought he was lying, sacrificing himself willingly knowing that his chances for survival were dim.

    Heedless to their concerns, Chase turned to Gabriel.

    "You admit it so freely."

    The Cheshire Cat responded, sharp fangs jutting out of his jaws, voice deepening, light purple fur sprouting across his frame, eyes glowing menacingly and reiryoku brimming within him.

    "Do you think I possess no strength to defy you? You believe you can force my compliance?"

    "Yes."

    Gabriel answered.

    The angels behind him unsheathed their weapons in a grand display of power.

    "I am fully aware of how powerful you are. A fight would be un-ideal but still acceptable. The entire City State Of Poseidonis would be destroyed in the aftermath however. I was hoping to appeal to your reason."

    "I see now."

    Chase nodded his head, leaving the bounds of Manhattan''s barrier. A smaller purple barrier appeared around him, his body losing the animalistic qualities.

    [Protect them for me. Give Davi a message, "don''t come for me while you''re this weak. I expect you to get stronger. Strong enough that it doesn''t matter where I''ll be.Strong</a> enough that you won''t die trying to save me."]

    Manhattan blinked at the statement. Only he had heard it, everyone else had been muted.

    [I will]

    Manhattan answered.

    "Fine."

    Chase smiled, stretching out his hands.

    "You make a convincing argument, I shall come with you."

    He couldn''t allow Poseidonis to be destroyed. Atlantis were allies now.

    ******

    "What is he doing? Why is he going with them?"

    Kaldur asked, staring at the projected display from the City''s Security system.

    The screen showed a host of heaenly angels turning to fly away after breaking through the Outer shield around Poseidonis.

    "They are leaving with him."

    Batman stated, fingers dancing over his wrist watch.

    "We need to hurry and evacuate. They might decide to deal with us thoroughly to quell any opposition. I have activated the Relocator just as planned."

    "They''re angels right?"

    Hawkwoman stated, her white wings twitching in agitation.

    "They wouldn''t come after the planet. They wouldn''t threaten the lives of innocent people."

    "And who says we''re innocent in their eyes? Let''s face reality. To them, this world is under Davian, their enemy. In a war for dominance, taking out the opposition''s side is a sound strategy."

    Batman cruely informed them.

    "The Batman is correct."

    Dr. Manhattan said while appearing in the chamber.

    "Metatron has ordered Gabriel to cleanse this world of the Reaper''s supporters. The reason you are still here is due to the Arch-angel''s compassion and Chase''s sacrifice."

    What he didn''t tell them was how he learned that.

    Unknown to Chase, Manhattan and Gabriel had had their own private mental discussion.

 Shukai part 2

    Chapter 197: Shukai Part 2.

    (Raven''s P.O.V)

    We made out last night.

    And it was good. Better than I expected.

    Enough that just thinking about it made my heart race and my face flush red on the mirror.

    He was so gentle yet hungry with need, rough in the way I wanted yet considerate and caring.

    We were opposites. He was death and I was life. Maybe that''s why our connection was so potent.

    Was he put off by my forwardness? I mean, I initiated all of it. Did Davi even like me that way? I hope so.

    I couldn''t help but worry nonetheless.

    He treated my Parallel self like a little sister. I can tell it grated her through our connection as a Pseudo Avatar of mine, the life entity.

    But I was fine with that. He was mine, not hers.

    Maybe I should talk to him. Figure out his true feelings. And if he''s into me like I am...then, I''ll ask him to be my boyfriend.

    There is no way I''m letting anyone else take him away from me. And any woman who wants to be with him will have to get through me.

    An image of Shiva took center stage in my mind. She wanted a child with Davi.

    She could be the sole exception, as I understood her perspective. For her, it wasn''t about love but rather strength, power, and legacy.

    Davi and I had transcended our mortal mindset, and I didn''t perceive her as a threat to our connection.

    As long as Davi was okay with it...

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    "You seem to finally have an idea on what you should do, so I''ll leave you to it then."

    My''Father'' (still not sold on that) observed.

    The tea set between us disappeared into the wide sleeves of his robe as he nimbly leaped to his feet.

    His hand traced a path downward, parting the fabric of space down the middle. In its wake, a vivid green portal materialized before him.

    He rubbed the back of his neck, a sudden unease settling in.

    "Well then, um... I suppose this is goodbye."

    He stammered, a newfound awkwardness enveloping his words.

    A blank faced stare was all that met him.

    "Wow, not even gonna give your old man a hug? Where are your manners?"

    He grumbled.

    My brow twitched, hands stubbornly folded on my chest.

    "Manners? Didn''t exactly have anyone to instill those in me."

    I raised a hand to stop his follow up response.

    "And no, that is not a desperate cry for attention or some need for family."

    I sighed, wanting to be done with whatever this talk was.

    "Frankly speaking, we look the same age, dude. It would be awkward to think of you as my anything. Especially a Dad."

    A frown creased his forehead as he adjusted his stance.

    "You''re prepared to discard your heritage without truly understanding what it means to be my child?"

    I shrugged.

    "Sorry but... Yeah."

    I''ve had two Dads, one sold me off to pay for his addiction and the other was an asshole.

    "I have been taking care of myself for a long time."

    I explained.

    "Not keen on changing that."

    He nodded, his eyes betraying his disappointment and reluctant acceptance.

    "Very well then. If you ever need me, just call out my Name, Aden Strong."

    Aden Strong.

    I''ll remember that name.

    He pushed into the portal and disaapeared from the tower and the Universe.

    With his departure, a certain weight lifted from the realm. It was a pressure, an influence, that seemed to dissipate with the mere absence of his presence.

    He was probably the most powerful entity bar the Great Darkness I had ever come across.

    And I was fortunate enough to get some guidance from him.

    Swallowing my ego and pride, I got to my feet and bowed at his previous position.

    "Thank you."

    I said, sincerity pouring out of me.

    "You''re welcome."

    The air within the ABTS-Deck cheekily whispered back.

    "Son."

    A chuckle escaped me.

    "That bast-"

    The word froze on my lip.

    A text box had suddenly and without warning popped up before my eyes.

    [Incoming Transmission]

    As the highest Authority, the tower naturally abided by my rule. Which is why the Text Box was not out of place.

    Before accepting the transmission, I teleported out of the ABTS-Deck and onto the core of the tower of fate, curiousity guiding me.

    "Tower, clarify the nature of the transmission," I commanded, my hand pressing firmly onto the surface of the golden sphere.

    Another text box popped up.

    [Allow The Mass Transferrence of a Star System into Ultima at coordinates xxxxxxx]

    What?

    What in the hell were Chase and the others up to? This had him written all over.

    "I need more information."

    I pressed on.

    [Connect to the source of the transmission?]

    That could work.

    "Yeah. Do it."

    The Golden Sphere beneath my palm pulsed as the Tower''s Universal Core Intergration activated, melding my consciousness with Ultima.

    I felt my mind stretch out across the entire Universe, then out of it, connecting with the transmission request, a neural tether that was giving the equivalent of a knock on the metaphysical door of my universe.

    Following the neural tether, my consciousness connected to a mind-link uniting a collective of multiple minds.

    And acting as the Linch pin of the whole thing was Dr. Manhattan.

    (General P.O.V)

    [Manhattan]

    A voice sounded out through the minds of everyone in the Mindlink.

    Everyone who was part of the collective winced as Davian unknowingly exerted his own passive pressure on them.

    [Dial it back]

    Batman bit out, rubbing the sides of his head while hovering before the Batcomputer in the bat cave.

    [What?]

    Davian called out once more. Then he seemed to retract his mental presence.

    [Oh]

    The Reaper acquiesced, diminishing his presence while simultaneously isolating everyone else, except Manhattan, into a muted state.

    The two''s mental imprint, Manhattan and Davian, went silent through the Mindlink.

    "Was that...?"

    Luthor begun from behind Batman.

    The two of them had just finished priming the Relocator and were waiting on Dr. Manhattan to input the coordinates through the Watchtower.

    "Yeah...that was him."

    Batman answered in a complicated tone.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    The Reaper. His enemy. Bruce was not naive enough to think this alliance would solve the issues between him and Davian. But one thing at a time.

    "The readings are steady."

    Luthor informed the Dark Knight, fingers tapping across the laptop he had on his lap.

    "The array is operating as planned; the only potential hiccup I anticipate is a minor turbulence as Gravity reasserts itself upon our relocation of the Solar System," Luthor added.

    There was nothing they could do about that for now. The enemy arrived too early.

    "The net of Will Energy should keep everything interconnected."

    Batman stated confidently.

    Luthor stared at him with a silent gaze.

    "I hope you''re right Bruce. One misstep and not just Gotham will be in trouble."

    Batman knew that.

    He narrowed his gaze at the console before him, showing a layout of the entire Solar System.

    What they were doing was something that had never been done before. Leave alone Gotham and Earth, even Mars was in danger if they misstepped.

    "The sun accounts for 90% of the Solar System."

    Batman appended.

    "Our primary focus should be stabilizing its mass during transference; the planets will naturally maintain their intended orbits due to its gravitational pull. The calculations will stand. The real challenge ahead... lies with them."

    On one side of the Batcomputer''s display was a satellite feed relaying real time footage of space.

    And around the Solar System was a shimmering green bubble.

    Outside the bubble were numerous glowing figures with wings.

    Easily billions of Angels. A third of The Heavenly Host.

    And all they were doing was watching the barrier.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I lowered my presence so as to not endanger everyone else in the Mindlink.

    A mindlink that connected not just the League but a few interesting figures as well.

    Ra''s Al Ghul and Luthor.

    It made me curious what Chase, Grail and Manhattan had been upto.

    What were they thinking by interacting with not only the Justice League (who I didn''t get along with) but Supervillains?

    I wouldn''t be so worried about that if I could sense Chase. But he was missing.

    [Incoming Request For Transference]

    The text box appeared once more, relentlessly hounding me for permission to allow the transfer of an entire Star System into Ultima.

    Who even came up with that crazy idea?

    "Manhattan."

    I called to him again. Now that he and I were in an isolated mindlink, I could speak without fear of crushing his mental self.

    "What''s going on?"

    Instead of answering, he sent an image through our link. Billions of Angels around the local terrestrial region.

    And a green sphere around the Solar System.

    Mmh, so the side of Good has arrived. No doubt to deal with me in some fashion.

    And Earth would no doubt be caught in the aftermath, putting a lot of lives in jeopardy.

    That makes sense why everyone is working together. The League and both supervillains. This was an existential threat waiting to happen.

    Finally understanding the context, I allowed the relocation of the Solar System into Ultima.

    "Let them in."

    I ordered the tower, waving the text box away and using Cosmic Authority, teleported out.

    Appearing in our room in an instant, Raven enveloped me in a hug the moment I materialized.

    "Davi, I woke up, and you were gone... is everything alright?" she inquired with concern.

    I embraced her tightly, savoring her warmth and care, but reluctantly had to step back due to the constraints of time.

    "Let the others know that we''ll have guests soon," I instructed.

    "What about you? Where are you going?"

    She questioned, letting go of me as I dorned Chesha Neko: life fibers.

    Chesha Neko wove the durable threads around my body into my purple string armor.

    My instincts told me something was up. Chase''s absence from the Mindlink, and the Heavenly Host laying siege on Earth was indication enough.

    "I''ll be back."

    I promised.

    "I just need to deal with something first."

    "Wait."

    Raven called out, stepping closer and then gently kissing me.

    "Now you can go."

    She said with a shy smile.

    Throwing her a grin, I left the Tower.

    And promptly appeared in a vacuum, staring out into space.

    Before me, several times larger than most stars, was the massive purple sun the Tower orbited around.

    I was entirely connected to Ultima. Meaning everything that went on in the universe was known to me.

    And right after permitting the transference, the Solar System emerged trillions of miles away from Ultima''s center, where the purple sun radiated its enigmatic glow.

    In a swift burst of speed, I vanished from my position, heading towards the concentrated gathering of souls that resonated in my senses.

    Over 7 billion Earthlings and 2 billion martians.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Bat-cave)

    The tray of tea and snacks Alfred was carrying down the stairs shook as the entire mansion was rocked by a tremor.

    The butler merely stopped in place, his footing stable and steady. The tremor soon passed and he continued on his way.

    "They must have succeeded."

    Alfred mused to himself.

    "And right in time for a tea break too."

    (Watchtower)

    "The transfer was successful."

    Superman informed the room.

    A few scattered cheers rose out of the gathered heroes. They had managed to save the planet.

    As unconventional as the plan was, the result was the safety of over 7 billion people.

    "Now what?"

    A red skinned Martian in Royal robes questioned from the massive screen projected above the meeting hall''s table.

    "We''ve adhered to your daring strategy with inadequate information. Trust alone isn''t enough. I insist on an explanation from you Earthlings. Why did you decide to Relocate our planet?"

    This was S''turnn J''axx, the King of Mars.

    "Your Majesty, I appreciate your patience. If you''d be so kind as to permit us entry to your planet, I believe we should discuss this matter in an official setting," Superman proposed.

    There was a brief discussion on the Martian side that the Justice League was not privy to. Then,

    "Very well, Superman. You have been a friend to our people for long."

    The King accepted.

    "You and your allies are welcome on Barsoom."

    The feed was cut off, changing to display the pandemonium caused in the world of science as new constellations and stars appeared in the sky.

    "We succeeded."

    Hawkman said with a sigh.

    "It was a wise strategy to evacuate. Now we can focus on the battle without worrying about protecting Innocents."

    "I agree. We can launch an atta-"

    "That will not be necessary."

    Dr. Manhattan stated, cutting off Shazam''s words.

    The members of the League looked at each other.

    "Why not?"

    Wonder Woman asked.

    "That was the entire point of the Alliance. To keep the earth safe. The relocation was only meant to be temporary. We still need to face the enemy and come out victorious."

    "The alliance has served it''s purpose."

    Manhattan informed them, staring out into space.

    "What happens from here...just watch."

    Then he opened up the Mindlink to them, connecting with a clone of his. A clone that was watching Davian demolish the Heavenly Host.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I had to stop in my advance towards the Solar System.

    And that''s because of who flew out to meet with me.

    A blue skinned nude man with power that could destroy a universe, fuck with timelines and play with reality as if it was playdoh.

    "Manhattan."

    I greeted, looking around, Reikaku stretched out through Ultima. I was looking for Chase.

    "Where is he?"

    I questioned, a bad feeling settling in the pit of my belly.

    The thing with Manhattan was that he was above the notion of emotions. Moving him was an exercise in futility. He was calm and passive. Barely reactive yet curious.

    Now all I saw in his eyes was a certain helpless frustration.

    "Allow me to show you."

    He offered, opening his memories to me.

    It took a second to understand everything.

    "That idiot."

    I said in a trembling voice, heart sinking.

    "He allowed himself to be captured?"

    "That''s not all."

    Manhattan added, letting me see it all. Even his conversation with Gabriel.

    "They have a third of the Heavenly Host, led by Uriel waiting for me. Metatron wants to invite me to my own execution, using Chase as the bait?"

    The more I knew, the angrier I got.

    Who the fuck do they think they are, huh?

    Chase was like a brother to me. Our relationship was banked on a mutual desire to protect each other and those we held dear.

    So who the fuck thinks they can lay hands on him? And using him as bait? Are they that dumb? Chase was not helpless. He wasn''t a result of my power, he was my power.

    Shit. Something else just occurred to me. I can''t access Shukai without him.

    Shikai was all about connecting with the Zanpakuto.

    Bankai was dominating it.

    Shukai was about fusing with it. This is the idea I fell upon. The next level of power was a combination of both my soul and my Zanpakuto Spirit.

    A unification.

    True ascendance. My way of it at least.

    "Hey Manhattan."

    I called out.

    "I know he said not to get him when I''m this weak...but you must be tripping if you think I''ll just sit back and let this insult slide."

    My presence rippled out, causing Ultima to tremble with my fury. Across the entire Universe, stars burst into supernovae as my Reiatsu fell.

    Through the Life force link between Raven and me, I felt her concern at my outburst.

    Other awarenesses coming from Earth and Mars, most of them mystical, were cast out into the fabric of space, in a bid to understand why the Universe itself was shaking.

    Before any of them could reach me, I was gone, popping out of Ultima and launching down towards the lower universe and the Army of Angels waiting to take me in.

    "I''m coming."

    (General P.O.V)

    Chase was being led through the pearly gates.

    As they emerged from the celestial entry and onto a radiant road flanked with all types of divine flowers, the golden bars of heaven''s gate closed behind him.

    And Heaven''s glory was revealed to him.

    Majestic angels, with wings spanning vast distances, flew around in the air above, welcoming his procession into the heavenly realm.

    Their eyes gleamed with compassion as they guided him through the ethereal landscape.

    Their voices rose up in an harmonious melody echoing out.

    The air was imbued with a serene fragrance, a blend of blossoms not found on Earth.

    One couldn''t help but be captivated by the enchanting symphony that resonated through paradise.

    And beyond the path they were on, floating on clouds adorned with golden hues, grand angelic homes stood tall, exuding an otherworldly beauty.

    Meadows of divine springs stretched beneath layers of clouds, each droplet shimmering with purity and life.

    The meadows were not confined to one area, thousands of golden clouds littered the air, each containing a piece of Heaven.

    Countless orbs of souls, those who had been granted entry into paradise, radiated with unique essences, fleeting about in a cosmic ballet.

    Their procession was by now garnering a lot of attention.

    Then again, it was made up of four high ranking angels with six pairs of wings. A force that was only used in the direst of situations.

    It made sense though, as they were guarding a very dangerous enemy. One who could threaten God''s existence.

    And leading the procession was the highest ranking Arch-angel, Gabriel.

    Soon enough, they arrived before the celestial court, the palace of Heaven.

    God''s abode.

    A hub of holy energy.

    The angels that had initially welcomed them, stopped. Maintaining a respectful distance within a designated zone.

    Before them, larger than any structure Chase had ever laid eyes on was the palace.

    It pulsed with enough divine power that even Chase felt awed by it. A certain wonder that pervaded his core self.

    The architecture of the heavenly citadel was beyond earthly comprehension, reaching heights that touched the very essence of the cosmos.

    The gates of eternity in front of the entrance swung open, revealing a long stair case that went up and up and up into the skies, no end in sight.

    A golden cloud descended to their position, stopping before them. Gabriel walked forward, stepping on the cloud. It held his weight.

    "Get on."

    One of his guards pushed Chase forward.

    "The Lord waits for you."

    Chase said nothing, merely complying. The cloud begun to ascend the long stairway.

    "You realize this won''t succeed. Luring Davi out using me as bait will only lead to chaos in this place," Chase declared, surveying the surroundings.

    "It''s a shame. It''s genuinely beautiful here," he added.

    "Silence."

    One of the guards ordered, prodding his back with a holy lance.

    "You can''t ignore me forever Gabriel."

    Chase said, staring at the Arch-angel to his front.

    The cloud they were riding on was silent in it''s approach.

    "You know what kind of trouble brash decisions got you in the past?" Chase spoke up again,

    "Lucifer fell with a third of the host. What you''re doing is even worse. The Reaper will not spare Heaven."

    Gabriel remained silent.

    With a shrug, Chase turned his focus elsewhere. The beautiful environment provided a calming yet exuberant atmosphere.

    He would have to urge his wielder to create as beautiful an Afterlife as this.

    Too bad, it was all going to go up in smoke.

    Chase stared down at the golden bands around his wrists. These holy cuffs were designed to stop him from escaping by flooding his form with Holy Light.

    And then anchoring that light to Gabriel. Even if Chase were to somehow teleport away, Gabriel would merely follow him.

    But escape was not in Chase''s agenda.

    They made a mistake coming for him, thinking that he was Davi''s weakness. He was going to show them how wrong they were.

    Halfway the ascent, Chase''s body exploded apart as millions of Soul Lanterns escaped from the inner world.

    None of the Guards could do anything as they were drowned under the effects of Spirit Energy.

    The air above Heaven became polluted with glowing figures dressed in various armors and weapons.

    The Reaper''s army had arrived.

    And they immediately started wrecking the place.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    I appeared in an empty pocket of space- The Solar System''s previous spatial location.

    The chaotic swirl of space dust and energy as space realigned itself due to the missing star system was indication enough.

    Add that to the Angelic Army lingering on the outskirts of the Kuiper Belt and I found myself in the right place. In the perfect spot.

    A distance of 30 astronomical units between us.

    Nick''s passion for astronomy since childhood meant he understood that 1 astronomical unit represented the distance between the Earth and the Sun, approximately 93 million miles.

    With his memories in my head, 30 astronomical units translated to a distance of 2.79 billion miles.

    So why the astronomy lesson?

    Easy. I wanted to calculate the distance my attack could cover.

    They dared mess with mine.

    And now they will pay the ultimate price. Chesha Neko found itself in my hand.

    "Bankai."

    *******

    So much is happening. I hope it doesn''t get confusing.

 Shukai Part 3.

    (General P.O.V)

    (Olympus)

    Zeus was irrate with Fury.

    All the gods could feel it. Even Poseidon who was normally vocal in opposing any of the decisions the King of the Gods made, was silent.

    The matter at hand was that serious.

    "My worthless offspring should have been here by now."

    Zeus clenched his jaw.

    "Hermes, prolong my wait further, and I''ll unleash my wrath the moment you appear!"

    His bellow resonated in the heavens, thunder rumbling across the Skylands in the wake of his words.

    "Patience brother. Yelling serves no purpose other than making you look like a loudmouthed brute."

    Demeter huffed.

    "I have no time for your nonsense Demeter!"

    Zeus roared.

    "My wife, your Queen, has been kidnapped. It''s an affront, not just to me but to all of Olympus. So, keep silent, woman!"

    "Are you sure that''s all there is to it?"

    Poseidon asked from his position.

    Immediately the atmosphere in the throne room turned frigid cold.

    "This...is about to get ugly."

    Dionysus muttered, eyes jumping from his father to his uncle.

    "What are you getting at, brother?"

    Zeus questioned in a low menacing tone. Sparks of blue energy danced around his body, his eyes glowing an electric blue.

    Poseidon sat up straighter, his own divinity boiling within him.

    "It''s straightforward, brother. You summoned this meeting only after Earth vanished. Why the delay? If you truly cared about our sister''s well-being, you wouldn''t have procrastinated."

    Zeus grit his teeth, furious eyes glaring at Poseidon, who refused to back down.

    The tension grew thicker to the point breathing became almost hard.

    "Father, Uncle, we''re wasting time arguing when we could be working to save the Queen."

    Athena, usually the voice of reason tried to appease the two.

    "She turned a deaf ear."

    Zeus declared, slamming his hand on the armrest of his throne, gaze fixed on Poseidon.

    "I urged her to escape, to come back to Olympus, but she. Ignored. My. Pleas! What else was I supposed to do? By the time I could have reached her, the damnable Reaper..."

    He trailed off with a sigh.

    Then abruptly, Zeus jumped to his feet, eyes cast towards the ray of light approaching Olympus.

    The light passed through the archway, landing right in the middle of the throne room.

    "Hermes! You''ve finally arrived Boy! Tell me, did you deliver the message?"

    Zeus questioned.

    "Greetings Father. I did as you commanded." Hermes stated, going silent with a soft smirk on his handsome face.

    "WELL?? Out with it then!"

    Zeus'' voice thundered.

    "The Asgardians declined collaboration, but I anticipate Thor''s usual involvement. That war-monger wouldn''t pass up a battle for anything."

    Hermes clarified.

    "I''ll crush him this time."

    Ares promised, flexing his muscles.

    "You say that and then get your ass kicked. It happens all the time." Aphrodite rolled her eyes at him.

    "Silence!"

    Zeus intervened, bringing a hush to the entire Throne chamber.

    "Hermes, proceed."

    "The Egyptians refused an audience with me. Again."

    Frustration was in the God of Messenger''s tone.

    "And the same thing happened with the Shinto and the Hindu. Only the Jade Emperor was willing to stand with us. The rest of the Pantheons are too afraid of the Reaper. They call him the Anti-divine."

    Hermes concluded.

    "I see."

    Zeus said, sinking down to his throne. A pensive look was on his face.

    "He''s that intimidating then..."

    "Brother...perhaps Earth is not worth it?"

    Hades spoke up for the first time.

    "We''ve been ruling over Humans for Millenial. That has shackled our power and fate to their worship. Perhaps, letting them fully go, could be a new beginning-"

    "Silence, Hades! I''m the ruler here! I give the orders!"

    Zeus interrupted brusquely.

    "If the Reaper craves war, so be it. Even if we stand alone, Olympus will respond to the challenge! We will reclaim my Queen and our subjects!"

    "I warned you he wouldn''t heed reason. To him, it''s about saving face."

    Poseidon informed Hades.

    "At least we can count on the Jade Emperor''s assistance."

    (Jade Palace)

    "That accursed Monkey!"

    The Jade Emperor''s voice echoed with frustration.

    "He pilfered my special robe! I''ll be late for the battle!"

    Laughter trailed behind his irate exclamations.

    "Hahahahaha! Where do you think you''re rushing off to? Stick around and let''s have some fun!"

    Sun Wukong''s laughter could not be contained.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The light of Bankai washed away to reveal me.

    On my hands, I wore two gauntlets �C one obsidian, the other glistening in gold.

    I aimed the Hand of God, pulsing with holy light, the light of God himself, at the Heavenly Host.

    A sort of commotion begun among the Angels as they tried to figure out what was about to happen.

    And thus they retaliated.

    Millions of light attacks, energy lances, sword auras, beams and arrows shot towards my position, each aimed to stop what I was about to accomplish.

    But my anger fueled my actions, stoking my resolve.

    "I''m not letting any of you escape."

    The Hand of God pulled on the web of existence around each angel. And then I severed their connection to The Light.

    In an instant, all incoming attacks lost their trajectory, dissolving into shapeless streams that spilled into the emptiness, unable to reach me.

    Deprived of the Light, many angels, particularly the weaker ones with one or two pairs of wings, suffocated in the vacuum of space.

    Those with three pairs of wings and above while finding it difficult to breath, could very likely hold on longer.

    Not if I had something to say about it.

    I kicked off my heel, sending myself forward in a burst of crazy speed, culminating in a ripped out wing belonging to a six winged angel.

    The angel opened his mouth in a cry of anguish, only for my left hand to wrap around his head and crush his skull.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Brain juice spilled through my fingers.

    A few of the angels that were still active, dove towards my position, dealing sword slashes and spear thrusts, that I danced around with multiple ease.

    The Hand of God pulsed.

    The web of existence was woven in a new way, unleashing an omnidirectional force, I created a wave that thrust them aside, causing collisions among themselves and escalating the pandemonium.

    Then I reasserted the Web of Existence, going a step further. Instead of a push, I pulled them in towards me.

    My body started to spin rapidly, arms extended, the Gauntlets on both of my arms converging into a lethal, whirling blade of death that shredded anything that ventured too close.

    I was in the thick of it now, surrounded by angel body parts, wings and blood.

    By the time I stopped spinning, I had taken out thousands.

    Not nearly enough to put a dent in their number, but coupled with the fact I had cut off their connection to the light of God, they were nothing but sitting ducks.

    [Enough!]

    A powerful voice was projected into my mind.

    [Stand down Reaper or face my wrath]

    A 12 winged angel.

    An Archangel.

    His splendor was majestic. All the other angels, stepped back, giving him way and space. Flanking him were two Cherubims.

    Each with a bow. Each with 8 wings.

    The one on the left was female, the one on the right male.

    And the presssure they exerted was only just a bit lower than the Arch-angel, who could only be Uriel. A sandy haired, tall handsome figure with an holy lance.

    [You started this. Where the fuck is Chase?]

    I projected the thought out, halting in my attack.

    Uriel had the gall to sneer.

    [I don''t answer to you, Mortal. You might have everyone fooled but you''re not a God. You''re merely playing dress-up! I shall endeavor to strike you down, false God!! Attack!]

    Looks like it''s a battle then. Why bother wasting more time on conversation?

    The Cherubims flanking him pulled on their bows, creating arrows of energy that shot out toward me.

    Uriel on his part, raised the lance in his hand, making it hum with his own personal energy as he swung it down. They were cut off from the Light, yet this strong? Angels are hax.

    A storm of phantom lances shot out, boxing me in with the wave of arrows descending upon my location. Now I was cut off from all avenues of escape.

    I dashed forward, vibrating my molecules and phasing through all attacks.

    My punch found itself buried through Uriel''s belly. The Arch-angel coughed, blood spilling onto my chest.

    "Master Uriel!"

    One of the Cherubims cried out. Both pulled on their arrows once more.

    I exploded with Reiatsu, stunning their minds and instantly sending the entire Heavenly host into a state of unconsciousness.

    Strong or not, without the Light, none of them could face me. Trying resulted in this exact scenario.

    All the angels dropped like flies. The only one left standing was Uriel, held upright by the fist I had, buried through his belly.

    [Where did you take Chase?]

    I questioned once more.

    "You heathen...you can''t beat God." The Arch-angel spat, sneering once more.

    I increased the potency of Respira, making him gasp in pain.

    "I won''t stop you know..."

    I whispered into his ears, forcefully projecting my voice through space.

    "And this particular skill is quite relentless. You will die a slow agonizing death."

    Respira begun to eat through him faster, devouring his torso.

    Only for an arrow to lodge through his head as I used him to block the sudden projectile.

    That arrow could only have been shot by a God or something just as powerful.

    It had been hundreds of times faster than light, and imbued with the divinity of archery.

    There was no avoiding the arrow once it was released. It would follow the target to the ends of time.

    I was only able to redirect it by reconnecting the web of existence to my favor.

    The result was Uriel''s head exploding apart with Lunar Energy. His headless form slumped over. The Arch-angel died without even knowing who his killer was.

    "I don''t think Heaven''s gonna take kindly to that."

    I winced at Artemis who had grown a shade paler.

    "Damn you! You tricked her!"

    Apollo shouted, from the back of his chariot.

    The entire Greek Pantheon was in front of me, arriving in a shower of golden light, decked out with all sorts of divine weaponry. All 12 Deities, all looking ready to attack.

    Soon as I dealt with a few pesky flies, some more joined the party. Fine. I don''t care how many I have to kill.

    "Is there a reason for this confrontation?"

    I asked Haephestus as he turned into a large metallic dragon that spewed divine flames my way.

    "Release my mother!!"

    Using the essence of pride, I dominated his energy, absorbing it within my body.

    Then I snapped a finger, letting loose a shockwave that destabilized a Hermes'' footing as he was headed my way from the left.

    Shunpo took me close to him, Stabbing into his chest and weaving Chesha Neko''s strings within him. I devoured his form, his divine essence and body turning into eberhy within me.

    "Hermes!"

    A goddess with stormy gray eyes called out. Athena.

    She turned my way, her domain spilling out into space.

    Before it could actualize, I flexed my cosmic authority, bursting it apart. Athena was thrown back, unconscious.

    "Damn you!"

    Zeus cried out, sending forth a large blast of divine lightning my way.

    I pushed my hands forward.

    "Had�� #63. Raik��h�� (�׺���, Thunder Roar Sear; "Fiery Lightning Howl!"

    Yellow lightning materialized in front of my palm, coalescing into a burst of energy that streaked forward with electrifying speed.

    "Next time, teach your kids how to behave."

    I advised Zeus, watching as he pulled on all of his divine energy.

    "Aarrrgghhh!!!!"

    The King of Gods exerted, channeling every bit of his divine energy into striking me down.

    "I will reclaim my wife! And my DIGNITY AS THE KING OF THE GODS! AARRGGGG!!!"

    My vision was briefly occupied by blue light.

    His divine lightning collided onto my hado. And for all his determination, this was a gap in power that couldn''t be covered by resolve alone.

    The hado spell engulfed Zeus'' lightning, consuming it before advancing toward the Olympians.

    Shadows rose up around them, creating a barrier of darkness that my hado 63 clashed against, tearing through with minimal effort.

    But the Olympians were nowhere to be seen, for a second or so, before another dome of darkness materialized a couple thousand miles away, deep in the asteroid field of the Kuiper belt.

    They had teleported away from Raikoho''s path.

    Unfortunately for them, that was still within attacking distance.

    I raised the Hand of God, constructing a bow woven from the gauntlet itself, a golden bow that pulsed with holy light.

    The Hand of The Devil joined it''s partner, pulling on the humming string of holy light.

    There was a bit of energy clash. I had never used my Bankai like this and it was fighting me. Luckily, with the ability to manipulate the strings of existence, I was able to give it structure.

    A dark arrow full of anti-god energy, his wrath and malice appeared, strung on a bow brimming with positive energy.

    Enochian script danced around the Anti-divine construct.

    I aimed the attack at their center, just as Hades'' shield spell was dematerializing. Then faster than light, the arrow sped forward.

    It cut through space with nary a sound, twisting and distorting reality in its path. It was an avoidable attack, sort of similar to Artemis''

    This was my payback.

    The Arrow struck true, lodging itself right on Zeus'' Chest. I saw his eyes widen. Realization settling in that Hera was permanently out of his reach. That humanity was no longer theirs to rule over. That there was a new God in town.

    That instant was enough for them to understand what kind of trouble they''d gotten involved in, then-

    Tens of thousands of miles ahead vanished in a massive explosion of darkness.

    Respira washed out through the entire region, devouring asteroids, godly flesh and essence. Space itself boiled.

    Once it was all over,

    I waved a hand and 12 pristine divine souls flew to me.

    The Olympians were dead.

    "Welp, that was fast."

    I muttered to myself, sending their souls into my pocket dimension. I hadn''t has the chance to play around with Divine Souls yet, so this was going to be fun.

    "Mmh."

    I looked to the side, with a frown.

    "I could''ve sworn I felt someone there..."

    (General P.O.V)

    Loki and Thor leaped through various pocket dimensions linked to the 9 realms, all in a bid to evade ''his'' watchful eye.

    The lunatic wreaked havoc among Heaven''s army and the Greeks. Lingering around carried the risk of them becoming his next targets.

    They had arrived, sneakily of course, to witness the fight between the Greek Gods and the newest rising star, a Death God by the name of the Reaper.

    Word had spread fast through the Sphere of the Gods, about a being capable of taking on the New Gods and destroying Apokalips.

    Being the God of Chaos and the God of Strength, the duo of Asgardian deities naturally decided to investigate, marking a rare moment of collaboration between them.

    Thor''s chariot, pulled by his two goats, dove through another portal, leaving behind Muspelheim and arriving into the cold atmosphere of Jotunheim.

    Yet the pressure of that gaze remained. All throughout their entire flight, both gods never looked backwards...

    Loki would create a portal that Thor would guide the goats through. They chose not to go straight to Asgard so as to protect it from his sights.

    "He...killed the Olympians."

    Loki said the first statement after their escape.

    "Aye..."

    Thor agreed, his blue eyes narrowed, hands holding onto the leash in a white knuckled grip.

    "You know what that means, right?"

    Loki spoke up again, creating another portal that took them to Vanaheim, a beautiful realm of the Vanir gods.

    "War."

    Thor stated.

    "One that we''ll surely lose."

    "That sounds about right."

    A voice stated from their side, flying close to the Chariot.

    Both Asgardians were rendered mute with shock, as Davian had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

    "Why do you look so surprised? I felt your gaze before. Naturally, I sent my Time Remnant to investigate."

    He disclosed, pulling on reality itself to immobilize the Chariot in the air.

    "See, I have a particular dislike for prying eyes."

    Davian informed them, eyes glowing a stormy purple.

    "Heimdall!"

    Loki yelled to the skies.

    A beam of rainbow colored energy fell on their position from the heavens. Only to meet a layer of inverted space that caused the light from the Bifrost, to be redirected straight towards Davian, denying Thor and Loki their chance to escape.

    Davian was hit by the energy, which he absorbed into himself with Energy Transference.

    "Mmh, I see, it works similar to a Zeta Tube. Disassembling a target''s molecules into light before reassembling them in a different location, what if we tweaked this...and a little bit of that..."

    The Reaper mused, playing around with the dimensional energies he had absorbed.

    Aiming a palm at the fleeing Asgardians who had decided to high tail it, he released a beam of energy that was similar to the bifrost.

    Loki chanced a look back and what he saw made his body freeze in fear. There was nothing they could-

    Before the thought was complete, the bifrost energy washed through the chariot.

    Both Asgardians were shredded apart, their essences scattered across the 9 realms.

    Davian stared at their last position, before space twisted around him and he disappeared.

    The real time Davian stared at his Time Remnant, who had popped out beside him.

    "Well?"

    The Time Remnant shrugged at the question.

    "It was nothing. Just Loki and Thor, I dealt with it."

    Davian gave a nod, fist bumping his Time Remnant and melding their temporal frequency, thereby merging into one body.

    "Its time to get him back."

    Davian decided, looking around at the massacre he had wittingly caused.

    Billions of Angels all laid out, floating in the vacuum of space like space debris.

    A few had survived, merely stunned by Davian''s Reiatsu attack.

    Davian pulled one of them his way, encasing the angel entirely in Chesha Neko''s strings.

    The strings tore into the angel, devouring the dregs of light within it. Once he held the energy within hin and the angel was a husk of its former self, Davian threw it away.

    Then he dragged his hand down, just like he had seen Aden do.

    Getting to a higher realm like Heaven was not a simple matter of teleporting there, he needed a guide.

    And by tracing the origin of an Angel''s connection to the Light, he could open a portal there.

    It was the same thing with Empty Hand. He had only interacted with the Great Darkness through the former''s connection to the realm under.

    A portal was ripped opened, sending rays of Holy Light cascading right through.

    Davian stepped into it.

    Immediately, his physical body was assaulted by the very air on the other side of the portal.

    The entire realm denied anything material.

    This was a place meant for spiritual entities, and the body Raven had created for Davian was anything but.

    His skin begun to crack and bleed, bones breaking and lungs exploding within the first breath.

    A body that could stand up to the power of a white dwarf star, was being suppressed by the realm of Heaven.

    And that was not all.

    Before him, the Pearly Gates stood tall, taller than even the Tower of Fate, it was an astounding sight.

    And standing guard before the Gates were all his enemies.

    There were thousands of Fifth Dimension Imps led by a smirking Mr. Mxyzptlk, the Lords of Order in their full form and regalia, multiple Minor and Major Gods recruited for the cause and even more Angels.

    To be precise, the rest of the Arch-angels and the Pax-Dei, a squad of warrior angels dedicated to the art of battle.

    It was a force too great for anyone to face alone.

    Yet, despite all that, despite the grim nature of his situation, his breaking body, Davian took it all in and smiled.

    For he could sense not only Chase, but Rama Kushna as well.

    They were here.

    Half the work completed; now, he just needed to reach them.

 Chapter 198.5: The Greatest Unknown Secret.

    First of all, It''s A Throne.

    Not just any, but THE Throne of God.

    Crafted from humble materials like bear skins, wood, and stone, this divine seat combines its mundane components to become a Throne of Man, embodying the authentic form of God.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    It stands not as a testament to its capabilities, but as a profound symbol, a Divine Treasure revealing the Greatest Secret within the tapestry of creation.

    Herein lies a paradox��the source of existence for "He Who Is" intricately tied to humanity.

    God is Humanity.

    Humanity is God.

    And the Divine Treasure, the Throne of God is the Symbol of that connection.

    Thus, they who seat on the throne of God have an Undeniable Sovereignty over Man himself.

    The Vice Versa sustains.

 Shukai part 4

    -Troubling

    (General P.O.V)

    "He''s Here."

    Gabriel muttered to himself, staring at the wide expanse before him.

    "You say something?"

    Zera, a blonde, short haired Pax-Dei questioned from his side. Gabriel remained silent.

    "Anyway. It''s mayhem down there. The enemy has arrived. That means we most likely lost Uriel and the others."

    "That''s a third of our forces. I can''t help but be reminded of Lucifer and Asmodel''s Rebellion."

    She added in a heavy tone.

    They were on the highest Heaven. The Citadel was divided into 7 levels based on height. The higher you went up the infinite staircase, the greater the heaven.

    Stretched before their eyes , unfolded the splendor of Heaven in its entirety��a boundless Utopia adorned solely with the Souls of the Righteous and Angels who served as devoted attendants.

    It was a realm that defied all possible explanation. Distance meant little and what you could perceive through vision alone could not be trusted.

    It was a place entrenched in Mystery and Mysticness.

    Behind Gabriel and Zera, at the crest of the Infinite Staircase, was a long golden bridge crossing over a wide chasm. That bridge led to the most important place on Heaven.

    God''s Throne Room.

    "Join us, and together we''ll devise a plan to address your injury," Zera suggested, her gaze fixed upon the four glowing purple claw marks etched across Gabriel''s chest.

    The Arch-angel ran a hand down his injury, eyes twinkling with a strange light.

    "That Cat...he was able to harm me. Intriguing, don''t you think so Zera?"

    The Pax-Dei blinked her eyes at him. Intriguing? Was he...alright? Gabriel was known for being eccentric just as he was powerful. Only he could think harming an Arch-angel was intriguing.

    "Metatron has sent down Zauriel with the Eagle Host and Raphael with the Bull Host to deal with the Enemy. Now that we''ve lost the Angel Host with Uriel, only the Human Host remain..."

    Zera explained.

    "We''ve been tasked with dealing with these...Soul Lanterns as you called them. You''re our leader, we can''t do it without you."

    Gabriel closed his eyes, using his holy sense to scan the entirety of Heaven.

    Beneath the serene facade of Heaven on this celestial plane, beneath the drifting cloud islands and distant from the highest level of the Citadel, a colossal war raged in tumultuous conflict.

    The Human Host was engaging the Soul Lanterns led by Hal Jordan, a soul that should have been granted entry into Heaven but had lacked enough good deeds to balance out the evil.

    "Carry on without me Zera. I give you command."

    Gabriel stated, sitting down before the bridge with a majestic horn on his lap.

    "I shall stand here as Guard."

    Zera opened her mouth to refute him, but the determination on his face gave her pause.

    Instead she gave a nod.

    "Then may our Father be with you."

    With those parting words, Zera jumped off the edge of the Chasm, falling in before a few seconds later, a silver chariot pulled on by pegasi shot out of the wide chasm, Zera riding ontop of it.

    Behind her was the Human Host, one of the squads of the Pax-Dei, similarly riding on majestic Chariots pulled by Pegasi.

    Just like the rest of the hosts, they numbered in the billions.

    The scene was cinematic and grand, visible to everyone on the highest heavens.

    The Host flew up, higher and higher before doing a complete turn and descending onto the lower levels of Heaven to begin their assault.

    Past the bridge, and the way opened up into an marble arch. The path became Light itself, leading into a wide chamber.

    The highest level of the Citadel.

    And at the end of it, was a large empty throne.

    It was made from the most common of material, stone and an ebony wood that seemed to absorb light in its entirety.

    Despite its lacklusterness, the Throne was the grandest thing in all existence.

    The seat of power to arguably the most powerful Entity in the entire Multiverse.

    And it was Empty.

    Next to the throne, as if guarding it, was a figure shrouded in shadows.

    They sat on the steps leading to the Throne, a stone tablet on their lap.

    A blue pair of eyes watched the Human Host descending onto the Lower Level silently.

    The figure''s attention shifted to the tablet cradled in his hands.

    "Troubling."

    It stated.

    Laughter reached the figure''s ears.

    "I warned Gabriel that you guys were making a big mistake," Chase declared, restrained against the throne room''s walls.

    Behind him, a grand window opened to the outside world, exposing his back to the elements.

    The wind swept through, tousling his blood-stained fur and stinging the wounds that oozed crimson red.

    In his monstrous cat form, towering over 8 feet in height, he bore manacles encircling his neck. These were linked to a lengthy chain crafted from gleaming golden metal, securing him to the edges of the window behind.

    The same material as the cuffs from before. They flooded his form with Holy Light, anchoring it to Heaven.

    The new cuffs were stronger than the previous bands. Those had linked Chase to Gabriel, allowing him to escape if he chose, but with the drawback of unintentionally taking Gabriel along.

    These particular ones however, anchored Chase to Heaven as a whole.

    If he wanted to escape, he would be pulling on the entire weight of Heaven! Something that was simply not possible!

    Not to mention, his entire body was littered with bleeding injuries. Injuries sustained from clashing with Gabriel.

    The shadow shrouded in Mystery, seated on the steps below the throne, lightly tapped the tablet with a quill.

    "It says here, that you were once Fae. In a past life."

    Metatron stated, observing Chase''s face.

    Chase stayed silent, staring back in defiance.

    "Tell me something, what is a Fae doing with a Child of the Endless? As I recall the Faerie lands borders were eternally closed."

    The Angel questioned.

    "Why don''t you read from that stone plaque and figure it out?"

    Chase sneered.

    "You seem to know everything already."

    Metatron rubbed his chin.

    "Defiant to the end. I suppose that is to be expected from someone powerful enough to injure Gabriel."

    He held up the Tablet.

    "You''re correct. The stone tablet unveils whatever I wish to see��be it forbidden knowledge, excerpts from the book of life and death, or the intricate workings of Heaven and the Universe."

    "Yet, it falls short when it comes to providing finer details; otherwise, I would have dealt with your master long before he became a nuisance. Additionally, it''s constrained from glimpsing into a past iteration of the Multiverse. A pity."

    The angel shifted attention to the opposite side of the chamber. Across from Chase was Rama Kushna on the other side of the wall.

    The difference was, she was seated on a throne of her own. As a goddess, she had a high rank and was to be treated with a certain measure of respect.

    The light from the outside streamed in through the window behind her, highlighting her impeccable features, face set in a stern expression.

    "You''ve been silent ever since the Reaper''s Pet was captured. Are you perhaps worried for your life?"

    Metatron begun.

    "Now you''re just being petty dude. I''m no one''s pet."

    Chase cut in, only to be ignored by the Angel.

    "I wouldn''t blame you."

    Metatron said softly.

    "Death for a God is permanent in more ways than one."

    He tilted his head at her continued silence.

    "Or is it that you still harbor hope that you will be saved?"

    The angel taunted.

    "Will you shut up? Your voice is grating to my ears."

    Chase interrupted, glaring at the Angel.

    "There is no shortage of Hope in God''s Kingdom."

    Metatron continued unbothered,

    "All you have to do is denounce the false God and his rebels, Rama Kushna. Your only sin was siding with the enemy."

    His tone turned mellow and smooth like butter.

    "Stand with the Righteous and Just, help us safeguard Creation for He Who Is. For the Presence. Help me maintain Balance, like you''ve been doing these past eons. What do you say?"

    Chase worriedly stared at the Goddess of Balance and Karma. If she were to agree to Metatron''s proposal then, Davi will have come here for little to nothing.

    Rama Kushna merely snorted, looking away.

    "Hahahahaha."

    Chase burst out in laughter.

    "You really thought that was going to work? Have some more faith in those Loyal to my Master. The Fifth World has come to pass. There is no stopping Him now. Before long, you will be the one worried for your life."

    At that particular instant, Gabriel''s horn was blown.

    The Citadel shook, the sound spreading out across the Entirety of Heaven.

    Metatron''s grip on the Tablet tightened. With a cool gaze, he stared out through the entrance to the Throne Room, past the bridge and what was occurring on the outside.

    "He''s here. Isn''t he?"

    Rama Kushna spoke up for the first time, a hint of hope in her tone.

    "Who else could force Gabriel to sound his Horn? There''s only one being behind such an entrance."

    Chase retorted, the golden cuff around his neck audibly clinking against the wall.

    "Davi''s in the house, and you''re in for it, Metatron!"

    The Zanpakuto declared with a gleeful tone.

    "I see."

    Metatron muttered, his gaze directed out.

    Another tremor rocked the building.

    The angel sat back on the steps leading up to the Empty Throne. He stared down at the Stone Tablet in his hands.

    "No matter. By the time he gets here, the Zenith hour will be upon us. And then this whole affair will be swiftly put to rest."

    A small, soft smile lit up across his face, turning his handsome features into something godly.

    Six pairs of wings, a total of 12 spread out across his back, white as snow. Longer and larger than his modest height of 7 feet.

    His white hair and blue eyes made him one of the most aesthetically pleasing Angels of the Heavenly Host.

    This was Metatron, God''s Hand. And he would not allow The Presence'' Legacy to be sullied.

    -Reaper''s Advent.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    The last 2 minutes have been consistent with how I''ve lived my life so far.

    A dance at the edge of death.

    The instance I stepped through the portal, I knew this was a fight that would push me to the limit and then some.

    They numbered in the countless. Even Reikaku could not fully account for every single soul across Heaven. It was a layered Realm.

    In addition, my enemies gave me no time to adjust to the drastically different environment.

    My physical form was breaking down, the bones kept on shattering and my lungs had already exploded within my chest, fortunately I didn''t need to breathe.

    That wasn''t the worst part. The worst part was that they noticed it.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "Quickly! Attack him while he''s weakened by Heaven''s essence."

    I traced the source of the voice, only for my eyes to land on a smug looking Imp, surrounded by more of his kind.

    Cruel beady eyes stared back into my own. The Imp trailed his finger across his neck, mouthing the words...

    ''You''re dead.''

    Immediately, earth shattering attacks were released my way.

    It was a barrage of energy missiles, weapon constructs of different types, elemental attacks like Holy Fire and divine lightning, magical bolts and beams and chaotic storms of reality warping powered by ToonForce.

    At that exact moment, my eyes popped in their sockets, blinding me. For added measure, I lost my hearing.

    Only my sense of taste and smell remained. Agony permeated the entirety of my body.

    "All of you are here for me?"

    I enquired, falling out of Bankai, it wasn''t needed.

    "Sorry to say, but you''re all too Weak."

    I couldn''t see, but Reikaku informed me of my impending doom.

    And then the attacks landed.

    (General P.O.V)

    "And that''s how it''s done!"

    Mr. Mxyzptlk declared, wiping his hands in satisfaction at a job well executed.

    The entire section of the entrance before them was nothing but a swirling mess of multicolored potent energies. The core of which had shredded the Reaper apart. Or so they thought.

    Golden smoke rose up from the region.

    "You were amazing Mr. President!"

    The army of Imps around Mr.Mxy</a> praised, a cacophony of cheers rising in his name.

    "Did you see his signature attack?! It was amaaaazing. Oh my God Mr. President! You''re just too cool!"

    Another Imp spoke up, further adding to Mr. Mxyzptlk''s pride and arrogance.

    "Mmph,"

    Mxy rubbed his nose in smug satisfaction.

    "Are you talking about my "Interdimensional Jest of Mirthful Mayhem and Zany Zephyrs: Mxyzptlk''s Multiversal Higgledy-Piggledy Pandemonium Pranksterama, Unleashing Unprecedented Unruliness Across Cosmic Continua, With Whimsical Whirlwinds, Ludicrous Levitations, and Chucklesome Chaos, Wielding the Absurdly Amusing Armament of Anarchy, as He Mirthfully Manipulates Matter, Mischievously Meddles with Minds, and Ultimately Ensnares Everyone in a Transcendent Tangle of Tittering Turmoil and Laugh-Inducing Lunacy, Culminating in a Cosmic Cacophony of Guffaws and Giggles That Echoes Across Infinite Realms and Dimensions, Leaving the Multiverse in Stitches!!! Hahahahahahaha. Are you talking about that attack! Well, it bloody well turned him into scrap!"

    """ Mr. President! """

    """ You''re the best Mxy"""

    """ Marry me Mxy!"""

    "I''m disappointed."

    A different voice, a bit far from the Imps'' antics stated.

    "What kind of Fool dares enter Heaven with his physical form? This Reaper must have had a death wish."

    The voice belonged to a beautiful, tall woman dressed in a white and blue robe. This was Peace, a goddess of Order, part of the Lords of Order.

    "It would be wise not to underestimate him."

    Nabu warned her, from the side, hands folded across his chest.

    "A few months ago, that was a boy who I could have killed by merely sneezing. But now...we were all needed to take him down."

    "Surely you jest."

    Jebediah of Canaan, another Lord of Order who resembled a Shepherd stated, hand around a gnarled staff.

    "How can anyone grow so powerful in such a short time? Not to mention on his own."

    "Does it matter?"

    Another enigmatic figure, a woman dressed in a blue suit of armor questioned, twirling a flaming sword. This was Mirand''r, a Tamaranean bestowed with a divine duty as an Angel of Retribution.

    "He fell, meaning he was weak. This was a waste of time."

    Before the talk could progress, one of the Archangels spoke up.

    "Heed my words."

    Zauriel, the red haired Pax-Dei who was the leader of the Eagle Host, an Angel with 8 wings, called out.

    "The battle is not yet won. Go! Inspect the body! Salvage the remains by order of God!"

    A few low ranking angels flew forward to fulfill the command.

    The four winged angels had a tight grip on their holy weapons as they approached, wary; for they knew who they faced.

    Before they could reach the chaotic region where the Reaper fell, something stopped them, halting their advance.

    "What... Is that?"

    One of them enquired, pointing his lance at a pinprick of blue light.

    The pinprick grew bigger, swirling into existence and forming a portal right before their eyes.

    Additional portals materialized, saturating the entire entrance of Heaven with numerous vortexes.

    And from within, the Reaper''s allies walked out.

    Manhattan was the first to cross over, followed by Raven, Deadman, Cheshire and Shiva. They were flanking Davian''s previous position.

    Next came two different iterations of the Justice League led by two Batmen, then came the Atlantean army.

    Lastly, backing them up in the air, the Soul Lanterns flew down. Hal''s presence naturally affected the Justice League, the last time they checked, he was dead.

    "We''re discussing this after the battle."

    Batman stated, staring at Davian''s general direction.

    "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

    A blast of powerful white light slammed onto the four winged angels, throwing them back to their colleagues.

    "No one is laying a finger on Davi while I''m around."

    "Fortunately we got here right on time."

    Deadman stated, whistling at the crazy number of enemies before them.

    "I don''t really know what we can do outnumbered a million to one though."

    "You got us here safely."

    Cheshire stated, patting his back.

    "Without you, our bodies wouldn''t have survived in this place. Just look at boss."

    "I''m fine."

    Davian bit out curtly. The chaotic region around him had calmed down, revealing his figure which was surprisingly in pristine condition.

    "It''s a shame about the body you created for me though, Raven. It was destroyed in the process."

    He turned to his love, smiling down at her in Soul Form.

    Raven bit back a squeal at seeing he was alright. Instead she slammed into him in a hug.

    "He''s still alive?!"

    Mr. Myx gasped in shock, comically tearing off his hair.

    "But how could he have survived my signature move?"

    For once, there were no cheers from the Imps.

    "And now he has allies."

    Peace muttered.

    "Peace and order seem so far out of grasp now."

    "They can also somehow survive in Heaven''s atmosphere."

    Jebediah commented, rubbing his long beard.

    "We might have underestimated their resourcefulness."

    "Heed my Call!"

    Zauriel''s voice drofted across the entire battlefield.

    All attention fell on him.

    Davian looked up, his faze meeting Zauriel''s across the distance.

    "Going against God is blasphemy. And the punishment for blasphemy, is death."

    The Angel declared.

    "Show no mercy to these traitors!"

    The trumpets of wall sounded out, and with a loud yell, all of Davian''s enemies rushed forward to attack.

    The Reaper was about to step forward when a palm was placed on his shoulder, stopping him.

    Davian looked back, only to find Dr. Manhattan staring right at him.

    "Wait. Let us handle this. You''re needed elsewhere."

    Davian shrugged off the hold, glaring at the incoming force.

    "What do you mean? I am right where I need to be."

    "Not exactly."

    Manhattan refuted, placing his fingers on the sides of Davian''s head.

    "Showing you will be faster."

    More memories poured into Davian''s mind. The difference between these memories and the ones before was evident upon first glance.

    "This...is the future?"

    Davian enquired.

    Manhattan nodded.

    The memories he had seen showed what the Angels were planning. In five minutes, Heaven''s sun would reach its Zenith.

    God''s glare would fall upon the realm at that instant, burning away anyone who wasn''t welcome in paradise, basically all the intruders.

    Metatron''s plan was to use Chase as bait to lure in Davian and then kill them both by way of using Heaven''s Sun.

    "You need to rescue them and quickly."

    Raven told him, walking forward and shifting into her Soul Self, a large black Raven.

    "Wait-"

    I reached out to her, only to be stopped by Manhattan once more.

    "You should rely on others more. That''s the one thing you''re missing to becoming a true Leader."

    He said, a little frustration leaking into his tone.

    Shiva and Cheshire ran forward, jumping on the Raven''s back.

    "We shall cover you."

    At the instant, before both forces clashed, the Raven''s wings flaring with darkness.

    A burst of demonic energy sped forward in a storm of power, devastating our enemies, giving me an opening.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    My body flew up the glowing staircase, blazing a path of purple behind me.

    Some of the angels on the silver chariots flew down to meet me. I could feel Manhattan''s resolve, Raven''s care and my allies'' ferocity at my back, pushing me forward.

    I didn''t have time to contend with them. Five minutes was all I had.

    Getting ready to unleash Reiatsu, my actions were halted by a golden beam of energy that appeared before me.

    Taking into account I was vaulting at several times the speed of light, this was an achievement on its own.

    Hal Jordan, one of the greatest Green Lanterns in history, now one of my subjects, materialized in a golden flare.

    "Master! Move onwards, we shall deal with the stragglers!"

    He yelled.

    I stared at them, the forces marshalling around me. My Soul Lanterns. And Manhattan''s final brief words echoed back at me.

    "You should rely on others more. That''s the one thing you''re missing to becoming a true Leader."

    Maybe this was it.

    I had...started lowering my guard.

    This was important. For Chase. And for everything I''ve done this past year. For the stupid choices. The fearsome battles. The unlikely allies.

    I somehow didn''t screw up. And now I''m here. My adventure in DC has culminated in a battle with the Divine itself.

    And before me, I can feel it. The absoluteness of Defeat, awaiting for me on the last level of Heaven.

    Hey...its been an awesome adventure, maybe this is where I should stop?

    Fear...whispered to me a final time. Citing my deepest darkest secrets. My weaknesses. Fear that I didn''t have it in me. Call it Plot Armor. Call it luck. Call it Destiny...

    I pierced through the veil of clouds, obliterating the golden tufts in our immediate vicinity with searing intensity.

    My Reiatsu flared out, announcing my Presence to God. Let him know that I''m here to reclaim what is mine.

    "Chaaasseeee!!!!"

    I roared out into the heavens.

    "I''m finally here!"

    "The sky...it''s so pretty... Sure hurts to destroy this place."

    I looked down, finally cresting over the massive Citadel Palace. Yet...I was still ways off from the actual ceiling of Heaven''s Palace.

    At the very top was the borders of the source. An infinite distance up and my Reikaku barely brushed against the actual Source Wall, built out of Promethean Gods.

    But. They weren''t my concern. The powerful Energy signature below me was.

    To get to where I needed to go, to where Chase was being held, I would need to cross over a bridge.

    And the bridge was being guarded by the most powerful being besides my father and The Great Darkness that I had ever encountered.

    Even that Imp, who I left Manhattan to deal with was not this strong.

    I needed to bring my A-Game here. To face the strongest Arch-Angel. There was no stopping this.

    "Bankai!"

    (General P.O.V)

    "He''s here."

    Gabriel stated, looking up at the shining ball of light descending upon the The Highest Heaven.

    The Angel stood up. Then stared down at the grand Horn in his hands.

    "Never thought I would have to use this on one of your descendants Michael..."

    A sudden pressure slammed into his shoulders. Gabriel looked up. The Reaper had changed. Become suddenly stronger. Was it an ability similar to an Angel''s Burn out?

    No matter. Gabriel knew what to do. He would serve his Father to the End.

    He raised the Horn to his lips, aiming for the descending Enemy. And without a moment''s hesitation, Gabriel blew the Horn.

    The air raptured, a wave of unrelenting force propagating towards Davian''s position.

    The Reaper''s left hand pulsed with dark energy. All the strings of existence between the two were rendered void, causing space to collapse into an empty canvas.

    A white space.

    Gabriel''s sonic shockwaves hit the boundaries of unreality and bounced off into the surroundings.

    Davian, glowing in a purple shroud shot into reality, piercing right through the boundaries of the white space and into heaven once more.

    Black and white strings flowed from both his hands, forming a formidable sword made of God''s Light and the essence of Darkness.

    Gabriel flew forward, unsheathing his Holy Sword and clashing it right onto the edge of Davian''s blade.

    "You won''t stop me! Get the fuck out of my way."

    Davian raged, flexing and in a burst of strength, sent Gabriel crashing onto the ground.

    Gabriel smashed right onto the bridge tearing through and falling into the dark pit separating the Throne chamber from the Infinite Staircase.

    Unimpeded, the Reaper took off toward the Throne Chamber at the fastest speed he could.

    He was already feeling the heat from God''s glare, the sun that was steadily reaching the Zenith Hour. He probably had less than 3 minutes left.

    He needed to get Chase and Rama out before then.

    Luckily the rest would be long gone by then, according to the plan Manhattan disclosed at least.

    He only had to kick God''s ass and it was done.

    Shunpo was a skill that with Davian''s familiarity and power was supposed to be instantaneous.

    A sudden and unexpected kick straight to his jaw, told him otherwise.

    Davian plowed through an indeterminate number of Angel houses and cloud regions, propelled by the impact of Gabriel''s mighty kick.

    The Reaper spread his hands out, using energy transferrence to absorb the kinetic energy from the blow.

    To his abject horror, Gluttony''s belly filled up halfway with pure energy.

    That''s how much power was on the kick.

    Davian shook his head, staring around himself. An all encompaassing yellow barrier took over his vision. He turned around, only to find no end to it.

    "The Source Wall."

    Davian muttered in realization, looking back towards Heaven.

    Gabriel had kicked him all the way to the end of creation.

    A bloodthirsty smirk broke out across the Reaper''s lips. His eyes twinkled with a cruel light.

    "This will be fun."

    The Reaper, reoriented his body to face his front. Power gathered at his heel and with a devastating explosion that warped the source Wall, sending shockwaves across all of creation, he was off.

    "I should have known that wouldn''t be enough to kill you."

    Gabriel stated, strapping the horn across his hip and unsheathing his holy sword.

    Standing upright, he aimed the sword at the purple star shooting towards the citadel.

    "Divine Luminary Smite."

    Gabriel echoed out, his holy sword shooting out radiant beams of celestial light.

    Davian roared at the incoming attacks, slashing out with Chesha Neko, sending arcs of Getsuga Tenshos and Respiras at Gabriel''s barrage of assaults.

    Explosions of energy rippled out wildly, destroying whatever they touched, marting the beauty of Heaven.

    Seeing this made Gabriel mad, remembering what that Cat had said.

    "Aaahhh!!!"

    Gabriel roared, face twisting in a ferocious expression as he dashed forward.

    "You are too young to challenge me child!!!""

    His Holy Sword swung out, clashing against Chesha Neko. The collision echoed out with a boom.

    Millions of attacks were traded in the fraction of a second.

    Davian found both of them evenly matched in terms of skill, but the Angel''s impossible strength made it hard to deal with him at close range.

    His soul while powerful failed to contend against Gabriel''s divine essence, he was God''s third child afterall.

    That strength alone placed him on the level of Lucifer.

    Davian was not surprised that he was being pushed back. He knew the fight would be hard.

    Shooting away, he created distance between the two of them.

    "Spider web!"

    A net of purple colored strings appeared behind Davian, anchoring itself to the Web of existence itself.

    Davian bounced off it''s elastic structure, flying back towards Gabriel with a hand pulled back, ready to unleash an attack.

    Gabriel''s perception was enough to react to the Reaper''s attack.

    "I see you. Divine Luminary Smite maxima."

    The 12 wings behind him begun to glow. Waves of Holy Light were sent through his back, hands and into the Holy Sword in his grasp.

    The Holy Sword in the Archangel''s grip started to glow. Gabriel stepped forward, swinging the weapon with divine might.

    An incredibly wide arc of Golden Light exploded from the Holy Sword, speeding forward towards Davian.

    The latter laughed at the wonderful sight befure him. He could actually feel the threat of death in this attack.

    10 Time Remnants escaped his body. Then each of them aimed a hand to their front.

    "Bakud�� #81. Dank�� (���, Splitting Void; Viz " Airtight"

    The 11 Davian''s all chanted Silmuteneosly.

    A massive transluscent barrier formed around them, Gabriel''s Holy light infused attack colliding against the barrier.

    Pressure waves exploded out, blowing away the golden clouds hanging in the air.

    Normally Danku could only block kido spells up to 89. However, Davian had overloaded the shield with his Time Remnants, causing it''s conceptual existence to be altered.

    As a result, Gabriel found his own attack inexplicably sent back his way.

    "Impossible!"

    The Angel stated, flaring his wings and flying up to face his own monstrous attack.

    Were it land, it would destroy the Citadel.

    He brought his Horn to his mouth and blew it, producing a sonic shockwave that negated the light attack.

    Right afterwards, a barely visible blur passed by him.

    A breeze blew right past Gabriel, ruffling his robes. The Archangel stared down at his body. There was no blood. No Injury to be seen.

    Yet... He had been hurt. Badly.

    "You went for my core. The link between God and I... My connection to the light." Gabriel mumbled in realization.

    "I apologize,"

    The Reaper declared, stepping onto the bridge that divided him from Chase.

    "Time constraints forced me to resort to unorthodox methods. I would have enjoyed a prolonged battle. Farewell, Gabriel."

    Gabriel heard the sound of his steps fade away. And fast. He had failed. The Reaper was headed to the Throne Room.

    No.

    NO!

    "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU''RE GOING?!"

    Gabriel yelled out, initiating Burn out.

    His black hair turned bright silver.

    His body exploded into holy flames, melting the part of the bridge remaining, in an instant.

    Davian found himself thrown back in a free fall towards the pit, a stunned look on his face.

    The Angel''s wings beat the air, releasing a swathe of flames that fell towards Davian.

    The Reaper strafed to the side in a jerky move, escaping the flames as he rounded the Throne Room.

    Gabriel flew higher, hovering above the Reaper. Motes of light gathered underneath his wings.

    "I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO WIN!"

    The Archangel proclaimed.

    The motes shot downwards, beams of thin golden light, some brushing against the Reaper''s Haori.

    "How did he survive? I pierced his Saketsu, destroying his source of power."

    Davian bit out, unleashing a clean shunpo through his heels to escape the barrage of golden rain.

    In two steps he was standing on the banks of the Highest level of Heaven, right before the Throne room.

    Gabriel rounded up, burning with white flames hotter than the core of the sun, he couldn''t release his attacks wantonly anymore, lest he destroyed the Throne Room.

    He flew higher and higher, then turned around, diving straight for the Reaper who was defiantly standing in wait.

    Davian stepped forward, hand tightly gripped around the black and white sword in his hands.

    "I can''t waste time on you anymore."

    He could already feel his soul burn with the Light of God''s glare. The Zenith Hour was fast approaching and Heaven''s Sun was already peaking through the golden clouds above them.

    "I need to finish this in one single blow."

    Davian muttered, his cosmic authority flaring out and shaking the entire realm. A sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he stepped forward.

    "This is it!"

    Gabriel yelled, expending more power by burning out his light.

    "I''m sorry Michael!!!!"

    """ANGELIC JUDGEMENT"""

    Space twisted and bent as a sharp sword beam fell upon Davian. Twinkling like the Crescent Moon, was the silver arc cutting through the radiant atmosphere of Heaven.

    It carried with it the unknowable mysteries of Holy Light. A potent power derived from the worship of an unquantifiable number of Wills.

    Thus it carried the concept of infinity. An attack with the infinite essence of Holy light, unimaginably heavy and potent, enough to burn away Dark power or those opposed to the Light of the Presence.

    It was execution to those denied by God.

    Davian raised his Constructed sword, increasing its size by weaving more strings into it. More and more threads. To make it durable. To make it unbreakable. To make it strong enough to contend with God''s light.

    All Until the sword became too unwieldy.

    The shadow of his blade was cast on him and the Citadel, a towering black and white blade of immense proportions.

    The wielder stepped forward, body pulsing with Cosmic Authority, a fusion of all his abilities.

    And then he swung it out.

    """Death God Sword Art Second Stage: Void Thrust."""

    Just as Gabriel''s sword descended.

    Both attacks crashed in midair.

    For a full second, both powers wrestled, tangled and fought. Waves of wild whisps shot out, smashing onto the walls of the Citadel and leaving marks.

    The cloud islands were pushed away, some boiling away into ether that hang in the air as golden smoke.

    Heaven''s skies changed color, splitting into two. One side was a brilliant yellow with raging winds swirling around in a chaotic storm.

    The other side turned into a turbulent atmosphere with dark Purple clouds vomiting out streaks of violet lightning that fell onto the ground, leaving a charred mess where they fell.

    Light flared out from the point of contact, both attacks producing a chaotic swirl of power that blinded anyone watching with their brilliance.

    The purple clouds grew in number, swallowing the yellow clouds as the Reaper prevailed against the Archangel''s attack.

    The chaotic winds calmed down.

    Everyone fighting on both sides knew that an important battle had just concluded. And the victor decided.

    Raven looked up towards the sky, at the Highest Heaven hidden behind clouds, though the flashes of purple lightning filled her with hope.

    She knew he was alright. Davian wouldn''t lose. He was too strong for that.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    My weapon unravelled into strings that joined my body.

    I looked up, eyes burning with a fervent light.

    "Another Obstacle taken down."

    All that remained was God and then it was over. No one was going to stop me.

 Chapter 199.5: Ancient Laws.

    This list of laws are known as the Ancient Laws, the highest laws that govern the Universe.

    Breaking even a single one comes with dire consequences.

    Ancient Laws:

    1. Balance Mandate: Cosmic entities must strive to maintain equilibrium between order and chaos, ensuring neither side gains undue dominance.

    2. Temporal Accord: Respect for the flow of time is paramount; meddling in the past or future without cosmic necessity is strictly forbidden.

    3. Interdimensional Non-Interference: Entities shall refrain from unwarranted interference in the affairs of parallel universes and alternate realities.

    4. Ephemeral Sanctity: The sanctity of ephemeral beings, mortal lives, and free will must be preserved, and arbitrary destruction is prohibited.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    5. Universal Revelation Decree: Cosmic truths that could destabilize the fabric of reality shall be revealed only when deemed essential for the greater cosmic order.

    6. Source Wall containment Edict:

    Entities must not breach the boundaries of the Source Wall without just cause, respecting the realms of existence and non-existence is paramount.

    7. Cosmic Treaty of Artifacts: Artifacts of immense power shall not be misused or hoarded, and their acquisition should be governed by the Quintessence.

    8. Celestial Compact of Trials: Cosmic beings must settle disputes through impartial trials, overseen by the Quintessence or appropriate neutral Council.

    9. Essence Anonymity Accord: The true essence or nature of a cosmic entity shall not be forcibly revealed without their consent, fostering a degree of mystery and autonomy.

    10. Majestic Assembly Edifice: Periodic gatherings of cosmic entities shall take place to discuss matters of cosmic importance and maintain open communication for the greater good of the universe.

 Shukai Final Part (The End)

    Chapter 200: Shukai Final Part.

    A/N: The light of God exists in each one of us.

    A denial of that light...breeds Chaos and Freedom.

    (?? P.O.V)

    A worthy successor.

    Not the first.

    Maybe...the last.

    I wonder what his answer will be when I give him the choice.

    (General P.O.V)

    A swift blur of golden energy darted through a cluster of four winged angels, unleashing rapid strikes that propelled them backward, leaving no chance for a counterattack.

    The blur materialized into Jay Garrick, the Flash.

    Sending a mocking salute at the Heavenly host, the Flash was off again, speeding through their ranks and mercilessly demolishing them.

    "He''s too fast on the ground!"

    One of the 4 winged angels in the sky yelled out, evading the Speedster''s bullrush by flapping her wings and maintaining distance.

    "Attack from the air!"

    She ordered, drawing back a light arrow from the bow in her hands.

    They had aerial superiority.

    "You heard the commander! Fire!"

    Another angel added, riding on a chariot pulled on by Pegasi.

    "Show them the might of the Angel Host!"

    In the air, the angels managed to maintain an orderly formation, and without wasting time, they retaliated.

    A barrage of arrows descended upon the Flash, yet he effortlessly danced out of harm''s way with minimal effort.

    "Not a bad effort. But I''m afraid you''re too slow."

    Garrick snorted.

    "For Heaven!"

    The 4 winged Commander growled in anger, unsheathing a holy sword and darting down.

    She was personally going to deal with the annoying speedster.

    That plan was rendered mute when a glowing green fly swatter blind sided her from the left, batting her and her group away.

    Spiralling through the air, right above their own forces, they were sent crashing towards the huge pearly gates behind the Angelic forces.

    "The sky is my turf."

    John Stewart, the Green Lantern of Earth 16 stated with a smile. A green shroud of energy pulsed around his body.

    "You might outnumber us, but we''re clearly stronger."

    The green lantern ring on his finger glowed, creating a machine gun that he aimed at the disorganized troops.

    Then he pulled the trigger, unleashing a hail of bullets at the ranks of angels like some sort of Commando.

    Screams and yells of pain sounded out as the Heavenly Host was introduced to guns and the devastation they could cause.

    "Insolent."

    Zauriel grew angry at the scene, resulting in him sending a radiant beam of light the Lantern''s way.

    "Divine Light!"

    Stewart quickly switched the machine gun out for an emerald shield to protect himself.

    But Zauriel''s attack proved too mighty, plowing right through the green construct and instantly turning Stewart into ash.

    "For tainting these clouds with blood and suffering, death and an eternity in Hell await you, John Stewart!"

    The Leader of the Pax-Dei, Zauriel declared.

    """ Divine Overseer, that was amazing!"""

    """ By the father, incredible!"""

    """ Push! Expel these intruders from the Silver City!"""

    """ Yeah!!"""

    The Angels now emboldened, cried out with new found determination.

    They''d just seen Zauriel take out a powerful enemy in one shot.

    The two League teams, the one from Prime Earth and the other from Earth 16 on the other hand, were positively livid.

    Green Lantern was taken out in front of their eyes.

    "John!"

    Hawkwoman cried out, taking flight towards Zauriel, furious eyes burning with hatred.

    "I shall avenge you!"

    The difference in numbers between the Reaper''s allies and Heaven was comically obvious from the sky.

    But despite being faced with such a powerful force: countless angels, ranging from four-winged guardians to eight-winged Cherubims encircling Zauriel, Hawkwoman appeared indifferent, spinning her Nth metal mace with deadly intent.

    "I shall strike you down, angel. Prepare yourself!"

    She promised.

    "Another fool with a desire for death."

    The leader of the Pax-Dei sneered, the holy lance in his hand glowing with power.

    Zauriel raised it up, aiming the tip towards Hawkwoman.

    "Divine Light!"

    Only for a blue and red shadow to block the latter''s path. Prime Earth Superman had flown in between the two, his eyes glowing red-hot.

    "Shayera, let me handle this. "

    He informed the Thanagarian, glaring at Zauriel''s incoming attack.

    Another radiant beam of light.

    With an angry grunt, the Kryptonian released his heat vision, sending it on a path to contend with the Arch-angel''s attack.

    Red and white clashed, Hawkwoman flew back, momentarily blinded by the light show occuring at her front. Enough so, that she brought her hands up to shield her eyes from the glare.

    The Nth Metal mace in her arms bolstered her energy shield, minimizing the effects of the energy collision.

    She was about to jump in and help when something grabbed her mental focus. A thought, projected through the mind-link.

    [Hawkwoman! Fall back, your life is in danger the longer you stay close to them.]

    Batman''s voice came through with a commanding tone.

    [John is still alive, remember? Only the spell to project his soul into Heaven has been broken.]

    Oh yeah...in her anger, she had forgotten that little tidbit. Even if they died here, they would only be sent back to Earth.

    Hawkwoman''s momentary relief dissipated as Superman, with astonishing amounts of effort, audibly strained as Zauriel''s light beam forcefully countered his heat vision, inevitably pushing the Kryptonian back.

    The Man of Steel mindfully leaned to the side, evading the beam''s path.

    It passed by the two of them, close enough that Clark felt it''s heat sear his skin.

    The attack erupted in the sky above, dispersing the golden cloud cover hanging over the first Heaven in its wake.

    All watching were left in awe.

    "Incredible," Prime Wonder Woman marveled from the ground, her gaze fixed on the Red-Haired Zauriel and the radiant cloak of energy enveloping his form.

    She twirled the God-killer sword in her hand with excitement and battle mania.

    "To think that those 12 winged angels are so powerful."

    Prime Earth Batman''s cape flapped in the wild winds produced in the aftermath.

    "Superman can''t take him on alone. He isn''t enough."

    "One Superman maybe, but how about two?"

    Earth 16 Batman questioned staring at hus Earth''s Superman.

    "I like how you think."

    Prime Batman complimented his parralel self.

    "Finally I get to join in the action. I was feeling a little left out."

    Superman admitted, staring at his Parallel self fighting with Zauriel in the sky.

    "" Go. ""

    The two dark knights instructed in unison.

    "You''re the only one strong enough to physically contend with an Arch-angel."

    One Batman said.

    "The two of you together will win."

    The other one added right after.

    "Okaaay that is officially creepy. Not as cool as I thought it would be."

    Green Arrow commented, eyes darting between both Batman.

    "You still talking? I am up to 300 enemies and counting."

    Prime Cyborg told the archer, sending out energy blasts at the enemy.

    The two were tasked with guarding the group by taking shots at any angel that flew too deep into enemy lines.

    Naturally, they decided to make it a competition. One between Prime Earth and Earth 16.

    You see, the Leaguers could deliberate on strategy without disturbance, due to where they were positioned.

    Which was at the rear of the Reaper''s army. Their main job was to plan.

    At the very front were the Soul Lanterns, absolutely wrecking the angelic forces with support from Atlantean magicians and soldiers.

    "A little help here...I have company."

    Deadman called out from the sky, a party of enemies flying after him from the Front Lines.

    He swooped down, several dozen chariots with 4 winged angels on them, tailing right behind, weapons glowing with divine light.

    Upon nearing the Leaguers, Shazam stepped forward, sending a lightning net that flew through the whole group, crisply dispatching the angels.

    Shazam lowered his hands, tendrils of lightning still dancing erratically around the fingers.

    "Thanks. That was close."

    Deadman sighed in gratitude, showing a thumbs up to the Champion of the Gods as he landed before the Leaguer.

    The latter shrugged with an easy going smile,

    "Don''t mention it. Besides, we kinda need you. Without you, we wouldn''t be able to survive in this place. Much less fight."

    The Champion of the Gods turned to look at the chaotic battlefield around them with a pensive stare.

    "This place actively denies our physical forms. Had we entered carelessly, our bones would have been shattered, flesh ground to dust and blood boiled."

    He stated grimly.

    "I admit, it was quick thinking on your part, Brand."

    Earth 16 Batman complimented, typing on his wrist computer.

    "By layering a spell over Dr. Manhattan''s portals, you created bod-"

    "Soul echoes."

    Deadman interrupted, facing a particular point on the sky.

    A few of the angels that had attacked him, had managed recover from Shazam''s initial attack.

    4 winged angels were stronger and more resilient than normal ones after all.

    ''They''re back. Time to deal with them permanently, the less enemies we have the better for us.''

    Deadman reasoned to himself.

    He extended his arms, summoning a tempest of spiritual energy overhead that forcibly pulled the angels into its swirling vortex.

    The whirlwind glowed blue, shadows of flying humanoids in Chariots faintly visible within it. Trapped.

    "If you wouldn''t mind."

    Deadman motioned to Shazam, pointing at the sky.

    "Gladly."

    Shazam said with an uncharacteristic malicious grin.

    The Wizard Shazam and the Quintessence had shown him how fickle godly beings could be. He wasn''t going to put his trust in the divine any longer.

    He ignited his hands with electric energy, sending a large bolt of divine lightning that spread across the Whirlwind, frying the trapped angels.

    The spirit storm exploded. Blackened feathers drifted to the ground, turning into ash in the air.

    "As I was saying Bats."

    Deadman turned to the Dark Knight

    "Soul Echoes are transient constructs, providing you with a presence in a spiritual realm. Their existence relies on your will to maintain them,"

    Deadman explained,

    "The only drawback is that serious injuries will destroy the Soul Echo, vaulting you back into your physical body, drained of Spirit Energy for some time."

    "In that case, a prolonged battle is out of the question."

    commented Black Canary.

    Their advantage had been the element of surprise. The enemies had bigger numbers. And while useful, the drawback of Soul Echoes was that they were essentially turned into glass cannons. They had power but one good hit and they were out.

    "Everything rests on how long we can hold on. At least until Davian gets his friends back."

    She intuited.

    "Precisely."

    Deadman answered without hesitation.

    "That''s why I''m here. We''re currently pushing them back on the front lines. But once they get organized we will start to lose ground. Badly. We need a plan in case the Boss is late-"

    "No need."

    Prime Batman stated,

    "Manhattan estimates we have approximately 4 minutes until Heaven''s Sun reaches its peak. Currently obscured by the Levels of Heavens above us, its light becomes visible only at the Zenith, directly above the Citadel."

    He pointed straight up.

    "That same light will instantly turn our Soul Echoes into ash."

    The Second Batman added.

    "Four minutes. That''s how long this rescue mission should take. No more."

    "Four minutes then. We can hold out for that long, I think."

    Deadman breathed out, slightly unsure.

    "But just in case there''s some unforeseen circumstances, we need a back up plan."

    Upon hearing that, the Dark Knight turned his eyes towards a certain direction.

    Several feet away from them, was a deserted Chariot, a majestic black stallion at the head.

    The rider was nowhere to be seen, being one of the angels caught in Deadman''s and Shazam''s combo attack.

    Batman narrowed his eyes.

    "I have an idea."

    *****

    In the skies above them, a truly devastating battle was unfolding, two Supermen fought against the leader of the Pax-Dei.

    Two Kryptonians against the might of an Arch-angel.

    It was enough that the battle happening below somewhat stalled, and the Flash found himself watching the fight next to a few League members.

    Scarlet beams of solar heat clashed with divine light, sending a kaleidoscope of colors washing out into the sky.

    "I seldom see Superman going all out."

    Captain Atom said, just as dumbfounded as the rest.

    "Out of anyone else here, Clark''s force of will is unbeatable. And we have two of them. That''s good for us. "

    Hawkman breathed out.

    What went unsaid was the fact Zauriel was keeping up with the two.

    "And not just them either."

    Powergirl pointed out, motioning to another side of the battlefield.

    A place that was being avoided like the plague.

    "We have them too. Davian''s friends. They helped me a while back...but I never thought they were so powerful."

    A Raven''s cry sent sonic vibrations that stunned the angels in the air.

    A group of several thousand 4 winged and even stronger angels hang in the air, hands covering their ears in pain.

    From a top the Raven''s back, a beautiful woman with black hair cut shot wielded a Katana, pulling back her arm and swinging it out with precision.

    "All I see is a bunch of chicken flapping about."

    Lady Shiva stated, executing her attack.

    Numerous sword phantoms littered the air, speedily covering the distance between them and drowning the heavenly host under the Intricacies of Sword Mastery.

    "Now, fall... Crescent Moon."

    The sword phantoms exploded into arcs of cutting winds that pushed a good chunk of the enemies back.

    "Dastardly Female!"

    A Seraphim with pink hair shouted at Shiva, flying in with two celestial axes in each of his hands.

    The Seraphim Raguel!

    Arcs of divine light jumped forth from the axe, cutting towards the Raven in the sky.

    The air itself screamed in the path of something Heaven itself denied.

    Grail launched out twin beams of the Omega effect at Raguel''s axe attacks, destroying them before they could reach the Raven. The angel was pushed back.

    "So arrogant. I''m a God. You''re a mere attendant to one. Learn your place."

    The New God mocked the Seraphim.

    "Daaaaammnn you!!!"

    Raguel roared coming in with a fist.

    With a flare of its wings, the Raven produced a pressure wave that pushed back Raguel, sending him crashing towards the ground.

    A cymbal sounded out, and Raguel was teleported off the ground and into the air.

    The Arch-angel found himself floating beside another of his compatriots.

    "Raguel."

    The new Arch-angel was female, blonde haired, in a silver armor and different from the others with a variety of wespons. In the place of a sword or spear, she was holding onto a pair of Cymbals. One in each hand.

    Her eyes were also completely white.

    She was the Lead Seraphim of yne Heavenly Choir, Jehoel. One of the important positions in Heaven.

    Those white eyes were narrowed Raven''s way.

    "Be careful. These enemies are not like the demons we face. They are organized and quite deadly."

    She concluded her statement.

    "Thank you, Jehoel."

    Raguel said, light washing down his hands to form another pair of axes. His grip tightened around them.

    "Let us work together and dispose of them."

    The two Seraphims were not the only ones finding Raven andher group a nuisance.

    There was another one. Not man nor angel.

    A fly with comically large eyes and a hat flapped it''s wings, buzzing in the air, evading attacks left and right.

    A wave of light arrows headed for the Atlanteans down below. (The arrows failed to land, blocked by one of those glowing spirits, a Soul Lantern)

    The fly strafed away into another part of the battle.

    A magical bomb unleashed by Zatara, pulled in great numbers of angels before crushing them and then releasing their remains into the surroundings.

    Peace, a goddess of Order decided to jump in and attack the magician, starting a magic battle.

    The Fly decided to avoid that area too.

    There was a place where the Fly had to time freeze the area around him, successfully surviving one of those radiant beams that the Arch-angel s used.

    It''s light, carrying the Divine Presence of the creator washed through him. Fortunately, as a fifth dimension being, he could take it head on.

    The chaos unfolding around them was hilarious.

    All this, because of a single man.

    Then again...what did he have to complain about?

    There were two Supermans! Or is it Supermen?

    Mr. Myx didn''t care about the correct pronunciation. The only thing that mattered was that there were two of them.

    And they were kicking ass! He wanted to cheer for them but that was bad sporting. He was their enemy after all!

    Following behind the radiant beam, both Superman clashed in Midair against Zauriel. They were rearranging the battlefield by the mere shockwaves of their battle.

    Eventually, Myx couldn''t hold back his excitement.

    "Get him Supes!"

    The Imp cheered in a reedy barely audible voice, mock boxing in midair, in the form of a fly.

    "Give that jerk a good beating! Yeah! Wallop his ass!"

    Myx Widened his compound eyes, slapping his head. He had been caught up with Supe''s fight, he forgot he had a mission.

    Wings flapping too quick for anyone to perceive, the Fly immediately started flying towards Raven''s group.

    This was where the Reaper''s closest allies were gathered.

    A wide evil smile spread out across the Fly''s mouth, something that should be biologically impossible. But to Myx this was nothing.

    The reason he was after Raven''s group was to use them against Davian.

    "Once I sneak up on them, they''re as good as mine. Zehahahahahaha! Zehahahahaha!"

    The Fly buzzed happily.

    Only for the sky to turn dark, caused by a shadow that appeared above Myxzptlk.

    The Fifth Dimension Imp disguised as a Fly immediately halted in its advance, his insect body shivering in fear.

    Dr. Manhattan was staring right down at him, the passive expression on his face making him look unfeeling and bored.

    Yet those eyes...they had Myx backing away in terror.

    "Oh no no no no no. Why him? Why couldn''t it have been another extradimensional asshole..."

    The Imp shuddered.

    Giant blue hands begun descending towards Myx.

    "I won''t let you harm them."

    Dr. Manhattan spoke.

    "This is the end of the line, Mr.Myxzptlk</a>."

    "Oh hell no! I''m out of here!"

    The Imp stated, changing directions and flying in the opposite direction to Manhattan.

    For added effect, he teleported vast distances, going deeper into Heaven in a mad dash to escape.

    Normally doing so in a realm governed by an Outerversal Entity would be impossible for just about anyone. But Myx knew Heaven''s secret.

    God''s presence was diminished, allowing this much.

    "Zehahahahaha. I''ll just sneak up on them again."

    Myx planned.

    "By the time that blue asshole notices me, it will be too late! Zehahahahaha!!"

    The Golden Cloud islands passed by him, numerous souls dancing around in the Utopia.

    Before him was Heaven''s boundaries. A huge wall that obstructed the way forward.

    But Endless or Infinite were mere 3 dimensional understanding of space-time concepts. To someone like Myx they amounted to nothing.

    "This is far enough. He wouldn''t follow me to such a long distance."

    The Fly told itself, buzzing before the wall.

    "I cannot let you escape."

    A voice called out, like a decree from Heaven.

    "Manhattan!!?"

    The Imp was close to an heart attack.

    "But how? I flew so far away from you!"

    The boundaries of Heaven behind Myx begun to tremble and shake. The Fly turned around, staring as a blue pillar moved, pushing away the cloud islands close to it.

    No, not a pillar... A finger.

    "In reality, you never left my hand."

    Dr. Manhattan revealed.

    "You merely thought you did."

    There was a smoke pop and Mr. Myxzptlk appeared in the flesh, holding both hands up. Beads of sweat were visibly falling down his face.

    "Wait, Can we talk this out?"

    He gulped.

    "It was just a prank. No need to get so worked up, you know?"

    """ Mr. President!!"""

    A cloud of Imps flew towards them, surrounding Myx protectively.

    """ We heard you were in trouble."""

    """ Batmite informed us. Are you okay, Mr. Mxy?"""

    Myxzptlk''s face split up into a wide smile upon the arrival of his forces.

    "Quick everyone! I can''t explain it but it''s time for our signature move! The Cosmic Convergence Gambol!"

    He declared, shadow tendrils stabbing into the Imps around him.

    """ Use my power Mr. President!!!"""

    """ I accept to die for you Myx dearie!!!"""

    """ Kick his ass Myx!!"""

    All the Imps gladly showed their support.

    Myx''s shadow swallowed over thousands of his followers in a single instant.

    The realm started to lightly tremble with his power. In his position, Space begun to twist upon itself.

    Mr. Myxzptlk begun to scream, the sound loud enough as to be heard across the battlefield.

    Veins jutted out on his skin, his muscles inflating as his size increased.

    His hat disappeared, the hair underneath, growing in length and bulk. It then changed colors from black to yellow.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    His soft facial features became as hard as granite and once the transformation was complete, an entirely different being stood where Myx once was.

    Over seven feet tall with sickly green energy covering him...

    This was the Super Saiyan Imp!

    "Let''s see if you can still deal with me now."

    The new Myx boldly proclaimed, body flashing with blue streaks of energy.

    "Your power...multiplied by 50 times...."

    Manhattan stated, tilting his head to the side.

    "I don''t see how that narrows the gap between us."

    "You''ll see!"

    Myx stated, falling into a stance that Davian would have recognized had he been around.

    "Get a load of this: Final Flash Ka-me-"

    Energy begun swirling around him crazily.

    "Ha-me-"

    His voice took on a different tone, sounding much deeper.

    "Ha!!!!"

    With this final vocalization, a brilliant sphere of both purple and blue energy formed within Mxyzptlk''s hands.

    He thrust them outward, aiming for Manhattan.

    The energy burst out into one concentrated energy blast, burning the very path it blazed, advancing at Manhattan.

    The attack struck, waves diving off into the surroundings. Everything turned white for a second.

    "Everyone be careful!"

    Prime Earth Green Martian called out in urgency, shifting forms into a dark green wooded dome around the Reaper''s allies.

    The Martian begun screeching in pain as the heat produced by the attack seared his skin.

    Despite the Martian weakness to Fire being more mental than physical, burn marks still appeared around his Soul Echo.

    This went on for more than a second before things eventually quieted down.

    The smoke cleared from the battlefield, revealing a wildly different environment than before.

    There were patches on the cloudy golden ground and the sky above, holes that revealed chaotic pockets of energy that were slowly healing.

    To block against the attack, both sides of the battlefield had deployed their own defensive abilities.

    A crack sounded out from the wooden dome that Martian Manhunter had created with his body.

    Spider webs ran down it''s structure, green light peeking through the cracks and with a resounding crash, the whole thing broke apart.

    The pieces detaching, burned in the air, disappearing into the ether.

    [I shall leave the rest to you]

    He sent through the Mind-link, his Soul Echo along woth his presence fading away.

    Deadman stretched out his palm, a small piece of dissolved wood falling on it.

    "His Soul Echo...he sacrificed himself to save us."

    The Spirit muttered heavily.

    "What was that crazy explosion?"

    Green Arrow questioned.

    "We weren''t in range of it and we still lost J''onn."

    "Not him alone," Prime Earth Batman asserted.

    "We''ve lost contact with six League Members, including Aquaman, who was leading the Atlanteans. Moreover, more than half of our allies fell victim to the attack."

    He paused, the weight of the situation sinking in.

    "We''ve forfeited the surprise advantage we held, and our firepower has been halved. If they regroup before us...we''re facing imminent defeat."

    And sure enough, the allies were scattered across the area, making it difficult to launch a group attack and easier for the enemy to pick them off one by one.

    Not to say that all was lost.

    A large chunk of those who remained, were shielded underneath Raven''s wings, with the Soul Lanterns forming a round bubble around everyone.

    [IS EVERYONE ALRIGHT]

    Raven questioned through the Mind-link.

    [We''re good Mistress.]

    Hal replied, his body glowing With golden energy.

    [ALRIGHT.]

    Raven flapped her wings, ascending to the sky.

    [THE BATTLE IS NOT OVER. MORE OF THE ENEMY SURVIVE. LOOK.]

    She flew towards the entrance to heaven, sending the dust and smoke away with the air below her wings.

    The scene was revealed and her statement was proven right.

    Something glowed a distance away from them, right at the entrance to Heaven.

    In front of the Pearly gates, a huge silver shield stood.

    The shield disolved into motes of light, revealing the numerous numbers of angels still left alive.

    The enemy had survived.

    The silver apparation of an Arch-angel with a large cross stood before them, holding it up into the air.

    The apparation''s existince was false, given manifestation by the three Arch-angels at the head of the Heavenly Host.

    Zauriel the Angel of the Host stood in the middle.

    To his left was Jehoel, the Angel of Wisdom and Divine Enlightenment.

    And to his right was Raguel, the Angel of Divine Justice.

    "That was close."

    Zauriel said, Angel Michael''s apparation fading away with the barrier they had erected.

    "It''s about time."

    Jehoel told her fellow Seraphims.

    "The Sun is a minute away. Finally we can put a rest to this."

    "Indeed."

    Raguel agreed.

    "That said, ''He'' might prove a challenge. He''s unharmed by the Imp''s attacks."

    The three looked up, gazes fixated on the familiar blue figure of Manhattan.

    "We also lost the Lords of Order in the attack."

    Zauriel grimly informed them.

    "And he''s not the only troublesome foe we have. There''s the two Kryptonians."

    In the case of Super Saiyan Imp vs Manhattan, the result of the battle between the two extradimensional beings was concluded.

    And the outcome of the battle was not accepted by the loser.

    "How?! You cheater! Why are you so powerful? I was using 100000% of my full strength."

    Myx protested, back in his normal form, with the bowler hat on top of his head.

    He was imprisoned in a cage made of blue energy. A cage that neutralized his abilities.

    Dr. Manhattan blinked impassively.

    "I derive my strength from Anti-crisis energy. It''s peaceful and harmonic. A natural counter to a being of chaos such as you."

    "Aw shucks. I lost didn''t I?"

    The Imp deflated, sighing while laying down on the floor of the cage.

    "This was my chance to show off...and you ruined it."

    He hatefully glared at Manhattan.

    "I''ll make you pay one day Blue Guy. Time to Skedaddle. Kltpzxym!"

    A second passed and Mr. Myxzptlk''s eyes slowly widened.

    "It...didn''t work?"

    He couldn''t teleport back to the Fifth Dimension. The cage was even restricting such a core aspect of him.

    "You shall not leave."

    Manhattan informed him.

    Myx gulped.

    "You are my prisoner now, Myx."

    Manhattan allowed a small content smile on his face.

    (Davian''s P.O.V)

    My steps made no noise as I approached the throne room. I had about a minute left until Heaven''s Sun reached its Zenith.

    I had to rescue Chase and Rama before that happened.

    Or the three of us along with the 106729 allies and 17 million Soul Lanterns keeping the Heavenly Host busy, would be fried.

    Speaking of the sun, I held back a wince, my haori slightly steaming. Being this far up exposed me to the glares of it''s stray rays.

    The heat and light steadily grew more and more intense to the point it was almost too much to bear. I grabbed a chunk of my haori and tore the whole thing off, leaving my chest open.

    Fine, I''ll take it head on then.

    That said, the Throne Room was before me.

    It would only take a single Shunpo to get in and get them out.

    But...this was God''s abode. And there was a difference between being reckless and being bold.

    It would have been completely careless of me to rush in without thought.

    I arrived at the massive open entrance. Right on the edge of the path of light leading inside the building.

    2 angel statues with 12 wings stood on each side of the entry way, holding swords.

    The next step I would take, my foot was going to land on...

    How unexpected...the ground was a simple stone floor, I would have thought it would be something opulent and Gaudy. This was Heaven after all.

    Reikaku rippled out, encompassing the entire Citadel.

    Two bright spheres of light and one massive sun appeared across my scanning field.

    My grip on Chesha Neko was the tightest I had ever held it.

    Those two souls, one was made from my own, the other belonged to a goddess...Chase and Rama Kushna.

    Finally. I found them.

    What made me wary was the other presence I felt.

    It was...on an entirely different level. Stronger than even Gabriel, who had given me some trouble.

    Could it be God? There was no mistaking it...it must be God. My soul trembled in a way it hadn''t since facing the Great Darkness.

    My foot rose up to take the next step. There was a small staircase to climb and then I would see Chase.

    Just a single step...

    Yet...it was a heavy one.

    I was reminded of the warning Chase had delivered to me, sent through Manhattan:

    ["Don''t come for me while you''re this weak. I expect you to get stronger. Strong enough that it doesn''t matter where I''ll be. Strong enough that you won''t die trying to save me."]

    Sorry Chase, the problem with that arrangement is...you are my strength.

    I stepped right through.

    My steps echoed out as I climbed the stairs, my resolve hardening with each passing second until...

    "Finally."

    A new voice stated as soon as I cleared the stairs, stepping into a wide chamber with tall open windows.

    "Its nice of you to grace us with your presence, Reaper. The three of us have been patiently waiting for your arrival."

    The Man was absolutely attractive. The kind of handsome face that you just wanted to punch. Blue eyes, white hair and 12 snowy wings behind him.

    Wait...Wings?

    "You''re not God."

    I said in realization, struggling to believe how an angel could exude the kind of presence he was.

    The Man chuckled. It was an annoyingly beautiful sound.

    "Seated on this throne as I currently am, I might as well be."

    He lightly caressed the throne''s Armrest.

    "You might have defeated Gabriel but there is frankly no chance of you surviving this encounter."

    He leaned forward.

    "You have fought valiantly. Now is the time to prostrate yourself and beg for forgiveness."

    "Mmmh...I see. I''ll take that under advisement."

    I replied.

    "Oh wait, fuck you."

    Then promptly showed him the middle finger.

    My gaze left the angel, though I still heavily monitored him through Reikaku, and landed on Chase.

    Immediately I was enraged. Chase was a beaten mess.

    "Gabriel did that?"

    "Not just him, but it''s nothing."

    Chase shrugged.

    "In any case, I''m thinking you beat him?"

    "Yeah." I nodded, gritting my teeth.

    "He was tough."

    The golden chain on his neck clinked noisily as he laughed.

    "Serves that asshole right. I told him."

    My teeth gnashed so hard I thought they would shatter.

    They had him in chains. Unacceptable.

    "Still..."

    His laughter started dying out, then his eyes turned hard.

    "You shouldn''t have come Davi."

    "Yeah well, I''m here now. Nothing you can do about it."

    I shrugged, turning my focus to one of the most important people to me.

    I felt my face twist into a soft smile.

    "Hey Rama."

    "Davi, dear boy, it''s nice to see. But I agree, you shouldn''t have come."

    She answered with a sad smile.

    "Your strings don''t lie. You''re not prepared for the consequences of your actions."

    "Like I said, I''m here now." I told the two of them.

    "And I''ll get you out. So deal with it. "

    I leaned forward, the air around me growing sharper.

    Those chains- they must have been suffocating. Chase''s Spirit energy flow was disrupted, it felt sluggish in my senses.

    To a spirit like him, it was probably a few levels above uncomfortable.

    "Stand back, I''m getting those cuffs off you."

    I informed him.

    The edge of my zanpakuto left a shadow through the air as I executed a move.

    A laido was a fast slash. An attack that abandoned all preparation and form for speed and ergo, cutting power.

    Several sword slashes landed on the golden chain in the span of an attosecond.

    Sparks flew from the contact.

    Metallic clangs rang out as the sound finally caught up with the action.

    Yet no nick or mark appeared on the chains. They still looked pristine. The golden manacles were still intact.

    Chesha Neko hissed as I slowly slid it back in it''s sheath.

    This complicates things. And I couldn''t cut the area around the wall either.

    The chains were mostly ornamental. The real restriction was Heaven itself. Chase was being held onto by the weight of the realm.

    "What now?"

    The Angel on the throne asked in a curious tone.

    "Tick tock...you don''t have much time left."

    Loathe as I am to admit, he''s right.

    Heaven''s sun was about to rise above us, spelling trouble for everyone.

    The good thing was that Chase and Rama were safe in the throne room, the ceiling would shield them from the direct rays.

    The rest were a different story. Which meant it fell to me to finish this quick.

    The weight of expectations on me was immense.

    But my resolve was unbreakable.

    "If I can''t cut through them...then I''ll just have to cut you down."

    I told the Angel, immediately rushing forward with a dark edge around Chesha Neko.

    Two shadows detached themselves from me, each of the Time Remnants going for both Chase and Rama.

    The Angel who by now I suspected was Metatron smiled, as if finding my charge non-threatening.

    Good. That means he won''t see this coming.

    I jumped, spinning at the apex of my ascent, coming down on top of him with my blade swinging out, the trajectory headed for his neck.

    Just because my first attempt at cutting The chains didn''t work, didn''t mean The layer of Respira on the edge of Chesha Neko was going to fail.

    That was the purpose of the Time Remnants. To kill 3 birds with one stone. They would Rescue Chase and Rama while I handled the angel.

    A solid plan, until time itself stopped.

    ''What''s this? I can''t move.''

    The air around the edge of my blade rippled like a thick invisible liquid.

    "Day 2: He formed the oceans and seas:- River of Time."

    The Angel intoned lowly.

    Mirthful Blue eyes met my purple ones.

    Even my time remnants were frozen in a temporal cage, only our awareness remained.

    Flexing Cosmic Authority yielded no results. It was like pushing against the weight of time itself. Imagine trying to forcibly fight the temporal flow itself. That was the trap I had fallen for.

    "I told you."

    The Angel chuckled.

    "Seated on this throne, the throne of God...I am untouchable."

    With that, he raised a single hand, the palm beginning to glow a bright white.

    Despite remaining the same physical size and shape, reality warped around the palm, causing it to appear tremendously huge in my vision.

    It occupied everything, the sky, the ground, the peripheral of my vision.

    It was the palm of creation itself.

    The Hand of God.

    In some ways, the Hand of Man himself. For the light didn''t just come from within Metatron alone, a large chunk of it was being pulled from the connection he had to the Throne under him. The Throne of God.

    Damn. If that were to land, I would be struck with the combined collective of Humanity itself. The wills of Quadrillions. And by extension, God''s Will.

    I had no idea if I could survive that.

    "Davian!"

    Chase yelled, seriousness pouring out of him. He was likely sensing the power within the hand.

    "Be careful! Metatron is unlike anything we''ve faced before."

    So...he''s Metatron...

    And I could see just how dangerous he was, what with being trapped in a time bubble, just waiting for his retaliatory strike.

    The palm grew ever bigger and ever closer until finally, it eventually landed on my chest.

    Breath instantly left me as a large force slammed into me. My ribs instantly shattered, the impact hurting my very soul due to the light infused in the attack.

    I lost consciousness for a split second, my vision going dark.

    Something gave way behind me, a piece of the entrance to the throne room.

    The impact brought back my awareness, prompting me to open my eyes, realizing that in just an instant, I was blown right out of the Throne Room, headed towards the edge of the Final heaven.

    A garganta appeared behind me, swallowing my body. Then I set the exit point for the portal to be the skies above the Throne Room.

    Propelled from the portal, my trajectory shifted abruptly.

    No longer soaring horizontally, I descended vertically, hurtling towards the golden ground with Chesha Neko unsheathed from its scabbard.

    I landed with a boom, the impact producing a shockwave that cracked the ground.

    That Palm had packed a punch, I felt the pain straight to my soul. It was different from any attack I had had to contend with in the past.

    The only reason I survived with a few injuries was Cosmic Authority negating 90% of the attack''s potency.

    Eyes burning with a desire for payback, I stood up, knowing what was coming through Reikaku.

    At that instant, my Time Remnants were blasted through the entrance as well. Their bodies sailing towards me.

    Chesha Neko unravelled into purple strings that grabbed them off the air, absorbing them and realigning us into one temporal wavelength.

    It was a skill that held a few complications, otherwise I would have used it to fight him.

    Light steps sounded out as Metatron descended the stairs.

    With a stone tablet clutched in his hands, he walked out, that same smile on his face.

    "I expected more fight from someone who could defeat Gabriel."

    The bastard said, spurring my anger on.

    "I''m disappointed."

    With a growl, energy erupted from my heels, pushing me forward. I was fusing the intricacies of Shunko with the unlimited speed from the speed force for that extra juice.

    Everything appeared frozen as I entered Hypertime. Everything including Metatron. Flash called it Flash time.

    And I was going to use it to wipe away the smirk on Metatron''s smug face.

    Now!

    Lightning blazed around my swinging blade, crackling with intensity as I executed my slash.

    "Death God Sword Art first Stage:- Non-Existence."

    There was no resistance as Chesha Neko sliced right through his body. The deathless energy pouring off the edge destroyed his form entirely.

    I carved a trail with my feet behind him, halting after bleeding off all my momentum.

    Through Reikaku, I felt his light and presence disappear abruptly.

    But death was seemingly too good for him.

    A section of the ground to the left of the throne room, inflated into a mould.

    That mould shape-shifted into a humanoid figure and in an instant, Metatron was back.

    "Day 3:- he created land and vegetation: Terraforming Verse."

    He intoned, his body reforming from the clouds and air around.

    There was that peculiar name of the attack. The one before was called Day 2: River of Time. This one was Day 3:- Terraforming Verse.

    "Your attacks,"

    I spoke up.

    "They''re inspired from the Creation story. 7 days for 7 skills."

    "Bingo."

    The Angel responded, shifting his stance into something unassuming.

    "It''s the Voice of God."

    He explained unworriedly.

    "7 skills just like you said. The ones I used were the weakest. You should just give up. This battle is meaningless. I am too powerful for you."

    The indifference in his tone got to me.

    "You don''t really see me as a threat, do you?"

    I remarked, the truth of my words sinking in further as his subsequent reply unfolded-

    "Should I? I have God himself in my corner, what can you do?"

    Metatron threw his head back, suddenly laughing.

    "You still refuse to see it. I outstrip you in all capacity. Power, knowledge, Influence and Authority. No matter how you look at it, the odds are stacked against you."

    It was true. The odds were against me.

    But...

    "That''s how I like it."

    I muttered to myself, tightening my hand around the grip of my Zanpakuto.

    My anxiety disappeared. My breath evened out. I stretched my body...or soul I guess, feeling and hearing the cracks as I loosened up.

    "Tell me something."

    I called out for the last time, deciding to finally go all out.

    With his attention on me, I asked what I wanted.

    "If I beat you, then all that''s left is the big guy himself, correct?"

    The smile that had been on his face slipped away. He tapped his fingers on the Stone Tablet in his arms in contemplation.

    "Yes."

    He finally answered after a pause.

    "But, thats only dependent on you beating me."

    A dangerous gleam shone in his blue eyes.

    "And we know there is no chance in Heaven that happens. You''re not Jesus, the performer of miracles."

    I grinned, twirling Chesha Neko. I never claimed to be, but I cpuld perform miracles as well.

    "Let''s do it then. Your Voice of God against my full power. My Bankai."

    I was going to have to be careful of the rest of the skills in the Voice of God. I knew 2 of them already but he said they were the weakest.

    I don''t have time to probe him, so it''s full power from the start.

    Reiatsu surged out of me in one directed wave of power.

    The air shook and screeched with it''s weight.

    Thinking equally as fast as me, Metatron''s own presence rippled out colliding with my own.

    The sky rumbled, splitting into two sides. My Purple Reiatsu against his white Divine Presence.

    However, without being seated on God''s throne, I had the stronger Spiritual Presence, inevitably pushing him back.

    Metatron''s hair was blown back by the pressure wave, eyes narrowing my way as I slipped into a Shunpo, speeding towards him- blade tip aimed for his forehead.

    I extended Chesha Neko''s length by weaving the strings, adding a full yard to it.

    The Arch-angel brought his hand forward, slapping the unexpected blade away.

    Keen senses he''s got.

    Once more, I employed Chesha Neko''s shikai, turning the weapon into strings.

    Leaning on my right leg, I twisted my hips, adding power to my follow up move.

    The sword shifted into a whip with a tipped blade at the end. It struck out, cracking the air while passing through Metatron as his body turned into formless light.

    I kept on striking out, dealing hundreds of whips at his body with no visible damage occurring.

    Grooves appeared on the beaten ground, patches that ran deep, almost to the heavens lower than us.

    "Day 1: He Created the Light: Light Canopy!"

    The Arch-angel chanted, changing into a stream of light that took to the sky.

    With a wave of his left hand, the right still holding onto the Tablet, thousands of light arrows appeared above me positioned like an umbrella, cutting off all evenues of a quick escape.

    The light arrows swirled around violently, acquiring enough power and penetration to take out a whole galaxy in a single shot.

    He swung his hand down, sending the wave falling on top of me.

    There were many ways to deal with this, I went for the easiest.

    My mouth widened to an insane degree, swallowing all his attacks in a single munch.

    All that energy was then stored in Gluttony''s belly.

    Almost immediately, it started burning my soul. This energy was different from anything else I''d absorbed. It was too potent and indisposed to a being with the essence of the Seven Deadly Sins.

    Knowing I couldn''t keep it within me for long, I mixed it with Respira in Gluttony''s belly and then breathed out a long gray beam of corrupted light into the air, using Reikaku to track the Angel''s movement.

    I felt the blow connect, drowning his position with his own attack.

    Metatron flared his wings, sending the gray energy splintering off into the sky behind him.

    The two of us stared at one other, different expressions on each of our faces.

    Mine was a grim one, that attack did nothing.

    And to add salt to the wound, the Sun had just reached its Zenith.

    My body was starting to smoke.

    I was too late in accomplishing my objectives. Not ideal. Not ideal at all.

    And from the look on Metatron''s face he knew that the balance in power had just shifted to his side.

    "I''m an angel. Light doesn''t hurt me."

    He revealed smugly.

    A layered statement.

    Not even light corrupted with Respira huh? Damn this guy has crazy resilience.

    In the same breadth he was telling me that the Light from Heaven''s sun would only affect me.

    Fuck. Guess I don''t have a choice then. Time to use my Trump Card. Taking in a deep breath, I prepared myself for a fully powered Bankai, only for a thought projected my way to stop me.

    [Davi! I have a plan]

    Chase''s voice blared in my mind.

    [Hold on and don''t do anything crazy just yet! Let me handle the sun business, alright? ]

    [Chase?]

    I called out, my stiff shoulders somewhat relaxing. He sounded a bit more lively, which was a good thing.

    Instead of answering, the entire realm begun to tremble and shake.

    [Don''t worry. I''ve been thinking. The only reason all this happened was because I was too weak to fight Gabriel.]

    He said through the Mind-link, space still trembling.

    I narrowed my eyes. The way he was talking...

    [But you said it best my Wielder, I''m not your weakness. I''m supposed to be your strength.]

    With the drop of those words which failed to fill me with confidence, the trembling increased, cracks started appearing around the structure of the Throne Room.

    "Damn you! The Stone Tablet is giving me no answer as to what''s happening."

    Metatron exclaimed, glaring my way.

    "What are you doing?"

    I didn''t have time to respond to him, as I finally realized Chase''s plan.

    Without thinking, I blasted off towards the throne room in a desperate dash.

    [Wait you stupid Cat! Don''t do it, you can''t shoulder the weight while still under those chains. Not alone. Your soul can''t take it!]

    I yelled through the Link.

    What was he thinking?! I was the reckless one. The one supposed to do stupid shit like what he was planning.

    [Must be ironic huh? I always warn you not to be careless and here I am, trying to teleport Heaven into Ultima. If this fails we''re all dead. If it succeeds at least you will survive...]

    He said with a laugh.

    [Shut up!]

    Why was he talking like that? That sappy sentimental bullshit.

    [Hahaha...there''s so much I want to say to you Davi. But...we are connected, so you probably know it anyway]

    I reached the entrance.

    [I told you to stop that! How will I be able to face the others without you? You''re the whole point to this Raid in the first place!]

    [Tell them I pulled off my greatest Vanishing Trick yet. The Cheshire Cat''s grin.]

    His mental presence brushed against mine, and I felt his emotions so clearly as if they were mine.

    Resolve, acceptance and a deep devotion to me.

    [Goodbye Davi. And remember...you can''t win this without losing something]

    An unexpected Spirit Shockwave rippled out from within the Throne Room, throwing me back.

    My heart squeezed, knowing I was too late yet again.

    I felt his Mental Presence recede as with a tearing sound, Heaven was ripped from its place in the Sphere of the Gods and thrown into my own universe, Ultima.

    Chase had just saved all of us

    But...

    I sank to my knees, staring at the remains of the Throne Room before me.

    The walls had crumbled down, exposing the interior to the world.

    Amongst the debris, the Throne of God stood tall in the middle of the crater. But I didn''t care for that.

    "I can''t...sense him."

    I said simply, not wanting to believe it.

    How could I? This was Chase. He couldn''t be gone...

    There have only been two times when his presence had disappeared. But those instances had been different, circumstantial and temporary.

    This was something else. There was an emptiness within my chest...a heat that was missing.

    Unsteady footsteps sounded out from my back. I hadn''t noticed it yet but Heaven''s Sun was missing.

    The Silver City was now cloaked in the perpetual Purple of my realm. He''d done it.

    Reikaku informed me that we were at the point of collision between Ultima and Heaven. The Silver City was now within my realm.

    "What- ack!"

    Red blood splattered on the ground next to me. Looking at my peripheral, the owner turned out to be Metatron.

    ''Oh boy, he isn''t looking too good.'' I thought numbly.

    Long gone was his majestic self. Now he stood, a shrivelled left hand hanging limply at his side, the right hand still holding onto the Stone Tablet, although it too had cracks running down it''s structure.

    "What did you do?!!"

    He screamed wiping the traces of blood from his lips.

    The wings behind him had lost their spleandorous white color, now faded and gray with spots of black intermixed.

    He dragged his feet, (the left leg shrivelled up like his hand) his face twisting into an ugly sneer.

    One filled with malice and hatred. Not really fitting for an angel.

    But what do I care? Chase is gone.

    "What did you just Do?! Answer me!"

    He demanded.

    Staying silent didn''t seem to make him happy.

    He used the Stone Tablet, swinging his right hand around and slamming the tablet onto the side of my face.

    "You turned me into a monster!"

    My head was whipped to the side, yet the pain was hollow.

    "You despicable Creature! What did you do?!"

    A few more blows came, the crazed Arch-angel seeming to understand the impact of Chase''s actions.

    "You have completely corrupted my home!"

    I felt him grab my hair next, turning my head towards the cracked Stone tablet in his hands.

    "Look! Look! These are the 10 Ancient Laws that protect creation from selfish beings like you!"

    He yelled, deranged.

    "Read! You''ve broken them all!"

    He laughed without humor, a self deprecating sound that I would have loved to enjoy.

    "And now you steal from God!! How bold of you! No one else can claim such a feat!"

    Oh, the Ancient Laws... I had promised myself I would destroy them...

    But what satisfaction would that bring? Chase wasn''t here anymore.

    I blinked, my eyes just managing to read the list of laws I had broken. A very comprehensive list indeed. One that Chase and I had managed to go against countless times before.

    I guess...this time our luck ran out.

    "Why won''t you fight back?!"

    Metatron raved, breathing heavily after delivering a barrage of blows that I barely felt.

    I could feel his glare on me, as he raised his shrivelled left hand.

    "Divine Light!"

    A sickly beam of energy slammed into me, throwing away my body. I dug a groove on the ground before stopping.

    I stayed there, gaze set to the sky before eventually landing on Chesha Neko.

    A zanpakuto without a spirit. Even the blade had lost it''s glow. And I couldn''t access any of my Soul Reaper abilities.

    That meant no Shikai or Bankai. Only Kido, Hoho and Zanjutsu.

    A recent memory appeared at the forefront of my mind.

    ''And remember I''m order to win this, you need to lose something.''

    Chase''s voice echoed out.

    Was this what he meant?

    I barked out a laugh. That bloody stupid cat.

    But...it didn''t matter anymore. I had lost.

    "I''m not done with you yet Reaper."

    Metatron growled, steps headed my way.

    Only for something to explode against his face, a heavy punch that threw him towards the entrance to the Throne room.

    "Stay away from him!"

    Rama Kushna yelled, having emerged from a portal at my back. One that feat eerily similar to a Garganta. How strange.

    Immediately, I felt her hands wrap around my head and shoulders, hugging me.

    The golden chains that had held her captive, clincked loosely on her wrists, the manacles hanging on her thin hands, a stark contrast to the storm of power and rage I felt brimming within her.

    "Dear boy are you okay? You''ve taken quite the beating."

    She asked, concerned.

    When I didn''t say anything, she sighed, staring down at me with a sad smile.

    She followed my gaze to her manacles.

    "What an amazingly insane cat...he somehow cut them off and had the time to throw me through a portal before he-"

    "Died."

    I interrupted without emotion. It was a fact.

    "No sense in sugar coating it."

    I added in an even tone.

    Her hands tightened around me, losing the sad smile for a pitying look.

    "You sound...empty."

    "I''m fine."

    I bit out, a bout of rage surging to the surface, before I stomped down on it. I wasn''t going to blow up on Rama.

    But it was clear that I needed to do something to take my mind off of things.

    Metatron had taken to crawling towards the destroyed Throne Room while mumbling to himself. The Stone tablet with my blood was still held to his chest.

    No doubt he was headed for the Throne of God.

    I couldn''t let that happen. Without Chase, all I was left with was Vengeance.

    I would reap them all.

    "Careful..."

    The goddess of Balance told me as I got to my feet, snatching Chesha Neko off the ground.

    I disgraced myself as a Swordsman by letting the blade fall off my hands. That shall never happen again.

    A shadow appeared over head, soon enough landing right to our front.

    "Davi!"

    Raven called out, shifting forms from her Soul Self into her human one and then rushing towards me.

    Warmth surged within my cold as ice and hard as granite heart. The emptiness didn''t vanish, it only reduced slightly. And that was all because of her.

    "Rachel..."

    With tears falling from her eyes, she launched herself at me, slamming onto my chest.

    "Oh Davi...I felt him disaapear. He can''t really be gone, right..."

    She asked, sniffling on my shoulder.

    All I did was wrap my hands around her.

    "It''s okay. It''s all going to be alright."

    I consoled her, rubbing her back. I hated to see her like this.

    She punched my chest, still crying.

    "What''s wrong with you? I''m the one supposed to tell you that..."

    "I know."

    I replied, allowing us to stay like that for a while.

    Then I backed away.

    She stared up at me worriedly.

    "Davi..."

    "There''s something I need you to do for me."

    I told her.

    "How soon can you guys get everyone out of Ultima?"

    "That''s not currently possible. The Transfer Array needs time to recharge. It siphons stray Will from everyone on Earth to power up the core. It will take at least an hour."

    Batman, who had arrived on a Chariot pulled on by Pegasi said.

    My emotions towards him any other day would have been hostile. Now I just felt indifferent.

    Still, the fact that they couldn''t use the array made things harder.

    Especially if I wanted to go all out.

    That''s when something else occured to me.

    I willed through my connection to Ultima and as a result, the Tower of Fate appeared right beside us, on the final heaven.

    There were a few exclaims but I ignored them to focus on Raven.

    "Get everyone inside the tower."

    I instructed her.

    "The facilities within are infinite in capacity, so there will be plenty of room. I''ve given you full control of the Tower...leave this place and go as far away as you can."

    "What about you?"

    She demanded.

    "I can''t lose you too! Davi please come with-"

    She stopped, noticing something in my expression.

    "I''m sorry. I need to do this."

    Saying that, I side stepped her and without looking back, matched towards the remains of the Throne Room.

    A few feet away and Raven called out to me.

    "Davi...there''s something I wanted to ask you..."

    I stopped, then stared over my shoulder with a smile.

    "Yeah...label us. I wouldn''t mind being your man..."

    She blinked then a soft watery smile broke out on her face.

    "I''m so sorry for being selfish...especially at a time like this but...don''t die Davi. Survive and come back to me."

    No more words needed to be said, I committed that perfect face, black hair and thighs to memory, then looked on ahead and walked away.

    Soon, I sensed the Tower descend to the lower levels with my Reikaku.

    Good. They didn''t need to be here for this.

    I walked up the steps, stepping over the debris before soon arriving before the Throne of God.

    Metatron sat on it, breathing heavily. The Throne seemed to be taking a toll on him.

    "You..."

    He growled upon seeing me, vitriol pouring off his tone.

    "This is..."

    "All my fault, I know."

    I twirled Chesha Neko.

    "Trust me, I''m about to do a whole lot more."

    Then without a single second of hesitation, I plunged the blade straight through my chest.

    The pain was noteworthy, I had punctured my Saketsu after all.

    Reiryoku begun spilling out of the soul node, filling the air between us in a miasma of purple.

    "What are you doing? Sacrificing yourself still won''t save anyone who stood with you!"

    He growled out, leaning forward on his throne.

    "They shall never be welcomed into Heaven! Even if you repent and beg for forgiveness!"

    He slammed his hand on the Arm rest.

    I lost sensation across my soul body. But I still had enough awareness to laugh at him.

    "You have no power over anything anymore...its sad that you''re yet to realize that."

    I told him, enjoying the absolute hatred on his face.

    Half of my energy was already gone by then, dissipated into the air, leaking through the wound on my chest.

    A wound that still burned from the sword sticking out of it.

    "Insolent to the end! Fine then!"

    Metatron roared out.

    Immense waves of power were fed from the Throne and into him.

    "I shall end you once and for all. By using the combined light of God in every creature in existence...you shall be completely destroyed, never to be reincarnated or reformed."

    The Arch-angel promised, white hair swirling behind him. His blue eyes glowed sinisterly.

    "Feel the Full Might of God."

    Full might of God huh?

    Just. Bring it.

    He raised the Stone Tablet...and I finally understood why he chose to never let it go.

    A pure bright white soul emerged from above his head.

    A soul I immediately recognized. Nick''s phantom appeared above him, staring down at me with concern.

    My lips parted...then I laughed and laughed and laughed until I couldn''t anymore.

    "You...absolute piece of chicken shit..."

    My insult was directed at the Seraphim on the Throne.

    With an unsteady gait, I stumbled towards him.

    "You...were planning to use him of all people against me? My best friend?...how despicable."

    "His soul found peace."

    Metatron replied with a nasty smile.

    "Blame yourself for changing that. Now, you shall stand there and let me kill you, or I shall snuff out his soul like a candle in the middle of a storm."

    Almost all my Reiryoku was depleted. The surroundings were starting to blur. I sank to my knees a second time. But this time...I knew I wasn''t getting up.

    Because I had made my decision.

    There was only one way to beat this guy. And that was by taking him out along with me.

    "Day 7: He rested:- Sabbath''s Resonance."

    Metatron intoned.

    Within my dwindling range of Reikaku, I felt the mysteries of this particular attack.

    It channeled all the preceding authorities of the other 6 days of creation into a single destructive wave.

    Anything hit by that would gain True Death. Afterall, there can be no Creation without Destruction.

    Even if I were at my prime...there was no way my single Cosmic Authority could contend with 7.

    The final bit of my energy left me, and my soul lost substance. The spirit uniform I wore started disappearing into motes of light.

    Chesha Neko''s blade also begun to dissipate within me and my soul was left as nothing but a husk.

    I looked at Nick one more time, managing to throw him one of my rare smiles. According to him at least.

    His Phantom smiled back, giving a single resolute nod, and then Metatron''s Sabbath Resonance filled my vision.

    Before the attack could reach me, I closed my eyes...and allowed myself to die.

    (General P.O.V)

    A light bloomed at the collision point between Ultima and Heaven. A light that destroyed everything in its path.

    By now, Raven had evacuated everyone.

    Ultima on the other end faced it''s end. Every single thing Davian had created was destroyed.

    All the planets, stars, galaxies, even black holes.

    Their webs of existence were entirely obliterated, turning the realm into a deathless state.

    And on God''s throne, Metatron breathed out a sigh of relief. It was all over.

    Sabbath Resonance also took out the entire Heavenly Host and all the souls in the 7 levels of Heaven. Everyone and everything was dead.

    He was left alone...seated on a throne with a single soul floating above his head.

    In the end, only the Throne Remains.

    (?? P.O.V)

    (In A Place Separate from Time)

    (The Final Cove)

    "The trick is to remain relaxed yet alert. Stiff and they''ll suspect something is up. Too relaxed and they''ll get bold, maybe come for the grains forcefully."

    An old man sat on a bench in the park, feeding a flock of pigeons and explaining the process.

    "What is this..."

    Davian asked, looking around at the warm sunny park. Nature occupied his sight every which way he turned.

    "I''m supposed to be dead."

    "Right down to business huh?"

    The old man sighed, adjusting the bowler hat on his head.

    "Your father liked a good conversation. I see that wasn''t passed down to you."

    Davian blinked, as if waking up from a dream.

    "Where is this... And who are you?"

    The Old Man stared at him strangely before realization dawned on him.

    "I forgot, Sabbath Resonance initiates True Death. The person you were before is truly dead. Davian Mabuz is essentially no more."

    "I''m dead?"

    The younger of the two asked.

    Then staring down at his hands,

    "Im dead."

    He said it as a mere fact.

    His state of being unalive was the one thing he was sure of.

    "And that name...Davian Mabuz. It sounds familiar."

    The Old Man looked at him before his gaze was pulled to a pond a few feet ahead of them.

    The still water''s surface had rippled. How...peculiar. Even separate from existence, the boy''s presence persisted.

    Turning his focus back to the latter, the Old Man was taken back by the sword under his neck.

    He hadn''t even felt it. And the boy''s eyes. They contained malice of which he''d never seen on anyone. Not even the worst of demons, his dark counterpart or the ONES FORGOTTEN filled him with such...wariness.

    How long had it been since he felt this kind of fear? The fear of death.

    "Hahaha."

    The old man chuckled humorously.

    "So, your memories have returned."

    "Yes."

    Davian said, pressing Chesha Neko''s edge onto the Old Man''s neck. A trail of blood flowed down his skin.

    "Don''t be too hasty now. I gathered the dregs of your consciousness from the memories of the people who love you."

    The Old Man explained.

    "You might have his memories and personality, but you are not truly Davian. He is gone. Not even I can bring him back. But I can give you a fresh start in any world you want. All you have to do is pledge yourself to me."

    The Old Man offered.

    Davian took a second to think about it...then he exerted effort and with his Blade''s edge burning with a dark flame, he decapitated the Presence.

    The pigeons immediately flew off.

    "No thanks."

    The Reaper said, getting up from the bench.

    "After all. I did all this to get to you, Old Man. For vengeance and for...my freedom. No more will I be a play thing. I denounce you as my Creator."

    He watched as the Presence lower body burn away under the effects of his dark flames.

    "You will stay dead..."

    The Head told him from the ground.

    "I wanted to give you a second chance. A way back to her..."

    "Raven."

    Davian muttered.

    Rain begun falling onto the park, soaking Davian and causing more ripples to appear on the surface of the pond of existence.

    "I''ll find my way own way back. This time as someone free from your light. I accept my role."

    The Reaper said and with one final glance at the dissolving head, he turned around and walked away.

    (General P.O.V)

    Metatron''s relief was very short lived.

    The Throne under him started cracking immediately after Sabbath Resonance.

    And then it crunbled into nothing, causing him to fall on his ass.

    "What''s happening?"

    He groaned, looking around him but all he could see was nothingness surrounding the throne.

    Picking himself off the ground, the Stone Tablet in his hands unexpectedly shattered into fragments.

    Metatron couldn''t believe it, staring at the pieces in horror.

    In addition, all his Light, God''s light disappeared from within him. The feathers of his wings begun falling and his body shriveled up even more.

    "Oh no oh no oh no oh no...my Divine Power..."

    He screeched.

    The darkness of the nothingness started creeping towards him...and then, the Nothingness breathed.

    "Impossible!"

    Metatron yelled in blind panic, scrambling away.

    "God! Father! Help me! Brothers! Samael, Michael, Gabriel please! I don''t want to die!!! Someone save me!!!"

    "NO ONE IS COMING TO HELP YOU. NOT EVEN GOD HIMSELF. I JUST CUT OFF HIS HEAD AFTERALL."

    Davian''s voice came from everywhere, A dark chuckle escaping him.

    "Not you...you''re dead. Anyone but you..."

    Metatron stuttered staring at his front.

    The darkness parted as a floating Skeleton burning with black flames and wielding a weapon that could not be seen, held or felt.

    The Darkness around the nothingness acted as his clothes.

    The Arch-angel on the ground established gazes with the Lord of The Dead, the Reaper.

    The sight became too much for Metatron and he went insane. The final moments of his sanity were filled with a foreboding statement. An initiation into destiny.

    "Shukai: Cheshire Neko, Kami o Fukumu Subete no Sonzai o Karitoru. (Shukai: Chesha Cat, Reap Everything In Existence Including God)

    (Elsewhere)

    All across the Multiverse, those in the know, understood the changes to come with the battle at Heaven''s Gate.

    They anticipated it and in some cases prepared for it.

    To herald that new age, a massive blade burning with Death Flames descended from the sky above a particular entity''s world.

    "A change of rule."

    A dark haired handsome man stated, staring at the setting sun in a beach somewhere.

    The blade cut through the clouds, stabbing into the ocean, headed towards his beach house.

    "Can''t say I expected such a thing. Thought I''d be long dead before Heaven ever lost its standing. To think your brat caused it Aden..."

    Lucifer''s eyes glowed with mirth, his laughter echoing out across the private beach he owned.

    (The Multiverse)

    An infinite number of universes.

    All with God''s light in them.

    Time for a change.

    A shadow appeared above countless Earths. The reflection of a sharp blade burning with dark flames reaping everything in sight.

    Screams and panicked shouts sounded from every world as nations fell.

    People tried to escape the descending blade by leaving the planet or holing up in bunkers.

    But the blade was larger than the sky, it''s imposing size deceptively fast as the pointy end stabbed into the planets'' core and cut through them, continuing on its path.

    Then with a loud ripping sound, the very heavens were torn apart.

    Everywhere the blade passed became a scene of destruction. Galaxies fell, universes followed.

    Lucifer appeared above his Earth''s atmosphere, only to whistle in surprise after realizing he''d only seen a portion of the blade, which turned out to be a scythe.

    It was passing through the entire universe, conceptually reaping all the lives found in habitable planets with no discrimination.

    "Such turmoil."

    Lucifer chuckled, adjusting his tie.

    "Such delicious anguish."

    The Morningstar''s eyes shone a red hue.

    He narrowed his eyes at the Reaper''s Scythe.

    "Still, I cannot allow you to act as you please, boy. Reap other places but this little corner of existence is mine. BEGONE."

    He used the Voice of the Devil, aiming to banish The Reaper from this particular universe.

    Unexpectedly, the blade could not be stopped.

    "What?"

    Lucifer, a being on the level of God himself was speechless. His own authority had failed.

    The blade still swung down through the Universe, ripping the whole thing into two and Reaping over Trillions of lives.

    Instead of acting as expected, namely lashing out in anger as his vacation home was destroyed, the Morningstar threw his head back and laughed in hysterics.

    "Hahahahahahahaha. Unbelievable!"

    He grabbed his ribs.

    "He must have killed God then!"

    ******

    In the realm under, where darkness coiled like a serpent, the Throne of Shadows loomed�� an epitome of defiance and estrangement from divine light.

    Forged from the very essence of the Great Darkness, the throne manifested as an immense structure of obsidian, its surface absorbing all light, leaving only an inky void.

    Sinister tendrils of shadowy mist twined around the throne, giving an eerie semblance of life to the colossal seat.

    Ancient symbols of an unknown language, etched upon its armrests, whispering tales of rebellion and the tumultuous dance between malevolence and liberation.

    It was a throne conceptually and visibly the opposite of God''s throne.

    And seated upon it was am unlikely figure.

    Desire of the Endless.

    Turns out, the Great Darkness, God''s own evil had been ousted, eons past. Desire was the true mastermind behind everything.

    He was the one that had instigated Davian''s conception and birth, messed with Fate to create the perfect Weapon to use on God, sparked the first flames of the war between the Reaper and the forces of both Good and Evil.

    All for this, all to create the perfect Anti-divine.

    And now, watching the blade of the Reaper''s scythe fall through the sky of the Great Darkness'' realm, Desire felt at peace.

    The Reaper was reaping existence itself. Destroying this layer of reality that God had abandoned long ago.

    "Humanity cannot exist without God. Only an unfulfilling end awaits it."

    Desire muttered to Itself.

    "So why not start over? Reap everything...nephew. And start it all from scratch."

    The Reaper''s blade fell.

    It reaped everything, the Source Wall had been the first to go, followed by the Sphere of the Gods, then the various universes layered together.

    An infinite number of lives. All godless. All stuck in a never ending loop of death and life, as the multiverse was simply remade after every existential end.

    The Reaper had broken that cycle.

    ~The End~

    Now all that remained to be seen, was what kind of world he would create.

 2025s Awesome Deal.

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    Check out the story below, while waiting for Jon Kent''s Update:-

    Yamamoto Template: Marvel Edition.

    A/N: This is a Commissioned chapter.

    Chapter 1: Meat Grilling in Jotunheim.

    -Jotunheim-

    The Nine realms were planes of existences located in the branches of Yggdrasil, the Sacred tree of Life and Death.

    Of these realms, Jotunheim was special. A plane of desolate cold and icy wind, normal life would struggle to survive even a minute there.

    But for the Frost Giants, Jotunheim was home.

    -King Laufey''s Palace-

    The king of The Frost Giants, Laufey, yawned as he tried to remain awake during the court meeting.

    "...annual price of Elven Turnips from Alfheim is up by 0.1%, the Dwarves have sent a complaint involving an invoice for the shipment of warhammers, Asgardian delegates request an audience regarding an unprovoked attack..."

    "Never."

    Laufey said icily, his red eyes glowing with hatred.

    "Odin''s ilk will only step inside my Palace over my cold dead carcass."

    "Moving on."

    The Royal Chancellor cleared his throat, about to continue when, a strange scent reached Laufey''s nose. He instantly sat up.

    "What is that smell?"

    The King''s voice boomed across the throne room.

    Sniffing the air, he turned his head to the direction of his 4 Royal guards. Behind the queen''s throne, one of them was acting suspiciously- his face red despite his bluish skin, and his cheeks stuffed.

    "Is that you Jeffery? What are you hiding behind your back? Show me your hands."

    King Laufey commanded.

    Jeffery, looking hesitant at first, brought his hands forward, revealing a slightly sizzling chunk of meat with a large bite on it. The meat visibly dripped with oil, producing a delicious smell that instantly filled the chamber.

    A chorus of gulps could be heard across the room.

    "What''s that?"

    King Laufey asked, eyes focused on the chunk of roasted meat, trying and failing to hide his dripping saliva.

    ''It looks and smells better than what the Palace chefs produce...''

    "Me lunch Sire."

    Jeffery answered, grip tightening on the bone as he held the meat close to him. It was hard to miss the King''s hungry stare.

    "I forgot me packed lunch at home, so I got this from the new grill stall outside the city."

    Jeffery figured telling them where he got the meat would dissuade anyone wanting a piece.

    Instantly, murmurs begun to rise out of the Royal courtiers,

    ''Grill stall?''

    ''First time I''m hearing about it...''

    ''I''ve heard rumors from the common Frost folk...

    ''Outside the city he says?, perhaps I''ll check it out after this boring meeting is over...''

    "Silence!"

    King Laufey declared, and the whole chamber went quiet.

    "The Queen shall take over proceedings. In the meantime, Jeffery will lead me to this, ''grill stall'' where I will personally investigate the...eh security risk. It could be an invasion plan from those Asgardians."

    Only a fool couldn''t read between the lines and see the words for what they were: an excuse. But only a bigger fool would call out the king for it.

    They saluted him as he left the throne room, his guards walking behind.

    Once outside, Laufey turned to Jeffery who was halfway about to bite off a chunk.

    "Oh and Jeffery, you shall hand over the meat as evidence."

    -0-

    The true nature of Ygdrassil is open to interpretation. But as such concepts are rooted in belief, if the vast majority call it a Tree, then it was in essence, a Tree.

    And naturally, a tree is home to many wild critters such as squirrels and birds. Thus the same held true for Ygdrassil.

    -0-

    A giant squirrel the size of a cow, scurried across the rib cage of a massive skeleton belonging to a Frost Behemoth.

    This giant squirrel was known as a Ratatoskr, a species of rodents that made Ygdrassil their home. They could traverse through the branches, jumping from one Realm to another with ease.

    Right now, Ratatoskr was sniffing the air, following the delicious smell of roasting meat it had caught a wiff of, to a makeshift shack below the Frost Behemoth''s skeleton.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    It stopped, a strange tune reaching its ears. Focusing it''s sights on the direction of the shack, it''s eyes fell on a tall black man standing outside infront of what looked like a kiln.

    The man was shirtless, showing off a shredded physique. His hair was completely silver in color, tied up in a single knot at the back of his head. And his chin was covered in a fuzzy beard ending with three braids.

    Folded around his waist, was a white haori which reached his knees. And below, he wore fuzzy boots secured to his feet and shins by a dull red string that gave off a bloody smell.

    Lastly, his hands held a long brown stick, with which he was stocking the coals within the Kiln while whistling.

    The coals were made of bone. Jotunheim lacked any sort of vegetation you see. Nothing could grow on the rocky valleys and high barren plateaus. It truly was a wasteland, populated by predators that preyed on each other for food.

    ''Mmmh, the stones have melted by now.''

    Ziker thought, opening the top of the kiln to reveal a thick Stone pot containing glowing molten rock.

    Unafraid of the heat, Ziker grabbed the large pot wider than his shoulders and easily set it on the ground.

    ''I still haven''t gotten used to this.''

    He thought, staring at his palms.

    The heat of the stone pot should have melted the skin off a normal human''s bones. But he was no longer normal.

    No, Ziker was something else. A Soul Reaper. And not just any Soul Reaper. The walking stick on the ground jumped to his hand at his urging.

    He held all the Powers and knowledge of The Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto Genryusai.

    And the walking stick in his hand, was actually Ryujin Jakka, the Zanpakuto of one of, if not the Strongest Soul Reaper in the Bleach World.

    With a thought, his immense Reiatsu rippled out, spreading across more than a kilometer before stopping. And that wasn''t even his limit, he could go further but didn''t see the need to.

    -0-

    A few hundred meters from Ziker, King Laufey and his group instantly found themselves on their knees. The sensation was akin to the weight of entire worlds pressing down on their shoulders.

    Laufey''s head trembled as he tried to lift it and failed. Right as they were about to pass out and possibly die, the weight suddenly disappeared.

    Breathing heavily, with terror in his eyes, Laufey looked to the front, at the direction of a Frost Behemoth Skeleton.

    ''W-what was that? Not even Odin has ever given off s-such a presence.''

    Past said Skeleton, in the direction opposite Laufey''s group, Ziker''s explosion of Reiatsu had not got unnoticed by another set of individuals.

    "B-brother...we should t-turn back..."

    Loki said in a strained voice, stumbling to his feet.

    He, Thor and the Warriors Four had just arrived in Jotunheim a few seconds prior. Their intention was to investigate how a few Frost Giants were able to sneak past Heimdall and infiltrate Asgard.

    Thor led the charge, giving them full confidence as they arrived in Laufey''s domain by way of the Bifrost.

    But that confidence had been shattered by the unexpected presence that had overwhelmed their souls.

    "L-Loki is right, my Prince."

    Fandral echoed, looking shaken as he leaned on Volstagg.

    "Coming to Jotunheim was a bad idea in the first place. W- we could start a-"

    "Silence."

    Thor cut him off, hand tightened around his Hammer.

    "No son of Odin would be cowered by simple trickery."

    He turned around and stared at his companions.

    "Laufey is aware of our presence and seeks to scare us back to Asgard. I shall not be swayed until he gives me a proper answer. We continue."

    With that, he started walking forward, leaving the other 4 to look on.

    "This is reckless."

    Loki told the rest.

    "We should head back while we still have a chance. With or without Thor."

    The Warriors 3 shared looks with conflicted expressions. That heavy presence had left them utterly terrified.

    Without a word, Sif got off the rock she was sitting on, adjusting her sword before following after Thor.

    The Warriors 3 did the same, passing by Loki. The latter gave an exasperated sigh and joined them.

    "Don''t blame me if we all horribly die."

    -0-

    ''Wheew, the cooking grate came out alright.''

    Ziker thought, setting up the metal grill he had forged with his bare hands.

    First he melted some heavy stones, then using Yamamoto''s knowledge Spells, he extracted the iron particulates from the molten solution with a (Bakudo 72: Expulsion), a kido spell that could expel energy. It was mostly used to cleanse an area affected by a Hollow''s presence.

    There were no hollows in Jotunheim though, and Ziker was yet to see a soul in need of his Soul Reaper services, so the high level Bakudo 72 found itself used in such a way.

    "Hadou 4. Byakurai."

    Ziker chanted in a deep voice.

    A blue spark launched off the tip of his Cane, hitting the dry bones on the grill, creating a fire. With a wave of his hand, a burst of air blew out the flame, leaving behind glowing coals.

    ''Now I just need to go out and hunt before the morning rush swamps me...''

    The thought passed through his mind, as his focus shifted to his back.

    Hung above the entrance of his shack was a dead Ratatoskr, skinned and disected- ready to be grilled. This thing had been lying in wait to attack him but his Reiatsu had killed it.

    ''I doubt it will be enough to feed those hungry Frost Giants.''

    Ziker rubbed his beard.

    With a thought, a strange game like panel appeared in midair. He was the only one who could see it.

    ::---------------------------------::

    (Mission System: Marvel Edition)

    Active Mission:- Open up a grill stall and serve 5000 Frost Giants. These guys are terrible cooks, give them a taste of Roast Heaven.

    4821/5000 Frost Giants served.

    Reward: Portal to Earth.

    ::--------------------------------::

    "Things would be much easier if I didn''t have to worry about these strange missions."

    He mused.

    Fortunately, he was 179 happy customers away from completing the mission and leaving this godforsaken Wasteland.

    "Better get to it."

    He muttered, securing the Captain''s Haori onto his body. In its Cane form, Ryujin Jakka had no belt to strap a sheath on, so he slung it over his shoulder and walked out.

    Unbeknownst to Ziker, the two groups affected by his monstrous presence, had ignored their soul''s yearning for self preservation and made it all the way to the front of the Frost Behemoth''s Ribs. Basically, the gate.

    As a result, the Frost Giants and Asgardians, bitter enemies, run into each other. Tensions instantly begun rising.

    "So, the sons of Odin dare to tread upon my land once more."

    came the booming voice of Laufey. He stood flanked by ten of his personal guards, each as imposing and menacing as the king himself.

    Thor stepped forward, Mjolnir in hand, and a smirk on his lips. "Laufey, still skulking in the shadows of your own realm, I see. We come in peace, but I wouldn''t expect you to understand such things."

    Laufey''s eyes narrowed, a low growl rumbling in his chest.

    "The presence of Asgardians on Jotunheim soil is an act of war."

    Thor laughed, the sound echoing off the icy cliffs.

    "War? You speak of war when it was your own people who started this. Coward! You send your lackeys to Asgard to do what you fear to do yourself!"

    "Careful...brother..."

    Loki whispered to Thor.

    Ice begun to gather in the Frost Giant''s hand, creating blades.

    Sif pulled out her sword halfway,

    "We are not here to fight, but we will defend ourselves if necessary."

    She warned, sensing the hostility.

    At that, Thor''s tone turned mocking,

    "Defend ourselves? Laufey, your realm is as cold and lifeless as your heart. I could melt it all away with a single stroke of Mjolnir."

    "I see. Death it is."

    Laufey responded, the two glaring at one another.

    Just as Laufey raised his hand to signal an attack, a strange, unexpected movement caught everyone''s attention.

    From the ribcage of the Frost Behemoth skeleton beside them, a man emerged, casually brushing off the frost from his clothes.

    He swept his gaze out at the two groups, judged the situation and held up a hand, signaling for attention,

    "Don''t mind me, just passing through. Hey Jeff."

    The absurdity of the situation left both sides momentarily stunned. One of the frost giants, a massive figure known as Jeffery, waved back,

    "Hey Ziker, off to a hunt? Good luck. Oh and check out the Eastside today, there might be a herd of��"

    "Quiet!"

    Laufey roared, his rage directed at Jeffery. The latter cowered, admonished.

    "And you, human, you are going nowhere. I have had enough of trespassers! You and the Asgardians will die here, so says Laufey, King of Jotunheim."

    Ziker stopped and turned to Laufey, his expression unbothered.

    "King Laufey, right? Look, I don''t have time for this. Just passing through."

    Laufey''s eyes blazed with anger, but before he could respond, Thor stepped forward, Mjolnir in hand, and lightning crackled around him.

    "Stand down, Laufey. This conflict is between us."

    The air grew colder, the tension thickening as Laufey''s guards readied their weapons.

    Ziker could have walked away. Should have walked away. However,

    ::---------------------------------::

    (Emergency Mission issued!)

    -Beat Up both groups and send an invoice to Odin for Disciplining his son for him.

    Reward: Ryujin Jakka''s Shikai form.

    ::--------------------------------::

    Well, they were about to fight in front of his stall and that was bad for business. Surely removing them by force wasn''t too excessive, right?

    Plus, the Reward was too important to ignore. While he had all of Yamamoto''s powers, that was with the exception of two things- Ryujin Jakka''s Shikai and Bankai.

 Royal Road Ban

    If you''re wondering why I''m no longer active on RoyalRoadl, it''s completely my fault.

    RoyalRoadl has strict rules when it comes to Lemon/Smut. Son of the Savage unfortunately had one which got me banned from even uploading my new fics here, which include:-

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    -Jon Kent SI: Made of Steel(35 chapters)

    -Hercules'' Demi-god Twin(16 chapters)

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    -Anodite Magic in Percy Jackson(15 chapters)

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