《DC: Don't Utter A Word》 AUTHOR Q&A. AUTHOR Q&A. You might be wondering. Corn, why are you so sexy? ---Well, I use the blood of my enemies as soap. Hahaha, jokes aside. I know some of the real questions you have. And let''s answer them in order before beginning this novel. ~Question 1 = Why are you starting a new novel? This project is an old idea. One I feel it''s time to publish for a vast list of reasons, including patrreon opinion. ~Question 2 = What''s gonna happen with your other novels, like Naruto, Overlord, Twilight, and Marvel? Well, I debated for a long time about this. For Naruto, Overlord, and Twilight, they will be finished, believe me, I am working on them, but because I''m not working as often on them as on other projects like Marvel, DC, and One Piece, the updates are slow, so for them, I have decided to post everything once I finished them. Like a single mass release for them, to avoid long hiatuses. Now, as for Marvel, Marvel will continue updating. The schedule, however, will change a bit. I will update between 4-5 chaps a week for Marvel, all on Saturday. In a single burst, so to speak. Why am I doing this? Well, the end of Marvel it''s quite, and I mean, quite near, after thising Arc the following arcs will be short,pared to thest ones, so as to have more time to work on the end, that I already have in docs, but want to edit here and there, I am changing the way the novel will be updated. ~Question 3 = When it''s Avatar the sequeling up? December. It''sing in December. Now you have a date. ~Question 4 = What will be the update rate of this novel? 7 chaps a week, minimum. More if Corn feels sexy, which it''s dependent on my ranking on the site. Corn feels really sexy on TOP 3. ~Question 5 = Will this be an harem novel? I can''t believe people keep asking me this. No. No. No. I am a Corn of ss. ~Questions 6 = What DC world is this novel set in? Young Justice, but some of the characters like Deathstroke and others, are based on their best selves from other DC worlds. ~Questions 7 = How long will this novel be? Please, don''t ask me this. As we have seen before, I am terrible at giving chapter count estimates. Well, that''s all. Enjoy. Chapter 1: David Lance Chapter 1: David Lance General Information about the MC. Name = David Lance. Gender = Male. Powers = All the powers ck Bolt has. However, they will only reach maximum power once he reaches adulthood. Around the age of 20. Home city = Star City. Superhero Name = ck Bolt. Love Interest = To be revealedter. Chapter 2: Chapter 2: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- I was on my way home after a hard day''s work. I was quite tired and a little tense, but that was to be expected; fifteen hours of work a day will do that to you. My job was nothing morous or fancy, but it was necessary; I worked with the Police IT department helping them with their systems. I started two months ago after I came of age, and the pay was good. But sometimes I wish I didn''t have to work so much, but nothing is perfect, right? "No traffic today; that''s weird," Imented as I continued to drive home. Usually, the streets at the current time were full of people going to lunch. Yet, they were empty, outside of the asional car and truck passing by, which was an impossibility in New York of all ces. With a smile, I dismissed those thoughts; whyin about theck of traffic? This way, I would get home faster, which meant I would get to sleep faster, which would make me very, very happy. As I smiled at that thought, a bright light blinded me, followed by a familiar sound I had heard before, the sound of tires screeching, though this time the sound wasn''t in a movie, it wasing towards me. Secondster, I felt a lot of pain, as my car was lifted into the air by the sudden violent hit, all while I lost consciousness. I didn''t know what had happened, but I knew something had hit me, that much was clear before I closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes again, I could hear the sirens of the police and the fire department while my face rested in a puddle of my own blood inside my car. I couldn''t move; I could only faintly hear what was happening around me, but not very clearly. It was like hearing underwater, distorted, and far away. Surprisingly I was calm, and not because I thought I was going to be rescued. No, something inside me was clear that I was going to die, that there was no way to save me, and even with the prospect of my imminent death, I was calm. As I sank into my thoughts of eptance of death, a light came into my tired eyes, blinding me. "His pupils are unresponsive." I heard someone say in a worried tone. "He has five prations, one in the throat, two in the abdomen, and two in the legs." added another person with the same tone. "He''s bleeding out; we have to help him," eximed the first person I heard before, who was blinding me with a shlight, I guessed. "No... I don''t think we can." the second person added with a defeated tone. While these two debated about my survival, I wasughing in my head, dying in a car crash; what a clich. Still, I guess it''s an ending like any other, how tired I am.... when I asked to rest... I didn''t mean this, but maybe it''s my fault for not specifying. And with thatst thought, my eyes stopped seeing, my ears stopped hearing, and my mind stopped thinking. ----------------------- [Star City. October 17, 19:30 PDT. 1995] I opened my eyes again, and I was confused; I didn''t feel like before, I didn''t feel pain like I probably should''ve had, no, I felt different, it was hard to exin. I immediately noted that I could not move, or rather, my body did not move as I wanted it to move. I felt uncoordinated, out of control, like when you are drugged for an operation, but with all your mental faculties still intact, it was aggravating and very troubling. Eventually, I managed to move my body to my right side to see something that didn''t make much sense, a teddy bear, a giant teddy bearying on the bed I was currently upying; as far as I could see, it was as big as me. Why would I have a giant teddy bear? Why would the hospital give me one sighing I moved my eyes away from the teddy bear to see what else was around me, only to find some kind of bars surrounding my bed, wooden ones by what I could tell, my sight wasn''t cooperating with me a lot today. Bars and a giant teddy bear, none of this made any sense. Was I perhaps sleeping? "Mom!" I heard someone say excitedly. "The baby is awake!" The baby? "Hello." a giant head peeked through the bars towards where I was looking. "I''m your big sister, and you must obey and listen to me." she dered, as I realized she was looking at me. A giant blonde girl... something wasn''t right... She wasn''t a giant, was she? Suddenly it all made sense, to an extent of course. A giant teddy bear, a giant girl smiling at me. It was all a matter of perception; these things weren''t big, I was small, I was a baby. Well, this I was not expecting. ----------------------- [Star City. October 23, 09:30 PDT. 1995] Status update? Well, I was right with my first assessment, I was a baby. I suppose there are worse things than being unable to shit properly like God intended or talk or move properly at all, I better not continue lest I want to be the first clinically depressed baby. My new name was apparently David Lance. My new sister aka the giant blonde girl that initially scared the crap out of me, her name was Dinah Lance, I wonder if she''s a fan of ck Canary. My new father was Larry Lance, a police officer from what I could see every now and then when he came to see me with his uniform. And my new mother was Dinah Drake, no idea what she does, besides taking care of me. Anyhow, I was a baby. Quite the predicament, right? Not much to say beyond that. Life is monotonously boring as a baby, you eat, you process your food, you sleep, and rinse and repeat. You have no control over it too, I get hungry many times a day, I sleep a lot, and well soil my diaper a lot. Though like I said before, not all is bad, yes it''s depressing sure, but I''m alive, that has to be worth something, at the very least. Yes, it would be torture for a bit, but not for that long, I mean, by my second birthday I should be able to go as adults say potty rtively alone, and walk, meaning I only really had two years of baby prison ahead of me, which is not that bad considering the situation. Maybe even less, I was an adult in a baby''s body, I should be able to learn things faster, right? Though I wasn''t sure how physically possible that was, I mean, for all I knew the body needed to mature to do certain things, and I couldn''t rush those things, I guess I''m about to find out. ------------------------------------------- [Star City. February 03, 15:30 PDT. 1997] A lot of things have happened since my rebirth. Things I never thought possible, things that often kept me awake at night. For starters, during my first birthday, I discovered that the city where I lived was called Star City. Which although strange wasn''t very concerning, how foolish I was, at the time I couldn''t tell it was the first of many red gs I would get in my new life. Dayster, I saw my new mother dressed in a very strange way, like a stripper cosying ck Canary, but in the oldic style, not the updated style, at first, I thought that''s what she did for a living, a cosying stripper, but dayster I found out how wrong I was. When a man wearing a golden helmet floated into our house telling our mom she was needed. A man I knew as Dr. Fate. Imagine my surprise for a moment. It was there when I became aware that this was not my world, that I had not only been reincarnated in some kind of past but that I had been transported to a new universe, one to which I was somewhat familiar. I''ll be honest, I didn''t know what to make of this situation. ---------------------------- [Star City. November 21, 19:30 PDT. 2001] Six years passed in the blink of an eye, and well, there was a lot to tell. My sister, Dinah who since my discovery of what universe I inhabited I knew was going to be the next ck Canary was an awesome sister. She loved me a lot, she showed it with everything she did for me, and I''m not going to lie, I loved her a lot too. I never had siblings, and I never thought that having siblings would be so good, so necessary. Maybe it wasn''t like that for everyone, but Dinah was a pretty good big sister. I didn''t miss my past life at all, in fact, heck I barely remembered it. I only remembered my job, and what I knew about this universe, but things like my name before I died, or my age, I didn''t really remember, they faded with time, leaving only what I knew now, that I was a man, that I died, and that I knew a lot about this universe. Although based on what I remembered, I could make some conclusions about my past life, like for example, knowing that I died in a car crash, I knew that I must have been at least sixteen years old. But I really didn''t care for it. Anyway, about my current life. Well, Dinah was already training to be a hero, even though she was just sixteen years old, our mother and others were helping her get a hold of her powers. Which brought me the following question, would I inherit such powers, I mean, in a world like this any kind of power is a good power. I suppose sooner orter I would know, Dinah got hers when she was six, almost leaving her entire first-grade ss deaf, which was when she started training with other heroes to control her power, so considering I''m six, I should know soon. ------------------------------- [Star City. December 21, 19:30 PDT. 2001] I killed someone. It wasn''t my intention, but I did, and it feels awful, I think it''s the first time since I got here that actually cried. I got my powers and they were worse than I imagined. I was ying hide and seek with Dinah in an abandoned building when all of the sudden a random drunk appeared as I tried to hide behind some boxes, the man startled me, but I didn''t scream. I just mutter a word, like one does when surprised but not enough to be scared. I wasn''t scared, I knew Dinah would kick his ass if he tried anything, but as soon as I muttered that word, the man exploded leaving nothing behind but a small handful of blood. Dinah found me a few secondster. I was in a state of shock, she hugged me, I didn''t feel it. I had killed a man. I could barely think, but something was clear, a part of me knew that if I ever opened my mouth again, the result would be the same, but worse. I could feel it now. And I was scared, not only for me but for everyone around me. ----------------------------------------------------- [Star City. January 13, 15:30 PDT. 2002] After that fateful day when my powers awoke. I was moved to a secured location to train me into controlling my powers, courtesy of Green Arrow, the new uing hero of Star City, who was apparently friends with the family. No one mes me for what I did, not entirely. But that didn''t make me feel any better. My powers, I knew them, I had somehow obtained the powers of the inhuman known as ck Bolt. Each passing day, I felt my power growing stronger, which alone was more than enough to aggravate me. I had no control over it, if I uttered a word, people would die. Especially taking into consideration the fact I used to talk, it''s hard to simply stop talking, to simply not say or utter a sound. It''s unbearably hard, it''s torture. At least things like sneezing, or coughing didn''t activate my powers, but every other sound did. I regretted thinking that any power would be a good power in this world, this power was not a gift, it was a burden, if I wasn''t careful, I would end up killing those who I loved. "Everything will get better," Dinah said, as she approached me with a smile. Taking my notepad, the one I had been given tomunicate, I wrote. --I don''t think so, but it''s good to dream, isn''t it?-- Dinah sighed, hugging me tightly. "I will love you, no matter what." Tears fell from my eyes, but I made no sound. ---------------------------------- [Star City. October 13, 15:30 PDT. 2007] By 2003, our mother died, and soon after our dad followed. Not much to say about that, beyond that they were somewhat old, but not old enough to die of old age. As for me, well, I was twelve, and as I had said, my powers had only gotten stronger. Not only voice-wise, but physically, I was leagues about what a twelve-year-old should be capable of. I was strong, not sure how much in the scale of things, especially considering Superman was a thing here, but I was strong. As for my speech, well, I was now legally a mute you could say. After destroying five arrow caves in less than a year by identally muttering a word, well, they all came to the conclusion my powers were always active, and that it was best if I learned how to control them, in a different manner, by containing them. By this point, both Dinah and Oliver, who now trusted me enough to share his name, were both part of the newly formed Justice League. And with their help, well, I got better training, in facilities made for such things. Batman specifically was interested in my training, I knew why, I mean, it was more than obvious he wanted to neutralize a possible vocal nuke. My training consisted of two things, meditation and pain control. Meditation was mostly done with Martian Manhunter, who helped me with it. Pain control was done with Batman, he would put me in a soundproof room, and have a robot punch me or p me, or electrocute me. Dinah was not happy with that, but I begged her to let me handle it. I didn''t want to destroy a city by hitting a toe. I needed to be able to control my voice, even if I lost an arm, or if someone broke my legs, I needed to be able to talk only when I wanted to. It hade to the point, I was seriously considering damaging my pain receptors, but Dinah forbade me from doing such, even Batman seemed appalled by my idea. ~Stop thinking about mutting yourself!~ Dinah signed, she didn''t have to, I could understand her if she talked, but she she said she didn''t want me to feel left out, so she learned signnguage with me. ~I know it sounds like a suicidal thing.~ I signed with a smile. ~But you have to admit, it would solve a big part of my problem.~ ~I don''t care~ Dinah signed angrily. ~I love you~ I signed with a smile. ~I love you too.~ Dinah signed, hugging as she did so. I didn''t know what life had in store for me, but I would be ready. Chapter 3: Chapter 3: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [Star City. January 13, 15:30 PDT.] I became a hero, kinda. I was a sidekick, working with my sister Dinah. It was Batman''s idea surprisingly, I really didn''t want to do it perse, nor did Dinah want me to, but he convinced her, saying I needed a purpose, a reason to not let my emotions, my power consume me, and that living in istion would do that eventually. I didn''t know how to feel about that. But in a way, I understood his reasoning, he was trying to avoid letting me fall into the dark pit known as depression, by giving me a fulfilling purpose. Funny how things y out. After he convinced Dinah, well, as I said before, I became her sidekick. ck Bolt. I picked the name in honor of the man that shared in a distant universe the same burden as me. It felt right. As for what I was doing, well, Dinah was keeping me out of danger''s path, my training was yet to bepleted, and while I was almost sure I could avoid talking or making any type of sound. Precautions had to be made. Especially considering I can level a city with a whisper. Anyway, my life now basically consisted of helping Dinah with minor crimes, like robberies and such, and going back to the soundproof bunker to continue with my training. So far I could break bones and not utter a sound, most of the time, ording to Batman at least, he didn''t actually break my bones, or Dinah, in her own words would''ve castrated him with a pencil. So, instead of breaking my bones, Batman brought a small device that he made that made me feel the pain of breaking a bone or two, by sending direct signals to my brain that basically emted the feeling perfectly. No idea why Batman had such a device. But I really didn''t care. As for Dinah, well, she wasn''t exactly happy about this training method, but after some dialog with her, I convinced her to let me do it, I needed this. I needed to be able to control any type of vocal reflex, regardless of the situation, whichmentably included pain. "You are making remarkable progress," Batman nodded in approval as he approached me, gettingpliments from him was always weird. ~Well I try~ I smiled ever so lightly. "I know it must be hard, and that no one can really rte to your situation, but know that you are doing what is right," Batman replied, his disturbingly cold gaze on me. Even when being friendly the man was unnerving. ~I guess~ I nodded. "My new sidekick isingter today to meet with you," Batman added, and I could almost swear I felt fondness on his tone, "He knows about your unique condition, so don''t worry about exining much." I eyed Batman and gave him a look that said, why? "You need to socialize with people close to your age," Batman replied, reading my look. "You live in a soundproof military-grade cave, you only go out to help ck Canary every now and then, and the only people you talk to are Green Arrow, ck Canary, Martian Manhunter, and me, all adults, that is not healthy." if only you knew how old I really was Bruce. ~Well, you are the boss here.~ I sighed, I mean, he was paying for the majority of the shit I used, including the soundproofed military base, that although was not strong enough to stop me, was resilient enough to tank a whisper, at least ording to his calctions, and he was Batman, so I believed him. "Needless to say, I''m not ordering you to meet with Robin," Batman added. "But I think you need to socialize with people your age." people my age, funny. ~When is he arriving?~ I suppose meeting Robin can''t be that bad. "He''s already here," Batman scowled looking towards a corner in the base. "How did you even know?!" And there is Robin. "I told you to wait." Batman red at the kid as he came into view. "I was excited to meet him." Robin chuckled, scratching the back of his head. ~Hey~ I waved. With a smile, Robin approached me and started to move his hands, ~I''m~ pause, ~learning~ long pause, ~Signnguage~ I had to fight the urge to chuckle right there, not a good start. ~Batman, do you happen to know where is my notepad?~ I asked the dark knight. "No, but I have one here," Batman replied, pulling a notepad from his belt, god that thing really does have everything. "Here''s a pen." I definitely want one of those for X-MAS, I wonder if Dinah can make it happen. -Hi there- I wrote. "Sorry, I just started learning like two days ago." Robin smiled shyly. -It''s cool, we can use the notepad for now, at least until you understand what I say without it.- I wrote, that I really didn''t care if people talked with me using signnguage, but them understanding was always helpful. "I''ll leave you two alone," Batman said, walking out of the room. -So, is this a batydate?- I wrote, making Robin chuckle. "I suppose in a way." Robin snorted. -So, my name is ck Bolt, I''m twelve years old, and well I live here.- I wrote making conversation. "I''m nine," Robin began, "I live with Batman, and my codename is Robin." -So what, sidekick squad?- I grinned. "Oh god, that sounds awful." Heughed. "But sure, why not, sidekick squad!" he added, high-fiving me. --------------------------------------- [Gotham City. February 21, 16:30 CT. 2008] Robin was a good kid. A bit too energetic for my taste, but a good kid nheless, very smart too, the little bastard learned signnguage, fluently, in less than one month. A feat that took me almost a year toplete. I guess that''s why he was considered a genius. As for Batman, well, he was especially interested in me making connections with his protege, which is why, I was currently on Gotham, helping them with some minor crimes. This was a big step for the Dark Knight, if there was someone in the superhero business that was, territorial, it was him, so needless to say I was surprised when he invited me to help in Gotham for a bit. And even more, surprised when Dinah allowed me to go. So, with that said and done, I went to Gotham, though I have to admit, I was a bit reluctant to go on this business trip so to speak. Because the Joker terrified me. Which is funny, with my powers I could solo him with ease, but still, if there was one viin that creeped me out, it was him. He was utterly crazy, and that scared me a bit. Anyway, working with Batman was a bit different than working with Dinah or Oliver, Batman was an odd character so to speak, ever silent, and at the same time, verymunicative. He had looks and grunts for every scenario. One look, could mean anything between, go there, to wait here. It was a confusing time for me. Robin helped though, whenever I didn''t understand one of Batman''s grunts or silent res, he would trante them for me. As Robin jokingly put it, the Batman GLAREnguage was a thing. "It was fun, maybe Batman will let youe to Gotham more often." Robin smiled, as we tied a few robbers that had tried to rob a bank. ~It was.~ I nodded, pping one of the robbers that was trying to bite me. ~Well, let''s go.~ Robin grinned. --------------------------------------------- [Gotham City. February 22, 16:30 CT. Batman POV] David Lance, code name. ck Bolt. David Lance shows all the signs of a clinically depressed person, his istion, andck of normal human stimuli are slowly but surely weighing him down. But the biggest chain of them all are his powers. His powers and the constant threat they represent are an impossiblyrge looming shadow above his head, above everyone''s head. A new n had to be created, for the worst-case scenario. Security level. Omega, password Delta Charlie 27 51939, new contingency n, under the file Agamemnon Contingency. Should ck Bolt be a threat, we need to be prepared for the worst. Contingency file, Codename The Silent End. If ck Bolt ever bes a threat to the, the following protocols will need to be enacted to ensure our survival. ck Bolt''s power differ a lot from ck Canary''s powers, medical tests show his powers are directly connected to the left hemisphere of the brain, connecting directly to the speech zone of the brain. Results for containment are inconclusive, further testing is required, though results show that tear gas if administered quickly enough, should cut off his ability to speak and scream, and should this not be enough adding a well-timed blow to the trachea should do the trick. Alternatively should this not work, the best way to disable his powers would be to distract him. His sister is an excellent blind spot, as is his fear of killing everyone. Taking hostages is also a good distraction, particrly if he knows them, should this prove to be ineffective, battle relocation is essential, while his powers are dangerous he himself is a human with minor superstrength, relocating the battle to an enclosed zone should limit the use of his powers out of fear of killing himself, rmendation, underground location. The Silent End, file closed. "ck Bolt left," Robin said, as he entered the Bat cave. "I know," I replied, turning the pc off. ------------------------------------------------------- [Star City. March 13, 12:30 PDT. Dinah Lance - ck Canary POV ] I loved my brother. How could I not? In more than one way, he was my world, mine to protect, after all, that was my job as his big sister. And that was exactly why it hurt me to know I had no way to help him, not really. His powers were beyond anything we have ever seen in our family. Minor superstrength, minor superspeed, minor super stamina, and minor superhuman durability. Batman''s theory suggests his powers mutated from our family line, creating something entirely new, and dangerous. His sonic scream was leagues above my own, and simtions suggest he could level cities with but a word. I could see he was depressed. Istion was drowning him in a sea of despair, and the looming shadow of danger that his powers represented only helped to cement his own self-loathing. He would say no, that he wasn''t sad or anything, but I knew better. Which is why I had epted when Batman told me to put him under my wing, that helping others would break him out of his own shell of misery, and give him a purpose. I was happy with this because it worked. He was getting better, helping others, forgetting for a moment the weight he had on his shoulders. Many start on this career because they need to help others, he started because he needed to help himself. Just like Batman. Heck, Batman with all of his cold disturbing demeanor was actually trying to help him, he was even arranging ydates with his sidekick Robin. "Dinah, so I was thinking," Oliver said, snapping me out of my long reverie. "Yes, I would love to go out with you," I replied with a smile. "How did you never mind," Oliver chuckled with a blush. --------------------------------------------------------- [Star City. March 13, 01:30 PDT. Oliver Queen - Green Arrow POV] David Lance was a good kid, with more weight on his shoulders than any kid or adult for that matter should have. I don''t know what would I do if I had the power to destroy a city by simply talking. I really wished I could help him more, but even the Bat was at a loss with how to suppress his powers. Even the inhibitor cors didn''t work on him, though ording to the Bat it''s because we don''t have enough data on his powers to actually code a cor to work on him. It broke my heart when I told him about the cor, and the chance he could speak again, because for a moment he seemed hopeful, and then, it didn''t work. That day, I failed him and I lost my third arrow cave. I wonder if this is how Supes feels all the time, so much power on the tip of his hands, one wrong move, he could kill those who he''s trying to save, perhaps I should introduce the two of them, perhaps they would rte to one another. If I was in his shoes, I would like to know someone who can rte to me. "Oliver, I am the woman and I am already ready!" Dinah shouted. "I''m almost done!" I shouted back. "You said that thirty minutes ago!" Dinah sighed in annoyance. "I want to look pretty okay?" Why can she understand?! My elegant mustache needs some work, delicate work, after all, perfection takes time. Chapter 4: Chapter 4: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [Star City. January 13, 09:30 PDT. David Lance POV] "Aren''t you excited?" Dinah asked with a wide smile as she drove to themunity college. I nodded. Today was my week off. Off training. Off fighting crime. Off all hero-rted things. What was I to do during this week? Well, I was to take an art course in themunity college of Star City. I liked Art, I wasn''t particrly good at it, but I enjoyed it. It helped me breathe so to speak when things became overwhelming, it was an escape for me, like games for some, or food. "My little baby is growing up," Dinah teased. I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Don''t roll your eyes at me, mister, as your older sister, I have every right to annoy the heck out of you," Dinah grinned, yfully pping my arm. ~I suppose you do,~ I smiled. "Maybe you can draw something for me, to have at the shop," Dinah smiled, probably imagining this course would turn me into DaVinci or something. ~Sure, why not?~ I nodded, smiling at the thought. "Here we are, Star Citymunity college!" Dinah announced in a dramatic manner. ~You need to stop hanging out with Oliver so much,~ I deadpanned. "I maybe," Dinah chuckled, "I guess his drama Queen antics are rubbing off on me," I blinked, was was that a pun?! "I''m sorry," Dinah chuckled once again, kissing my forehead, "No more puns for today, that''s a Lance promise," ~Is that a thing?~ I asked, tilting my head to the side. "No, but I''m trying to make it a thing," Dinah grinned, "Now go, and be the best artist you can be," ~It''s just a course,~ I signed. "I said what I said, now go," Dinah chuckled, pushing me out of the car, "Now remember, if something happens, call me, or Oliver, and we wille to your aid no matter what." I nodded, showing her my phone for entuation. "Good," Dinah nodded, "I''ll be here to pick you up at six!" she added. ------------- [Star City. January 13, 12:30 PDT.] All I wanted was to have a nice freaking ss of peaceful art. But nooooo. The universe said, fuck you, and your art kid, enjoy this owl-looking motherfucker. "Hello, little bird," How did my art ss go to hell? Well, I have no idea. Everything was going great, during ss I was having the time of my freaking life painting a fruit bowl with some of the exported acrylic paint Dinah had ordered for me, then during the scheduled break, I went to college''s rooftop to avoid being disturbed as I ate a foot-long sub I had bought beforehand at a gas station with Dinah prioring here, and the next thing I know is, well a man with an owl mask tried to dart me as I was about to take the first bite of my sub. I dodged, of course, thank Oliver and his arrows for that, but still, here I was, looking at a man with an owl mask. Which meant one thing, the Talons of the owl court were after me, why? Well, I had a few ideas as to why my power was probably my safest bet. "Come with me if you want to live, little owlet," The Talon offered, extending his hand. I stared at the man and called my sister. From that point on, all I had to do was buy some time. "Bad call, little owlet," The Talon sighed, knives drawn. Grabbing my bag, I flung it to the Talon, who kicked the bag out of his way with shocking finesse, as he threw a few knives my way. Seeing this, I rolled to the side, avoiding the projectiles as I made my way towards him. At the same time, the Talon looked at me and chuckled, hurling his remaining knives at me with incredible speed. However, I ducked under his projectiles just in time to avoid them. Then, when I was close to the Talon, I threw a hard punch to his jaw, putting all my weight into it. The blow pushed the Talon back, and I followed with a kick to his legs. Chuckling, the Talon retaliated by shing my chest with his w, drawing some blood. In pain, I jumped a few steps back. "Minor superstrength, good to know," The Talon stated, cracking his neck, his right hand covered in my blood. "Also, high tolerance to pain, kudos to you owlet," I frowned. "We have been waiting since your time in Gotham, for you to be unprotected little owlet," The Talon began, "Which surprisingly took us a lot of time if it wasn''t Batman, it was ck Canary or Green Arrow, but now... You are all alone," Since Gotham, they had kept tabs on me since then? But why? I did nothing out of the ordinary. The Talon chuckled, "Oh well, let us continue before your sister arrives, don''t you think?" I had two options, fight and possibly be captured, or run, and endanger everyone in this building. Fighting it is. "Good," The Talon nodded in approval, pulling a new weapon into view, a sword, one unnaturallyrge. "Let''s continue," he added, raising the sword above his head, as he swung it down at me. Seeing this, I jumped back once again, narrowly dodging the sword, as I hurled one of my pocket knives at him with all my strength, however, the Talon didn''t move, simply catching the knife with a single move of his hand. His reflexes were too fucking good. "Keep trying owlet," The Talon chuckled, tossing my knife back at me, I however didn''t catch it, selecting to avoid the projectile that lodged into the ground. Then, as the Talon was about to take a step forward an arrownded on his feet. "How about I try?" That voice Oliver. "It seems the cavalry arrived a bit early," The Talon spat, looking at Green Arrow. "Are you okay kiddo?" Green Arrow asked. I nodded, looking at my bloodied chest. "Well, if you are here, the little canary is not too far, so, that''s my cue," The Talon sighed, "Bye bye~" and with that said, the Talon threw a smoke bomb into the ground, vanishing into God knows where. "Well, your sister is gonna kill me," Oliver sighed, as the smoke cleared. I blinked and looked at him, giving him a look that said, why? "I told her to rx, to give you some space, and this happened," Oliver groaned, "She might even try to shave my mustache!" I deadpanned. "Sorry, sorry," Oliver sighed, walking towards me, a frown on his face, "We need to treat that wound," I nodded, it was hurting, and considering I fought an assassin, it was best to avoid. "David!" And therees momma bird, hehe. Fuck! The puns are spreading! ~Hey,~ I waved at her, looking down. "Who did this?" Dinah growled, anger seething out of her. "I don''t know," Oliver replied, "He was a new one," ~He had an owl mask, and came from Gotham,~ I signed. "I will have a trip to Gotham then," Dinah muttered darkly. "Batman won''t like that," Oliver chuckled. "I don''t care," Dinah shot back. ----------------------------------------------------------- [Gotham City. January 19, 12:30 CT. Dick Grayson POV] Someone from Gotham had tried to hunt David, someone I didn''t know about, ording to ck Canary''s chat with Batman, they were from here, and I knew everyone from here, but not them. I found that puzzling. So, it was up to me to see why, after all, Batman was otherwise too busy with other cases. Which is why I was currently inside an empty apartment looking for some clues, ording to Batman''s servers and the information inside them, here I would find more about what had happened, and why. "You cane in now," I sighed out loud to the seemingly empty apartment. "And before you say anything, I''m sorry," Batman who I knew was here, entered through the window of the apartment, his suit blending with the night outside, "What are you doing, Dick," "They tried to attack my friend, and I want to know why," I replied, avoiding his piercing gaze. "You are not ready" Batman scowled. "Then you''ve been training me in what? Monkey training?!" I shot back, realizing the tone I was using a bit toote. Batman scowled even harder, beyond clear physical restrictions, "I will assume that was an ill attempt at humor. I trust you, Dick, I do, but these people, and what they represent are too much for you to handle, especially alone," "I''m sorry, I''m just angry they attacked my friend, is that bad?" I sighed, slumping down. "No, that makes you human," Batman replied, putting his hand on my shoulder. "So who did this?" I asked with a sigh, taking a seat on a nearby chair. Batman replied, "They call themselves the court of owls," "The court of owls?" I asked, frowning. That soundedme. Batman nodded, "They rarely operate outside Gotham, and more than not, they avoid league rted activities, this was a calcted risk, they knew who he was, and to who he was connected, and yet they risked it all, something doesn''t feel right," "His powers?" I muttered, that had to be it, if they knew about his powers, they would want to weaponize him, a nuke at their hands but better. Batman shook his head, "Too soon to say, but I''m not ruling anything out," "I see," I mumbled. "Go home," Batman added, going back to his scowling mode. I nodded with a tired sigh, "Fine," "And for the record, you are grounded," Batman said, walking towards the window, his cape sweeping the floor. "I figured," I replied with a groan, following him. -------------------------- [Gotham City. January 14, 9:30 CT. 1 Day After The Attack. Talon POV] Our mission to capture David Lance had failed miserably. We had been unprepared for the quick response time of his caretakers and David''s own personal skill inbat. The kid was leagues away from being a threat, but even then, he had managed to stall me, dodging my first strike, and the following, buying the time required for him to avoid capture. A remarkable feat. "You failed," The parliament speaker said as I nodded. No need to sugarcoat it. I had failed on my assignment. "So, it was a fruitless effort," The parliament sighed. I nodded. Now that the league undoubtedly knew about our attempt by now. Meaning from this point on any attempts on getting the kid would be impossible. The League would be on him, protecting him. "We will need to relocate," The parliament speaker sighed, "We need toy low for a while." "What about the kid?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "We will leave that for now," The parliament speaker replied, "As of now, any attempt on his life, would and could mean our downfall, the court must hide in the shadows." I nodded, smiling under my mask, the little owlet had escaped out talons, kudos to him. Chapter 5: Chapter 5: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [Star City. February 2, 2:30 PDT. David Lance POV] Since the day I was attacked at the Star Citymunity college''s rooftop, while I was trying to have a nice rxing lunch break, by a man wearing an owl mask. Things had changed. Dinah, my sweet big sister, had gone full mama hen mode on me, looking over me like a dutiful hawk, never allowing me to leave her sight, under any circumstances. I couldn''t me her though, I understood the reason behind her change of demeanor and her need to guard me. She was scared of losing me, and for a good reason. Had Oliver and her not arrived when they did, I would''ve been captured. Which was a very good reason for her to be like she was being. But not everything was overprotecting me, this attack had also brought some good changes into my life. For my one, my training regime had been increased substantially, which I was particrly happy about, because it would better prepare me for future encounters with people like the Owl Court. I was even learning how to use the bow, mostly because Oliver had insisted, like a lot, and I caved to him. Not that I was ever going to use it, but I would have the skill if I ever needed it. "That''s enough for today," Dinah smiled, as I panted on the floor, breathless thanks to all the exercise, and sparring matches of today. ~I think the same,~ I nodded with a tired smile. "You have been improving kiddo," Oliver praised, winking at me, "Of course, you are leagues away from moi," I rolled my eyes at him, no matter the situation Oliver would always be Oliver. "Give him some time, and he will kick your ass," Dinah chuckled, as Oliver pouted. "As if," Oliver snorted yfully, as he turned to look at me before he made a face that denoted disgust, "But before you do, how about a bath? You smell like a sock, a smelly one," I frowned, taking a sniff on my body, and just like he had said, I stank, heck I almost gagged after taking a whiff of my unique after-training aroma. I nodded with a sheepish smile, ~Yep, David needs a bath,~ then I blinked, howe they didn''t smell bad. ~Howe you two smell like flowers we''ve been at it, the same time,~ I asked. "Because of this," Dinah chuckled, pulling what seemed to be some sort of deodorant can from her jacket thatid on the floor, "It''s something Batman made, to skip showers from time to time, it''s basically a bath in a can," I frowned, ~Then why didn''t you offer me a can of that?~ I almost felt insulted that she didn''t. "David, you are a teenager, a race of beings not particrly known for their hygiene, we can''t give you a bath in a can, not until we know you will actually take a bath," Oliver nodded to himself. I deadpanned, before simply deciding to walk away and take my bath, they had very strong points. God knows I practically bathed in axe deodorant during my first puberty. "Remember to wash behind your ears!" Dinah called. I nodded, smiling all the way to the bath. [Star City. February 7, 9:30 PDT.] Today was a different day from my normal routine. Because Robin, aka Dick Grayson, hade to visit me, ording to Dinah, Batman had given his protge the green light to stay with us for a week. Which was very out of character for Batman. Not that Iined. Robin was a very fun kid, always happy, no matter the situation, always talking, alwaysughing. In a way, he was my opposite, perhaps that was why I would always find myself enjoying my time with him. "So, what do you do for fun around here?" Robin asked. ~I read, or paint, sometimes I cook,~ I replied. "Oh, then how about we cook something," Robin grinned, he was excited, about what exactly, not sure. ~Sure,~ I nodded. "Perfect, I always wanted to see if I could make a souffle," Robin added, sounding almost vindictive. ~Why?~ I asked, giving him a look that said, I know there is an undertone to all of this. "There''s is a certain English man, that says instructions on the web are not enough to make a souffle," Robin huffed, as I rolled my eyes, Alfred was right, you needed more than instructions to be a good chef, sadly, Robin would have to learn that the hard way, he was a very stubborn individual. ~Okay,~ I sighed. "You believe the same?" Robin gasped with a look of fake hurt. I rolled my eyes once again. "I will show you, and him!" Robin mored. --------------------- [Star City. February 7, 11:30 PDT. - 2 hourster] Long story short, Robin had burnt the kitchen down. "Batman will mail you guys a check," Robin muttered, looking down. ~New rule from now on, never cook again,~ I signed, looking at my kitchen burning down, mes burning bright as the fire fighters'' sirens approached. "Agreed," Robin nodded. ~Batman has the joker, and you have the kitchen as your nemesis,~ I grinned, getting a yful punch from the embarrassed boy wonder on my shoulder. "Batman will kill me," Robin groaned, "I have been here but a day, and I already burnt your house!" ~It could''ve been worse,~ I lied, there was no way making a souffle could''ve turned any worse than this, in fact, Robin had enacted the perfect example of a murphy scenario. "You, my friend, are a terrible liar," Robin chuckled. ~I tried,~ I shrugged. "By the way, my name is Dick," Robin, or rather Dick said. I blinked, turning to look at him, ~Why now?~ I asked, curious as to why he was sharing his secret identity with me, considering his mentor was Batman, well, I would''ve guessed this would''ve taken more time. "I wanted to," Robin shrugged, "I don''t have many friends, real ones, and well, I asked Batman if I could tell you, and he said, yes, surprisingly." I nodded, it was indeed very surprising for Batman of all heroes to give him the green light for that, ~Well, thanks,~ I smiled, scratching the back of my head, ~I would introduce myself, but Batman,~ Dickughed, "Yes, but still, it''s about the principle, so" I rolled my eyes, ~Hello Dick, my name is David, a pleasure to meet you,~ "I know," Dick grinned, cocky little shit. ----------------------- [Gotham City. February 8, 7:30 CT. Bruce Wayne POV] In less than twenty-four hours, Dick had cost me over 100k, in damages. Perhaps it had been a mistake on my part to let him go to Dinah''s unsupervised. I would castigate myself for thatck of judgmentter. "Master Wayne, you seem stressed," Alfred said, offering me a cup of tea. "Not more than I was yesterday," I replied, taking the cup. "How is Master Dick doing?" Alfred asked, a small smile on his face. I smiled, "He''s having fun with David, he already told him who he was," "So he knows who you are then," Alfredmented, and I nodded, if David was half as smart as I gave him credit for, deducing such a simple connection was well beyond his capabilities. "I have to admit Master Wayne, this feels out of character for you," he added. "I suppose," I nodded, Alfred had a point, however, "But, actually it doesn''t affect me in anything, Dinah already knows who I am, and so does Oliver, therefore it was only a matter of time before her brother knew. It was simply a matter of when, and the when never affected," "I see, my apologies then, Master Wayne," Alfred nodded. "It''s okay," I smiled, turning to face him, "Is my suit for this evening ready?" "Yes, both are," Alfred nodded, "If I am to be allowed, why are you attending this party, Master Wayne?" "Some of the members of the Owl Court will be there, and I n to gather some information," I replied, to which Alfred smiled. "So that''s why you sent Master Dick away, to avoid getting him involved," Alfred chuckled, "Very clever Master Wayne," Chapter 6: Chapter 6: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [Gotham City. March 13, 09:30 CT. Dick Grayson POV] David was an easy-to-read guy, and at the same time, puzzling. By this, I meant it was clear to see he was depressed, with how he behaved and such, but it was hard to know what he knew, like my identity. Before the day I burnt his kitchen trying to make a souffl, I was sure I knew everything there was to know about him, and yet. When I told him I was Robin, he reacted like someone that already knew about my identity. Perhaps I was overthinking the entire situation, his kitchen was burning at the time, so his reaction could''ve been perhaps dulled by all the fire around, but still, I couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off. Perhaps his sister had told him. Then again, Batman was absolutely certain ck Canary would not do such a thing unless it was absolutely necessary. Which meant, that David had, if my suspicions were right, figured out who I was, and by connection, Bruce was all by himself. As far-fetched as it felt, it was the only thing that made sense. That, or he simply didn''t care, and reacted to my revtion ording to that parameter. I me Batman for this. If it wasn''t for him, I wouldn''t be here in my room making conspiracy theories about my friend. Without him I wouldn''t be looking so much into things. I sighed. In the end, who cared if he knew beforehand. [Gotham City. July 21, 07:30 CT. Bruce Wayne/Batman POV] The court of owls had disappeared. They knew I was onto them, and elected to hide and cease all activities for the time being. I didn''t like that, it meant they were fully aware of what attacking David meant, which means, this was a risk they were willing to pay. I scowled at the thought. They were a few reasons why such an organization would want him, his power was amongst them. Someone with the same destructive capability that makes Superman a threat. Perhaps even worse. A single shout from David could level entire countries to nothing but debris. We were not prepared for that. Not nearly enough. And in the wrong hands, the damage he could do was unimaginable. So, as to avoid that, we had to prepare for what was toe. His powers would unavoidably be known, sooner orter. Meaning he had to be prepared for power hungry individuals hunting him. He needed to be able to fend off their attempts to acquire his power. His training regime needed to increase even more. "Computer, call ck Canary," I spoke, sitting in front of myputer in the Bat Cave. [Star City. August 25, 20:30 PDT. Oliver Queen POV] I was sad. Sad that Roy wasn''t like David. I mean, here I was, training my protg, and all he wanted or ever talked about was, when would he join the league. "Speedy, you need to aim higher," I spoke, pointing at his bow. "I know," Roy replied, sounding rather annoyed. Maybe I should ask Dinah to switch protgs. "Well, then do it," I smiled at him, inwardlyughing at my previous thought, as if Dinah would allow that, she would probably canary cry my balls off. "Why are we even doing this?" Roy scowled, turning to re at me, "You know I''m good with the bow, and never miss, why do you keep dying my entrance to the league?" He added, his tone bordering the line of shouting. "Roy, you are not ready, but soon you will be," I said, for like the hundredth time this month alone, "Between you and I, what you want will happen next year, so don''t worry," I winked. Roy sighed, "A year," he almost sounded hopeful. Which is better than his usual angry tone, I wonder when and why he changed, he used to be so cheery. "It''s not that bad," I smiled, "Even ck Bolt is joining during that time," Roy scowled even harder, "Your other protg," he scoffed. I blinked, before sighing, "Not really, God knows the kid doesn''t like using a bow and arrow, but I do train him from time to time," "At least he gave you a better name for your base," Roy sighed, a smile creeping up his face. "Even I have to admit, the quiver sounds better than the arrow cave," I still feel deeply offended I didn''t make that connection before. "Yes," I chuckled. [Star City. December 19, 19:30 PDT. David Lance POV] In the ever changing life of a hero, situations always escted out of hand rather quickly. This year my life started with an attempt at it. Then, things escted, more training, more fights, less free time. I frowned at the thought, right now wasn''t the time to reminisce about the past, right now I had to focus as I ran through the ceilings of Star City, following two masked individuals, unidentified individuals. I looked at them and decided to test the waters as I flung a few knives at them, to which they ducked under their trajectory, without stopping or slowing down. Trained assassins perhaps, I wonder why two trained assassins were after a simple suburban doctor, questions forter. Concentrating in the battle, I fired a rope with my rope gun to the next building so that the grapnel embedded itself, as I swung into the battle closing the gap between us. The assassins stopped. I waved at them. "You should''ve let us go kid," One of the assassins remarked, pulling a knife out. "He should''ve," The other assassin agreed, doing the same. Two against one. I liked those odds. The assassins made their first move, both rushing at me at the same time, one in the front and the other trying to nk me while I got into position. Then at the same time, both assassins attacked with careful coordination bringing their knives down on me, one to my back, and the other to my chest, but a knee and an elbow attack to their guts foiled theirbined efforts, as both assassins doubled over in pain. However, before I could seize this opportunity. Both assassins recovered, one more than the other taking a few steps back, now in a defensive stance. Seeing how they attacked, I only had but a few moments before they would try anotherbination, which meant I had to break up their dynamic. The one in the front had taken more damage, as the force of a kick is exponentially stronger than an elbow attack, therefore, the one in the back was in better condition to attack me, and possiblynd a hit. So, this time, I took the offensive, running towards the assassin that had tried to attack me on the back. The assassin, realizing what was about to happen, rushed towards me, shing with me. For a brief moment, we traded punches while the other assassin recovered. However, I had the advantage in this sh, which eventually ended with my first colliding with his jaw onest time, knocking him out. By this time, assassin B had recovered his breath and was running towards me, knife aimed at my neck, it was toote. I ducked under his attack, grabbing his knife arm as it passed through thin air, before taking a step forward mming his body to the ground. I had won, all thanks to what Dinah and Bruce had taught me these past few months, which was to consider every battle like a chess match. After all, every fight was all about keeping track of where all the pieces were. "ck Bolt, do you copy me?" Dinah asked through the inte. I looked at the assassins out cold on the floor before pressing a button on my belt to reply. I had a few buttons formunication through radio, each button would y a voice line through thes. "Enemies defeated, awaiting for pickup," and this was what the voice line I had selected said. "On it," Dinah replied, cuttingmunications. I sighed, pulling out a rope from my utility belt, tying the assassins before they awoke from their deep slumber. It was after all like they said, better safe than sorry. "Good job," Dinahplimented as she arrived where I was, smiling at the sight of the assassins being out cold. ~It was surprisingly easy,~ I replied, whoever had sent them to kill the doctor had money, not enough to hire the shadows, but enough to hire pseudopetent assassins, second-grade ones. "Any idea who sent them?" Dinah asked, kneeling in front of the duo. I shook my head, as I signed, ~As you know, interrogation it''s not my forte,~ kind of hard to acquire information when you can''t talk without blowing them up. Dinah snorted, "I suppose you have a point, fortunately for you, I am very good at just that," Chapter 7: Chapter 7: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [Star City. January 1, 04:30 PDT. 2009 David Lance POV] School. Of all the things I expected to face in this life. School was not one of them. But, sadly for me, Dinah had deemed it was time to do normal things for a change. I couldn''t me her, really. She was doing what she thought was best for me, and from a psychological point of view, I guess she was right. But, the thing was, I didn''t like being around people, not for long periods of time anyway. It made me feel uneasy. Knowing that at any time I could blow them away, was haunting. At least, the school thing was under probation, meaning Dinah was testing, not enforcing things permanently. "Come on, give me a smile? Please?" Dinah said, her tone soft and heavy, by this time she was probably double guessing her choice, after all, she was not one to make me do something I didn''t like. ~So you want me to lie?~ I signed, a small smirk gracing my face. Dinah sighed, rolling her eyes, "You know why I''m doing this right?" ~Because my life can''t only be that of a hero because one Batman is enough, yes yes, I know,~ I nodded, smiling at her. "Yes, and don''t let Batman hear that," Dinah winked, ruffling my hair in a yful manner. ~My lips are sealed,~ I grinned at her, capitalizing on my ability to make mute jokes. Needless to say, sheughed. "Very funny, now get out or you will bete, " Dinah chuckled, stopping her car right at the entrance of the school. ~What a warm goodbye,~ I replied, smiling as I got out of the car. "Remember to try and make some friends!" Dinah said, in a rather loud voice, getting the attention of everyone around. Well, there goes my social life, not that I wanted to have one, to begin with. ~Really?~ I sighed, giving her a teasing look. "Oh right, I had forgotten about that," Dinah smiled at me sheepishly. Realizing what she had done. ~Worry not, I intend to be invisible,~ I shrugged, grabbing my backpack and hoisting it to my back, before turning to walk to the entrance. "Have a good day! Love you!" Dinah said, loud enough for anyone to hear as I made my way to the entrance. I smiled at that, fully aware I was getting a few odd stares and mutters from the students around, some were evenughing. I didn''t care. I loved my sister. And she loved me, I was mature enough to not be embarrassed by that fact. I guess it has a lot to do with this being my second life. Who knows? I wonder how many mutes go to public school. I mean, really, so far in the three hours I''ve been here, everyone has stared at me like I''m some kind of rarity you don''t see around ever. Then again. It could be the fact I am the new kid, that started school six monthster. "Kids, I will go and print a few items we need for ss, please stay in your seats while I go and do that," Mr. Walking said, the history teacher. He seemed like a nice man, maybe a bit timid if anything, he almost seemed scared of the kids around, poor guy. "Yes, Mr. Walking," A girl in the front said, smiling like a dutiful student, her pose straight, from her bodynguage and other things I had seen so far, it was easy to deduce she was what people called, the teacher''s pet. I wonder if I will find a bully here. I wonder if I can beat the bully. Dinah wasn''t clear on the rules. I will assume she gave me permission to defend myself. "Good," Mr. Walking smiled at the girl fondly, before walking out of the room. "Hey loser," Someone behind me said. Well, that was fast. I turned and waved. "Mike, sit down!" The girl in the front hissed, clearly annoyed at the bully''s behavior. "The teacher said to stay in our seats!" "Stuff it, Maria, I''m just having a nice talk with our new friend, here," Mike, the bully, pointed at me, smiling from cheek to cheek. I wonder how long will it take before the bully pushes me to fight, my bet? Two minutes, but I feel I''m being generous. "I will tell the teacher," Maria huffed, turning around in a rather angry manner. "So, loser, what''s your name," Mike grinned, his eyes on me. I sighed, writing my name on a piece of paper. "No no, say it," Mike grinned, some people in the backughing, two kids to be exact, probably his little entourage, after all, a bully wasn''t a bully without his followers to impress. I rolled my eyes and turned. Whatever came next, would be solved with violence, so why bother. "Hey, who told you, you could turn your back on me?" Mike growled, annoyed at my early reaction. "Mike, sit the fuck down," Someone new said, basically growling his words out. Curious, I turned to see a big kid, bigger than me and mike, ring daggers at Mike. For him, this was personal. I could see it, in his eyes. Maybe he has a mute rtive. "Or what Luke?" Mike challenged. "Try me," Luke replied, taking a few steps forward. "This isn''t over, Luke," Mike spat, going back to his seat. Luke scoffed, turning to look at me, before signing ~Hi, my name is Luke Miller.~ I smiled, ~David Lance, thanks for the help, but it wasn''t necessary, my dad was a cop, and I learned how to deal with bullies the only way it works.~ Luke chuckled, ~Still, Mike is an ass, and I enjoy messing with him.~ ~So, do you have a mute rtive?~ I asked, tilting my head. ~My little sister,~ Luke nodded, going back to his seat. So my theory was right, for him the fact Mike was bothering me was almost personal, ~Your signnguage is very good.~ Iplimented him. ~Years of practice,~ Luke grinned. ~So, anyone else I should be wary of?~ I asked. Luke paused, musing over that for a brief second, ~Mike and his followers, for the most part, mama''s boy.~ ~Mama''s boy?~ If I had to guess it was because of Dinah this morning. ~Yes, that''s how people call you, because of this morning,~ Luke nodded. ~I see, highly inurate though, my mom is long dead,~ I replied, inwardly chuckling at how fast rumors and stuff spread around school. ~I I''m sorry man, I was just trying to be funny you know,~ Luke sighed, scratching the back of his head, ~I didn''t know.~ I rolled my eyes at him, ~Rx Skywalker, I don''t really mind, people can say or think whatever they want, it doesn''t bother me, at all.~ "HAHAHAHA," Luke snorted, ~You are okay, wanna sit with me and my friends in lunch?~ I nodded. ~Great, and just for the record, I didn''t start the mama''s boy title, it was Mike,~ Luke added. ~Don''t care,~ I shrugged. ------------------------------------------------------- At lunch. I sat with Luke and his friends. All of them, were football yers. They were nice. I mean, they did make fun of how Dinah had dropped me and stuff, but it was all in good fun. Nothing really harmful. Just men, being men. "Hey bro, do you y football?" Aaron, the quarterback asked, taking a bite of his burger. ~Can''t say I do,~ I shook my head. "He says no," Luke tranted, though I wonder why I shook my head. "Dude, he shook his head," Aaron deadpanned. "I my bad," Luke chuckled, realizing his mistake. "Anyway, dude you should totally try out!" Aaron grinned, "You are small sure, but you seem fast, we could use a running back now that Robert left." ying Football that sounded incredibly boring. "Aaron, he said he doesn''t y," Aadav, another one of the guys sighed. "Bro, trust me, I have a good eye for this kind of stuff," Aaron chuckled, waving Aadav off, "So, what do you say, would you give it a try?" I sighed, remembering I had promised Dinah to join a club, I guess this counts as one. I nodded. "Hell yeah!" Aaron beamed at me. "You have made a terrible mistake, that''s how I ended with these morons," Luke chuckled. "Hey!" Aaron gasped. Chapter 8: Chapter 8: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [Star City. January 15, 16:30 PDT. 2009 David Lance POV] Dinah was ted. The expression on her face when I told her I had joined the football team, was something akin to that of a person experiencing bliss. It was almost scary. I guess seeing me socialize was doing wonders for her. "As expected of my protegee," Oliver grinned, "First the football team, then thedies," he added, wiggling his eyebrows. "Oliver!" Dinah growled, pping the back of Oliver''s head as she turned to look at me, "Remember our talk, don''t be silly, protect your willy." Okay, I''m officially done with this conversation. ~Bye,~ I waved at her before turning around. "Remember, when in doubt, shroud your spout!" Dinah added. At times like this, I wished I was allowed to groan. "Huh, huh! I have one!" Oliver snickered, "Don''t be a loner, cover your boner!" I hate them. "I have another! Before you attack her, wrap your whacker!" I really hate them. ------------------ After two hours of meditation in my room. Cleaning my inner self from those condom-rtedments. I started to do my homework, which took me roughly ten minutes toplete. Thank Batman for that. His assignments make schoolwork look like a joke. With that out of the way, I grabbed the TV remote and turned the TV on. I had nothing else to do anyways. Today was my day off, in general. No training. Nothing. Just doing whatever I wanted to do. *BRRRRRR* *BRRRRRR* *BRRRRRR* I blinked, turning to look at my phone thaty on the bed, vibrating. Curious as to who was texting me, I grabbed the phone, and saw three notifications from Oliver. [You can''t go wrong if you shield your dong] [If you''re not going to sack it, go home and whack it] [Cover your stump before you hump] Ok blocking Oliver for the foreseeable future. *BRRRRRR* Who now? [Kid, I''m rich, we can do this all day, I will buy new lines just to bother you] I sighed, smiling at the message, before replying, [I will help Dinah shave your mustache if you keep at it.] [Le gasp! You wouldn''t dare! You take that back! But seriously kid, don''t do anything I wouldn''t do, and use a condom, every, single, time.] Oliver replied. [I started school twelve hours ago besides, I already know.] I replied. [Good, just making sure.] Oliver replied. ------------------------ [Gotham City. January 17, 09:15 CT. 2009 Dick Grayson POV] As I ran through Batman''s training course. I couldn''t help but let my mind wonder why Batman hadn''t offered David a ce in Gotham''s academy. I mean, if anyone needed a friend in that fake ce they called school was me. It would be nice for a change to have someone that knows your double life. Then again. The owls were still a thing. And they had attacked him. Outside Gotham, which ording to Batman was their main base of operations. If David moved here, the attacks could in theory increase. So I guess I see why. "Damn it!" I cursed, as the robot mmed me on the side, that''s what I get for distracting. "What happened?" Batman asked, his voice cold and using. "I was thinking," I replied. Batman said nothing, giving me a stare. God, I hated his stare. "It won''t happen again," I promised. "Losing focus, even for a bit in our line of duty, is detrimental, a single error can and will cost you, your life, so try to keep your eyes open, and your mind ready," Batman said, turning around as he walked to hisputer. In retrospect, I''m d David is not living with us, you need a Ph.D. to deal with Batman, I''m pretty sure Red Tornado has more feelings than Bruce. "Do the course, again," Batmanmanded. "Aye aye, captain," I chuckled, this time ready to beat my record. ---------------------- [Metropolis. January 31, 04:30 EDT. 2009 Lex Luthor POV] ck Bolt. Or should I say, waste of money? The one DNA we still couldn''t clone, or work with. It baffled me, how his DNA was even moreplicated to work with than Superman''s DNA. It was vastly more unstable and was inyman''s terms impossible to read. At least, with the boy of steel, we could decode and understand some of his DNA, but with ck Bolt''s, it was like someone had smashed their head on a keyboard repeatedly, for hours, then tried to trante the result to Klingon, and then gave that to a monkey, and we got whatever the monkey transcribed. It was vexing, but more than that, annoying. Millions were wasted in trying to understand his DNA. Eventually, I just said, for theck of a better word, fuck it, for the time being, with our technology, it''s a waste of time. Besides, our estimates put him way under Superman, so if anything our efforts in Cadmus should be focused on perfecting our earlier mistakes. Not trying to solve a problem that didn''t need solving in the first ce. "Sir, we have a call on line eight," I sighed, "Very well." -------------------- [Star City. February 7, 12:30 PDT. 2009 David Lance POV] Apparently, Oliver was right. Being part of the football team had somehow, increased my sex appeal. It was honestly annoying. But beyond the girls, calling me the silent yet loving type,paring me to a few vampire characters they fancied, being part of the football team was fun. It was like ying a game on easy mode, after ying Dark Soul for hours. It was refreshing. Like a nice day in a spa. "Hey bro, wannae to a party with uster today?" Aaron asked, snapping me out of my long reverie. I shook my head, parties were not my thing. Besides, today I had to patrol the city with Oliver. "Ahh," Aaron pouted. "Don''t mind him," Aadav chuckled. "One of these days, one of these days I will see you party David," Aaron chuckled, back to his usual demeanor. If I had to describe him, I would say he was like a golden retriever, always happy to hang around friends, a loveable goof. ~Never,~ I signed, grabbing my backpack. "He said no, right?" Aaron muttered, looking at Luke with a lost expression. "He said, never," Luke rified with a smile. "Dang it, I was so close," Aaron sighed, "I''m learning though!" he chuckled, "Luke is teaching me!" he added with a proud smile. I looked at Luke for confirmation. "He said he wanted to learn our secretnguage, and well, I obliged," Luke shrugged. "I will be doing jutsus in no time!" Aaron grinned. "I ugg," Aadav sighed, rubbing his temples. I smiled. Maybe pretending to be normal would be okay, at least for a while. -------------------------- [Star City. February 7, 12:30 PDT. 2009 Mike The Bully POV] If Mr. Mute sissy pants thought he had escaped me, he had another thinging. "Dude, are you sure this is wise?" Lemar asked, frowning, "He''s on the football team, you touch him, and the entire team will have our balls bro." I red at him, "The football team can suck my dick, the mute kid disrespected me, and he will pay for it, end of discussion." It was more of a grudge I had with Luke, but the mute kid was an easier target, a way easier target. "There he is," George pointed, smiling wide. As David walked to his locker. "Let''s have a chat with our friend then," I smiled, walking towards David, ready to show him a thing or two. "Hey loser," George called out, but David had the balls to ignore him. Did he really think being on the football team made him untouchable? "My friend here is talking to you, mute, so pay attention," I spat with a smile, mming my hand close to his head on the lockers. David sighed, turning around. "Good, now, let''s have a walk," I smiled, putting my hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly. David smiled, tilting his head to the side before nodding. Good. Happy he knew his ce, I guided David around the school to the changing rooms, where we would teach him the rules of this school, in a hands-on manner. "Close the door," I ordered Lemar who begrudgingly nodded, doing as he was told. Doors closed, I cracked my knuckles and swung my fist at the mute, who ducked under my swing. "Grab him!" I growled, if the little bastard wanted this to go the hard way, he would have the hard way. Nodding at mymand, both Lemar and George rushed at him, trying to grab him. However, the mute dodge their first attempt, before delivering a horizontal kick to George''s face, knocking him out. George''s body fell to the floor of the changing room with a loud thud, as the mute looked at me with a friendly smile, his foot still in the air. "Fuck this shit," Lemar shuddered, taking a few steps back before running to the door. "The fuck you think you''re going!" I shouted, turning to look at Lemar, who paid me no heed, opening the door before running away. Cursing under my breath, I turned to see the mute, kneeling on the ground, checking George, almost as if confirming George was okay. "That''s it, I''m fucking you up!" I roared, running towards him, right hook ready to knock some mother fuckers out. The mute sighed, standing up. Finally, within range, I swung my arm at him once again, but instead of feeling my fist connecting, I felt pain, and then nothing. .. ... ..... "What happened?" I muttered, opening my eyes. "Finally awake huh?" I heard someone say, in an angry tone, a voice I knew very well, my father. "Dad," I muttered, turning to look at him. "Imagine my surprise, when I got a call from the school saying, you got beat up, trying to beat up a mute kid for no FUCKING reason," Dad growled, his fist-shaking. "Dad, I was only defending myself!" They had no proof, the changing room had no cameras. "Don''t even!" Dad barked, his face turning red, "The kid had multiple witnesses, and to make matters worse, he''s friends with FUCKING OLIVER QUEEN! MY BOSS!" "Sir, mind yournguage," The nurse chastised. "Fuck mynguage!" Dad shot back at her, his eyes never leaving mine, "One note from that kid, and I could lose my job, one FUCKING NOTE, A SINGLE FUCKING NOTE, AND WE WOULD BE ON THE STREETS!" "I''m sorry dad, I didn''t know," I defended. "Why would you even he did nothing to you! For the love of!" Dad growled in frustration. "He disrespected me!" I said, my voice wavering. "He disrespected oh, why didn''t you say so? That exins everything!" Dadughed, "He didn''t bow to you, so let''s fuck him!? Is that it?!" "Sir, if you continue this, I will call the police," The school nurse said sternly. "You will apologize to that kid, am I clear?" Dad growled. "Yes," I nodded. "Good," Dad nodded. Chapter 9: Chapter 9: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [Star City. February 9, 10:25 PDT. 2009 David Lance POV] I was suspended from school, just for a week. Apparently, beating a bully, even if he was the one to initiate the fight, was against the school''s rules. Not that I cared. Dinah was proud I had kicked some ass. So, I was basically having a week off in the house. And what was I doing during this week? Taking the time to read, and paint. Two of my favorite things. *BRRRRR* [Wanna hang outter?] Dick. I looked at the phone for a second before replying, [You mean, like hanging out, hanging out, or. "Hanging out".] With Dick you had to be sure, sometimes his invitations were to patrol Gotham and such, so it was best to confirm before answering him. [Hahaha, "Hanging out," and then, hanging out,] Dick replied, sending a bunch of custom emojis, most of them Robin-themed. I sighed, [Is he aware of this?] [He''s aware of everything] Robin replied, sending me a deadpan emoji. [Fine, we can "hang out,"] I replied, I mean, I had nothing better to do, crime in Star City had been rtively slow, so what better ce to keep my skills sharp than Gotham City, the city with the highest crime rate I know. Seconds after I sent the reply, I heard a faint knock at my window, to which I sighed, I already knew who it was. "So, let''s go, Batman has the jet a few miles away from here," Robin grinned, opening my window, my locked window. ~Next time, use the door, maybe?~ I replied, pointing at the door. "Where is the fun in that?" Robin snorted, waving me off. ~You are annoying at times, you know that?~ I smiled, kneeling on the floor of my room while reaching under my bed and grabbing my suit. "I know, it''s part of my charm," Robin winked as I rolled my eyes. -------------------- [Star City. February 9, 10:45 PDT. 2009 David Lance POV] After texting Dinah I was going out with Robin for a few days, I exited my room with Robin, and followed him to the Bat jet. Where Batman waited for us. "ck Bolt," Batman greeted his tone as always cold and emotionless. I waved at him. "We have work to do, let''s go," Batman said, opening the doors of his jet by pressing a button on his belt. "I call shotgun!" Robin eximed, running towards the Jet. All, while I gave Batman a look that said, how do you two even manage? I mean, they were total opposites. Batman smiled, ever so lightly, before going back to his normal state saying, "I manage." I smiled, I guess the ck Knight had a heart under all that military-grade ker after all. Still smiling, I walked to the Jet, and sat on the back, as I looked out the window, wondering what kind of week I would have in Gotham, and why now of all times, Batman had invited me to go back. I was before today, under the suspicion Batman didn''t want me anywhere near Gotham, thanks to the Owl incident. "Your sister asked me to take you," Batman said, almost as if reading my mind. ~How can you know I was thinking about that?~ I asked, perplexed, greatest detective and all, there was no way my face was conveying that much information. "I have my ways," Batman''s reply was short and to the point, I guess all can be summed to because he''s Batman. "He''s Batman, just deal with it," Robin chuckled. ~I guess you are right,~ I replied, going back to my window as the Jet to flight. -------------------- [Gotham City. February 09, 12:55 CT. 2009 David Lance POV - Day 1 -] We arrived at Gotham quite quickly. Not only Batman''s Jet was fast, but Star City was rtively close to the dark city, a few hours on the road, on a car, so it was only natural a Jet ride would take a few minutes at most. Though I wonder why we hadn''t used the zeta tubes, those felt like a more practical solution. Then again, maybe Batman wanted to test flight his Jet for reasons he had yet to disclose. I guess, in the end, it doesn''t matter. I got a ride a Jet, and that''s always a cool experience. Anyway. Once we arrived at the Bat cave. The butler greeted us with some drinks, orange juices, for whatever reason. All while I admired the cave and its design. The cave''s centerpiece and the main piece of attraction was a supeputer, that looked out of this world, and it probably was, the cave also has a collection of ancient armor including but not limited to outfits worn by European Knights, Desert nomads, and Samurai warriors throughout the centuries. Additionally, on the levels below, from what I could tell, the cave contained state-of-the-art facilities such as a crimeb, various specializedboratories, mechanized workshops, a personal gymnasium, a vast library, and much, much more. I wonder how he managed to build all this without giving away his identity. "Alfred," Batman said, snapping me out of my admiration tour. "Master Wayne," Alfred greeted, with a fond smile gracing his face. It was clear to see, the old man loved Batman. "Thanks, but I already had something to drink, four hours ago," Batman replied, his normally cold seemingly emotionless breaking just enough for me to know he loved the man in front of him deeply like a son would a father. "I''m afraid I can''t allow you to go without your dose of Vitamin C, sir," Alfred bowed a bit, giving one of the orange juices to Batman. "Thanks," Batman replied, grabbing the drink. "Master Dick," Alfred smiled, offering Robin the next ss of orange juice. "Thanks, Alfred," Dick grinned, grabbing the drink. "Andst, but not least, Master David," Alfred bowed, offering me thest cup. ~Thanks,~ I signed before grabbing the cup. ~You are most weed,~ Alfred replied using signnguage, just before bowing and taking his leave. "We will start our training in a few minutes," Batman spoke, his drink already gone, only leaving behind an empty ss. "And after that?" Robin asked, tilting his head. "We patrol," Batman replied. I nodded, happy with that arrangement. "Drink your juice," Batman added, without even looking at us. At his request, I started drinking the juice Alfred had so graciously given me and found myself drinking the entire thing in under a second. Best orange juice I had ever had the pleasure of having, I can''t help but wonder what kind of brand Batman uses? ------------------------- [Gotham City. February 09, 2:30 CT. 2009 David Lance POV - Day 1 -] After training. We took to the streets, with Batman patrolling the north side, and Robin and I, patrolling the west. Later, we would move to the east and south, but for now, those were our positions. "We could cover more ground if we separated," Robinined under his breath. I shrugged, in my opinion having a backup if something went south, sounded like a good n, and in terms of experience Batman outssed us, by a lot, so him being alone, and us being together made perfect sense from a tactical point of view. "I know, I know, he''s Batman, we are not," Robin chuckled, reading my face. ~I mean, you have to admit, my logic has no holes in it,~ I smiled at him. Robin rolled his eyes, turning to look at the streets to see some people trespassing inside a warehouse nearby, "I think our night just got more interesting," he grinned, pointing at them. I nodded, pressing one of the buttons in my custom radio that said, enemy spotted, to let Batman know. {Robin,} Batman spoke through the. "Two men, around their thirties, trespassing a warehouse, they looked armed," Robin answered to his unspoken question. {Proceed with caution,} Batman replied, {Do not engage until you confirm their range.} "Roger that," Robin nodded, turning to look at me with a smile, "Let''s kick some ass!" I raised an eyebrow at that. "Yeah, yeah, I know, do not engage, but if they happen to be simple goons, we can engage, right?" Robin chuckled. I sighed, nodding. "Let''s go!" Robin grinned. ------------------------ With our target acquired, we infiltrated the warehouse, separating in the process, because Robin was being a bit too excitable, so I had to use another route for the time being. I wasn''t as stealthy as the Boy Wonder, nor as small, so his route was not one I could use, I mean, I didn''t fit in the vent he had used, the perks of being small, I suppose. Once inside the warehouse, I sat in a dark corner, and turn the hearing augmentation device Batman had installed in my suit to hear everything around better, giving me the ability to hear everything, without having to get dangerously near to the enemy. It served to assess the threat before engaging. I heard someone say, the moment I turned the hearing augmentation device. The voice sounded, scared. The second voice was gruff and deep, like that of a man that had seen things, it somehow felt, familiar. I just couldn''t remember why it sounded familiar. The first manined. The second voice replied, startling me a bit, he knew we were here, we had to escape, whoever this person was, I felt he was out of our league. "Isn''t that right, kid?" A voice said behind me. Startled, I spun around to find someone I didn''t want to find standing a few feet behind me. Deathstroke. Cursing at my luck, I pressed the SOS rm on my belt, alerting Batman we were in deep trouble as I resolved to stale the obviously out-of-my-league viin. "So, the question now is will you do better than the boy wonder, or like him, you will disappoint?" Deathstroke said, taking a step forward. He he had taken Robin out already?! Chapter 10: AUTHOR Q&A Chapter 10: AUTHOR Q&A You might be wondering. Corn, why are you so sexy? ---Well, I use the blood of my enemies as soap. Hahaha, jokes aside. I know some of the real questions you have. And let''s answer them in order before beginning this novel. ~Question 1 = Why are you starting a new novel? This project is an old idea. One I feel it''s time to publish for a vast list of reasons, including patrreon opinion. ~Question 2 = What''s gonna happen with your other novels, like Naruto, Overlord, Twilight, and Marvel? Well, I debated for a long time about this. For Naruto, Overlord, and Twilight, they will be finished, believe me, I am working on them, but because I''m not working as often on them as on other projects like Marvel, DC, and One Piece, the updates are slow, so for them, I have decided to post everything once I finished them. Like a single mass release for them, to avoid long hiatuses. Now, as for Marvel, Marvel will continue updating. The schedule, however,will change a bit. I will update between 4-5 chaps a week for Marvel, all on Saturday. In a single burst, so to speak. Why am I doing this? Well, the end of Marvel it''s quite, and I mean, quite near, after thising Arc the following arcs will be short,pared to thest ones, so as to have more time to work on the end, that I already have in docs, but want to edit here and there, I am changing the way the novel will be updated. ~Question 3 = When it''s Avatar the sequeling up? December. It''sing in December. Now you have a date. ~Question 4 = What will be the update rate of this novel? 7 chaps a week, minimum. More if Corn feels sexy, which it''s dependent on my ranking on the site. Corn feels really sexy on TOP 3. ~Question 5 = Will this be an harem novel? I can''t believe people keep asking me this. No. No. No. I am a Corn of ss. ~Questions 6 = What DC world is this novel set in? Young Justice, but some of the characters like Deathstroke and others, are based on their best selves from other DC worlds. ~Questions 7 = How long will this novel be? Please, don''t ask me this. As we have seen before, I am terrible at giving chapter count estimates. Well, that''s all. Enjoy. Chapter 11: Chapter 11: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- A winter-like chill permeated the air around, sending shivers down my spine. I knew I was outmatched, I could feel it, even more than that time I fought the Owl guy. "ck Bolt, was it?" Deathstroke boomed at me, "You are far away from Star City boy." I took a step back, the more he talked, the more time would Batman have to arrive. Deathstroke chuckled, seeing me walk backward without moving my eyes from him, it seemed to amuse him, I was scared, which I was, I couldn''t even use my powers where we were, the warehouse was close to a residential area, one whisper and millions would die. He had me on checked mate. "Very well then," Deathstroke chuckled, "Let''s see what you got." Unsheathing his de, Deathstroke sprung at me shocking crity. Seeing there was no way to avoid the confrontation or to escape, I moved close to him sending a right hook his way. However, Deathstroke caught my attack as it arrived, pulling me towards him, before delivering a hilt strike to my throat. The bastard was aiming for my powers. In pain, I staggered back. A single hand clutching to my throat. As much as it pained me to admit it, this was a battle that if I wanted to survive, I would have to fight with the intention to kill, only then, my chances would improve. With that thought in mind, I drew a knife from my suit and got into position, and without hesitation charged at my enemy. Deathstroke dodged my first few strikes with incredible ease, catching one of my swipes with the center of his de, quickly knocking my knife out of my hand, before twirling around and throwing a kick at my head. I ducked under his kick just in time, but before I could reposition myself, Deathstroke turned faster than I could see, or foresee and dug his heavy boot into my face, mming me against the wall with a loud crashing sound. "You are quite good, better than the wonder boy," Deathstrokeplimented, his de resting on his shoulder ever so lightly, "Unlike him, you know the importance of fear," he added, taking slow, heavy steps toward me. "Fear, helps you, fear molds you, at least from my point of view." In pain, I stood up, nose bleeding, face aching with pain as the looming shadow of Deathstroke neared me, with each passing second. Taking a deep breath, I got into position and ran towards my enemy, focusing solely on buying time. "Good," Deathstrokeplimented once again, following suit. Springing over some boxes, I threw a hard punch at the mercenary, putting all my weight into it, the blow however missed as Deathstroke took a sidestep, but I didn''t let that stop me and followed with a right hook and a horizontal kick, both attacks missed, as Deathstroke once again dodged. He was dancing around me. "Very good," Deathstroke said, as I once again tried to strike him. Not giving up my attempts, I threw a hard punch at his jaw, putting my weight into it, the blow to my surprise connected, but it felt, empty, as if I had struck nothing but air as the mercenary moved his head to one side, simting a hit, knowing he was faking the hit, I followed with a kick to his chest to push myself away from him as I grabbed a small explosive from my belt designed to blow metal walls off, and threw his way, before jumping back to take cover. But much to my dismay, Deathstroke grabbed the explosive mid-air and hurled it back to me in a singr motion. In shock, I saw as the small explosive, exploded in my face, sending my body flying across the warehouse, as streams of blood dripped from underneath my suit. "You were aiming to kill me, very good," Deathstroke pped, seemingly pleased with my performance, "I am very happy with your disy so far." I could hear his steps nearing me, every single one of them, bing louder and louder. It was almost haunting. Struggling to stand up, I forced myself to regain my footing, however, from the smoke a kick sent me rolling across the floor. "Is that all?" Deathstroke asked as he drew his katana, before darting towards me and shing across my leg. I winced in pain, dragging myself along the floor trying to escape him, noticing that my leg was bleeding profusely. If only we were fighting in a less popted area. "And the party ends," Deathstroke chuckled, turning around just in time to catch a Batarang that flew his way. Batmannded in front of me, his cape dragging across the floor, his eyes on Deathstroke, "Where is Robin?" he asked. "Who knows?" Deathstroke replied, his stance and bodynguage turning a whole more serious. It made sense, his enemy was now Batman, not a sidekick as he had called us. "ck Bolt, can you move?" Batman asked. I nodded, barely, sure, first I had to stop my bleeding, but after that, I would be able to limp around. "Focus on finding Robin," Batman added, giving me a tracker, "I will deal with him." No need to ask twice, I already had enough Deathstroke for a day. ------------------ With my bleeding stopped, I limped around the warehouse as the sounds of Batman''s battle with Deathstroke echoed across the small building, as while I followed Batman''s tracker to find Robin. I could only hope he had a better time than me. ording to the tracker, he should be close. "Ugh," I heard someone groan. I followed that. A few limps ahead, I found Robin tied up to a post, his nose bleeding but otherwise, okay. I guess I got the shortest straw today. Limping close to him, I grabbed a knife and started cutting, freeing Robin from his restraints, then I proceeded to check on his vitals. He was okay, for the most part. Whatever battle he had with Deathstroke, it was quick, and for the most part, painless. Considering his bruises, and such, the mercenary didn''t even use his weapons on him, he simply knocked him out and tied him to a post. Meaning, that at the very least, his n didn''t involve killing Robin. Which means, Batman was his sole target. I guess this is where I wait, I can''t carry Robin with my state as it is, and he''s out cold. I could try and call Dinah, but she would freak out, not sure I want to do that to her. Alfred could probably pick us up right? I had his number, Batman had given his number minutes before our patrol. Hoping to be correct, I texted the Butler the following message, [We need help evacuating, can you pick us up, is that something you do?] Second after, a text popped up on my phone, [I am on my way, Master Bolt, hold tight.] ----------------------- Alfred arrived a few minutester, wearing a rather unique costume to I imagine hide his identity, it was a very British disguise so to speak, anyway, not only he arrived in time, but managed to find our exact location within the warehouse, and carried both me and Robin out of the ce. The man sure was stronger than he looked. As he carried us out of the ce, the sounds of the battle still echoed around the entire warehouse, it almost felt, unreal. Metal shing against metal, explosions, gunshots. "Worry not, Master Bolt, Master Batman, will prevail," Butler Man, as he had asked me to address him when he arrived stated with total confidence. I nodded, letting my mind finally take a break as I drifted to and of sleep, I was tired, and had lost a lot of blood, I needed a quick nap. I was safe, just now I was realizing how close to dying I had been a few moments ago. At least I got a few hits in, before tossing the towel. -------------- I opened my eyes once again at the cave. I was in the infirmary. From what I could tell, Alfred had treated my wounds. Still, in a bit of pain, I looked around to find Batman on hisputer, with Robin on his side. "Master David," Alfred, who I had failed to notice was near, approached me. ~So did we win?~ I asked, I had to know. "Master Wayne?" Alfred called. "He escaped," Batman replied, turning around to see me. "I apologize, I underestimated the chances of an event like this happening." I nodded, turning to look at Robin, who didn''t dare to look at me. "Robin," Batman growled out. "I''m sorry" Robin said, his voice sounding like that of a kid more than ever, "I we should''ve stuck together, we would''ve done better together." I nodded, ~It''s okay, next time wait for me though.~ "It''s not okay, we almost died because of me!" Robin shouted, running out of the cave. "He wille around Master David, give him time," Alfred assured me. ~I don''t me him,~ I replied, because even though what he had done was very irresponsible, our chances against de together were the same separate, zero. At least for now. I''m pretty sure Dinah will forbid me from visiting Gotham City after this. And with a good reason. Chapter 12: Chapter 12: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [Star City. February 10, 04:30 PDT. 2009 David Lance POV] As expected, Dinah was not happy with the developments of Gotham. The moment she heard what happened in Gotham, she came rushing to the cave, demanding answers from Batman, or rather would have, if I hadn''t stopped her. I understood her reasons. I truly did. However, It wasn''t Batman''s fault what had happened. Or Robin''s for that matter. It was only mine. I was weak. And weakness brought pain. I didn''t want to be weak. "You can''t be serious, David," Dinah sighed, her tone tired and agitated, "You almost died!" ~I know, but that will always be a risk, and you know it,~ I replied, looking at her. It was true, as long as I was part of this world, death would always haunt me as it did to everyone else, no one was safe, not truly. "I know, but" Dinah muttered, giving me a tight hug, "You are my baby brother, I can''t bear to lose you" I hugged her back, feeling her tears running down my back. We remained like this for a few minutes, until I decided to break the hug to tell her something. ~I love you, but you have to understand, as long as I live, I will be in danger, be it, Star City, or Gotham,~ I signed, smiling at her, as I dried her tears up with a piece of cloth I had on me. "I know, but that doesn''t mean I have to like it," Dinah smiled, grabbing my hand. ~All I need to do is grow stronger, train more, and next time, I''ll be ready,~ I grinned at her. My journey started the day I acquired my power, that fateful day, my destiny had been sealed, to what? I didn''t know, I mean, I knew people would pursue my power because it was human nature to desire that which you can''t hold. That day, Batman offered me a path, one to give me a meaning, a purpose. It had been a path picked for me. I didn''t know what I wanted. To be a hero, to live a normal life. I didn''t know, at least not at that time. Sure, everyone fantasizes about saving the world, about having superpowers, about being Superman, or the sh, about being a hero, it''s natural to do so, but from that to the real thing, well, it''s not all a fairy tale. This path, that path had been picked for me, for a very valid reason. I needed focus to learn discipline in my life. From there, I simply followed what was expected of me. While it was true, the life of a hero hadn''t been one I had picked, I was content with it. It was fun to train. It felt good knowing my powers would not hurt others. But, one thing was being content with your situation, and another was being truly happy with it. We settle to conform ourselves with our environment, it''s a human mechanism, it helps us cope. So, yeah, I had settled. But Deathstroke changed that. Death puts things into perspective. The first time I died, I didn''t understand much, it was all so fast, so sudden, I simply remained the same for the most part. That was the first time I experienced mortality, that was the first time I gazed upon the heavy doors of death. However that time I had no time to really take it in. It all had happened quite fast. The second time, however, I had time to savor my mortality to the very essence of it, and sure, I hadn''t died, Batman had arrived just in time to avoid that, but still, even if those gates hadn''t opened this time, I had still been able to gaze upon them once again. And as I gazed upon them, I realized, I was not afraid. It was vexing and confusing. I expected to feel fear, or perhaps anger. But, I simply felt a void within me as I gazed upon them. At first, I had attributed this to the fact I was waiting for Batman, therefore possibly canceling any real fear I could''ve had. But eventually, I came to the realization I had reacted to those gates like a deer would to the headlights of a car. I simply froze. It was pathetic. But no more. I would not let that happen again. Next time, I would be prepared, and this time, it was me, picking the path, and I wanted to be a hero. I had no voice. But I would fight so that others would have one. I had been given a burden, but it was my choice to make it a blessing. Perhaps that''s why I had been so unresponsive to those gates, perhaps, just perhaps I was subconsciously epting the end. I refused to be that weak. Not again. "I see," Dinah chuckled, smiling at me as she brushed my hair with one of her hands while touching my face with the other, "You found your spark for this hellish career," I blinked, surprised at how easy she had read me, before nodding, ~I suppose this counts as my origin story.~ I smiled at her, earning a yful punch to the shoulder from my dear old sister. "I suppose it counts, we all need a strong motive," Dinah sighed, nting a kiss on my forehead. In a way, my reasons were selfish, not as honorable as others, but, did it really matter?I had made a decision, and I would stick by it. "If you truly want to keep this life, then I won''t stay in your way," Dinah smiled, giving me a kiss on the forehead, "I love you, now and always, never forget that." I smiled, how could I forget that? The one thing this new life had given me, that I was truly grateful for was her. My powers, and everything else, had been a burden, one I had simply settled to ept. They had given me great power, but at cost. One slip, one mistake and I could kill those I cared about. However, I now saw this view of my powers was based of what I had lost and not what I had gained, giving me a shackle on pain to a hurtful reality. Well, no more. I would now embrace all that has been given to me, without pain. -------------------- [Gotham City. February 12, 2:35 CT. 2009 Deathstroke POV] I had found the one. My future apprentice. And by ident no less. Funny how life, throws you a curve, especially when you least expect it. I originally had my aims on the wonder boy, but I had found another bird altogether, one that was much, much, better. He would do just fine, following in my footsteps. Of course, I now had to adjust my ns a bit. A year or two would suffice. After all, I had to study my new target, to learn how to break him, because only broken, I would mold him into the perfect killer. But first, I had to let some little owls know not to touch what it''s mine. Plucking a feather or two should do just the trick to send the message. I might even get a few heads rolling, I suppose I''ll see how the night goes when I pay them a visit. Chapter 13: Author Note - READ! Chapter 13: Author Note - READ! Herees to the Corn. To answer some questions and worries you guys seem to have. Why is the MC not using all of his powers? Like the ones he should have as ck Bolt? Like I stated before he''s growing. He will have all of his powers, but some willeter. Like his minor telepathy, and his ability to fly. Why isn''t the MC more skilled inbat? At first, the life of a hero was one forced on him. He learned what others taught him but it was without heart to it. Why is the MC depressed at times, and afraid? You have to remember he was a normal man, he never really fought for his life before, and Deathstroke was his first ever life and death experience where he had time to savor how fragile life truly is. His depressiones from the lost of his voice, he feels secluded from the rest of the world, and it isn''t because he can''t talk, but because if he does everyone around him would be hurt. He''s haunted by what could possibly happen if he ever slips. Haunted by all the what ifs so much he''s unable to see what he has gained, unable to the see what could be from a different lights Will the MC get over his depression and fear? Yes, yes he will. His depression will be the first thing to go, and it will through therapyter on with Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter where he will be forced to confront his life, his feelings ande to ept them. As for his fear of hurting others. That''s what the love interest I have in mind for him will help him heal. As they both share that, powers that if left unchecked could hurt many. Will the MC join the young justice team? At first, for a very brief time, after that he will go solo on a undercover mission, one he will choose to pick out of his own volition. Will he kill viins? Not right now. But time changes a person, doesn''t it? I actually have an entire arc nned around this life and death dilemma. Will he learn to control his powers, like better? Yes, he will. But even at max control his whispers will be many times more powerful than his sister''s screams. If you have any more questions. Pleasement. Chapter 14: Chapter 14: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I posted an author note will some answers to your concerns. Please check them out. ---------------------------------------- [Star City. March 13, 15:19 PDT. 2009 David Lance POV] My encounter with Deathstroke had left a bad taste in my mouth. Making it painfully clear that I needed to sharpen my martial skills, or I would die before long. I had to prepare myself to face his kind, soldiers forged in blood, ruthless mercenaries. I couldn''t depend on Batman to save me all my life, or Dinah, someday, sometime, I would find myself in front of the jaws of death, and I would have no one to save me but myself. I had no excuses. I had all the necessary tools to ovee myself, I was physically stronger than Batman, I had advantages that others didn''t have, I just had to learn how to use them. For this reason, I had decided to start going alone to the streets of Star City, patrolling the dangerous areas of the city for my part, I needed to learn more than I could under my sister''s wings. And somehow, I felt that by bing independent I would learn something, something crucial that I was missing. But enough of that, today I had a mission to catch a serial killer that had so far escaped the Star City police. The police had no leads on this killer other than that he had killed three possible mobsters in the city, which told me that this killer was one motivated by money, not only that, his way of killing was clean, the corpses had no unnecessary traces of trauma, each blow had been lethal and with intent to kill. Unfortunately, that didn''t help my search. In this universe, there was a surplus ofpetent killers, and plenty of people to pay them. But at least I knew I had to be prepared to fight someone above themon assassin. "So kid any idea?" Themissioner of Star City, Mark Roman, said while looking at me with a tired sigh. I shook my head, as I entered his office through the window he had opened, I was still surprised he was okay working with me, considering I was a kid in his eyes, I would''ve thought he would''ve been more against it, but no, he eagerly epted my help, granted we had tomunicate through notes, he didn''t know signnguage. "This fucker is starting a lot of violence," Mark said, taking a seat, I could see his anger quite clearly, "The mobsters are shooting each other left and right, and normally I would be happy with that, but many innocents are getting caught in the crossfire." he sighed, rubbing his temples. -Any updates on the new victim?- I wrote on my notepad. "Yes," Mark nodded, pulling up a file from his desk, "This one was tortured, unlike the rest." he added before giving me the file. Torture? That was a change in his modus operandi, meaning, one it was a different killer, which was very unlikely at this point, or two, histest victim was a message, but for whom? Sighing, I opened the file and started reading. dismemberment, use of acid, ying. The pictures were quite graphic, and the notes quite detailed, thisst man had suffered, and not a quick death, not by all means. -This is a message, he has yet to strike his main target- I wrote on my notepad, giving him back the file. "What do you mean?" Mark asked after reading my note. -So far, his murders have been clean, fast, efficient, but now he has taken another path, my theory is, he''s trying to make someone tremble in fear, who? That''s the question I have.- I wrote. "That sick bastard," Mark scowled. -Is there any possible mob family that is not being attacked?- I asked, more than not, mobs tried to take each other out, so a mob being the patron of this assassin was my best bet so far. Mark sighed as he shook his head, "Every family is being hit." -How about the targets, is any family losing inparison to the other families, less important members?- I asked. "We haven''t confirmed their possible ranks, so nothing there so far," Mark sighed. If I couldn''t follow that path, then I would follow the assassin''s crumbs, he''s jumping one family at a time, meaning the next one should be the Sordelis. -------------- I followed my gut instinct and when to patrol the Sordelis from a building in front of them, hiding from the shadows, so far four victims, from four different families that operated within the legal gray area, doing bad stuff, but not enough to warrant arrest, or a hero. They were smart, keeping themselves out of the game just enough to not matter, but even then, someone wanted them out, or at least scared, a question I wanted to solve. "We are getting purged like dogs I tell you!" One of the mobs I was spying out muttered. Gotta thanks Batman for his gadgets. "Bah, rx, if that bozoes over here, imma show him how real man fight!" Another one replied. "Will you now?" I heard someone chuckle. Who was that guy? And how did he sneak inside their base without me even noticing? Unless he was already inside? Nheless, I don''t recognize him at all. Frowning, I pulled out my binocrs and tried to get a better view of the guy. He was of average height, fit physique, and was wearing white jeans and a red shirt, from where I was looking, unfortunately, his face was beyond my reach, but I could see he was night sses. "Who the fuck are you?!" They didn''t know him? That''s my cue to get close then. Using my grappling hook, I swung to the building in front of mending two feet beside a window to get a better look at the situation. "I said who the fuck are you!?" the mobster asked again, pulling his gun out. "No one," The man grinned, kicking the mob out of the way with a kick horizontal kick. I wasn''t sure he was my guy, but I had a strong feeling he was. Sighing, I opened the window without making a sound and sneaked around the ce putting some small traps as the unknown man kicked the hell out of the mobs, so far he was not using lethal force, so I had time to set the battlefield in my favor, but I had to do it fast, his amiable approach could change at any time. "Now, how about you guys tell me where your boss is?" The man asked, grabbing one of the mobsters by the neck with ease, as three others joined to try and help their friend. "Eat shit!" The mobster spat while choking admirable, and my cue to intervene. "Bad answer," The man sighed. However the unknown man had given me all the time I needed to position myself, during this conversation, I had closed the distance between us, nking him, and before he could do anything more, I jumped on his shoulders before using them as a tform tond a kick on his chest, releasing the mobster. *Leave,* I told the mobsters using my recorded voice lines. "Don''t have to ask twice," The man I had rescued nodded, running away with his friends, not without carrying his fallen. "That was a stupid move kid," The unknown man chuckled, cracking his knuckles. *Who are you?* I asked, using one of my recorded voice lines from my utility belt. "Constantine Drakon, a pleasure to meet you," He bowed, as I frowned, this was the first time I heard of him, so far, as far as I knew, there was only one Constantine, and he wasn''t an assassin, but a mage of the dark arts. "That kick hurt," Constantine chuckled, rubbing his chest a bit, "But don''t worry, I always pay my debts," he added, hurling a few very distinctive knives my way, as I ducked under their trajectory. Taking this opportunity I pushed toward him, hurling a few explosive knives with non-lethal charges with the intention to disorient him just enough for me tond a clean hit, knocking him out. Constantine noticing this, rushed towards me, dodging the knives as he focused on me. Deciding to break some distance between us, I pulled my grappling from my belt and aimed at the ceiling with the intention to get some high ground before he could reach me, then, as the grappling gun pulled me up, I hurled a few explosives under me halting his advance while covering in smoke, as Inded on the second floor. "Not bad, but not enough," Constantinemented, hurling a few knives my way from the smoke. I sidestepped, dodging the projectiles with ease as I focused on the shadows moving through the white smoke. Then, I heard something. Behind me. Reacting in time, I spun around to find the assassin lunging towards me, knives drawn, so twirling under his attack, I grabbed his arm and threw a hard punch to his jaw, putting some weight into it. Constantine staggered back, spitting some teeth and blood to the ground as I swung my leg in a horizontal kick his way, however, the assassin took no time to recover and dodge my kick, retaliating by shing my chest with one of his knives. A hideous scraping noise invaded my ears immediately after, making me grateful for Batman''s insistence on using ker-made suits, otherwise, I would''ve gotten a nasty cut. Seeing his attack had done nothing, I threw a punch his way, but the assassin ducked kicking me into a wall shattering the wall into pieces under my weight with ease. "Thick armor kid," Constantine chuckled. I smiled, the man was good, but was painfully overconfident, after all, he had not checked his surroundings at all, nor found the traps I had set beforehand. Grinning, the assassin took a step forward, activating one of my traps, an electric wire, that effectively caught him, pushing enough voltage on his body to knock a trained soldier down. "You motherfucker," Constatine growled. *That''s my name, don''t wear it out,* I blinked, that was not what I intended to say, I wanted to ask for him to surrender Robin I will kill you. "You want to y dirty? Then so be it," Constantine snarled, taking out a pen from his pocket, then, clicking the pen, transforming it, into a long sword, then raising the sword high above his head, he swung it down at me as I rolled out of the way, hurling a few explosives and knives his way. "I will put your head on disy kid," Constantine dered, back to his confident self. I sighed, pressing a button in my belt to activate trap two, the AI dart gun I had positioned within a box a few meters away from him. However, this time, Constantine reacted in time, hearing the gunshot, and deflected the dart with great skill, sadly for him, I expected that to happen, after the first trap, the second one was destined to fail, which is why I had shot a dart at him the same time he had taken his eyes off me to deal with the other one. "Kid, I was trained for this, that wo-" and he fell to the ground with a loud thud, he was probably about to say how he was trained to resist things like sleeping darts, but considering he had taken enough voltage to knock a trained soldier, I had upped the dart dosage a bit, quite a bit. Well, Batman was right, nning ahead does make a difference. Chapter 15: Chapter 15: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I posted an author note will some answers to your concerns. Please check them out. ---------------------------------------- [Star City. March 13, 19:45 PDT. 2009 David Lance POV] After I had incapacitated the assassin. Constantine Drakon. I dragged his unconscious body to an abandoned room inside the warehouse we were in, tying him up with industrial-grade ropes, to avoid his escape. As I waited for him to wake up so that I could interrogate him. With Constantine tied up, and nothing to do but wait, I reached for my work phone on the right of my utility belt, keeping my eyes on the assassin, deciding it would be best to send a message to my sister, telling her that I wouldn''t be home early today. [Okay. Be careful though! And remember to eat! Real food! Not the rations Batman gives you for long nights! You can''t grow only on rations. Remember to call me if anything happens, or Oliver. Love you!] I smiled at her text, sending her a smiling emoji back as a reply. She would know what I meant. ''Now, all I have to do is wait,'' I thought, my hands fidgeting with my work phone before I decided to put it back on my utility belt, to avoid miscing it. Outside the warehouse, the sirens of the police were heard, driving far in the distance in an opposite direction, as well as the murmur of the people strolling under the moonlight, having fun. Clueless about what was really happening in their city. I have to admit, I really admire their will to live their lives regardless of what could stop them. In this world, I feel that''s something hard toe by. I mean, I don''t think I would''ve lived my life like a normal person back in my world if superviins had been a thing. I suppose it''s a matter of the environment. In this world, viins and heroes are solid parts of their society, meaning they had grown ustomed to their presence, for better or for worse, allowing them to live seemingly normal lives, while being not all bothered about the fact that they could be kidnapped or killed by the likes of the Joker at any given time. I smiled. Realizing, I myself had grown ustomed to the environment just like them, but with extra steps. Had anyone told me before dying, that in the future I would be fighting lunatics in spandex clothes that looked like they had been purchased from Party City, to save others while risking my life, I would''ve probablyughed. Now, it''s just my day-to-day life. I sighed, ncing at the assassin to check how he was doing. Looking for things like changes in his breathing pattern, eye movements, and things along those lines. I had to keep my guard up, after all, I might have won our initial exchange, but the battle had not ended. As Batman would say, you only won, when the enemy it''s behind bars, not a moment before, and even then, keep your guard up. Solid advice. One I wanted to live by. As for Drakon, his breathing pattern remained the same without any alterations, meaning he was most likely still out cold. Of course, that didn''t clear the possibility of him faking it, after all, most assassins, at least the professional ones, were thoroughly trained to control their breathing from day one, alongside other things. Be that as it may, I wasn''t too worried, after all, I had a few things under my belt to deal with such cases should they present themselves. Courtesy of Oliver, and Batman. "Ugg I won''t ever hear the end of this ever." And so, the sleeping beauty awakens without even trying to trick me. In part, I''m grateful, it saves me a little time. -Who sent you?- I asked him, using my recording lines, as I stared into his eyes. "Kid, you won''t get shit out of me," Drakon snorted, rolling his eyes. I smiled under my mask. He would talk, he just didn''t know that yet. I had learned a lot from Batman, and while I wasn''t even near his level, I was confident what I had learned from him would suffice. ---------------------- Six long hours of interrogationter, only to learn that whoever had sent Constantine Drakon out to kill mob members had given him absolutely no information, using phone calls and letters tomunicate with him without giving him any information that could help me identify him. Burner phones. Letters without trail. Whoever had hired Drakon, was a step above a pro. The shadows perhaps but while that sounded usible, it didn''t feel right, the shadows rarely relied on contractors, instead opting to send their own people to conduct any mission they have. Leaving me with little to no suspects. Especially considering the targets. Killing mob members didn''t fit anyone''s modus operandi, not that I knew of. Save for ck Mask perhaps, but he was one to rarely leave Gotham, avoiding at all costs other heroes and their territories, to keep them out of his business. "You f-fucking bastard. Using drugs to make me talk!" Drakon snarled, ring at me in clear anger. I nodded, having no voice lines to answer that. Maybe I should ask Robin to make me a few more, I need more flexibility when on the field alone. "I will kill you! You hear me! I will fucking kill you!" Drakon screamed, thrashing around, straining against the ropes, before I darted him a few times, putting him back to sleep. I had no need for him anymore. The police would deal with him now, which ording to my radio were three minutes away. I had called them a few minutes after confirming Drakon had no useful information. I smiled, reaching for my phone once again, to tell my sister I would be home in an hour or two, after getting something to eat. Maybe a hotdog, not exactly something healthy, or something my sister would rmend eating for a growing kid, but I was craving that. I would eat a sdter. [Ok, remember you have school in four hours. So if you want to skip it, please tell me your excuse, so that I can back it up. Kisses! Your awesome sister.] I snorted, replying to her. [What a bad influence you are Dinah Lance. Corrupting my poor, malleable, young soul. Ha! No worries, I feel okay, no need to skip a day of school for that. Besides, I hardly do anything at school, sses are freaking easy, so I mostly just sleep through all of them.] [Very funny little bird. In that case, hurry up! And bring me a hotdog! You know how I like them, no mustard, extra onions! And don''t tell me you aren''t going for one as well.] I blinked, was I really that predictable? [Fine. We might as well have breakfast together then.] I replied. [Like the sound of that. By the way, get me two instead, not like I can get fat fighting crime anyways. And put every green you see in yours, make them as healthy as possible!] I smiled, before replying [Ditto!]. As the sirens of the police finally neared the building. Chapter 16: Chapter 16: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I posted an author note will some answers to your concerns. Please check them out. ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] The golden light ofte afternoon settled over Star City. Its warm tones shone into my room as I sat on my bed, eyeing the files I had about the case I was currently working on. Besides the files, at an appropriate distance, a warm cup of coffee rested next to me. About half full, the sweet steam of its aroma gently floating above the cup. "David, you can''t only work," Dinah sighed as she entered the room, her attention falling into the files as a frown formed on her face. "I know, I know," I nodded, my shoulders tensing as my hands moved to reply, my eyes ncing at her. "But I can''t let this go. Something about it doesn''t feel right," I added, signing quickly, while giving her a warm smile. "I know, but overworking yourself won''t do you good." Dinah replied, her eyes bing soft as she tossed me a bag filled with hot bagels. "Eat." I smiled, grabbing one of the bagels out of the bag. "The case won''t go anywhere, so take a break. I''ll even help you, the awesome Lance siblings working together, how does that sound?" Dinah winked at me, a yful smile adorning her face. I smiled, rolling my eyes at her antics. Giving her a look that said, sure, why not? [Deathstroke POV] The night hade to downtown Gotham, and my prey, the court of owls, were finally making their move, inside an abandoned shelter near the docks. "Owls." I boomed at them, as I walked out of the shadows, bowing ever so slightly for the dramatics. "I''ve been looking for you little birds, all over Gotham. For a bird of prey, you guys really like to a hide." "Deathstroke, we mean you no harm, leave and let us be," The main talon replied "We do not have fight." "We don''t have to fight? I''m sorry, but we do. You are unfortunately targeting something that belongs to me." I almost chuckled at that, a fight would imply they would make this encounter worthwhile. I was not one for egos, or bravados, butpared to them, a small organization to scared to even face others, I had no fears, I had defeated Gotham''s Bat, faced Metropolis golden boy inbat, and had plenty of times out-maneuvered the speedsters this world had to offer, for me, this battle would be a stroll in the park. "Leave alive or in a body bag," The Talon replied, as his body sank into a defensive stance. "Very well then," I smiled under my mask. "Do your worst, little owl." Without another word, weapons l came to bare as the Talon sprung towards me. Satisfied with his course of action, I caught his initial strike with my de, before twirling around, throwing a kick at the Talon''s face, knocking the owl back staggering, as he dropped his own de on the floor. Then, before the Talon could recover his bearings, I dug a punch into his sr plexus, before mming him to the floor with a kick. "Quite the disappointment. And you wanted to take him under your wings? So wasteful,", I muttered, looking as the owl struggled to get back up. "If it''s the kid you want. Rest assured we no longer want anything to do with him, therefore this is unnecessary." The Talon replied, getting back into a defensive position. "Unnecessary? My dear owl, I know you no longer want anything to do with him. This isn''t about keeping you away from him, this is about sending a message to whoever thinks they can steal from me." I bellowed in a cold tone, taking slow, heavy steps toward the owl. "Very well then." The Talon nodded, before rushing toward me, baring his ws. I smiled, darting towards him, dodging his attacks before gashing him with quick cuts of my de that made the owl roar in pain. Streams of blood dripping from underneath his suit. "Your court, your people has settled for mediocrity. I have not," I spoke, grabbing the owl by the neck. "While you battled rich petnt kids, I battled the best this world had to offer." I added, mming his head on the cement floor, breaking his mask. "You can''t kill me I''m already dead," The Talon muttered, straining to even speak, adorable. If I wanted him dead, he would be already, what part of sending a message wasn''t clear?. "You won''t die today, not because I can''t kill you, which believe me, I can, but because it serves me no purpose." I replied, carving a line on his body with my de. "Ahh!" At this, the owl winced in pain, his leg bleeding profusely thanks to the newest cut. "Now, tell your friends. Everyone you know, the kid it''s mine, you can try to kill him, hurt him, anything you wish. I won''t even get mad if you or anyone kills him, if anything it would show he wasn''t worth my time, just don''t try to steal him, is that clear?" I muttered into his ear, ploughing my de into his gut. Pools of red liquid dripped from his mouth as he tried to reply. Until I decided to pull my de out, allowing his broken body to hit the ground with a thud, to a pool of its own blood. Immortality truly was a curse in the face of greater power. "Crystal." The Talon muttered, his voice muffled in pain. I smiled, wiping the steel of my de clean with a small towel, before cing my weapon back to its sheath. "I''m d we had this talk." With that done. I had nothing else to do in Gotham, save perhaps for visiting the Bat, it would certainly be more enjoyable than this pathetic excuse of a fight I had. It had been a while since Ist fought Gotham'' Knight. Last time we left things on a draw, when he interrupted my get to know with my future pupil. I chuckled, I suppose I might as well treat myself while I''m here, and fight the bat. I had allocated more time for the owls, time I had not used, and could use something worthwhile. Chapter 17: Chapter 17: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I posted an author note will some answers to your concerns. Please check them out. ---------------------------------------- [Gotham City. March 15, 08:35 CT. David Lance POV] After having breakfast with my sister, I decided to ask and visit the best detective I knew, Batman, to lend me a hand with my case. I was certain there was something I wasn''t seeing, and it bothered me. Perhaps Batman would offer me a new perspective. He always did. "You cane out now," Batman said to the seemingly empty cave. "Good job getting into the cave without setting the rms off." How the fuck? I will never believe he has no powers. I waited for him to go out before entering the cave, how the hell did he know? And right the moment he entered?! "How?" I signed, dropping to the floor in a low crouch. Part of his training for me had always been the task of trying to sneak on him, which I had so far been, painfully unsessful. Today I had thought I had finally seeded, but again, today wasn''t the day. "You need to cover your tracks from the moment you leave your house," Batman replied, his tone even. "That, and perhaps tell your sister not to call me," he added with a hint of humor, cracking the closest thing to a smile I had ever seen him show. I sighed, giving him a quick nod of understanding. Next time, I would start covering my tracks from the moment I left the house, and I would tell Dinah to avoid calling him while I''m at it. "Where''s Robin?" I asked, tilting my head. "School," Batman replied, his tone back to his normal monotone. Leaving no trace of the small smile he had shown a few seconds ago. On a Sunday? I pity him. "I see," I nodded, before pulling the USB drive with the files I had about my case for Batman to go over. Batman took the USB without a word, quickly putting it on his PC, automatically opening the files after a quick scan of the contents. "What do you know so far?" Batman asked, his eyes fixed on theputer. "Not much. All I know it''s someone has started killing mobsters in Star City," I replied, feeling somewhat ashamed that was all I had. "Beyond that, it''s all assumptions. I think whoever it''s behind this doesn''t normally operate in my city." Batman scowled at the screen. Making a face that said this was all too familiar to him. "I think your assumption it''s right," he said, opening a new set of files from his PC. So I was on the right tracks, good to know. "I have seen the work of Constantine Drakon before. And more than not, it always leads to one person," Batman said, pointing at the screen. Where an image of Deathstroke was to be found. Him? But why would Deathstroke send another assassin to kill simple mobsters? It was way out of his normal modus operandi. Deathstroke worked for money, sure, but above all, what pushed him was the thrill of the hunt, of a good fight. Then again, the night I met him and we fought, he showed interest in me. So, perhaps he was testing me. No "I see you came to the same conclusion," Batman said as if reading my mind. Deathstroke wanted me?! "First the Owls, and now him?" I signed, a frown of worry forming on my face, my mind racing at what this meant. I had to prepare, I had to train even harder, being in his sight was never a good thing. I had to protect my sister, even Oliver from him. "Don''t," Batman said, cing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You are not alone in this. Never forget that." I nodded, feeling like he was speaking from experience. "As for the owls. They won''t bother you anymore," Batman said, walking back to hisputer. "Deathstroke it''s not one to share." Not sure if that makes me feel better, or worse. "How did you figure out how it was Deathstroke so fast?" I genuinely wanted to know, for me, he looked at my files, opened a few of his own, and boom, he had the answer. I really wanted to reach that level, though I doubted it was humanly possible. "Constantine Drakon is almost an exclusive contractor for Deathstroke, a fact that narrowed the list of subjects down to five possible targets. However, that doesn''t say anything, what actually gave me the answer was the fact I fought Deathstrokest night," Batman replied, taking my USB drive out of his PC. "He told me to teach you well before he took the wheel" I would never follow him willingly. I would rather die than serve. Wait a second. I interrogated Drakon, and he never mentioned Deathstroke. "I interrogated Drakon, using all the tools you taught me to use," I frowned, looking at my utility belt. "He never said a thing about Deathstroke." "Because at the time, there wasn''t a thing about Deathstroke to be said," Batman replied, confusing me a bit. "Selective memory lost. It ensures the target only remembers what you want him or her to remember. It guarantees to a greater degree the safety of critical information in the criminal world, without having to trust others. It''s mostly used on what others consider disposable pawns, or witnesses when killing them would gather too much-unwanted attention." So Deathstroke had erased Drakon''s memory of him. "I see." "Most of the time, this process it''s preset on the target''s mind, with the memories only getting erased after the trigger event it''s activated. In this case, I suspect the trigger for Constantine Drakon was getting caught, which fits with Deathstroke''s character. Where the weak get disposed of," Batman added, handing me the USB I had given him. "Do you think he will try to get me, anytime soon?" I signed, worried about my sister, who undoubtedly would get hurt in the crossfire. No, if push came to shove, for my sister, I would kill de, even if that meant bing a killer, after all, all it would take is a whisper. "No," Batman shook his head. "He won''t kidnap you. When de wants something, someone, he prefers the arrangement to be a willing one. Meaning he will try to change you, just enough for you to see in him, not a monster, but an opportunity." Chapter 18: Chapter 18: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I posted an author note will some answers to your concerns. Please check them out. For double chap today, vote. Stone the corn! Stone the corn! With love, Corn. ---------------------------------------- [Star City. March 17, 04:35 PDT. David Lance POV] "It''s nearly dawn, David," Dinah observed as she entered my room. "Deathstroke won''te tonight. Take a break." "I know." I nodded, my hands barely managing to make the correct signs to transmit my message. I was quite tired. Dinah sighed, approaching my side. "David. We will be okay. The league it''s keeping an eye on him for us. And even if he somehow manages to avoid the watchful eye of the league, he would have to fight us." she smiled, cing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I smiled back at her. Trying to take her confidence to heart. But failing to do so. I just couldn''t help it. "I will take a break," I signed, giving Dinah a small hug afterward. "Good," Dinah beamed, nting a kiss on my forehead. "Never forget. I will always protect you. No matter the cost. That''s my job as your big sister." "That and stealing my food," I retorted with a cheeky smile, after all, she had a thing for stealing my fries, and nuggets. Thisment, however, made my sweet sister p the back of my head. "Dumbass," Dinah chuckled, rolling her eyes, before yfully pushing into the bed. "Go to sleep." I smiled from cheek to cheek, giving her a nod as she chucklingly closed the door of my room. ---------------------------- After a few hours of restless sleep, interrupted by constant nightmares of my first encounter with Deathstroke, and how close I had been to dying, I woke up, determined to train, harder than ever. I had to admit. I was scared. For all my power, Deathstroke terrified me. Not because I couldn''t beat him, which unless I used my powers, I was sure I couldn''t, at least at the current time. But because I knew how determined he was, how relentless, and how dangerous he was when he wanted to be. I was afraid of being unable to stop him should he aim to break me through my sister. I was afraid of him rendering me powerless through the environment, knowing well I would not use my powers to kill him if it meant killing thousands of innocents in the process. But most of all. I was afraid of willingly using my powers to stop him. Even if it meant destroying others in the process. Because deep down, I knew I would use my voice to kill him if it meant saving Dinah, without hesitation. I knew that there was a chance my first encounter with Deathstroke had left a scar in my mind. That almost dying was probably influencing how I was taking this. That the events of that night were now resurfacing as trauma. Invading my thoughts and dreams in an unhealthy way. I knew that very well. But I also knew that what I was feeling wasn''t without any base. I believed in Dinah. In Oliver. And in Batman. I hadn''t worked much with the League, but those in this life I trusted and cared about did. So I also believed in them. However, while I trusted them. I would not blindly entrust my safety and that of Dinah to them. Not entirely, at least, and it wasn''t because I didn''t believe in their abilities to stop Deathstroke. But because I would never forgive myself if something happened to those I cared about while I waited for the league or others toe. "Good afternoon sleepy head," Dinah said as she entered my room with a small tray with three sandwiches. Effectively stopping my current train of thought. I smiled, waving at her. "I made you breakfast," Dinah smiled, putting the tray on my bed. "You know you can talk to me. Right?" She knew of my nightmares. Of course, she did. I had hoped the fact that I don''t make a sound while sleeping would prevent Dinah from finding out. "I know," I nodded, going through the hand signs slowly. "It was just a nightmare. Is normal for kids my age. Don''t worry." I added, grabbing one of the sandwiches. I really didn''t want to worry her about such things. "It is," Dinah nodded, her eyes softly resting on me. "When you feel like talking about these nightmares. I''m here. Remember that. Now and always. None of this is your fault." As much as I appreciated my sister''s attempts to ease my mind, I still held myself responsible for all of this. However, I would not tell her that, so instead, I nodded, offering her a seat on my bed to have lunch with me. "Food won''t silence me, David," Dinah chuckled, taking a seat. "I''m gonna eat one of the sandwiches. But know, that I am highly offended by this bribe." I rolled my eyes at her, to which she yfully pushed off the bed. "That''s a peculiar way to get me to open up. Child abuse. If only the masses knew how evil ck Canary truly is," I signed, giving her a mocking look of hurt. "Good thing the masses will never know," Dinah yfully replied. "Otherwise I would be forced to be a superviin! I even have the name ready, just in case. #000000 Canary." she added, with a fake maniacalugh. I smiled, inwardly chuckling at the silliness of her viin name. #000000 Canary. Which literally tranted to ck Canary, with the ck part of her name changed to the Hex Code #RGB of the color ck. "How about you join me? You could be #000000 Bolt. The terrors of Star City!" Dinah added,ughing like a stereotypical viin, the only thing that was missing was the shlight illuminating her face. "No thank you," I replied, grabbing a sandwich. "Oh, Oliver could join us! And be #00FF00 Arrow!" Dinah chuckled, rubbing her hands together for dramatics. "We could be. The Hex Code Family." "You are a dork sometimes," I replied, throwing one of my pillows at her. "So you defy me?!" Dinah grinned, grabbing the pillow. "Very well then. Hero,e at me!" And so, we started a pillow war in the house. That somehow extended long enough for Oliver to arrive and join the fray. "For my mustache!" Oliver screamed, holding two memory foam pillows in his hands. Chapter 19: Chapter 19: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! For an extra chap today vote! This is my Father''s Day gift to the site. ---------------------------------------- [Star City. April 17, 21:35 PDT.. David Lance POV] I continued with my life a day at a time. Training every time I had the chance, learning all I could from my sister, Oliver when he had the time, and Batman. My goal was to be proficient enough in the martial arts to take Deathstroke on, in hand-to-handbat. I knew, however, that getting to that level of prowess would take time. Deathstroke was a seasoned warrior. A mercenary with decades of experience. On paper. My goal sounded almost unreachable. But, it wasn''t. Batman was the living proof of that. A solid demonstration that training and experience could go a long way. He was a man, a human, in a realm of gods, fighting threats that should, by all means, be far beyond his reach. Yet. No matter the inconceivable odds stacked against him. The simple human would always prevail. Against the monsters, against the gods, and all others. It was admirable. And the extraordinary thing was. Batman wasn''t the only living example of this. Oliver. Ted Kord. And Richard Dragon had reached this very same level, to different extents each. All humans. And yet. They had reached the unreachable. I wasn''t a simple human. I was an inhuman. Part of a race of altered human beings that were the result of experiments on prehistoric humans by the extraterrestrial race, the Kree, who manipted their gic code, creating the potential for them to acquire superhuman abilities through a process known as Terrigenesis, in the Marvel Universe. And I wasn''t any inhuman for that matter. No, my powers, my strength, everything came from the strongest inhuman to have ever lived. Their King, ckagar Boltagon. If normal humans without any of what I had. Had managed to reach such levels, I had no excuse to not do the same and more. ------------------ [Star City. April 17, 22:58 PDT. 2009.] After dealing with my own emotions. Resolving to push any negative thoughts down. I started working on a case. Alone. Not because I didn''t want to work with Dinah or Oliver, it''s just that they were busy dealing with other cases that required their attention, like this required mine. Though, to be fair. With Oliver, it was more like I didn''t want to work with him. His sidekick was a condescending insufferable ass, that saw me as a threat to his role in his own world of jealous delusions, turning into the embodiment of a toxic girlfriend, every time Oliver took some of his time to teach me. Oliver would often defend him. Saying it was the hormones. Which I suppose could exin some of his behaviors. Be that as it may, I had no intention of dealing with any of that. Opting instead to only go on missions with Oliver when he wasn''t around. To avoid the very likely scenario of me tackling him through a wall. No idea why Robin likes him. The guy lives in a constant state of trying to prove he''s the best. In everything. But in a toxic way. Like, thest time I ever saw him. Oliver had us spar, a spar I won with rtive ease. A fact he didn''t like. At all. In his eyes. I could see he was angry, unfathomably angry. He didn''t show it, as most people would. He didn''t scream. Try to attack. Nothing. He simply stared at me for a brief moment, in pure unadulterated anger. Before storming out of sight as Oliver sighed. That amount of anger was not normal. Especially considering the reason why he had been angry in the first ce. But that''s beyond the point now. He was Oliver''s problem. Not mine. My problem right now. Was tracking a killer. Keeping an eye on their next possible target. Star City''s governor candidate and ex-policemissioner. Brian Nudocerdo. A criminal scum that had escaped justice for a long time, by controlling the system from within, knowing what to do, and what not to keep himself out of jail. Be that as it may. Right now, he wasn''t my case. I had a killer to catch. After that was done, I would see what I could do about putting him in jail. So far, Nudocerdo seemed to be fine. Sleeping soundly on his bed, snoring, his wife by his side. No signs of anyone but them in the house. However, as I thought of this. A shadow moved past my field of vision, skillfully using the shadows the starless sky gave to hide its presence. Without even noticing, this mysterious shadow spurred me into action. Making me spring towards the house, as I drew out my silent grapnel gun from my belt and fired it in the direction of the ceiling, to cut some distance, in an attempt to intercept the mysterious shadow before it reached its target. Finding myself face to face with a woman wearing nothing but ck leather, and a white mask, as Inded in front of her. "This does not concern you. Leave," The mysterious woman advised, her tone clear in the threat. I shook my head. "Then, you will die. Just like him," The woman drawled, pointing at me. Hurling a gleaming knife at me during this seemingly innocent motion. I ducked, the de slicing through the air, lodging itself up on the walls of the house behind me. However, the woman didn''t stop there, hurling a few extra knives at me. Keeping my eyes on her, I sprung towards her, deflecting the knives, while pulling two knives out of my belt, before hurling them at her. Who deftly evaded the attack. Missing her by a few inches. "Nix," The woman spoke calmly, pulling a curved de out of her suit. "You have earned the honor of knowing who is to im your life. ck Bolt." she intoned, her de gleaming under the moonlight. Nix, that''s a name I didn''t know. I will have to ask Dinah after I take her down if she knows of any Nix. More than not, I always know who everyone is. Thanks to my canon knowledge, but her? I had no idea who she was behind that mask. Not even the slightest. Chapter 20: Chapter 20: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! For double wombo chapter surprise. Let''s reach the top 3. ---------------------------------------- [Star City. April 17, 21:35 PDT. David Lance POV] Sprinting towards her, I grabbed a few explosives from my belt, before throwing them at the ground behind me, hopefully, the explosions would alert Nudocerdo that he was in danger. Then as I neared Nix, I ducked under her de, throwing a hard punch at her gut. The blow knocked the assassin off the ground, taking the air out of her. Giving me the opportunity to follow up with a kick, a left uppercut, and an elbow to the face in rapid session. Thest strike cracking her mask as she fell to the ground rolling. "You will pay," Nix muttered, staring into my eyes as she disposed of her broken mask, tossing the remains aside. Darting towards me. Nix retaliated by shing out her de in a series of methodical, yet masterful attacks that raked across my arm guards with a hideous scraping noise as l blocked her attacks. Inwardly thanking Batman for the armor he had given me, one with fouryers of thick military-grade ker. Then, as her de was reeling back for a new attack, I took that small window, and kicked the assassin in the face, plucking a miniature sh-bang grenade from my belt, before throwing it straight to her face as I closed my eyes, using one of my arms to block the iing light from blinding me. Blinded by the explosion, Nix staggered back. However, before she could even take two steps, I was back on her, eyes opened, mming her face against the grass, before using my taser to electrocute her. "Are you done?" I heard someone snarl from behind. And it was no other than Nudocerdo, who was standing on his balcony with nothing but an open bathrobe, shing his naked body at me as he red at me, in pure contempt. I wonder if I can ask Martian Manhunter to erase this memory. "Answer!" Nudocerdo growled, ring even harder than before. If only he knew the consequences of his demand. I mean, I could answer, but he would never get to hear my voice, he would blink into hell. I sighed, giving the asshole a short nod. As amusing as it was imagining his face seeing me talk, for the first time in years. I had things to do. None of them included him, not anymore. "Then fucking leave!" Nudocerdo barked. This time I ignored him. Proceeding to tie Nix up, as well as checking her suit for any hidden weapons to avoid a sudden escape as I relocated her to jail. "Look at me when I''m talking to you!" Nudocerdo fumed, throwing a tantrum as I calmly continued doing what I was doing. As Batman says, do something well once, and you won''t have to do it again. Besides, I knew what Nudocerdo was doing. I had seen the cameras around. He was trying to get a rise out of me. Record the entire thing, and use it for his personal agenda against heroes. I would not humor him. Even if the cameras weren''t around. He wasn''t worth it. ---------------------------- [Star City. April 21, 09:15 PDT. David Lance POV] Since that fateful night. No more attempts against Nudocerdo''s life had been made. Be that as it may, I still kept an eye on the man, not only to stop any possible attempts on his life but to find enough proofs to send him to jail. I knew it was only a matter of time before he made a mistake. I just had to be patient. Other than that. When I wasn''t fighting crime with Dinah, or tailing Nudocerdo, I would be training or in school, sleeping. Exams were easy to ace, and the teachers were nice enough to let me sleep as long as I kept my grades above A- in their sses. Right now, however. I was alone at the house. Reading, as I waited for Dinah to arrive so that we could go out for lunch. [Dude, I heard you took Nix alone!] I blinked, looking at my phone. [Dick, this is my personal number. Do try to keep it clean.] I replied, for a tech-savvy superhero, sometimes he felt like an old man without any idea how technology worked. [Funny. Anyways, I was thinking we celebrate? With I dunno pizza, games, and lots of soda?] I smiled, shaking my head ever so slightly. [Sure, why not? When and where?] [Today, and at my ce.] Robin replied with a bunch of smiley faces and other emotions, like the pizza one. [.....] I replied, knowing what would happen next. I would say it was too sudden, and he would just pop out of nowhere saying, toote to say no, let''s go. [Dude, your closet it''s ufortable. Don''t leave me hanging.] Robin replied, realizing I had realized he was here. [What''s that a pun?] I wrote back. [Maybe] Robin replied. I sighed, deciding to follow his game. [Today. That''s too sudden man.] Kicking the door of my closet, Dick Grayson jumped into my room, pointing at me. "Toote to say no! Let''s go!" I deadpanned. "It wasme wasn''t it?" Robin sighed. I nodded, slowly. "I really need to stop letting anime influence me. I me Kid sh," Robin chuckled. I smiled, rolling my eyes, before signing, "Before leaving I have to tell my sister. During my lunch with her tonight. And before youin. I made my ns with my sister beforehand, so wait in my room, and I don''t know, y something. Read a book, do whatever. I''ll be back before 2 PM.] "Fine by me," Robin smiled, happily jumping into my bed, taking a book from my shelf in the process. "Quantum Physics?" he chuckled, reading the title of the book as he gave me a look that said, really? I shrugged, I didn''t understand much of the book, but I liked reading about stuff I didn''t understand, it was fun. "I like books that make me feel dumb. Feeling dumb it''s a great motivator. It makes me want to not be dumb." "Hey man, whatever works for you," Robin chuckled, going back to the book to read. Chapter 21: Chapter 21: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! Mass release if we reach top 2-3. ---------------------------------------- [Gotham. April 22, 09:35 PDT. 2009. David Lance POV] After having a rather delectable lunch with Dinah at a Chinese restaurant we had both been wanting to try for weeks since it had opened, I left with Robin to Gotham, to spend a few days with him. Wayne''s Manor was second to none. They had everything anyone could want for entertainment. Swimming pools, tennis courts, ser fields, arcade rooms, and much more. Their library alone was my wet dream. They quite possibly had every book ever written there, and more. Hell, the library had five floors, seven if you counted the ones, not for the public, and ten if you counted the ones only Batman used. They also had three movie rooms and a horse track, with actual horses. Be that as it may, their library was my one true love. Which is why I was yearningly looking at it. As Robin obliterated me in the arcade. "You really love our library," Dick snickered, winning once again. A perfect K.O. I nodded, no reason to hide my love for the unreachable. That was a library only rich people had, really rich people, some of the books inside were worth millions, as they were first editions, or in some cases thest of their kind. "You can alwayse to read. Alfred knows to let you in, whenever youe," Dick imed, a bright smile on his face. "Indeed Master David," Alfred nodded, bowing ever so slightly. "I even have in stock your favorite snacks and drinks. Just in case." I smiled, giving the old butler a warm look. He really was one of a kind. "Bruce won''t mind," Dick nodded, smiling in a yful demeanor. "Heck, he even asked your sister about all your favorite things, to add them to our shopping list." I didn''t know that. It was very kind of them to do such things, I need to thank Batmanter. Speaking of which, now that I think about it, where is he? Since I had arrived here, I haven''t seen him at all. "Where''s Mr. Wayne?" I signed, tilting my head in confusion. "On league business," Dick answered with a yawn, slouching into the arcade. "He didn''t specify. He only said it would possibly take a few days." "Don''t worry Master Dick, Master Bruce will be back in no time," Alfred articted, with a small smile. "I''m not worried," Dick replied, his lips pressed together. "I just wish the league allowed us to go on league missions. We fight viins just like them." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Dick,st time we went solo to a big mission. Deathstroke almost killed us both. It''s clear we still have something to learn." Dick deted, giving me a betrayed look before saying, "You have a point." "Indeed he does," Alfred nodded, agreeing with me in a jovial tone. Secretly using signnguage to tell me, thank you. While Dick was looking away. "I''m just saying. The experience could help us," Dick shrugged. I nodded. He had a point there. "I think that''s what they are doing. Giving us experience, but in a controlled environment, where they feel they can protect us no matter what." Alfred nodded. "Not whelmed at all, dude," Dick replied, crossing his arms as he narrowed his eyes on me. "I speak but the truth," I shrugged. Dick chuckled, turning the arcade off, as he gave me a challenging grin. "Let''s go to the cave. I want to train a bit." I nodded, a spar right now sounded awesome. ---------------------------- At the cave, in the training arena, Robin and I circled each other, looking for an opening. "Ready to get your ass kicked?" Robin asked, with a confident grin. I smiled, lunging forward, throwing a quick jab. That Robin dodged and countered with a punch of his own. However, I had foreseen this, and so, I had preemptively kicked my right leg up, scoring a hit on Robin''s torso, pushing him to the ground. Robin undoubtedly outssed me in technology, or anything rted. But when it came to hand-to-handbat. I had the clear upper hand, no pun intended. "My turn," Robin groaned on the floor, before jumping back to his feet. Darting towards me, throwing a few batarangs at me. That I deflected, with rtive ease, lunging at him with a tackle, subduing him on the floor in a lock. "I won''t give up!" I tightened my lock, forcing Robin to tap out. Admitting his defeat. "Man, no fair," Robin chuckled. "You have super strength and gadgets. How''s that fair? I have never seen Superman use a utility belt." I rolled my eyes, reminding him I had not used my belt at all. "Let mein in peace," Robin chuckled. "I have the right to be a bad loser. I haven''t won a single spar against you in months. Robin gets a freebie for today. He''s allowed to whine." At least he''s aware of it. "I will get some water. Do you want anything?" I asked, jumping to my feet. However, before Robin could reply, an rm went off in the cave''sputer. "It seems we have some work on our hands," Robin grinned, jumping to his feet before rushing to the PC. I sighed, feeling whatever he was about to do, would not end well for me. "Someone has taken control over a chemical nt," Robin said, unable to sit still. "Probably Poison Ivy, or Doctor Freeze. We can take them." "Ask Batman," I shot back, signing firmly. "On it," Robin nodded, calling Batman on the PC. "Batman to bat-cave. What''s the situation?" Batman said, answering Robin''s call. "Someone took control of a chemical nt. We wanted your permission to go and deal with it," Robin replied, going straight to the point. "Proceed with care. Do not engage without assessing the situation. Batman out," With that said, the call came to an end. That''s weird. Batman never lets us go solo, especially not when he isn''t around to supervise like a helicopter. Perhaps whoever is attacking the chemical nt it''s a minor threat and he deems us capable of dealing with said threat. "See?" Robin said, his voice a pitch higher. He was really excited to go out without Batman. "Fine," I nodded, I mean, Batman had given us the green light. Besides, if push came to shove, and things went out of hand, I would simply knock Robin out, and return to the cave. "Awesome!" Robin grinned, jumping out of his chair. Chapter 22: Chapter 22: [Gotham. April 22, 17:35 PDT. David Lance POV] If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- As we neared the nt. I couldn''t help but feel like dread was creeping up on me. Like I was running towards a trap, the jaws of the beast, the center of the void. I don''t know how to exin it. But, the feeling was unmistakable. The worst part was, that I didn''t know why I was feeling like this. I had texted Dinah and Oliver letting them know I was working with Robin, just in case my feelings were some kind of premonition, and I needed backup. "Here we are," Robin muttered, using a smallputer to hack into the facility. "I''ll get the blueprints, from there all we have to do it''s turn the nt down, and capture the bad guys," he added, typing on myputer at unbelievable speeds. I nodded, guarding his back. ying the role of the muscle. "Got it," Robin said, getting my attention. "Here''s the power control of the facility. We take that off, and all of their ns are as good as gone," he exined, pointing in the blueprints where the power control room was. "How do we get there?" I asked. "This is the best route," Robin pointed, to a set of vents leading to the room. "It should allow us to reach the room without being detected." I nodded, avoidingbat sounded like a good idea right now. We still had to assess the situation, before determining how to approach the next step, taking the bad guys down. "Ok, then let''s go," Robin nodded, putting his smallputer back on his belt, as he ran towards where we would infiltrate the facility, with me following close behind. ------------------ Inside the vents, we silently dragged our bodies across. The eerie silence of the outside, giving me a bad feeling. I mean, where were the viins that had taken over this ce? I had yet to see a single henchman or hear anyone for that matter. "Robin, there''s something wrong here," I said, tugging on his leg to get his attention. "Where are the henchmen, the viins? This ce is empty. Too empty." Robin frowned, pausing to think for a bit, before signing. "You think this is a trap?" I nodded, after all, in Gotham things were never this easy. Because when they were, hell was about toe. "Let me try getting into the cameras again, the signal was weak from the outside. It should work now," Robin signed, pulling hisputer out. A few secondster, there was a small change in Robin''s face, enough to tell me, we were fucked. Without even asking why he had that face, I peeked into hisputer, to see no other than the giggling mass murderer responsible for a body count that hadn''t been, no, couldn''t be tabted, as it was monstrously high, Batman''s nemesis, The Joker, happily waving at the camera. "Well now. This is a joke," The Joker said, surging with uncontroble, crazedughter. "I knew Batsy had it in him! I just knew it! I mean, look at this Harley, he sent the boys! Now, that''s a joke." "A pudding. He sent them to their deaths!" Harleyughed, sounding almost as crazy as the Joker himself. Yet, not even close to him. "I knew Batsy liked us, sending us guinea pigs. How nice of him!" Robin at this turned his PC off. We had to get out. Whatever trap the joker had set for Batman, would probably kill us, we had to escape to rethink our strategy. -------------------------------- We rushed through the vents, trying to go back to the entrance point. However, the Joker''s henchmen started shooting at the vents, forcing us to exit from another point that connected to the inside of the facility. "Call Batman," I signed in worry, knowing very well we needed support. It wasn''t that the Joker was stronger than us and we were overwhelmed. No, it was that he was more dangerous than us, not more powerful. His deranged mind made for an unpredictable adversary, a wild card, something even Batman on a good day struggled to deal with, because of how erratic he was. "The radio signals are jammed," Robin cursed, his body disying anxiety. I frowned. If the radio signals were jammed, it meant the Joker intended to keep us alone, without outside assistance. Which didn''t bode well for us, at all, as we wanted to escape to better n our approach. I could destroy the walls with a whisper, but I had no idea how the chemicals in the nt would react to my power. For all I knew I could generate a nuclear reaction, destroying Gotham. I could also try to punch my way out. But that would simply make the Joker''s job to locate us easier if he didn''t already know where we were. Our best bet was to destroy whatever was jammingmunications. And contact the league, ying the Joker''s game on the defensive. "We need to destroy whatever it''s jamming our signal. Any idea where a device like that would be located?" I asked, gazing at Robin. Robin nodded, opening the blueprints of the facility. "For optimal results, a radio jammer should be around these three rooms at the top," he said, pointing at the rooms. "Then we need to take that down and contact the league," I replied, eyeing the blueprints for a moment to memorize the generalyout of the facility forter navigation. "Works for me," Robin nodded. --------------------------- [The Joker POV] If the kids expect to y against the Joker, they''d better be prepared to be dealt from the bottom of the deck! In all honesty, this worked even better than I had imagined. Sure, I had wanted to dance with Batsy, one on one, just the two of us, and my guns, but he had stood me up. How rude. Or so I had thought HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa! Batsy loved me so very very much, he had sent the juniors to y! How thoughtful of him, to think of my fun when he isn''t around to y with me. That right there, it''s the sign of a healthy rtionship! Yep, siree! Sure, they weren''t Batsy, a minor inconvenience. But when Batsy gives you lemons, well you make lemonade. "I thought we were going to try this on Batman," My newest partner, a friend of friends, my BFF, a brother from another mother, Scarecrow said, with a terrible frown on his face. "Bag head, put that frown upside down! Sure, they aren''t Batsy. But they will do for a test run. HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!" Iughed in utter delight. "Mad bastard," Bag head, aka Scarecrow sighed, walking away. How mean of him. I''m not mad at all! I''m just differently sane!! Chapter 23: AUTHOR Q&A… Chapter 23: AUTHOR Q&A¡­ Alright, time to answer some questions again. Why? Well, I like to leave things clear. Question 1- When Will the MC learn how to control his power? Answer = The first volume of the novel. The New World volume, will deal with the psychological aspects our MC is going through, which include but are not limited to, trauma, depression, and fear. With the MC learning to ept these things, in order to ovee them. This arc also introduces certain changes in the world, introducing plot points forter development. Question 2- How long will this volume be? Answer = Not long at all. The Webnovel release is 21 chapters away from this arc ending. Meaning at chapter 40 the volume ends, as the other begins. Question 3- Why hasn''t the MC used his voice? Answer = Fear of hurting others. And by others I mean, innocents. But mainly, the fear of losing control, right now his voice, his powers fluctuate like hormones, because he''s a teenager, a crack in his voice could result in unimaginable results. Nevertheless, his voice is yet to reach full power. The Original ck Bolt has shattered the veils between dimensions. As for the fork. He will in the following arc work on something like that, but slightly different, a device to weaken his powers ording to specific settings he will configure himself. Question 3 - What''s the following volume? The title it''s called the team. This volume will be short, and it will mostly revolve around the first season of Young Justice. Question 4 - Love interest, when? The love interest it''s already in my patrrreon, however, the MC will attract some unwanted attention from some questionable sources, female sources before anyone begins to jump into the rope. I hope this answers some of your questions. Chapter 24: Chapter 24: [Gotham. April 22, 17:35 PDT. David Lance POV] If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Robin and I rushed through the facility. Dealing with the henchmen that we would find in our way with ease, which didn''t set well at all with me, where was the Joker? Harley? He was insane, sure. But he wasn''t stupid, not by a long shot, he had to know we were too much for his goons. Meaning he was either underestimating us, which didn''t fit with his demented profile, or all of this was part of his impossibly delirious scheme, which was the option I was leaning to. "Robin, we might be walking into a trap," I signed, getting Robin''s attention, who nodded at my statement. "The Joker is crazy, but not stupid," Robin replied, frowning. "He probably has a trap of some kind waiting for us ahead, what exactly? I can''t figure out." He sighed. "You have fought the bastard more times than I can count. Anything I should know?" I asked, hurling a metal bead at a goon that was running towards us, hitting him in the head, knocking him out cold. "He always goes for the kill, he doesn''t feel pain well, it more like he enjoys pain, so injuries won''t stop him, and he''s unpredictable" Robin muttered, his voice breaking for a second. "Other than that, be careful with his gas. It''s highly dangerous, and hard to cure... it usually kills within the hour or so." I nodded, taking the information to heart. "Batman has an antidote I assume." I asked, already knowing the answer. "Yes," Robin nodded, looking down, his voice breaking down even more. "We always carry a dose or two, just in case." He borated, plucking an item out of his utility belt. The antidote to the Joker venom. "How many do we have?" I asked, looking at the vial he held in front of me. "One," Robin replied, giving me the vial. "For you." One? Why would he carry just one? That''s so unlike Batman, the master of the pre-game. "I didn''t restock my belt before leaving, I wasn''t missing anything important or so I thought," Robin muttered, his voice carrying an undeniable edge of guilt. "Be that as it may, that''s on me. I brought you here, I put your life on the line again So, at the very least I can ensure you have a way out of this." I frowned, taking a deep breath, before pping Robin, "If you intend to die, you better not do it on my watch. I already have enough traumas for you to add another, you hear me?!" I signed, angrily. "I can''t hear you" Robin snickered, rubbing his face in mild pain. I smiled, that was better. "Let''s go," I signed, pointing ahead. "Let''s kick some clown ass!" Robin cheered, continuing to lead the way, now in a brighter mood. ----------------------- [Scarecrow POV] When I had joined forces with the Joker, my ns were rather simple taking Batman out, and then dealing with the devil I had signed my contract with. I had no qualms with other viins, and their end goals. But him? He was psychopath, a monster beyond reasoning, one that with a warped sense of love for the Dark Knight, apanied by a disgusting sense of humor, that bordered the sadistic. Be that as it may. He had been the closest one of us, in Gotham to ever almost kill the Bat. Not that he wanted to seed, not, that much was certain. He simply wanted to y with Batman, forever. He wanted Batman to kill him, to proof he was right all along. To proof there''s no difference between him and everyone else. That all it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That that''s how far the world is from where he is. Just one bad day. He wanted Batman to descend to his level. That was his end goal. I would not allow this to happen. If Batman ever crossed that line, we would all die. If we couldn''t defeat when he was holding back, I didn''t want to imagine how it would be when he didn''t. The Joker''s end goal was in other words, our ultimate end, if he ever seeded pushing the Dark Knight to the breaking point. A feat I deemed impossible to achieve, as much as I hate the Bat, his will power was without equal. His spirit was indomitable. But I didn''t want to test how indomitable he truly was. I wasn''t like Two-Faces, I wasn''t a betting man. I wanted the Bat dead, and I wanted him dead now. Even if that meant, dealing with the embodiment of madness itself. "Aren''t you excited Baggie!" The Joker giggled, skipping from ce to ce like every girl in the prairie from an old book. "My name is Scarecrow!" I hissed at him, disgusted by his mere presence. "But if you can bring yourself to use my, show name. Call me Dr. Crane, or Jonathan if you must insist in being this informal." The Joker pouted, before childishly whining, "But that''s how friends treat each other! They give each nickname, and gifts!" he smiled, giggling like the deranged monster he was. "I see now! You are just shy! Why didn''t you say so, Baggie? Don''t worry, Papa Joker will give you a show to melt that mask you wear away!" I shuddered at hisment, keeping my eyes on him. It was only a matter of time before this lunatic betrayed me, I had to keep my guard up, after all, I couldn''t leave until our joined experiment was put to the test. A mix of his venom, and my toxin. "HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!" "That''s right my pudding! We will give Mr. Frowny Bag a show for the ages, first seat row, aren''t you lucky!" Harley giggled, doing a ballet twirl as she neared The Joker. "Indeed Harley! After all, when The Joker puts on a show, the seats always sell out!" The Joker replied, in a chilling tone. "HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!" Perhaps I had made a mistake with this arrangement. I was sadly toote to go back. Chapter 25: Chapter 25: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] With little to no opposition, we reached the room where the radio jammer to find no other than Harley Quinn herself, waiting for us with a sickening sweet smile on her white face, her trademark hammer resting against a wall a few feet away from her. "Hiya!" Harley waved at us, giggling. "Harley!" Robin eximed, almost growling the words out. "Mister J says you two arein'' with me!" Harley replied in a jovial tone, grabbing her hammer from the wall. "How many times have you tried that already?" Robin shot back, taunting her. "HoW MaNy TiMes HaVe YoU TrIeD ThAt AlReAdY..." Harley mocked, repeating what Robin had said in a childish tone. "Cutie, you have never fought us without Bats!" As they had their little chat, I inspected the room, noticing eight recently installed cameras recording every point of the room. The cameras in question were painted with the colors of The Joker, white, red, purple and green. Meaning he was most likely watching right now. Besides the camaras, there was the radio jammer. By its looks, it seemed to be military grade, bullet proof for low caliber weapons, an old but effective model for a quick jamming work. "Hey you! Deaf guy! Or is it mute?" Harley called, waving at me, cutting her conversation with Robin short. "What''s your deal? Are you mute? Deaf, talk with me!" I frowned, she was clearly mocking me, and my inability to talk to get my undivided attention. Her bodynguage suggested that much, that she didn''t want me to continue looking around, meaning there was something in this room for us, something we were not meant to see just yet. "No talkie? Well, let mama take care of you!" Harley giggled, cracking her neck. "Mama cooked a knuckle-buster parfait just for the two of you! With a side of hammer! On the house! Come and get it!" I took another look around, finding nothing out of the ordinary, giving Robin a look that conveyed my n, which was for him to take the radio jammer down, before darting towards Harley. I knew there was something else in store for us, but in all honesty, I didn''t know what to expect from the clown pair of Gotham. When it came to them. Chances became chaotic. For all I knew, the trap was outside the room, and Harley was goading me into leaving with her behavior, or perhaps my first assumption had been right, the thing is, I had no way to confirm either. Right now, our best chance was to destroy the radio jammer, and contact the league. Beyond our ability to stop them or not, we needed reinforcements to stop whatever The Joker was doing. In his demented hands, this chemical facility could kill millions. Even if we managed to defeat them, we had no way to stop a chemical threat, not even Robin for all his multiple areas of expertise had enough chemical knowledge to stop threats of that kind. The League, however, did. It was in our best interest, and that of the citizens of Gotham to get the League involved. And to do that, I had to take Harley down, or keep her upied enough for Robin to take care of the radio jammer. Harley giggled, watching me approach, swinging her hammer at me as I neared her, "Yeih! Mama''s gonna paint the walls with blood!" Jumping over her attack, I threw a hard punch at her jaw, putting some weight into it. The blow knocked her into the air head back, as I followed it up with a kick to her side, feeling a crack under feet. However, as Harley fell to the floor, she pulled a gun out of her suit aiming at me, not at all bothered or slowed down by the fact I had broken a few of her ribs, "Now that''s just rude! Hitting ady?! It seems mama is gonna have to teach you some manners!" at this, she started shooting at me, a bit of blooding out of her lips. Seeing this, I started running, avoiding the shots while making sure of keeping Harley''s aim on me, as Robin continued to disable the radio jammer having crept under her radar, who was otherwise too busy fighting me. "You know, I wanted to have some fun! To punch you a little, but you had to bully poor Harley around hadn''t you!?" Harley hissed between a giggle, reloading her weapon. A time I took to hurl a few smoke bombs at her, to mess with her field of view. "I told you so! But what can I expect from a second-ss clown?" Robin sassed from the shadows. "I''m rubber, you''re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and makes a six inch-diameter exit wound in you!" Harley replied, hissing her words out. Taking this small window Robin had given me with his sass, I rushed at her, grabbing her arm tight, throwing her high into the air before pulling down, mming her body on the ground, effectively disarming her, seconds before the smoke bombs lost its effect. "Ugh" Harley groaned on the ground. "You are no fun. Just like Bats" she giggled, pain clear in her voice. It seems she''s indeed capable of feeling pain, but had a great tolerance to it, which considering her partner was to be expected. "Almost done over here!" Robin said, working on the radio jammer with a set of small tools, including a portable welding machine the size of a pen. "Annd done!" "Contact the league," I smiled, feeling things were looking up for us. However, we still had to keep our guard up, there was no way that was all The Joker had nned. "On it," Robin nodded, plucking hismunicator from his belt. "HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!" I hate being right. "No bad kiddos! Not bad at all! Especially you, Bolt! You gave Harley quite the pounding, I might even get jealous!" The Joker chuckled, his voice booming across the room. "No! Don''t be pudding! I only like your poundings! They have love!" Harley eximed in her defense, struggling under my grasp. "The League it''s not answering, something it''s messing with my signal!" Robin said, pulling hisputer out. "I have an idea!" "Now children! Seeing as you gave mama Harley quite a beating, it seems it''s up to papa to take up the ck!" The Joker continued, his voice taking on a more sinister tone. "You see juniors, life is a theater of the absurd. Be good and honest, a paragon of justice, and you get forgotten, just like any other sheep waiting for its turn in the ughterhouse. Let the madness take in, and be the demon of their very nightmares, and you''ll live forever But living forever in a world without anyone it''s rather lonely, don''t you think juniors?" At this, a green gas starteding from the vents, the camaras and every other ce. "Surprise!" Harley giggled, a green cloud of smokeing from within her suit, the very same color of the gas currently invading the room. I frowned, activating the filter function of my mask to filter the air. "The gas it''sing from every vent!" Robin eximed, putting on a gas mask he had plucked from his belt. "Now kids, don''t be rmed! Madness it''s nothing to be afraid of! No, madness it''s a gift! is the emergency exit we all need. You can just step outside and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away... forever" The Joker said, intoning each word carefully. "When all of this is over, we will understand each other just fine! You''ll see!" The cameras were still functional. He could still see us. He knew we had our masks, and yet, he wasn''t at all bothered by that fact. That could only mean one of two things, the gas was nothing more than a distraction, or the masks would not do a thing against it. "I managed to contact the League via emergency channel, Red Tornado says they will be here as soon as possible," Robin informed me, closing hisptop as I knocked Harley out with my taser, starting to feel a bit dizzy. "Now all we need to do is move." My head was hurting. Not a lot, like a mild headache at much, but it was noticeable enough to concern me as it had started the moment the gas had entered the area. As I pondered about the implications of my sudden headache, I turned to Robin, seeing the boy hurl a batarang at me, that I barely managed to dodge in time. "What ''s wrong with you?" I signed, giving a quick look around to see if by any chance he had seen someone creeping up on me. "Where''s ck Bolt!" Robin growled, hurling more batarangs at me. As I dodged the iing projectiles, I came to the ugly realization that the gas was already affecting him. But how? How was it that the gas was affecting him, and not me, our equipment came from the same source, our masks were at their core the same, at least, in terms of technology. However, he had sumbed to the gas almost immediately. While all I had was a minor headache. Beyond that, what he was disying didn''t fit with The Joker''s venom. He wasn''tughing, not, if anything he seemed afraid of me, but determined to fight me, or whatever he saw instead of me. Which aligns more with the Fear Toxin, than the Joker Venom. I see. Just my luck. Those two, teaming up. Great Now I had to think of the possibilities of said alliance. And what to expect from it. Just like Batman says, think of the worst possible case scenario and you will be close. Now the question is, what''s the worst possible scenario? A mix of their unique products A mix of the Fear Toxin, and the Joker Venom. An unholy amalgamation of the two. "I won''t ask again ugly, where''s ck Bolt!" Robin growled his demeanor breaking into a small delirious giggle, as he armed his staff forbat. Fuck I was right, the gas was a mix of the two. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Now what do I do? Robin it''s out of the equation How do I solve this? No, focus David, the gas for whatever reason it''s not affecting you, meaning you still can turn this around. I just hope the antidote Robin gave me works on him, or at least slows the effects of this amalgamation just enough for the League toe and cure him. Chapter 26: Chapter 26: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Robin dashed at me, staff at hand. Blinded by the virus in the air, seeing me not as his ally, but as an enemy he had to take down. Having no clear idea how to help him, from a medical point of view. I rushed at him, ducking under the swing of this staff, grabbing Robin by the neck, before pushing him to the ground, knocking him out cold with my taser, all in a single fluid motion. It had paid off that I had sparred with him at least a hundred times. And therefore, knew his every move to heart, which in the end made my job of dealing with him easier than it should''ve been. I sighed, seeing Robiny on the ground unconscious before I kneeled beside him in order to check on his vitals. Rapid heartbeat. High blood pressure. Heavy sweating. Labored breathing. Trembling. Dted pupils. High levels of glucose on his system. If he continued like this, he would die in a few minutes or so. Maybe less, meaning I had to do something before the virus killed him, the question now was, what? It was already toote to avoid infection. That much was clear, for all I knew, based on how fast the virus had affected him, and me, to a much lesser degree, there was a big chance we had been exposed to it since the moment we entered the facility. So far, all I had was a mild headache, that may or may not be the virus doing, as it worked on my body, slowly taking me out. However, I wasn''t entirely sure of this. For all I knew, this headache was nothing but the result of my current situation, which in a way, could make sense. But it was better to assume the worst case scenario. And n ordingly. So, if the worst possible case scenario was my current reality, then, it was safe to presume I had a considerably high tolerance to the virus, and therefore would have more time on my hands to deal with the situation before unavoidably sumbing to its effects. From this point on, every little moment was of the essence. "Hmm, well that''s interesting" I heard the Joker hum in demented curiosity, through thes of the building. "You still look pretty sane to me That simply won''t do! Don''t worry kiddo, papa Joker will take care of that in no time!" Time was running short. I had to stabilize Robin''s condition, before having the luxury of dealing with the Joker. Taking a deep breath, I plucked the utility belt from Robin''s body, checking on every littlepartment on the belt for the cure of the Fear toxin, after all, if Batman had his protg always carry with him the cure of the Joker venom on his belt, then it was safe to assume he would do the same for the Fear toxin. I smiled, finding what I was looking for, in the form of small vile on the left side of Robin''s belt. Now I had in my hands the cure for both the Fear toxin and the Joker Venom, in the shape of two individual vials. I wasn''t a doctor or a chemist for that matter. But my hopes were that administering Robin with both vials would at the very least slow the effects of the chemical amalgamation just enough for the experts in the area to arrive to heal Robin appropriately. The thing was, I had no choice but to risk it. I had no guarantee the league would arrive before the virus killed Robin, and even if I managed to break out of here, the closest hospital with the tools to deal with this was twenty miles away, meaning I either acted now, or left Robin to die. I really hope my idea works. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed both vials tight, before injecting Robin on the leg, praying to whatever deity could hear me for this to work. In the meantime, I had a room to gue with traps and some cameras to take down for the element of surprise. ----------------------------- [Batman POV] I rushed with Martian Manhunter back to Gotham City to rescue Robin and ck Bolt from the Joker''s grasp. Knowing very well they weren''t ready to deal with the likes of him, not by themselves. Robin had crossed the line now, it was one thing to try and prove himself, but it was another to trick ck Bolt intoing with him by using a recording of me to convince ck Bolt. Though, in all honesty. I didn''t care right now about that. Right now, my only concern was making sure my son was safe. "We''ll be there in two minutes," J''onn said, as he flew me back to Gotham from Australia at maximum speed. "I know," I replied counting the seconds. "Trust in them to handle the situation while we get there," J''onn added, possibly catching on to my anxiety and worry through his empathic abilities. "I did, and look what happened," I replied, scowling. "Children will always rebel, it''s in their nature, as it is in our hands to understand this unavoidable fact, and guide them through their own mistakes," J''onn replied. He was right. His heart was in the right ce. But this was simply beyond viting a previously set curfew or drinking beer before age. ---------------- [David Lance POV] My n had worked. Robin''s vitals were stabilizing, not under eptable levels, but under lethal conditions. Which for the time being would suffice, now, all I had to do was leave this ce, to avoid continuous exposure to the virus. Thest thing I wanted was the virus managing to affect me, and if the headache increasing in intensity was anything to go by, I would soon reach that point. I estimated I had a few minutes or so before my inhuman physiology lost the battle against the virus. So, time was of the essence. By what I had seen on the blueprints of the facility, there was an exit three rooms down, the door was probably locked, and considering the type of facility this was, dealing with dangerous chemicals, it was probably safe to assume it was reinforced. Be that as it may, I had more than enough explosives on my belt, and Robin''s belt, to break the door down easily. And in the unlikely case that didn''t work out, there was always the option of punching the door open, after all, there were no indications the factory was built on a structural level to deal with super-powered beings. So there wasn''t any reason to assume that. "Hello kiddo," I heard someone say, knocking the door of the room I was in open with a kick. The Joker. I turned to him, finding not only him, but Scarecrow standing on the door, a few meters behind the Joker. "Everyone fears something, kid, it''s nature, so stop fighting nature, and let the fear take over," Scarecrow advised, his voice raspy. "Baggy don''t put junior on the spotlight like that! Don''t you see he wants to y first?" The Joker sighed, shaking his head in disappointment with Scarecrow. "I apologize, junior. Uncle bag has no idea how to babysit, it''s his first time. Papa Joker on the other hand, well let''s just say I am quite the babysitter, after all! I never had a kid cry under my watchful loving eye! At least not for a second time. HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!" I looked at them, the distance between us being roughly one hundred meters, most of my traps were out of their sight. All I had to do was stun them for a second or two, so that I could leave the room carrying Robin. After that, I was sure to escape. I was physically stronger than both of them, which also meant I was faster than them. Once I was out of the room, I would sprint out of their sight to the door. From there it would take them at least a minute or two to reach me. More than enough time to enact my escape n. "Now junior. Ready to have the time of your life?" The Joker chuckled, pulling a gun out of his purple suit. I nodded, pressing a button to detonate two explosives I had set above the door, taking the explosion as a cover to hurl two batarangs from Robin''s belt at them, which exploded in front of them before making contact, blinding them. Taking this opening, I grabbed Robin, putting him over my shoulder and ran towards the door as fast as I could, dodging the Joker''s attempt to stop with a knife that managed to cut me on the side. His knife cutting my armor, and skin like it was butter. Pushing through the pain of my recently acquired wound and the confusion of how easy the Joker had cut me, I sprinted towards the exit door three rooms down, activating the remaining traps I had set on the room to buy me some extra time, just in case. Finally reaching the exit door I had seen on the blueprints, I put Robin''s unconscious body on the ground, at a safe distance, before setting the explosives around the door, detonating them once I was done. Blinded by the smoke the explosion had caused, I heard the door m to the ground loudly a second or so after the explosion had gone off. Knowing this was my cue, I grabbed Robin once again, sprinting towards our freedom, jumping through open door, breaking the smoke apart, finally stepping out of the facility. I had made it. My n had worked. Be that as it may, this was not the time to celebrate. So, I continued running, jumping over the fence that surrounded the facility only to be stopped by some gunshots being shot my way. Warning shots. "Well, that was rude!" The Joker cackled, aiming at me with his gun from the door I had busted open. I inwardly cursed, I had sworn I would have a minute or two before the clown caught up with me. It seems stunning him was barely effective as it is. "Now junior? Ready to tangle with the Joker?" The Joker asked, grinning in delirious joy, a perpetual state for him. I stared at him, silently tying a rope around Robin''s waist, before shooting a grappling hook into the distance with the rope attached to it, to take Robin out of the area. "Now that Boy Wonder it''s out of the way. Ites the part where I relieve you, of the burden of your failed and useless attempts to stop me. But, as my stic surgeon always said; if you gotta go, go with a smile!" The Joker cackled, as I got ready to battle the clown. Chapter 27: Chapter 27: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] "Now junior, show me what Batman taught you!" The Joker snarled at me, shooting my way. I ran around the ce. Dodging his aim to avoid being shot, as I tactically rushed at him, hurling a few batarangs his way. However, before the batarangs reached him, he dipped and weaved under their trajectory, effortlessly continuing to shoot his gun at me as he did so. Too close to maneuver out of his shots, I parried the bullets with my arm guards producing a metallic shriek that sent sparks flying into the air, before I grabbed The Joker by his tie, pulling him to me, delivering an uppercut. Laughing at the pain, The Joker mmed his face against mine, breaking his own nose in the process, stunning me for a brief moment, which he took to m his face against mine once again with twice the force, aggravating his own wounds even more. Pushing through my stunned state, I balled my right hand into a fist, before punching the Joker in the sr plexus, knocking the wind out of the clown, stunning him for a brief moment. I was, however, far from done. Seeing the blow had opened the Clown up for another attack, I decided to follow up, nting a simple sidekick into his stomach with enough force to break some of his ribs, doubling him over. I then followed that up with a quick rising uppercut, putting all my weight into the blow lifting The Joker high into the air, like a rag doll. I was certain that quick exchange had broken a few bones within the clown''s body, which hopefully would be enough to neutralize him. "Not bad Junior!" The Joker cackled, seconds after his body touched the ground, pping his hands in approval. "You punch like a champ!" he added, pushing his body into a sitting position to look at me, his face sporting his usual demented grin, now covered in blood, and with a broken nose to go with it. No signs of pain at all. Hopefully while his wounds didn''t give him pain, they would neutralize him. "Now," The Joker chuckled, standing up from the ground, dusting his suit as if nothing had happened. "Let''s keep this party going!" His wounds weren''t affecting him at all. I knew before hand he had a stupidly high tolerance to pain, and that he felt pleasure through it. But this is ridiculous, one thing is feeling pleasure through pain, and another was the body functioning like nothing had happened after several fractures. I had punched him with enough strength to punch through a cement wall. Yet he was a-okay, dusting his suit without a care for the world, as if our exchange a few moments after, had been nothing but a minor inconvenience for him. I see my mistake now. My first attempt shouldn''t have been knocking him out. But crippling him. No matter how his body operates, if he can''t use his arms and legs to walk or attack, he can''t do anything. Taking a deep breath, I rushed at him once again, giving him no time to grab his gun from the ground, throwing a hard punch to his face, putting my weight into it, the blow knocking the clown''s face to one side. My intention was to disorient him a bit, so that I could cripple him for this fight, breaking his legs and arms. However, "Surprise," The Joker chuckled, face to the side, his left hand dropping something on the floor. A grenade painted to look like him. At this, I took a step back, kicking the ground for a jump, however, I had unfortunately noticed this a bit toote, and the explosion caught me, sting me a few meters away, in deep pain. Surprisingly, I was still conscious. It seemed like my armor had taken the biggest share of the attack. The question now was. Had The Joker killed himself with that attack? As insane as he was, I doubted he would do such a thing, even if he was desperate, which he didn''t seem to be. "Still up and kicking I see!" The Joker chuckled, confirming my suspicions, as he stepped into view, his legs, arms and some of his face disying third degree burns. I blinked in shock. Seeing his wounds, and how he was nonchntly grinning at me, knife at hand. He had no qualms about hurting himself if it meant hurting me in the process. I have to change my. I stopped my train of thought, the headache I had been suffering increasing in its intensity suddenly, many times over. Making me clutch my head in pain. "Goody! It''s working!" The Joker cheered, pping his hands together. The virus was going at me more aggressively now, but why? The speed of progression was proving to be slow with me, even now I should still have a few minutes or so before sumbing to its effects, maybe more considering I am no longer in the contaminated environment. "Is that confusion I see junior?" The Joker chuckled, his eyes piercing mine with a deranged stare. "Well, you see. Papa Joker promised to fix your situation, and when The Joker promises something, he delivers! Hence, this" he pointed at his knife, which was dripping something green into the ground. I see now. The gash he had delivered upon me when I rushed past him, the knife he had used had been coated in the virus, speeding the rate of infection within me. I hadn''t questioned the wound before. I should''ve had. The knife had cut through my armor like butter. Now I see the error I had made. "A gift from a bald frowning guy all the way over Metropolis," The Joker chuckled, grabbing the knife tight. "It cuts through steel like its cake! How fun is that?" My heartbeat was increasing. My throat felt unnaturally tight. I had some minor chest pain. My breathing was reaching abored pattern. Fuck Fuck FUCK! At best, I had a minute or so before the virus started altering my perceptions. I could probably extend my lucid time by manually controlling my breathing and heartbeat, as Batman had taught me, but at this stage, that would at best buy me a few seconds or so. Then again, I suppose a few seconds can make the difference. Taking a deep breath, I stood up from the ground, focusing on controlling my breath and heart, as I kept my eyes on the Joker, then, before he could make anotherment I rushed at him, ducking under his knife, while delivering a horizontal kick to his knee, breaking his leg. "HaHaHaHaHa!" The Jokerughed at this, trying to stab me again, but before the knife could reach me, I intercepted his arm, grabbing him by the wrist before I turned around, using my shoulder as leverage to break his arm, before mming him to the ground, where I stomped on his other knee and his remaining arm, breaking his remaining limbs. "Well, I suppose you can say HaHaHa THAT you disarmed me!" I panted, walking away from him one step at a time. My vision started to blur, as the virus continued to take hold, with me fighting the unnatural urge to giggle at my situation. Reality around me seemed to warp, as I battled to keep my head focused. However, it was a losing battle, I was fighting against two pulls, one of madness, and one of fear. Pain filling every fiber of my body, I turned around, walking towards the factory, passing the Joker by, who simply continued tough, staring at me, before I stopped a few meters away from the factory whispering between giggles, "Begone" bringing the entire facility down with an explosion. "That''s quite the voice you have there, Junior!" The Jokerughed, seemingly pleased with my disy of power. I turned towards him, preparing to taser him, only to find he was gone, as now where he onceid, three monsters now stood, baring their fangs at me, growling menacingly. I blinked at this, clutching my head, feeling my entire world spinning. What were these monsters doing here? Pawns of the Joker? Experiments he had made with Scarecrow? Biological weapons birthed by thebined minds of those two? No matter I had to stop them, whatever the Joker had done, I had to stop until the league arrived. Yes, that made sense. I think? --------------------------------------- [Scarecrow POV] I had left the facility with Harley, which had apparently saved our lives, for moments before we exited the ce, something destroyed the entire thing down like a house of cards. That something, or rather someone was ck Bolt. Who we found vacantly staring at where the facility once stood, unmoving, unblinking, almost as if he was a statue, it was unsettling to a degree. This immediately made me realize that the virus had finally affected his mind. Normally, I would''ve been d by this development, however, if my suspicions of him bringing the facility down were true then it was in our best interest to leave as quickly as possible. "Did you see that baggy? He brought the entire ce down! With a whisper!" The Joker cackled in utter delight. A single whisper? I froze letting that sink in. The kid had brought a ten-story building down with a single whisper? This experiment had been a terrible mistake, if all it took to destroy the ce was a whisper, the damage the kid would deliver once his mind descended to utter fear and madness would be impossible to tabte. This kid was thest person we wanted to see screaming. "I''m out!" I muttered. "Mistah J!" Harley cried moments before I said my goodbyes, rushing to the Joker''s side. However, before I could leave, The Joker spoke,ughing in delight. "That''s quite the voice you have there, Junior!" Getting ck Bolt''s attention, who stared at us in disbelief. . He didn''t see us not anymore. We were now monsters in his eyes literal depictions of monsters. Monsters for him to y with a single whisper. Chapter 28: Chapter 28: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] What was I doing? I can''t quite remember My mind feels off. Disconnected maybe. I feel like I know why I''m feeling like this, but every time I try to remember, I can''t, and I just want tough, even though it''s not funny. I don''t want tough. I have no idea why I don''t walk to talk. I have no idea why "HaHaHa!" Augh Who wasughing? Was it me? No It was them The monsters Maybe that''s my reason for all of this. Dealing with the monsters, I think remember that I was dealing with a viin and he made some monsters appear, now it was my job to deal with them. I also had someone to protect from these monsters. But who? He heheHe, that''s funny Why is it funny? Does it even matter? Focus I need to keep my focus. This isn''t me Or maybe it is It doesn''t matter All I know is I have to make the monsters go away, that much is certain. Hahaha HaHaHaHaHaHaHa! ------------------------------------ [Harley Quinn POV] I rushed to my pudding''s side, tending to him as his wounds healed. The low-ss brute of ck Bolt had hurt my pudding, breaking his arms and legs. Well, no more! That bully would have to deal with me now! "Don''t worry pudding, I''ll protect you!" I swore, giving Mister J a kiss on his lovingly burnt face. "Now, that''s funny! HaHaHaHaHaHa!" Mister Jughed, as I turned around to grab my hammer, only to find ck Bolt, in front of me, hand outstretched grabbing my face, before mming me into the ground, his eyes sparkling with charm just like my pudding. Then, without giving me a chance to even move, he started punching me on the ground, each strike breaking something, each strike drawing blood, all while Mister Jughed in the ever-fading background. I was going to die, wasn''t I? Heroes didn''t kill But he wasn''t a hero anymore, wasn''t he? What a way to go! At the hands of a future hunk, as my pudding watched. His eyes were just like those of my pudding. Too bad his smile was covered behind his mask. He probably has a really charming smile, just like Mister J. I would''ve liked to see his smile. How dreamy the way he looks at me, like I''m all there is how dreamy. --------------------------- [Scarecrow POV] My body froze. The carnage this kid was delivering on Harley, was shocking He was deliberately pulling back his punches, just so that he could keep punching her, over and over again, with a delirious gleam of joy shing across his eyes. We had made a terrible mistake. We had created a monster; we weren''t ready to deal with. I had to run I had to flee, to escape, to leave! We weren''t facing a hero anymore. "I have to say, junior. You are making papa proud!" The Joker chuckled, looking in delight as ck Bolt continued to punch the already unconscious Harley drawing more and more blood, with her unresponsive body spasming with each hit. "Not even I! Have beaten Harley like that, and believe me, I have given her quite the treatment! But that pales inparison with your work! Chef''s kiss!" At this ck Bolt stopped, his hands drenched in blood, as he turned to look at me, making my body go cold, as a feeling of dread invaded my every cell. How marvelous. To think a kid would make me feel such a primal fear, it''s simply without precedent. "If only I could''ve studied this feeling," I muttered longingly, before closing my eyes as the fist of my creation dawned on me like the sword of Damocles, shattering my consciousness to a world of darkness. ---------------------------- [Batman POV] We had finally arrived at the facility after a painfully long flight with J''onn, that only felt long because of the urgency of the matter, and that we hadn''t been allowed to use the zeta tubes, because of ourtest mission. The first thing we noticed was that the facility was gone. Our second discovery was infinitely grimmer than thest. The bodies of Harley Quinn, and Scarecrow,ying on the ground in a puddle of their own blood, that by some miracle were somehow still alive, albeit barely. The wounds demonstrated at least a decent level of superhuman strength, as well as clear signs of dragging fight for as long as possible. Those parameters immediately ruled Robin out, leaving ck Bolt as the only possible subject. However, he wasn''t one to enjoy the suffering of others. Which could only mean No "The Joker he''s still here," J''onn muttered, pointing to his right, where the faint sounds of someoneughing were heard. Nodding, I rushed with Martian Manhunter towards the Joker''s location, only to find the picture I dreaded the most to encounter, ck Bolt, sitting above the Joker''s chest, punching him, over and over again, smiling from his eyes. "ck Bolt, that''s enough!" I ordered, in a loudmanding tone, hoping the infection was in its early stages, only to hear a chuckleing from the bloody mess that used to be the Joker. "I told you didn''t I? Batsy?" The Joker chuckled, "OnE. BaD. Day! HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!" My suspicions had been right. The Joker had infected him, twisting ck Bolt''s mind to a deranged copy of his as the virus took control of his every move. Normally, any normal person would die within a few minutes, before fully descending to the Joker''s level. However, with ck Bolt that was simply not the case. He had many superhuman abilities, amongst them an incredibly effective healing factor, one strong enough to nullify the lethal side of the virus, allowing the virus free reign to alter the mind of the target even more, as death was no longer an option. I also couldn''t rule out the possibility of the Joker mixing his virus with the Fear toxin, which would exin why Scarecrow was here in the first ce,ying so close to Harley. Plucking two vials out of my belt, I rushed towards ck Bolt, stopping his next attack mid-swing, before injecting him with the vials. "That''s enough you can rest now." ck Bolt No, David didn''t move for a second, simply staring at the Joker, who despite his injuries simply continued tough. "Batman move!" J''onn shouted, rushing to my side in the blink of an eye, pushing me out of the way as David turned, and whispered, sting J''onn out of sight. "I know you are stronger than this!" I stated, staring at him. I knew the virus was affecting him; however, he wasn''t using his powers to end things, meaning that a part of him was fighting this, a part of his was holding to his real self, not this deranged version of it, the Joker had produced. "We need to take him down," J''onn said, flying to my side, seemingly unharmed. "Only then will we be able to heal him" "Try and reach into his mind first, I know he''s in there," I replied, keeping my eyes on ck Bolt, who simply stared at us, unmoving. "I can''t," J''onn replied. "I tried the moment we arrived here, but his mind kept kicking me out. Did you know he had psychic abilities?" I shook my head, that was news to me. And a problematic development for us. "Well, he does. I do not know how strong his reach is, but it''s strong enough to keep me out," J''onn replied with a small frown. "I could try to force my way into his mind, but that could ultimately damage his already damaged psyche even more" But if we did nothing, that would happen regardless. "He''s starting to use his powers for the offensive. Right now, he''s whispering, which has enough power to destroy between two and three football fields. If he starts speaking normally, Gotham city and everyone in it will be destroyed. Shouts and screams? I can''t even calcte the possible oue of such a scenario" J''onn frowned. "You suggest I force myself into his mind then?" I nodded. "Unless you can knock him out immediately so that I can treat him, the situation will simply continue to scale to a point we won''t be able to handle." J''onn said nothing, simply staring at David with a pondering look, before saying, "Very well, I will try" ----------------- [ POV] I I don''t understand anything anymore. My head hurts, everything hurts. Except punching the monsters. That felt good? Why did it feel good? I don''t remember why I was fighting the monsters or why I wasn''t supposed to kill them. I had to have a good reason for that, I think HaHaHaHahAhAHaHahA! That''s funny. I likeughing. I want tough; I want everyone to hear myugh No that''s not okay that would hurt others. I don''t want to hurt others, even if I don''t remember why I don''t want to hurt them "I keep forgetting," I muttered, punching my head. I had to remember, I knew there were answers amongst this chaos that didn''t let me think, that didn''t let me be! But did I did I want to find those answers? "Wouldn''t it be easier to just push all these things out?" It truly would. "You can lock all these dreadful feelings away forever. All you need to do it''s walk through that door, let the madness take in be free of this pain" Door? Right, there''s a door. I shouldn''t go there. I don''t know why, but I feel like I shouldn''t go there. "Madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away... forever!" I No. I can''t do that to to who? "You can even remember who. So why fight for those you can''t even remember?" I refuse. This is wrong. All of this is wrong. I need to get out, I need to break out of here before I forget more. "Stop fighting, stop hurting yourself. ept this and be free!" This chaos isn''t natural. This feeling is new. I remember that. I remember being sane. "Now that''s a joke. Your stubborn, bone-deep conviction that somehow, somewhere, all of this makes sense! That REALLY cracks me UP!" "Leave me alone!" I roared, trying to find a way out. "That''s beyond your control. Kid" "But not beyond mine," I heard a new voice say, somehow silencing the other voice. "I don''t want to go through that door," I said, pointing at the where was the door? "You don''t have to," The voice replied, soothingly. Taking the pain away. I liked this feeling. I liked this voice. I remember this voice but from where? I feel like the answer is in front of me. "I know you," I muttered. "You do," The voice replied in confirmation. "I can''t remember your name" I muttered, trying to find the answer. "It''s okay, your mind it''s healing itself" The voice replied calmly. "You will remember me soon." "How soon?" I asked, hoping J''onn'' answer to be, something along the lines of, in a few seconds. Wait that''s his name, J''onn! But that''s missing something I remember, J''onn J''onzz! "Very soon," J''onn chuckled. "I remember your name!" I smiled, happy to have had remembered something, instead of forgetting it. "J''onn J''onzz." "I know," J''onn replied. "I''m d." I smiled, cutting my smile short, as I remembered I wasn''t supposed to talk. "It''s okay this is your mind. You can talk, freely remember?" J''onn said. Right my mind. The no-talk rule didn''t apply here. Why did I have that rule in the first ce? I guess it doesn''t matter "Yeah that''s right!" I chuckled. "Now, I must go but I will be back in a moment, don''t worry." J''onn replied. "Will... will the chaose back? Will the paine back with it?" I asked, afraid the answer to be yes. "No I promise you." Good, I didn''t want to go back to that ce. I don''t want to forget anymore. Chapter 29: Chapter 29: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [J''onn J''onzz POV] I stepped out of David''s psyche. The sheer strength of his own psychic powers forcibly yanking me out of his mindscape, like white cells attacking a virus. I gasped, copsing to the ground next to Batman, panting. Never before I had seen such a strong psychic shield. It was astonishing. His psyche was creating an almost indestructible mental shield from his subconscious desire to protect his mind above all else, to avoid being used as a weapon. This power was new. Very new. It had felt that way when I had forcibly entered his mind. Meaning that his shield, that his power... was currently at its weakest point. The catalyst for this change had probably been the virus. A virus that had infected him beyond mentalprehension, giving his body a clear reason to attack, and above all, to adapt. The only reason the virus had managed to affect his mind was that the shield had not been allowed to fully deploy, as it had been struggling between two equally important tasks. Healing what the Joker had done to him and keeping his mind intact. Now, however... I had given the shield a chance to fully grow by aiding it, in the recovery of ck Bolt''s mind. That''s all I had really done Guide his subconscious mind back to the path it should have taken in the first ce to neutralize the perceived underlying threat. After today, I had no doubts that his mind would be a fortress beyond anyone''s reach. It was both admirable and concerning. "He''s calm..." Batman stated as he saw ck Bolt drop to the ground, his eyes having lost their insane edge. "He is..." I nodded between breaths. "We need to get him to the cave. I need to test his blood, to make a viable antidote," Batman nodded, before adding with a relief sigh. "Thank you..." I smiled, it was not often seeing Batman show his more human side. "Are you okay?" Batman asked as he walked over to ck Bolt to pick him up over his shoulder. "I''ll be fine," I answered. My mind still recovering from the strain I had to endure to get into ck Bolt''s mind. "Where''s Robin?" I asked, remembering Batman''s sidekick had yet to be found, concern growing within me. If ck Bolt had struggled against the virus, what hopes were left for Batman''s son? "The Macaroni already retrieved Robin," Batman replied without missing a beat. Good, so Alfred had taken Robin, and Batman wasn''t worried, meaning the kid was alright. "I was afraid that like ck Bolt, he had been infected," I added, letting out a breath of relief. "He was," Batman replied, his tone having a new edge to it. "ck Bolt managed to stop the infection from growing. Saving Robin''s mind, and life" ------ [Dinah Lance POV] I rushed to Gotham City with Oliver by my side on his private jet at full speed, my mind filled with worry, pain, and anger. For the first time in my life, I wanted to kill someone, for the first time in my life I wanted to see someone suffer. With all my heart, I wanted to tear the Joker apart, I wanted to take everything from him, to watch him suffer unendingly, with no escape until I was tired. I was frightened by these thoughts. Because I knew very well That if my baby brother didn''t wake up or was not the same when he opened his eyes, there would be no earthly force that could stop me in my quest to kill the Joker. Above all that. However, I felt guilt, overwhelming guilt. I should have been there, I should have protected him, I should have helped him, but instead, I had been in Australia fighting some monsters, instead of helping my baby brother against the real demons of this earth. "He''s going to be okay," Oliver said, trying to soothe my worries. However, while he was trying to do so, his voice faltered ever so lightly, showing he didn''t believe his own words, he was simply trying to calm me. "He will," I nodded, nails digging into my legs. He had to be if the universe wanted the Joker to remain breathing. "Batman confirmed he would make a full recovery," Oliver added, a faint smile on his face. "I know," I tried to answer with a calm tone, however, my voice came out as a croak, tears filling my eyes. "That kid is stronger than us," Oliver stated, without a doubt in his mind. "No second-rate clown will be the end of him." I smiled between tears. He was right, my baby brother was strong, too strong for his age, and I didn''t mean it physically At times, I really wished he was a simple kid, without powers, without burdens I would''ve spoiled him rotten; I would''ve given him a happy life What kind of sister am I? That I can''t even protect my little brother? ------------ [Deathstroke POV] ck Bolt had proven himself worthy once again. Defeating the Joker, Scarecrow, and Harley, while under the influence of a deadly virus, keeping his morals to the very end by stopping himself from killing them. It was remarkable. Admirable even. After all, while I prided myself on having a strong mind, and an unbreakable will. I had no doubts I would''ve sumbed to the insanity of the virus before ck Bolt himself. Granted, I would''ve never been in that situation in the first ce. Training, and experience, had honed my senses and skills to the absolute limit, making the pathetic strategies of The Joker useless against me. Be that as it may, credit where it''s due. For had I been in the same situation ck Bolt had been, the result would''ve been quite depressing for me. I also owed the Bat and the Martian a little thank you. They had saved him before I had had the need to interfere. So, I truly owed those two a small sense of gratitude, without them, healing ck Bolt would''ve cost me quite a few favors in some high ces, favors that in the meantime, were best saved forter. Needless to say, had they not arrived when they did, I would''ve saved my future apprentice without hesitation. In the end, they simply saved me the trouble. "Now, what to do with the Joker," I muttered, walking into the shadows. His ridiculous games and irrational machinations would now undoubtedly include David in them. I knew that pathetic clown enough to know how easy it was to get his attention, and David had his attention, as he had been the closest thing to prove his reality was not one without meaning. "What to do with that little clown" While I wanted David, my future apprentice, to experience everything this world had to offer before taking him under my wing, I didn''t want him to be like that waste of oxygen. Broken weapons had no use for me, and that''s what that pathetic excuse of a clown wanted, to break my weapon down to his level. Well Regrettably for him I couldn''t allow that. Chapter 30: Chapter 30: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Little by little, my mind had fixed itself from the damage it had suffered. Bringing in the process, more than what was originally within myself, more than what I would''ve cared to remember. Memories of the painful process in which the Joker virus had voraciously assaulted my mind, seeking to consume any semnce of reason, leaving nothing but utter madness. Memories of the past, in graphic detail, detailing who I had been, before I came into this world, beyond what I used to remember. Memories of me, beating Harley, Scarecrow, and The Joker, with a smile on my face, enjoying the suffering I was bestowing upon them, without even knowing why. Memories of how afraid I had been of bing like him, of killing anyone but them So many memories I didn''t want to have. But they were. Haunting me, with the what if I had sumbed to the Joker''s virus? What if I had killed my sister because of it? I knew it was, or at least seemed pointless to worry about what could''ve happened, instead of focusing on what had actually happened, but no matter how much I told myself that, or how much I tried to push those thoughts away. My mind simply kept wandering to that same corner, over and over again. Torturing me, in a cage, in a nightmare of my own making. After all, who was to me but myself? At the end of the day, it was my mind, my fears, and my thoughts that haunted me. I was afraid. So very afraid. The worst thing was, that I didn''t even know what scared me. The what-ifs were part of my fear, maybe fuel to it, but they weren''t the main source of it, I knew that. What I didn''t know was, what made me feel so utterly hopeless. It wasn''t Deathstroke. It wasn''t The Joker. It wasn''t my powers. If I had to describe my fear. How I felt in words, I would say it was like anxiety and fear, the emotions had mixed, making a new feeling just for me. Perhaps it was simply anxiety, the feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness without a clear cause, in most cases. Perhaps I was simply overselling my own situation. I didn''t know. All I knew was That I wanted this feeling to go away, to leave be me. I had finally made peace with who I was, with my burdens with everything that had been haunting me, fighting my emotions, my struggles with firm resolutions. Now, however. Unlike before, I had no clear target to tackle, as this dreadful feeling I was experiencing was without origin, leaving me with no clue how to deal with it. "Perhaps it will go away with time," I muttered, floating adrift within my mindscape while smiling at the sound of my voice. Wondering, was that how I really sounded? Or was that simply how I imagined how my voice? "I just had a bad day. All I need is time" I liked that thought. The idea everything would be okay, in time. I truly hoped I was right about that one. I truly did. ----------------- [Dick Grayson POV] I woke up in the Bat Cave, my body covered in IV lines, administering fluids inside me. My mind going straight to David. Where was he? Was he okay? In front of me, a few meters away, sitting in front of theputer, was Batman, and next to him, there were ck Canary, and Green Arrow, their collective eyes locked on theputer screen, analyzing some sort of information I couldn''t quite reach to read. "Batman" I croaked, trying to reach out to him. "Robin," Batman said, instantly turning around his chair upon hearing my voice, rushing out of the chair to my side. "How are you feeling?" "Good," I replied, the words hurting in my throat as they came out. "Where''s David?" "Here''s over there," Green Arrow replied, pointing to his right, where a bed I had originally failed to notice was, with David in it, IV lines just like mines attached to his body, monitors to his side keeping track of his vitals. "Is he okay?" I asked, looking at Batman. "He''s recovering," Batman replied, giving Dinah a look, who I now just noticed had been ring at me. I didn''t need context to understand her. She had every right to be angry at me, to hate me, and much more. I had put David''s life on the line, just because I had wanted to prove myself, to prove others I was ready for more. I had tricked my friend intoing with me using a recording of Batman, just so that he woulde. I was no better than any viin I had ever fought. In the end, all I had managed to prove was that I wasn''t ready at all, for anything. David had been the one to save me, even though I had been the one to put him on the line, he had been the one to fix everything. I didn''t need Batman to tell me what had happened after I had been knocked out, there was no need Their eyes had already done that. Their eyes were full of silent judgment, full of disappointment. Full of things I wholly deserved. .. What had I done!? I could''ve died HE COULD''VE DIED!!! "Robin," Batman said softly, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder, stopping my shaking body as tears rolled down my cheeks, my throat closing up. "I almost killed him" I bawled, unable to hold down what I was feeling. I had almost killed David, just because I wanted something I wasn''t even ready for I had almost killed him, because of a Tantrum. "You almost did," ck Canary said, giving me a look I quite couldn''t read. "You almost did" "I''m sorry I I''m sorry," I sobbed, between breaths. "It''s not me who you need to apologize to," ck Canary replied, taking a deep breath. "It''s my brother. You lied to him, manipted his trust in you, risking not only your life, which on its own was beyond irresponsible but his as well he needs to know that From your mouth" I couldn''t tell him. She was right. But I couldn''t tell him. "Dick, she''s right" Batman said, his tone soft, yet judgmental. "You made a mistake, and mistakes have consequences, this is the consequence of your actions. You need to ept that, whether David forgives you, or not, that''s up to him." I nodded between tears, hoping the day I had to tell David to nevere. I couldn''t face him not after what I had done. Chapter 31: Chapter 31: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [Dinah Lance POV] Batman led Oliver and me to a room adjacent to where Dick and David were, leaving them in the caring hands of Alfred, who was changing their IV fluids. "Dinah, I understand how you feel. But you shouldn''t let your feelings cloud who you are," Batman said as soon as we entered the room, in a non-confrontational tone. "She has the right to feel however she wants to feel. Bruce," Oliver growled, crossing his arms. "I know," Batman agreed. "But I also know Dinah''s not one to hold a grudge." "I''m not," I said, staring at Batman, trying to muster the right words to continue. "But this is my baby brother Bruce. I''d kill for him; I''d die for him... And your protg almost killed him." Batman didn''t answer right away. Remaining silent for a couple of seconds before speaking. "I know. I know what Dick did was beyond reckless, there are simply no words to begin to describe what he did... I know, I know all too well. And I''ll see to it that he remembers it. But don''t me him, me me." I stared at him for a couple of seconds, my mind clouded with worry, anger, and pain. David was all I had, all that was left from our family, and today I had almost lost him, I had almost lost the person I was supposed to protect, I had almost lost an irreceable part of my world. "Bruce, I already do. I just need time not to associate that feeling with Dick." Batman nodded. "That''s all I ask." I didn''t know if I would ever forgive them. Right now, I was thinking, speaking, and acting out of anger. Emotions ruling my every move. Perhaps one day, I would be able to see past what could''ve happened, perhaps when all of this is over, I won''t be mad at them. Right now, however, I couldn''t bring myself to forgive them. Not without hearing David''s take on all of this. "Why is David taking so long to wake up?" Oliver asked, snapping me out of my train of thought. "He sustained more injuries than Robin, considerably more," Batman answered without missing a beat. "Be that as it may, most of his injuries have already healed, thanks to his healing factor. However, his mind is taking longer to put itself back together." "Is that normal?" Oliver asked before I could. "Yes, J''onn exined in careful detail before leaving how the process worked, and how it was slower the first time. In short, his mind is going through the process slowly, making sure each piece is where it should be." Batman replied. I sighed in relief. Psychic powers, who would''ve thought that? Just how much are you going to grow, baby bro? "He also exined how after today David''s mind would be a nearly unreachable fortress, at least in his own words. Apparently, the nature of his psychic powers it''s mainly defensive in nature, giving him an unnaturally strong mental shield against all means of mental alteration," Batman added, giving Oliver a USB. "There''s more information on the USB. J''onn took the time to write some documents that he thought could help him, or you, understand the nature of his new power." Oliver nodded, before taking the USB and putting it in his pocket. ------------------------- [David Lance POV] I woke up to see Alfred in front of me. Who, upon seeing me awake smiled. "Master David," Alfred greeted gently. I smiled, waving at him. Physically I felt fine, a bit tired maybe, but otherwise, I felt fine, that was if you didn''t count my state of mind, but I wasn''t going to let that ruin my victory today. Stretching my body, I surveyed the room, spotting Robin a few feet away from me, staring at me, a clear emotion on his face. Guilt. ~It wasn''t your fault,~ I signed, giving him my best smile. There was no reason for him to feel like I did. Robin said nothing at this, tears filling his eyes before he ducked under the covers of his bed, making me sigh. Did he really feel that bad? It hadn''t been his fault The Joker had been there, or that we hadn''t noticed the virus. That''s part of the job. Dealing with the unexpected, with the unwanted. Batman had trusted us with this mission, thinking us capable of dealing with the situation, unfortunately for us what had awaited us there was beyond our level of expertise. Be that as it may, we had done our best. And ultimately against all odds, we had seeded, with nothing but mental scars to tell the tale. I suppose he feels guilty for suggesting a mission, instead of simply staying in the house, as we had originally nned. "David!" Dinah was here. I need to pretend everything it''s okay. These feelings will go away with time, time heals everything. I just need to pretend they don''t exist. ~Hey,~ I smiled at her, faintly, as she rushed to my side, hugging me tightly. ~You should see the other guy.~ I smiled, winking at her. "I''m so d you''re okay," Dinah smiled, hugging me softly, almost as if scared of breaking me. I smiled, hugging her back. Everything would be okay, I had won. I had survived, now I simply had to deal with the aftermath. "How are you feeling kid?" Oliver asked,ing into view with a tired smile. ~Fine,~ I signed with a quick nod. ~Tired more than anything to be honest~ I was fine. I was alive. That''s all it mattered. HaHaHaHaHaHaHAhAHahaHaHahA! I "Lying to me," Dinah chuckled, giving me a kiss on the forehead. "I guess you are in the age of doing so" ~What?~ I smiled, tilting my head. "I heard thatugh," Dinah muttered, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder that had started shaking. Had Iughed? Was the virus still in my system? ~I didn''tugh!~ I replied in a hurry, my hands barely managing to make the signs to convey my message. "You didn''t" Dinah nodded, hugging me tightly. "Your mind did, kid," Oliver added, with a worried look. Chapter 32: Chapter 32: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] [Three weekster.] After my psychic episode in the Bat Cave, Dinah made the decision to send me to therapy to help me heal, a decision that Batman and Oliver more than approved of. My therapists being Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman, and J''onn J''onzz, better known as Martian Manhunter. ording to Dinah, Oliver, and Batman himself, they would be the best to help me through this. I wasn''t particrly happy about this. I just wanted to forget most of what had happened, not talk about it. "David," Diana of Themyscira sighed, giving J''onn J''onzz a look. "You need to talk about what happened. You ignore your feelings, your stress, just because you don''t like dealing with it. Bottling your emotions will only damage you more in the end." I need to talk about what happened? What a poor choice of words ~I''m fine really for the most part at least,~ I replied, giving her a tired smile. ~Sure, I got some mental scars from my battle with The Joker, but I know myself, and I know what I need, and that''s time~ I wasn''t sure if I believed that anymore to be entirely honest. All I knew was that I wanted to be left alone for a bit, to gather my thoughts. "David, you have been through a lot, in a short period of time," J''onn said, his eyes on me. "In less than a year, you have experienced two life and death situations. Keeping the aftermath of both experiences to yourself all in an attempt to avoid being vulnerable. David, being vulnerable does not equate to being weak, it means you acknowledge your own feelings so that you can move past them..." I hated when people made sense. It made me feel irrational. It''s funny, really, a part of me really wanted the help, while another kept saying I would be okay on my own. It was like my own brain was having a debate, and I was somehow losing, even though I was on both sides of the debate. "We want to help you. But we can only do so if you allow us to help you," Diana added with a soft smile, her eyes begging me to open up. I sighed, eyes looking down, ~I I guess I''m just afraid to admit there''s something wrong with me~ "There''s nothing wrong with you! What you are experiencing it''s normal, trauma is normal, but if left untreated, unchecked, trauma can have asting impact on how your body responds to stress. This can affect your social, emotional, and physical development down the line," Diana replied, cing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You have been subjecting your body to a harmful amount of stress during these past few months, to a point, your own body is now locked in a survival state, so to speak," J''onn added, giving Diana a look. "It''s a natural mechanism most creatures have. Including Martians, where your body keeps you in a state of alert, feeling your life is still in danger, all in order to prepare you for future events, for what-ifs, your brain feels it will have to deal with However, the brain sometimes it''s very self-destructive" "All your body cares for right now, it''s for your survival, but it''s so focused on that, and that only, that it fails to see how it''s hurting you in the process" Diana nodded. I really hated how much sense they made. ~And all of this will go away if I talk about it?~ I asked, gazing at them. "No," J''onn replied. "But it will help you ovee the worst part of it," Diana added. "It''s like a Band-Aid, the faster you rip it off the less it will hurt at the end." Like a Band-Aid, who would''ve thought, Wonder Woman, of all people would use that analogy. I wouldugh if I could. ~Very well then,~ I nodded, giving both of them a warm smile. If opening up would really help me, then I would. All I wanted was for this feeling to go away, and if this was the way, then I am all for it. ---------------------- [Harley Quinn POV] After our wounds were treated at the Arkham asylum clinic, we were taken through the long, narrow corridor of the asylum to our respective holding cells. There I saw my Pudding. Side by side, as we were led to our rooms, I caught a glimpse of his eyes, full of charming madness, sensing that something was no longer the same. Not with him. With me. "Pudding, look at me..." I said to Mister J. Who turned his head around seconds after hearing my voice, confirming my suspicions. Something had changed. An awakening... Or rather a discovery Mister J''s eyes, they had never looked at me like ck Bolt''s beautiful eyes, they had never looked at me as if I was the only thing that existed under the whole wide world, no those eyes only existed for Bats, not me. Mister J''s eyes had never beheld me with such burning intensity. No one had. But him ck Bolt. His eyes as he was beating me, his gaze, they existed only for me. Only for me. Mister J never loved me, didn''t he? His heart belonged to Batsy, not me. That look full of burning intensity, of heart-melting madness, of unwavering passion, just for me, made me realize that Mister J had never or would never see me like that. "Don''t worry Harley, we will be out of here in no time, that''s a Joker''s promise! isn''t that right doctor?" Mister Jughed, giving the doctor pushing him a look. I guess Ivy was right. I guess everyone was right. I just didn''t want to see it, because I thought I was right about pudding. But he wasn''t my pudding. I was afraid to admit it. To ept it, to embrace it. But it is what it is. Sometimes you just have to ept the truth, and stop wasting your time on the wrong people, what can ya do about it? Chapter 33: Chapter 33: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Per my therapist''s orders, I was on forced leave. Which meant no hero work for the time being. Thus, my days now mostly consisted of going to school, and training in the afternoons with Oliver and Dinah. Personally, I like to think things were getting better every day. I was taking things one step at a time. Doing things that I liked, like taking art sses, or spending hours in the local library, just reading for the sake of reading. My weekly talks with Diana and J''onn truly felt like they were helping me. I felt better. Not entirely. But better in general. I had the asional nightmare, sure. But all and all, I was slowly working my way out of my own problems. It also helped that I had things to keep me upied, like dealing with my new power, and the possibilities it brought. Like talking without my hands. J''onn J''onzz was teaching me how to control this new power of mine between sessions, often during the nights when I had nothing to do, and ording to him, we were making hasty progress. Based on what he had told me, it was safe to assume my psychic powers would never develop outside their main directive. Which was for the most part protecting my mind against all attacks. I was okay with that. I mean, I was getting a nearly indestructible psychic shield, and a form of limited telepathy as abo, which in all honesty was more than I could''ve asked for. Outside training, and therapy. School was going fine as well. I was actually considering graduating early, to avoid wasting my time there any longer than there was any need to. I wasn''t learning anything I didn''t know already. Be that as it may, I had decided to wait for the time being. To avoid worrying my sister more than anything else. Beyond that, life for the most part remained the same. There were some changes here and there, like Dick ghosting me. I had no idea why he was ignoring me all of a sudden, but I didn''t need to be Batman to know it had something to do with what had happened. But to each their own. He had to deal with his demons like I had to deal with mine. I would give him an adequate amount of time, before confronting him. Until then, I would respect his choice. Other than that, I guess things were the same. "Are you going to the library today?" Dinah asked, opening the door of my room about halfway, to which I nodded. A book a day kept the bad memories in my head away. "Do you need a ride?" At this, I paused for a second. Inwardly debating whether I wanted to take the bus, or not, before giving her another nod. I would use the bus money for snacks. "Well, I''m leaving in a few. So, if you want a ride, get ready," Dinah nodded, closing the door as she left. I smiled, walking towards my closet, grabbing a set of clean clothes before walking into my bathroom to take a quick shower. I still reeked of yesterday''s training. I hadn''t had the time to take a shower yesterday. ----------------- After Dinah dropped me off, I made my way down to the library, buying some gum along the way. Inside the library, I waved at the librarian who was most likely by this time used to seeing me almost on a daily basis. With that done, I went to my usual reading spot, located between the history section and the economics one, because for the most part, it was always empty, allowing me to read in peace, uninterrupted. However, upon reaching my spot, instead of finding nothing but books no one had checked out in years alongside dust, I found a girl sitting on my spot reading, wearing a dark cloak that was wrapped up around herself. I honestly had no idea what to do now. Never before I had encountered someone in my spot, so I wasn''t sure how to react to this unexpected development. "I''m sorry, was this ce taken?" The girl asked, in a soft tone. I shook my head. The rules of the library were like the rules of the jungle, firste first serve. She had won the race today. "I can leave, it''s really no problem," The girl said, her constetion violet-blue eyes staring into mine. Her eyes were quite probably the most beautiful ones I had ever seen, the color alone was breathtaking. I shook my head again, taking out my notepad, to write. "It''s okay, I usually read here But I can always change the scenery." The girl said nothing, her eyes on me as if scrutinizing me down to my soul. "I can''t talk I''m mute," I added on another note. In case she was confused as to why I was using notes tomunicate with her, I mean, not all people immediately assumed I was mute based on the notes, some simply thought I was weird at first. ~I know signnguage,~ The girl signed, perfectly might I add, giving me a short nod. I smiled, putting my notepad back. ~Well, in any case. Feel free to use the spot, I really don''t mind.~ After all, I had a backup spot, hiding in the DVD documentary section of the library. ~I would feel better leaving you this spot,~ The girl replied. I sighed, ~We can share the spot then? Ie here for the silence this little spot offers, and if you came here for the same, well, it doesn''t get any quieter than me.~ The girl nodded, epting my offer, ~That would be eptable.~ ~Very well then, a pleasure to share this secluded spot with you.~ I drawled, trying to get her name. Even though I would be totally okay with calling her mystery girl. ~Rachel Roth.~ I smiled, taking a seat a few feet away from her, ~David Lance.~ Chapter 34: Chapter 34: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Every other weekend, when time allowed, of course. I would meet Rachel, in the same ce, at the same time to read. We hardly spoke to each other. Nevertheless, even though we rarely exchanged a few words here and there with our hands, mainly to rmend books to one another, I felt like I knew her very well. Because as reserved as she was, I knew a lot about her, like the fact I knew she had a weight on her shoulders that somehow felt unimaginably heavier than mine. Funny enough, I was confident she also knew more about me than I could probably imagine. I just knew. Her eyes carried understanding. Deep understanding. One of a person fully aware of your pain and burdens. A level of understanding not even my sister had. Not to say my sister didn''t understand my situation. She did, to the best of her ability at least, but no matter how much she tried toprehend my living predicament, she would never fully rte. Rachel, on the other hand. Those eyes, they knew, they understood; it was uncanny. It was reallyforting, knowing that you knew someone so well, so deeply, without even talking to them. I considered her a friend already. And I hoped she considered me one as well. Anyhow. Outside of my time at the library, my training continued, and one of the things I had noticedtely was that my physical strength, durability, and speed were increasing rapidly. At first, I attributed this increase to my overall physical capabilities to my training. But soon enough, it became evident my training wasn''t giving these insane results. It was impossible for training alone, to do so. Two weeks ago, I was lifting a ton with rtive strain. Now? I could lift a ton in each hand with the same amount of strain I used to have two weeks ago with one ton alone. My running theory was that I was hitting my inhuman puberty. Not sure if that was a thing, but that was all I had for now. Be that as it may. I was happy I was getting stronger, for the most part at least. I now had to pull my punches because now, punching an average human with anything near my maximum would kill them. Before, I had more room to let loose, more room for error. That was gone. But that was okay. Learning self-control was my thing. My real superpower. I mean, I was mute by choice for an excellent reason. So, I was more than sure that learning how to pull my punches would be a breeze. A walk in the park, as Oliver likes to say. Talking about Oliver, he had been pestering me about Rachel. I swear to God, he feels like a gossip girl sometimes. "Hey, kiddo!" And speaking of the devil. ~Hi,~ I waved at him as he entered my training room. One he had paid for, apparently topete with Batman or something, because he was insisting I used his stuff and money instead of Batman''s stuff and money. I honestly didn''t care why he was doing this. Or who gave me my stuff for training, for that matter, all I cared about was having what I required to train. "So, excited for this weekend in this libraryyy?" Oliver teased, drawling each word out as much as possible. I deadpanned. "Come on, kid, no need to be embarrassed; we all had our first crushhhh," Oliver chuckled, skipping like a Disney princess in a field of flowers towards me, flowers and everything. The bastard had brought flowers to throw around, just to annoy me. ~Oliver, I swear to God, I will hurt you,~ I signed, with a mild re directed at him, my arms crossed. "I. Don''t. Careeee." Oliver drawled, skipping around me, making a circle of flowers as he did so. "I''m your older brother, and it''s my duty! No! MY RIGHT! To tease you!" I raised an eyebrow at that. "I''m dating your sister, so that gives me rights!" Oliver nodded to himself, reading my look. I sighed. "And I don''t n on stopping there! Once I marry her, my brotherly power over you will be UNSTOPPABLE! Muahahahahahaha!" Oliverughed, pulling a shlight out of his pocket to illuminate his face evilly. ~So you n on asking my sister to marry you?~ I asked, with a faint smile on my face. "Indubitably," Oliver nodded, twirling his mustache. ~You better seal that deal before she realizes how much of a dork you are,~ I replied with a grin. Oliver frowned, narrowing his eyes at me, "That''s... a good advice. My mustache can only hide my dork-side for so long..." he chuckled. ~Then again, my sister it''s also a big dork, so I guess you two are the perfect match for each other,~ I smiled, meaning every word. Oliver and Dinahpleted each other; if anyone was to marry my sister, Oliver was the only person I knew would do his best to make her happy. "Ha! That''s true..." Oliver nodded, snickered between breaths. "Please don''t tell her I said that..." "Toote," Dinah muttered behind him, a smile on her face. Which is why I had set him up with myment; after all, if he was my older brother as he imed, then it was my duty as his younger brother to get his ass into trouble. "You did that on purpose..." Oliver narrowed his eyes at me in usation. Dinah smiled, showing him her phone, with a text from me that said, Oliver is talking shit about you;e to the basement. ~You evil little bastard,~ Oliver signed with a gasp, his eyes narrowed in betrayal. ~It''s my duty as the little brother,~ I winked at him, leaving them to talk. I needed a shower and something to eat before going to the library. I wonder if Rachel will be there today. Chapter 35: Chapter 35: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] After I had left to take a shower. I was greeted by the surprise that Oliver had asked my sister to marry him. Dinah had said yes. I was happy for them. Dinah deserved to be with someone she loved and loved her back just as much. And, as immature as Oliver was at times, he loved my sister with all his heart. He might talk big here and there, but I knew he would shave his precious mustache if Dinah asked him to. I guess in the end, setting him up with a trap had worked in his favor. "See, kiddo? You can''t escape me!" Oliver chuckled, beaming at me. I rolled my eyes at him, turning to Dinah with a look that said, you are marrying a child. "I know," Dinah sighed, giving me a small yful nod. "I feel like you two are talking bad about me," Oliver muttered, crossing his arms, his eyes narrowing into thin lines. "Us?! Never," Dinah gasped for the dramatics. "Really?" Oliver raised an eyebrow, looking at her in disbelief. "Fine, we do it pretty often. But we do it with love," Dinah winked. I smiled, giving the archer a slight nod. "Well, I don''t care I have the most beautiful fiance in the universe and the greatest mustache this world has ever seen. A man can''t ask for more!" Oliver dered, pumping his right hand into the air. "You got the first one right," Dinah chuckled. "You two envy the mustache''s power," Oliver replied, giving Dinah a yful look. My cue to leave. I have things to do, and quite honestly, they need to celebrate their engagement. ~Well, as lovely as this is, I have some books I want to read, so go out, have fun, and do whatever a recently engaged couple does.~ "To the librrrrrary I seeee.." Oliver purred mischievously, chuckling between words. "I wonder if you are actually going for the books or racheeeel," Dinah added with an impish smirk on her face. Oh god. Not her as well. ~This is exactly why no teenager tells shit to their family,~ I signed, rubbing my temples. "I mean, that''s on you, not us," Oliver chuckled, "You told us about your frrrrriend; we didn''t ask." He added, purring the word friend out, to imply there was something more. "Ok, that''s enough," Dinah chuckled, yfully pushing Oliver aside. "Go and have fun, don''t pay attention to Oliver." "B-but you?! You were teasing him as well!" Oliverined in an insulted manner, crossing his arms. "See? Non-sense, that''s all that man says," Dinah winked at me, insulting the insulted Oliver in the back, who was able to see her wink from his position quite clearly. No, no, sister, Oliver has a point. But I won''t stay to defend it. I have shit to do and little time to do it. So if I wanted to have time for all the stuff I nned today, like watching a movie after reading, I needed to leave. Now. ~Bye, remember to behave, children,~ I replied, grabbing my wallet before darting out of the house. I had a few things to do before reaching the library, one of them being, buying some vegetarian snacks I had seen Rachel eat every now and then. ---------------------- I arrived at the library twenty minutes after leaving the house. Greeting everyone inside, I knew with a smile before reaching my spot to find Rachel sitting on the floor, with two bags of snacks and a book by her side. ~I saw you eating this, so I bought some,~ Rachel signed, pointing at the snacks. ~If you want some, feel free to eat them.~ I smiled, showing her my bag full of snacks. ~I guess we had the same idea today~ ~It seems we did,~ Rachel nodded, offering me a faint heartwarming smile that faded almost as quickly as it came. ~I haven''t tried any of these before,~ I replied, putting the bag of vegetarian snacks on the floor. ~Which one would you rmend?~ Rachel looked at the snacks for a moment before replying. ~SunChips veggie harvest farmhouse ranch, they are pretty good.~ I nodded, grabbing two bags, and offering her one. ~Thanks,~ Rachel said before taking the bag from my hands. ---------------------------------- [Dick Grayson POV] I was avoiding David. Because I was a coward, that was the harsh yet unavoidable truth. I was afraid of his reaction to what I had done. I was scared of what telling him meant in the grand scheme of things At this point, I was simply looking for self-validating excuses to not talk to him, to prolong that talk for as long as possible, taking a ghosting approach to this, ignoring his calls and messages until he simply decided not to call me anymore, which apparently already did. I hadn''t had a single text or call from him in over three weeks. I didn''t feel better at all with this development. If anything, I felt worse. Just as Batman had told me, I would feel. I knew he was right. But that didn''t make it any easier. I had betrayed everything I thought I stood for just because I wanted validation from others. Risking his life, mine, and many others in the process. I had tricked him. Abusing his trust in me, for my own benefits. I had risked so much, for absolutely nothing worth the sacrifice. After all this time, I was but a child ying hero. I always thought of myself above my peers, kids, and anyone my age, but SURPRISE SURPRISE! All along, I had been the child, one that is willing to lie, to cheat, and more to get his way. I''m pretty sure that''s the definition of a spoiled brat. How pathetic is that? I''m not even a normal brat; no! WHY settle there?! I mean, I had to be the worst type of brat, the spoiled kind. Right?! "Robin," Bruce said, entering the cave, as I worked my frustrations on a training dummy. "I know it''s easier said than done. But you have to face the consequences of your actions, sooner orter." "I know," I replied, punching the dummy, trying to avoid this talk. "The more you wait, the worse it will be, for you and for him," Bruce added, pulling me into a hug. "You made a mistake; everyone does. It''s up to you to learn from it. Remember, when you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it; admit it, learn from it, and don''t repeat it. David might not forgive you right away, but if you show him you learned from this I promise you that eventually, he will open up." I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes as I sighed heavily, letting my head drop on his chest. "That''s how we learn. We learn more from our mistakes than our victories; our mistakes have more to teach us than you might think. Making mistakes does not mean you''re a failure. It just means you''re trying and learning in life." Bruce said, letting me cry on his suit. "However, you have to remember, son; you can never make the same mistake twice. The second time you make it, it''s no longer a mistake; it''s a choice." Chapter 36: Chapter 36: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] The night had already fallen on the mountain, where I hade to have some alone time, leaving Dinah and Oliver to enjoy the weekend alone, leaving me with no one else but my thoughts, in a small room in a cozy-looking inn. Outside the old inn, the wind howled ferociously, making the old walls of the inn creak worryingly, as the inn was mostly made out of wood. Currently, I was at the inn''s restaurant, sitting at a table waiting for my meal with a book in hand reading, a book Rachel had rmended for that matter, an empty te of garlic bread a few inches away from my hand. When I hade down to eat, the restaurant had been empty, but over the few minutes I had been waiting for my steak, some men and women had arrived, spreading out around the tables lit by antique chandeliers. "Here you go, sir," The waiter said, arriving at my table with my food on a small silver tray. Steak with mash potatoes and a sd on the side, the mash potatoes with extra cheese and bacon, and the sd with the dressings on the side. I smiled at him, giving him a slight nod as he put the food in front of me. His service so far was promising a big tip; what can I say? The garlic bread had been to die for. "If you need anything, just raise your hand, and I''ll be here in a sh," The waiter smiled, giving me a quick nod. I nodded in appreciation before getting ready to dig into my food, grabbing the silverware on the te. Wondering if hisst bit had been a sh pun. I was enjoying this, having time alone. It was refreshing. And the best part was that my therapists had rmended it, meaning Dinah and Oliver had no reasons toin; heck, Oliver had given me a credit card with no limit to use for that very reason, for my alone time. "Help," However, before I can bite into my delicious dinner, someone opens the restaurant doors, croaking faintly, their voice barely audible over the sound of the howling wind. "Please... someone.... help!" With a tired sigh, I rose from my chair, walking towards the exit of the restaurant, before my eyes caught sight of the silhouette of a man standing in the doorway, bleeding into the floor. Blood slowly coating the floor in a gory sight, I rushed towards the man, noticing in the process that besides me, no one had any intention of assisting him. Now I felt terrible for sighing. I had wholeheartedly expected his call for help to be for something less urgent. "Help," The man croaks, copsing into my arms as I inspected his wounds. It looked as if he had been injured by arge animal, a bear perhaps, possibly something bigger. But what could be bigger than a bear in the mountains? No time for that. First, I needed to treat his wounds to prevent him from dying of blood loss or an infection before the ambnce arrived, which I hoped someone had already called. "There''s a man dying in the inn! Please send someone!" I guess they were calling now. Luckily for the man, I never left my house without my first aid kit. "There''s a monster in the forest..." The man whimpered as I tended to his wounds, waking up as I started to clean his gashes, his hand reaching out towards my arm weakly. Immediately after this, the man faded back to the unconscious level. Usually, I would rule the words of a wounded man as non-sense because, more than not, factors like blood loss and trauma affected the perceptions of oneself; however, in this very specific case, his words were nothing but the truth. His wounds corroborated his words for the most part; there was no animal on earth with ws that left marks like these. I knew that. Batman had made me memorize every type of w in the animal kingdom, amongst other things, in order to be able to rule out certain parameters during an investigation. "Sir, do you need any help?" The waiter offered nervously, his face morphing into one of horror upon witnessing the state of the man lying on the floor. I nodded, hoping the offer was still up, even after seeing what he would have to deal with. "W-what do you need to d-do?" The waiter nodded, taking a deep breath, averting his gaze toward me. Seeing the waiter didn''t know signnguage, I pointed at an empty table and then at the cleaning bottle dangling on his belt. "You want me to clean that table?" The waiter asked. I nodded, turning back to the man to continue treating his wounds. After I stabilized his condition, I would go out for a walk in the woods to see what I was dealing with. "Hi... I-I''m a n-nursing student. Do you need help?" I turned around to see a woman in herte twenties, as well as many others behind her,ing to help. So that''s why no one had rushed to help but me. They had been under the psychological phenomenon known as the bystander effect, which states that sometimes the presence of others discourages individuals on a subconscious level from intervening in an emergency situation. I smiled, giving her a slight nod. Showing her my first aid kit, the one I could carry around without telling the world I was a superhero, which had more than enough things to treat wounds like this. "The ambnce will be here in five minutes," Someone in the back said. "O-okay, I can do this," The nursing student stammered, applying pressure on the wounds as I finished cleaning them. "Do... do you have antibiotics?" I nodded; I had some amoxicillin and trimethoprim in my personal first aid kit. "Then we need to administer him with some to avoid any possible infection he might have acquired from spreading," The nursing student added, doing a wonderful job keeping her stammering in control. I nodded once again, pointing at my first aid kit. "Good, you have amoxicillin... that works for animal-rted wounds," The nursing student muttered, grabbing the antibiotic from my bag. I wonder what kind of monster attacked this man... Or why the thought of going out to find the culprit made me feel somewhat anxious. It wasn''t fear, far from it, frankly, but it was enough to tell every fiber in my body I had to keep my guard up. Chapter 37: Chapter 37: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] After dealing with the injured man, ensuring his condition was stable enough for him to wait for an ambnce, I left the inn to investigate, quickly rushing to the forest, following an old road of packed dirt that conveniently led to my destination. Sending a drone beforehand to scan the area to determine whether I would be allowed to use my powers or not. It all relied on how dested the forest currently was. Within a minute or two of following the road, I reached the edge of the forest, where I came to a full stop, my muscles tensing for the run. Feeling my heart pound without clear reason. Fear perhaps? I sighed, shaking my head with a small frown on my head. Something here was off. I was afraid, even though I had no idea what awaited me behind those trees, behind the ever-growing shadows that seemed to expand in an unnatural way through the vegetation. I had many problems, many things to work through, but crippling cowardice wasn''t one of them. Meaning whatever lurked in the forest was to me for this. I was more than intrigued now. A beast capable of inducing fear in others from afar. That sounded like something Scarecrow would keep in his apartment as his pet. Brushing off the fear trying to cripple my actions, I rushed inside the forest, running through the trail while taking a good look around, surveying every little detail that could lead me to whatever or whoever had attacked the man back at the inn. Coming to a full stop, as I came face to face with a corpse resting against a tree. The foul, putrid smell of the same being so thick it almost choked me. The victim was a woman, around her twenties, covered in wounds with blood and pus, her white skin, now ck in most ces, glistening with corruption. At this horrid sight. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine. The wounds, the pattern of attacks, and more. It all matched the man I had treated. Based on the blood around her corpse alone, she was attacked just around the same time the man had been. However, unlike the man, her wounds had reached necrosis at an rming speed, based on how she looked. A necrotizing infection causes patches of tissue to die. These infections are mostmonly the result of harmful bacteria invading the skin or the tissues under it. If untreated, they can and, in most cases, will cause death in a matter of hours. Infections of this kind are fairly rare. Pushing through the foul smell, I reached the corpse, kneeling to its side, pulling my thermometer and a glove to get the corpse''s temperature in order to determine the time of death. 94.5 Fahrenheit. 34.7 Celsius. Meaning she died roughly two hours ago. At least ording to my knowledge of basic forensics. For a more urate result, I would require a forensic doctor, or more equipment. Unfortunately, I didn''t have none of those things on my belt. So, I was using the form. The form stated that the body loses around 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit per hour, so the rectal temperature is subtracted from the normal body temperature of 98 degrees. Then, the difference between the two is divided by 1.5, and that final number is used to approximate the time since death. Hence, the two hours. Based on that and what I could deduce from the man, I was almost certain the culprit was still somewhere around. Inspecting the corpse a bit more before continuing with my journey, I found her ID on her pants, in the left pocket, alongside her wallet. Name: Evelynn Grace. Age: 23. Organ Donor. (Not anymore considering her state.) Law student. Allergic to peanuts and butter. For emegercies call 987-XXX-XXXX. I grabbed my phone, taking a few pictures of her information to ensure her family had some kind of closure. "Tandem venisti," A throaty growl thundered behind me; the sound was deep and menacing, it spoke of demonic power and primal savagery, but worse than that, it spoke of insatiable hunger. Instincts kicking in, I jumped to my feet, arming my portable staff with a single whip like swing as I took the staff out of my pocket. Finding myself face to face with an unholy abomination of biblical proportions; a demonic beast that towered over the trees, each one of its arms so long it could effortlessly envelop a bus and more, his bony face wider than any animal, man, or beast I had ever seen, its mouth gaping, showing long deadly jagged teeth that oozed something that looked blood into the ground. "Mors. Renaissance. Servitus." The demonic entity hissed, taking a long step forward, dragging its unnaturally long arms through the earth. I frowned, taking a step back. Whatever this entity was, it was speaking in Latin, meaning it''s safe to assume it was a demon; beyond that disturbing fact, it seemed the entity had been waiting for me, as Tandem Venisti roughly tranted to; finally, you have arrived. Thest few words this demonic abomination had whispered tranted to, Death, Rebirth, and very, so that, alongside side the fact it had been obviously waiting for me, were clear indicators all of the events so far had been nothing but a trap to lure me into the forest. That was a lot of preparation for something random. Taking step back, I watched as the creature neared, sending a signal to the drone I had sent to scan the forest, using my watch, in order to find out how much I could y this out. In terms of power. [No humans in a 22-mile radius.] The drone reported. I smiled under my mask. For that message meant, I could whisper. Good to know. "Mors. Renaissance. Servitus." The demonic entity repeated in a low hiss, with each step he took towards me in a predatory manner , making the very earth beneath him tremble. I sighed, taking my mask off, before taking a deep breath, as I looked deep into the sky, the sounds of the abomination approaching me bing more and more rming. I paid the beast no heed. Today it would be the first time I use that willingly. I have to admit, in a way, it felt liberating. How curious. "Mors. Renaissance. Servitus." "Pedicabo ego vos." I muttered in clear Latin, aiming at the demon. Destroying several miles of forest, leaving nothing but a roughly leveled field of rocks and dust, all signs of green and life gone as far as the eye could see. I never really imagined I would break my silence saying, fuck you, in Latin. But what can I say, it felt right. It was, in a way, almost poetic. "Mors. Renaissance. Servitus..." That entity was still alive? Chapter 38: Chapter 38: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] I took a step back, seeing the creature I had destroyed with a whisper, reform in a fair bit of crimson smoke. Little by little materializing back to full health. "Not bad" The entity hissed, the tone of his voice changing as his eyes that had just materialized back from my attack started glowing red, with an extra set appearing above his original two, making the total sum four. Four eyes. Demonic powers. There was only one being that I knew, that matched that description to a T. Trigon. I really hoped it wasn''t him. I was far, far out of my league if he was. "You will do," The demon smiled, pointing at me with delirious delight, one that soon turned into a scowl filled with confusion. "You resist me?" I honestly had no idea what he was talking about, but based on his look of utter bewilderment, he had probably tried to mind control me, failing in the process. "I see," The demonughed, his voice booming across the once green forest, shaking the very earth, forcing the tectonic tes in the near surroundings to oscite dangerously. "Your mind is alluringly strong. But as vexing as you are, everything is futile in the face of me." "Go back to hell," I muttered, destroying his body once again in order to collect my thoughts, to better deal with the situation. First, I had to analyze what I knew, and what I could deduce based on what I had seen so far. I was still breathing. Meaning that thing I had destroyed twice, wasn''t Trigon, at least not entirely. That alone gave me a lot of room to stall. For someone better prepared to deal with magical threats. Regrettably, for me, I didn''t have Doctor Fate''s number, or Constantine''s for that matter, the two heavy hitters of the league when it came to dealing with demonic entities. Not that Doctor Fate''s number would help, he wasn''t on active duty anymore. At least that I knew of. However, I had Giovanni Zatara''s number. I had seen the man once at a Christmas party at Oliver''s manor three years ago, where he hade to give Oliver his gift before departing to spend the holiday with his daughter. He had given me his personal card that time, telling me to call him, in case Oliver didn''t in a magical emergency. This seemed like a great opportunity to text him, alongside Batman, those two would know better how to handle this situation, or at the very least they would have a better grasp of how to deal with this than I did. Coming to that conclusion, I sent the texts as fast as I could, keeping myself fully alert. "You cannot stop me, child," The demon hissed, his body reforming in front of me at an rmingly quick rate. "I will," I replied in a whisper. Destroying his body once again. I might not be able to kill him, but this would do for now. "He can take it away" I froze in ce, as the world around me changed, showing me what life could be if I was in control of my powers, through a world of illusions. He was trying to manipte me through my desires. "He can take the pain away. Your burdens everything, and all you have to do, is serve Heed what he offers you, an existence free of pain and earthly burdens, and all he demands in return is your total obedience, yourplete subservience. For you to acknowledge him as your God, that''s all he asks, for a life free of earthly suffering" The voice of the demon thundered inside my skull loudly. Offering me a life in control. "Go fuck yourself," I muttered, aiming ahead of me, forcefully breaking a path out of the wretched world of illusions that surrounded me. "Pathetic Resistance is futile to one who is the destroyer of all that exists!" The demon roared, his body reforming in front of me, ready to attack. However, before the demon could even begin to attack, arge beam of ck energy with a faint purple edge around it struck the enemy, pushing the demon away, as the following words were heard loud and clear, "Azarath metrion zinthos!" ------------------------------------ [Batman POV] I had received a message from ck Bolt on my private phone as I was patrolling Gotham, requesting urgent help in dealing with a magical situation. The very same text had also been sent to Zatara, who had contacted me, as I called the league. ck Bolt knew of every magical threat we, the League knew of, as it had been a fundamental part of his training in criminal profiling. With that in mind, and how certain I was of his skills, theck of any information in his text that could help us identify the threat was worrisome. Because it meant the threat was one, we didn''t know anything about. What concerned me, even more, was the fact that whatever this threat was, had gone under the radar, avoiding detection from our strongest magical users. There was a chance ck Bolt was simply dealing with a threat he regarded as magical but wasn''t. For the League, it wasmon to deal with these kinds of threats every now and then. Be that as it may, I trusted ck Bolt''s judgment enough to not rule out anything just yet. Instead, opting to tackle this situation by taking his text as hard facts to base our response on. "Do we have his location?" Superman asked. I nodded, "He''s forty miles north from Star City." "Let''s go then," Wonder Woman said, holding hersso tight. "I''m already on my way, I''ll be there in fifteen seconds, had to stop at the police to drop mytest catch," The sh added, replying to our call through thes. "Mate, we better hurry. Whatever that poor bloke of a kid is fighting, is as dark as theye, hell, it makes Hell feel like fucking Glendale," Constantine said, his eyes narrowing in concern. "I mean, if you like the kid otherwise, keep debriefing our situation." "I can''t believe I''m saying this, but Constatine is right," Zatara nodded, dread clear in his voice. "I can feel darkness without equal there, no idea how I didn''t notice it sooner." "Get used to it mate," Constantine shrugged. "Besides, this is my day-to-day bread. Dark shit, and booze. Mostly booze." "Zeta tubes ready," I said, giving the League a small nod to proceed. Chapter 39: Chapter 39: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] "Azarath metrion zinthos!" "What?" said the Demon, staring around in confusion. And then he breathed in uncontrolled anger. "Raven!" Shocked by what the demon had said, I looked behind me, my heart pounding. To find Raven standing behind me, her violet-blue eyes staring at the demon, as the realization dawned on me. Rachel. "Are you okay?" Rachel asked. I nodded, focusing back on the demon. I would talk with her about thister. "Even now, you defy him?" said the Demon dangerously. "Always," Rachel replied without a hint of hesitation in her soft-spoken tone. "So be it," said the Demon softly, staring at her, before raising his ws, sending a st of energy at Rachel, who with a move of her hand enveloped us in a whirling dome of darkness, reappearing us behind the Demon. "Hi," I whispered, taking this opportunity to attack, destroying his body once again. "That won''t keep him down," Rachel stated in a soft tone. "The avatar he''s using can''t be affected by physical phenomena." I nodded, that much had been clear so far. I was simply working out my frustrations on him. ~What do we do?~ "Let me handle this," Rachel replied, advancing towards the Demon as it reformed. "You can''t avoid your destiny child!" roared the Demon in sphemous anger, pointing at her. "You were born to serve, and serve you will!" "I am the master of my own destiny," Raven replied calmly. "You think you''re protecting him?! Foolish little girl he will serve, just like you! You protect nothing!" spat the Demon, sending another st of reddish energy at her, that Raven blocked with a st of her own. Rachel said nothing, her hands glowing ck with a dim purple edge covering them dangerously as she aimed at him once again, sending a torrent of energy at the Demon, who dodged her attack, vanishing out of sight at thest moment. Frowning, I started looking around. Keeping my guard up. Chances were the Demon wanted to use me as leverage in this battle, something I would not allow to happen by any means. I might not be able to help much because of magical reasons, but be that as it may, that didn''t mean I would be a liability for Rachel, who evidently was better suited to deal with this threat. Behind! Throwing my body to the side, feeling a slight chance of air around, I managed to scarcely dodge the Demon''s attack as it appeared behind me. "You!" growled the Demon, being interrupted by one of Raven''s attacks, sting it to the ground. "Raven!" roared the Beast, bleeding as it got back on its feet, ring daggers at Rachel. All while I admired the fact her attacks were actually harming him. Raven once again at the demon''s growls and roars, said nothing, calmly floating towards him, closing their distance. "Defying our God is a foolish path!" roared the Demon, darting towards her on all fours, like a feral beast. "Maybe, but it is my choice to make," Raven replied lightly, as though they were having a normal conversation. Then, before the Demon could reach her, she brought her forward, piercing the beast with a thinser-like beam of dark energy. Coughing blood, the Demon vanished once again, dissipating with a poof of ck smoke that reformed behind her in the form of a giant two-headed snake, trying to sink its fangs into her. Kicking the ground beneath me as hard as I could, I rushed to her side, hurling a few explosives at the beast, halting its progress. As Raven turned around, effortlessly flicking the demon high into the air with the move of her index finger, destroying its body once again, leaving nothing behind but a wisp of smoke. Was it over? I had no idea. "He''s still alive, and around," Raven said as if reading my thoughts. "I can''t read your thoughts. You have a strong mind, but I can read your emotions, and you were feeling confused," she rified, answering all of my current questions. I nodded, offering her a smile. "Azarath metrion zinthos!" Raven muttered, bringing her hands together as if to pray, enveloping me in her energy, which now coated me with a faint purple edge. "Your attacks will affect his avatar now. " "DIE!!!" screamed the Demon in unyielding anger, lunging at us as it reformed. I smiled, realizing what she had done. "No," I muttered, destroying his half-reformed body, inches away before it reached us. Leaving nothing behind, but a sense ofpletion. "That should keep him away for some time," Rachel said softly. I nodded, taking her words as facts. In the world of magic, I had little clue how things operated. ~Did you like the book I gave youst time?~ I asked, trying to make small talk. Rachel remained silent for a moment, averting her eyes from meeting mine, before giving me a soft nod. "I did." I smiled, surveying the damage I had done to the forest before Rachel had arrived to aid me. I was truly grateful for that, without her assistance, things would''ve ended poorly for me. ~Thanks,~ I signed. Rachel once again said nothing, simply giving a small nod as she looked ahead. To think I would meet Raven of all people. "ck Bolt!" I turned around upon hearing my name, witnessing the League arrive at the scene, Superman being the one to have called my name. Smiling, I waved at them. They had arrived a bit toote for the party, but they had arrived nevertheless, so I could at least say I could count on them to show up. "So that''s the kid?" A man with a thick British ent spoke, as he came into view. Smoking a cigar. There was no need for an introduction. I knew who he was. He was no other than John Constantine, the Hellzer of Ennd. "Where''s the enemy?" Wonder Woman was the first to ask, taking a step forward as she looked around. "Well, love. She''s standing right by his side," replied Constantine, his eyes on Rachel. "Don''t try to hide it, kid. I can literally feel the evil oozing out of you." Chapter 40: Chapter 40: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Constantine stared at Rachel, his eyes carrying a sense of familiarity, one that only came with the years of experience the Helltaker had umted on his belt, dealing with Demons. With monsters from Hell itself. Creatures of the sulfur void seeking to bring havoc to this world. However. Rachel wasn''t like that. Not even close. This went beyond my so-called canonical knowledge. I trusted her before realizing she was Raven, the daughter of Trigon. ~She''s with me,~ I signed, getting between the League and Rachel, ready to fight them if push came to shove. "Constantine?" asked Wonder Woman, taking on a hesitant stance. "Love, I know my demons. She''s one," said Constantine firmly as he lighted a cigarette. "Zatara," asked Batman, turning to Zatara for a second opinion. "Constantine is right," replied Zatara in a resigned voice. They didn''t believe me I know I had no proof to back my words up, but still They didn''t believe me. "Azarath metrion zinthos!" Rachel muttered under her breath; however, before she could finish whatever she was trying to do, her spell, much to her confusion. "Not so fast, darling," said Constantine in a triumphant tone. "ck Bolt, get away from her," ordered Batman. ~She''s my friend,~ I replied, my temper rising. "You are too soft with the Hatchling, Batman," grunted Hawkwoman, giving Batman an annoyed look before moving her gaze towards me. "Move." ~She''s not the enemy; we can talk this out,~ I signed, giving Wonder Woman, Batman, and J''onn a pleading look to stop this before they made a grave mistake. "That wasn''t a suggestion, kid; it was an order from your superior; move or be moved!" snarled Hawkwoman, mace at hand. My superior? That''s it, if that overgrown chicken nugget wants to fight, I''ll fight. "That''s not! How we do things!" barked Batman, in a husky voice that trembled with fury. "ck Bolt is one of us; his word should have some weight in how we approach this," agreed Wonder Woman, giving Batman a quick nod. "He''s a hero, but not part of the league, not yet," said Hawkman coldly. "He''s a hero; that''s all it matters," replied Superman, crossing his arms defiantly. "Maybe he''s under her control?" said Zatara giving Rachel a judging look. "His body is coated in her demonic energy." "Yep," nodded Constantine. The spell she had put on me to end the battle with the demon ~No, she saved my life!~ I signed, but it was clear what was going to happen. "They already made out their minds," Rachel muttered softly. "They think I''m controlling you." I sighed, giving Rachel a look, trying to convey through my emotions a small message. Can you take us out of here? Rachel nodded. I nodded, giving the League onest look before whispering to the ground, "Goodbye." "Azarath metrion zinthos!" --------------------------------- By the time I opened my eyes again. I wasn''t in the forest anymore, but in a cave, with Rachel by my side. "I''m sorry," Rachel muttered in a defeated tone. ~Why?~ I asked. "For the problems I brought upon you," Rachel replied tonelessly. ~Don''t be,~ I sighed, taking a deep breath, before plucking my utility belt and gear and throwing them to the ground. ~We have to move; the League will be here in a few~ I was certain Batman had more than a few trackers on me, for security purposes, amongst other things. But be that as it may, if I wanted to prove Rachel''s innocence, I had to avoid the league getting in my way. "Ok," Rachel nodded, teleporting us again to a different location. Another cave. ~Good, now how do we prove you aren''t a bad guy?~ I signed, taking a seat on the ground. "I don''t need to prove myself to them," Rachel replied, summoning two bags of chips, one for her and one for me. ~I know, but it would be beneficial to not have the entire league chasing us,~ I nodded, wondering how Dinah would take me going on them. "I suppose," Rachel nodded absently as if wanting to tell me something. ----------------------------- [Giovanni Zatara POV] I had been the one assigned, alongside Batman and Hawkwoman, to tell Dinah his little brother had escaped with a possible world-ending threat. I didn''t know what to think of the entire situation. On one hand. Batman was certain the kid was right and was determined to help him prove the girl meant no harm. On the other hand. Constantine was certain the kid was under her control. But what if we were wrong? What if the girl was truly David''s friend? Kent had taught me to look beyond the surface. Yet, I had judged the girl on a surface level, forcing the kid to run with her. We jumped to our conclusions. And that had left us with nothing. "Let me see if I get this straight," Oliver said after Batman had finished his exnation. "David texted you two for help right?" Batman and I nodded as Hawkwomen remained still by our side. "And when you arrived, he was with a violet blue-haired girl that he defiantly protected against you all." Oliver continued, "Yet, instead of giving them a chance of exining, you two let things escte out of hand." I nodded, "Batman tried to diffuse the situation. I''m afraid I did the contrary in that manner." "If I know David, and I do, he''s probably assessing his situation and nning ordingly to prove her innocence to us," Batman added without a hint of doubt in his voice. "And you know that because?" Hawkwoman asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because that''s what I would do," Batman replied. Dinah sighed, making the first sound since we hade here. "It would be best if you all left." "Dinah, we-" Hawkwoman began, but Dinah cut her with a sharp, furious look. "It''s ck Canary to you," Dinah replied coldly. "Understood," I nodded, walking with Batman and Hawkwoman out of the room. ---------------------------------------- [Dinah Lance POV] As Batman, Zatara, and Hawkwomen left, I gave a tired sigh, slumping into my bed. "The kid will be okay," Oliver said. "I know," I chuckled, grabbing the USB Batman had left in our room. "Look at the bright side! We will be able to tease David even more!" Oliver grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. "I mean, violet-blue hair? Doesn''t that sound rrrrather familiar?" he added, purring his words out. I chuckled, giving him a yful punch on the arm, "It does" "It seems the kid is ying the hero move on Rachel, not bad~" Oliver snickered. "He''s a natural with thedies, just like his big, handsome, incredibly sexy, mustache-having brother!" "I''m having second thoughts about our engagement," I chuckled. "Le gasp! Le hurt! How can you say that! You made us a promise!" Olivermented in fake suffering. "Us?" I chuckled. "Me and the Mustacheeee~" Oliver grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. "Maybe I should call that doctor he seemed interested in dating me," I hummed. "Yeah, right like a doctor can evenpare to moi!" Oliver replied, crossing his arms. "I suppose not," I nodded, giving him a kiss. "We need to find David" "Don''t worry, amore, David will find us; besides, he won''t be on them for long; Batman believes him," Oliver replied, giving me a peck on the lips. "He will be back in no time, and with a quote on quote, friend ha! Friend my ass, I knew he had a crush on the girl!" I chuckled, rolling my eyes. Wondering what the USB batman had left behind had. Chapter 41: Chapter 41: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] I was lost. Not literally, no. More like in a figurative sense. I was lost in the sense I had no idea how to prove Rachel''s innocence to the League. I mean, how could I? I honestly had no solid evidence to back my word up. Sure, she was my friend, and I knew she wasn''t evil, but to the League, or any legal establishment that meant nothing. "You don''t have to do this," Rachel said softly. ~I don''t, but I want to,~ I signed, smiling at her. She was my friend, and I would be damned if I allowed the League to hunt her down, without any reason. "I''m honestly not concerned about the League," Rachel said unconcernedly. ~I am,~ I admitted with a tired sigh. "Why are you helping me?" Rachel asked calmly, her violet-blue eyes resting on me. I paused for a moment, before answering. ~We are friends, friends help each other~ "Friends" Rachel muttered under her breath as if the word was foreign to her in more than one sense. I nodded. "You are doing more than any normal friend would" Rachel replied coolly. "I read about friends, but none would risk everything for one they have known for so little time like you are doing why?" I paused again, she was bringing up a good point, I mean, why was I doing this? Was it our friendship that pushed me to go on them with her? Was it the knowledge I had about her? Or was it something else entirely? I sighed, musing over her question before answering. ~To be honest, I don''t know I guess there are questions without logical answers, all I know is that I care about you and that I want to help you, I know you are not a bad person, and therefore should not be treated as such.~ "What what if I was a bad person?" Rachel muttered, each word carrying more hesitation than thest. Her body dropping ever so lightly, as her lips quivered for just the briefest of moments, with her breathing to aplete halt. "What then?" I paused again, knowing very well what she was thinking right now, or at the very least having a pretty good idea of what she was thinking. Her parentage, her powers, and all this meant haunted her. I could rte to that, to some level. Her demons were unimaginably bigger than mine, the weight on her shoulders was so massive, that mine barely held a dying candle to it. Be that as it may, I could rte. I could understand some of her pains, and struggles, not all of them, but some. So I knew very well what she was thinking. Because more than once, I would be thinking just that. ~You are not a bad person,~ I replied with a calm smile, cing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You sound sure of that," Rachel muttered with just the hint of a smile dawning on her face for the briefest of moments. ~I am,~ I nodded. "Thanks," Rachel replied, going back to her usual self. "By the way, there''s something I''ve been meaning to ask" I smiled, taking a seat in front of her on the ground of the cave, giving her a nod to proceed with her question. "Do you know who Trigon is?" Rachel asked, eyes on me, scrutinizing me from head to bottom. I froze, having no idea how to answer that without lying. "Let me rephrase that, how do you know who Trigon is?" Rachel asked again, with the same look on her face. "When we were fighting that demon, I felt your emotions spike for a brief moment with emotions one could only feel if knowledge of it was in the way." I sighed, trying to find a way to word my answer out, without sounding absolutely crazy in the process. ~I I have heard of him, I really can''t exin how, but, yes, I am aware of him.~ "I see," Rachel said, calmly. ~I apologize my answer is not exactly satisfactory,~ I smiled, my fingers fidgeting. "It''s okay, you answered my question to the best of your ability," Rachel replied. "Besides, I know very well there are questions one can''t answer, simply because theyck a clear answer." I nodded, that was, after all, pretty much my case when it came to canon-rted answers I knew without previous interaction. "Are you afraid I''m his daughter?" Rachel asked her eyes on me once again. I shook my head. Was I afraid of her dad? Sure, I was, who the hell would not? He was Satan himself but on demonic steroids, I mean, I was pretty sure he was one of the selected few that I could scream at, and not only survive, but punch me back twice as hard. Sure, it depended on the version of Trigon this Trigon was, but still, regardless of the iteration I was dealing with, more than not, most iterations were strong enough to solo Superman with frightening ease. "You are a weird guy," Rachel smiled, amused by my answer. ~I am,~ I nodded, with a smile of my own. ~I mean, I am the literal definition of a walking talking nuke~ "Your voice didn''t seem to carry nuclear qualities," Rachel muttered, tilting her head to the side. I blinked, perhaps the use of literal in a not literal sense was too confusing for her still. ~I know, it''s a way of speaking, an expression, or in my case, a way of signing. It''s also the best possible example I can think of.~ "Oh, I see," Rachel nodded, satisfied with my answer. I smiled at that, scratching the back of my head. "You can''t control it right?" Rachel asked softly. ~My powers? No, I can''t I mean, I''m sure I could control them to some level if I trained more, but even if I learned, they would always be lethal to well, almost everybody~ I replied, wondering if it was even possible to control my powers to a non-lethal level. "I can help you" Rachel replied, violet blue eyes looking at me expectantly. "I am well versed in a situation very simr to yours, so if control is what you seek, I might be of assistance, if you want that is I wouldn''t want to impose" Well-versed in a situation simr to mine. I guess that was her way of sympathizing with me. ~I would be honored,~ I smiled, epting her offer. Chapter 42: Chapter 42: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [John Constantine POV] The night had fallen, and I was in my hotel, smoking a fine cigar. Wondering what to do with the newest demon on my turf. "You cane in now," I said to the seemingly empty room. "No need to creep on my bloody ass." Batman entered my room through the window I had left open. His bloody suit, blending with the night outside better than the shadows themselves, had I not been used to this type of shit dealing with demons day and night, he would''ve scared the crap out of me. "Fancy a cuppa?" I offered jokingly. I knew thest thing Batman wanted from me was a bloody cup of me, but it didn''t hurt to ask, even if I didn''t have how to make good on that offer right now. Batman said nothing, carefully scanning the room up and down. "I''ll take your usual silence as a no," I added, taking a seat on my bed. "So, why are you here?" "I came to ask for your help," Batman replied. "I need help proving ck Bolt is right, and you are my best bet for that." "I already told you, the girl is a bad omen," I replied, taking a deep breath. Had I been wrong before? Absofuckinglutly, but this time, I was certain we had to deal with whatever that girl was immediately, never before I had felt such demonic power in a single entity, her power alone rivaled Demons as old as the bloody bible, who knows what cmities she would bring if we left her unchecked. Batman said nothing, simply ring at me. I scoffed, realizing what his silence meant this time. "You don''t trust me" "I do, but I trust ck Bolt more," Batman replied without missing a beat. "No lube for that one I see," I replied, taking a deep breath. "Will you help me, or not?" Batman replied, his tone growing ever impatient. "Why not," I shrugged, tossing my cigar out the window behind him. "I mean, if I am right, which I am, we kill the bloody girl, if I am not, which is not the case, we help an innocent little girl and his obviously not mind-controlled boyfriend clear their names" Batman said nothing, ring at me even harder. "Ok, ok, no jokes, no need to go bonkers on the only demon hunter you have on speed dial," I sighed, raising my hands in defeat. "I also have Etrigan," Batman replied, turning around. Please, as if Etrigan could evenpare to me, or deal with those blokes better than I do. "He has a better record than you," Batman added as if reading my mind. "No powers my ass, you fool no one," I snorted. -------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] After hours of deliberation. The best n I had, was to ask Wonder Woman to use hersso on Rachel to prove her innocence, but that left a big window of them asking the wrong question, and well, that didn''t sit well for me. I sighed, deciding to stop thinking about the problem for a bit. At times, it was best to upy the mind with something else for it to find the solution. ~I will go to the town and buy some food, do you want anything?~ "Anything you bring is fine," Rachel asked without breaking her meditation. I nodded, putting my mask on, before embarking on my journey into the town a few miles down the mountain. While it was certain nobody knew I was here, I was still ying it like any hero job, keeping my identity safe, just in case. Besides, the locals didn''t see my face at all. And the mask I was currently using looked like one used for medical reasons, not heroic ones, which more than not, made the locals give me my space. Allowing me to roam around the town freely without any social interaction, besides those that were unavoidably necessary. ------------------------------- [Vandal Savage POV] ck Bolt. Or should I say, David Lance? I guess in the great scheme of things, it doesn''t matter. The point is, the kid was quite the interesting piece on my board. A happily weed enigma, that broke out of the boundaries I had thought to be firm. A meta-human, unlike any meta-human. I wasn''t sure the term meta-human was even urate at this point. His DNA was anything but human. Intrinsically moreplicated than Kryptonian DNA. Had we not had proof of his birth, and his parentage, I would simply assume he was an alien, raised by humans just like Superman. But, that''s the thing. I had more than enough evidence to confirm David''s human heritage, and that made this mystery all the more interesting. I can''t help but wonder, what role will he y for the light in the future? For humanity, in the uing war. "rion," I spoke, seeing the red and ck portal of the chaos lord open in front of me. "Hi," rion smiled, petting Teekl on his shoulder. "Any updates on the anomaly you felt?" I asked, going straight to the point. It was usually best to do that when dealing with rion, someone who operated on whimsical impulses. "Well she''s with the kid you hate so much," rion answered with a short-lived chuckle, as Teekl meowed at him something. "I meant like, he knows I meant like! Uggh! As I was saying, she''s with the kid, as well as the boring mercenary you like to hire though he''s camping in the forest, killing someone unrted to the brat." So the magical anomaly was with David, interesting. I had originally nned to capture the anomaly for research purposes, but this felt like an even more interesting experiment. I might need to inform Deathstroke to let David be, for now, his unwee interference could ruin further development. "How much of a threat does the anomaly represent to our ns?" I asked calmly, making sure to remember to contact Deathstroke. "Hmmm, a lot? Nothing?" rion shrugged, as Teekl rolled her eyes at him. "Ughh, I know my answer wasn''t good! Is just that, that big moron is only a threat if he manages toe through, at least for you guys" Trigon, the demonic conqueror. A demon whose power rivals or surpasses Darkseid himself, at least ording to rion, who wasn''t the best at giving estimates. "Should hee, can we stop him should the necessity arise?" I asked, hiding the question I was asking him well so as to not insult his child-like ego. The question being, can you stop him? rion smiled confidently, "I can, with ease. That stupid giant is nothing but a butt for me!" At this, Teekl meowed at him once again, "A bug! He knows I meant bug!" "Good," I nodded, walking into my office. I had many things to n and modify to amodate for the anomaly, and the development it could bring to ck Bolt. Chapter 43: Chapter 43: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I was on my way back to the cave with the food I had bought, when someone threw a knife at me, stopping me in my tracks as I jumped back to avoid the projectile. That, someone, was no other than Deathstroke. "You were hard to track," Deathstroke said, slowly drawing his de from the scabbard on his back. "I''m lucky I happened to be on assignment" I took a step forward, having no idea how he had found me. But still, determined to deal with him. Without another word, Deathstroke darted towards me, raising his sword above his head, swinging it down at me, as I dodge side-stepping out of the de''s range, throwing a hard punch at the mercenary''s chest, putting some weight into it. The blow knocked Deathstroke up, and I followed up with a horizontal kick to his ribs, before taking a few steps back to assess the situation. "Not bad," Deathstrokemented, seemingly pleased with our short exchange so far. My gaze hardened, getting into position to continue the fight, however, Deathstroke raised his hand at me, putting his sword back on his scabbard. "I didn''te here to fight, not entirely," Deathstroke said, cracking his neck from side to side. "I came here to help." I frowned, whatever help he had to offer I didn''t want it. ~You can help by leaving.~ "I will, after I actually help," Deathstroke replied, seemingly amused by my demand. "I''m not one to waste time, kid. And I put a lot of time into finding this" At this, he pulled a piece of rolled paper out of one of his pockets. I had no idea what that was, or how it could help me, but something here didn''t feel right. "It''s a map," Deathstroke rified, tossing the map at my feet. ~What''s your angle, Deathstroke?~ I asked, keeping my eyes on him. "Right now? Nothing," Deathstroke replied calmly. "Consider this a gift, free of charge" He added ominously. I nced at the map, before turning to him. ~What is that map for?~ "That''s for you to see, if you ever feel like taking control," Deathstroke replied, turning around. "A piece of advice before leaving, this ce is no longer safe for you or that little girl you are protecting, news is spreading around you are here, so I would wholly rmend relocating." I frowned, I was still questioning how the hell he found me when not even Batman had unless Batman had, but was leaving me alone to do my thing, which kind of went with his character. "See you around, kid," Deathstroke added, walking into the forest without signs of turning back. I sighed, feeling this kind of interaction would be a recurring thing between the two of us. He was right though, it was time to relocate. It was possible he had found my hiding ce using satellites, and a pretty specific searching criteria. That or locals had spread the news of a random kid appearing in their town, I mean, the ce received roughly twelve visitors a year, so my sudden appearance out of normal tourist dates was probably hard to miss. In any case. It was best to relocate as soon as possible, to avoid unwanted visits. ------------------------------------------ [Batman POV] With the help of John Constantine, the League''s temporary advisor in the realm of the demonic. I had drawn some conclusions about the mysterious girl ck Bolt had protected. The one running ahead, being that the girl was indeed demonic in nature, but not entirely. Just like Etrigan. A demonic entity bound to a human. I had a hunch, the girl was like that. But I didn''t like operating under simple hunches, I needed more than that, otherwise, I would be ying in the dark. I didn''t like not having the facts. ck Bolt probably knew more than me about her, but for the time it was best to leave him alone, at least until I had more than a hunch to help him. A hunch John Constantine didn''t like at all. ording to him, the girl was one hundred percent demon, but if history had proved anything with Constantine, was to never take his wordpletely. He always slips. He always makes mistakes. He always realizes he made a mistake when it''s toote to avoid any possible consequences, and then tries to fix whatever he did with the equivalent of duct tape in his line of work. That was his endless cycle. I would not be part of his cycle. Not when the case was under my clear jurisdiction. This was League business, and it would be dealt with under League parameters. Part of the reason I had asked Constantine for help, instead of Etrigan, was to keep Constantine on my watch at all times, to avoid him making a mistake he would undoubtedly regret at the end of the line. His knowledge of the arcane arts and the demonic arts helped, but those were in the great scheme of things, just excuses to keep him upied with me, instead of hunting the girl, like he would''ve been by now had I not directed his focus on other tasks. "Every second we spend debating what-ifs is a second more the girl has to brainwash the kid," Constantine barked. "We won''t move until we are certain of how to proceed, am I clear?" I asked, my tone dangerously low. "Bloody hell with you heroes, and your fucking procedures before doing anything, I swear! I have no idea how you blokes have time to do anything, with you bastard keeping an eye on them," Constantine ranted, opening a new bottle of whiskey, the fourth so far. Good. I had more than enough alcohol to keep him entertained until I was sure how to proceed. "At least you have good whiskey," Constantineplemented with a sigh. "I mean, if the world has to end because you''re a bloody moron, I might as well go down drinking the good shit, so thanks for that." "You''re wee," I replied, continuing with my research. Updating Giovanni on what I had found, as I waited for his update on the situation. Thest time I heard of him was two hours ago, and he had been on his way to talk with Kent Nelson, who was quite possibly our best shot at solving this. After all. Kent''s knowledge in the arcane arts was almost as vast as Doctor Fate''s himself. If someone had a clear answer about this, it was him. Chapter 44: Chapter 44: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Rachel Roth POV] I opened my eyes, calmly leaving my deep state of profound meditation, mind, and body ready for another day, to find David exercising at the entrance of the cave, sweat dripping on his feet, like rain on a summer night. He was unlike any person I had met before. He was a fit, ck-haired, mute teenager who had the looks of a trained soldier, at least physically. His clothes were torn, and dirty, probably because of his training regime, one I was certain he was overdoing to silence his own thoughts. I could rte to that. It was unequivocally indisputable that the greatest enemy anyone has to face is themselves. After all; the real monsters don''t sleep under our beds, they sleep inside our heads. In my case, that was a literal statement of my existence, more than a metaphor itself. Be that as it may, that didn''t change the reality of everyone''s existence. His demons just like mine were eating him away. I could feel it. I could feel everything he was feeling at all times, and more. Part of being an empath. Perhaps that was the reason I felt a kindred connection with him. "Morning," I said calmly, making David stop his training as he turned around to wave at me with a smile on his face. ~Did I wake you up?~ David asked. I shook my head. "No, you were very quiet. I thank you for respecting my meditation." He nodded, feeling relieved he hadn''t bothered me. He was truly a strange person, he knew more about me than he cared to admit, yet, he wasn''t afraid. On the contrary, he seemed more rxed around me than others. And, if I was allowed to say, I felt the same way. It''s not often you find someone who can understand your burdens. And burdens like ours often bring a life of total istion. ---------------------- [Batman POV] Zatara had brought us to the tower of fate to discuss about his findings. Terrible findings ording to him, a fact that made Constatine gloat. "Batman," Zatara greeted dryly. I could see in his face as clear as the day that the information he had was not what he had been expecting when he came here. "Can you tell this bloody idiot I was right so that I can go on with my day?" Constantine said. "You are not dealing with a simple demon here, Constantine," Zatara sighed, pausing for a brief second. "We are dealing with a demon so old, and powerful, that his name is a taboo even in the darkest arts" "Trigon," Kent Nelson who had just entered the room said, slowly walking towards us. "Shit" Constantine muttered, evidently recognizing the name Kent had spoken. "Exin," I said, giving Zatara a look. "Trigon is an incredibly powerful demon and celestial conqueror. One that has brought down entire dimensions in his wake" Zatara replied, his body tensing as each word came out. "Tale says Trigon was originally the ruler of an unknown alien in a distant reality, one full of evil. Eventually, his reign of terror became so unforgivable, that three powerful entities came to his domain in an effort to cleanse his rotten soul of evil. A grave mistake that would soon haunt the multiverse" Kent sighed, pausing to summon a few chairs for everyone. "They evidently failed," I said, after all, that was usually how these tales of demons came to an end. Kent nodded. "The entities failed to see the bigger picture, and in theirck of awareness, they summoned an ancient artifact, one that would unavoidably help bring their end. The Heart of Darkness, an artifact able to feast on the evil of others, leaving only the other side of the coin. However, their n as you guessed it failed, as Trigon was not only able to resist their efforts but absorb the power the Heart contained, which contained the collected evils of a hundred gxies. With his newfound power, he killed the entities that hade to cleanse his soul with ease, shredding them of their flesh and wearing their skin as a trophy" A demonic conqueror with untold power, that had yet to make his move. But why? If his power was anything like Kent was describing, and Zatara''s and Constatine''s expressions were anything to go by, then it was well within this demon''s power to conquer this reality with ease. Unless he had gotten the genie treatment. Power without the freedom to use it. Demons in general were just like that, they had little control outside their realms, and therefore needed anchors to interact with the physical realm. If that was the case, then it was safe to assume the girl was his anchor, his door to this realm. But if that was the case, then what was stopping him from invading our reality? He didn''t sound like the type of entity that liked waiting. Meaning that his gate here wasn''t working as intended. "The girl" Zatara sighed, but I stopped him. "It''s connected to him, I figured that much," I said, trying to make the picture of the problem we were dealing with clearer. "She''s a gate," Kent nodded. "One that has yet to open, why?" I replied. "That we don''t know," Zatara replied. "Perhaps the girl needs a sacrifice to bring that bastard here," Constantine offered. "Most demons require blood of some kind" "Trigon does not," Kent stated. If Constantine was right, then David was probably the sacrifice they needed to open the gates. However, if Kent was right, then something else was at hand, something I wanted to know. "We need to kill that demon before she bloody kills us all," Constantine said. "No," I said, in a tone that left no room for arguments or appeals. "We know nothing of the girl or her direct rtion to Trigon, or how our actions might affect our problem, therefore, we must act as if she was a bomb." "Batman is right" Kent nodded, taking a deep breath. "We can only act if we know with confidence our actions won''t help Trigon cross the veil to our world" "Constantine, Kent, you two keep investigating about Trigon, Zatara with me," I said, turning around, and walking towards the door. I had much to do, and one of those things was having a talk with ck Bolt, that I hoped would give me perspective. Chapter 45: Chapter 45: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Two weeks and I still had nothing to clear Rachel''s name, other than my word. The situation was getting a little frustrating, as there was no possible approach to resolving it. "You shouldn''t feel obligated to help me," Rachel said softly. I smile at her. ~It''s part of the job, helping those in need.~ Rachel smiled for the briefest of moments. "Heroes..." I nodded, that was part of the job, just as the terrible hours, and the non-existent pay were. The healthcare though was superb, so not everything was bad. Enough jokes though. I was running out of ideas. "Someone is trying to find us, my magic is stopping their attempts" Rachel said, a frown dawning on her face. I turned to her. ~Any idea who?~ Rachel nodded. "It was one of the heroes that came to rescue you in the forest, the one that looked like a stage magician" Giovanni Zatara. What to do this might be an opportunity to appeal to Rachel''s case with him, but like every opportunity in this world, it was a double edge de. Damn it all. I guess it''s like they say, without risk, there''s no reward. ~Let him find us,~ I signed, hoping I wasn''t making a mistake. Rachel nodded, closing her eyes before saying calmly. "Done" I nodded, walking towards her. Now it was time to see Giovanni''s move and hope for the best. "Latrop ot eht isles!" A voice echoed in the cave, as a portal opened in front of us, with Giovanni Zatara and Batman stepping through before the portal closed. At this, I felt my body rx. "ck Bolt," Batman was the first one to speak. ~Batman,~ I greeted in kind. "We need to talk," replied Batman with amanding tone. ~I''m all ears,~ I replied, gesturing for him to proceed. "Alone," said Batman coldly. I shook my head, giving Giovanni a look. What guarantee did I have that Zatara would not engage Rachel the moment I went with Batman? I had to keep my options open, and Rachel close in case a fight erupted. Batman himself had taught me that, to never leave the one you seek to protect out of sight or reach. "They know," said Rachel calmly. "Not everything, but they know" I see now. That was probably what Batman wanted to talk about with me, in private. Batman narrowed his eyes at her, before directing his trademark scowl at me. "Exin." "I am the daughter of Trigon the Demon, and Ang Roth, the Azarathian," Rachel replied before I could even think of an answer. "I will answer all of your questions. I am not afraid to be judged." "The daughter" Zatara muttered in a barely audible tone. "I am," Rachel nodded. "But that''s merely a title without value." ~You don''t have to do this, you haven''t done anything wrong, they have no right to question you, or me for that matter,~ I signed, ready to help her out of this situation if she wanted to. "I know, but if some of these heroes are truly your mentors, then I am certain they will understand the situation, just as you did," Rachel replied with just the hint of a smile dawning on her face. I sighed, taking a seat on the ground. ------------------------------- [Harley Quinn POV] I swung my bat from left to right, smashing the head of the security guard at the asylum against the wall with a loud and funny metallic bang. "I told you, didn''t I, Harley?" Mister J grinned, punching one of the guardsing his way. "That we would be out of this ce, in no time!" I smiled, knocking another guard up. "Yep siree!" I was finally on my way to freedom to look for my man, or was it, teenager? Meh, another crime for the list, another stripe for the tiger No, no, another stripe for the tigress! That''s a better one! "We have much to do!" Mister J chuckled, stabbing a guard on the ground to death. "After all, I must make sure Batman doesn''t get too rusty, I mean if I don''t do it? Who will? On that note, we could add ck Bolt to the party as well! The more, the merrier!" I smiled, remembering ck Bolt''s dreamy eyes, just for me, as Ivy trapped Mister J with her greeny friends binding him in ce, doing me a solid. "Ivy, my dear, you tter me but I am a man of a single gal!" Mister Jughed, giving me a look that soon turned into realization. "HaHaHaHaHa, well ain''t this funny?!" "I have no idea how you tolerate him," Ivy sighed, rubbing her temples as her nts dealt with the guards around with ease. "Thanks, Ivy!" I smiled, skipping towards her, giving her a hug, before turning to the Joker, bat ready. "I''m sorry Mister J, but your position has been filled by another, so bye~bye goodnight~" with that said and done, I swung my bat at him, smashing his head on the ground with enough force for the floor to crack. "I still think you should kill him," Ivy sighed, mming Mister J with one of her nts against the wall of his cell, before closing the door. I giggled, rolling my eyes at her. "I wouldn''t do that to Batsy, I mean, now that my eyes are finally open, it''s clear those two love each other like medical corporations love rich cancer patients, besides... I am no one to break that up." "Well, if you ever feel like killing him, you know who to call," Ivy replied with a smile, before asking. "So, who''s your new lover?" I smiled, ted at the opportunity to have some girl talk with Ivy. "He''s a hero, a bit younger than me. Strong, silent, has a bad boy vibe going, he''s the best" I replied dreamily. "A bit younger? By how much exactly?" Ivy asked, walking with me towards the exit of Arkham asylum. "Hm, I don''t know, he''s a teenager, fourteen, fifteen maybe?" I shrugged, not that it mattered, Harley was a good girl, she was willing to wait. "I" Ivy paused, her mouth forming a thin dot. "You know what? It''s an improvement, and that''s all that matters I think" I giggled. "Ivy, he''s a teenager you really think he will be able to resist, all this?" I wiggled my blood-stained eyebrows at her, suggestively shaking my hips a bit. "That''s a good point," Ivy chuckled, busting the exit doors open with a move of her hands. "I still don''t know what to think of it to be fair, I mean, sure, we are criminals, but we have standards" "Do we? Do we really?" I replied in a deadpan. "Hmm," Ivy hummed, index finger pressed upon her lips. "As I said before, it''s an improvement, so fuck it, congrattions." Chapter 46: Chapter 46: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] For hours, Batman and Rachel talked under the shelter of the cave, with Batman making sure to ask every possible question, and more as Giovanni and I stayed on the corners, watching everything unfold without interrupting them. I had faith that everything would be alright and that soon this little misunderstanding would be resolved, the fact that Batman hade here with the intention of talking was already saying a lot. After all, Rachel was beingpletely honest with Batman, answering all his questions, doubts, and more without hesitation. Going into detail about her rtionship with Trigon, and how she came into existence because of him. I could see with painful rity that talking about these things was hurting her, but even so, despite the unmistakable anguish this brought her, Rachel kept on talking, as she was determined to set the record straight. I wasn''t the only one to realize that, her pain. Batman, as expected had noticed it as well, and in a subtle, almost undetectable way to the average person, he had slowly changed the way in which he spoke to Rachel, his voice and questions now carrying a sense of empathy most considered foreign to the Dark Knight of Gotham. I had no idea how she felt. In many ways, it was true that our circumstances crossed the same spectrum in many aspects. We both had powers that neededplete and absolute control, powers capable of destroying everything. We both felt we were in a bottomless pit, dark, with no one who could understand us, we both grieved in hope of a sense of normality that we both knew would nevere into our lives. However, my situation, as opposed to hers, looked bright. I had people who loved me, people I wanted to protect. All she had was Trigon. A constant reminder that haunted her thoughts, her dreams, and her moments of loneliness, reminding her of what would happen if she ever lost her grip. I had my demons. I knew that. But mine, at the very least, were silent. "Very well," said Batman with a small grunt, giving Giovanni a small nod before turning to Rachel. "Zatara will summon Wonder Woman, with hersso, we will verify the information you gave us, is that clear?" I frowned, walking towards Batman. "It''s okay," Rachel replied, stopping me in my tracks with a faint smile that faded almost instantly the moment I noticed it. "If the one you refer to as Wonder Woman will give you the rity you seek, then I will not object." I sighed, feeling conflicted about this. I knew Batman meant well, he was, after all, giving her the benefit of the doubt. Be that as it may, all of Rachel''s words had been nothing but the truth. In my limited knowledge about her from theics and such, I knew her words carried nothing but honesty, and it was because of that, that the Lasso of Hestia felt like a vition for me, for someone who had been nothing but cooperative. Then again, perhaps I was too involved in this situation to have an objective opinion. In which case, I was still well within my right of disliking Batman''s methods, even if I didn''t have an objective opinion. --------------------------- With Wonder Woman and thesso of Hestia, Batman continued to question Rachel for a couple of minutes, before soon enough finishing his interrogation, by removing thesso from Rachel''s hand. "She''s telling the truth," confirmed Wonder Woman, once again. As Batman stayed still, without uttering a single word. "She''s still connected to Trigon, and could one day doom us all," said Zatara, his body tensing. "By that logic, Superman could one day doom us all," replied Batman, turning around to face me. "This situation is unlike any other we have faced, therefore, we have no clear path ahead of us. Nevertheless, I have confirmed more than a few things today. She''s free to go." Finally. "Batman, this is most unwise" hissed Zatara under his breath. "Maybe," replied Batman with a short nod. "But so would it be the alternative." "I apologize for all of this, ck Bolt," said Wonder Woman, her eyes gazing upon me softly. I offered her a smile, a faint one. Out of all the possible oues this situation could''ve had, this had probably been the best one of them all, sure Rachel would be under constant surveince from now on, but as Batman had said, it was better than the alternative. "Let''s go," said Batman, as Zatara reluctantly opened another portal that went back from whence they came. Leaving only Rachel and me, in the cave. ~Are you okay?~ I asked, approaching her. Rachel nodded. "It''s not something I enjoy talking about. But they had the right to know, after all, they might find themselves one day fighting Trigon, so it''s best if they are prepared." I nodded, that was a very good point. ~Don''t worry, if thates to happen, you won''t be alone to face him,~ I signed, taking a deep breath. Was I strong enough to defeat Trigon? No, I wasn''t, not even close, would I ever be? Who knows? Maybe? One thing was clear though, if he ever invaded earth, regardless of my power to stop him or not, he would hear me roar. --------------------------- [Batman POV] The moment the portal closed up, Giovanni growled at me in contempt. Angered by my decision to let the girl known as Rachel Roth remain as she is right now. Free. "Do you have any idea how bad this could end?!" demanded Giovanni, as he passed around the room. "Enough," I ordered, walking towards him. "Enough?!" fumed Giovanni, his anger reaching new peaks with my order. "Everyone could die because of this!" I nodded, after all, he was right. "I am aware of that risk. The thing is, we don''t know if containing the girl will do us any favors, for all we know it could be the catalyst Trigon needs to cross to our realm." Giovanni paused, biting his tongue. "I so then what? Is inaction our best course of action!?" I nodded, once again. "Acting against an unknown generates unknown consequences and effects. By letting her continue to be as she is, we have the opportunity to better assess the threat she represents, and n ordingly should the necessity ever arise." Giovanni tensed, struggling to find his words. "I" "I know you''re scared. I know you want to protect your daughter. But acting in the heat of the situation will only result in undesirable oues," I added, knowing very well the cause behind his fear. "Using my daughter against me" snarled Giovanni, each word dripping with poison. "I''m not," I replied calmly. Deciding to take a different approach to the situation. "I am simply stating the possible result of letting your impetuousness guide your actions on this particr asion." "He''s right Giovanni, you know that" said Diana, reaching for his shoulder. "I know" muttered Giovanni, before walking away, anger, fear, shame, and more mixing on his face. I didn''t me him, at times it was hard to keep the lines clear. The line of a Father. The line of a Hero. More than not, when fear was involved those lines had no other choice but to collide, tormenting us with what we should do, and what we want to do. Sadly, often enough, the correct path it''s never aligned with the things we want. It''s aligned with the things we dread. Chapter 47: Chapter 47: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Time went by rather quickly after Rachel''s incident, with the weeks going by feeling as if they were seconds. For the most part, the League remained distant but always watching, always behind Rachel''s every move. It wasn''t the best oue, I was aware, but it was what it was, and I was okay with it. Because despite the constant surveince they had on her, they were letting Rachel be, and she was content with this arrangement. As for me, well. With Rachel''s situation fixed, for the most part, I continued with my therapy, dealing with one problem at a time; it also helped a great deal I had Rachel to talk to or sign to in my case. It was different talking with someone that could understand you without pity. I was d to have her as a friend in more than one way. And deep within, I hoped she felt the same. It was, after all, a two-way street; you can''t expect someone to help you without being open to helping them as well in any form, that kind of thinking would make me a leech, and as the world is right now, we already had enough of those walking around. "Oh, David! I''m respecting your privacy by knocking," knocked Oliver at my door three consecutive times. I narrowed my eyes at the door, feeling a sense of Deja vu "But asserting my authority as your big brother bying in anyway!" At this, I realized what was happening, memories of my first childhood shing by as Oliver broke the door open using a green battering ram that was conveniently shaped like a quiver. I sighed, rubbing my temples. ~Why did you do that?~ Oliver grinned, dropping the battering ram to the ground. "Didn''t you hear my clever words a few moments ago?" I quirked an eyebrow at him. "Fine" sighed Oliver, tossing a pamphlet my way. I grabbed the pamphlet mid-flight before opening it. It was the ns for a house, a manor, a big one at that, but what did that have to do with him destroying my door? It was here when it hit me. ~Already?~ I asked with a smile. "Yep," He grinned, like a kid on his first Christmas Eve, too enthusiastic to disy any other emotion besides utter tion. To think that in less than two months since their official engagement, they would take the next step, living together. ~Why the new manor, though?~ "I want us to begin our new life with new things," replied Oliver, nodding as if his answer was nothing but logical. Now that I think about it, this feels like something Dinah would tell me in person; after all, this was the kind of event she would love to be the one to break out to me, so I wonder why she sent Oliver instead Ohh, I see what happened now time to mess with Oliver for his terrible mistake. ~She doesn''t know you are telling me this, right?~ I asked, sporting an impish grin on my face. Oliver froze in ce, sweat magically materializing on his forehead as he came to realize his terrible mistake. "I well I mean" I smiled, my grin growing ever sorge. ~It would be a darn shame if I told her, wouldn''t it?~ "What''s your price," muttered Oliver in clear defeat. ~I won''t be easily bought, Oliver,~ I replied with a nod. I would probably torture him for a bit longer before asking for a cheeseburger or something. "I will give you a four-story private room just for you in the manor, with a movie theater, a game room, and a library so massive Batman will have to get a library card to have ess to it, only when you permit, of course, you will also have your own pool," offered Oliver, his voice firm like that of a businessman. I blinked two times before thinking to myself. What? ~I I was gonna ask for some nuggets or something simr~ I signed. "You drive a hard bargain," sighed Oliver. "I will add two cheeseburger meals to my offer, one extra max per meal. That''s my final offer, so do we have a deal?" How the hell was he a billionaire? Wait a second Suspicious of this offer, I grabbed the pamphlet to read over the ns for the new manor, to find an area called David''s Cave, which was a four-story private room with a movie theater, a game room, a private library, and a pool. He was nning on giving me that regardless of anything all along. ~I will tell Dinah,~ I signed, eyes narrowed at him. Oliver panicked, "Wait, wait! Let''s not get hasty I''m sure we can work this out" I narrowed my eyes even more. ~I want three cheeseburgers meals now, two extras for each meal, and four extrarge sodas~ I paused to think if I wanted something else, oh right, the dessert. ~And up to three desserts of my choosing in any ce.~ "Deal," nodded Oliver, shaking my hand. We both knew this was all in good fun and that it was pointless in any case. I mean, I had a credit card he had given me, with no limits. But, when it came to family, it wasn''t about the money; it was about the respect. And I had won today. "But seriously, don''t tell your sister I told you before her," muttered Oliver. "Don''t tell me what?" asked Dinah, entering the room as if on cue, hands resting on her hips. Oliver smiled, giving me a pleading side look. ~A surprise we are nning for you. So don''t ruin our ns by asking,~ I replied, hiding the pamphlet before she could see it. I was a man of my word, the cheeseburgers had been my price, and for my price, I wouldplete this deal. Dinah hummed, looking at the bits of my broken door on the floor, before ncing at the quiver-shaped battering ramying a few feet away from my bed. "I had a long day; I won''t even ask" With that said, she walked out of the room. Leaving us victorious. She knew nothing; she was totally in the dark. -------------------- [Dinah Lance POV] I knew. I was totally not in the dark. But I would let those two have their moment. I was a benevolent goddess after all. Chapter 48: Chapter 48: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Vandal Savage POV] I waited in my office as a portal appeared, one from rion letting Deathstroke and Ra''s al Ghul into my office. For a second, both of them stood quite; still, almost as if having a small but meaningful exchange of words, then they turned towards me, walking. "Deathstroke, Ra''s al Ghul," I greeted, offering them a seat, which they both refused to take. "I brought them here, just like you asked," rion said, sounding annoyed as his familiar Teekl meowed at him, making rion grow red, as he opened another portal, leaving my office. "I know, I know!" "Savage, is there a good reason you called me here? I assume it''s not for socializing," Ra''s al Ghul spoke, breaking the ice with a small frown on his face. "You are right," I nodded. "I need you to eliminate a few undesirable cults here and there, and for that particr mission, the shadows will bepensated handsomely." Trigon was a threat I didn''t have the luxury of letting be. With the help of rion and ck Adam, I had located all the cults on earth that worshiped him and were actively trying to bring him into this world. That, I would not allow. My goal, my sole purpose in this universe, was to further human evolution to the heights I knew we could reach as species. Trigon, and the total annihtion he represented, were factors I simply couldn''t allow toe by any means necessary. Thankfully, most of the cults worshiping him were on earth. The rest, well, they were being taken care of at the moment. "How handsomely are we speaking of here?" Ra''s al Ghul asked, his eyes filled with greed he pitifully thought he could hide. He was good at it, but I was better at reading people. He wanted a seat in the Light. I could amodate him temporarily. "The shadows will get more than money out of this deal; they will get a seat in the Light," I offered, tone even. "Most wonderful," Ra''s al Ghul smiled. "Then, I ept. The shadows will eradicate these pesky pests that trouble you." I nodded, handing him a file with detailed information about the targets I wanted to be eliminated as soon as possible, as discreetly as possible, in order to avoid the League''s intervention. "It shall be done," Ra''s al Ghul smiled, taking the file before taking his leave, leaving me alone with Deathstroke. "Deathstroke," I spoke as the mercenary drew near, taking a seat on my desk out of all ces. "Was there any particr reason you called here, with Ra''s al Ghul?" Deathstroke spoke, his voice hard. "There is, and there isn''t; I simply had two important tasks that required both you and the shadows, and rion thought best to bring you both, but that''s neither here nor there," I replied with a small nod. "So, who do you want me to kill?" Deathstroke asked, ncing in my direction. "No one. I want to support you on your quest to recruit ck Bolt," I replied, cing a folder close to him. Deathstroke stood still, quiet, before grabbing the folder and reading its contents. "I see" he muttered with a stifled chuckle under his mask before cing the folder back on my desk. "As you can see in the folders, we estimate his power will reach unprecedented levels before long. His powers, whoever will stagnate or rot under the League''s watchful eye, you, on the other hand, would present an opportunity for improvement within him," I replied, being fully aware I was dealing with possibilities that could backfire in the future, but be that as it may, I preferred dealing with a failed experiment that with a hero of his skillset. "ording to those figures in that folder, you estimate he will have the power to blow the earth up in a few years I don''t know much about your goals, but I know the earth''s survival is in them" Deathstroke replied, reading between the unwritten lines. "You would be correct," I nodded, rising from my seat. "So, are you up for this task, de?" Deathstrokeughed, jumping to his feet. "I am, Savage." ------------------- [Deathstroke POV] Vandal Savage thought me an idiot. I really couldn''t fault him for that. He was a man with more than forty thousand years of experience in his arsenal, so for him, most were undeveloped creatures. He had done it all, and he had seen it all. Be that as it may, he was severely underestimating me. It was true he was a master of the long game, ying with everyone ten different games at the same time, always being ten steps ahead of every contender at all times. Including the Witch Boy, Vandal''s nuclear deterrent. Right now, he was ying with me. And he was winning, but oh, I would y. This deal he had offered me was nothing more than a warning that carried a double meaning. One. They would pursue ck Bolt regardless of who wanted him on their side. So if I wanted him, it would be best to cooperate with them. And two. They knew what I was doing at all times, which on its own meant nothing, but for those capable of reading between lines, it meant something rather simple: Do as we tell you to do, or face the consequences. They were, in other words threatening me. It had been a while since someone did. Good. They wanted me to y thepdog? I would y my part, and when the time came, I would bite back. I was honestly, in an almost childish sense, thrilled with this development. Now, the main only problems on my side table were Savage and rion, two immortal beings. Savage could be contained. But the Witch Boy, he was a yer in his own league. One, not even the Kryptonian had a chance to face. I really hated magic. It made all things a bit moreplicated than they had to be. But I suppose that''s part of the fun. Chapter 49: Chapter 49: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I walked down the street towards the library, carrying some snacks and books to return on my ck-colored backpack that was neatly strapped to my back. I was on my way to meet with Rachel after two weeks of not having seen her, and well, I was happy. It wasn''t anyone''s fault I hadn''t been able to visit her until now, but as things happen, life has kept the both of us busy, dealing with different problems, some of them rted to the events that had made me run away with her in order to help her clear her name. But that was neither here nor there, as most of those tides had cleared, leaving nothing but a good in-between, so to speak. "Two hotdogs and a soda for 3.99!" I stopped, my eyes ncing at the hotdog vendor before checking on my clock; I still had time. Smiling, I approached the hotdog stand, giving the man a five-dor bill, asking for abo and two sodas with a few gestures of my hand, which, thankfully, the man understood without much problem. "Coming right up, boss!" The hotdog guy said, smiling wide, as he went to prepare my lunch. I smiled, giving him a small nod as I patiently waited for my food on the side, texting Dinah I would bete today, to not wait for me. I had ns for today; I wanted to hang out with Rachel around the city, showing her some cool ces I had learned to love here and there, and because of that, I simply had no time to have dinner with Dinah and Oliver. [Ok, remember to have something healthy to eat, and yes, that doesn''t include hotdogs] I smiled at the text before putting my phone back in my pocket as I caught sight of the hotdog guy finishing my order. "Here you go, boss, two house specials!" The hotdog guy said, giving me a small box that contained in it my order. Nice touch for a street vendor. I smiled, taking the box from his hands before leaving a five-dor tip on his tip jar. "Thanks, boss!" I waved at him warmly before continuing on my path to the library. Opening the hotdog box to dig in on my lunch, taking the first bite that was, much to my delight, superb in every meaning on the way for a hotdog. I might have found the one for me in the hotdog world. Smiling at the thought, I continued walking towards the library, finishing my lunch quickly with three bites on each hotdog, leaving me with two sodas in each hand. I wonder if the three bites thing was the reason so many people were staring at me in aghast as I ate. I shrugged, pushing that unimportant question aside as the library came into view, practically apparating a big smile on my face the moment my eyes caught sight of it. Entering the library, I greeted the librarian with a wave before turning to my spot, or as it was now, our spot, as I shared with Rachel, to find her sitting in the very same ce I had met her for the first time, reading just like that time. "I brought some snacks," Rachel said softly, looking up from her book, a small fleeting smile gracing her face as I took a seat. I smiled, opening my backpack to show all the vegan snacks I had bought, some with names I doubted anyone could pronounce. "I don''t know half of those," Rachel admitted, looking over the goodies before grabbing the bag of snacks she had brought with her, and putting it in the middle for easier reach for me. "I bought dried meat and other simr snacks for you. Though I doubt you will eat any, you just ate hotdogs, I presume" I blinked, slowly sniffing the air to see if I smelled like my recent lunch, which made Rachel roll her eyes in amusement. "I don''t need to smell the hotdog in you, to know you ate one You are a creature of habit, David, you see a hotdog stand, and the primal part of your brain pushes you to go" Oh I see now; she had seen the hotdog guy on her way to the library before me and had connected the dots. ~I feel like I should feel insulted than I am this predictable when ites to food~ "I knew the moment I saw the hotdog cart on my way here you would make a quick stop there," Rachel replied, going back to her book, but not before grabbing one of the snacks I had brought for her. Ahh, but what she didn''t know was that I had the stomach of a superpowered teenager with a godlike metabolism, and therefore, for me, two hotdogs were nothing more than drops of water in the hot desert, under the wrath of three suns! Grinning at my own inner victory, I grabbed the snacks she had bought and started to dig in. Starting with the dry meats. "So, what ns did you have for today?" Rachel asked, looking at me devouring the snacks with an unperturbed, almost bored nce. ~Well, I wanted to go and see a movie and then show you around,~ I replied, swallowing what I had been chewing on as I made a small pause to shrug. ~Nothing set in stone, really, besides the movie.~ "I see," Rachel replied softly, with just the hint of a smile, turning her full attention back to her book. I smiled, grabbing one of the books she had ced near her in order to read something as I ate. I had no idea what the future had on hold for me, but for the first time in a long time, I wasn''t troubled by the possibility of a tomorrow; things were looking better and better for me. I was working on my problems, my fears, and more with Diana and J''onn, and it helped Rachel was there to help me as well. She was a master when it came to meditation techniques. They really helped when it came to dealing with oneself. All and all, I''m happy. Chapter 50: Chapter 50: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Corn feels generous today. So if we reach top 2 today, I will post another chap. As a proof of my generosity, here it''s is a sulent, bodacious, double release. Enjoy -------------- [Rachel Roth POV] Each of us lives, dependent, and bound by our individual knowledge and our awareness. That had always been bitterly clear to me. For as long as I could remember, who I was had always been clear, I was Rachel Roth, a tool, an instrument to halt Trigon for as long as possible. That, however, had an ambiguous hidden meaning because, for many, I was a tool born to aid Trigon in his never-ending quest. In a way, you could say both ideas were right. I had been born for that very purpose; Trigon had sired my existence for that very reason. Azarath had given me a new meaning, a purpose. But, no matter how much I changed, my origins remained the same. I used to think before meeting David I was bound to one day lose against Trigon. He was immortal, timeless, and I was but a girl facing something I couldn''t even begin to understand. That hadn''t changed, at least not entirely. I still didn''t know what awaited me at the end of the tunnel, and this uncertainty scared me. But now, I felt like I wasn''t alone. It was absurd, I know, but David made me feel like I wasn''t alone for the first time in my life. He was like me, maybe not entirely, but close enough for me to not feel alone. I was aware our circumstances were vastly different, as well as our upbringings, but even then, I knew he could rte. For we shared an empathic bond, and therefore we were able to understand and share each other feelings in an unspoken way, and for that, I was truly d. However, this kindred connection we both shared made me feel terrible because, in a sick way, I was d his suffering was there, to begin with, as it had allowed us to connect. I didn''t know if that made me a bad person; I certainly didn''t want him to suffer; he was my friend. But I couldn''t lie when I said I was d he could understand me, my burdens, my everything. ~So, did you like the movie?~ David asked, his hands moving over the signs as he looked at me with a smile, snapping me out of my long reverie. "It was terrible; the protagonist seemed like he was trying to die as soon as possible," I replied quietly. I would never understand horror movie protagonists. Had the protagonist taken the logical path, he would''ve survived, and the movie would''ve ended in fifteen minutes. ~That''s horror movies for you; what I do to avoid questioning their choices is I simply assume they have a single-digit IQ, and then I''m fine with their decisions,~ nodded David tossing his empty drink into a trashcan as he passed it by. I smiled; that was an interesting way to ept their faulty decisions. "I will do that the next time." David smiled, tilting his head in my direction. ~So, ready to explore the city?~ I nodded; I had, after all, been meaning to explore Star City to be better ustomed to my new home. I had picked this city for various reasons, some more important than others. "Yes, I''m ready." ~Wonderful,~ replied David, a warm smile gracing his face once more. I smiled; who was I kidding? He had been the reason I had picked this city above all others, my first friend; I wonder if that makes me a clingy friend, I might need to read a book or two about the subjectter on, without David knowing. I would die from the embarrassment if he saw me reading those kinds of books. As I pondered over that embarrassing thought, an explosion went off in the far distance, which caught David''s attention as well as mine. Immediately after, David''s phone vibrated, and as he took his phone out of his back pocket to read the message, I caught sight of the sender. His sister, Dinah Lance. "Do you have to go?" I asked, not at all bothered if he had to; I admired the path he had taken; helping others was not a job that was often rewarded, I knew that. David didn''t reply immediately, reading the text message his sister had sent him before shaking his head. ~It''s fine; others have it under control.~ I nodded, feeling how his emotions overflowed with confidence in what he had said. He had no doubts, not even the slightest. Heroes. For most, they are beacons of hope, but in reality, they are simply ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary, for it wasn''t the power that made the hero but the will to use them for what they thought was right, after all. A true hero wasn''t measured by the size of his strength but by the strength of his heart. It was admirable. I wonder if I can be a hero. Using the powers meant to hurt, destroy and subdue others to save them. It would be poetic in more than one sense. ~You want to walk, or do we take cabs?~ asked David. -------------------------- [Batman POV] New file. Security level: OMEGA. Password: DELTA/CHARLIE/27/5/1939 Enable new protocol. Title: Agamemnon contingency - In progress. I have carefully studied the new individual known as Rachel Roth, analyzing past and present events in the attempt to create a n in order to neutralize her should that be necessary. Agamemnon contingency file code name: Demon Gate. If Rachel Roth ever bes a threat to the, the following prototype protocols need to be enacted to ensure our survival. Magical threats are tricky to deal with but not impossible; for this particr threat, simtions have estimated the helm of fate has toe into action, bringing Dr. Fate back into the world. While Dr. Fate''s power alone can''t deal with Trigon, his power should be enough to will incapacitate Rachel Roth, stopping the threat. Further testing is required. Contingency n in progress. More data is required for a better analysis and possible results. Chapter 51: Chapter 51: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] It''s funny how life works out sometimes. You try to fight the circumstances with all your might, but in the end, you have to ept that things will never be exactly as you want them to be. That''s not necessarily a bad thing, though. I''ve spent so long fighting who I am, or who I could be, fiercely trying to deny it, that I was losing sight of what was important. But now, finally, I was starting to ept myself for who I was. And honestly, it felt pretty good. Sure, there was still a lot of darkness in my life. But there was also a lot of happiness too. And I was slowly learning to embrace both sides of myself. After all, it''s what made me who I am. I used to be scared of what would happen, of what could happen, and I still was. Those fears kept me in a cage of my own making, in a prison without escape. But in time, I''ve learned that sometimes we just have to ept what is rather than what we want it to be. And while that can be difficult to ept, it''s also freeing without measure. Because once we let go of those burdens, even if just a bit, we can move on to living our lives. I was still lost; after all, I had no idea what awaited for me in the future. Or, if I was prepared for it in any case, but now, as much as the possibilities still scared me, I was okay; I genuinely felt better. Dark clouds often bring with them a sense of foreboding and dread. But sometimes, they can also be a sign of a better tomorrow. A sign that things are about to change and that we must go through whateveres next together. Whatever the future held, I would be ready for it, for when it came. I was still afraid of my powers and the what-ifs. I still had my demons to face. But now, I was taking a step in the right direction,ing to ept that being scared wouldn''t solve a thing. I was done being the victim. I was done letting my fears dictate my future and every step. I was done being afraid. Now, it was time to take control of my life and forge my own path, one step at a time. I wasn''t alone in this fight; I had people I could count on, I had always had, I had my sister, I had Oliver and his mustache, and I had Rachel, and I suppose, in his own way, I had Batman in my corner as well. I would take one day at a time, aiming for heights, not even the original ck Bolt had reached. I would grasp my will and aim for the stars. I would be the best that I could be and reach for greatness. Though it may take time and effort, I would not give up. This was not a challenge that I faced alone, but one we all must face in time. Life was a war, it had always been a war, and it is up to us how this war ends, be it victory or tragedy. We were born into this world to face challenges and ovee them. Living was all about hearing your heartbeat and knowing you''re alive! It''s about being determined to make the most of every moment, no matter what life dares throws at you. It''s about fighting for what you believe in, even No, especially when the odds are against us. At least ording to Wonder Woman. I wasn''t there yet; on their outlook of life, I was trying, though, trying to fully take the lessons given to me in order to see the world through a different ss. I had started this journey broken, lost, and scarred. But in time, I hade to learn that sometimes scars were the most refined attire one could possibly wear. For they told a story, a story of strength and resilience, of battles won and lessons learned. Scars of all types were the reminder that we were mortals, the reminder that we have been through something ande out the other side stronger for it. I used to be ashamed of my mental scars, my depression, and my fears, but now, I was starting to ept them, wearing them with pride, all thanks to Dinah, Oliver, Diana, J''onn, and Batman, knowing now that each scar was not a shame, but a badge of honor earned through hard-fought experience. A reminder to never give up, no matter how tough things get. Those in my life had shown me how wrong I had been. Each one in their own individual way, Dinah through unconditional love, Oliver through unconditional friendship, and Rachel through unconditional empathy. Before them, I used to think that loneliness would grant me peace. How naive. Instead, it only brought me misery and despair. Because in my own istion, peace was not to be found; instead, I was constantly gued by my own thoughts, with no escape from them. Not anymore. Now that I have toe to ept my own faults. I was now able to see what others saw in me, granting me the strength to be vulnerable, the strength to risk everything for the sake of a better tomorrow, for sake of those I love. That was something always worth fighting for. Life was tricky, no matter who you were, especially when you had the power to destroy a. It was easy to be consumed by fears and doubts this brought. To let them take hold of yourself, allowing them to dictate our actions. But if we give in to them, if we let them win, then we are truly lost. We must be strong, even when we are weak. We must be invincible, even when it hurts. But no matter what, we must never give in to weakness. Pain, doubts, and fears would always be there for us. It was up to us to stand tall in the face of them, even when trembling. It was up to us to fight, even when we felt weak, because, in reality, we were stronger than we truly know, braver than we believed, and more capable than we could possibly imagine. After all, it ain''t how many times life knocks us down. It''s how many times we get back up. Chapter 52: Chapter 52: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV Nov 2009] 14 Months since the events of the League and Rachel. I leaped from rooftop to rooftop under the dim light of the night, never losing sight of my target, an assassin that had tried to kill an activist during his sleep, probably hired by some corporate overlord, who I was determined to bring to justice, after capturing his aplice. Being one step behind him at all times, I managed to cut him in his tracks, cornering him in a dark alley, leaving the assassin nowhere to go, or so would the average person; because the moment we arrived at the alley, multiple individuals stepped from out of the shadows. "Give up," The assassin ordered, "You''re outnumbered and outmatched." I sighed, giving the assassin a look that conveyed how amused I was at his statement that brimmed with bravado he couldn''t back up. Evidently reading my look, the assassin hissed, drawing a thin de from their belt. Soon enough, the rest of his party did the same, drawing their weapons in order to fight me. I stepped forward, smiling under my mask, while calmly pointing behind him. But before anyone could even register what I had done, a soft voice was heard, and the assassins crumpled to the ground like dominos. "Numbers don''t really matter in situations like these," Rachel, or rather Raven while on the job, said softly, hovering a few feet above the ground. ~Most criminals are dumb,~ I replied; I mean, had they attacked me, their des and weapons would''ve shattered against my skin, and that was if they managed to reach my skin, to begin with. Not many could hurt me as I was now, at least not without an excellent strategy and an even better arsenal of weapons at their disposal. Puberty was a wonder for superpowered beings. Not only were my powers increasing on their own, day and night, because I was growing into the body of an adult. But atop of that, I had been training my body and mind to their very limits, and, well, needless to say; the training was paying off. My abilities, in general, were growing at an exponential rate. I was now able to do things that a year ago I never would''ve thought even remotely possible. For one, I could now move at subsonic speeds and had the strength to jump over buildings in a single bound with shocking ease. And it didn''t stop there; my reflexes had improved as well; they were quite possibly the thing that had improved the most, to the point that I could now easily dodge bullets or even deflect them with my bare hands depending on the caliber of the weapon itself; as some types of ammunition were still able to hurt me. But while my overall powers were increasing a lot with no signs of slowing down in their rate, I was not going to let that blind me. On the contrary, now more than ever, I was determined to hone my skills in order to avoid the power I was acquiring from dulling them. I couldn''t afford to be arrogant or overconfident, not in this life, and especially not if I wanted to keep protecting others. "Done," Raven announced calmly, gaining my attention. To see she had tied every assassin with so much rope, I was honestly quite surprised they were still breathing. Wait... were they breathing? "They are..." Raven replied, almost as if reading my mind. ~From where? They are more rope than humans at this point...~ I replied, pointing out the fact the assassins looked like they were caterpirs inside rope-like chrysalises. "Hm, I see..." Raven nodded, using her magic to fix the situation. I still remember the day she had approached me with the idea of bing a hero with me; I remember being ted. Since that fateful day, she had been patrolling with me most nights while learning under Dinah the basics of the job. She still had a few things to learn, like how to tie a bad guy up properly without suffocating them in the process or how to fight without magic. Nevertheless, I had no doubts she would ovee these little things in no time. "What do you want to do with them?" Raven asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I thought for a few seconds beforeing up with an idea; it was perfect, in fact. ~Follow me,~ I said, grabbing a few of the technically mummified assassins with Raven following close behind. ~Can you open a portal to themissary?~ Raven nodded before sighing in amusement, realizing what I was about to do. "Won''t the policemissioner get angry about this?" I shook my head. ~He finds it... amusing. Besides, he has given me the green lights to do so.~ Without another word, Raven sighed, smiling ever so lightly as she opened a portal to the police station, where I started to throw and hurl the assassins inside the portal like sacks, one after the other. "I''m sure they''ll be quite upset when they wake up and find out what happened," Ravenmented as I did my thing. The corners of my mouth quirked up in a slight smirk under my mask. ~I''m sure they will be,~ I replied, hurling thest one in. ~But their ire will only make them easier to capture if they ever escape jail...~ Raven nodded in agreement. "That''s true." "Kid, what in the actual hell!" The policemissioner growled, stepping through the portal without a care for the world, stomping his way towards me. "You just dropped twelve... humans?" at my nod; he continued, "Twelve human criminals in my precinct''s cell! One after the other! Hell! At least text next time!" ~To what number?~ I replied, perking an eyebrow up. While it was true, I had his number, and much more, he hadn''t given me that information himself, so I was messing with him a bit. Themissioner narrowed his eyes at me. "You have ess to military-grade weapons, magic, and God almighty knows what else, and you tell me you can''t find my phone number... telemarketers do that..." "He won this one," Raven muttered with a soft nod. I nodded, admitting defeat. ~I concede to your logicmissioner. Next time I will text.~ At this, themissioner smiled, pleased with my answer. "Good, now, what exactly am I dealing with back there?" he asked, pointing at the portal, referring to the assassins. ~Assassins, nothing tooplicated. Here''s the evidence I have against them,~ I replied, handing themissioner a USB with enough information to convict them. "Twelve assassins... I swear to God they breed like bunnies," He muttered under his breath, taking the USB before walking back into the portal. I liked the guy. He was easy to deal with. Chapter 53: Chapter 53: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I entered the League''s quarters, where Diana and J''onn waited for me for my monthly session of therapy in a small office designed for these situations. As I sat down, we exchanged brief pleasantries before getting down to business at question. "So, how have things been since west spoke?" Diana asked, leaning forward ever so lightly. I thought for a moment before answering. ~Things have been improving steadily, for the most part, I guess. I mean, I''ve been keeping busy, which helps.~ "That''s good to hear," J''onn said with a short nod. "Anything new or exciting that has made you feel better?" ~Well, I''ve been hanging out with Dinah, Oliver, and Rachel a lot outside the hero stuff, and that''s good. Beyond that, I''ve been training a lot too,~ I replied. "But the thoughts... still haunt you, don''t they?" Diana said softly. I nodded; after all, when I had decided to embrace therapy to the full extent of its meaning, I had been very aware my problems would take time to fix and that my demons would fight tooth and nail to the very end. "Can you borate on that?" J''onn prompted gently. ~Well, I still have a few nightmares here and there since the Joker''s incident,~ I admitted with a sigh. ~Nothing too hard, really. Just memories thate every now and then.~ "That sounds very difficult," Diana said sympathetically. "Is there anything, in particr, that''s been triggering these memories?" I shook my head. ~It''s pretty much random. It used to bother me, but now, it''s more like an annoyance that wakes me up once every few weeks.~ As the session continued. J''onn and Diana both encouraged me to be more open about how I was feeling and to express myself more freely. Which was something that I had been struggling with for a long time. They said that I needed to find a way to express myself so that I could release those feelings and not keep them bottled up inside. They also gave me some valuable advice on how to deal with my emotions, telling me that it was okay to feel sad, angry, or scared at times. That it was normal to feel those things and that what really mattered was how I dealt with those emotions. Here and there, they would also remind me there was more to life than being a hero. And that while training like I did was admirable, at times could do more harm than good. An hour or soter, the session concluded, with them finishing our talk with positive feedback about my progress, telling me if things continued this way, I would soon have no need for these sessions, but that regardless of my need for them, they would always be here for me. Needless to say, I was more than ted to hear that my progress was being recognized by them in some form of sense. It made me feel like all the hard work I was putting into healing was really paying off. And to know that J''onn and Diana would still be there for me if I ever needed them, well, that meant the world to me. Done with my session, I said my goodbyes to them and left the building feeling both thankful and hopeful. In a certain sense, I felt like I had made progress in understanding myself and my feelings. As I left the therapy room, ready to take a shower, I found myself face to face with Batman, who stopped me with his hand, wanting to have a talk about my outstanding job dealing with the drug cartel of Los Santos before it took roots in Star City, and subsequently in Gotham. "Your skills are improving," Batmanplimented in his usual dry tone, and I knew immediately he wasn''t talking about my physical improvements but my detective work. ~I try,~ I replied with a nod, feeling both surprised, and honored the Dark Knight himself wasplimenting me; he wasn''t one to... do that much. Superman himself, the man one could argue was his best friend, said that Batman had only given him fivepliments since they formed the League, two of which Batman denied werepliments. "I''ve been watching you up close as oftely," Batman continued, his eyes narrowing. "You have potential--a lot of it. Which is why I want to train you." I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Unsure as to what he meant; I mean, so far, he had already been training me here and there. Most of my detective skills came from him, after all, so from my point of view, it didn''t make much sense what he was offering unless he was offering me a full-time sidekick position, but while that would make sense, that didn''t fit his profile, so what exactly did he mean by ''train me'' if he was already training me to begin with? "I can see the wheels turning in your head," Batman said, correctly guessing my thoughts. "But this isn''t about bing my sidekick or anything like that." I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that wasn''t his intention. I mean, I liked working with him and all, but the thought of being his sidekick full-time was a bit daunting, to say the least. Why? Well I had read enoughics to know that was a terrible position to have. ~So what is this about then?~ I asked, still confused about his offer. "I want to train you so that you can be the best crime-fighter anyone has ever seen," Batman replied without missing a beat. "As I said before, I see a lot of potential in you, and with the right training, I know you can reach great heights." I was taken aback by his words. ~I''ll think about it.~ "Very well," Batman nodded before walking out of sight. I was aware before even thinking about it that what he was offering me was a one-of-a-kind deal; the man was quite possibly the best detective this world had ever seen, and learning from him would undoubtedly help me improve my skills. But, just as I knew that I knew how my sister would react upon hearing about this offer. I might have to warn the Dark Knight if I do decide to ept this offer. Chapter 54: Chapter 54: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Lex Luthor POV] I continued my research on ck Bolt, trying to find out what made him tick. It simply irritated me to no conceivable end that his DNA was nigh impossible to read or break, one impossibly moreplex than Kryptonian DNA, a fact that made no scientific sense. He was a human, a metahuman, sure, but a human all the same, yet he was a walking enigma. Needless to say, I wasn''t about to give up, though. I would find out what made ck Bolt so unique, one way or another. And if Earth''s science didn''t help me with this, well... I had other ways of getting information. Questionable ways, but effective all the same. And who could really me me? In this world, in this universe, information was power, and I wanted to know everything there was to know about him for the sake of knowledge and power. There were a few individuals in this world that warranted my attention; he was one of them. Especially since he was quickly bing a thorn in my side, both from a scientific point of view and from an economic one. Though I suppose thedder had been my own fault. After all, I had invested the money out of my own ord. Two times more than what I had invested in project Mach. And I still had nothing. There was no doubt he was... different, to say the least, but that was oversimplifying the entire thing. Maybe Vandal was right, and I was focusing too much on one simple thing. But... There was simply something about him that nagged at me, something I just couldn''t quite put my finger on it. Something that bothered me a lot. I had considered more than once asking Savage for Darkseid''s help in this particr matter, but every time logic came to bear, I had decided against it. One didn''t need to be a genius to know that whatever possible benefits Darkseid could offer would as always be outweighed by the potential consequences of literally dealing with space Satan. In a few words, I simply didn''t want to risk giving Darkseid any more power than he already had. But that was neither here nor there. I suppose that for the time being, it was best to close this research, as it was clear it had reached a painfully evident block. It was a shame, really. I had high hopes that my genius alone would solve this mystery. But s, it was not meant to be. Still, there was no reason to be sad or annoyed about this failure; after all, there were still other projects to keep me busy, projects I was certain didn''t quite have so many... roadblocks. And who knows? Perhaps someday, I will return to this project and see it through topletion. But for now, it was time to move on. ------------- [Deathstroke POV] For the past year, I had been ying the role of an obedient attack dog for the Light doing their bidding day and night while carefully moving the pieces of my future attack around, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike. No matter how smart Vandal was, he was still human, immortal or not. And humans made mistakes. I just had to bid my time. y my role to the best of my ability. In the meantime, however, I really couldn''tin. They paid me well, very well. And as long as I got the job done, they were happy to keep me on board as a piece in their little game - and I always got the job done. I was good at what I did. One of the best, in fact. And I knew it. Once I secured ck Bolt''s loyalty as my apprentice, I was certain the opportunity to strike would arise, eventually. And when it did, the Light would regret crossing me. I was confident that with ck Bolt under my control, it would only be a matter of time before the Light fell. Enough about that, though; right now, it was time to work. Taking a deep breath, I peeked through the shadows I was hiding, watching as my target exited the building. I had been waiting for this moment for days. The target was rather reclusive, paranoid even; nevertheless, they all slipped eventually, no matter how careful they are, and it was then when they would meet my de. As the target walked out of his hiding ce, I stepped out of the shadows from behind cover and calmly walked towards him, blocking his path. The target froze as looked up at me, realizing who I was, dread clear in his eyes. I grinned inside my mask in a sick way; it had always been satisfying to see the fear in my victims'' eyes before I ended their lives. "You''reing with me," I said coldly, grabbing onto the target''s arm before he could move out of reach, pulling him towards a dark corner. The target tried to resist, to run, but s, it was all in vain. Bored there had been no fight whatsoever, no real struggle, I pulled out my knife before grabbing the target by the hair, pulling his head back, ending his life in one quick motion by cutting his throat open. Momentarily unable to register what had happened, the target gurgled, gasping for air, trying to hold onto his life, but for all the struggle the poor bastard was giving, it was already over before he could even begin fighting. Taking a deep breath, I stepped back from the body that nowid motionless on the ground in a pool of its own blood before wiping the blood off my knife. Yet another job done. Now it was time to move on to the next target. The Light had given me quite the list, and while I yed the role of their hound, I intended to cross every name on the list they had given me. Now, to Gotham. If I was lucky, The Dark Knight of Gotham would live up to his reputation, catching wind of my actions so far, predicting my next target. It wasn''t like I was hiding from being discovered in the first ce; I was being subtle, sure, but not subtle enough for detectives on the level of Batman to ignore. I wanted him to find out because the sooner the Dark Knight discovered the Light existed, the sooner my ns for revenge would begin. Chapter 55: Chapter 55: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Rachel Roth POV] The Dark Birds of Star City. The Dark Flock of Justice. The Feathery Family. That''s how the news called us. ck Canary, ck Bolt, and Raven, the Birds of Justice. I found this funny on many levels, especially when taking into ount I was sure ck Bolt wasn''t a bird''s name to begin with. I also found this nice, in a warm kind of way. It was stupid, perhaps... but the fact others were considering me part of their group, of their family, felt nice. It made me feel like I was no longer alone. Like I had a purpose beyond the one that had been forced upon me. Like I was needed. And that felt good. But every now and then, when I was alone with nothing but my thoughts, I started to wonder in silence if this was really my ce. I was not like them. I wasn''t human. I was a demon. And no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, that was always going to be my reality. I was different, and I would always be. And I couldn''t help but wonder if, one day, that difference would be my undoing, their undoing. Would I end up being the hero they saw in me? Or would I end up being the monster I feared I could be? The truth was, I didn''t know... I was afraid of these questions, of what the future had in store for me. For now, though, I was content to simply be part of the flock. I sighed as these dark thoughts swirled in my mind, and not for the first time. It seemed like,tely, my mind was consumed by the doubts. And try as I might, I couldn''t shake these thoughts and feelings off. Perhaps it was because, for the first time in my life, I had something to lose beyond my own life, and the thought of losing it scared me. I was so lost in my thoughts, in my own questions, that as I pondered in my bed about these feelings, I didn''t even hear the door of my room open or the footsteps approaching me. It was only when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder that I snapped out of it, turning around to see David standing there, a concerned look on his face. ~Raven... are you alright?~ He asked, his face showing genuine concern. I shook my head, not trusting myself to say anything. I was fully aware of the stupidity of my own doubts, and that was the thing about the mind, nothing ever made sense. David sighed and pulled me into a hug, which I gratefully epted without a word, much to my shock. Then without a word, he started stroking my hair in a clear attempt tofort me, as his emotions washed over me. I felt his worry, his concern, but most of all... I felt his hope. And at that moment, I realized something. No matter what the future held for me, no matter what happened, I was somehow certain he would always be there for me like I would for him. And that was enough for me. It was more than enough, actually. Because as long as I was certain of that, I felt I could face anything the future threw at me. "That''s enough," I smiled, breaking out of his embrace. ~Is it? You looked like me for a second there,~ David jokingly replied as he took a seat on my bed. "Funny," I replied in an even tone. ~Comedy oftenes from pain,~ David shrugged. I sighed, a small smile on my face. "How was your mission on Metropolis?" ~Good, I caught the bad guys before they managed to do any harm~ David replied, frowning a bit. He was feeling disappointed. "But?" I pressed. He sighed. ~Well, while I managed to catch the goons, the boss escaped, or rather, never showed, meaning~ Meaning the boss had been aware of David''s moves, or at the very least, aware a hero was moving against him and had therefore decided to change his course of action before said individual had him in an inescapable corner. "You will get him or her next time," I replied, believing my words. ~I know, but today''s victory feels void without the big fish,~ David sighed, rubbing his temples before shaking his head. ~Enough about me though, how was today''s training with my dear sister?~ I frowned, remembering the insulting amount of time I spent on the ground today. ~You will get better at it, don''t worry,~ David smiled, reading my expressions with ease. I sighed. "Hopefully" ~We know magic is your thing, but having a few extra skills are always helpful,~ David nodded. I nodded. "I am aware; I am simply bothered at how bad I am" ~Well, that''s the beauty of learning; we can''t be good at everything, I mean I suck at magic!~ David replied, his eyes beaming a bit. I snorted. "That''s one way to see the ss, isn''t it?" He grinned. "So, have you thought about Batman''s offer?" I asked, curious as to what David had decided. ~Well to be honest, I still haven''t decided, I mean, sure, it is a tempting offer, but for some reason, I feel like he has some sort of hidden agenda, and honestly, I don''t want to be a part of something that I can''t control,~ David replied, his face turning serious. "He never lies," I reminded David of his own words about Batman. ~I know. He only avoids sharing the true reason behind his actions,~ David nodded with a sigh. ~I might take the offer, to bepletely honest; I mean, knowing Batman like I do, he just probably wants me close to study my limits in order to n an effective contingency n against me or update the one he already has against me~ I wasn''t sure if I was okay with how nonchnt David sounded about Batman possibly nning how to take him down like it was the most normal thing in the world. ~I might be overthinking this, to be fair~ David smiled, keeping his emotions under tight control. Chapter 56: Chapter 56: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After weeks of giving Batman''s offer a lot of thought, I decided to ept much to Dinah''s and Oliver''s protests on the matter, who both fervently considered that it was best for me to learn by their side. I honestly appreciated their worry, but no matter how I looked at this, this was an opportunity that was just too good to simply push aside just because of my record when it came to Batman. Besides, I was very confident that I could take care of myself. So, with their reluctant blessing, I found myself on a ne to Paris under an alias, where I would be trained under the world''s best swordsman. As the ne took off, I couldn''t help but think about what exactly awaited me in the City of Lights, as well as Batman''s parting words. He had given me two weeks to defeat the swordsman in his own art, saying that if I failed, the training would stop there. I was determined not to fail. As the nended, I made my way through customs and into the city. The first thing that struck me was the sheer amount of people everywhere. The streets were teeming with people walking, biking, and driving. The second thing was the architecture. The buildings were so tall and close together. Eventually, after a bit of sightseeing, I made my way to the address that Batman had given me and found myself in front of arge luxurious building, where the world''s best fencer was supposed to live. Taking a deep breath, I rang the doorbell and waited. A few momentster, the door opened, and I was greeted by a tall man with piercing blue eyes in histe fifties with graying hair and a mustache. He had a kind face, but there was something about his eyes that made me think he had seen a lot of violence in his lifetime, something that exuded an aura of confidence and power. Smiling, the man introduced himself as Charles du Marchand before inviting me inside. As I entered the building, I couldn''t help but admire the opulence of the ce. It was clear that the swordsman lived quite afortable life. After a quick tour around the house, Charles led me to arge training room that was two levels below the street, where he then proceeded to give me a crash course on what I was to expect from his training before having me spar with him in order for him to get a general idea of where my skills were. For a brief moment, we both sparred as I quickly came to realize why he was considered the best in the world. His moves were quick, precise, and carried a weight that only experience itself could bring to one''s weapon. As was to be expected, after a minute or two, Charles managed to deal the winning blow, where he congratted me forsting that long. I smiled, not sure if he was patronizing me or not because, from my point of view, the spar had ended rather quickly. However, before I could give that thought a second to settle in, Charles grinned before yfully smacking me on the back as he started to give me some tips on my form and how to improve my technique, which seeing what my task in Paris was, I dutifully took to heart. "I expect great things from you, kid," Charles said in a thick French ent before putting me through a series of exercises. And so, my real training began. Each day, starting with my body going through a series of grueling exercises, both mental and physical, that even though I was leagues above a normal human in all physical manner, still pushed me to my very limits, all in order to be the best fencer possible. Every morning, I would wake up before the sun came out, starting the day with a forty-mile run through the streets of Paris before having a quick breakfast and heading down to the training room, where I would spend hours practicing sword techniques and forms with Charles. In between our sessions, Charles would stop to teach me about the history of fencing, going over the different styles from all over the world, as well as introducing me to some of his own personal philosophies on the matter. I was starting to see why Batman had sent me here of all ces. ------------------------- [Batman POV] David, as I had foreseen, had taken my offer, and I was d he had. He has a lot of potential, as well as a lot of threats looming above him like vultures. He had to be ready to face what was toe, and I would make sure he was. "Master Bruce, ck Canary is here," Alfred said as he came into the Batcave, with ck Canarying behind him, wearing a worried expression. "Thank you, Alfred. You can leave us," I said as I turned to face her. "Why did you send my brother to Paris, Bruce?" Dinah asked with a piercing tone. From the get-go, I could tell she was both angry and worried about the entire situation. "Paris is but the first step on his journey," I replied. "As to why I sent him there. Well, the reason is simple, to provide him with the best possible training." "You could have trained him yourself," Dinah retorted. "Believe me, I''m happy you aren''t training him personally, but still... Why sent him there?" "I could have, yes," I agreed with a nod. "But he needs to be able to work and learn with other people, not just me. And in order for him to do that, he needs to expand his horizons." "And you didn''t think I could provide that for him?" Dinah asked, her tone softening a bit as she took a step closer. "It''s not that I don''t think you could provide it, Dinah," I said as I shook my head. "It''s that I know you would try to protect him, and in doing so, you would only hinder his training." "I see," Dinah said with a nod, her expression thoughtful. "I suppose you are right, Bruce. I just... I worry about him, that''s all." "I understand your concerns, Dinah. But I can assure you that your brother is in capable hands. He''s a very promising young man, and I have every confidence in his ability to seed," I replied without missing a beat. "I just wish I could be there with him," Dinah replied. "I know," I replied. Chapter 57: Chapter 57: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Double chapter if we reach the top 3! Corn be feeling sexy. On other news, Marvel will restart updates next month, the 15. So yeah, vote if you want them double deluxe. Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After six days of continuous training with the world''s best fencer, Charles du Marchand, I managed to defeat him in a clean match for the first time ever, that victory being the first of many against him, effectively ending my training with him as per Batman''s instructions. My training under Charles had been intense at first. Every morning I''d be up at the crack of dawn to begin my stretches and footwork exercises before spending hours practicing my forms and techniques with a wooden sword, before spending the rest of the day sparring Charles himself, followed by more training with the wooden sword into the night. Eventually, this routine had all paid off, concluding with my victory against the seasoned fence, who, upon his defeat, had been more than ted that I had, in his own words, surpassed him in less than a week. "Good luck out there, kid!" Charles smiled as we walked to the exit of his manor. ~Thank you, Charles. For everything.~ I replied with a smile, backpack in hand, as I walked out of his house. Now that my training with Charles had ended, all that was left to do was wait for further instructions for Batman, which didn''t take long, for I had barely exited Charles''s manor, saying my goodbyes to the man, when my phone rang, the ringtone telling me that it was a message from Batman. {Congrattions onpleting the first step of your training so fast. As for your next step, you are to track down the cat burr that goes by the name of Grey Shadow. Good luck.} I sighed as I waited for the cab Charles had called for me. To track Grey Shadow, with no information, beyond the burr''s moniker. I guess this won''t be easy. I guess the best ce to start with this mission, seeing I had no information, would be at the scene of the burr''stest heist. From there, I would be able to get a general idea of who I''m dealing with in order to track the burr ordingly. ------------------------------ After setting myself in a hotel, I started working on my mission by doing some research on the target at hand. And, as I had expected, there was nothing I could find online about the so-called Grey Shadow, other than that whoever it was had never been caught. So, seeing the inte had no clues about Grey Shadow, I decided to take a different approach to the situation by using Oliver''s League credentials to enter the League''s database, as I was sure Batman had blocked mine to make this quest more challenging. In there, I found a few clues and recently redacted documents about my target, showing Batman had expected me to do what I had done to ess the League''s database. However, while it seemed he had expected this approach and had acted ordingly, he hadn''t outright deleted all information there was about Grey Shadow, leaving bits here and there for me to find. One bit of information, in particr, caught my eye. A small document that said that this mysterious burr was one to strike in a Robinhood-manner without the giving to the poor part. Taking a deep breath, I downloaded all the information there was about Grey Shadow in the League''s Database before deciding to text Rachel to see how she was doing; after all, the night was already falling, and Grey Shadow could wait until tomorrow. --------------- [Richard Grayson POV] I can''t stop thinking about it. It''s been more than a year, and the guilt still consumes me. I was so afraid to tell David what had really happened, afraid of his reaction, that I had, instead of confronting my mistakes, avoided him all this time. And, the more time passed, the more difficult it felt the whole idea of even talking about what had truly happened that night at the factory, the fact that I had lied to him, using his trust in me to get my way into going into a mission without Batman''s permission. I had been so sure that I could handle it and that no matter what awaited for us, I would be good enough to handle it. But I wasn''t, and the guilt had been eating away at me ever since. I had risked both of our lives that night. And, even though we had made it out alive, I knew how close we had been to biting the dust. I had to tell him the truth. I had toe clean. But even now, as I sit here in the dark of my room, trying to muster up the courage to finally tell him the truth, I can''t help but wonder if it was already toote. If he could ever forgive me for what happened... and if I could ever forgive myself. I had promised him I would never betray his trust, and I had failed. Miserably. I had let my own fears and selfishness get in the way, and, as a result, things had broken apart. Bruce was right. This was no way of living. David had the right to know, even if that meant he would hate me, which he probably already did. I mean, I hadn''t talked to him in over a year. Not since that night. "I will tell him when he finishes his training..." I muttered to myself, finallying to the resolve of just facing the consequences of my actions. But even as I said the words, I knew the wait I was deciding to take was nothing more than a cowardly excuse. Because as much as it pained me to admit it, I was still scared. But regardless of how I felt about this situation I had put myself in, I had toe clean. I only wished I hade to this resolution earlier; he didn''t deserve the treatment I had subjected him to because of my cowardice. "Master Dick, dinner''s ready," Alfred said, knocking at my door. "I''m not hungry," I replied without opening the door because I knew very well, that I couldn''t bring myself to leave my room and face anyone right now; my mind was simply too clouded with these thoughts. Besides, I wasn''t hungry anyway. "Master Dick, don''t make this old butler get the broom," Alfred replied, in a threatening tone only he could ever pull off because it was both friendly and scary. "I''m not hungry, Alfred," I said again, in a firmer tone. "With all due respect, Master Dick, I don''t care if you''re not hungry," Alfred replied, opening the door of my room to give me a stern look. "You will eat, and you will enjoy it, am I clear? young man?" I sighed, knowing there was no way I could win this argument with Alfred. "Fine," I said, getting up from my bed and following him to the dining room. "I already dealt with a brooding kid, and I am prepared to deal with another, Master Dick," Alfred added with a hint of humor. Chapter 58: Chapter 58: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz You want an extra chap? Vote for top 3. Or don''t I mean, I might still post an extra chap cuss I love all of you, #nohomo #brosbeforehoes #cornforlife Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The very next morning, I woke early before the sun came out, ready to start with my mission, hastily grabbing my things before checking out of the hotel, following what little I had about my target. I knew very well this mission was going to be tough. Especially since I had no real clues besides a single location and a psychological profile Batman had left about Grey Shadow. Nevertheless, I would not falter. While not much, I had just about enough to start my quest on a good note because I had Grey Shadow''sst target or crime scene for that matter; from there, it was all a matter of methodically moving throughout the city checking every possible lead. It would be a tedious job, sure, one with no guarantee of fast sess, of course. But until I had more information about my target, this would do. Meaning my first stop was at the Louvre Museum, Grey Shadow''sst known location before disappearing off the grid; in there, I would examine every nook and cranny, looking for any possible clues that could perchance lead me to my target. It was a long shot as Grey Shadow had struck the ce three months ago, and the chances of any clues still remaining were slim to none, but I had to start somewhere, and the museum was a good start. So, seeing I had my first ce to look, and it was close, I grabbed a cab, giving the driver a note that said, take me to the Louvre Museum. I had no time to waste. I mean, I had, but I was honestly having fun in this treasure hunt Batman had sent me. It was therapeutic. --------- After a somewhat short taxi ride, I arrived at the museum, where I paid my fee before entering, and once inside, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of awe at the grandiose architecture and artworks that filled the ce from corner to corner; it was truly a sight to behold. And yet, as beautiful as it was, I had to remind myself for a moment that I wasn''t here for a leisurely stroll. No, I was here on a mission, and time was of the essence. Moving quickly but carefully so as to not raise any suspicion, I began my search for any clues that could help me find Grey Shadow. It was a daunting task, to say the least, one made all the more difficult by the sheer size of the museum and the fact I had to keep a low profile. Nevertheless, I was determined. So, for the following hours, Ibed the ce from top to bottom, in the areas I was allowed as a tourist, but s, my efforts proved to be in vain; as sadly, there wasn''t a single lead to be found in themon areas. Meaning that if I wanted to find something, I would have toe when no one was around. If I was lucky, I would find more taking that approach. I can''t help but wonder if that was Batman''s intention all along, having me break into the museum for clues. I mean, it wouldn''t be the first time he''s had me do something like that. But before I could dwell on that thought for too long, I heard a voiceing from the other side of the room. It was from the security guard telling me visiting hours were over and that I needed to leave. Realizing I had stayed for far longer than I had originally intended, I quickly wrapped up my search before making my way toward the exit. Once outside, I hailed a cab and made my way back to my hotel, nning to return in a few hours during the night to see if my hunch was right. ----------- A few hourster, after having some dinner, I made my way back to the museum, a few minutes before midnight, using myptop to hack into the cameras, putting the ones outside and the ones at my entry point in a closed loop. Then, I silently climbed the side of the building, reaching the second floor, before entering the ce through one of the windows. Once inside, I opened myptop once again, locating the current positions of the security guards with the cameras of the museum, before beginning my search anew, this time in the restricted areas of the museum where members of the public were not normally allowed. Objective clear, I began to move, noticing the building was eerily quiet as I prowled through its corridors, keeping an ear out for any signs of movement as I made my way to a restricted area, opening the door by lock picking it open. I wasn''t sure what exactly I was looking for, so I carefully inspected the room once I was inside, looking for any clues or things that didn''t seem to fit the ce quite right while keeping an eye for the security guards on the cameras. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, my very thorough search of the first restricted area proved to be fruitless rather soon, as I couldn''t find anything that could help me in my mission. Slightly frustrated but not deterred by this. I decided to move on to the next room, and then the next, and so on, until I was certain the museum had nothing to offer me on this task of mine. I was well aware that this was going to be a painstaking and time-consuming process, but be that as it may, I was quite methodical in my approach, believing in leaving no stone unturned when it came to these sorts of things. So, little by little, I eventually made my way through all of the restricted areas in the museum, checking each room very carefully before moving on to the next, finding something quite curious in thest room, a file with some information that, for some might feel worthless, but for me was not. In fact, it was the lead I had been looking for all long. Now, it was only a matter of following the tracks the burr was leaving, one by one. But that was a job for another night. For now, I had what I came for. Time to go back to the hotel. Chapter 59: AUTHOR Q&A Chapter 59: AUTHOR Q&A Hello, my sexy readers and uglies in between. It''s your handsome author, Corn, with some answers to your questions and concerns. *****Question 1) Corn, why is this arc going so slow? Good question, a very fair one indeed. This arc is, without a doubt going slower than the first one for a few reasons. The main one being that I wanted to go deeper into his training before him meeting the team and etc, so I thought, why not make the training arc a detailed one. But as I pondered over this decision, I came to the painful realization that if I made the training arc too long or too detailed, I would fall into the [baby arc curse]. What''s the [baby arc curse], you might be asking. Well, the [baby arc curse] is when an author spends too much time on an arc that, while necessary it''s unimaginably boring for the readers, giving birth to a writing paradox, as I like to call it. No pun intended. The paradox or conundrum is the following. The arc is necessary for the story to develop; however, the being necessary does not make it fun, therefore, attacking your audience. Now, if you don''t do the arc, you also end up attacking your audience, but if you do it, you also attack it. See the dilemma? Well, in order to avoid falling into the [baby arc curse], I decided to make this training arc rtively short while also keeping all the important elements I need for future arcs. Basically, to avoid the [baby arc curse] or attacking you all by leaving crucial details or information forter arcs or chaps, I decided to meet my goals and your needs as readers in the middle. What do I mean by meeting my goals and your needs as readers in the middle? Well, like I said a few lines ago, I decided to make this training arc rtively short. It ends in chapter 63; it''s not really an arc perse, more of a sub-arc if you wish to namebel it, of 13 total chaps. *****Question 2) Corn, will any other arcs be like this mini/subarc? No. I studied my novel and what I wanted from it. And, because of it, most of the slow development of the novel is within this small chap. *****Question 3) Corn, is Raven the love interest? Who knows? All that is set in stone is that Raven will be his closest friend if that evolves into something else? I won''t say. *****Question 4) Will the MC get all of the powers he''s supposed to? Yes, and more. Some of which the Original ck Bolt never acquired or learned he had because he never trained with that aim, as his main focus was mostly control and restraint, not the development of his powers. *****Question 5) Will the MC change his views or goals? Yes, yes, he will. To what end? I won''t say. For you guys to truly admire and see his change, you need to experience his life and the events that mold his end as a character. ***** Now, I think those are all the main questions I have seen from everybody so far. So, if you have any questions, pleasement on this little paragraph, and I will reply with an answer when time allows it. Love you all, Corn. Chapter 60: Chapter 60: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Following the lead, the one I had procuredst night at the museum, I arrived in Lyon, France, in the evening of the following day, where upon arrival, I immediately made my way to a small alleyway off of Rue des Capucins. I didn''t have much to go by with the lead I had, but if my hunch was right, the answers I was looking for were in Lyon. Taking a deep breath, I approached the alley that was right ahead, noticing a group of men gathered around a fire in a metal barrel looking warm, that as I drew closer, made them turn to look at me in a startled manner. "Who are you?" One of them asked in French, his hand moving to his waist where I could clearly see the outline of a gun. At this, I raised my hands, putting on a submissive facade to discourage any altercation from happening. Seeing my hands high above my head, the men exchanged nces for a few moments until one of them, the oldest one of the group, stepped forward, calming his gun-owning friend. "Calm down, Alex," The older man sighed, shaking his head, his voice gruff as he gently pushed his friend to the side before ncing at me. "What are you doing out here, kid? These parts at night are dangerous." Seeing his question as a green light to lower my hands without starting anything, I made a gesture to try and exin I was a mute. This caused the old man to chuckle, his gruff voice and demeanor softening a bit as he looked at me. "Ain''t that something," The old man said, looking me up and down before shaking his head. "What''s your name?" I smiled at the man before slowly reaching into my pocket, pulling out a notepad and pencil I always carried with me, before quickly scribbling down my answer. - Hi, my name is Tom, please tell your friend not to shoot me. I''m allergic to death.- The old man took a brief second to read my answer before letting out a heartyugh, with some of his friends joining in as well, most of the group having found my response clearly amusing to some degree. "It''s been a while since I had a goodugh," The old man said after a few moments, wiping a tear from his eye. "Well, kid, my name is Jacques, and these are my friends." At this, Jacques made a gesture toward his friends before continuing. "What brings you out here to our neck of the alleys?" Deciding to go straight to the point, I grabbed my pen and quickly scribbled down my answer on the notepad before showing it to Jacques. -I''m looking for someone, a burr known as "Grey Shadow". I was told he might be in Lyon.- Jacques frowned at this. "You are too young to be a cop." I smiled, nodding at hisment, writing something else on my notepad. -Grey Shadow stole something important to me. I have no qualms with the Burr; all I want is to recover what this person took from me, thest memory of mom.- It was a cheap tactic, I knew, but either way, their reactions to this would give me more information. For one, if they knew about Grey Shadow and still decided not to help me, they would undoubtedly spread the rumor, and rumors usually find their way to their targets. On the other hand, if they decided to help me, I would get into one of the bestworks of information any city has, homeless people. They know more than people would like to even imagine; that''s the thing when society makes a group invisible for convenience. They might not see them, pretending they don''t exist for the sake of keeping a societal bubble, but regardless of how they felt, those sentenced to be ignored and forgotten were still there, seeing the world turn and the events unfold, one at a time. Jacques and his friends looked at each other for a few moments, as if silently discussing something between them with just nces and small gestures, before Jacques finally sighed, looking back at me. "Listen, kid," Jacques said, his voice gruff but not unkind. "We don''t want any trouble with thew." So, option one it is. They will spread the rumors for me, eventually leading me to my target. Good. Taking a deep breath, I nodded understandingly before writing something else on my notepad and showing it to Jacques, taking his focus on my notepad to quickly attach a small tracker the size of a button to his tattered clothes. - I get it. No need to cross lines for a random kid on the streets. I will keep searching though, that ring the burr took, that''s all I have left from my mother, so I won''t give up.- Jacques frowned at this before taking a deep breath. "I''m sorry I can''t help you out. But be that as it may, I wish you the best of luck, kid." I smiled, waving at them warmly before calmly taking my leave, my job on the alley done. Now that the seeds were there, all I had to do now was keep an eye out for any sprouts. After all, one of them was bound to be my beanstalk leading me to Grey Shadow. In the meantime, I would find a hotel to set camp, maybe the one I saw ten blocks before reaching the alley. That one seemed to be close enough for me tofortably monitor the area while keeping a safe enough distance so as to not alert anyone of my presence. All in all, it seemed like this trip to Lyon wouldn''t be as fruitless as I had initially thought it would be. It was all a matter of time before I managed to track Grey Shadow; the question now was, what did Batman want me to do once I did? It was more than evident that Batman didn''t intend for me to apprehend the burr because, knowing the Dark Knight as I did, if he truly wanted Grey Shadow in jail, he would''ve made sure this mysterious cat burr was locked down by his own hand. Maybe Batman wanted me to learn under the burr. Chapter 61: Chapter 61: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After weeks of tracking the rumor, which I had started for the sake of information gathering, all in hopes of finding a lead on Grey Shadow, I managed to catch wind of a meeting that was going to happen tonight in an abandoned building that was close to Parc ndan, the reason for this meeting being a certain rumor going around, mine. Needless to say, seeing as this meeting promised to be what I was looking for, I got ready, moving to Parc ndan in order to survey the area before going in. Once in the park, the abandoned warehouse in question was rather easy to spot, given that it was the only one in the area that looked like it hadn''t been used in years. After confirming the ce was empty from a simple nce, I grabbed my backpack, and made my way there, being extra careful not to be seen or heard from anyone around, while taking my time to survey the perimeter thoroughly, looking for any signs of life or any traps that might have been set to keep intruders out. Having confirmed the coast was clear as far as the eye could see, I made my move, making my way into the warehouse through a small opening near the bottom of the door. Once inside, I took a quick look around, trying to take in as much detail as possible in the dark, before finding a hiding spot where I would wait for the meeting to happen. Finally, out of sight patiently waiting for the meeting toe, I couldn''t help but think about what would happen if this meeting turned out to be a trap, which, all and all, was a very good possibility; for all I knew, I was probably ying into the Burr''s trap. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, trying not to think about that too much; not only I was certain I could deal with anything if the situation required it, but seeing I had no way to confirm any possible worries I might have, it wouldn''t do me any good to get caught up in such thoughts. And so, I waited. From there, time passed slowly but surely, as I counted the seconds from the dark of my hiding spot until I heard footstepsing from the other side of the warehouse, multiple footsteps to be exact. From the sound of it, there were at least three people, maybe four, making their way into the building. As they got closer, I started to hear voices as well, though I couldn''t make out what they were saying from where I was until they reached the general area I was hiding in. From the safety of my hiding spot, I confirmed with a quick nce that those that had entered the warehouse were homeless, at least if their dirty, tattered clothes were anything to go by. Four men, all over forty years old. "Do you think Grey Shadow wille?" One of the men asked, the first one to the left, as he looked at hispanions. "I don''t know. I heard the rumor too, so who knows... I mean, we were ordered toe here, and I remember the old man saying that Grey pays off anyone with a rumor about him quite handsomely," Another one answered. "Or she, we don''t know." The third man chimed in with a thoughtful nod. "I wonder how much the guy or gal will y us," The fourth and final man muttered. "I guess we''ll find out soon enough," The second man answered with a tired shrug. "But I still think it''s weird that someone would go through all this trouble just to get a sentimental item." "Not our problem, really," The first man said. And so, the four men continued chatting aimlessly amongst each other about anything and everything that came to their minds as they waited for Grey Shadow, until finally, after what felt like hours, another set of footsteps echoed through the abandoned warehouse. This time, however, the footsteps were different; they were softer, almost as if the person walking was trying to be as quiet as possible without even trying, meaning whoever it was, had a skill that had evolved to passive control when it came to walking. No ordinary person walked like that. It took years to master a skill to the point where it would permanently affect your life, meaning whoever this person was, it wasn''t your average Joe. Taking a deep breath, I focused on the steps as they neared, and from the sound of it, there was only one person this time, and they were heading in my direction. Curious to see who it was, I carefully peeked out from my hiding spot, trying to get a look at the person without being seen myself. And that''s when I saw her. An ivory-skinned woman with long, straight blonde hair, wearing a simple dark jumpsuit that covered her, for the most part, as she slowly walked towards the homeless guys, with them only noticing her when she was already two feet away from them, coughing for their attention. "Are you... Grey Shadow?" One of the men asked. She chuckled. "Goodness, no, I am not. I am simply the girl that pays the payroll." Saying that, she took two packs of bills before handing them to the homeless guys. "Here you go, for your service." The homeless guys shared a look, "But we haven''t told you anything..." "That''s fine, Grey Shadow knows," She replied. Deciding not to question her any longer, the homeless guys took the money, thanking the woman before happily leaving the warehouse a few thousand euros richer than they had been a few moments ago. "So, who are you?" The woman asked, to the supposedly empty warehouse. Meaning she knew I was here. Seeing as I intended to talk with her, figuratively speaking, I stepped out from my hiding spot, revealing myself to the woman, waving. "So, you said I stole from you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. At this, I inwardly cheered. I had managed to find the Burr. "He did say you would find me, sooner orter," She sighed as if resigned to her fate before stepping closer to me. "I had expected your hunt for me to take a few months or so, but color me impressed; you managed to force my hand out of hiding with your strategy, bravo." I freaking knew it. Batman knew Grey Shadow personally, and herments confirmed it. From the day I had started on my quest for her, or perhaps from even before that, she had known all about my little mission. Meaning that capturing her wasn''t at all the real objective of this mission. It was learning from her. "Follow me; the sooner you learn what I have to teach you, the sooner we can get this over with," Grey Shadow said as she turned around and started walking away, with me quickly following behind her. Chapter 62: Chapter 62: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As I had initially suspected after finding Batman''s assignment somewhat iplete, Grey Shadow was to be my teacher in the art of stealing. A fact Batman himself confirmed over some texts, while not particrly happy I was helping her steal, I knew that the skills she was teaching me woulde in handy down the line. Then again, If I gave my feelings some thought, I had to admit I wasn''t particrly angry about the stealing part of the course. Most of Grey Shadow''s targets were the textbook definition of legal viins- like, corrupted politicians, evil millionaires, and such. So, in all reality, I wasn''t that bothered about helping her. Besides, she was a good person, at least from what I could tell from our interactions so far and other cues. Like a Robin Hood without the charity part of the character. For the most part, her training consisted of the importance of thorough research before any type of mission. So, most of the time, she would have me do extensive research on various security systems and security techniques. This was so that I could learn how to disable them or find their weaknesses. While I wasn''t researching, she would teach me other stealing techniques, like, for example, how to hotwire a car or how to pick locks correctly. All of which I proved to be quite proficient at in a manner of seconds. Granted, that was because most of the things she was teaching me were stuff that Batman, Dinah, or Oliver had taught me beforehand on a surface level. So, in reality, what she was really doing was polishing what was already there for the most part. But be that as it may, it was good to have a refresher/improvement on those skills from a master in the subject. For example. Right now, we were having a test, at least ording to her, where I would steal a chip from a government facility, with her shadowing me at every step of the way to ensure I was applying what I had learned from her ordingly. "You are perturbingly good at this kid," Grey Shadow remarked, staring at me in a mix of disbelief and pride after I had sessfully bypassed a particrlyplicated security system to crack in under thirty seconds. "We started your training a month ago, and you already work like a master." I smiled before continuing with my test, having a strong feeling I would get an ''A+'' on it, but before that, I had to get the chip, which ording to the schematics of the facility I had downloaded from their servers, it was three levels down from where we were. "So far, so good, kid," Grey Shadow observed as we made our way down the chip, "But there''s one thing you''re missing." I cocked an eyebrow in confusion, not sure what she was getting at. "When something is valuable, there''s alwayspetition," Grey Shadow rified with a grin. Before darting ahead of me, making her way to the chip. I smiled; for a woman in herte fifties, she was quite yful when it came to these kinds of things. Shaking my head with a sigh, I quickly followed after her, easily catching up to her in a matter of seconds. I mean, what did she think would happen? I can dodge bullets; I can easily outrun an average person regardless of their training. "Hm," Grey Shadow smiled before letting out a sigh. "Somehow this feels... Unfair." I nodded; after all, she was right. It was indeed unfair for her to race against me, just like it would be for me to race against the sh. Grey Shadow chuckled softly. "Honestly, I''m starting to feel a bit like a proud parent of the kid I never wanted to have; oh my, I must be getting old." I rolled my eyes at her before quickly taking off ahead, using my superior speed to leave her behind in a symbolic cloud of dust, quickly reaching the elevator that would take us to the lower levels, where I took my time to hack the elevator open, as well as to check on the security guards and their locations. Whereas so far, I hadn''t seen anyone on my way down here, mostly because I had made sure to avoid their patrols and such, it was always best to keep tabs on every hostile target in the area in order to avoid them; this was, after all, a stealth mission at its core. Once I had confirmed the guards were far away, I closed myptop, turning towards Grey Shadow as I waited for her to reach up so that we could take the elevator together. "My, and here I thought chivalry was dead," Grey Shadow smiled, reaching just as the elevator had opened, pushing the button for the lower levels as we entered, "But s, here you are proving me wrong." I smiled, watching the elevator reach our destination in a matter of seconds, the doors opening to reveal a long empty hallway with a door at the end of it, one that led to the chip room. At the sight, I grinned before making my way toward the door, where I effortlessly picked the lock before making my way inside. "And here''s where things get interesting," Grey Shadow muttered, following after me into the room. I cocked an eyebrow in confusion as we entered the room before realizing after a quick nce that the room had more securitysers than a rave party. Taking a step back, I opened myptop once again to analyze thesers, quickly finding their patterns and weaknesses in the facility''s database. "You almost make this look easy," Grey Shadow smiled before taking a seat on the floor, crossing her legs as she watched me work. For the most part, it was. All I had to do was to hack into the isted servers of the room, disable thesers and other security measures in the room, and then get the chip, which was located in a small case on the other side of the room. "My, my, are you having troubles?" Grey Shadow teased, her voice echoing in the now empty room. I rolled my eyes, not dignifying herment with a response as I finished turning off the security in the room before making my way to the case, taking out the chip before showing it to Grey Shadow. Grey Shadow smiled, pping. "Congrattions, this old thief has nothing to teach you." ~Really?~ I smiled. "Now, if you''ll excuse me," Grey Shadow said as she stood up, making her way back to the door, "I have things to do, and you are no longer my problem, so... Do as you wish with the chip, and take care." I smiled softly before shattering the chip under my hand. Based on what I had managed to discover in their database during this little mission, the chip was a weapon in the making that an evil politician was trying to develop for obviously terrible reasons, which is why I had destroyed it. After all, I had no need for such a weapon, and neither did he. I wonder whates next? My training under Batman had started less than two months ago, and so far, I had cleared all challenges in record time. I wonder if my next teacher will be in France, so far, they all have been here. I guess I''ll find out soon enough. Chapter 63: Chapter 63: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Rachel Roth POV] With David training in France, I decided to focus on my training with ck Canary in order to improve my hand-to-handbat skills. Long story short, I sucked at it, but I had to start somewhere, and ck Canary was the best teacher I could have asked for. It was a real struggle to be proficient in another form ofbat when all my life I had used my powers to fight. But, as hard as it was, I understood the benefits of learning what ck Canary was trying to teach me. I didn''t like it. But I understood the value behind the teachings. I knew that this training would be beneficial for me in the long run, even if it didn''t feel like it at the moment. And so, I was pushing myself out of myfort zone because of it, I had yet to see any improvements, but I still kept my hopes high. "Don''t drop your guard," ck Canary said,nding a hit on my stomach. Soon after, I copsed to the ground, clutching my stomach in pain as I tried to catch my breath. Her punch had hurt more than I cared to admit. "What... guard?" I scoffed; when it came to hand-to-handbat, I had the defenses of an unvinated child. ... David is corrupting me with his jokes. "I''m sorry it hurt, but that''s how you learn; after all, nobody enjoys the pain... almost nobody," Dinah chuckled. I nodded, still trying to catch my breath. "I know." "Good, now get up. We''re not done yet." I groaned but did as she said, getting back on my feet and into position. This time, however, I was determined to not let her hit me again, but s, my determination would soon prove to be meaningless in the face of my totalck of skill, with ck Canary sweeping me off my feet, in the most literal meaning of the sense. "Ouch," I muttered softly, my face t on the floor. yet again. "Let''s continue again," ck Canary said. I groaned in response, not trusting myself to say anything else. I was quite literally starting to get a headache from all the falling into the floor, that and I was pretty sure I had a concussion or two; I might be exaggerating, though. "Let''s stop for today," ck Canary chuckled, helping me get up. I nodded with a faint smile, grateful for the reprieve. "Thank you." "Don''t worry. You''ll get better with time and practice," ck Canary said encouragingly. I nodded, though I wasn''t so sure. This was already proving to be harder than I thought, but be that as it may, I was determined not to give up, no matter how much it hurt or how unbelievably bad I was it. "Take the day off tomorrow," ck Canary reminded me, and I was about to protest, but she cut me off. "You''ve been working too hard, and you need rest." I wanted to argue, but I knew she was right, so I simply nodded and bid her farewell before opening a portal back to my ce. While not particrly happy with my progress, I had to admit that, in a way, I was looking forward to the day off, if only to rest my aching body. Maybe I should call David and see how he''s doing. I chuckled to myself for the briefest of moments, imagining his reaction about the events of my training today. It was sure to be a hriously one-sided conversation. "Tomorrow," I muttered with a sigh, deciding against calling him, not wanting to trouble him while he was training. Instead, settling for a hot shower and an early night''s sleep in the hopes that tomorrow my body wouldn''t ache. I knew I was probably asking too much. But I was allowed to dream. Using my magic to take my clothes off, throwing them into the washer, as I stepped into the shower, letting hot water soothe my aching muscles as I stood there motionless, letting it wash over me, eyes closed, trying to clear my mind. Hot showers really had magical properties. Letting the water rx me, I stayed in, washing my body thoroughly until the water started to cool, where I then reluctantly got out, wrapping myself in a towel as I went to my room, where I summoned the pajamas David had bought for me. Pajama ready, I got into bed, burying myself in the nkets as I tried to will myself to sleep. s, my mind wouldn''t shut off. Maybe a book would do. Getting up, I went over to my small collection of two hundred books for the night and picked one out before crawling back into bed, gettingfortable as I opened the book, letting myself get lost in the story. It was a riveting story about two souls fighting for control. -------------- [Batman POV] David was making fast progress with the training I had set for him. His skills sharpening at an rming rate; in less than two months, he had finished two of the challenges I had originally allocated six months for him toplete. I had to admit, I was impressed. But I was also concerned. The rate at which he was improving was far beyond what I had anticipated. Part of the reason I had him train outside the country was not only so that he could learn from others, but to have him experience the world outside the cage he made for himself. His impressively fast progress was messing with that part of my n. I needed to find a way to slow him down or at least give him a challenge that would take him longer toplete. But what could I do? I needed something that would push him to his limits, something that would force him to think outside the box. Unfortunately, I had nothing right now. However. Master Kirigi was bound to buy me some time to think on something. Chapter 64: AUTHOR NOTE. Chapter 64: AUTHOR NOTE. I''m taking the day off to deal with some stuff that need to be done today, I''ll be back with two chapters tomorrow topensate. I hope you can all understand, with Love Corn. For all of those wondering when Marvel restarts updates, it''s the 15, if everything continues the way it''s goin, if not, 17-18, but so far I going good, so I don''t foresee any dys as of the moment. Chapter 65: Chapter 65: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! Double chap moved to tomorrow. -------------- [David Lance POV] After finishing my training with Grey Shadow, I was soon tasked by Batman to track someone known as Kirigi. Who after weeks of thorough research, I had managed to find; that he currently resided in North Korea, being one of the most wanted men in the eyes of the North Korean totalitarian government for his liberal views of the government. By using the data I had managed to acquire in my earlier research, I had managed to narrow down my search to a singr ce in North Korea, Mount Paektu. Now the question was... How to enter the country without getting in their sights? North Korea, while not the most powerful country in the world by a wide margin, was one of the most heavily guarded countries when it came to borders for more than obvious reasons, making it nigh impossible to infiltrate without being caught for the average person. Thankfully, I wasn''t average by any means of the word. But even with that in mind and in my favor, I had to remember that North Korea was still a rather dangerous ce to be, and I didn''t mean it in the way that they could hurt me, no, more from a political point of view, as my presence alone in the eyes of their government could create an international disaster. But as concerning as the possibility of an international disaster was, I was more than certain that I could avoid them for as long as it was necessary. The first part of my n was simple. All I had to do was arrive in South Korea as if I were an average tourist. Then, I would steal a small boat from the coast of South Korea using it to cross the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) that separated the two countries while using a radar jammer to be as invisible as possible. After that, it was all a matter of making my way to Mount Paektu undetected. From there, all I had to do was find Kirigi. Of course, to enact this n of mine, I first had to leave France. "Sir, your taxi is here," One of the hotel employers of the hotel I was staying at said, interrupting my train of thoughts. I simply nodded at him in response before making my way towards the door, backpack in hand. Handing the driver a note saying to take me to the airport. Two hourster, and one flight ticket bought. I arrived at the airport and went through the check-in process quickly and without incident before making my way to the gate. Once there, I found a seat and sat down, waiting for boarding to begin. I already had a hotel booked in South Korea; one Oliver was paying for. It was only fair; Bruce was already paying for my first ss ticket. Now, all I had to do was wait for my flight to be called, which ording to my ticket, would leave in forty-five minutes. Seeing I had some time to burn, I simply sat back on my chair, closing my eyes, letting out a deep breath as I entered into a state of meditation by inhaling slowly before exhaling just as slowly, following step by step what Rachel had taught me. In the process, calming my mind, as well preparing myself for the mission at hand. -------------- After what felt like minutes, I opened my eyes as the unintelligible announcement that boarding was now open for first-ss passengers came over the loudspeaker in the airport. Grabbing my backpack, I stood up and made my way towards the line that had already started to form, boarding soon after I had arrived, finding my seat with little trouble. The flight itself was uneventful, long, but uneventful, and so, before I knew it, we werending in South Korea; where I was directed to customs, where they checked all my papers were in order; from there, I made my way outside, where I hailed a cab and made my way to the hotel. An hour or soter, thanks to traffic, I arrived at the hotel, where I paid the driver before grabbing my backpack and making my way into the building. Upon entering, I immediately noticed the lobby was fairly empty, but considering it was ratherte, it wasn''t all that surprising. Making my way to the desk, I handed over my reservation information to the woman behind it, who simply smiled warmly as I approached her, promptly taking the information I was giving her before quickly typing away on herputer and handing me a keycard. "Your room is on the third floor, number three-twenty-one. Enjoy your stay, Mr. Smith," The woman said in almost perfect English. I smiled at her before making my way toward the elevators, finding one already open at the lobby level. Happy I didn''t have to wait, I entered the elevator, quickly hitting the button for the third floor. A few momentster, after the doors of the elevator had closed, they opened into my floor, and I stepped out into the hallway, finding my room with little trouble. Inserting the keycard into the door, I waited for a second or two for the little light to turn green before pushing open the door and stepping into my room. Making my way into the room, I ced my backpack down onto one of the chairs at a small table near the window before making my way towards the bathroom. I was somewhat tired from the long trip and wanted a long bath before going to sleep. Turning on the water, I started undressing before stepping into the tub, enjoying the feeling of hot water rxing my muscles. Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the tub, letting out a deep breath as I did so; I had to admit, it felt good to finally be here. I honestly had no idea how people could sleep on nes. Even in first ss, the best kind of ss to fly, long trips were super ufortable when it came to sleeping or resting in any meaning of the way. I guess I wasn''t built for that kind of rest. Chapter 66: Chapter 66: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! For more chaps, vote. I could do double releases this week or more, if we reach a sexy ce. -------------- [David Lance POV] The next day, I woke up early, going down to the hotel lobby to get some breakfast before I left. I knew that it was going to be a long day, so I wanted to make sure that I had enough energy. After a rather decent breakfast for hotel standards, I went back to my room to grab a few of my things before heading down to the docks to scout for a boat. At the docks, there were a lot of people milling around going about their business, so it was easy enough to blend in, even as a foreigner. Surveying the area carefully, I walked around for a bit, looking at the different boats that were for disy before finding one that looked small enough to be manageable but big enough to make the journey. For a quick nce, it was easy to tell the trip on the boat wasn''t going to be afortable one, but for what I wanted it, it would do. Deciding to buy the boat instead of stealing it after remembering I had a no-limit budget from Oliver. I made my way over to the boat, where I gave it a closer look before asking the owner who had approached me as I inspected his boat how much he wanted for it. After haggling for a bit with the man, we finally settled on a fair price, which was roughly around what I had in cash on me at the moment. After paying the man and loading what little I needed onto the boat, I cast off, making my way out of the harbor and towards the open sea. The journey from there started pretty uneventfully, for the most part, mostly because myputer had ess to the league''s satellites, which, while limited, still allowed me to freely avoid the patrol boats as they came rather easily because I was constantly monitoring for them. Everything was going well so far, but it was too soon to say anything; after all, I still had around twenty hours left of distance to cover. But for now, I was content to just sit back and enjoy the ride, even if it was a little rocky every now and then. ------ The first few hours of my adventure were pretty calm as I went through the different inds that dotted the vast sea, but as I got closer to the DMZ, the waters started getting rougher, making it a little harder to keep the boat on course. But with a few quick adjustments here and there, I was able to get back on track and continued towards my destination, feeling pretty good about myself at the moment. Which reminded me that I had to thank Oliver for taking me on his boat so many times. If it wasn''t for him and his boat driving sses once a month, I wouldn''t have been able to get this far with the boat. Smiling, I approached myptop to check on the maps. Seeing on the map I was already nearing North Korea and would arrive in a few hours or so. Meaning that I had to find a ce to dock and hide my boat, which apparently would be rather easy because, ording to the satellite data I had, North Korea was surrounded by uninhabited inds, some of which still had no name. Taking my time to research about the inds, I picked one of the nameless inds that no one had visited in over two decades, at least ording to the League''s Database, before immediately setting a course toward it. Six hourster, as I got closer to the ind, I started slowing down the boat, noticing ahead the rocky shores. After a few minutes of cautiously making my way through the dark rocky waters. I finally reachednd. Where I immediately beached my boat on the soft sand as I quickly disembarked, before carrying my boat in one hand effortlessly, hiding it between the trees before making my way up a small hill I had just noticed that led to a better vantage point of the ind. Reaching the top, I grabbed my binocrs, where I began surveying the area. From where I was, I was around three hundred miles away from the coast of the nearest inhabited ind of North Korea. So, taking that into ount, and the fact I was able to swim around one hundred miles an hour, give or take, I should be able to reachnd in a few hours with little to no problem. I might have to punch a shark or two, but that''s rather unlikely. Besides, I swim faster than Sharks anyways. Realizing there was nothing else to do on the ind, I made my way back down the hill before taking onest look at my boat, making sure it wasn''t visible from the beach from any possible angle before making my way back into the water where I started swimming towards North Korea with nothing but my waterproof backpack. The first thing I noticed as I dived into the water was that the temperature was very cold, but as I increased my speed, I soon became ustomed to water as I propelled myself through the sea with little to no effort, using every stroke to get me closer to my destination. After a few hours of swimming, diving deep into the water every now and then to avoid patrols, I finally reached the shores of North Korea, where I made my way to a small rocky outcropping that led to a dested area, using it to climb out of the water, before grabbing my backpack and taking out a small towel where I proceeded to dry myself off as best as I could, hiding behind some trees. Now that my warmup of the day was done and I was finally within North Korea, the first part of my n wasplete. Now all that was left was to make my way to Mount Paektu undetected, but before that, I will wait until the night sets in so that I can move freely. Better safe than sorry. Chapter 67: Chapter 67: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! For more chaps, vote. I could do double releases this week or more, if we reach a sexy ce. -------------- [David Lance POV] Hiding behind the safety of some trees, I waited for the night to fall before setting off toward Mount Paektu, the tallest mountain in North Korea. While on paper, this mission was simple, I had to be careful; if anyone saw me, they would without a doubt alert the government, and if possible, I wanted to avoid that. With the moon finally shining above the starless sky, I started to move, creeping through the forests at high speed, following in a straight line towards Mount Paektu, which ording to my map, would not be seen for the first three hours of my trip. Based on the route I had picked, I would have to cross several rivers and some small viges here and there, which is why I had decided to only travel in the dead of night, as it would make it easier not to be seen, as everyone would more than likely be fast asleep in their beds. After a few hours of silent travel running through the forests of North Korea, I arrived at the first river I had to cross, jumping across it in a single leap,nding on the other side before I quickly resumed running. A few minutes or soter, around ten miles after the first river, I found myself face to face with the first vige, where I quickly ducked behind some bushes in order to survey the area for any sign of movement, confirming after a minute or so that apart from a few dogs barking in the distance, there was no one out. Without a second thought, I started to move again, this time at a faster pace than before, as I weaved my way out of the vige''s nearby forest, trying my best not to make any noise as I went, knowing that the dogs would hear it. Eventually, I made it out of the vige''s radius, going back to my normal pace of one hundred and seventy-five miles an hour so as to not waste too much energy. I continued like this for the next two hours, jumping over rivers as I found them and ducking through viges until I finally arrived at the foot of Mount Paektu, where I stopped to take a quick look around before starting the final ascent up the mountain. I still had nine hours before the sun came out, but even then, using the road to reach the mountain''s top was out of the question, as that was bound to have more surveince, meaning I had to climb through the back, so to speak. Cracking my knuckles, I stretched out my muscles for a bit before I started to make my way up, climbing through the back of the mountain, being extra careful not to make any noise as I did so. After a few minutes or so, I reached a small teau, where I stopped to take a quick look at my map, confirming I was on the right track before continuing on. ----------------- The next following hours of my climb were spent in a simr fashion, with me slowly but surely making my way up the mountain, stopping every so often to take a quick check of my map before continuing, until finally, around three hours before the sun started to peek over the horizon, I managed to arrive at the summit. Now, it was all a matter of finding where Kirigi was; the top of the mountain was quite vast, and from a quick nce on the map, it had many ces to hide. But, seeing as the man I was looking for had a Dojo somewhere around here, then it was safe to assume his hiding ce had to be big in order to amodate him and his students. With that in mind, I marked a few spots on the map I considered likely for a Dojo to be hidden before I started to move again, as I carefully looked around for any signs that could indicate the presence of people. After checking some of the spots I had marked on the map, I found a small cave entrance partially hidden by some bushes, with what looked to be recent tracks leading inside. Having no idea what awaited me there, I approached the entrance cautiously, listening for any sounding from within, but apart from the sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance, there was nothing. As I continued deeper into the cave, the sound of dripping water got louder and more constant, until eventually, I reached a small underground stream, where I stopped for a moment to take a look around. The cave continued on ahead, but there was also a small tunnel leading off to the side, which was most likely where the water wasing from; on the ground, there were also clear signs that the cave was used regrly, meaning I had either found what I was looking for or something simr enough. Making my decision, I decided to follow the tunnel, soon enough arriving at a small undergroundke, with the sound of dripping watering from a small hole in the ceiling. Theke itself wasn''t too big, maybe half a mile across at most, but it was deep and, from the looks of it, quite cold. At the end of theke, I could clearly see a small cave entrance, which made me smile. I mean, a cave inside a cave; I had no idea why, but for me, it was hrious. Taking a moment to survey the area, I considered swimming across to the other side, but after some thought, decided against it, considering the possibility of people being inside that cave and the clear chances they would most likely be on guard and ready for an attack. I didn''t want to start a fight while on the water, as I would be at a clear disadvantage, so instead, I decided to go around theke, hoping to find an alternative path. After a few minutes of looking around, I eventually found a small ledge leading around the side of theke, which I promptly started to follow, soon enough arriving at the other end of theke, finding myself face to face with the entrance I had seen a few minutes ago. From a closer look as I kneeled on the ground, it was easy to see the entrance had been used recently multiple times, having a path that was forged by constant use that led inside, so without any further hesitation, I stood up, and started to make my way inside, hearing some voices as I advanced through the narrow tunnel. Finally reaching the other side, I was met with the sight of a small group of people gathered around a fire talking amongst each other a few hundred meters away, monks from what I could gather from a simple nce from afar, seeing as they were still talking, it was safe to assume they hadn''t spotted me yet, so I took the opportunity to hide in the shadows and observe them for a moment, before doing anything. For the next following minutes, I kept my eyes and ears fixed on the group until I heard someoneing through the same path I had taken; moving around a bit in my hiding spot to hide from that angle of view as I focused on the cave entrance to see who wasing. An old monk soon came into view, followed by a few other monks, as they walked towards the group that was gathered around the fire, soon enough reaching them before sitting down and joining in on the conversation. Everything appeared to be going well at first, with them just having a seemingly pleasant conversation, even though I had no idea what they were talking about from where I was hiding but could gather as much from afar. However, after a minute or two after the new group of monks had arrived, joining the other, the whole group rose at once in alert save for the old monk, all of them scanning their surroundings as if searching for something, for someone. I didn''t have to be a genius to know they somehow had managed to know I was here. And, considering the old man was sitting, it was safe to assume he had been the one to find out I was here. "There''s no need to hide, young man. I know you''re here." The old monk spoke, his words confirming my initial suspicions. Seeing the cave only had one exit, and they already knew I was here, as well as counting the limited space I had at my disposal to act, I came to the conclusion there was no point in hiding anymore, so I decided toe out of the shadows and show myself to them, walking toward the group with my hands up as a sign of peace. Hopefully, these were the kind of monks that didn''t believe in throwing hands first and asking questionster. I really didn''t want to beat them. Taking a deep breath, I started nearing the group, noticing they didn''t look all that happy to see me, but they also didn''t look like they were going to attack me anytime soon either, so everything was going fine for the most part. Before reaching them, I made a gesture to tell them I was mute and that I couldn''t speak but couldmunicate through notes, and from what I could gather from their reaction, they seemed to understand what I meant easily enough. Finally reaching the group, I saw the old monk who had been sitting down the whole time finally stand up, walking towards me as the rest of his group stayed where they were. "What are you doing here?" The old monk asked in a calm voice. I grabbed my pen and paper from my pocket before quickly scribbling down a response and showing it to him. -I''m looking for Kirigi.- The old monk looked at the note for a second before responding back, "And why might that be?" I scribbled down another note and showed it to him. -To train with him.- "And why should I train you?" The old monk asked with a raised eyebrow, a hint of amusement reaching his eyes. So, he was Kirigi. -You are the master, you tell me.- The old monk looked at me before chuckling softly, "Well, that''s one way to answer that question. I like your attitude, young man. It''s... refreshing." Chapter 68: Chapter 68: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! If we reach top 8. I will post thest chap of this arc today. And maybe more. If we continue to rank. -------------- [David Lance POV] After finally finding Master Kirigi, he surprisingly agreed to train me, even though I was expecting many refutals from his part, mostly because Batman had said he was a man hard to convince; however, against Batman''s profile of the man, the moment I asked if he could train me, well, he epted. So, the very next morning, my training started. The first thing we did that very first morning was to test my reflexes. With Master Kirigi throwing different objects at me, from knives to stones, my objective being simple enough, to dodge them all; needless to say, this time was rather easy. "Hmm, so you are a superpowered being," Master Kirigi muttered to himself. "I see; then this will be more difficult than I thought. I will need to adjust my training for your conditions." -If it helps, I have trained for quite a while in many martial arts, so I''m sure I have the basics down, at the very least,- I wrote on my notepad before showing it to him. "Interesting," Master Kirigi said after reading my short message. "But be that as it may, I shall be the one to judge that." For the next following hours, I continued doing various different tests under Kirigi''s watchful eye; with me passing each test with flying colors. "Very well then," Kirigi finally said after several hours of testing. "It seems you indeed have the basics down. But there''s much to improve." That felt insulting, but he''s the master, one that Batman trusts enough to train me, so I guess he knows a thing or two I don''t. -------------- For the next following weeks, I underwent a series of grueling training regimes under Master Kirigi''s tutge, regimes he had modified just for me. Every morning we would start with a quick round of reflex tests, with him using a machine gun to shoot at me from very close before moving on to actualbat training. I honestly had no idea where he had gotten a machine gun, and I really didn''t feel like asking. After that, every afternoon was dedicated to learning different techniques from multiple different styles of hand-to-handbat. For the most part, I was already familiar with some of the styles he was teaching me and their applications in the real world. However, no matter my familiarity with the style, Kirigi would always start from the basics, building from there up. "You might think you know everything there is to know about a certain style, but in actuality, you only know the surface of it," I remember him telling me after reading the confusion on my face during our first-afternoon session. "The true mastery of any stylees from the understanding of every minuscule detail. After all, the true mastery of anythinges from the mastery of the basics." I nodded in response, taking his words to heart. -------------- As the weeks of training turned into months, I felt my skills grow by leaps and bounds under Master Kirigi''s guidance. Not only was I getting better at hand-to-handbat, but after our training had be more and moreplex, he had added weapons into the mix. Meaning I was also bing more proficient in the use of different weapons, both traditional and non-traditional. "A true warrior is not defined by the weapon they wield, but by their own skill," Kirigi would always say during our training sessions. "For It is the skill of the warrior that determines whether they live or die in battle, not the weapon they use." On that, I couldn''t agree more. ---------- [Batman POV] I kept track of David''s progress closely, checking on him when time allowed it. ording to Master Kirigi, he was progressing through his training rather fast and would most likelyplete it within a month or two from at the pace he was going if he didn''t slow down. I had originally intended for David''s training tost longer, much longer. I had clearly underestimated his potential and ability to learn. Be that as it may, I was content with the results he was giving. Especially now that I was taking into consideration making a new team, one to do what we as the League couldn''t do, work from the shadows. Seeing as the candidates for this teamcked the experience necessary topletely seed on the mission at hand, David''s training would prove to be invaluable. He was the only one of all the candidates for the team who had enough solo experience as well as veryprehensive training from a variety of experts and heroes. I had yet to see if he could manage a team effectively, but even if he didn''t take the role of the leader, be it because of personal preference or other circumstances, his valuable experience was sure to assist whoever took up that responsibility. However. Before the team could happen, I had to ensure Richard had a talk with David about what happened more than fifteen months ago. I was well aware Richard was avoiding this talk, and seeing as he had made no moves toe clean, I have decided to make it so that he doesn''t have a choice but toe clean. I had been, so far, very patient, disying a quality of character I severelyck. So, now this talk was on my hands. I was well aware that this wasn''t going to be easy for either of them, but it had to be done. Richard needed to confront what had happened and what he had done in order to move on, especially if he was to ever forgive himself. I wasn''t sure how David would react, but it was safe to assume some bridges woulde down, not because of what Richard did, that by itself was more than enough, but because he failed toe clean, instead opting to avoid David. But that would have to wait for David''s training to be done. Hopefully, things would go better than I anticipated. Chapter 69: Chapter 69: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After months of hard work, I had finallypleted Master Kirigi''s training. Discovering a lot about myself in the process and about Master Kirigi as well, who I had found during my training, had at one point been associated with the League of Assassins as one of their members. Based on what I had found, he was apparently retired. Batman obviously knew about this, meaning that in some form, he trusted the old man enough to train me. However, as much as I trusted Batman''s judgment, I still couldn''t shake the feeling that this little thing woulde and bite me in the ass one day. "Ready to leave, I see..." Kirigi said as he entered my room at the temple. I nodded. "Remember, you might have mastered the basics during your time here, but you still have a long way ahead of you. Never stop training, never stop improving, always seek perfection even if this feels unreachable," Kirigi smiled slightly. ~I will,~ I promised with a respectful bow, one from student to master. Assassin or not, he had taught me a lot during my time here. And for that, I would be forever grateful. ------ Easy enough, after leaving Master Kirigi''s temple, I reached the coast of North Korea in around five hours at jogging speed. Where after making sure no one was around, I promptly dived into the water, starting my journey back to the deserted ind I had left my boat at. For the next following hours, I swam at a leisurely pace, enjoying the sensation of the water flowing past me. Eventually, after some time, I reached the ind and made my way to where I had hidden my boat, finding it just where I had left it, hidden behind some trees, Smiling, I grabbed the boat with one hand, carrying it back into the sea. I was quite happy, to be entirely honest. Not only I had finished my training regime in record time, but somehow, I felt more at peace with myself, more so than I had ever felt before. Maybe it had something to do with the feeling of aplishment this journey had given me. Or maybe, I was simply ecstatic that I would see my sister, Rachel, and Oliver soon enough. Who knows? ------ The trip back to South Korea was, as expected, uneventful and without any dys, and because of that, I arrived at the port early in the morning, where I quickly unloaded my stuff before giving the deeds to the boat to the first person I saw. From there, I got a cab and told the driver with a note to take me to the nearest hotel so that I could get some well-deserved rest before going back to Star City. A few minutester, we arrived at the hotel. Ready to take a shower and go to sleep, I entered the lobby and approached the counter, giving the receptionist a note that said that I wanted a room, and didn''t care what room. "Of course, sir. How many nights will you be staying with us?" The receptionist asked with a smile. I raised two fingers in response to her question. "Very well." The receptionist nodded before typing something into theputer behind her desk. "Cash, right?" I nodded, quickly giving her around two hundred dors in local currency. "Thank you, sir." The receptionist said as she took the cash and gave me a key. "Your room is on the second floor, room 212." I smiled at her before picking up my backpack and making my way to the room. Once there, I unlocked the door and entered, tossing my backpack on the bed before making my way to the bathroom, where I quickly stripped down and got into the shower. Letting the steaming hot water run on my back as I stood still in ce, slowly beginning to rx, before taking some soap. After a few minutes of being in the water, I got out of the shower and dried myself off before getting dressed in somethingfortable. Exhausted from the trip, Iid down on the bed and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels for a few moments until I found something interesting to put in the background as I slowly drifted off to sleep. -------- The very next morning, I woke up to a familiar sound, the sound of one of Rachel''s portals opening up in my room. ~What brings you to my humble abode?~ I said as I sat up, stretching a bit. "Batman told me your training wasplete, so... I came here to give you a ride..." Rachel replied sheepishly. ~You are a lifesaver,~ I beamed at her before getting up from the bed and giving her a hug. ~It''s good to see you; I really missed you.~ I honestly hadn''t considered the possibility of calling Rachel to open a portal back to Star City at all. The option simply flew above my head. "Magic has its perks." Rachel said in a soft tone as she returned the hug. "So, how was your training trip?" I took a deep breath before replying. ~It was... good. I feel like I aplished something.~ "That''s great to hear." Rachel smiled. ~What about you? How''s your training with my sister?~ I asked, taking a seat on my bed. "I rather... not talk about it," Rachel replied, looking away. ~That bad?~ I asked. "Bad is an understatement..." Rachel nodded with just a hint of a smile. ~Well, you know what they say. Practice makes the master,~ I replied with a small nod, quoting Master Kirigi. However, instead of my quote helping her mood, she turned towards me sharply, giving me a look that said... really? you are really going to said that? ~Let me pack my things...~ I smiled, slowly making my way to my backpack. "Very well," Rachel nodded, taking a seat on my bed as I started to pack my things. ~Wanna have some breakfast before we leave?~ I asked. I mean, we were in South Korea; we might as well do something while we were here. "Sure," Rachel smiled before packing all of my stuff in my backpack; with a simple move of her hand, using her magic, she even made the bed. "I feel like trying some of the local food." I smiled, grabbing my backpack. ~Very well then, lead the way.~ "I read in a book that South Korea has some of the best vegetarian restaurants," Rachel said as we made our way to the door. ~Say no more. Let''s try some of them. I''m paying!~ "You mean Oliver?" Rachel shot back with a small smile. Le gasp! I would never! ~No, Batman is paying. Oliver already paid for this hotel.~ Chapter 70: Chapter 70: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Rachel and I made our way through the city, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling metropolis of Star City. The night was alive with energy, the streets filled with people enjoying the vibrant nightlife. As we walked with no destination in particr, I couldn''t help but get lost in thought, my mind upied with dark memories that now didn''t seem to bother me at all. My encounters with the Joker and Deathstroke and the terrible events that unfolded. I remembered the blood, the fear, the pain, and how, at the time, I had been powerless to stop it. Yet, for all the details in those memories, I felt nothing upon reliving them in my head. I was finally calm,pletely calm. In a way, this felt anti-climactic. I mean, months of therapy and other stuff to finallye to a conclusion after a training trip. Then again, if one was to analyze my change, the answer was perhaps very simple. I was a different person then, a scared child who, for all his power, could only stand by and watch as innocent people were ughtered, at least when it really mattered, all because of fear. That had changed, I wasn''t a child anymore, and it wasn''t because of the trip. The trip had helped without a doubt, but while it had helped, it had been nothing but a push, a nudge in the right direction of self-discovery. Now, however, I waspletely confident that I had what it took to survive in this world. This past year I had honed my skills, my mind, and my soul to the very limit of what I could as of the moment, all in order to confront my demons when the time came; all this training trip had done was to show me, that when the time came, those demons would finally be put to rest. "You feel happier now..." Rachel muttered without giving me a look, a small smile dawning on her face. I smiled, nodding three times for good measure. I was, though I had no real idea why, but I wasn''t going to question my new and improved state of mind. Silently, we continued walking for hours, exploring the downtown area of Star City, until Rachel suggested we went to a local vegetarian restaurant she had read about on the web, her stomach growling, a fact she fiercely denied. Seeing as I had basically eaten a whole cow eight hours earlier with Oliver and was somehow still hungry, I agreed, letting Rachel lead the way towards the restaurant. By the time we reached the ce, which was around twenty minutes after Rachel had announced she was hungry, I was more than famished, so without wasting time, we took a seat, immediately ordering our food. As we waited for the dishes to arrive, Rachel beamed at me, in her own way, putting her purse, one my sister had given her, on the table. "I will pay for the meal," Rachel announced, sounding rather proud of the fact. ~My, that''s certainly a way to woo me. Quite effective at that,~ I signed, jokingly winking at her. "If that was my aim, it would probably be best to buy you some hotdogs. Not only it would be cheaper, but it would also be more effective," Rachel shot back without missing a beat, wearing her usual poker face expression. As we continued to chat, the food arrived, and I had to say, it smelled delicious. ------------ Finished with our meal, we started to make our way back to the house until six muggers cornered us, all in their early twenties, knives drawn, probably thinking us to be easy targets in a rich neighborhood. Unfortunately for the muggers, we were the farthest thing from easy prey. "Now, if you two pretty things want to live, you better give us all your money!" "This is going to be hrious, sad, but hrious," Rachel said calmly. At this, I gave Rachel an amused look, shaking my head ever so slightly, finding her statement to be urately hrious, as the six muggers descended on me without any martial coordination. Seeing no point in humoring, I took a step forward, knocking each one of them as they came with a single hit. My calm and collected demeanor throughout the entire altercation being a stark contrast to the dawning realization and panic on the muggers, as they slowly realized the mistake they had made. However, by the time they hade to understand how hard they had fucked up, it was already toote for anything. Granted, it had taken me around fifteen seconds to knock them all out, and that was because I was literally waiting for them toe at me, but even then, they barely had time to question the terrible choices that led them to this point. "My hero..." Rachel said, her right hand on her forehead, like a damsel in distress that had just been saved by the hero in shining armor. ~Indeed, mydy! It is I, The Silent Knight!~ I replied, ying into her joke by doing a cliche heroic pose from a fairy tale book. ~I have for thy rescue! And your hand!~ Rachel snorted at this before recovering her seemingly emotionless face. "Should we call the police?" I mused at that for a moment, seeing the six unconscious bodies on the street, before reluctantly nodding. I really didn''t want to make a police report right now; right now, all I wanted was to sleep, but leaving them here only opens room for them to try and sue Oliver. America... sigh. Even in the DC Universe, the stupidity ofwsuits follows. It''s a universal constant at this point, I think. "On it," Rachel nodded, taking her phone out to call 911, as I took mine to text Oliver and Dinah in a group text about what had happened. After all, if the cops got annoying, they would have to bail us out as our legal guardians. [I knew it! My mustache was feeling off! And then this happens!] [Oliver, for the love of God, your mustach.... why am I even bothering? We are on our way; we''ll be there in five.] [In three. I''m rich.] [We won''t vite trafficws just because you can pay the tickets!] "The police are on their way," Rachel said, having finished her call. "The fact this happened in a rich neighborhood really worried them..." I shrugged. ~Every bracket of society has some lining of corruption. For the cops, even if they aren''t bad, is keeping their biggest contributors feeling safe.~ Chapter 71: Chapter 71: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] With a silent yawn, I slowly opened my eyes, stretching my body as I sat up on my bed, pushing the covers of my bed to the side. Reminiscing about the event of thest few months, finding that as oftely things have been rather slow, with crime being at an all-time low. However, as strange as this change was, I was happy with this. Less crime to fight meant I had more time to do other things besides catching criminals, things I enjoyed, like painting, reading, cooking with my sister, and hanging out with Rachel, so all and all, it was nice to have some downtime. Nevertheless, I knew this rather strange respite wouldn''tst forever. Sooner orter, as history had shown many times before, there would be another crisis. In the meantime, however, I was content to just enjoy this rare gift from the heavens. Taking a deep breath, I jumped out of my bed, grabbing my phone that was on my nightstand, before sending a text to Rachel. [Going to Lorenzo''s Pizza for lunch, wannae?] Text sent; I walked into my bathroom, and I couldn''t help but admire the architecture. The high ceilings and intricate details on the molding, the marble floor, and other details made me feel like I was in a pce. Deciding I had admired the bathroom too long already, I started my day like I always do- by brushing my teeth. I made sure to brush thoroughly, working the toothbrush around all of my teeth, using a circr, back-and-forth, and up-and-down motions. Once I was finished, I rinsed my mouth out with water before spitting the water into the sink. Then, I used some mouthwash to remove any remaining bacteria. Done with my morning routine, my phone buzzed with a notification. A quick look confirmed my suspicions, seeing the notification was from Rachel answering my text. Smiling, I grabbed the phone and opened the chat. [Sounds good, I feel like eating one whole pizza by myself today, if I''m being honest.] My my my, little Ol''Rachel is quite hungry. Grinning, I promptly replied to her text. [Fine by me, that way, I can get the animal murderer supreme with extra cheese.] Now with that done, time to get some clothes on before starting the day. Still smiling, I walked to my closet and picked a pair of jeans and a simple ck shirt that I knew would befortable before getting dressed and going down into the kitchen to have some breakfast with Dinah. ---------- After a quick breakfast, Iced up my shoes and headed out the door, deciding to go out for a jog. Outside, the fresh air of the neighborhood felt invigorating, with the wind gently shing against my face as I picked up the pace. As I ran, I surveyed the area, marveling at the pinkish-golden hue that gently colored the sky today. I would run for an hour or two before going for Rachel. "Hi, David!" Someone waved at me, a girl in her teenage years, around two to three years older than me. Her name was Milly Anderson; she was the daughter of a rich doctor in Star City, Mark Anderson. Based on interactions, I had quickly concluded the girl had a crush on me, even though she knew she was older than me, a crush her father was supporting based on my connections with Oliver. That was probably the worst part about being family with Oliver. Everyone wanted me to marry their daughters. For them, the greedy ones, I represented an easy exit to riches beyond their wildest dreams. For the most part, I paid them no heed. Save for Milly, while her father was supportive because of my connections and the benefits a rtionship between us would bring him, his daughter wasn''t. She genuinely had a crush on me, one that I was pretty sure was based on physique alone. So, seeing her crush was an innocent one, I kept a friendly demeanor with her instead of the cold, indifferent one I used with her dad. "How''s your sister?" Milly asked, slowly approaching me. She was wearing clothes for jogging and running, meaning she was probably trying to ease into my day-to-day life. ~Sleeping,~ I replied, but not using signnguage but gestures to tell her my sister was sleeping, as Milly didn''t know signnguage at all. "That''s awesome!" Is it? Well... she has an interesting definition of awesome. "So, going for a run?" Milly asked. No, Milly, I was going for a walk but somehow forgot how to walk and ended up running until you stopped me. Whoa... Where did thate from? I''m never one to mentally sass the oblivious citizen. "Hi, earth to David," Milly smiled, as she yed with her hair, misreading myck of response for me being shy around her. I sighed before giving her a nod. "Great, can Ie with you?" And there it is. I nodded once again. I could''ve refused her, but thest thing I wanted was to damage Oliver''s image, needless to say. However, I would be slowly changing my bodynguage around her so that she subconsciously sorted her attraction to me to a tonic one, effectively friend-zoning me. "Yeih! Be prepared because I will beat you!" Beat me... on what? Jogging has no objective besides doing exercise. ------------ [Two hourster.] I took Milly back to her house after two hours of unsatisfactory jogging in order to not leave her behind. Granted, I had taken this opportunity to inspect my surroundings in more detail; nevertheless, I was still a bit annoyed that my jogging routine had been disturbed. At least Milly was tolerable. I mean, she was a good girl, a bit too immature if anything, but good in general, so while annoying at times, herpany wasn''t necessarily a nuisance. But enough about that. Right now is time to pick up Rae, and by pick up, and I mean, her portaling into the manor and leaving the ce as if she had been already there, to begin with. "How was jogging?" Rachel, who had been already waiting for me as I reached the manor, asked, a small smile gracing her face. This smile, however, was different. It had a hint of mischief that extended to her eyes. I narrowed my eyes at her, realizing why. She knew I had had a bad time jogging today and was poking fun at me. ~Very funny.~ "It is to me," Rachel replied as she walked past me. "Now, don''t frown. I''ll get you a hotdog." If she thought I would be bought with a hotdog! She was absolutely right. ------------------------------ [Six hourster.] After a long day of activities, Rae and I decided to go to the park to share our feelings about the new book we were both reading when all of the sudden, an explosion was heard in the distance, shaking the entire park to the ground, creating havoc in the park. For a moment, Rachel and I froze as I felt a strange sense of dread invading me, a feeling that something was terribly wrong. Following my instincts, I used my phone to ess the cameras around the ce the explosion had taken ce, almost dropping my phone at the sight of what I had encountered, a picture that not only had validated my previous feelings but enhanced them. In the cameras, I saw a monster, one that I was very familiar with, rampaging through the city as Green Arrow and ck Canary tried to stop it, slowly taking this creature away from civilians, and as for the moment being, they were seeding at their task. However, no matter what they tried, I knew this was something that even thebined might of the two couldn''t possibly hope to stop. After all, they were facing no other than the android, Amazo. "What''s going on?" Rachel asked, her tone cutting through the air. ~We need to go home. I need to suit up,~ I replied without wasting a second. Chapter 72: Chapter 72: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Suit on, Raven opened a portal to where the fight was happening. The n was simple; she would help evacuate the area and then regroup, helping from far away, as I had no idea if this Amazo could copy magic or not. The same applied to me, but at the very least, I had the fact my powers came from another universe on my side, which could possibly mean they couldn''t be replicated. Hopefully, that would be the case. "ck Bolt, leave!" Green Arrow, upon seeing me, ordered me to leave as he shot a barrage of explosive arrows at the android. I shook my head, seeing his battered state, his clothes were torn, and he was bleeding quite badly, nothing lethal, but enough to diminish his abilities eventually. Taking a deep breath, I eyed Amazo, seeing my sister try and fight the machine but being countered at every attempt as the android switched between powers. Wasting no more time, I sprang towards the android, who, upon seeing me, kicked my sister away, allowing him to parry my attack by entering Superman mode. {Observational scan failed.} The android intoned. {Subject ''ck Bolt''... data inconclusive, adapting parameters, entering deep analysis mode.} Relieved the android couldn''t copy my powers, I pressed the attack, unleashing an onught of attacks, one after the other, without holding back. The android, however, wasn''t faced by my advance, switching between modes to match, parry, and counterattack my every move as our attacks kissed on the battlefield. I was making no progress, finding no openings; even with the help of Green Arrow, who was helping me from afar, for the first time, in ages, my heart was singing, just like it had sung with Deathstroke, a melody of death. In this fight, death bnced on every move. {ess: sh.} The android intoned, moving behind me. {ess: Superman.} From every angle, I rained down on the android, receiving multiple hits from the machine every time it parried or dodged my advances. But, no matter how many hits Amazo got on me, I continued fighting, swinging my attacks so hard that sparks flew when the machine blocked my attacks. This continued for a few moments until the android kicked me away. {ess: sh.} The android intoned, moving behind me as Inded on the ground, fist ready to pummel me into the ground, but not before switching his mode. {ess: Superman.} "ck Bolt!" Green Arrow cried, shooting a few explosive arrows the android simply elected to ignore, before turning his immediate attention to the archer, probably assuming I was done for, s, I wasn''t. Taking the opening the android had given me, I jumped to my feet, as blood came out of my mask,nding a punch on the android with enough force to send him flying against a nearby building, bringing down a few walls in his wake. "ck Bolt, leave now!" Green Arrow ordered once again. I ignored him, darting towards the android before it came to me, pressing the attack. I had one mission and three objectives, keeping Oliver and Dinah alive, waiting for the League to arrive, and waiting for Rachel to confirm there was no one around for me to use my powers on the android. Keeping my head focused, I continued shing with Amazo for what might have been minutes or hours,pletely losing track of time or any other information but the enemy in front of me as the fight went on. {Observational deep analysis modeplete.} The android intoned. {Data inconclusive. Initiating Stage 2 analysis: Physical Sample.} I was no fool. I knew that until I was allowed to use my powers or the League arrived, I was fighting a losing battle. The worst part was that even with all of my powers, I knew I was still outmatched by a decent margin. Amazo had many modes that would help him avoid my voice or simply shrug off the damage should the need arise. With the powers of Martian Manhunter and Superman, he was simply out of my league to destroy. That unavoidable fact chilled me. {ess: Superman.} The android intoned,nding a few hits on me that brought me to my knees. {ess: Martian Manhunter.} He then changed his mode, changing his density to go into the floor, before pulling me down, changing my own density in order to trap me on the ground, from the neck down. I coughed, blood spurting out. Where... In... The... Fuck... Was the league? {ess: sh.} The android intoned, proceeding to kick my face a few thousand times per second, multiple times, as he ran around me in a circle. I was stuck in the ground, and he was from my current perspective above me, so that meant... "Enough..." I spoke, sting everything above me to dust. The attack releasing me from my concrete prison. {Physical scanpleted.} The android intoned, appearing in front of me. I guess it was too much to ask, thinking that had hit him. He was using the sh''s powers, meaning dodging my attack was well within his capabilities while in said mode. {Data inconclusive. Samples unreadable. Processing to get a bigger sample.} The android intoned, before darting towards me. {ess: Superman.} However, before Amazo could reach me, he was sted away by a beam of dark energy. "Not gonna happen," Raven stated, her body glowing in dark energy. I sighed in relief. I finally had backup, which reminds me, where''s Green Arrow? "He''s with ck Canary, tending her wounds," Raven said, reading my emotions and from them, concluding what I was thinking. Well, that''s good. The farther away they were from that thing, the better... I honestly had no idea how Amazo hadn''t killed them during the time they had fought it alone. With the powers it had, dealing with them should''ve been easy enough. Unless... Amazo''s mission was never to kill them, but to make sure they brought the League here. If that was the case, Amazo''s purpose had many implications, one, it could be destroying the League, or two, keeping the League distracted as something else happened in the shadows. I personally believed it was thetter of the two. {Observational scan failed.} The android intoned,ing once again into view, unscathed. {Subject ''Raven''... Category: Magic... Observational toolscking for proper replication of said Category. Proceeding with the elimination of the subject.} ~Ready?~ I asked Raven, taking a deep breath. If Raven was here, one thing was very clear, the entire ce was empty, meaning I could whisper to my heart''s content. "Yes," Raven nodded, her eyes glowing white. Chapter 73: Chapter 73: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! Double chap if we reach top 5. -------------- [David Lance POV] "Azarath metrion zinthos!" Raven muttered as I dashed towards the Android. {ess: Superman.} The android intoned, his voice reaching my ears moments before the distance between us closed as he dodged Raven''s attack, his right hand instantly blurring out of sight toward my stomach,nding a devastatingly powerful uppercut on my sr plexus. The attack sent me flying out of the building like a projectile, impairing my vision momentarily, but not enough to not notice the android was inches away from me, intending to deliver a follow-up. However, before Amazo could deliver another attack, his body froze as the magical energy of Raven got a hold of him, stopping his next attack inches away from making contact. Taking the opening Raven had given me, I quickly muttered a single word that served both as an attack and a message for Raven. "Thanks." The attack sent the android crashing against the floor with devastating force, leaving me to continue on the flight his earlier punch had sent me. Vision still blurred and body screaming in pain, I forced myself to focus, carefully rotating my body around mid-air, managing to avert crashing to the ground bynding on my feet, where I immediately evaluated my situation. Three broken ribs. And internal bleeding, based on how much blood I was coughing. And most of that was because of a single well-ced punch, using superman''s strength. That''s going to hurt for a while. Seeing the android had yet to make a move, I reached my utility belt, plucking two items to patch myself a bit. A Ketamine injection, and an Adrenaline one, before injecting both into my system. I sighed, cracking my neck, before darting toward the android that was just nowing out of the massive, deep crater my attack had created a few moments ago. "I can only hold him for a few moments," Raven said, phasing behind me, using her astral form to do so. "I can''t attack him; every time I try, he dodges." I nodded; of course, he would dodge. Raven''s attacks were magic based, and this Amazo had nothing to fully defend himself against that, a fact that was apparently clear in his programming. {ess: Martian Manhunter} The android intoned, phasing out of sight. Amazo was clearly stronger than us by a massive margin, individually that was, as it could change between modes, overwhelming whoever it was fighting. However, the android was predictable. His programming made him prioritize self-preservation over battle observation. Right now, all Amazo needed to deal with me was using superman''s powers, yet at times, he would switch between modes in order to block, or dodge an attack, when he didn''t need to. Superman was more than strong enough to tank anything below shouting. That was weakness one, weakness two was quite possibly the biggest one, and it was the time it took the android to switch between modes. For every switch of power, the android needed to say something, giving whoever was fighting him around one second before the next switch activated to counterattack in the best possible way. Now, on a 1v1, this weakness was difficult to exploit. But it wasn''t a 1v1 anymore. To defeat Amazo, all we needed to do was coordinate our attacks in order to force him into a mode that is advantageous for us by exploiting his programming. If we yed our cards right and made every mode count, we might not even need the League at all, not like the bastards were rushing toe and aid us. I mean, seriously, two of them move fucking fast, speed of light fucking fast, so where the fuck were they? "Behind," Raven said, sensing Amazo as the android was about to make his body, using her magic to teleport us to the opposite corner of the street. "Denied," I muttered, aiming at Amazo. {ess: sh} The android intoned, dodging my attack. "Denied?" Raven asked. Well, excuse me, Raven, it''s very hard to find the right words to use as attacks, and while curse words would fit most asions, I didn''t want to be known as the hero with a filthy mouth. "Good point," Raven nodded, creating a magic shield around us. "You had an idea. So, what was it?" I smiled. Of course, she had felt my emotions. I nodded, pointing at my head. As I eyed Amazo, who had moved behind out and had started running around the shield, really fast, sucking the oxygen out of the area. Amazo was nning to asphyxiate us. However, Raven had apparently foreseen that because no matter how much the oxygen levels dropped outside her shield as Amazo ran, inside, we were fine, meaning the shield was a sealed zone with a limited amount of oxygen that, based on the radius of the shield, would easilyst us for at least over a day. "You can do that now?" Raven asked, keeping her shield strong, realizing what I was telling her by pointing at my head. I was telling her to make a telepathic connection between us. I nodded, I hadn''t tried this with her yet, but I was sure it could work. I mean, sure, my psychic powers were still very green, making them hard to control; however, my training with Martian Manhunter and Master Kirigi had allowed me over time to have some semnce of control over my own defenses. Enough control to allow others into my mind for a chat. Sure, I could''ve told Raven my n with signnguage, but chances were Amazo, or whoever was controlling the android from afar, would understand me, therefore making my n useless. `Impressive... even now, I can feel your mind ready to kick me out at any moment''s notice.` Raven said after having made the connection. It felt weird. But I would explore that feelingter. {ess: Captain Atom.} The android intoned, realizing his asphyxiation n wasn''t working. Instead, now opting for sting the shield with atomic force, slowly but surely making cracks on the shield. `We need to exploit Amazo''s weakness. For every switch between modes, the android needs to say the name of the hero he is about to copy, creating a dy between switches of a second or half a second depending on the length of the name he has to say.` I replied telepathically as Raven focused on keeping the shield together, her eyes glowing white. `I see. I understand the idea. You want to force Amazo into a mode we destroy in a single attack.` Raven replied through the link we had made, quickly catching onto my n. `I can''t hold the shield much longer; I will move us out of here.` `Modes, sh, Superman, Captain Atom, and Wonder Woman, are the ones that hold a power advantage over us. We need to force him into one of the following modes, Martian Manhunter or ck Canary,` I continued exining as Raven teleported us away from Amazo''s, but not far enough to lose the Android''s attention. `Martian Manhunter? That mode seems pretty... resilient to be in our target list,` Raven replied. {ess: Superman.} The android intoned before flying towards us. "Back off," I muttered, attacking Amazo, before running to the left as Raven flew to the right, separating our advance into one of two angles as we continued our telepathic nning. `Yes, Martian Manhunter is one of the most durable heroes the League has, but the android doesn''t use his powers unless he has to phase through an attack or elongate a part of his body, which is mostly his arms...'' "Azarath metrion zinthos!" Raven said, creating hundreds of magical ravens that flew toward Amazo as she replied. `I see... I understand your n now; you want to use the interval between switches while he''s phased.` `That or punching his head off with a single strike if he ever esses my sister''s mode, but seeing as he hasn''t used it once during this fight, is safe to assume his programming is telling him that doing so is futile,` I replied, throwing a few explosives at Amazo to get his attention. `He normally copies Martian Manhunter when he wants to dodge or do a surprise attack,` Raven replied. {ess: sh.} The android intoned, turning his head towards me, moments after the explosives I had thrown had gone off, quickly closing the distance between us, tackling me into a wall, before turning toward Raven. {ess: Captain Atom.} `I am aware, so let''s give him something to dodge; before that, though, how small can you make your portals?` I replied telepathically, a grin on my face as I jumped to my feet. Raven, who was currently shing with Amazo, beams of magic colliding with atomic forces, smiled, sending a wave of understanding through our link. I smiled; that was all I needed to know. Now, it was time to see if my idea would work. Taking a deep breath, I rushed toward Amazo at my maximum speed, throwing in the way a few smoke bombs to get his attention away from Raven. Once I did, and the Android had turned to face me, using Red Tornado''s power to clean the area of the smoke, I grabbed one of his arms, throwing a hard punch at his face, putting all my weight into it. The blow knocked the android''s head to one side, and I quickly followed with a few extra hits. {ess: Superman.} The android intoned, stopping one of my punches with a single hand, the grip of his metallic cold hand forcing me to my knees as the ground beneath us cracked under the pressure before the android punched me into the ground with his other hand. Jaw dislocated, I inwardly smiled through the pain, seeing a big portal open behind him, a beam of magicing out of it, as another portal opened beneath me, one small. Meaning my opportunity to strike woulde soon. {ess: Martian Manhunter.} Predictably, the Android switched to the mode we were expecting in order to dodge a point-nk st of magic by letting it phase through him. Now, it was all a matter of him switching modes without resetting his density first, {ess: Captain Atom.} The android froze,pletely unable to move, thanks to the small portal hovering inches behind his head, my arming out the portal, piercing his head, that now crackled in an electric show, before exploding, the body of the android soon falling into the ground. I smiled. The n had worked; the portal Raven first had opened had gained Amazo''s attention moments before he had pummelled me to the ground; being that her attack was magic, and it was at point nk range, Amazo''s programming had opted for using Martian Manhunter''s power to avoid any possible damage, allowing Raven to open two more portals, first one behind me so that I could fulfill the part of my part, and then one behind his head, to connect the portal I was using to one within the Android''s range, all in under a second, fully capitalizing in the interval between switches. `We did it...` Raven said through the link, and I could tell that she was happy. `We did... Fuck the League,` I replied as I jumped to my feet. `They are here,` Raven replied, and I could feel through our link that she was annoyed with them having arrived sote. I sighed, cing my jaw back into ce before eyeing the League as they slowly descended toward us. "It seems our help wasn''t needed," Superman was the first to speak. It wasn''t needed!!?! I will be bedridden for at least two weeks after the pain killers I pumped into my system wear off! And that''s the forgivable part; what really pissed me off was that they had taken so long toe when Oliver and Dinah had been the ones to call them in the first ce. Had Raven and I not intervened, there was a chance they would''ve... I rather not think about it. I rather think as I was thinking that the android wanted the League toe and had, for that reason, kept my sister and Oliver alive. ~Yes, we managed, but we weren''t the ones to call for help, were we?~ I signed, ring at him. "There''s a lot of destruction in the city," Giovanni muttered, looking around the ce, seeing the damage my power had done to the city. `I don''t like him...` Raven said through our telepathic bond. `Take me to my sister and Oliver, if you can,` I replied, walking past Superman before he could reply to what I had told him; as I stepped through a portal, Raven had created the moment I had asked for it. I was sure they had a reason for the dy, probably a good one, but right now, I didn''t care to hear it. Chapter 74: Chapter 74: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! Double chap if we reach top 5. -------------- [David Lance POV] Dinah was okay. A few broken bones, and bruises here and there, but nothing concerning for her health in the long run, a result that upon considering who her opponent had been, was rather lucky. Oliver was okay too. His injuries were less severe all things considered. As for me, well, I would be bedridden for around two to four weeks, depending on how fast my healing factor can deal with internal trauma, broken bones, and some minor muscle tearing. Not that I really cared about the time. Sure, I didn''t exactly enjoy being in bed, as it heavily limited my actions, but I didn''t exactly hate it either. Besides, despite everything, I had Rachel by my side to make mepany, so things were good enough. Now, on the matter of the League, I was still mad at them. The reason they had taken so long was because they had all been dealing with super viins of their own, which all things considered, was a very valid reason. Nevertheless, good reason or not, it was still infuriating that they had not only arrivedte, which I was still a bit salty about, but had then lectured me about property damage, and hero liability. Granted, the ones that had tried to lecture about property damage were Nugget girl, and Giovanni. The rest of the League was, ording to Batman, thankful I had managed to step in when they had failed to do so. It was simply that Nugget girl and Giovanni had their personal vendettas against me, or in the case of Giovanni, with Rachel specifically. Speaking of Batman, I was angry with him. Not because he had arrivedte, honestly, or all the heroes, he was the one that I understood the most when it came to tardiness, he was a human, that had to do human stuff to get from point A to point B. Sure he was disgustingly rich, but that didn''t make him super fast, or gave him the ability to fight. As for the Zeta tubes, well sure, they worked, but he still had to get to one before using them, so it was always back to square one. If anything, he was always the first one to arrive at any ce. Him. The human. In a team where two people can move at the speed of light, or faster, he was the one to arrive first. So yeah, I wasn''t angry at his tardiness, it was bound to happen eventually. My reason for being angry was entirely different. It was because he had decided to keep Amazo, instead of destroying it, because he wanted to study the android. An idiotic decision, in my personal opinion. Then again, maybe he was seeing things from an angle I wasn''t, but regardless of the angle he was taking on this approach, it still felt like an irresponsible approach on his part. "Feeling better?" Rachel asked calmly, breaking me out of my train of thoughts. I smiled, giving her a small nod. I was still sore, but considering I had taken hits for an android, copying Superman''s powers, well, I was doing a-okay. "Not very talkative today, huh?" Rachel replied. I deadpanned. Mute jokes, such ack of taste, and I like it hahaha. ~Very funny. I told you to stop reading theedy section of the library, you fill too many emo dark boxes for that, hell I''m not sure you''re even allowed in that section.~ Rachel snorted. "Look who''s talking." Another mute joke, would you look at that of course this means war. And so, Rachel and I, engaged in a battle for the ages, basically insulting each other, ahhh, friendship. - [Poison Ivy POV] I watched as Harley showed me with utter glee, the video of her man to be, fighting an android. "So that''s your guy" I muttered. "Yepperoni!" Harley nodded with a mar giggle. "He''s soooo dreamy, dark, and mysterious! Like every boy I ever had a crush on in highschool!" Huh, maybe those crushes should''ve stayed in highschool No no Ivy, this is better than the Joker, not ideal, sure, but immensely better than the Joker, granted, fucking a corpse was better than dating the Joker. I would literally burn a forest to the ground, if the alternative was dating that psychopathic asshole. So taking that into ount, we were taking a step in the right direction, a young questionable direction. "He sure is Harley," I smiled. [Lex Luthor POV] Well this was one expensive loss. To think ck Bolt and Raven would be enough to defeat Amazo on their own was rather impressive. The android was, after all, a weapon that should''ve taken the entire League to defeat, or at the very least the core members of the League, not two sidekicks. Well, I guess not everything can go ording to n. It was honestly quite riveting. That the two unknowns in our table had been the ones to mess with our schedule. Oh well, what''s done is done. No sense in crying about. Nevertheless, next time, we would be ready for them, the Light learns, the Light adapts, and it always prepares. [Unknown POV] It engulfs me. A void of nothingness that steals away my sanity. And before I know it, I am lost in an endless abyss, surrounded by a thick fog that muffles all sound. I try to scream but no noisees out. I il my arms wildly, searching for something- anything- to grab onto. But there is nothing. No light, no sound, no hope. I am all alone in the darkness. And he ising for me. Slowly but surely, he closes in around me like a cold hand around my throat. I can feel it tightening his grip, suffocating me. I struggle to breathe, to move, to think. But it is all useless. The darkness has won. And I am lost forever in its cold embrace, another soul for Trigon''s horde. I pity those who stand in his way. I truly pity them. Chapter 75: Chapter 75: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! . -------------- [David Lance POV] It had been two weeks since the encounter with Amazo, and my broken bones and injured body had finally healed. Leaving nothing but the memory of the battle and how thebined efforts of Rachel and I had been the key to victory. I smiled at the memory. Sure, it had been one hell of a fight, where I had taken more damage than ever before, with the stakes being higher than I would''ve liked. But. It had also been our first in the big leagues, at least together, and yet, we had worked together wlessly, using our skills and knowledge in synchrony to take down the enemy. In the end, it was our teamwork that made that victory possible. Without Rachel, I wouldn''t have been able to defeat Amazo. "Your sister wants to see you," Rachel said, opening the door of my room as she held a book in her hands. ~On my way,~ I replied, trying to peek out the title of the book. Something that Rachel quickly noted and, in turn, cheekily hid the book under her purple sweater. I smiled, deciding to find out what book she was readingter; I might just ask her; I mean, more often than not, she caves with a few answers when ites to literature. Taking a deep breath, I finished what I was doing, and I grabbed my phone before making my way out of my room toward Dinah and Oliver''s room, with Rachel on my side. I didn''t like seeing her bedridden. It was a picture that, no matter how good things were in terms of her recovery, didn''t settle all too well for me. It pained me, seeing her like that, looking so fragile. I guess at times; I just forget how fragile we humans are. Not that I belong to that group anymore, which simply made her look all the more fragile in my mind. These thoughts infuriated me because I knew that my sister was by no means fragile. But no matter how much I told myself that, that she was strong, skilled, and more. A small part of my mind would put her on a pedestal of fragility that made her no honor, a pedestal that brought with itself a semnce of guilt. A part of me wanted to believe this was my fault. The thing was, I knew this was a stupid thought. This, by no means, had been my fault; I mean, in this universe, shit just happens, and Amazo happens to enter that category. I knew my self-deprecating thoughts had no base, that they made no sense. But when does the mind ever make sense? I honestly believe in the saying that says we are our own worst enemy. "Do I need to hit you with the [I''m being stupid stick]?" Rachel asked, getting a read of my emotions. ~No, and the hell do you mean by the [I''m being stupid stick]?~ I replied, giving her an odd look, wondering if I should be concerned about that stick. "It''s something I came up with," Rachel replied, nodding proudly, almost as if puffing up like a bird at her own idea. ~I see~ Did did Rachel ever hit her teammates when they were being stupid? Is is that canon? I feel it''s not, but it kind of fits with her personality, yet at the same time it doesn''t. "This house is too big," Rachel said, changing the subject. I blinked, nodding. ~Rich people, more in Oliver''s case, love big houses. I see the attractive, but honestly, sometimes is just a chore to get stuff around like; there was one time I had to walk for ten minutes to get a water bottle because my fridge had ran out of them.~ "With your speed, you could''ve gotten the water in a matter of seconds," Rachel replied, quirking an eyebrow. I huffed, crossing my arms in indignation. ~Yes, I could''ve, but I had just woken up, and I didn''t feel like sprinting to the kitchen on the third level~ "Fair enough," Rachel nodded. ~Not everyone can open a portal with a sway of their hand,~ I added, arms still crossed. "Well, it''s not that simple, but yeah, I can do that," Rachel smiled at me cockily. I smiled, rolling my eyes at her. ~So, how has been fighting crime all alone in Star City?~ "Pretty uneventful," Rachel replied as we neared the turn that led to the hallway that led to Dinah''s room. "The only viin that has tried to do anything was someone called Catman; he wasn''t happy I made ament of him copying Catwoman." Catman? Well shit, that''s new. ~Was he hard to deal with?~ I asked. "No, we didn''t even fight. I just kind of levitated him off the ground and threw him in prison," Rachel replied. "He wasn''t happy about that either." I imagine, of all possible defeats, having someone take you out without a fight is quite humiliating in the viin world. ~He will probably hold a grudge against you. With that humiliating defeat, you might have gotten yourself a nemesis~ Rachel froze, her eyes snapping. "I would prefer if the viin that will make their whole life purpose destroying me, not to be a man with an unhealthy fixation on cats" ~You can choose your friends, but like family, you can''t choose your nemesis,~ I shrugged with a smile. "But I can choose to cripple him," Rachel muttered darkly. ~Where''s that stick you spoke of? The [I''m being stupid stick]?~ I asked, getting a soft chuckle from her. "Fair enough," Rachel sighed, a small groan escaping her lips. "I really hope that guy doesn''t make it his life purpose to defeat me" I smiled, patting her on the back. ~Cheer up; chances are that once he tries again and sees he can''t even fight you, he will give up that silly dream/grudge of his. The title of Nemesis requires both parties to stand on a simr ground, and obviously, hecks the juice for that kind of title.~ Rachel chuckled. "He doesck the juice, and the taste, like why cats of all animals?" ~Hey, cats can be scary. Besides, the cat theme usually fits better on a female, like catwoman,~ I replied with two short nods. "Are you saying that because you find Catwoman attractive?" Rachel asked, with an eat-shitting grin or the closest equivalent she could produce. Me? Find her attractive! I would nev okay I do. But I will never admit it! ~I do not,~ I replied without looking at her. "Sure, you don''t," Rachel snorted at my answer but didn''t press on. ~I don''t,~ I nodded. "Yeah," Rachel replied. ~I truly don''t,~ I nodded again. "I believe you," Rachel replied. I narrowed my eyes. She smiled. ~Fine, you win, you emotion-reading cheater,~ I sighed. ~But honestly, doesn''t the cat theme fit females better?~ "I suppose from an aesthetic point of view, it does," Rachel nodded. I nodded. "Before we reach your sister, please don''t look at her like you feel like it''s your fault," Rachel said, changing the subject. Easier said than done; that woman can see through my acts, even if I act like everything is fine. Kind of hard to hide shit from someone that saw you grow. "If she sees you feeling guilty, she will feel guilty, and that spiral just grows endlessly," Rachel sighed. ~I know,~ I nodded. It was honestly hard to control one subconscious when it came to natural reactions. It was like trying to kiss someone you found disgusting on every level without showing any disgust, it was nearly impossible, and the deeper the connection of that reaction was, the harder it was to hide it. I could hide many things; I could even fool someone to think I found them attractive if the opportunity ever required it. I had trained for it, part of Batman''s training; unfortunately, I hadn''t trained for pretending I didn''t feel like shit for seeing my loved ones hurt. The thing was, I knew that Dinah was still in pain, both physically and emotionally, for not having been able to help me during the fight. "Dinah, we are here," Rachel said as she knocked at the door. "Come in!" Dinah replied, and moments after, Rachel was opening the door. ~What bus hit ya? Did you get the number?~ I said, needless to say, the first thing that came to my mind. Fucking panic humor, I swear. Dinah snorted before breaking into a short-lived fit ofughter that came to an end because it hurt her tough. "Damn it, don''t make meugh." "That was a good one, kiddo," Oliver said with a proud grin,ing out of the bathroom, limping toward his bed. They were using separate beds because Dinah''s condition at the moment required her to have her own sleeping area. ~Hey, how''s the leg doing?~ I asked Oliver as I walked toward my sister. "Well, it''s seen better days, like what was the day before Amazo?" Oliver asked, pressing his lips together in pondering. I smiled. "Good to see you back to full," Dinah smiled, reaching for my hand with loving warmth, before suddenly pulling a stick out of nowhere, bonking me in the head. . .. . .. The I''m being stupid stick. I should''ve seen iting. "Hahaha! Yes!" Oliver cheered with a grin. "It pleased my mustache seeing that!" At this, Dinah threw the stick at Oliver, seeing as he was out of reach. "Damn it; I''ve been betrayed!" Chapter 76: Chapter 76: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! . -------------- [Dinah Lance POV] Recovery can sometimes feel like a never-ending process. For me, this was the case, and how couldn''t it feel this way when your little brother could heal most wounds exponentially faster than you or any other human being without powers. My broken bones and injured body slowly healed, or rather healed at a human rate with the best technology avable; I honestly couldn''tin. With each day that passed, I felt a little bit stronger, a bit better. But even though my physical injuries had healed, I was still left with the bitter memory of what had happened, or rather what hadn''t happened. I had left my baby brother to fight that thing alone. Once again, he had to face another challenge without me to help him. I knew it was silly to think this, but even though I was aware of how foolish I was being, my mind couldn''t help but wonder in the world of what ifs. What if I had been there? What if Amazo hadn''t knocked me out cold? Had I been there, could I have prevented my brother''s wounds? These thoughts were exhausting because I knew the entire situation had gotten out of my hands, out of Oliver''s hands, and David had simply taken control of the ship, saving me, Oliver, and the city when we couldn''t. But as Oliver said, don''t focus on the dark shadows of a fully lighted room. As much as the situation had gotten out of control, David had managed toe on top. I needed to see the bright side of the events in order to finally put the whole ordeal behind me. He had won, Rachel and him had defeated the impossible, broken bones or not, and they both had survived, that''s all that mattered, and that''s all I should be focusing on. I guess doubt and self-inflicted guilt runs in the family deeper than I thought, which is why I had to show my baby brother we couldn''t let these faults eat us. "You have that look that says, I will be a sessful kick-ass woman today," Oliver said as he limped toward his bed. I chuckled, tilting my head to the side. "Don''t I always have that look?" Oliver pressed his mouth into a tiny dot as he blinked rapidly. "Ehmm I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it may incriminate me down the line." I rolled my eyes; I was about to marry such a dork. And I wouldn''t have it any other way. -------------------- [David Lance POV] It had been a little over a week since I had recovered from the aftermath of my fight with Amazo. When Batman contacted me, asking to meet and discuss the battle, I agreed. Taking a Zeta tube, I met Batman at the designated location, and it became quickly apparent that he had done his homework, even having on disy on his screen the strategy I had used to defeat him. ~Hi,~ I waved, taking a seat. "ck Bolt, I''m d you came," Batman said, turning his attention toward me. ~Well, you called me,~ I replied. "I did," Batman nodded. "I wanted to see if I had everything that happened in the battle in an urate manner." ~Ask away?~ I nodded. Lesson 6 of Batman''s method, always triple check all data at least ten times. "Very well," Batman replied, taking a seat in front of me. For the next following minutes, Batman asked me a series of questions, and answered each one honestly and directly, giving him all the information he wanted. When the questions were done, we talked, exchanging information and ideas as to how we thought Amazo operated and united we came away with a greater understanding of Amazo. "Thanks for your assistance," Batman said, our talking to an end. ~It''s nothing; had you not called me, I would''vee here to talk about Amazo anyway,~ I replied with a sigh. ~I still think the idea of keeping the android will bite us in the back sooner orter.~ "I know," Batman replied. "I fully understand your concerns, and the truth is, you are right. Chances are Amazo will be used against us again, sooner orter" In short, meaning that he wanted to study the thing for as long as possible before that happened. ~I know what your goals are with Amazo, but you are ying a risky game there,~ I sighed, running my hands down my hair. "I know. But, Amazo is a threat that we weren''t prepared to deal with, as Amazo itself wasn''t prepared to deal with you, had we engaged with the android, we would''ve had a much more difficult time than you had." I had my theories about why Amazo hadn''t made quick work of me, my theory being because I was a total unknown, and so was Raven, for that matter, meaning that Amazo''s programming only had countermeasures against the core members of the League. Based on the strength of the Android, whoever had programmed it, had simply deemed any other possible encounters as inconsequential for Amazo, deeming the machine''s ability to copy powers, as well as the ability it already had in store to be more than enough to deal with any extras. ~Fair enough,~ I sighed. "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. The next, when a threat like Amazoes around, the League will be ready," Batman replied, his tone carrying total confidence about what he was saying. ~I will hold you up to that,~ I replied as I stood from my chair. ~Now, if you excuse me, I have things to do, so I''ll take my leave.~ "Wait," Batman said, his bodynguage changing for the briefest of moments before heposed himself, showing during this brief break of character an emotion one only sees in a father concerned for his child. Seeing Batman didn''t see me as a son, I had my answer as to why his bodynguage had changed. Whatever he was about to say, or ask, was about Richard Grayson. ~You know he''s the one that ghosted me, right?~ I asked, going straight to the point. Batman said nothing, and I had to admit, it felt good leaving the Dark Knight speechless for once, using his own weapon of choice, deduction. "I am aware, but you two need to talk." I raised an eyebrow at that. ~About what, it''s clear he doesn''t want to talk to me, and I won''t force him.~ "About what happened during the Joker incident," Batman replied after a moment of silence. About the Joker incident It''s been a while since I had a talk about that. Now, what exactly do I have to talk with Richard that Batman feels we need to talk about? I had long ago concluded Richard med himself for what happened that day, so did Batman want me to tell Richard not to me himself for what happened? No. That didn''t fit Batman''s way of thinking. If it was such a simple thing as dealing with unwarranted guilt, he wouldn''t have asked me to talk with Richard just now. No, this was about something else. But what? Unless The guilt Richard was feeling wasn''t one without merit. I froze in shock, giving Batman a look, seeing his back, quickly connecting the dots, finally getting the entire picture of what had happened and why Robin had ghosted me. Batman had never sent us to that facility. It was all Robin''s doing. Chapter 77: Chapter 77: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I had some problems yesterday. I apologize for not posting. -------------- [David Lance POV] I red at Batman, my mind still trying to process what I had discovered, that Robin had manipted me, used me, and almost gotten me killed. I had trusted him, and he had betrayed me. I felt anger bubbling up inside of me, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes out of frustration. But I refused to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing me cry, so I raised my chin and stared at him defiantly. ~It was all his fault,~ I signed coldly. ~He manipted me, and I almost died because of it. I trusted him, and he betrayed me, am I right?~ Batman just looked at me, his expression unreadable. ~Well?~ I asked once again. However, before Batman could answer, a door opened, and Robin walked into the cave. I looked at him, knowing now he had been listening, and asked the same question, this time directed at him. Without meeting my gaze, Robin nodded, his eyes nailed to the ground as a soft, almost scared yes escaped his lips. I couldn''t believe it. I I was furious. I had almost died because he had decided to act like a spoiled child! I wanted to confront him then and there, but the moment Iid eyes on him again, something clicked inside my head. A child He was a child. I had trusted a child No matter how mature he wanted to be or was, he was a child, and I had put my life in the hands of a kid; I had forgotten he was nothing but a child, fighting crime. It all made sense now. What had happened was nothing but my own fault, really. He wasn''t out of sin, but still, I shouldn''t have trusted him, not with something so important. He was just a kid, and in some part of my head, that fact got lost, and I had trusted him almost blindly, and now I could see how wrong that had been. This was my second life. I should have known better than to trust a kid with something so important; I should have contacted Batman right away. If I had just been more careful, more cautious, that terrible night never would have happened. "I I''m sorry, I know I made a mistake, I know I" Robin began, his voice breaking every now and then with high-pitched tones. I looked at him across the room and I could tell that he was trying to look tough. His arms were trying to stay firm to avoid shaking as he tried to look at me without averting his eyes. He was trying to look tough, but no matter how much he tried, there was something in his posture that betrayed his insecurity. At that moment, I didn''t see the one I wanted to be angry at; no, at that moment, I saw a scared child, scared of the consequences of his actions. I took a deep breath, collecting my thoughts for a moment as I tried to reign in my anger. The memories of that daying to my mind as my anger tried to bubble up, threatening to spill over, but using Rachel''s techniques, I forced that rage back down. ~What you did, was very very stupid,~ I replied slowly, making sure each sign was punctuated. ~You betrayed my trust almost had me killed, and instead of facing what you did the moment you did it, you avoided this conversation for more than a year~ "I" Robin began, but I cut him off with a look that could challenge any of Batman''s any day. ~I''m angry, very angry,~ I sighed, crushing the phone I had forgotten I had on my hand. ~I want to punch you I want to kick all of your teeth out~ At this, Batman tensed, ready to jump in Robin''s defense should this conversatione to blows. I inwardly smiled at that. Batman did have a heart, after all, one deep under that dark suit of his, a heart that loved his adoptive son, shit and all. How poetic. ~But I won''t, because you are not to me, at least not entirely,~ I continued, dropping the broken phone on the floor. ~I''m also to me for trusting a child. I shouldn''t have trusted you, not with something like that. Because, down the line, it doesn''t matter how skilled you are, how smart you are, how mature you seem to be, or how much trauma you have lived through. You are a kid.~ Robin said nothing, each word seeming to hit him like a truck. It almost seemed like he wasn''t breathing, with how still he was standing. ~Be that as it may, this doesn''t wash your hands from what you did, after all. Ignorance and immaturity does not equate to innocence,~ I continued, taking a deep breath. ~So, if you ask me to forgive you, I can''t. How can one forgive another for a mistake they themselves made? I can''t. Just as I can''t forgive your entitled behavior, after all, adults don''t forgive kids; they tolerate them and try to change their faults if they are responsible for them.~ "You''re angry at me," Robin muttered, finishing his mutter in something close to a shout. "Be angry at me; I deserved it, I fucked up, I deserve your anger!" ~I''m angry, but right now? Mostly at myself,~ I replied, giving Batman a look. ~What kind of adult would hold a grudge against a child? Robin, a kid, is not med if the kitchen burns down. He might be punished, sure, but not med; the one who is to me is the adult that should have known better~ I sighed, waving at Batman, before walking toward the exit that was behind Robin, barely sparing a nce at him as I did, leaving both Batman and his sidekick alone to deal with what had happened. I left the building feeling morose, exhausted, angry, and in the need of a new phone. I might get the new phone that just came out. If I was to buy a phone, it was best if I made asting choice. After that, maybe I can talk with Rachel about this. Chapter 78: Chapter 78: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I ran through the streets of Star City, chasing Cupid, one of many viins that hated Green Arrow, though this one seemed to have a crush on him more than hate him. "You won''t catch me, brat," Cupid spat, shooting two arrows at me. I sighed, swatting the arrows off the air before hurling them back at Cupid before she could react, lodging her own arrows two inches away from her face. Cupid blinked, slowly turning her head around to see the arrows lodged on the wall behind her, before dropping her bow and quiver. "Ah, well, that''s a good point. In that case, I surrender, and I would like to be taken to the authorities, please." I smiled. Walking toward her, as she got on the ground, hands on her back, ready to be handcuffed. "I must deeply apologize for my earlier behavior. It was unbing of me," Cupid said as I cuffed her. I always enjoyed a viin understanding how outssed they were. Sometimes, all it took was a show of strength to push their buttons into that state, something that said, I will not hurt you, but I can. --------------------------- A few minutester, I walked out of the building where I had cornered Cupid, carrying her on my shoulders like a sack of potatoes, evil potatoes, to be delivered to the police that was waiting outside. "ck Bolt, great job!" A police officer said as he saw me walk toward them. I gave him a small nod, grabbing Cupid off my shoulder before setting her on the ground. "I would like it to be on the record that I surrendered willingly," Cupid said like a child wanting to be praised. The police officers at this gave me a look as if asking, is that true? I shrugged, giving them a gesture that said, kind of. "Right, well Thank you for your cooperation, ma''am We will take that into ount when we make the report on your various and multiple crimes." "That would be lovely, thanks," Cupid smiled as one of the officers put her in the back of one of the police cars around. "It was a pleasure meeting you, ck Bolt; let''s never do this again!" At this, one of the police officers approached me, giving Cupid a look before asking. "What did you do?" I smiled, happy to give him a demonstration. Grabbing one of Cupid''s arrows from her quiver before hurling the arrow at a wall, lodging the entire thing down to the base in the concrete. "Hm," The police officer said nothing, his mouth forming a thin line. "Well, shit, that makes sense; I would''ve surrendered as well." "Right?!" Cupid asked from the back of the car. "Absolutely, that''s fucking scary," The police officer in question replied. ------------------------- Soon after making sure Cupid had arrived at the police station without any interruptions along the way, and had been processed without any escape attempts as well. I returned to my duties, continuing with my patrol of the city. Until an explosion went off in the distance. Unsure as to what I would be facing in that direction, I decided to contact Raven with a text, giving her my location and destination before I flew into action, racing towards the scene as fast as I could. Upon arriving, I found myself face to face with a student residential building burning, the fire spreading rapidly as the residents ran out of the ce in a panic. Frowning, I looked at the building up and down for a few moments, before urately locating the origin of the fire, taking the spread as a map to guide me. Having found the origin of the fire, I hurled a few extinguisher bombs at the building, extinguishing the fire before it could fully spread, before jumping in into the apartment from where the fire had originated. Once inside, I scanned the room, trying to find the cause of the fire, with my search eventually leading to the kitchen and what could''ve been chicken at one point. I frowned. Something here didn''t add up. The kitchen was electric, but the pattern of the fire that had started around the kitchen didn''t indicate or follow an electric-started fire. From what I could see around the room with a quick nce, the pattern of the fire indicated that the fire had started from an explosive device of a small caliber. I could see that the st had been directed upwards towards the ceiling from the middle of the kitchen, around two feet away from the oven, burning the area around almost evenly. Insurance fraud, perhaps? No that was too much trouble for a one-bedroom apartment in a student housing area that probably six students share. Finding the explosive alone was too much out of anyone''s budget here. Students live on ramen and hopes, basically. There''s no way most of them have the cash to buy an explosive. Perhaps it was the owner of the building then? Maybe. But it still didn''t make any sense. The explosion had been too loud, from what little damage it had done inparison. It was almost as if all of this was a trap, one made to lure someone in or away from somewhere, and I bet that someone was me or another hero. As I came to this realization, I felt something wrap around my ankles in a single motion, yanking me off my feet before I could even react, before pulling me towards one of the burnt walls of the room, engulfing my body in multiple vines that tightened around my chest. A moment after, I saw Poison Ivy step out from the shadows, an evil grin on her face. "I''ll be honest. I wasn''t sure you woulde." I frowned. What was Poison Ivy doing in Star City, of all ces? As Poison Ivy walked toward me, very slowly. I thought for a moment about what possible reason could a viin like her have to be in my city, with my minding to a nk no matter the angle I gave the situation. Seeing I had nothing, I decided to take a different approach in order to learn about her motives by simply letting things y out for a bit before escaping. Based on what I could feel from the vines keeping me in ces, I was more than strong enough to break through them at any given moment, something that Poison didn''t seem to be aware of. "We need to talk," Poison Ivy began. I raised an eyebrow. Really poor choice of words there. Reading my look, she chuckled. "By that, I meant, I have to talk, and you have to listen. I prefer being my bodyplete and not sttered against the wall, so keep being the silent type." Wait She was aware of my powers and was still talking to me face to face, in the direct range of all of my attacks. I mean, I know we heroes have a no-kill policy, but this is ying darts with God. "Now, you see, I need something from you," Poison Ivy continued, taking a seat on a few of her vines. I wonder if this is when she uses her pheromones to try and control me, pheromones Batman confirmed I was immune to. If that''s the case, I won''t be able to find any information about her reasons for being here because she will notice right away that I''m not under her control. Then again, she might not even use her pheromones if her bodynguage was anything to go by. From what I could see, she was nervous about something, and that state of mind didn''t match with her profile or normal state of being when using her spores. Based on the League''s file of her, she would adopt a seductive approach before using her spores, and this was a stark contrast from her data. Meaning there was still a chance to find out what reason she had to be here. "Well, there''s no easy way of saying this, but I want you to go out on a date with Harley," Ivy said with a sigh. ... ... Ok I am done collecting information. She''s obviously fucking with me. Seeing there was no point in pretending anymore, I broke free of my restraints with a quick motion of my body, shattering the vines that once bound me to ce, as well as dodging Ivy''s attempt to recapture me as I repositioned. "I know it sounds weird but I''m not fucking with you, kid," Poison Ivy said as multiple vines erupted from the ground around her, the tips of the vines aiming at me. "I''m done hearing her talk about you; honestly, I love her, crazy and all, but FUCKKK. So you either go on a date with her, or you kill me. And believe me, at this point, I wee both options with open arms." I Wh. H-how do I even respond to that? I had viinse and try to kill me but never had one to try and ask me out I''m honestly confused as fuck, is going on a date a viin term I had yet to learn about? Did going on a date in the hero/viin world meant something else? Is this how Batman started with Catwoman? I I have so many questions Chapter 79: Chapter 79: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I stared into Ivy''s eyes, her multiple vines slowly moving forward, twitchingly trying to reach me, as I tried to make sense of her words in confusion. All my life, I had trained to expect the unexpected, but this entire situation was so out of the park that it had simply caught me off guard. "Kid, this is happening, one way or another," Ivy said with a tone of finality, her eyes narrowing in a small re as her vines shot forward like bullets trying to pierce me. Jumping over her vines, I took the fight to Ivy, throwing a hard punch at Ivy''s stomach before she could counter, putting some weight into it. The blow caught Ivy by surprise, knocking her a few inches into the air as I followed with a spinning kick to her torso, mming her against the wall that cracked upon impact. From the ground, Ivy growled, giving me a re before swinging her arm at me even though I was clearly out of her range. Knowing what was about to happen, I jumped back, dodging the several vines that soon enough protruded from the ce at sound-breaking speeds. The vines stood still for a moment as Ivy got back on her feet, ring daggers at me. "That wasn''t nice" I paid her words no heed, instead focusing on her nts and the environment for a brief moment before taking a step forward, hurling a few explosive knives at her aiming at her face, knowing that she would instinctively protect herself using her nts, blocking her field of view in the process. "Fuck," Ivy cursed, blocking the explosive knives just as I had predicted, allowing me to close the distance between us the moment she had lost sight of me. In front of her, I pped her throat softly, forcing her into a choking frenzy of cough before following up with a rapid-fire series of blows to immobilize her. Hitting her in the nose, the jaw, behind the ear, the sr plexus, and her kidney area in quick session. Ivy froze for the briefest of moments before her body dropped to the ground with a loud thud, with her nts following suit soon after. I sighed. It had been good she had underestimated. Otherwise, this fight would''ve been a bit moreplicated. Taking a deep breath, I gave Ivy a nce before deciding to cuff her to take her to authorities, when all of the sudden, a knife flew out of the shadows of the apartment toward my face. Seeing this, my hand shot forward instinctively, grabbing the knife before it could reach me, as the unknown attacker came at me from the shadows of the room with a raised fist. Constantine Drakon. Frowning in confusion as to why he was here in the first ce, I moved forward, ducking under his attack, before jabbing the knife he had thrown into his leg. "Kid, all I need is Iv" Drakon started without even looking at me as he took the knife out of his leg. However, before he could continue speaking, I interrupted him by delivering a hard kick into his sr plexus. Losing his bnce, he fell to the ground, gasping for air. Seeing he was wide open and on the ground gasping for air, I took a step forward, kicking him on the chin with enough force to knock him out cold. With Drakon out for the count, his bodyying a few feet away from Ivy''s, I started to try and think of a logical reason for him to be here. Last time I checked, he was still in jail and hadn''t escaped. He obviously had escaped at some point since Ist checked, but why had hee here of all ces after doing so? And for what did he need Poison Ivy, for that matter? However, my train of thought came to an abrupt end when I suddenly heard the sound of a gunshot. Without a thought, I jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the bullet that left a sizable hole where I once stood. Based on the sound of the bullet alone and the hole it had left, whoever had shot at me, had guns of a caliber capable of hurting me. That wasn''t a coincidence. Before I could give that revtion another thought, another shot rang out, and then another, as I continued to dodge, ducking and weaving as the bullets flew past me. Until finally, the shooting stopped, and I cautiously straightened up, feeling the warm pull of Raven trying to make a telepathic link between us. `What''s the situation?` Raven asked as I let her make the connection. `Ivy asked me out on a date, but not for her, for Harley; I knocked her out, then an assassin tried to take me out, I knocked him out, and now, there''s a sniper shooting at me from somewhere,` I replied, summarizing what had happened so far to the best of my abilities. `I will scry the area to see what I can find,` Raven replied soon after. `Don''t make your presence known, and be ready to make a portal for me and the two I knocked out, I have a bad feeling about this,` I replied, giving Ivy a look. If Drakon needed Ivy for something, and the sniper was on his side, then my mission was to keep Ivy out of their hands, even if I didn''t know for what they needed her for. `There are two people going your way,` Raven informed me. Moments after Raven''s warning, I heard footsteps outside the apartment that came to a halt in front of the burnt door, weing a brief moment of silence before someone kicked the door open. "Wee in peace," Said the one who had knocked on the door,ing into the apartment, hands raised high into the air, as the second person that hade with him stayed out of the room. Peace? After shooting at me a few dozen times with a tank busting bullets? Well, that''s a funny way to promote peace. "ck Bolt, is it?" The man said with an easygoing smile. His entire bodynguage was screaming confidence, a fact that a few moments ago, I would''ve considered stupidity of some kind, as that confidence had led Drakon and Ivy to be defeated in less than a minute each. However, in the case of this man He was obviously aware of my feats today, including the fact I had dodged multiple bullets, yet he waspletely calm. Yet, he looked at me like I didn''t pose any threat to him at all. That confidence, sided with the fact I had never seen him before in my life, nor in person nor inics, put me on an edge, as I had nothing on him to prepare ordingly, no guideline to take in order to defeat him. "Not much of a talker, are you?" The man chuckled, taking a step forward. "Very well then, allow me to introduce myself, my name is ddin, and I''m here for the greendy you have there." He finished, pointing at Ivy. I shook my head. `That man his body is covered in magic,` Raven said, sounding unsure about something. `Be ready to make the portals,` I replied, saving my questions forter. "Look, ck Bolt, I know we started on a bad note," ddin sighed, scratching the back of his head. "But believe me, I told the boss not to shoot at you or send Drakon at you for that matter; I told her that words can sometimes do more than swords or bullets, but she didn''t listen. As usual, but now, here I am, talking, telling you that all your problems right now will go away if you give us Ivy." -No,- I shook my head, pressing one of my voice line buttons to convey the message as I walked toward Ivy, putting myself right in between him and his target. "Do I have to?" ddin sighed. "Waller, he''s just a kid Ok, ok, no need to scream, I''ll do" Waller Amanda fucking Waller Now it makes sense. `Raven portal, now, outside the window,` I told Raven through our link, giving her introductions before grabbing Ivy and jumping out of the window into a portal that was opening outside, my eyes locking with ddin''s, who was simply smiling from the eyes as if content with my choice. Chapter 80: Chapter 80: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I stepped out of the portal with Ivy in my arms as it closed. Amanda Waller being involved made this entire situation moreplicated than I would''ve liked it to be. Amanda Waller, by all means, was a monster, a heartless being indifferent to the suffering of others, one willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. In all of her iterations, she has always been depicted as maniptive and treacherous, having no limits when ites to her methods, always being willing to sacrifice anything and everything for the "greater good," even if that meant turning a blind eye to the suffering of others. I''ve seen her cause pain and destruction in repulsive amounts, and I''ve seen her walk away from it without a second thought, showing no remorse for her actions, even when they''ve led to the death of innocent people. No matter what version of her this Amanda Waller was one thing was clear, she was a monster, like all the others before her. "Are you okay?" Raven asked, giving me a concerned look. I nodded, putting Ivy on the ground. As things were, taking Ivy to jail would only lead her to Waller, and destiny I wanted to avoid. As much as Ivy was a viin, Waller was arguably way, way worse, even if her intentions were supposedly the greater good. Waller was the perfect example of a viin working under the safety of unrestricted legal power. In her position, thews of the world were nothing more than a set of optional guidelines that had no hold over her, and that was what made her dangerous. She had no lines, and in her eyes, she was the one to make those lines for others not to cross. Letting Ivy fall in her hands was a destiny far worse than death. It was one that ended in very, suffering, and eventually death. ~Wake her up,~ I signed. Raven nodded, enveloping Ivy in her magic, snapping her back to the world of the living. "What" Ivy muttered groggily as she slowly opened her eyes, taking in her environment. "You!" "Don''t," Raven said, her magic taking hold of Ivy again. "We just saved you, don''t make me regret it." "Save me from what?" Ivy asked after a moment of silence, sounding genuinely confused. ~Do you know signnguage?~ I asked, signing. "I do; Harley made me learn it, for well, you know," Ivy replied with a short nod. ~Very well, I will exin what''s going on. If you have any questions or can''t understand me very well, ask Raven,~ I nodded, pointing at Raven. "There won''t be any need," Ivy replied, crossing her arms. ~You are being targeted by someone known as Amanda Waller; she works for the government and has clearance to things you wouldn''t want to know. I know little, but from what I know, I know she likes collecting viins, people society wouldn''t miss~ I started, making sure to sign each word carefully. Ivy frowned. "And she wanted to collect me?" I nodded. ~However, she doesn''t collect for the sake of collection, unfortunately. She collects for the sake of envement, so to speak, making sure her new viins have no way but to obey hermands or die~ Raven, at this, gave me a look that bode questions after we dealt with Ivy. "And, you saved me from her," Ivy said, her tone indicating she wasn''t even the slightest scared. ~Ivy, I know you are strong, and your powers are quite the force to be reckoned with, but Waller is no hero; she doesn''t care if her people die or who dies for that matter, as long as she gets what she wants. If she has her sights on you, she will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing, to get you. If you think there are lines no one would cross, think again because Waller would, without a second thought~ I replied, trying to emphasize her situation as much as possible. ~And the worst part is that she can do all of that and more without any type of repercussion, she would blow up a newborn baby fresh out of the womb, mother and all, just to knock you out.~ "That''s a very descriptive example," Ivy replied, and I could see in her eyes she was starting to understand her situation. ~There''s nothing she wouldn''t do in order to get what she wants,~ I replied, taking a deep breath. ~The reason you are not in a jail cell right now is that I know the moment I put you up in the system, you will fall into Waller''s hands~ "If your mission was to scare me, it''s working," Ivy replied. ~Good so here''s the deal, you wille with me to a safe house, one monitored by the League, where you will stay until I find a way to stop Waller,~ I said, taking a deep breath as the image of Harley entered my head and her recurrent appearances in the suicide squad. ~You will bring Harley as well; chances are Waller is also interested in her, so it''s best to keep her hands out of you two.~ "You are offering me a prison, but with a different warden," Ivy replied with a growl. ~I''m offering you nothing,~ I replied, giving her a cold re. ~I''m telling you what will happen, whether you like this arrangement or not, is inconsequential. My mission is not to please you, is to save your life and stop Waller, am I clear?~ Ivy took a step back. "It''s like staring into the mute version of Batman holy fuck is spooky" ~Now, where''s Harley? So that we can start this,~ I asked, taking a step forward. ~Raven here is a telepath, so please don''t make me ask her to get Harley''s location~ "What will happen to us once you take care of Waller?" Ivy asked. "You will have to wait and see," Raven replied, taking the words out of my hands. Chapter 81: Chapter 81: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! Marvel: Gamer Path wille back soon, very soon, im working on my stock of chaps. -------------- [David Lance POV] After contacting Batman about Ivy''s situation with Waller anding to an agreement with him about using one of the League''s safe houses for her stay momentarily, I moved to retrieve Harley from where she was hiding at the location Ivy had given me. ording to Ivy and the information she had given me, the two of them had been staying in an abandoned warehouse in Gotham near downtown. Using one of the Zeta tubes at Star City, I reached Gotham City within seconds, walking from there to the warehouse, reaching the ce in a few minutes. Upon arriving, I realized one thing, and that was the fact I had been in this ce before. The warehouse, the ce Harley and Ivy had been using to hide until now, was no other than the one where I had faced Deathstroke all that time ago. The mere sight of the ce brought a bitter taste to my mouth. Taking a deep breath, I pushed through my conflicted emotions, entering the warehouse. As I walked inside the ce looking for Harley with my footsteps echoing in the silence, I noticed right away that the windows were boarded up and that most of the doors were locked, changes that appeared to be quite recentpared to most things in the environment. Taking note of those changes, I walked deeper into the warehouse, feeling as if someone was watching me from somewhere, but as discreetly as I tried to find the culprit at every turn of my body, I couldn''t see anyone. This was either good news or bad news for me, a fact I would discover sooner orter. Because while I knew I was being watched by someone skillful enough to hide from me, I didn''t know who or what was watching, and sadly the options didn''t end with Harley herself. ''One would think that finding a clown in a warehouse is easy, but shit, I am wrong,'' I thought with a shake of my head when all of the sudden I felt a cold chill run down my spine, and it wasn''t one out of fear. ''The fuck was that?'' Before I could ponder deeper into that line of thought, I heard something behind me that made me turn around, only to find a red balloon floating a few feet away from me. .. Was Was Harley, IT clowning me? I really hope is that, and not that IT is real. I am not mentally prepared today to deal with a demonic clown; that''s more Raven''s alley. I could always text her if IT happens to be real; she would enjoy ying with a demonic clown Hm. Now I kind of want for IT to be real. I draw the line at Freddy Krueger, though; that''s one demon I don''t want to fight; I need my three to four hours of sleep to function as a hero. Then again Freddy Krueger might not even be a threat to me, my mind is quite hard to break in, and that''s his whole shtick, but Demons use magic, so maybe he can enter my mind. Taking a deep breath, I shook my head as I turned around, snapping out of my stupid thoughts, only to find Harley a few inches away from me. I blinked, finding myself momentarily frozen at the sudden encounter, feeling unsure of what to do now that I had found her. After all, this was the first time we had ever seen one another since I beat her half to death. As for Harley, she simply stared at me with her wide, crazed eyes and a happy grin stered on her face. Getting back to focus, I waved at her, taking a pre-written note for her to read that had all the information she needed to know before moving forward. However, before I could give her said note, she leaned in and kissed me over the mask, breaking the kiss with a triumphant giggle. "Our first kiss, and it was under the moonlight, isn''t that romantic," Harley said, still grinning. I took a step back, handing her the note, as my mind tried to make sense of all this, as this whole situation was so surreal. I mean, Harley Quinn had just fucking kissed me. Oh fuck I can''t let Oliver find this out, or I will never hear the end of it. What the fuck is wrong with me? a crazy murderer just kissed me, and the only thing that worries me is Oliver finding out?! "So Ivy was with ya," Harley hummed at the paper. "Who the fuck is Waller? Wait, no, this is my chance to be a damsel in distress! Wait I mean, save me, ck Bolt, carry me out of this ce with your handsome muscles!" ~I''m a teen!~ I signed before a frown came to my face; I mean, was I really sixteen? This was my second life, after all, meaning I could be older than her. ... Why am I even humoring these thoughts? Harley has killed more people than most high schoolers can even count, which, granted, is not that big of a number as most high schoolers are basically illiterates, but still. No matter how hot she was, I had to remember she was a psychopath. Maybe I needed to check my hormone levels; I mean, I have no idea if Human puberty and Inhuman puberty work the same; for all I know, I might need help to avoid bing a sex-crazed teen. "Psf, you won''t be a teen forever. Besides, let''s be honest, this wouldn''t be the worst thing I have done," Harley shrugged. ~Don''t say a word, and let''s move; Ivy is waiting for you,~ I replied, keeping the reply to the point at hand. "Ohh, so you like being in control, ok, ok, Harley can y, Harley can be a good girl," Harley replied, adding an unnecessary amount of sexual tone to each word. I should''ve sent Raven for her; why did Ie here alone? Chapter 82: Chapter 82: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! Marvel: Gamer Path wille back soon, very soon, im working on my stock of chaps. -------------- [David Lance POV] Using one of Batman''s jets in order not to reveal any of the zeta tubes'' locations for obvious reasons, I took Harley to the League''s safe house Batman had habilitated for this, trying my absolute best to tune off Harley''s overly sexual advances on me, a fact that worryingly only seemed to make her more interested in me. I honestly had no idea why she had the hots for me,st time we saw each other, I beat her half to death, and there was no romantic underlining in that unless you are into pain, which is a can of worms I rather not open right now. Thankfully, however, the ride to the safe house was rather short, and we arrived at the ce within a few minutes or so, meaning that soon I would take a much-needed break from Harley and her antics. The safe house in question was under a cave in a desert close to Metropolis, having a dark and eerily quiet atmosphere to it, being a ce with no discernible signs of life, movements, or sounds, making it the best ce to disappear for a while if need be. "Hmm, don''t you think a desert is kind of a weird ce to lose your V-card?" Harley asked index finger pressed upon her lips as she tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. Taking a deep breath, I jumped out of the jet gesturing for her to follow me, as I made my way to the entrance of the safe house, ready to drop this annoyingly horny package once and for all. Harley smiled, giving me a nod, as she jumped out of the jet,nding on the ground in a perfect split, before pushing herself up with nothing but her legs. I sighed, giving her no reaction as I continued walking. "So, where''s Ivy?" Harley asked, skipping behind as she looked around like a curious child. ~Inside,~ I replied, pointing at the cave. Upon entering the safe house, I found Batman reading over some documents as Raven meditated in the back of the room, with Raven being the only one to acknowledge my arrival with a look. For a moment, Raven stared at me and then at Harley before a smile broke on her face, probably connecting the dots of my annoyed state to Harley''s horny one. Trying my best to ignore the eat-shitting grin Raven had on her face or the closest equivalent she could offer, I moved toward Batman, telling Harley to wait for a moment as I sat down close to Batman, regarding him for a moment. "Good job retrieving Harley," Batman said as he looked up from the documents he was reading, and immediately I could tell that something was bothering him. Deciding to ask him what was bothering himter, when Harley wasn''t around, I stood up from the chair, giving him a small nod as I beckoned for Harley to follow me to the second level of the safe house, where Ivy was currently at. -------------------------------------- I walked with Harley to the second level of the safe house, her happy humming, and suggestivements every now and then grating on my nerves like nails of a board, to the point I was fantasizing about stuffing one of her colorful handkerchiefs into her mouth to shut her up, but knowing her, she was probably into that. So, seeing that and that violence was not the answer, as violence had gotten me into this, I controlled myself, turning my entire focus inward, letting my mind nk as we walked. A technique I had developed with the help of Raven in order to mediate, allowing, in this case, to tune Harley out without feeding the headache I could clearly feel that wasing. Eventually, after a long minute, we reached the second level, where Ivy was waiting, reading a book on a two-seat sofa, wearing a power-dampening cor around her neck in order to avoid any incidents. "Wee to jail, but under another jurisdiction," Ivy said, waving at Harley without looking away from her book. "Bahhh, it could be worse; I mean, this ce looks a lot nicer than Arkham," Harley replied as she cartwheeled toward Ivy, stopping in front of the green annoyed girl, in a cross-legged position, humming with excitement. "You only say that because you have the hots for our underaged warden," Ivy replied, putting her book down to give Harley a mild re. "Maybeeee, but still, aren''t they keeping us safe from Walnut?" Harley replied with a smile, giving Ivy a bright look. Ivy sighed, rubbing her temples. "First of all, is Waller, and I guess, though, I would feel safer if I could use my powers to, you know, defend myself against the threat" At this, she red at me. I raised an eyebrow at her re. Protecting her didn''t equate to trust of any kind; in fact, thest thing we needed was her stabbing us in the back. Besides, as soon as the Waller problem was taken care of, they would move out of the safe house back to Arkham. "Don''t worry, Ivy, my BF will protect us, and I guess Batman and the goth girl upstairs will help as well," Harley replied, winking at me. ~Not your boyfriend,~ I replied. "Is all a matter of time," Harley replied, batting her eyes at me.. I sighed, rubbing my temples. ~Enough, we have things to do, so let''s get you ready. You need to be cored up, you might have no powers, but for your stay here to be a weed one, we need to ensure you can''t act up.~ "Kinky," Harley smiled before jumping to her feet. ~Now, wait a moment while I ask for Raven toe to conduct your body check-up to ensure you have no weapons in you,~ I continued, ignoring herment as I opened my phone and turned around to text Raven, asking her toe to verify Harley had no weapons in her. [Are you sure she doesn''t want you to conduct the check-up?] Was Raven''s reply to my text. [Rae I had a long day with Harley today, so please, juste and stop enjoying my suffering. I honestly miss the days when you were less well, this] [Fine...] [Thanks] Taking a deep breath, I turned back to Harley only to find her already naked, posing in a rather suggestive manner. "I''m ready, and don''t worry, you can check everywhere, and I mean, everywhere." she finished biting her lips. I froze at the unexpected sight that, in hindsight, I should''ve expected, faintly hearing the sound of one of Raven''s portals opening behind me, with Raven stepping through. "And I thought my skin was white," Ravenmented, my head snapping toward her. Time to pretend nothing happened. ~Thanks foring, now; please conduct Harley''s body check-up for weapons, and be sure to check everywhere twice at least. We need to ensure she doesn''t have any hidden surprises in her person at all~ I signed, looking Raven in the eyes with a calm and collected expression. "Very well," Raven nodded before enveloping Harley in her magic to start with the process. "Wait, I want him to check me, not you!" Harleyined, puffing her cheeks in annoyance as Raven levitated her away. "He was supposed to f@#* after being unable to resist my feminine charms." "In front of me?" Ivy asked, giving Harley a look. "Please, you have seen me do weirder shit before," Harley replied, rolling her eyes at her. "I Hm, fair enough," Ivy replied before going back to her book. As for me, I left the room in haste, hoping that my blood flow hadn''t been altered by thetest events and, if it had, at the very least, for no one to have noticed. Chapter 83: Chapter 83: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After taking a few minutes to collect myself, I walked back to the first level of the safe house to talk with Batman about what he had found about Waller and if that was rted to whatever was troubling him. The moment I entered the room, I saw Batman hunched over aputer, a frown clear on his face. "I''ve been through every possible file and database, and there''s no mention of her anywhere, not anymore. The clearance to do that is worryingly high." He said as I walked toward him. ~So, what does that mean?~ I asked, taking a seat close to him. Batman turned to me, his eyes clear and steady. "It means we have a problem. My information of Waller is scarce, having nothing but copies of old files about her, files that now seem to have been deleted from every database save for mine." I frowned, thinking about what he said before replying. ~It makes sense. After all, the higher you are in the chain, the more power you have to do these things, and considering what Waller is doing, she needs all the privacy she can get.~ He nodded, his face clear of emotion. "I am aware." I sighed, leaning back in my chair. ~We have her goal and motivation clear, so how do we move from here?~ Batman looked at me; his eyes narrowed in thought. "We need to make sure she''s aware that we know about her n or the general outline of it." ~To get a reaction out of her, in turn, altering her moves from now on,~ I replied, quickly catching on with Batman''s n. Batman nodded, his face set in a grim line. "More or less." ~What about Harley and Ivy?~ I asked. "They will remain here for the time being," Batman replied without missing a beat, his tone even and controlled. "The safehouse is packed with food, water, and other resources that only need to be refilled once every six months. The cors on their necks will ensure they remain within the second level or below, as well as giving us their location should we need it and the means to stop them should they try to attack us." ~Do you require my help in anything?~ I asked. Batman nodded. "When needed, you will act as their warden, checking on their state, but beyond that, nothing. As for me, I will focus on tracking Waller in order to get ess to herputer." I frowned but nodded. I had a feeling that this was going to be a long and difficult battle of the minds between us and Waller, but with little information we had, we had no other choice but to engage in such a battle. --------------------- After talking with Batman and setting clear the lines about what to expect from now on, Raven and I left, leaving the Dark Knight to continue his research about Waller at the safe house while we returned to Star City. "Are you worried about Waller?" Raven asked calmly. ~Kind of,~ I nodded. "You knew about her, just like you knew about Trigon," Raven said in an even tone. I nodded. "Very well, I won''t ask," Raven nodded, satisfied with my answer. ~Thanks,~ I replied, relieved that she wasn''t one to pry too much, always respecting my boundaries. I really couldn''t have asked for a better friend. "It''s okay; like I told you before I know there are things that one can''t simply exin. I just wanted to confirm if my suspicions were right about how you knew about her ...." Raven replied with an understanding smile. I nodded, remembering what Raven had said about ddin during my encounter with him. ~What did you mean about ddin''s body being enveloped in magic?~ Raven paused for a moment before answering. "His body emanated ancient magic, but the feeling this particr magic gave me, as well asck of any magical capabilities in him, made it evident he wasn''t the caster of said magic." I frowned, wrapping my head around what she had said. ~How ancient are we talking about?~ "A few centuries at the very least based on feeling alone. For a more urate answer, I would need to get up close," Raven replied. ~Any idea who could be the caster?~ I asked. Raven paused once again, musing over my question. "Nothing even remotely humanoid in essence, that''s for sure. If I had to take a guess, whoever put those spells on him is most likely still alive. As for who or what put the spells, well, I have a few guesses, but nothing that convinces mepletely ...." ddin I wonder if he has any rtion to the ssic Arabian Nights story of ddin and the magicmp. He certainly fit the ethnic profile. ~Is a genie one of your guesses?~ I asked, testing the waters. Raven stopped, giving me a look before calmly nodding. "It is, though, the correct term Djinn How did youe to that conclusion or guess anyway?" I sighed, giving her a small smile. ~Well, there is an Arabian story called ddin and the magicmp that well, talks about a man finding amp that contained a genie. As for the story, I have no idea how old this tale is, besides the fact it was first introduced to Europe in a French trantion by Antoine Gand in 1704. And, well, as you can see by my brief summary, the name of the story and what happens in it kind of fits with the guy we are talking about~ Raven nodded slowly. "It would make sense; more often than not, tales of magic are lost in time, bing over time nothing but fables of fiction for others, yet no matter how much these stories change over the decades, they usually hold some truth to them, if you know where to look." ~On that matter, if our guess happens to be true, and well, ddin has a genie, how bad can things get for us?~ I asked. The idea of an all-powerful genie being at the beck and call of someone bothering me to the very core. "Djinn," Raven corrected again. "As for how worried we should be well, it depends. As most tales depict them to be, Djinns are indeed unquestionably powerful creatures that are capable of great magical feats. The methods to capture one vary, but once captured, they are then bound to their captor until their captor dies, being forced to fulfill wishes until they are free once more." So far I''m pretty worried. ~So far, your exnation is not soothing my worries~ "Magically speaking, a djinn is a powerful spirit of nature, or as some say, a condensation of natural mana/magical energy endowed with consciousness and character," Raven continued with her exnation. "Most djinns are very aggressive, their character being nothing but a byproduct of the environment on a global scale. As for their powers, well, ording to legends, djinns can grant even the most far-fetched wishes; however, this is not entirely true." ~They have limits, right?~ I asked, connecting the dots. Raven nodded. "While the limits vary between djinns, thews they have to abide by are the same, with them being bound by thews of the universe and the chain ofmand in the magical scale. If they were all-powerful as most tales depict them to be, capturing them would be impossible, but it isn''t; in fact, in Azarath''s library, there were tales about powerful mages capturing and taming these beings in the old ages. Though the tales were pretty clear that only a handful ever managed to aplish such a feat because to imprison a djinn or tame one, the mage in question had to be able to bend the will of nature to his own." ~But ddin isn''t a mage, so how did he manage to tame one or get one to work with him?~ I asked so far, such a feat seemed impossible for the guy. ~And what did you mean by the chain ofmand in the magic scale?~ "While it''s true that most djinns are aggressive, like wild animals, some of them have been known to be cooperative to a degree, as long as it benefits them," Raven replied. "As for the chain ofmand, well, basically, they can''t mess with realms that other magical creatures or individuals hold if said beings are stronger than them or more connected to the realm in question. For example, they can''t resurrect the dead because the God of Death would not only stop them from trying but would erase them on the spot for trying to break the natural order of things." Well, that''s reassuring to some degree. ~Well, that makes me feel better~ I sighed. "It is, but be that as it may, fighting a djinn is extraordinarily difficult, even with their limits. Based on the books I read about them, they can instantly cast spells that would take the most aplished mages hours or days to, and if that wasn''t enough, they are pretty much resistant to all schools of magic, as well as most physical phenomena." Raven replied with an even tone. "Some of the schools of magic that they are vulnerable against are some of the fundamental ones, like Chaos and Order, as well Dark and Light magic so, don''t worry." I blinked, narrowing my eyes at her. ~Couldn''t you have started from there?~ Raven smiled, saying nothing in return. Chapter 84: Chapter 84: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The days went by as Batman worked on tracking Waller''s whereabouts. As for me, well, once a week, I would check on Harley and Ivy, making sure they had everything they needed, as well as making sure they didn''t have any means of escape or were nning something. On each visit, I would have to try my best to avoid and dodge Harley and her antics, who at every turn would try to seduce me to the best of her psychotic capabilities, while Ivy, on the other hand, would usually either sulk in the corner or re at me "Hey, sugar! I got somethin'' ta show ya!" Harley said as she skipped toward me, her arms swinging free. I sighed, rubbing my temples. I just knew she was about to show me her tits again. ~What?~ Harley grinned, immediately taking her shirt off. "Aren''t my girls a beaut? I promise ya, if you give them a try, you will see that without a doubt they are the sweetest thing ever!" Her girls, as Harley referred to them, were indeed beautiful, being a pair of round majestic tits with perfect-sized nipples that she would sh at me at every visit, sometimes her pussy too. At first, obviously, I would find myself getting aroused at the sight of her naked body. By now, though, I had grown ustomed to the sight of her naked body thanks to the continuous exposure, having grown some mental defenses in order to avoid falling into my lesser instincts. Needless to say, that didn''t mean by any means that I didn''t find her body excruciatingly attractive. After all, no matter the training, I was still a man with a beating heart, and a dick. The main difference now was that no matter how horny I was at the sight of her, I wouldn''t forget even for a moment that she was crazy as fuck. Harley chuckled at my tired reaction as she took one step closer to me. "Don''t be like that; I think you''re gonna like what I''ve got for ya, baby." I shook my head and continued, like always, with my inspection, trying my best to ignore her. "Ahhh, don''t be like that; I promise it is nothing r-rated," Harley jumped above me, doing a flip,nding in front of me, cutting my path, her girls bouncing up and down a few times after shended. I raised an eyebrow at her skeptically. Not r-rated my mute ass; she was already half-naked, but be that it may, I wasn''t in the mood for games of any kind, I had shit to do, and Harley wasn''t on the list. And on that note, I really didn''t want to deal with whatever it was that Harley had cooked up this time in her never-ending quest to woo me. I really wanted to ignore her and simply continue with my inspection, but s, I knew that she wouldn''t give up until I at least heard her out. ~What?~ Harley grinned mischievously at me as she leaned in close, her face inches from mine. "Let''s y poker..." I sighed. Of course, she would try to get me to y poker, or should I say strip poker... I just knew that down the line, whatever she offered would turn sexual in some kind of way. Taking a deep breath, I shook my head, giving Harley her answer before I continued my inspection, leaving a defeated Harley behind. ----------- Finished with my inspection, I left the safe house as soon as possible, going back to Star City by using one of the zeta tubes nearby in order to avoid having to ask Rachel for a portal and... to avoid her teasingments and looks about Harley''s crush on me. Unfortunately for me, Rachel knew me all too well and had been waiting for me at the other side of the zeta tube I had taken, reading a book as she sat atop a dumpster. "How was the inspection?" She asked, a hint of amusementcing her always even tone. I smiled at her tiredly as I stepped out of the tube''s entrance, leaning against the wall to my side, running a hand through my hair. ~Uneventful.~ Rachel, at this, put her book down, giving me a look that said, be honest. However, will strong, I stood tall against her, saying to myself that no matter what she says or asks, that no matter the odds, I wouldn''t cave! ~Fine.... she shed me again.~ I caved. And incredibly fast at that I''m so disappointed in myself "You know... I wouldn''t find this funny if you didn''t half enjoy the shows she gives you during every visit," Rachel replied with just the hint of a smile. I frowned, crossing my arms in denial. ~I do not enjoy her... shows, as you call them.~ That was a big fucking lie, a politician lie even, and we both knew it. Harley Quinn was... as crazy as she was; stupidly attractive, to say the least. And her... shows, as Rachel calls them, were... hard not to enjoy even if I didn''t cave to my hormonal body. But be that as it may, I wasn''t going to give Rachel the satisfaction of knowing that, at least from my hands. "Right," Rachel said, her tone and smile both saying that she didn''t believe me for a second. You really can''t win against an empath? Can''t you? I sighed, my shoulders slumping in defeat as I pushed away from the wall and began walking down the alley, Rachel following me close behind. "So, any ns for tonight?" Rachel asked after a few moments of silence. I shrugged. ~Well, nothing really. I mean, we still have to cover for Oliver and Dinah, so... patrols and hope nothing bad happens?~ Rachel nodded, her expression thoughtful at the mention of Oliver and Dinah. "At the rate they are recovering, they should be fine in a few days or so." I nodded. "Well, seeing patrols is the only thing in our schedule; we should probably head out then," Rachel said after a few moments, a smile adorning her face. I nodded,ing to a stop in front of the exit of the alley before turning to face Rachel. ~Sounds good. But on another note, could please stop teasing me? I already have a hard enough time with this, no pun intended, so... please?~ Rachel''s smile softened at this as she reached to cup my cheek gently. "Never." I blinked, taken aback by her reply. ~You are evil...~ "Technically true, my DNA agrees with you," Rachel chuckled before walking into the street, leaving me alone in the alley, wondering when she went from a quiet, timid girl to a sarcastic, witty, goth teenager that seems to enjoy teasing her best friend. Chapter 85: Chapter 85: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The worst part of covering for Oliver wasn''t having to deal with his viins or having to patrol too much no. the worst part of covering for him had a name, and that name was Speedy, aka Roy motherfucking Harper. He was an edgy and short-tempered guy. That detested losing at anything, following instructions, or being called a sidekick, snapping at me every time I crossed one of the three above. He was so into himself, so blinded by his edgy bullshit that felt that came out of an OC from the myspace era that he wouldn''t consider I was doing what I was doing because Oliver had fucking asked. I mean, why in the fuck would I work with him otherwise? But noooo, instead of that, the little entitled shit was so engulfed in his own non-existent hype that he thought I was simply here to steal his thunder. He would also be very vocal about how insulted he was at the fact most of the media already considered Raven and I, part of the League. More than once, I seriously considered tasing his ass, but I cared about Oliver, and for some reason that to this day eludes me, he cares about him, so here I was, dealing with his bullshit. ~Speedy, I need you at the docks tonight during patrol,~ I said, giving Speedy a look. "How many times do I have to repeat myself? I don''t follow your orders," Speedy spat, crossing his arms. Then why why did you fuckinge to the summon I sent you arrow using bitch? To say you won''t help? That''s like going to the mall only to shout; I won''t fucking go to the mall! I''m getting an aneurysm out of sheer edgy stupidity. "I wholeheartedly pity the poor trees that made the oxygen you are currently breathing and wasting with each breath you take," Raven said calmly, without even giving Speedy a look. Needless to say, even Rae Rae was tired of his shit. I grinned at herment, mentally high-fiving her for voicing my thoughts, even though she hadn''t read them. "I''m sorry Did you say something? Cun" Before he could finish that sentence, I stood up, my right hand blurring out of sight as it shot forward, delivering a soft hit to his throat, effectively sending him into a choking frenzy. "You should''ve let him finish," Raven smiled. ~And exin to his mentor why he''s in a wheelchair after? No, thanks As hrious as that would''ve been, I would rather keep things simple.~ I replied with an amused expression. "You fucking bastard!" Speedy said, finally recovering from my earlier tap. Angry and edgier than never, he jumped back, bow and arrow ready to take shot. "Does two thousand miles sound good for you?" Raven asked me, ignoring Speedy. ~Two thousand miles? Not bad, but without his equipment,~ I nodded, catching the arrow speedy shot with nothing but my peripheral vision. "Ok," Raven nodded, quickly grabbing Speedy with her magic before he could react, before hurling him into a portal. "I sent his stuff to the Quiver but allowed him to keep his bow and arrow in case he has to defend himself." ~How long do you reckon it will take him to get back?~ I asked, with a mischievous grin hiding under my mask. Raven hummed at the thought before answering. "A few days, maybe less if he knows where the Zeta tubes are in his area, which I doubt." ~Perfect, now let''s get back to our patrol nning,~ I said, turning back to theputer. "How mad do you think Oliver will be?" Raven asked, floating to my side. I mused at her question. ~Somewhat? I mean, I''m sure he willugh about it in private but will try to scold us and stuff. Be that is may, I don''t regret it at all~ "Agreed," Raven nodded. "I honestly admire Oliver for having the mental fortitude to deal with him. It takes a lot of willpower not to physically harm him every time he speaks." ~I will attribute that feat to his mustache,~ I replied with a thoughtful nod. ----------------- [A few weekster] Yawning, I came back to my senses, groggily stretching up as I sat on my bed. Outside, from the open window of my room, I could see the clouds were gently floating by, as well I could hear the birds chirping in the distance. Today was the fourth of July, meaning that today I would stuff myself with burgers and hotdogs and would confirm if this world, this iteration of the DC universe, was the one I had my suspicions on. Taking a deep breath, I jumped out of the bed and got dressed before running out of the run, texting Rachel along the way to meet me at the library. The past few weeks had been pretty uneventful; besides my visits to Harley and Ivy, where Harley would try to seduce me in a vast array of ways, things remained calm. Oliver and Dinah were back in business, so things had slowed down for Raven and I, in general. Talking about Oliver, the subject of his sidekickes to life, and let''s say he wasn''t exactly happy that I had hurled his sidekick six times out of the city through a portal. Yes. Raven and I, had decided that was the best way to deal with him when he was annoying us too much and didn''t want to leave because he was the big deal, h h h. But quickly enough, I reminded Oliver of how exasperating the little shit of a sidekick he had was, with multiple video proofs of his interactions with us, letting Oliver know he was lucky I hadn''t hurled Roy into the open ocean with how aggravating he was with everything. Oliver''s response after watching the videos? "Hmm, fair enough." My sister, on the other hand, well, she scolded me in front of Oliver like a responsible adult but giggled in impish delight at my harmless way of dealing with Roy once Oliver was out of the room. I really loved my crazy sister. Chapter 86: Chapter 86: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The fourth of July started like any other day. During my time in this world of heroes and viins, many questions and mysteries have inhabited my mind free of rent, one of them being, what universe or iteration was I? At first, the list of possibilities was simply endless, as the number of universes itself. There were simply too many things against me when it came to this particr question. For one, while a fan ofic books and other forms of media simr to them, I wasn''t particrly big on the subject, as in I didn''t have much in-depth knowledge of anythingic-rted. I knew a lot, by normal standards, and to nonic readers, but what I knew was considered in mostic circles nothing butmon knowledge. This limitation of knowledge, so to speak, would in this worlde to be a big chain around my neck when it came to finding the answer to the question of what universe was the one I had been sent to? That was point one against me. As for point two, well Lack of events, or rather,ck of famous events. By this, I meant that the events of my world, of my iteration, were simply toomon, as in they didn''t stand out from any otherics at all. Allics, and universes, have a general line or event that makes them stand out, that makes them shine, and while the rest might remain the same for a vast array of reasons, there''s always something that makes a universe in theic world unique from the other. Until today, that something that made this iteration unique from the rest hadn''t appeared, at least to my knowledge. You see, as I spend my day with Rachel doing nothing, the following events happened. Batman and Robin defeated Mister Freeze, who was attacking parkgoers in Gotham City. Green Arrow and Speedy defeated Icicle Jr. on a bridge near fourth avenue in Star City. Aquaman and Aqud defeated Killer Frost aboard a naval battleship in Pearl Harbor. sh and Kid sh defeated Captain Cold, who was stealing diamonds in Central City. All of these events made my question very easy to answer, not only because I had had my doubts, but because these events pretty much sealed the answer to a single universe. Without a question, this was the Young Justice universe, or if you wanna be technical, Earth-16. Of course, the without a question part was nothing but a nice saying, as there was a possibility of being wrong regardless of the data at hand. However, things kept rolling in favor of the Young Justice answer. You see, a few hours after Batman and the rest had taken care of the ice-themed viins, Rachel and I were invited to the Hall of Justice in Washington, D.C. Knowing what would happen, I cordially rejected the invitation, with Rachel doing the same, saying she had no interest in going if I wasn''t going. From there, well, from there, things got interesting because now that I knew with a bit of confidence where I was, well, it was time to test my knowledge. ---------------------- "Why are we here again?" Raven asked calmly. ~You''ll see~ I replied with a smile as I rested in a sitting position above a gargoyle that was hundreds of feet above the street, in a building a few blocks away from CADMUS. "Well, that''s very insightful." Raven sighed, giving me a look before summoning a bag of chips and a book. ~Don''t be like that, Rae Rae, you know I love ya,~ I winked. "The best part of having a mute friend is that I can ignore them quite easily," Raven replied, a small smile gracing her expression as she brought the book she had summoned to her face. Well, that''s rude. "That''s the intention," Raven replied, reading my emotions as a chip slowly levitated into her mouth. I rolled my eyes at her, turning my attention back to CADMUS, taking a deep breath, catching the faintest whiff of smoke as I did so. Well, that pretty much settles it. "So, what''s happening?" Raven asked before floating to my side, as I gave her a look. "I felt your emotions get all I was right, or something" ~Hmm, didn''t know that was a thing, but yeah, I was right,~ I nodded, pointing at the building. Before Raven could ask me to borate, CADMUS exploded in mes answering her question, with the entire structure being engulfed in fire, as the panicked onlookers on the streets watched as the mes spread out of the building, consuming everything in their path. "Should should I be worried you feel happy with that happening?" Raven asked, pointing at the building while giving me a yful, yet not too yful worried look. ~You insult me! How can you think so bad of me?! But, no, you You really shouldn''t be worried, that building is like a child molester, they both need to be burned,~ I replied with a nod. "I can''t argue with that logic," Raven replied, turning back to her seemingly emotionless self. I blinked. ~You''re not even gonna ask why?~ "Not really, I trust you, so yeah," Raven shrugged. Well, that works for me. ~Very well now, how would you feel about fucking the ns of some evil organization before they even began?~ I asked, tilting my head. "I find that idea excellent," Raven replied, a small grin on her face. I smiled, turning my gaze back to CADMUS, just in time to see the future members of the Young Justice team appear to help the people around. Robin included. One would''ve thought he would''ve learned from almost killing us both from the Joker fiasco. But shit, it seems he didn''t, I mean here he was, going against Batman again, for a mission, he was never given. AGAIN. If there''s any hindsight to this, is the fact the ones he''s with know they are not on a mission, so not as bad as the Joker incident. "That''s the kid, right?" Raven asked, staring at Robin. I nodded. "I don''t like him" Raven muttered, crossing her arms. I smiled, pulling her into a hug. "You have four seconds to stop this before I strip you naked and throw you into Harley''s cell," Raven said in a joking tone I think. I broke the hug before I could find out. Chapter 87: Chapter 87: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As Robin, Aqud, and Kid sh dealt with the fire. Raven and I infiltrated CADMUS, using her magic to skip most of the security in the building. ''There are a lot of telepaths here,'' Raven stated through our recently formed mental connection. ''Yes,'' I replied, wondering if they would prove to be a problemter on. ''Don''t worry, I can shield our presence from them,'' Raven added calmly, answering my unspoken question. I nodded with a smile at that, as Raven continued moving us through the levels of CADMUS, using her magic to phase us through them with ease. If Canon remained the same, Group A, which consisted of Aqud, Kid sh, and Robin, would reach Superboy in a matter of minutes or hours; on that part, my intervention wasn''t required. My mission in CADMUS waspletely different. I wanted to destroy all of their work, and in order to do exactly that, I would put the sidekicks'' infiltration above to good use, making it my cover for what I was about to do. ''Stop, and try to move us to that room,'' I said, catching sight of aputer that, based on the schematics I had stolen from one of the Genomorphs'' on level 12, was connected to the main servers. ''On it,'' Raven replied, promptly moving our intangible forms to the room with a quick phase. Once in there, Raven muttered her mantra, engulfing our bodies in dark energy, casting an illusion over us, making us look like a pair of Genomorphs. ''Good thinking,'' I smiled, cracking my fingers as a warmup. ''Now tell me when Group A gets detected.'' Raven said nothing, turning to guard my back as I got to work on theputer. Hacking into aputer was by no means an easy feat. It requires a skilled individual with a keen understanding of howputers work, which I was, to arge extent, of the meaning thanks to my training. However, hacking aputer from a heavily guarded facility, well, that was very, very difficult, especially when the time was against you. I was very aware of my limits when it came to most things, more than most people would. I guess it was part of my self-hate during my early years in this world that, in turn, made me painfully aware of my shorings. This little line of self-awareness was the reason I knew for a fact that I couldn''t hack into thisputer, at least not without alerting everyone in the facility that I was hacking into theputer in question, which wasn''t the idea. I had be aware of this the moment I had tried to open theputer beyond the basic functions without alerting the system. Now, while this task was without a doubt beyond my current hacking skills toplete in a silent manner, there were other ways toplete the mission at hand. One of those ways was the infiltration group A was leading; their infiltrationcked all tact or strategy for that matter, promising to give me the perfect cover to get what I needed for thisputer without being found. Chances were, Desmond would me them for the hacking, which ultimately worked for me, and everyone in the end. ''They have been found,'' Raven said, pushing some images of the trio running through the facilities into my head. ''That felt weird'' I replied with a small shudder. That image thing would take some time to get used to ''Is this the distraction you were looking for?'' Raven asked, gazing at me for a brief moment before she returned to her guard duty. ''Not yet. I need all of CADMUS behind them,'' I replied, taking a deep breath. ''I''ll let you know then,'' Raven replied calmly. ''CADMUS is literally chasing them, all of their personnel that was fast, they really didn''t keep a low profile, at all.'' Well, that was fast. Knowing there was no clean way to ess theputer and that distraction would lose its effect soon enough, I forced theputer to open a terminal window, where I typed a fewmands that would or rather should give me ess to their server. I knew this would fail, but there was no need to worry, as this was nothing but step one in the process. Within seconds, as I had expected, theputer screen went ck, as an error message appeared, telling me that I had made an unauthorized ess attempt. I smiled, pulling one of Batman''s gadgets, one used particrly for hacking situations. Connecting the gadget to the PC, I forced theputer to restart, using the USB I had connected as a booting device, one that was connected to the main booting device creating something Batman likes to call a ghost link between devices, allowing device A ess to device B. This, however, wouldn''t give me ess to the files I wanted, but it would give me ess to the security measures of theputer, that in time, would give me ess to the files I wanted to download and destroy. Focused, I disabled the cybersecurity measures of the building, putting the cameras on the floor we were in a loop of old recordings, before turning the PC off, disconnecting my gadget in the process. Now from this point forward, it was a race against the clock. From the moment I had disabled their security protocols in ce for electronic files, I had sent an rm off around the building. From here, I had a minute or two to get what I wanted before whoever was in charge of CADMUS cybersecurity located the source of the rm and, in turn, located me. I probably had more time, especially considering that they would have to run to Desmond''s office to find me, as their cameras on this floor were, as of the moment, very useless, but that would at much buy me a few seconds. And I didn''t like running it so close. So, I would work within the time frame of them noticing. ''Be ready to move when I say hm, when I think the word,'' I said, turning the PC back on. Chapter 88: Chapter 88: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Working as fast as I could, I downloaded and deleted all that I could from Desmond''sputer and the server he was connected to, as Raven kept tabs on everyone around us in order to react ordingly. ''Genomorphsing in ten,'' Raven said. ''Let''s go,'' I nodded, as Raven moved us out of the room, just in time for the Genomorphs to kick the door open, only to find nothing. ''You got everything we needed?'' Raven asked, moving our astral forms across the rooms. ''Yeah, and left them a little gift,'' I nodded. Not only had I acquired all the data I could using Desmond''s credentials, but I had left a little virus behind to eat their servers, at least until it was purged. ''Now what?'' Raven asked. ''Do we help the others? They were captured.'' I shook my head. While I wasn''t against helping them, even if I wasn''t on my best terms with Robin, I would only do so when they proved to be in actual danger, or the canon train derailed, two requirements they hadn''t met so far. ''They will escape on their own, first, we need to reach the lower levels of CADMUS.'' ''I feel like we are going to get scolded for this,'' Raven replied softly before starting to move us toward the lower levels. ''Possibly,'' I admitted. But, the upsides of ignoring the captured trio, for now, were unimaginably better from a professional standpoint. After all, the more information I gathered about CADMUS right now, the better our chances would look in the future fighting those behind the curtains. For the next following moments, we made our way down to the lowest level at CADMUS in silence, using Raven''s magic to reach it. After a minute or so, we reached our destination with little to no problem, the lowest level being nothing but a damp cave with thick air filled with human vitions, with the only light arounding from the eerie glow of the technology that filled the ce. Most of that light Coming from the hundreds of capsules/pods around, that, we quickly realized they were filled with different types of creatures, from Genemorphs to Humans. ''This is creepy,'' Raven muttered, looking around the ce. I nodded, it was indeed very creepy. Hundreds of cloned beings, maybe even more if we counted, all in their capsules floating in liquid, staring at us with nk dead expressions whenever we got too close. Taking a deep breath, I started scanning my surroundings, before deciding to take any course of action. Besides thick, the air felt musty, and there was a faint sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance, based on the ground, and theck of marks, there were no signs of any recent activity anywhere, with the only footprints in sight being my own. Which reminds me, that I''ll have to be careful not to leave any evidence of my presence here. As far as the eye could see, there were clones trapped in capsules/pods, with more than an eighty percent of them being Genomorphs. Those that were human, at least based on phenotypic value, I didn''t recognize, meaning they either were test subjects they had used to see how stable the cloning process was, or were of people without any relevance to this time and period. All and all, this left me without many options. Releasing the clones was simply out of the question, as it was safe to assume all of them had been trained telepathically to attack intruders, or at the very least to obey Desmond. ''What do we do?'' Raven asked as she floated to my side. ''We collect data,'' I replied, my eyes catching sight of something at the distance, something with a big S. If I''m correct, then that must be Superboy''s brother. I can''t recall his name, but I''m sure there was another clone of Superman walking around, or floating around in this case. Taking a deep breath, I walked to the pod where I had seen the big S, finding a teenage version of Superman, floating inside his pod, his bodypletely rxed. Project Match. ''Is that what I think it is?'' Raven asked, a clear frown on her face. I nodded. ''It is'' when all of the sudden, I saw Match begin to stir inside his stasis pod ''Move!'' I mentally shouted, as in an instant, Match broke out of his pod, growling, as he came straight for me. Bending my body backward I ducked out of the way, just in time to avoid Match''s feral assault, as I got into position. Someone had released Match to deal with us, who or why, right now didn''t matter, those were questions forter. ''All he feels is anger, there''s nothing more no thoughts, nothing just anger, that''s all he is'' Raven muttered, stopping one of Match''s attacks by opening a portal in front of him. I nodded. ''Then it should be easy for us to deal with him'' When seeing Match, it was easy to see he was nothing more than an enraged mindless beast hell-bent on destroying anything and everyone in its path, without a single thought crossing his mind, blind anger governing his every move. He was powerful, very powerful, he was, after all, the closest thing to a perfect clone of superman CADMUS had ever gotten, when it came to power alone. Fortunately for me, he was the living example of power without skill, after all, force was meaningless without skill. ''Keep opening portals to avoid him breaking anything, thest thing we want is some of his friends joining,'' I said before darting toward Match, who, upon seeing me growl in a feral-like motion. ''Support me from the distance, don''t try to block his attacks, instead, create a flow. Open portals for him to punch himself or the air, and if the opportunity arises, use magic to knock him out, even the original thing is not very strong against magic'' Raven nodded, taking some distance, as I engaged Match in close quarters. "Ahhhh!" Match growled, throwing a hard punch toward my face that I dodged by, stepping out of the way, nting a kick to his side. Left and right, up and down, I continued to dodge and weave under the onught of attacks that Match was throwing my way with ease, nting my own attacks on him at every turn, with the feral clone only growing angrier as time went on. After a few dodges, I realized something this was easy In my life as a hero so far, I had fought many foes, but none were as predictable as Match, not by far. His every attack was telegraphed from a mile away, making them a child''s y to avoid, even when taking into ount the fact he was faster and stronger than me. If he wasn''t feral, I would have thought that he wanted me to win. But, well, his eloquent speech that consisted of growls, and more growls, confirmed he was indeed feral. "AHHH!" Match growled, his eyes glowing red for a bit before a thin beam of red light shot forward toward me. However, before this attack could reach me or I had the need to dodge, Raven opened a portal, redirecting his attack back at him. I sighed, already knowing what Match''s next move was. ''Open a portal in front of me that connects to one a few meters above you'' Without a word, Raven did as I asked, as Match turned to her, baring his teeth, before jumping towards her, however, before he could reach her, Inded on his back in a crouch, and in a blurring motion of hands, I dug both of my index fingers on his ears, puncturing his eardrums, before jumping back, letting the feral clone crash on the floor in pain. ''That was risky'' Raven said, looking at the screaming Match. ''How did you know Superman has weak eardrums?'' ''I didn''t and I think he does,'' I replied, showing her my broken fingers. ''I just took a bet based on the fact that he''s weaker than superman. His speed and strength are above mine, but he''s still leagues below Amazo and seeing how my hits were actually making him flinch, I wanted to test how squishy he was on the inside. Worst case scenario, I would''ve done nothing but break two fingers, and I can manage that.'' ''Well, that didn''t knock him out, it just pissed him off even more'' Raven replied as Match turned toward us, his ears bleeding, his eyes filled with pure rage. ''Knocking him out without my melodic voice will take hours, so Voodoo our problem away?'' I replied, smiling at her under my mask. Raven snorted, probably at the Voodoo joke, before turning her undivided attention to Match, her eyes glowing white. "You know anger, now let me teach you fear beast Azarath metrion zinthos!" Chapter 89: Chapter 89: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As Raven channeled her magic in order to take the defective Kryptonian down, Match roared, lunging towards her with deadly intent. Seeing this, I darted forward, intercepting his attack, grabbing him by the wrist before throwing him to the ground. At this, his body bounced a few inches above the ground, leaving cracks in the earth beneath him, leaving the clone momentarily dazed by the impact. Without dy, I continued with my assault, taking advantage of the opening my first attack had given me, delivering a powerful downward kick that forced his body back into the ground. Growling, Match pushed his body upwards without any type of pivot, trying to get up, while in the process throwing a hard punch at my face. Taking a step forward, I weaved under his attack, before mming my fist back on his face, forcing him back to the ground. ''I''m ready.'' Raven informed me through our telepathic link. ''Ok,'' I replied, jumping a few dozen feet back,nding right in front of Raven. "AHHHHHHHH!" Match roared, mming his fists into the ground in a Hulk-like manner before charging towards me with all his might. Smiling, I side-stepped out of the way moments before Match''s charge came to aplete halt, as Raven''s magic froze him in ce. Eyes glowing white, and her body covered in a dark aura, Raven loomed over Match, the ground trembling beneath her feet as she prepared to deliver the finishing blow. "Azarath metrion zinthos." Raven muttered, her aura increasing in glow and power as she raised her hands, ready to unleash a devastating torrent of dark energy, then in an instant, she unleashed her spell, the Kryptonian being consumed by the torrent of darkness that poured out of her hands, silencing his roars, leaving nothing but the sound of her attack. ''Wow'' I said through our link as her attack came to an end, weing a brief moment of silence before the darkness of her spell dissipated, revealing a bleeding and outmission Kryptonian. ''Wow indeed,'' Raven replied, her mouth twisting into a grin. I inwardly chuckled at that, rolling my eyes at her yful cocky demeanor. ''Let''s put him back in a pot. Thest thing I want is to fight against him again right now.'' Raven nodded, levitating the Kryptonian off the ground. ''Do you know how to operate the pods?'' I shook my head. ''But I can figure it out. On that note, how long do we have before Growly wakes up?'' ''Hmm, hard to say but if I had to take an educated guess, I''d say we have between thirty minutes to an hour, maybe more.'' Raven replied. Good, that''s plenty of time to learn on the go. ''Alright then, let me see how these things work.'' First, of course, I had to find an empty pod. So, it was time to explore. Task at hand, I walked through the cave at a fast pace, with Raven following close by, looking at each pod in each line, trying to find one empty. At line fifteen, as I rounded a corner, I saw something that caught my attention, taking my breath away for the briefest of moments, as I found myself staring into a pod with a human inside, this, however, wasn''t the shocking part. No, what truly took my breath away was the fact that the human inside the pod, was one I knew. Roy Harper. ''What?'' I thought, before clutching my head in pain, as memories came rushing back to me like a flood. Leaving a single thought in my head. How could I have forgotten about this? ''David, are you okay?'' Raven said, rushing to my side, freezing at the sight of Roy just like I had done, but without the headache part. I nodded as I stood in front of Roy''s pod in silence, staring at him. My mind was racing, trying to piece together the fact that I had forgotten about one of the most important plot points of the series based on the universe I now inhabited. How could I have forgotten about that? But remember Superboy and the fact that CADMUS had made him. The implication of this gnawed at me, especially because now the memories were clear as if they had always been there. Were perhaps my memories locked? Or fragmented? Only to be unlocked if certain conditions were met? I wasn''t sure. All I knew was that I had a question now and that the answer to that question eluded me. ''We should release him.'' Raven said through our link, snapping me out of my long reverie. I nodded, my hands moving toward the controls in the pod, beforeing to a halt. ''Can you put him to sleep?'' I asked before remembering someone had released Match at us, meaning there was no point in keeping a low profile besides avoiding the army of Genomorphs. ''Nevermind seeing as Growly was released from his pod, there''s no point in keeping a low profile beyond the very basics, which I''m sure Roy will keep if we exin things to him, besides chances are he won''t wake up after we release him.'' Taking a deep breath, I opened the pod, catching Roy as his body copsed toward me before gently putting him on the ground. Then, I took a few moments to familiarize myself with the controls the pod had, quickly figuring out how to freeze someone up. I sighed, turning to Raven and giving her a nod in order to convey I was ready to freeze Growly. Without a word, Raven put Match inside the pod, as I immediately proceeded to put the Kryptonian back into a deep slumber, closing his pod, hopefully, forever. ''Roy is out cold,'' Raven stated, giving him a look of pity that was mixed with concern. I nodded. ''So the one we know is a clone'' Raven said after a few moments, drawing her conclusions from the fact Roy was missing an arm, an arm she probably guessed in a correct manner, had been used as gic material. I nodded again. Chapter 90: Chapter 90: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [In the mystery of the unknown.] In the distance, the sight of a young pale woman with dark hair could be seen, slowly approaching a clearing with a faint smile on her face. The woman walked slowly, her feet sinking into the soft earth beneath her with each step until she came to a stop reaching the edge of the clearing, where a mysterious man in robes was sitting. "It''s been a while, don''t you think?" The young woman said, smiling at the man fondly. "It has," The man replied without looking at her. The young woman smiled, turning her gaze to the clearing, allowing herself to take in what was in front of her. The sun was setting, and the light was casting a warm glow over the scene before her. In the center of the clearing was a small pond with a few ducklings swimming by, and right on the other side of the pond, casting a small shadow, there was a tree. The woman smiled warmly, giving the man in tattered robes a look before walking towards the tree, sitting down at its roots. The man, without a word, followed the woman, revealing a book in his hands that before could not be seen. The pale woman hummed softly as she leaned back against the trunk, closing her eyes. "Why are you here?" The man asked. "You know why," The woman replied, keeping her eyes closed as she ran her fingers over the roots of the tree as if admiring them. The man paused at her response. A soft breeze stirred the leaves of the tree, and the pale woman''s hair blew gently in the wind. "He writes his own chapters," The man replied as if that exined whatever question was left unanswered. "He does, doesn''t he?" The young woman smiled, opening her eyes to look at the man. "I find it beautiful, honestly. He might very well be the perfect example of free will." The man in tattered robes paused once again before replying. "His altering destiny itself. I do not intervene, but I feel like I should." The young woman chuckled. "I can see why, but don''t you think the old guy would''ve done something already if this kid was a problem?" The man sighed. "Perhaps you are correct." "Besides, isn''t it exciting?" The young woman chuckled again. "After so long, something new is happening." The man sighed once again. "Fun or excitement is not part of our job." "No, but it''s not something we are forbidden from having," The woman shrugged. "Tell me, brother, how old are we?" "Older than those whose footsteps are long vanished," The man replied without missing a beat. "Has anything in our long life happened without his approval?" The young woman asked, her eyes now on the clearing, watching the ducklings swim and y. "No star, no life, no universe exists without his approval," The man replied, no sign of emotion in his words. "Then, let the kid be," The woman smiled, turning her gaze back at him. "He''s altering destiny; he''s writing his own chapters in the book," The man replied after a few seconds. The woman tilted her head. "What do all stories have inmon, dear brother?" "They all end," The man replied. "Exactly," The woman smiled. "Very well, sister, I shall do as you ask and let him be, but I won''t rewrite what I wrote already," The man replied, his tone firm. "That he will have to do himself." "I didn''t ask you to," The woman smiled. "Thanks, brother." --------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] I looked around the pods with Raven for a while, inspecting each and every single one of them in order to confirm there weren''t any other clones we should know of before sending Roy, the real Roy Harper, to a safe house through a portal. "Now, what do we do?" Raven asked. I paused. That was a good question. I honestly had no idea. My ns had been derailed from the path I wanted them to follow the moment Roy had appeared, bringing back some of my memories about this world. ~Are they still captured?~ I asked, and Raven nodded. ~Make a telepathic connection again, and let''s move to a different area.~ "Are you sure?" Raven asked, worry clear in her eyes and tone. "We closed the connection because it was making your headache worse." It was, but I can deal with a migraine. ~I''ll be fine, don''t worry.~ Raven nodded, clear doubt in her eyes as she made the connection back again. `So, now what?` ''We wait for them to escape the pods and help them,'' I replied through the telepathic link, struggling to hide my increasing headache from Rachel. ''Need I remind you that I''m an empath?'' Raven said, giving me a stern look. ''Leave the scolding forter. Right now, we have a mission,'' I replied, trying to focus on the task at hand before anything else. ''I will,'' Raven replied, leaving a message clear, that message being, we will talk about this shitter. Without another word, Raven covered us in her magic before moving us out of the ce to the top levels of CADMUS, where Robin, Aqud, and Kid sh were. Once there, we started waiting. But considering Superboy was already refusing to go into his pod, well, it was safe to assume the wait woulde to an end soon enough. ''He will help them,'' Ravenmented, giving Superboy a look as he walked towards the room where the young sidekicks were being held at. I nodded. `Magic sure is handy, is quite impressive how no one can see us.` ''It is until it isn''t,'' Raven replied with a nod. ''Right now, they can''t see us because every telepath in this ce is weaker than us when ites to our telepathic capabilities. You have an unbreakable mind or the closest thing to it, and I have years of experience keeping my mind shut and alert to intruders. Were any of these... Telepaths strong enough; they would notice our minds with time.'' I guess that makes sense. I nodded, turning my attention back to Superboy as he entered the room to release those he had captured. Chapter 91: Chapter 91: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] We followed the team of young heroes as they made their way out of the base, hiding behind the cloak of Raven''s power. Just as in the original story, Superboy had released the trio from their pods, meaning that so far, the events of the story remained the same, even with the alterations Raven and I had provided to the script. As we followed them from a rtively close distance, we witnessed Superboy''s first struggles as he came to understand his shorings vs. Who he was supposed to be. Until eventually, the team came to a halt, finding themselves cornered by arge group of Genomorphs. Nevertheless, Raven and I remained still, watching the events unfold without much worry for the heroes because we knew if push came to shove, we could save them. However, I was also calm because I knew the Genemorphs weren''t the ones they would have to face. Soon enough, they would rebel against Desmond, putting their hopes and dreams in the one who they consider their brother and beacon, Superboy. As it happened in the story, Guardian, the superhero I had not at all forgotten, was here moved to subdue the team but stopped before he could take more than two steps. His mind clearing from any mind control that was in ce before,pleting the events of the Genomorph revolution. "I''ll deal with Desmond," Guardian said, his hand gracing his helmet ever so lightly. "I think not," Desmond spat,ing into view right in time. So this was Blockbuster''s birth. No need to repeat it. Giving Raven a look, we moved behind him. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to CADMUS," Desmond continued with a smile, pulling a vial full of liquid out of hisb coat before drawing it to his mouth. However, before he could do such a thing, I snatched the vial out of his hands, Raven and Iing to view, her spell dissipating. "Wha Who are you two?!" Desmond spat, taking a few steps back, finding himself truly cornered. I said nothing, turning to Raven, not even acknowledging the man at all. ''Can you portal this to our base?'' Raven nodded. ''I can.'' I nodded, sealing the vial before giving it to Raven to move as she opened a small portal. "ck Bolt and Raven," Aqud said, his voice cutting through the air. "What are you two doing here? Did the League send you?" I shook my head, tossing a tasing projectile at Desmond, who was about to make a run for it, electrocuting him in ce, effectively rendering him silent for the time being. "Then why are you guys here?" Kid sh asked. "Selling cookies," Raven replied in a deadpan. ''Hahahaha, I love you sometimes,'' I inwardlyughed. ''Sometimes?'' Raven replied with a scoff. "Not cool goth chick," Kid sh mumbled, crossing his arms. "Not cool." I turned back to them, giving each one a look; Superboy looked defiant, almost as if wanting a fight with me for whatever reason, Aqud looked thoughtful, analyzing the situation, Kid sh looked confident yet insecure, and Robin he looked scared, flinching at my gaze. I sighed, giving Raven a look. Our job here was done. "Good luck," Raven said to the heroes before turning around and opening a portal with a move of her hand. And just like that, we left the team of young heroes at Cadmus. --------------------------- We stepped through the portal back to the safehouse we had moved the original Roy to, finding him just like we had left him in a bed, breathing but not conscious. "I almost feel bad for leaving them to deal with the League alone," Raven said, cutting our mental connection the moment we stepped out of CADMUS. ~No, you don''t,~ I replied, rolling my eyes at her as I made my way to Roy. The situation, as it was, was veryplicated, meaning that taking him to a hospital would bring more problems than solutions to our table. Contacting Oliver about this was out of the question. As much as I loved him, I knew without a doubt that his hotheadedness would unavoidably turn this into a liability for everyone involved. My sister, on the other hand, would provide a better stand, at least one more logical in action, but telling her would put her in aplicated position when the truth about Roy was revealed. I didn''t want to be the reason for her rtionship with Oliver to falter. Meaning there were only two people I could trust with this. Martian Manhunter and Batman. Both had the skills, and tools, to help me deal with this discreetly. "His mind is in aa of sorts," Raven said calmly. Her eyes fixed on Roy. I nodded. That much I now remembered. That was another problem. My memories; if it wasn''t for the pain I had felt when I encountered Roy, the memories of him rushing back to me at all once, I would''ve brushed the fact I didn''t remember him under the fact I have been here for years, and that before bing David, my memory wasn''t the best. I could have legitimately forgotten a thing or two here and there; after all, who the fuck can remember what they ate for breakfast sixteen years ago? But, the pain I had felt. It shouted external intervention. This alone opened a window of possibilities I didn''t like at all. Because, until today, I was confident in my mind being able to protect me, or at least warn me when someone was trying to mess with me. Which meant; that if my suppositions were right and my memory had been tampered by an unknown force, I wasn''t safe at all. After all, if they had locked some memories away, what was to say they hadn''t changed other things? For all I knew, I could have memories and feelings that are not my own inside of me, and I would never suspect a thing. Those possibilities, those what-ifs scared me. Chapter 92: Chapter 92: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I contacted Batman a few moments after Raven and I had left the CADMUS facility, telling him we needed to talk about something that required his immediate attention. Batman replied immediately after to my message, telling me he would be at my location in fifteen minutes. Once he arrived, I started exining the situation and what I had found within CADMUS, as well as my theories about what CADMUS''s purpose truly was in the great scheme of things, a fact that even with my so-called canon knowledge, I didn''t know. Batman listened to my theories, exchanging a few of his own before giving Roy a look. He stared at him with a nk expression, analyzing Roy from top to bottom without saying a word. I could tell from the way his eyes moved that he knew from a simple nce as well as I did that this would not be an easy fight for anyone involved. But Batman, as grim as the situation looked from every angle, I knew that Batman was nothing if not determined. "We need to start making some countermeasures to deal with the Light," Batman said, his voice cold and analytical, carrying deep tones that echoed in the stillness of the room. "They probably already know we know about them, or at least suspect that we are about to figure out there''s someone behind the curtain." I nodded as Batman continued. He seemed to be judging each word before he spoke, weighing its worth before he let them out, carefully picking each and every single one of them, giving them a sharp edge of sorts. There was no warmth in his voice, on his expression, nothing, just a mask with no emotion. It was like listening to a machine. But beneath the cold facade, I could see something else; I could see that there was a hint of something he was trying to keep in control, a hint of worry. ~The files Desmond had about the Light were very loose,cking in any substantial data about them, so it safe to assume he doesn''t know who they are,~ I replied, giving him an USB carrying a copy of the data I had stolen from CADMUS. ~Be that as it may, we can draw our own conclusions based on the data, and other factors at hand, which gives us a rough idea of who is behind this organization.~ Batman nodded. ~Lex Luthor and Ra''s al Ghul are two thate to mind, as they both have the power and resources to back this operation in their own ways,~ I added, taking a seat on a chair that was two feet away from Roy''s bed. I knew of Ra''s al Ghul and Luthor''s roles in the light because I had remembered bits of the light, bits connected to Roy''s role in this entire situation. Unfortunately, anything else was blurry at best, leaving me to figure out the rest. Or try and remember, but seeing as myst memory was unlocked by what was a clear trigger, it was best to focus on investigating. "I agree. Of all the viins we know, they both fit the profile needed to be part of a secret organization of this magnitude perfectly," Batman replied with a slow nod, his voice carrying a tone of analytical detachment. I nodded. ~It also gives much light into Superboy''s situation, as we both know Lex has an unhealthy fixation with Superman, one that is only matched in intensity by the Joker with you.~ "The files you downloaded from CADMUS, did they contain anything about Superboy?" Batman asked, his eyes cold and hard, like blocks of ice. I nodded. ~I hadn''t had the time to go through the information very thoroughly, but I did find a thing or two about Superboy.~ At this, I took a brief moment to breathe. ~He''s the closest thing to a perfect clone they managed to make from Superman''s DNA. Based on the files, Kryptonian DNA proved to be rather unstable during their work in all meanings of the word and being next to impossible to fully decode, with this resulting in unstable results in clones.~ Batman said nothing, so I continued. ~At first, the clones would break down, going through a process of cellr deterioration that always ended in a graphic pool of liquid,~ I said, remembering the images I had found and how graphic they had been. ~Eventually, they managed to work past that, creating their first sessful clone, Match, or so they thought. While Match was undoubtedly more stable than other attempts from a cellr point of view, the project was still a failure, with Kryptonian DNA proving once again too difficult to replicate.~ "They tried to make a clone with an imperfect DNA sequence, making the result uncontroble." Batman replied, taking a deep long breath. "Match''s name is probably the best tell we have that Luthor is part of this. Knowing Luthor, he probably named the clone Match as a y of words over his desire of Superman meeting his match." I nodded. ~You are right on both ounts, but uncontroble is not the adjective I would use to describe Match.~ I sighed, remembering my fight with the Kryptonian. ~Match''s behavior is feral, more so than most wild animals, his aggression and behavior being without provocation. Based on Raven''s scan of his mind, he''s nothing but pure rage, leaving him unable to form words or any type of coherent thoughts for that matter; this thankfully made dealing with him a whole lot easier.~ "Without knowledge, skill cannot be focused. Without skill, strength cannot be brought to bear, and without strength, knowledge may not be applied," Batman replied with a sigh. ~Exactly,~ I nodded. ~Now, onto your original question, Superboy is their following attempt, and their sessful one at that, to a certain degree. In order to make their clone more stable, they decided the best path to take was to mix what they had managed to uncover from the Kryptnonian DNA sequence with a DNA sequence they knew perfectly inparison; human DNA. This made the result one that they could work with; however, while Superboy was undoubtedly the best they had created, he was still a failed product in their eyes.~ "I see. Chances are they used human DNA to bnce out the traits they couldn''t otherwise," Batman stated. I nodded once again. ~Yes, but by using that, they lost a few characteristics they wanted to retain, with Superboycking the entire Kryptonian package, so to speak, as well as having his existing power being considerably inferior to those of Superman.~ "He might not share all of Superman''s weaknesses," Batman said, narrowing his eyes. "His human DNA could have filtered some of Superman''s Kryptonian weaknesses." ~His files say he''s affected by them, but to a lesser degree, one that doesn''tpensate for theck of power, as even without being a full Kryptonian, continuous exposure to kryptonite will weaken him and kill him; it will just take longer than it would with Superman, but not enough to be considered a benefit in their eyes.~ I replied. "What did you do with Match?" Batman asked. ~We put him back on a pod,~ I answered, cracking my fingers as I leaned forward. ~I sent Raven to retrieve him a few moments ago. She will use her magic to keep him sleeping until we allocate the space for him.~ Batman nodded, pleased with my answer. "Good, leaving him there would''veplicated things in the long run. As feral as he is, he can still cause a lot of damage if used correctly, so it is best to take him from them, no matter how much of a loose cannon he is." I wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment, which is why I had sent Raven to retrieve him. ~What do you propose we do from this point forward?~ I asked after a moment of silence between us, taking a deep breath. "For now, we need to analyze all the data you collected; from there, we need to move carefully," Batman answered, giving Roy a look. "This is a war that we will have to fight alone, without the League''s help, until we have more information." ~We need Martian Manhunter to help us with this. I haven''t found anything about this, but I''m pretty sure both clones have trigger words imnted within their mind,~ I replied. While I agreed we needed to keep this under the table until we had more to move on, we still needed to deal with the Light''s programming on both clones, and Martian Manhunter was quite possibly the best candidate to fill such a task.~ "Can Raven clear mental programming?" Batman asked, and I paused for a moment. ~I haven''t asked her but seems confident in her psychic abilities, so probably,~ I replied with a thoughtful look. I had honestly forgotten about asking her that, which now seemed like a good idea, all things considered. "Ask her and let me know if she can. If she happens to be able to do so, we will refrain from extending this knowledge outside this circle," Batman said. "As for clearing the clones'' programming, we won''t do that for now, I will first study their behavior closely in order to figure out what the Light truly wants." I nodded. ~Very well.~ "I will take Roy with me to the Batcave''s secret level, where Alfred and I will treat his condition until he wakes up," Batman stated, giving Roy another look. ~A room Robin doesn''t know of?~ I asked for rification. Batman nodded. ~Good,~ I nodded. While Robin was good at keeping secrets, it was like Batman said, it was better to keep this knowledge between just us so far. Chapter 93: Chapter 93: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After Batman and I finished talking, and he was about to leave with Roy, he offered me something. To join the team he was forming as their leader. I was honestly taken back by his offer, questioning his objectivity in the entire selection process. Batman without missing a beat exined I was the most qualified individual to lead them, as I had in his own words, the training, the mentality, and maturity to act efficiently. I frowned, epting his points and reasons for his decision, but telling him that I honestly worked best with Raven more than with any other person and that more people in that mix would affect efficiency. Batman agreed with this quickly, saying that that was exactly the reason he wanted me to lead the team, saying that my work with Raven was an example of what teamwork should look like, and what he expects from the team. I sighed, rubbing my temples, reminding him that while I was ttered he was offering me this position, I wasn''t exactly the best, my treatment of Roy''s clone by tossing him into portals being the prime example I still had things to work on. I also pointed out that there were other options within the roster, like Aqud, who previous to bing a hero was part of Antis army. Batman nodded, saying Aqud was the second in line for that position because of that, but that he still wanted me to lead them. --------------------------- I sighed. ~Batman, I I don''t know, I mean, I don''t even want to join the team to be entirely honest, I kind of enjoy the freedom I have as I am now.~ "I am aware of that, and believe me if the situation wasn''t like this, I would be offering you to join the League instead," Batman replied, cing a hand on my shoulder. "You of all heroes of your age, have proved to have all that we look for in a League member and more. For all intents and purposes, you are a member of the League, but I need you to operate as their leader for the time being." Well. This is weird to get used to; I mean, Batmanplimenting you, it just feels weird. ~Very well, but only until Aqud can take the mantle.~ I had a long list of reasons for not wanting to join the team, some personal, others not, but I could see why Batman wanted me to take this role. Right now, as far as we knew, there were two clones out there, one was trying his absolute best to join the League, the other was angry and part of the team. Batman wanted me to keep an eye on thetter of the two, while he kept an eye on the other one. Divide and conquer type of shit. "That''s all I can ask," Batman replied. ~Before you leave, how soon do you think you can find a room to keep Match on?~ I asked, seeing as he was about to turn to the exit. "A few hours maybe less, I will be contacting you with the details in a bit," Batman replied, walking to his car, where Roy''s unconscious body was buckled to the copilot seat. Well, I guess Raven and I will join the team. Fun ------------------------------------ Batman gone, I contacted Raven to talk about what I had talked about with the Dark Knight, a few moments after, a portal opened, with Raven floating out of the portal in a sitting position known in yoga as Agnistambhasana. Taking a deep breath, I quickly exined to her the situation, and what was needed from us at the moment. "Is this a bad time to want to go solo?" Raven said in a calm tone. I sighed, knowing she was joking by the way her eyebrows moved ever so slightly, but nevertheless, deciding to tell her she had an option. ~I know you were joking just now, but if you truly don''t want to join this team, you are in your right not to.~ Raven sighed. "I won''t leave you alone. That unfortunately is the price I have to pay for having befriended you." She finished with a faint smirk on her face. I smiled, rolling my eyes at her. ~Well, just for that, you can''t say no now. I revoke your refusal privileges in this offer now.~ Raven sighed in fake defeat, before she replied in an emotionless tone, "Oh nooo" I inwardly chuckled at that. The emotionless tone of the drawling no being very hrious in my opinion. ~This will beplicated, Robin is being eaten by the guilt, Kid sh is a showoff with self-esteem issues, and Superboy is an angry ticking bomb. The only one that I feel it will be easy to work with is Aqud.~ "That makes for fifty percent of the team, counting us," Raven replied. I nodded. That percentage was urate for now, as Miss Martian, and Artemis had yet to join, and that could and would upset that bnce of teamwork I was looking for. Miss Martiancked all manner of experience, and Artemis, well, she had other kinds of problems, so in short, I had my reservations about how working with them would be initially. Chances were that Miss Martian would take a neutral stand, in order to not insult anyone, while Artemis would take a headstrong approach to most things, trying to prove herself. Of the two of them, Artemis was most likely the one I would manage to work with the best the fastest, as her problems with teamworkpared to the rest were minimal, and easy to tackle. Miss Martian, on the other hand, would take a bit longer to fit in in terms of efficiency, with her massive inexperience and almost pathological need to be liked that stemmed from her life under racism, promising to affect her performance. "What are you thinking?" Raven asked, snapping me out of my train of thought. "You have that look that says, I know something you don''t." I smiled. ~Well, kind of, but you know~ "I didn''t ask how you know whatever it is, you know. You should know by now that I fully respect your privacy, so that''s beyond the point," Raven said with a deadpan expression. "What I do want to know is if whatever you were thinking right now is something I need to know or can know. I will remind you once again before you answer that I trust you, and therefore I don''t care where this information ising from, so feel free to answer if you can." I paused, blinking a few times. That was a pretty straightforward way to remind me she has never questioned the knowledge I technically pull out of my ass. ~I apologize, it''s just well, you know, hard to say something without giving a source or something,~ I sighed, scratching the back of my head. ~But you''re right, I should know by now that you trust me to have a good reason to not tell you.~ "I feel like I should say, duh, but I won''t," Raven replied, still wearing her deadpan expression. You kind of did but I will let it fly for now ~Well, in order to answer your question, yes, I know something you should probably know,~ I smiled, taking a deep breath before answering. ~In a few days or so, I''m not sure, two members will join the team I was asked to lead. The first one will be Miss Martian, who, as the name suggests, is rted to Martian Manhunter, the next one andst, will be an ex-criminal turning good, known as Artemis~ "Anything I should know about them?" Raven asked with a thoughtful look. I nodded. ~Miss Martian is probably the strongest psychic around when ites to raw strength and potential, so there''s that And Artemis, well, she''s a skilled assassin trained by many masters that just now managed to escape her life. They both have their personal problems, Miss Martian, the scars racism left on her, and Artemis, the scars her family left on her.~ "Racism?" Raven asked, tilting her head. "That seems remarkably stupid for a race of shapeshifters, at least from a phenotypical point of view. So is their racism based on social ss, power, or something else?" ~Is mostly phenotypical.~ I answered. "Noments of that," Raven replied, her face conveying how stupid she found what I had just said. I sighed. ~From what I know, there are a few colors in the Martian pallet of skin, those being Green, Red, Yellow and White, if I''m not mistaken, with White Martians being the ones everyone seems to hate and well, you can guess her color.~ "She''s a white martian," Raven stated, and I nodded. ~She will probably hide that bit of information from anyone in the team,~ I added, sighing once again. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, don''t we?" Raven said with a sigh of her own. I nodded. Chapter 94: Chapter 94: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Twenty-four hourster after my talk with Batman, I moved with Rachel to the base Batman had allocated for the team, the base like in canon was located in Mount Justice, one of the many headquarters the League used before the tower. The base when we arrived wasn''t empty. Having a few known heroes, like Green Lantern, working inside to restore the base back to its original glory, installing equipment and such. Greeting the heroes with a wave, we moved to the residential area of the base. Seeing I would spend most of my time here, at least for the time being, I had brought with me a few of my things to set up afortable area for me, so I was going to pick one of the rooms at the base, with Raven doing the same, picking the one beside mine, as both were in the farthest corner on the base. "How long do we have before the team arrives?" Raven asked, helping me unpack, as she had already unpacked her things thanks to her magic. ~Half an hour,~ I replied, before grabbing some clothes from one of my boxes and putting them in the closet. "Do you want me to trante you?" Raven asked. That was a very good question, I mean, the only one that I knew that knew signnguage, was Robin, Aqud probably did as well, but it was probably the Antian version of it, instead of the American one. ~I do,~ I nodded, epting her offer. "Very well," Raven nodded, as she continued helping me put my clothes in the closet. ------------------------------------ Half an hourter, the first members of the team arrived, alongside other heroes, finding us inside the cave. Amongst those heroes, there was Aquaman, Red Tornado, Hawkman, Shazam, Batman, sh, andst but not least, my sister, who simply smiled at the sight of me. Meeting Batman''s gaze for a brief moment, I turned to Raven and waited for Batman to exin to the members of the team, what this base was, and what the purpose of the team was. As I turned walking toward Raven who was levitating in a sitting position, I saw the expressions Superboy, Aqud, Kid sh, and Robin wore when they caught sight of me. Superboy seemed indifferent but curious. Simply keeping his arms closed. Aqud seemed interested, and for the most part, neutral. Kid sh seemed angry at me for whatever reason, and interested in Raven. Robin reacted as he did on CADMUS, avoiding my gaze in general direction, his bodynguage shouting he was feeling guilty, and ashamed. "This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League. We''re calling it into service again. Since you six are determined to stay together and fight the good fight... ...you''ll do it on League terms," Batman began, gazing in our direction, before turning Red Tornado. "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. ck Canary will be in charge of training, and I will deploy you on missions." For a moment, no one said anything, until Kid sh took a step forward, beaming. "Real missions?" "Yes, but covert," Batman replied. "The League will still handle the obvious stuff," sh said, joining the conversation. "There''s a reason we have these targets on our chests, and dress like this." "Indeed," Aquaman nodded. "Your incursion into CADMUS proved that the bad guys are getting smarter. Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly, as we cannot." "Thest member has arrived," Raven muttered, opening her eyes. I nodded, seeing Superboy react ever so slightly to Raven''sment, being quite possibly the only one to hear it, besides me. "The seven of you will be a team," Batman continued. "My apologies Batman, but didn''t you say at the beginning we were six?" Aqud asked, ncing at us before turning his attention back to the Dark Knight. Batman at this, simply looked behind them into the zeta tube tunnel, before answering, making everyone turn around to see two figures walk out of the tunnel. "This is the Martian Manhunter''s niece, Miss Martian." "Hi," Miss Martian replied, trying her best to hide her nerves, and excitement. Kid sh grinned at this, giving Raven and Miss Martian a look before whispering to Robin. "Liking this gig more every minute. Two total hotties." I might need to make some sort of HR system just for Kid sh. If I remember correctly, he was but one step away from being a carbon copy of Ma from MHA. "Wee aboard! I''m Kid sh. That''s Robin. Aqud. Superboy. Down there is Raven, and I don''t know who the other person is. So it''s cool if you forget their names," Kid sh said, trying painfully to flirt with Miss Martian, while also managing to throw an insult at me in the process. "His name is ck Bolt, you know that," Aqud replied, his tone bearing no hostility, just confusion as to why Kid sh was pretending to not know me. Kid sh said nothing, ignoring Aqud. "I''m honored to be included," Miss Martian replied, beaming at everyone,pletely oblivious that Kid sh was hitting on her. "Now that introductions are out of the way," Batman said, getting back the non-existent microphone. "I have decided alongside the League, to position ck Bolt as the leader of this team." Way to break the news, Batman At this, everyone turned their gaze to me, save for Robin, who simply looked at Batman. "What!? No! We barely know him!" Kid sh was the first one toin. Batman said nothing, simply narrowing his eyes at him. "I I''m sorry, it wasn''t my intention to raise my voice, sir," Kid sh realizing what he had done, took a step back, apologizing, cowering under the trademarked gaze of the Batman. "He has a remarkable record working solo, and with others, as well as the skills necessary to lead this team efficiently," Batman said, giving me a look. "This position is not one he wants, but one that he is needed to fill, for the time being; a fact that he acknowledges. He picked Aqud as his sessor for the role, for when I deem him ready to fill that role, should he want to." Aqud tensed, giving me a look that conveyed his evident shock at the fact I considered him the best candidate to fill the position. "I I''m honored," Aqud said, trying to find his words. "I am not sure if I would want to lead the team, but if needed, I will." He finished, his tone carrying a sense of duty one would only expect to see in an army movie, or the army if you are lucky. "I but why him? Robin could lead, or I could," Kid sh said. "I have no leadership skills, and you have even less," Robin replied much to my surprise, making Kid sh flinch at this. "Superboy is not interested in the role, Miss Martian is starting as a hero, and Raven is new by our standards, which leaves the best two possible options, Aqud and ck Bolt. Aqud has military experience that could trante well to leading a group, and ck Bolt has a wless record, both working with others, and alone." Kid sh muttered under his breath, saying it was not fair before sighing. "Fine" "I agree," Aqud nodded. "We should trust the League''s judgment, and trust in the leader they picked for us." Aquaman at this smiled, his bodynguage telling me he was proud of his sidekick. "Indeed," Martian Manhunter said, smiling ever so slightly. "I have worked with ck Bolt personally on more than one asion, and I can vouch for him." "Hi!" Miss Martian waved, as I turned to look at J''onn. I smiled under my mask, waving at her. Chapter 95: Chapter 95: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After Batman hadpleted his speech about the base and the purpose of this team, everyone left the ce to allow the League room and time to restore the base back to its operational state. Leaving Raven, Superboy, Miss Martian, and me alone on the base. "Do any of you know signnguage?" Raven asked, her body still hovering about the air in a sitting position. Superboy, at this, turned toward Raven, nodding with disinterest. "I I don''t, but I could learn if needed. Why?" Miss Martian asked, her tone switching between excited, confused, and shy in the span of her sentence. "Oh! Right! I''m so sorry!.. Hello, Megan! Uncle J''onn told you were mute." I nodded, smiling a bit under my mask at her antics. "He''s not mute," Superboy said, arms crossed. "Not really. He can''t speak because he would blow everything up." I nodded once again. It was a bit of an oversimplification of my entire thing, but it was urate nheless. "Then, until you learn signnguage, I will trante for him." Raven said, breaking out of her sitting position mid-air to stand on the ground. ~Wee to the team. You can call me ck Bolt or simply Bolt if you feel my superhero name is too long or tedious to say out loud. Starting today, we will train together, work together and, in our individual cases, live together for the foreseeable future, so let''s try and make this an enjoyable and productive experience.~ I said, as Raven tranted what I was saying with an emotionless expression in ce, her tone ever calm and even. "You guys will stay here as well?!" Megan beamed at that, her eyes sparkling in sheer uncontainable happiness. ~We are,~ I nodded as Raven tranted. Superboy, on the other hand, remained stoic and without much of a reaction to what I had said, remaining true to his edgy persona that wanted to pretend he didn''t care about anything. ~Today, however, we won''t do anything, so go ahead and pick a room, any room in the base, and make yourselves at home. If you need anything for your room or yourself, feel free to reach me in my room, which is located at the end of the living quarters, and I will get you what you need.~ I finished, smiling at them with my eyes. "But how will you buy that, I mean, whatever we need?" Megan asked, sounding concerned, probably thinking I would be the one to pay for the stuff. It seems J''onn taught her nothing about the earth or how hero teams work. ~I have ess to the League funds and control over them to a certain extent, so most things should be within my power to obtain within measure,~ I replied, leaving out the fact I actually had no limit on how much money I could use from both Batman and Green Arrow. "Hello, Megan!" Megan replied,ically pping her own forehead like I now remembered she used to do on Young Justice. "Of course, the League would give our team leader control over that!" I nodded at that. Making a mental reminder to try and ease her out of this Megan persona she was ying in order to hide her insecurities. On that same note, I also needed to find a way to ease Superboy into controlling his anger, which, if I remember correctly, was his biggest weakness for most of the show. ~Indeed, now go and explore, and if you have any questions, feel free to knock at my door,~ I nodded, letting them go to explore the base at their own leisure, before turning around with Raven, making our way toward our rooms. "You were right," Raven said after a few moments of silence as we entered the hall that led to our respective rooms. I nced at her, tilting my head. "The girl, she has a lot of power in the psychic arts. I haven''t seen anyone like her before today," Raven continued with a calm tone, rifying what she had meant a few moments prior. I nodded. ~She does All she needs is a bit of training to polish the edges of what''s already there." Megan, or rather M''gann M''orzz, was quite possibly the strongest psychic this iteration of the DC Universe had to offer. Her powers were insane, leagues above all other Martians for seemingly no reason. I knew that because she was a White Martian, her powers overall had been enhanced, at least in the psychic arts, but for her case specifically, her powers were leagues above even other White Martians. I wonder if such power has a reason to be, other than gic luck. "I will have to meditate more from now on," Raven said, snapping me out of my long reverie. I smiled, knowing just why she had said that just now. ~To train your mind?~ Raven nodded, ncing at me, her violet eyes connecting with mine. "You should do the same. As strong as your mind is against attackers, there''s a limit to everything. And I feel that she will reach the limit of your shield sooner than we think." I paused. That was a good point. While I didn''t see myself in a situation where M''gann would try and enter my mind by force, it was always best to prepare for the worst, even if the worst seemed unlikely. ~Will do,~ I nodded, taking her advice to heart before asking. ~Do you think she will try to breach our minds?~ "Who knows I don''t know her. But I rather prevent where I can," Raven replied with a calm tone, her lips forming a thin line. So the same reason I have. It''sforting to see we think alike most of the time. ~That''s a good reason. Trust is earned, not given, and they have yet to earn our trust, as we have yet to earn theirs,~ I replied with a nod. "Wise words, from the hands of a leader," Raven replied, smirking ever so slightly. I frowned, narrowing my eyes at her. She had made a mute joke again. From the hands of a leader, I swear to God, sometimes it feels like she makes her mute material beforehand just to have teasing replies here and there. ~Careful, if you smile too much, your emo/gothic card will be revoked,~ I replied with a smirk of my own. Proud of my joking reply. "Good try, but I have ess to the inte, and in there, I have found you could dress a manic pixie dream girl in goth clothes, and even with her hyperactive personality, constant annoyingugh, and more, she would never lose the ''Goth'' card," Raven replied, in a serious tone. I blinked, looking at both sides before asking with narrowed eyes. ~Why Why did you research that? That''s seems oddly specific.~ Raven turned, her right hand reaching for my hair as she started patting me like some kind of kid. "It is oddly specific." With that said, she entered her room without borating any further. Hm Well okay! I will pretend that''s not at all concerning and go to sleep. Chapter 96: Chapter 96: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As I was sleeping in my new room at the base, I felt something moving toward me in the darkness of my room. Ready to defend myself, I snapped my eyes open and reached out, grabbing the intruder by the arm before it could move any further. Only to find immediately after that the one that had entered my room was no intruder but Raven herself. Taking a deep breath, I rxed, releasing her from my grip. ~I''m sorry But, honestly. You pushed my body into a fight or flight response by sneaking up on me, and by fight or flight response, I mean fight or fight response.~ "There''s an intruder in the base," Raven replied, her tone and words snapping me out of whatever drowsiness I still had circting in my body. ~Where? How many?~ I asked, quickly grabbing my utility belt from my nightstand. "One," Raven replied. "An imp-sized Genomorph, one that seems to be interested in Superboy only." I frowned. I didn''t remember this from the show, so this was either a canon divergence or an event that happened but was never shown; either way, we needed to take care of the problem. ~How strong is the enemy?~ I asked, trying to gather some information about the threat before dealing with it in order to do it more effectively. "Weaker than all of us," Raven replied, and she didn''t need to say anything else after that reply. Raven hadn''t woken me up because there was a threat in the base, but because of our second mission. Keeping an eye on Superboy closely. ~Seeing as the Genomorph is still roaming the base to his leisure, then it must be safe to assume Miss Martian is not aware of this unknown, meaning we can observe Superboy without interfering, at least for now,~ I replied, trying to make some workable theories with what I had so far, as to why a Genomorph of all creatures hade here. Was the Light trying toplete Superboy''s programming to ensure he was the weapon; they had wanted him to be? No, that didn''t fit their behind the shadows approach to most things. This was something else thatcked a clear line of logic or motive. Or at least that had a line that I simply couldn''t see yet. In the show, the Genomorphs had rebelled against their makers in the hopes of a better future, a future they had decided Superboy would make for them. That had been the conclusion of their entire character arc, as far as I knew. Be that as it may, there''s a fine line between a show and reality, even if both share a shocking amount of simrities. Realistically, canon knowledge was bound to fail, especially considering my entire existence within canon shatters what that word stands for, making my knowledge most of the time situational and a ss cannon that, at best, would provide me with an edge here and there. But just like with the inte, trusting blindly in any type of knowledge was nothing more than a tactical suicide. Taking that into ount and what I had discovered from CADMUS files. There were two possible exnations as to why a Genomorph was here. One, emotional attachment. For the Genomorphs, Superboy was one of them, their brother in every meaning of the word, if I was to believe what I had witnessed so far, canon knowledge aside. They had let Superboy leave by allowing him to choose his own path, betraying in the process their entire purpose, which was to serve. Two, The Light. While this was out of their way of operating, at least from a first nce, it wasn''t that farfetched to connect them to this. In their eyes, Superboy was a weapon, one they had lost and perhaps, were now trying to recover. Out of the two options, I personally inclined towards the first option because, while The Light being behind this could exin the Genomorph being here, it still left too many holes as a whole. They valued Superboy as a weapon, sure, but they valued their privacy and secrecy even more. And a move like this was too much of a risk for the reward they were ying. Compared to that, emotional attachment felt more in ce when it came to this particr picture. ~Raven, can you feel the Genomorph''s emotions from here?~ I asked, turning to nce at Raven. "I could, but I would have to focus on it. Unless the emotions are strong, or from someone I know very well, my range without concentration is limited," Raven replied, getting her body pushing into the air a few feet above my bed level without so much of a sound as she got into a cross-legged sitting position or Sukhasana, folding her legs so that each leg rested on top of the opposite foot. A moment or twoter, her eyes started glowing white, with her body glowing in a soft hue aura of ck that had the faintest line of white across the edge of it. "The Genomorph feels happy," Raven said, finding the information strange apparently if her pauses were anything to go by. "I can feel it felt lonely, it missed Superboy, and because of it it decided toe here, to be with him." I was right then. Emotional attachment. Good this team is too young, too new to effectively work against The Light; for that, we needed time, a lot of time. "Superboy is hallucinating," Raven said, her tone back to normal. "The Genomorph seems to be the reason for this. Do we interfere?" Hallucinations. Well, that didn''t seem like something you would make someone you missed have to show any type of appreciation. ~How does Superboy feel right now?~ I asked. From his emotions, I would be able to deduce what the Genomorph''s intentions were by having Superboy hallucinate. "He''s angry, confused, scared and full of doubts," Raven replied. "We can take his anger out of the list, seeing that is his average state of mind." Indeed. He had a lot of anger within him, anger that in time he would erase, but right now, it was there, gnawing at him, at his insecurities, begging him to snap. I nodded. This was good enough for now. ~This will suffice for now,~ I said, making Raven break out of her focus state. ~Can you open a portal behind the little guy so that I can snatch it into my room?~ Raven nodded, her lips twitching upwards, having found myment apparently amusing in some sense. "I can, ready?" I nodded. ------------------------------------ [In an unknown location.] In an unidentified location, inside a dark, dreary room. The only light that came to view in the scene came from the screens that were inside the room, making a circle, each one glowing an eerie white. The figures on the screens were blurred and indistinct as they talked to one another, their voices clear and conspiratorial. "Can the Light afford to leave Guardian in charge without the G-Gnomes?" One of the figures spoke. "We have subtler means of control. What concerns me is the children. We now know the League is willing to employ young heroes to do their dirty work." Another replied, as an image appeared on one of the empty screens, showing Superboy, Aqud, Kid sh, and Robin running through Cadmus. "That''s a dark twist. But not one that personally concerns me. What does concern me is the other children," A new figure added, as the image on the screen changed to show Raven and ck Bolt, leaving the ce through a dark portal. "They managed to infiltrate the facility with ease, bypassing every security measure we had in ce, finding thest level as if it was the guest bathroom in the ce. Not only that, but they managed to defeat the Kryptonian failure down there with insulting ease," Another replied, showing some images of ck Bolt and Raven fighting Project: Match. "Not only that, but they discovered Speedy, the real one, and took him from us, only toe one hourter to steal Match as well if you ask me, those two need to be eliminated before they be a thorn in our side." "It''s true that they have done more damage in a day than anyone has done to us in decades, but this is a situation that can be yed to our advantage. Even the temporary loss of both Kryptonian projects may prove useful. After all, eventually, everyone sees the Light." Chapter 97: Chapter 97: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After dealing with the Genomorph by sending him to CADMUS, after Raven had scanned his mind to make sure its purpose for being here wasn''t a concern, I went back to sleep, waking up around six in the morning, ready to start some training with the members of the team currently within the base in order to see what I was working on. Going over my morning routine, I walked with Raven to the kitchen to find M''gann and Superboy already there, in the process of making their breakfast. I inwardly smiled at that. As Raven moved to the kitchen to get a drink, an iced coffee. "Hi Bolt!" M''gann beamed, waving both of her hands at me very enthusiastically. "I''m about to make some pancakes; want some?" I looked at her, seeing how eager and hopeful she was about me epting her breakfast offer, that I couldn''t find a reason to say no. I mean, it would save me the time of cooking something for myself. "Great! I''m on it!" M''gann beamed, somehow even more than before, moving around the kitchen like a poltergeist on crack. "Do you want some Raven?" Raven paused at the mention of her name, turning to face M''gann. "Sure." "Awesome! What about you, Superboy?" M''gann asked, turning to face Superboy, locking her gaze on him as she continued moving around the kitchen, grabbing ingredients for the pancakes. "Sure," Superboy replied, sounding unsure of his answer but finding the offer of not having to cook too enticing to simply ignore. I smiled, turning to M''gann to see her levitate a bag of fifty pounds of flour into the kitchen counter, a big smile on her face. I have a feeling this will end poorly somehow. -------------------------------------- [A few momentster.] I was absofuckinglutely correct. For God knows what reason, M''gann hadn''t made a decent SFW amount of pancakes, like anyone would''ve done, even after I told her she was making too much, and she said she would cut back. "I''m sorry! I Just got excited and wanted to make the perfect pancakes, and sorry," M''gann said, her voice growing higher and higher in tone as she continued. All while I struggled to do the most basic human functions, like breathing. She had served me and Superboy no less than two hundred pancakes each, she had tried with Raven, but she walked out after the second without a care for the world. She didn''t understand. It was a man thing. A man must never, ever! Under any circumstances, admit defeat in the face of a te with food still on it. Superboy knew that I knew that, and we made a non-talking pact to eat the pancakes. "I told you that eating more pancakes was a stupid choice," Raven said, holding an open book in her hands, using her magic to pass the page. ~I''m fine,~ I replied, takingbored breaths in and out. ~Isn''t that right, Superboy?~ Superboy, who was stoically trying his absolute best not to show any signs of the pancakes affecting him, nodded. "It was a good breakfast, M''gann." However, his absolute best didn''t ount for him lying on the floor. "But you are on the floor." M''gann muttered. "I like the floor. Do you have a problem with that?! I find it veryfortable," Superboy, true to his character, growled at her, defending his stance on the pancakes and floor through victoriousbored breathing. I nodded. The floor was indeedfortable. Especially for back aches, no need to pretend on that. "Oh, I see, then I''m sorry," M''gann sighed in relief, and I could almost hear Raven''s hand mming against her forehead at this. "Well, this is too much for me. Call me when training starts," Raven said before levitating out of the room. "Wait! I wanted to ask you something!" M''gann called after her, chasing after Raven. Leaving us alone. "She must never know," Superboy spoke after a moment or two, each word feeling like a Herculean feat. "None must." .... I think I''m gonna like hanging out with him. Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself up and nodded. ~Never.~ Superboy said nothing, but I could almost see a smile somewhere there. Granted, it could have been thebored breaths or my body going into a diabetica, but I saw something there. -------------------------- Two hours of painful digestionter, I summoned the team, the ones inside the base, to the training room. ~Before any of you ask, I know ck Canary is the one Batman responsible for our training,~ I began as Raven tranted, only for M''gann to smile as she raised her hand, asking for a turn to speak. "Yes?" Raven asked. "I learned signnguage yesterday. I downloaded a few dictionaries and other books and memorized them," M''gann announced with a proud tone. "I I still can''t use the signs myself very quickly, but! That''s not an immediate problem, as my brain still trantes what you say automatically. As for talking like you I will do it in time; I just have to practice it, as it requires a lot of muscle memory more than anything, and Well, I can''t speed that up." One day? It took me a lot more than that; even Robin took more than that. I''m both impressed and jealous. ~That''s impressive nheless, very impressive,~ I replied, feeling somewhat touched that she had learned signnguage just for me. "Thanks!" M''gann beamed at the praise. "T-that was all; you can continue; sorry for interrupting." ~Well As I was saying, I am aware that Batman assigned ck Canary to be in charge of our training. However, be that as it may, we will still train outside her schedule to better improve our skills and powers, as well as creating an understanding of our individual shorings in battle in order to improve teamwork and our individual performance as a whole,~ I said, taking my speech back from where I had left it. "I don''t need training," Superboy scoffed, arms crossed. ~You don''t?~ I asked, tilting my head at his rather confident remark. "No, all I need is my strength. With that, I can punch my way out of anything," Superboy replied, his eyes daring me to say the contrary. "Just as you only need your voice to end most fights, for us, training is pointless." ~Pointless, care to prove that statement?~ I asked, inviting him to the ring. "I could kill you by mistake if you don''t use your voice," Superboy replied with a low re at me. Talk about tooting one''s own horn. ~Is that you conceding the match to me?~ I asked, smiling at him with my eyes, doing my best to show nothing butplete confidence in both my bodynguage and the words I signed, all in order to get a rise out of him, to teach him a lesson. Force is meaningless without skill. "Your call," Superboy scoffed, walking towards the ring. Chapter 98: Chapter 98: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Rachel Roth POV] David and Superboy faced off in the training area. It''s a wide open space, with plenty of room for the two of them to fight. For a few seconds, they circled each other, looking for an opening, until Superboy seems to have had enough and lunges forward. A foolish mistake. With a calm expression, David dodged out of the way, nting a right hook that connected with Superboy''s jaw. The hit made Superboy stagger a few feet back, leaving him with an expression ofplete utter shock, his emotions shouting to me his clear confusion as to why David''s attack had hurt him. Growling, he lunged at David again, this time with a flurry of punches trying to overwhelm David. However, instead of being overwhelmed as he wanted, David took a step forward, meeting Superboy''s approach head-on. With ease, David weaved under Superboy''s assault, deflecting and parrying his punches like a children''s game, before kicking him away. "Stop dodging!" Superboy growled, mming one of his fists on the ground as he stood up. "Wouldn''t that defeat the purpose of this?" I replied, a deadpan expression in ce. Smiling at myment, David rushed at Superboy, with Superboy doing the same. In a series of movements too fast for me to fully appreciate, David dipped and weaved around Superboy, moving with unimaginable grace, whilending attacks on the Kryptonian clone that he never seemed to notice on time. ~We can stop, if you want,~ David offered,ing to a halt in front of Superboy, who simply growled at the offer, throwing a hard punch at him. Clearly expecting this, if David''s emotions were anything to go by, David dodged, and swiftly punched Superboy in the sr plexus right as he was rxing his muscles to breathe, knocking the wind out of the Kryptonian, and stunning him for a brief moment. Seeing this blow had opened Superboy up for another attack, David obliged him, putting a simple upward kick into the Kryptonian''s chin, before quickly following that up with a knee strike to his stomach, doubling him over. Still not over, David followed that up with a quick rising uppercut that lifted Superboy into the air, making Miss Martian wince for the man. ~We are done here,~ David said, as Superboy stood up, looking angrier than ever. "I haven''t even started," Superboy growled, trying to hide how winded he was. It was like David said, punch left in the air tires more than one that connects, and Superboy had so far only punched the air. David smiled, pointing at Superboy''s chest. I blinked, just now realizing David had nted several explosives on the Kryptonian. Just when did he do all that? I couldn''t help but wonder. "This won''t do anyth-" Superboy didn''t get to finish his sentence as David detonated the explosives, all of them going at the same time. "This this is getting out of hand," Miss Martian muttered in worry as the smoke from the explosions cleared, revealing Superboy on the ground kneeling, gasping for air. I frowned. Explosives of that size, no matter how powerful they were, shouldn''t have done so much damage. David smiled, winking at me. It was here that I realized what he had done, remembering something that had happened a few months ago. Two to three months ago, David had asked me to enhance some of his equipment with magic. Today, he had used some of that equipment. I''m impressed; I didn''t even realize those explosives had magic, though now that I''m aware, I can feel some residue around Superboy. It seems I''m quite good at concealing magic. "W-what was that?" Superboy said, ring at David. ~Magic,~ David replied, offering Superboy a hand to stand up. Superboy, even though angry, took David''s hand, much to my surprise. "Magic?" ~Yes, Raven over there buffed some of my equipment for situations where a bit of extra punch was required,~ David replied, with a small nod. "Whatever," Superboy replied, crossing his arms. ~Now that I showed you what a bit of skill can provide, let''s start training, shall we?~ David replied, brushing Superboy''s aggressive demeanor. "You won because you cheated, that''s all; in a real fight, I would''ve-" Superboy began, but I stopped him, using my magic to freeze him in ce. "In a real fight, all he needs is a well-ced whisper, and you are done," I said, floating toward him. "One close enough to your ears should be enough to liquify your brains, killing you instantly." "Guys maybe we need to talk this out?" Miss Martian said, trying to break the tension off. I paid her no heed, my gaze fixed on Superboy. "Even the likes of Superman can be defeated with ease with the right tools and strategy. What makes you think you are any different?" At this, David frowned, giving me a look that said, drop him, please. "In a real fight, the odds will never be in your favor unless you make sure they are. Brawn and natural skills can only take you so far," I said, releasing Superboy from my grasp. ~Raven is right,~ David said, looking at Superboy and Miss Martian. ~This, however, doesn''t mean you should feel bad or angry at your shorings. Because we all have them, even the big heroes.~ Superboy said nothing, simply staring at David. ~For miss martian, all you need is heat to defeat her, or any martian,~ David said, making Miss Martian flinch. ~For me, all you need is magic, a weakness I share with you. With Raven, shecks any powers that could trante well to a physical fight. We all have our weaknesses.~ "And training will make them disappear?!" Superboy scoffed, ring at him. David smiled. ~Oh, no, that will never happen; I mean, some weaknesses are there to stay. What training can do, is help us to better prepare for when enemies try to exploit our weakness; training will help uspensate them in ways you can''t even imagine. You are stronger than me, faster, yet, you can''tnd a hit; with training, you might even give Superman a run for his money, even without all of his powers.~ Superboy froze, his emotions going between angry and hopeful. "I need a drink." With that said, he walked out of the room, a turmoil of emotions erupting within him. Chapter 99: Chapter 99: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Much to my incredible surprise, after his defeat, Superboy had decided to join during training. Nevertheless, it became immediately apparent to me that while open to the idea of training, Superboy was not entirelyfortable with the entire situation. During training, he carried himself stiffly as if he expected to be insulted or provoked at any given moment. More than not, he would avoid making eye contact with anyone in the room unless we were sparring. When he did make eye contact outside sparring situations, his entire demeanor would change in a different direction. He would hold his head high with an air of defiance around him. One didn''t need to be a genius or have the ability to read minds to know what he was thinking when he did this. That air of bravado demonstrated that, on some level, he thought he was better than the rest of us; even when failing, that; this training wasn''t going to be enough for him. I could see it in his eyes. I wasn''t angry about this. Not even bothered, really; in fact, I weed his behavior with open arms to an extent, as long as it didn''t interfere with the training directly, because I knew that this show he was putting on for the rest of the world was nothing but a self-made mask to hide his fears. To hide the fact that deep down, he thought that he wasn''t enough. It was simply a matter of time before he came to terms with himself, so until then, it was more than enough for me that he actually wanted to train, even if he didn''t believe training would help him at all. Now. On the matter of Miss Martian. Well, that was apletely different can of worms. She had immense power, but little to no skill or control over it. Talent like no other, butck of confidence to capitalize on it, in short, from a psychological point of view, she was a wreck, perhaps one even bigger than Superboy. I had severely underestimated what decades of racism, abuse, and other factors had done to her. Be that as it may, working with her was proving to be easier than one would expect, all things considered. While it was true that she had many, many problems. She was, unlike Superboy in most situations, open to the idea of a helping hand because, unlike Superboy, she was willing to ept her shorings, well, almost all of them. In fact, because of this, she was eager to prove herself. If I had to take a guess, she was not only trying to learn but gain any semnce of approval and eptance from us. In Raven''s words, her emotions felt like those of a starved child looking for affection, a mix of desperation, despair, hope, and fear, all at once. Even though I had deduced that much from a simple nce here and there, it was actually remarkably shocking to hear how M''gann felt. I guess that, in some way, I was still clinging to the M''gann I had seen in Young Justice, a girl that, while not without her problems, she would face them quite easily. Well That''s the difference between reality and a show. Both can share much, but reality always hits harder. "I did it!" M''gann cheered. Did what? Confused, I turned around to find M''gann and Raven training in hand-to-handbat without powers. "Congrattions," Raven said in a barely audible tone. Her tone and expression were nk, emotionless. I tilted my head, giving the girls a look. "I managed to block four hits in a row without panicking!" M''gann said, reading my expression and answering my unspoken question, with a big smile on her face. I smiled at her from my eyes and under my mask. ~Congrattions.~ "Again?" Raven asked. "Another spar? Sure," M''gann nodded. I grinned at this, giving Raven a look. ~Since when are you eager to spar in hand-to-handbat?~ "Since the moment I was given someone below my level," Raven replied, giving me a piercing look. "You and ck Canary always beat me up." I frowned. Sure, I had won every spar we had ever had, but I wasn''t beating her just for the sake of beating her; I wasn''t even beating her. That was my sister. All I was doing was parrying/blocking her hits and giving her my pointers here and there. I might have thrown a kick at her, here and there. But she ain''t no saint when we train with powers. Hell, I''m pretty sure thatst time she sent me to a demonic dimension for a brief moment. "I did not," Raven said. I narrowed my eyes. "You have no proof," Raven said. "Are you two having a telepathic chat?" M''gann asked, her eyes going between the two of us, confused as to what was happening right now. "No," Raven replied, a small smile gracing her face. "But I''ve been with ck Bolt long enough to know what he thinks. It also helps that he''s easy to predict." Did did Raven call me a basic bitch?! "I did," Raven nodded. ... .... Well, time to use one of my secret weapons. ~You just won yourself a M''gann breakfast,~ I said, smiling at my choice of punishment. At this, Superboy snorted in a faraway corner, slipping out of his sulking persona. "And how do you intend to make me eat, said breakfast?" Raven asked, one of her eyebrows perking up. I smiled, an impish smile at that. ~Oh Fabio, the darkness within me consumes me, for there are two souls within me, one bad, one evil, both in love with-~ I hadn''t managed to finish what I was saying when Raven had materialized in front of me, using her magic to stop my hands. "How did you find that out?!" Raven hissed, her eyes glowing ck. I blinked a few times at her, Disney style. ~You used my library card~ Raven froze. ".... Well yed." "I Ehmm what''s happening? And why does my breakfast feel like a punishment?" M''gann muttered, confused as hell with the situation. "It''s an earth thing; couples fight all the time ording to the inte; this is what some people call a love fight or a fight without bark," Superboy replied. "I won''t even dignify that with a response," Raven said, turning around to mildly re at Superboy. "You guys aren''t a couple?!" M''gann gasped. "I could''ve sworn you were; I mean, you can read each other''s thoughts without a clear connection! On Mars, only lovers can do that!" Well, this is getting weird; time to bail. ~So library?~ I asked Raven. "Yes," Raven nodded, engulfing us in her magic. On the good side, M''gann and Superboy were showing some behaviors that were to be expected of their ages, like teasing; sadly they picked the worst target for teasing, Raven, and a mute by a choice. But, nevertheless, it was progress. Chapter 100: Chapter 100: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] In a matter of days, I quickly fell into a routine; training with the team every morning before breakfast, or at least with those that were here for that matter. After training, our days were pretty much open, especially considering Batman wasn''t giving us any missions, which left most of the day after training free for team-building exercises and activities. As the temporary leader of the team, my current focus was on making sure that we were able to work together and build something great, something that wouldn''t depend on me. I had to make sure that they could function as a team without me, and that meant building a bridge of trust and respect between them. So far, my n seemed to be going well; Superboy and M''gann were slowly but surely opening more and more to me, dropping their walls, each one in their own way, and I had to say they were making remarkable progress, all things considered. But, there was always room for improvement. "Bolt, I made cookies. Want some?" M''gann said, knocking at the door of my room two times as she spoke. I smiled at her thoughtfulness and got up from my bed, putting the book I had been reading on the night table as I walked to the door. ~What kind?~ I asked curiously as I opened the door. "Chocte chip," M''gann said with a bright smile, holding out a te of still-warm cookies for me to see. My eyes widened in appreciation and I took one off the te, taking a big bite out of it. ~Mmm, oh god, these are amazing!~ I said genuinely, already reaching for another one. She giggled and blushed a little at mypliment before shoving the whole te into my chest. "They are all yours." ~All mine?~ I asked, holding the warm te of cookies with one hand. "Yup, Superboy and Raven already got some, so seeing you were in your room, I made a whole te just for you," M''gann nodded, beaming at me with a bright smile. I stared at her for a few seconds before smiling at her with my eyes once again. ~Thank you, M''gann.~ "It''s not a big deal," M''gann said bashfully, clearly not used to this kind of attention. ~You could be a chef,~ I said, changing the subject ever so slightly. ~Every time you make something, it is better than thest batch of whatever you made. It''s impressive, and I kind of envy you for being this good.~ M''gann blushed harder, her smile extending from ear to ear now. "I used to help my mom in the kitchen a lot when I was younger, and well, there was also a lot of cooking shows from Earth that uncle J''onn used to bring every other month; I never could cook anything from those shows, but I always wanted to, and well here I am." At this, her eyes grew distant for a moment, almost sad with a touch of nostalgia. "It''s always been something I enjoyed doing." ~Well, you have a gift,~ I said before popping another cookie into my mouth. M''gann giggled. "Well, I''m d you think so!" With that said, she bid me goodbye and went back to her own room, leaving me alone with the te of cookies. I sighed contentedly as I sat down on my bed, munching on a cookie as I picked up my book once again. --------------------------------- The next morning, I woke up extra early, around 4:00 AM, making my way to the training room to start my training routine, the one before the one I had with the team, only to find Raven, Superboy, and M''gann waiting for me there. "Took you long enough, sleeping beauty," Superboy said, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall. I frowned. ~What are you guys doing here?~ I asked, getting straight to the point. Not even Raven liked waking up this early to pre-train with me. "We wanted to train with you," M''gann replied with a smile as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I arched an eyebrow at her. ~Why? I mean, your training starts at 6:30 AM.~ I asked, still not understanding what they were trying to achieve by training with me. "You train no less than ten hours a day, with or without us, so taking that into ount, it has be evident you are a few steps ahead of us with your regime," Raven said simply, shrugging her shoulders as if it was no big deal. "Besides, you''re the strongest one here, and our leader, it''s only natural we follow your example." "Strongest," Superboy huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he pushed himself away from the wall. "Please, I could take him down any day." ~No, you couldn''t,~ I signed back at him with a smirk. "Oh yeah?" Superboy challenged, but surprisingly not in an angry manner. "It''s not fair for you to train this much alone," M''gann said,ing to stand next to me, her eyes imploring me to understand. "We are supposed to be a team, and if you are too ahead of us, we will only slow you down." Well, if they truly want to start training earlier, fine by me. I was honestly easing them into training so as not to scare them, but this works. ~Fine, let''s start with a quick warmup, followed by some spars, you and me, Superboy.~ "Deal," Superboy said with a smirk as he cracked his knuckles. "Let''s do this!" M''gann eximed excitedly. "I feel like I will regret this," Raven muttered under her breath, but despite her words, I could see the excitement in her eyes, as well as a small smile creeping on her face. And with that, our training began. --------------------------------- A few hourster, a few minutes after noon, our training came to an end for the day. The entire team was drenched in sweat, panting and gasping for breath. Hell, Raven and M''gann looked like they were about to pass out, with both having had the hardest time keeping up with the physical part of my training. "Your luck will... end one of these days," Superboy said between pants, trying to catch his breath as he sat on the floor with his back against the wall. ~It''s not luck, but yeah, I''m certain one of these days you will make our spars unbearably hard for me,~ I replied with a nod, being the only one that looked fresh in terms of energy. Sure, I was drenched in sweat, but honestly, I could keep going if I wanted to. "You must hate your body; how can you subject it to this daily?" Raven muttered under her breath, but I could see the amusement in her eyes. "What''s worse is that you make it look so easy." ~It''s all about practice, focus, and repetition,~ I replied with a shrug of my shoulders. ~If you guys keep at it like this, you''ll be able to keep up with me in no time.~ Chapter 101: Chapter 101: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I had been summoned by Batman to the Bat Cave. The summon itself didn''t say for what reason or possible motive, but I could draw my own conclusions. The Light, or Waller. I honestly hoped it was about the situation with the Light. As problematic as Waller was, The Light was worse, at least in this universe, meaning that whatever threat Waller represented could simply wait until the Light was no more. I had my reasons to believe that Batman felt the same; after all, more than not, we shared views on these kinds of things. Taking a deep breath, I descended into the depths of the Bat Cave, using one of the external entry points outside the Wayne Manor. "ck Bolt," Batman greeted me from the chair of hisputer, his eyes fixed on some information that was on disy on the massive monitor a few feet away from him. By his side, Alfred stood, an empty tray at hand. "Master Bolt, would you care for a drink?" Alfred asked, turning to look at me with a warm smile adorning his face. I nodded. ~Water would do nicely.~ "Wonderful, I''ll be back in a minute," Alfred bowed before taking his leave. ~Thanks,~ I signed before my eyes flickered back to Batman. Batman''s eyes left the screen and fixed on me. "I went through the files you got from CADMUS, and the situation is worse than we imagined," he said simply. That was an understatement of the century. "The data we have is iplete, but it seems like they are preparing for war," Batman borated, his eyes dark. I frowned. ~What do you mean by ''iplete''?~ I mean, I knew the Light limited Desmond''s ess to important information, but I was sure I took all there was to know about the light within Desmond''s grasp CADMUS. Unless some of the files were simply encrypted covers for more valuable information. That was a possibility. I hadn''t had the time to really go through the files with that of managing the team, visiting Harley and Ivy, and doing patrols in Star City. "Some files had files within them that were heavily encrypted, and I could only decrypt a small portion of them. But from what I could gather, they are not just building an army, but they are also stockpiling weapons," Batman exined, his eyes growing dark. So I was right. ~It would exin the Genomorphs.~ Batman nodded. "Their goal is evident, and that is war. What I''m not sure about is what war they are nning to fight exactly.... because one thing is certain, it isn''t against the League." I frowned. If not the League, then who? I feel like I should know this... Taking a deep breath, I approached the Dark Knight. ~Why did you call here? You are not one to summon someone for a simple exchange of information, so tell me, what do you need?~ Batman''s eyes softened a bit. "I need you to find out what the Light is nning. I need you when the time is right to infiltrate their ranks and learn everything you can about their ns." I see now. He wanted to exploit Deathstroke''s interest in me in order to enter the Light. The question is, how does he know Deathstroke is part of this so-called light? I paused, mulling over his words; this was quite the task he was giving me, one that I wasn''t sure I wanted to take. It wasn''t that I didn''t want to help. On the contrary, I wanted nothing more than to see the Light brought down. But at the same time, I knew that this path would only hurt those that I care about. ~That''s quite the mission, Bruce,~ I said, my back leaning against the control panel of his massive PC. "I know, and I will understand and ept if you say no," Batman replied, his voice sincere. "But I hope you understand why I''m asking this of you." I nodded. ~I do. Is because of Deathstroke, isn''t it?~ I signed, my eyes meeting his. "Partially," Batman nodded. "I know he''s interested in you, and we can use that to our advantage. But also because you''re one of the few people I trust enough to take on this mission." ~Careful, Richard might get jealous,~ I replied with a small smile. ~You do realize that if I do this, I will have to stuff that, as heroes, we swore never to do, right?~ Batman nodded, his voice carrying a grim tone. "I know, and I am prepared to ept whatever consequencese from this." I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought... But, if I wanted to protect my sister, Raven, Oliver, and everyone else, I had to do my part. ~Alright, Bruce,~ I said, pushing myself off the control panel. ~Count on me.~ Batman''s eyes softened in relief. "Thank you, David." ~Do try, however, to find another solution before embarking on this path,~ I added, cracking my neck in order to release some tension. Batman nodded. "Infiltration is ourst resort." ~Who can know?~ I asked, gazing at him for a brief moment. "No one, if possible. Raven, if absolutely necessary," Batman answered without missing a beat. "Raven already knows more than anyone, so for her, it would be easy to figure out what''s happening either way. Beyond her. Everyone is on a need-to-know basis." No one. Well fuck, that will make things emotionally distressing for everyone involved if I ever have to face my sister inbat while ying the role of a viin. ~We have to figure out a workaround for my powers then,~ I replied with a sigh. ~I mean, what will I do if the Light asks me to shout?~ "I''m working on a solution for that," Batman replied before opening a file on hisputer. "As we speak, Martian Manhunter has been working with the best martian scientists his world has to offer to develop a tool to allow you to speak without actually speaking. The tool is heavily based on their sentient ships and their abilities to connect with their owners." ~Does he know?~ I asked. He shook his head. "No." Chapter 102: Chapter 102: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The days went by, and my talk with Batman still hovered over my head, to the point I knew Raven was aware that something was wrong, but respecting my privacy as she normally does, wasn''t asking. "When are we gonna go out for missions?" Superboy asked, arms crossed as he leaned against a wall. ~Soon, at least ording to Batman,~ I replied, not at all worried about missions right now. As a newly formed team, we needed to focus on building synergy between us before actually going out. Otherwise, we were destined to fail. Superboy nodded. [B-04: Kid sh. B-03: Aqud. B-02: Robin.] So they finally decided to visit. ~Don''t worry, Superboy, soon enough, you will be punching bad guys to the hospital,~ I added, with a smile under my mask. Making Superboy smile ever so lightly, finding myment funny. "Bolty, you''re gonna have to speak up if we''re gonna understand you," At this, I turned to see Kid sh leaning against a wall, a challenging smirk on his face. "You want to die?" Superboy asked, a frown on his face as he looked at Kid sh, who, upon hearing the young Kryptonian, was taken aback by his words. "If he speaks in your general direction, there would be no remains to bury. I honestly fail to see why you want to see him talk with that being that case." "It was a joke, and besides, I can dodge whatever Bolty here has to offer," Kid sh scoffed, winking at Raven and M''gann. Raven ignoring him, and M''gann shifting ufortably at his casanova wannabe attempts. "I was led to believe your maximum speed was around 720MPH," Raven said with an even tone. "ck Bolt''s voice moves faster than that. Mathematically speaking, you can''t dodge whatever he throws at you." Kid sh frowned before smiling at her. "Babe, you don''t know how fast I can truly go when motivated." Oh god, I think I puke a little bit inside my mouth. "First of all, not your babe, not now, not ever, not even with brain damage. Second, you should really re-check your material, or you will only be the fastest at being rejected." Raven replied, with a deadpan in ce. Holy fuck Raven. "Speedy was right about you," Kid sh muttered under his breath. As Aqud and Robin appeared behind him. ~Or you are truly out of ce, one of the two, don''t you think?~ I signed, as Superboy tranted for me, much to my surprise. "What?" Kid sh said, ring first at Superboy and then at me after the former pointed at me. ~This is a Superhero team, not a social gathering,~ I said, as Superboy continued tranting for me. ~Any pursuit within the team is by all means, uneptable, at least during work hours. During your free time, you are free to do as you please as long as both parties are okay with said interaction, and by free time I mean after you take your costume out and go home.~ "And who are you to tell me that?" Kid sh scoffed. "Outside Gothic babe, I haven''t heard anyints." I sighed, rubbing my temples. ~Aqud, in the Antean army, how would your superiors treat Kid sh''s attitude toward his female teammates?~ "Well... Under Article 48, there are serious penalties for sexual misconduct of any kind. All service members convicted of sexual assault or harassment will face a dishonorable discharge or a bad conduct discharge apanying the forfeiture of all pay, allowances, and veteran benefits," Aqud replied like a soldier answering to his superior, making Kid sh flinch. "Seeing as Kid sh''s approach when ites to Miss Martian and Raven enters the lowest category of misconduct under Article 48, he would be discharged without pay for making his female fellow soldiers ufortable." ~Thank you, Aqud,~ I nodded, turning my attention back to Kid sh. ~As team leader, I will not tolerate any kind of harassment. Raven already made clear her dislike over your attempts, so cease before I am forced to kick you out of the team." Kid sh flinched once again. "Miss Martian hasn''t said anything." Really, that was his argument? I honestly feel like I''m talking with a brick wall. "Because she''s too nice to voice any hurtful opinions," Raven said, making M''gann freeze on the spot. ~Be that as it may, I won''t tolerate this any longer. You will behave while interacting with the team, or you will leave the team,~ I said, making Raven smile ever so slightly. ~If outside team hours, you happen to ignite any kind of spark with any of your teammates, females or males, that''s up to the two of you. However, during team hours, you will behave with the utmost respect, am I clear?~ "I could just walk out," Kid sh growled. ~Be my guest,~ I nodded, pointing at the door. ~If you don''t want to confront your problems, I won''t force you, but I won''t deal with them. Is your life and your calls; you make them, so if walking out feels best for you, go ahead.~ Kid sh froze in ce. "He''s not being unreasonable. Batman would''ve kicked you out of the team already," Robin said, finally adding some words to the conversation. "All you need to do, is keep your non-existent sex appeal locked during team hours; that''s not a lot to ask, is it?" Kid sh sighed. "Fine... I apologize if my behavior made anyone ufortable." I could tell he didn''t mean his apology; I knew that in his mind, he thought he was right, that he wasn''t crossing any lines. For now, though, it was a step in the right direction. "It''s... okay," Miss Martian said. "Just... Well, we don''t know each other at all, so it feels weird..." "Disgusting you mean," Raven said, without even giving Kid sh a look. ~Very well,~ I nodded. ~With that out of the way, let''s go to the training room to show what we can do in order to better work on our synergy. Aqud, you will supervise with me; your input will be most helpful.~ Chapter 103: Chapter 103: If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! Chapter got deleted for some reason. Just reposting. -------------- [David Lance POV] I led the team to the training room and broke them into teams, Team A: Raven and Superboy, Team B: Kid sh and Miss Martian, and Team C: Aqud and Robin. ~For now, Robin and you will watch,~ I said, giving the two a quick look, getting a nod from Aqud. With that done, I turned my attention to Team A and Team B, who were waiting for me to give them further instructions. ~The rules of this little exercise are simple.~ "Whatever," Kid sh muttered under his breath; if only he knew I could hear him. Taking a deep breath, I began exining as I walked toward them, ignoring the bratty attitude Kid sh was giving me. ~The circle around the four of you represents a dead zone, meaning that if you go beyond bounds, you are out of the match and, for the intent of the match, dead. Your objective for this exercise, if it wasn''t clear by now, is to take the other team out of boundaries.~ I was leaving out a lot of details here. While it was true that the main objective of this little exercise was for them to push the other team out of the circle, at least on a surface level, it wasn''t the only objective this exercise had. For example, another objective I wanted to test was their ability to coordinate and work together and not against each other without clear orders. "Easy," Superboy said, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he looked at the other team with a confident re. Smiling at Superboy''s antics, I looked at both teams and continued. ~You have one minute to prepare for the spar. After that, the match will begin.~ With that said, I took a step back and gave them some space to discuss and n amongst themselves before the match would start. I was honestly curious how they would perform in this test; this was, after all, their first real test as a team. After a minute or so, it was clear that both teams had finished discussing and were ready to begin, so I took my ce in the center of the circle and raised my hand to signal the start of the match. Instantly, both teams sprung into action. Superboy wasted no time in charging straight for Kid sh, while Raven began firing dark energy sts at Miss Martian, who immediately started dodging. It seemed Team A nned to take out the speedster first, which from a strategic point of view was a smart move. However, what they didn''t seem to ount for was the ability all speedsters have to think many times faster than a normal person in order for them to keep up with their speed. Because as Superboy came barreling toward him, Kid sh used his super speed and quick thinking to create a gust of wind that knocked Superboy off bnce and sent him flying into Raven. The two tumbled onto the ground as Kid sh rushed towards them. "Kid sh, no!" Miss Martian called after her teammate, quickly realizing the mistake he was making, but s, he paid her no heed, grinning while trying to show off in front of her. "Don''t worry, I got this!" Kid sh said, losing focus for a brief moment as he was about to reach Team A, a brief moment Raven took to st him off with a beam of dark energy, sending him flying into the boundary of the circle. ~Kid sh out,~ I called out before Kid sh could even get up. The blonde speedster cursed under his breath as he got up and walked toward Robin, giving Miss Martian a somewhat sheepish look. "I told you not to rush in like that," Miss Martian sighed. "So now what?" Superboy asked, brushing the dirt off his pants. ~The spar continues; Team B still has one member within boundaries,~ I replied. Now it was Superboy and Raven vs. Miss Martian. Without another word, Superboy charged at Miss Martian with the intention to tackle her out of bounds. However, before he could reach her, she used her telekinesis to lift Superboy off the ground before attempting to hurl him out of bounds, only for Raven to stop her by breaking her telekic hold on Superboy. "No," Raven said, her eyes glowing white. "I''m tired of people tossing me around!" Superboy growled, leaping towards Miss Martian in rage. Seeing his intentions, Miss Martian flew out of the way dodging his charge, only for Raven to fire a st of dark energy at her, hitting her square in the back and sending her flying out of bounds. ~Miss Martian, out,~ I called out, dering Team A the winner of the match. "Sorry," Miss Martian said sheepishly as she walked back towards Kid sh and Robin. "It''s okay, we''ll get them next time," Kid sh said with a grin, moving to her side. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Aqud and asked him. ~Aqud, tell me, what did they do wrong during this match?~ Aqud paused for a moment, before he answered. "Kid sh left his teammate without support, which inevitably led to their defeat." ~And why do you think he did that?~ I asked, seeing Kid sh tense in the back. "Overconfidence," Aqud answered. "Not cool, dude," Kid sh frowned as he crossed his arms defensively. ~But urate, or at least partly urate,~ I replied, as Raven started tranting for me. "Whatever," Kid sh muttered, giving me a small re. Ignoring him, I continued. ~In battle, you must be aware of your opponent''s abilities and n ordingly. If you two had taken the minute I gave you to discuss or n some sort of strategy before the match, then perhaps the oue would have been different. Outside that, you let your ego get the best of you after you got a clear hit on Superboy, and instead of working with Miss Martian to take him out, you decided to flex like a peacock, allowing Raven to take you out without any problem.~ Kid shed said nothing, simply deciding to avert his gaze from mine. It seemed he was aware of his mistake here, at least to some level. "I''m sorry," Miss Martian said, her eyes downcast in shame. "No, it''s not your fault," Kid sh said quickly. "I was the one that got cocky, and we lost for it." So he''s willing to take his part of the me when someone else mes themselves. Maybe it was because he likes her? I don''t know; either way is a step in the right direction. "Indeed," Aqud said solemnly. "But that is a mistake that can be rectified; you simply need to learn from it and move on." I smiled under my mask at Aqud as I gave a small nod. If he kept acting like this, the role of the leader would soon be his. "Right," Kid sh said with a nod. ~With that being said, Team A didn''t exactly get all the marks,~ I said, making Superboy frown. "We won," Superboy said, crossing his arms. ~You won, yes, but not without making some avoidable mistakes. You were too reckless in your charge against Miss Martian, and if it hadn''t been for Raven''s intervention, you would have been thrown out of bounds.~ I replied, giving Raven a look. ~Not only that, but after Raven assisted you, instead of repositioning yourself, you let your anger get the best of you and once again charged at her blindly.~ "I was just trying to get the match over with," Superboy said with a shrug. ~I understand that, but you need to be more strategic in your thinking. In a real battle, there are no second chances; if you make a mistake, it could cost you or your team a hefty price.~ I replied sternly. Superboy didn''t say anything, but he did look thoughtful for a moment before he nodded. "Now me, right?" Raven said. I nodded, giving Superboy a look that said, trante for me. ~Indeed. Raven, you are used to working with me, to the point we can coordinate our attacks without a word in perfect synchrony. However, you will not always work with me alone. I knowmunication is not your strong suit like it isn''t mine, or Superboy''s for that matter, but in these cases, you have to force yourself out of yourfort zone in order to achieve the best possible result.~ I replied before I gave a small smirk. ~That being said, your performance in this match was exemry; you took the openings both Miss Martian and Kid sh gave you and capitalized on them without hesitation, giving your team the win.~ Raven nodded slowly. "Remarkable assessment," Aqud said after a moment of thought. I inclined my head in acknowledgment before turning my attention back to the team. "I guess that leaves me?" Miss Martian said with a small smile. I nodded. ~You did well, all things considered,~ I told her. ~You kept your cool in the face of Kid sh''s recklessness and used your telekinesis on Superboy when he let his guard down. That being said, you need to be more strategic in your thinking; you could''ve saved Kid sh the same way you almost took Superboy out. Quick thinking and strategic points are crucial in all fights.~ Miss Martian nodded thoughtfully. "You''re right; I could have caught him before he went out of bounds." I nodded before turning to Team C, Aqud, and Robin. ~Now is your turn.~ "Against whom will we face?" Aqud asked. ~Against me and Kid sh,~ I replied. Three... Two... One... "What?" Kid sh eximed. And there it is... I shrugged. ~As much as you don''t like me, we are a team, and we have to work together, or others will die,~ I replied before I turned to Aqud and Robin. ~Are you ready?~ Aqud nodded solemnly, with Robin simply getting into position. "Fineeee...." Kid sh groaned as he walked to the circle. I suppressed a sigh. ~Like before, both teams have one minute to discuss their strategy.~ Today was going to be a long day, I could tell Chapter 104: Chapter 104: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! Back to normal updates. On other news, Marvel will restart soon, when? Within this month. With love Corn. Note: Chapter got deleted for some reason. Just reposting it. -------------- [David Lance POV] Within a few moments of starting our match, I managed to knock both Robin and Aqud out of bounds. However, my victory wasn''t one without mistakes. During the one minute I gave us to strategize; Kid sh behaved like your average teenager when forced to do something they don''t want to do but have no other choice but to do, so as a result, our coordination was beyond terrible, and terrible was me being nice with how bad we had cooperated with one another during the match. His attitude during the match had forced me to adapt my ns and y around him in order to secure the win. After the match, I debriefed the team again like I had done earlier, pointing out our individual wrongs during this exercise, including mine. Training done, I walked out of the room, making my way to the showers in order to allow the team to interact without my presence. -------------------- ''David,'' Raven said as she telepathically linked with me. ''Hitting the showers so early?'' ''I figured the team could use some time to talk without me around,'' I replied before I turned the water on. ''Kid sh doesn''t like you. At all,'' Raven said after a few moments. ''I know,'' I replied with a sigh. ''I can tell.'' ''He''s going to be a problem,'' Raven replied calmly. ''I know,'' I repeated as I regted the shower''s temperature. ''But we''ll figure it out. Together.'' ''I know you will,'' Raven replied, closing the connection. --------------------- I stepped out of the shower a few minutester, fully dressed, feeling refreshed, only to find the team, save for Raven, talking with Red Tornado, asking about getting missions. I sighed; it seemed like even with training keeping them upied, they still wanted to get their hands on some real experience. "Mission assignments are Batman''s responsibility," Red Tornado said in an emotionless tone. "This team is not a social club," Aqud replied. "No. But I am told social interaction is an important team-building exercise," Red tornado replied. "Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave." With that said, Red Tornado left, leaving the team behind without much to say. "I told them not to," Raven said, announcing my presence to the team. "We didn''t mean go beyond your back," Aqud said, taking a step forward. ~It''s fine,~ I replied, waving his concerns off. ~Going beyond my back would have been going on a mission without me or behind my back. This is fine. Besides, you guys are entitled to know if we have missions or not.~ "So... Do you guys want a tour?" M''gann offered after a moment of silence. "The four of us live here. You know, Bolt, Raven, Superboy and I... So, if you guys want, we could y guides." "Don''t look at me," Superboy said, his arms crossed. Clearly not interested. "Or me," Raven replied. ~Or me,~ I signed. "Great, a team of antisocials making an echo," Kid sh muttered. "But hey! It works for me; besides, the only tour I want is from Miss M." I red at him. Letting him know he was getting too close to be crossing the harassment line we spoke about earlier with M''gann "I''m just being friendly," Kid sh said, his mouth forming a thin line as he took a step back under my re. Yeah, right... friendly. "I''ll take you up on that offer, Miss Martian," Aqud said, changing the subject back to the base in order to defuse the situation. M''gann beamed, looking around to see if anyone else was going on the tour, getting nods from everyone. "Alright then! Follow me!" As I watched them go, I lingered in ce for a moment, smiling at how happy M''gann was about something so simple, like giving a tour of the ce, before making my way behind them, following them close behind. Team building, right? ---------------------------------------- For the next few minutes, I followed the team as M''gann gave the tour, exining things like how old the mountain was or that the base was technically the entire mountain, as the League had hollowed it out when they first used it. I stayed in the back with Raven in silence, letting the team interact with each other without me as M''gann showed them around. By their interactions as the tour progressed, it was clear that they were starting to warm up to each other. Even Superboy seemed somewhat interested in interacting. Eventually, the tour led us to the ship bay area, where M''gann asked Red Tornado to open the doors in order to show everyone her ship. It was here when a mild headache hit me, as a few images appeared in my mind. I tried not to show any signs I was being affected by this, but even though I showed no physical signs of difort, Raven noticed immediately, giving me a look that told me she knew something was wrong. ~I''m okay,~ I assured her with a smile under my mask. Raven nodded, her bodynguage telling me, I will believe you for now, but we will discuss thister. I nodded, happy with that unspoken arrangement, all while trying to make sense of what I had seen a few moments ago. Mister Twister. The first enemy the team fought as an official team. Of all memories to forget or lock, why that one? If anything, that memory seemed useless in the grand scheme of things, inconsequential to the very core of the word. I mean, I remember a lot about the Light, who quite honestly was more important than Mr. Twister of all viins. Hell, Mr. Twister was a one-episode kind of viin. That''s how utterly insignificant he was. I sighed. Maybe the memories I had locked or forgotten didn''t have to make sense in terms of importance. Perhaps they were just random bits of information that were randomly locked. That was a possibility, but honestly, without any data about my situation, I doubted that to be the case. After all, unless proven otherwise, there was always a reason for things, even if that reason wasn''t readily apparent. "Bolt?" M''gann''s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Are you okay?" I turned to her, seeing the look of concern on her face. It seemed like she had noticed something wrong with me as well. ~I''m fine,~ I lied easily enough. ~Just lost in thought.~ M''gann didn''t look convinced, but she didn''t call me out on it either, instead turning back to the team as her ship opened. "So, you guys want to go for a ride?" Everyone nodded. I sighed, giving M''gann a nod. Chapter 105: Chapter 105: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The ride on Miss Martian''s ship began like on the show, at least from what I could now remember, with the rideing to a stop when Red Tornado contacted us to tell us something was happening at Red Harbor, that something being unbeknownst to everyone, Mr. Twister. "What do you think caused the alert?" Miss Martian asked as we neared Red Harbor. "I think I know what," Superboy replied, as out of nowhere, a whirlwind appeared, knocking the ship out of camouge mode. Thankfully, however, M''gann quickly managed to stabilize the ship,nding in the parking lot of the Happy Harbor electric nt. "Robin, are tornadosmon in New Ennd?" Aqud asked as we exited the ship. Not all. "No," Robin replied. I nodded, turning to the team. ~M''gann, can you link everyone telepathically?~ "Yes," M''gann nodded. "Superboy, I know you have bad experiences with everything psychic-rted, but I will need you to push aside that for now. Can you do it?" I asked, turning to face Superboy. Superboy, at this, tensed up visibly, like never before, in a mix of fear and anger, but after a few moments of internal deliberation, he nodded. ~M''gann, do it,~ I said, turning back to M''gann, who nodded before doing as I asked, linking everyone in the team telepathically. -Kid sh, Raven, you two are in damage control. Evacuate everyone out of the building,- I said through the telepathic link. While ideally, I would prefer fighting with Raven by my side, as our synergy is near perfect in the field, I had need of her skills to evacuate everyone out of the building. Her portals would make the entire evacuation easy. The same applied to Kid sh, at least to some extent, because while we didn''t see eye to eye, and our synergy was non-existent, his superspeed, alongside Raven''s portals, would ensure the optimal result. -Got it,- Kid sh acknowledged after a moment before he and Raven took off in opposite directions, with Raven not saying a single word. -The rest of us are going to take down Mr. Twister,- I said before dashing to the factory with the rest of the team following me close behind. -What is our n?- Aqud asked as we neared the Factory. -First, we need to get him out of the electric nt,- I replied, fearing the nt would explode, killing hundreds, maybe more. -Robin, can you turn the nt off?- Robin, at this, tensed visibly, as if he hadn''t expected me to include him in the ns. After a moment, however, he nodded. -I would just need to reach the control room.- Good. That would save us some problems, not all of them, but at least some of the biggest ones. -Go then, and regroup as soon as the nt is off,- I said before Robin parted ways with us, dashing off in a different direction, leading to the control room of the nt. -------------------- A few secondster, I entered the nt with M''gann, Aqud, and Superboy, finding the robotic menace known as Mr. Twister destroying the nt. -Aqud with me, Superboy, Miss Martian, you two nk him.- The team nodded, with Aqud and I dashing towards Mr. Twister while Superboy and M''gann nked him from the sides. "Who are you supposed to be?" Mr. Twister said as he turned, his robotic eyes ncing at Aqud before noticing me. "Now, you... you, I know." Completely disregarding Aqud, Mr. Twister aimed at me with his arms, throwing me across the room with little to no effort with a gust of wind that, while it did no real damage, still managed to push me back. Aqud, seeing this, attacked Mr. Twister using water beams, which did little more than wet the robotic viin. "I''m afraid to inform you that I''m waterproof," Mr. Twister said as he created a gust of wind, throwing Aqud across the room. At this, Superboy and M''gann attacked, with Superboy using his super strength to try and take down Mr. Twister while M''gann used her telekinesis in an attempt to control him. However, despite their best efforts, their attacks were clunky, and so they were both quickly thrown back against the wall with a gust of wind as well. Mr. Twister then turned his attention back to me. "You are the only threat here. If I kill you, they stand no chance. Rejoice, you die at the hands of Mr. Twister." Well, ain''t that ttering. -Team, see those tubes on his back?- I said, ignoring Mr. Twister. -Yes,- Aqud replied. -Good, now tell me, Aqud, how much electric power can you control?- I replied, dodging a gust of wind Mr. Twister had thrown at me. -A lot,- Aqud replied after a moment. -Perfect,- I said before dashing toward Mr. Twister. -Superboy, with me. Miss Martian, your mission now is to assist Aqud in getting ess to those tubes that Mr. Twister has on his back; I have reasons to believe they conduct electricity. If I''m right, you know what to do with that power.- -I do,- Aqud replied. -Good, now wait until I give the signal,- I replied, weaving under Mr. Twister''s assault. "You might have defeated Amazo, but you won''t defeat me," Mr. Twister boasted, throwing gust after gust at me. Please, Mr. Twister, you are the Amazo we have at home. "Shut up!" Superboy growled, jumping at him. Unfortunately, Mr. Twister heard him and, as expected, turned towards him, creating a gust of wind that sent Superboy flying back into a wall. -Superboy, don''t announce your attacks,- I said, dodging another gust of wind, before finally closing the distance between us,nding a hard punch on Mr. Twisters'' face, putting my entire weight into it. The blow knocked Mr. Twister back, and I followed that up with a flurry of hits, with thest strike denting his face. "You will y for that," Mr. Twister said, aiming at me. Having gotten his full and undivided attention, I ran to the exit, ducking and weaving under his attacks as he chased after me. -Superboy, follow us, and wait for my signal,- I said as I exited the nt, hurling a few explosives at Mr. Twister to keep him focused. "This is getting old," Mr. Twister said, shooting a lightning bolt at me that I managed to dodge by rolling out of the way. -Now, Superboy,- I said, selecting an explosive knife from my belt before hurling it at Mr. Twister. Taking my cue, Superboy leaped at him from behind as my knife collided with Mr. Twister blinding him and giving Superboy the opening to m him to the ground. -Miss Martian, Aqud, you have the floor. Proceed with caution,- I said as Mr. Twister stood up, sting Superboy off him, who until now had been punching him on the ground berserker style. -Understood,- Aqud replied. -Will do,- Miss Martian replied. -We finished the evacuation,- Kid sh said, joining the conversation. -How''s the situation?- Raven asked. -Right now, I''m doing damage control. The area Mr. Twister picked to start this fight is, unfortunately, one I can''t use my powers in confidence,- I replied, hurling knife after knife at Mr. Twister as I closed the distance between us. While I did this, Superboy rushed at him from the side,nding a few hits before Mr. Twister simply backhanded him, sending him flying out of the way. "You''re weak," Mr. Twister said, looking at Superboy with disgust. "All of you are weak, save for you, ck Bolt." With that, he turned his attention back to me and raised his hand, shooting a lightning bolt at me. I jumped, avoiding the st, before hurling a tasing Batarang at him, which he dodged by stepping out of the way. "Enough," Mr. Twister said, his voice booming around the ce. I smiled, hurling a few knives at him as the Batarang I had thrown circled around to strike him on the back, delivering a powerful electric jolt at the robot, and forcing the robot into a spasming attack. There was a reason why Batman called them Batarangs, and I wonder why all viins forget that. -Now Aqud,- I said, as Aqud jumped at him from the back, with Miss Martian pushing Mr. Twister to the ground with her telekinesis, allowing Aqud easy ess to the tubes on Mr. Twister''s back. From there, it was all a matter of Aqud using Mr. Twister''s own power to defeat him by absorbing his electric power. "You will not win!" Mr. Twister roared, trying to get up and seeding until Raven appeared, forcing him back, aiding Miss Martian in keeping him down. "Is time to end this," Aqud said, ripping the tubes off Mr. Twister''s back, absorbing the electricity they were shooting before redirecting it at Mr. Twister, frying him from the inside out. A few secondster, Mr. Twister''s robotic body fell to the ground, Aqud standing above him withbored breaths. I smiled. Not bad for a first mission together. Chapter 106: Chapter 106: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Unknown POV] The light flickers on, revealing arge room painted in white. A lone desk sits in the center of the room, and behind it, a woman is sitting. Her name is Amanda Waller, also known as the Wall. Without any expression on her cold, emotionless face, she stared at herptop with intense concentration, slowly scrolling down. On her screen, files about ck Bolt can be seen. Files with detailed information about him, about the hero known as ck Bolt, about his powers, about his feats, and much, much more. From Waller''s point of view, ck Bolt is a clear threat to her ns, a gue, an uneptable variable, and because of that, she was determined to not rest until he''s been neutralized. Be that as it may, Waller wasn''t dumb by any means of the word; she knew this task wasn''t going to be easy; after all, ck Bolt had the League on his corner, but unlike the League, she was willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her goals. "Don''t you think you are giving this child too much attention?" ddin, one of Waller''s agents, asked. "This ''child'' as you call him has the potential to disrupt my ns," Waller answered without taking her eyes off the screen, "I am not going to give him the chance." A smirk appeared on ddin''s face. "And how do you n on doing that? The League is not going to just stand by and watch while you kidnap one of their own." Waller finally looked away from theptop and turned her attention towards ddin. "The League and their rtion to him are irrelevant," she said inly, "What matters is that ck Bolt will be dealt with, one way or another." ddin chuckled, looking behind her with a bright smile. "I see. Well then, I''ll leave you to it, boss." With that, he turned around and left the room, leaving Waller alone with her thoughts and a whisky ss. However, those thoughts were quickly interrupted by a sudden beeping noiseing from herptop. Waller''s eyes widened in surprise as she saw the files on her PC disappear one by one. Seeing this, Waller immediately realized what was happening; someone had hacked into her system and was currently deleting her files on ck Bolt, which meant that she had to act fast if she wanted to keep her information. In her mind, Waller thought the following. Whoever was doing this was going to pay a hefty price. "Don''t move," A dark deep voice said, freezing Waller in ce. "Batman," Waller said in a cold voice. "What are you doing here?" "I''m the one asking the questions here," Batman answered as he stepped out of the shadows, "You''ve been snooping around ck Bolt and his activities for weeks now, and I want to know why." Waller stayed silent for a few moments before she finally decided to answer. "You seem to be under the misconception that you hold power over me. So allow me to clear that misconception for you, Batman. The only reason you still breathe is that the government considers you a valuable asset. The moment you stop being an asset is the moment you stop breathing, so be a good boy and leave." Batman didn''t say anything; he just stood there, staring at her with his piercing eyes. Waller met his gaze without flinching. "Care to bet on that?" Batman asked, taking a step forward. "I suggest you leave, Batman," Waller said in a calm yet defiant tone of voice, "Before things get messy." Batman didn''t move, his re on her only intensifying. "I''m not going anywhere until we have a talk." "And what will you do if I don''t talk?" Waller said, leaning forward with a smile. "Kill me? Please, if you had the balls to do that, you would''ve killed the Joker a long time ago, so it can''t be that. So tell me, Batman, what''s that, that you have that makes you think you can order me around?" Batman''s eyes narrowed. "You''re not the only one here with ess to vital information, Waller," he said in a low voice. "I know a lot of things, things that, if revealed to the right individuals, would leave you powerless." Waller leaned back in her chair and chuckled. "And what exactly is that that you know?" she asked mockingly, her hand reaching for her whiskey as she looked at Batman with a cocky smile. "File X-10/25*R," Batman answered inly. "Word of advice, you should really work on getting better passwords." At this, Waller''s amusement quickly faded away, reced by a look of irritation and anger. "You dare?! That file is none of your business!" she snapped, ring at Batman. "When it endangers the lives of innocent people, the lives of my people, it bes my business, Waller," Batman retorted, leaning forward, his face inches away from Waller''s face. "So, here''s the deal. You will stay out of our way, and I won''t release the file. Are we clear? Or do I need to exin it again?" Waller stared at him for a few moments before she finally answered. "Fine," she said through gritted teeth, "But know that this isn''t over, Batman." "Oh, it is very much over," Batman said in a cold voice as he straightened up and turned around to leave, "You will stay out of our way, or you will lose everything. From this point forward, is your call." And with that, the lights of the room flickered for a moment, and just like he hade, he was gone without a trace, leaving Waller alone in her office, seething with anger. "You won''t hold me back forever, Batman," Waller said to the empty room, her voice filled with venom, "I will get what I want, one way or another." With that, Amanda Waller leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her whisky, her mind already working on how to deal with her situation, one way or another, Batman would regret this choice, that much Waller vowed. Chapter 107: Chapter 107: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Two days after Mr. Twister''s attack, M''gann bursted into my room after a few euphoric rapid knocks, spinning the door open with a radiant grin that, by human criteria, appeared abnormally big, inviting me to participate in a team bonding activity. A camping trip. Seeing nothing bad with the offer, I epted, much to Raven''s dismay, because now she had to go, and well, she wasn''t particrly happy with the idea of socializing more than absolutely necessary. As for me, well, I loved the outdoors almost as much as I loved being alone reading a book. That very morning, we set off out of the cave in one of the League vehicles, driving towards our camping destination. It took a few hours, but eventually, we arrived at the ce where we started setting up camp, pitching tents, and building the fire. As the day wore on, we settled around the bonfire, with M''gann and Aqud sitting a few feet away from it, unlike the rest. There, we started to talk about random things, each one of us opening a bit more to the team as the night grew dark. I, for one, shared to an extent how my heroic journey had begun, telling them without much detail how much my powers had affected me and how I had worked to get past that one day at a time. Needless to say, telling my story, even if it was a heavily revised one, was strange; after all, only Raven, Robin, and the League knew with detail how much I had struggled toe to peace about who I was. But, I knew that this was something they needed to hear some more than others, even if it wasn''t the entire story. I knew that by talking about that dark period of my life to them, I would give them something theycked; I would give them perspective, the perspective to realize many things on their own ord. At some point during the night, after I had talked about my past, M''gann started to sing a song from her home before joining me in the sharing talk by telling us some of her past without going into much detail. "I guess what pushed me toe was my uncle," M''gann smiled fondly, her eyes growing soft. "Hearing his tales of heroism every time he came to visit was breathtaking. So, one day I decided toe without telling him, so I snuck on his future ship, who in the end bonded with me, and came here, and well, the rest is history." I smiled under my mask. "I suppose, in a way. My story is like yours," Aqud noted, his eyes on the bonfire. "Before I was a hero, I was a soldier, and for a time, that''s all I was. I fought the enemy at the orders of my King, following hismands without question. One day, however, I was transferred to the Conservatory of Sorcery in Poseidonis." "What''s that?" Raven asked, the sorcery part getting her attention. At this, Aqud smiled, his filling with fondness as he looked down at his hands. "The Conservatory of Sorcery is the most prestigious academy in all of Antis, led by Queen Mera herself. As the name suggested, it is a ce for students who are interested in studying sorcery and other subjects." At this, Kid sh rolled his eyes, something that went unnoticed by everyone but me. Aqud smiled. "I had some of my best days there." ~I can imagine,~ I replied, getting a nod from Aqud, something that surprised me because no one had tranted for me, meaning that Aqud had understood what I had said without any help. "I have started to learn signnguage. It is a disrespect to you and others that canmunicate with their voice not to have this skill," Aqud replied, reading my expression of shock. I smiled; that was very thoughtful of him. ~Well, you are picking it up fast.~ "I have had plenty of help," Aqud replied, giving M''gann a smile. ~So, how did you go from an academy student to a hero?~ I asked, turning the conversation back to the subject. "Well, one day like any other. Ocean-Master attacked Antis, causing our King to battle with him head-on. During this fight, our King was defeated, so seeing this, I rushed to save my King without hesitation with the aid of a friend. The two of us attacked Ocean-Master with all our might. Though in the end, we proved to be no match for him, so we were easily defeated; however, our intervention allowed our King enough time to recover, resulting in the defeat of Ocean-Master," Aqud replied, continuing with his story. "After Ocean-Master''s defeat, our King, grateful for our help, offered the both of us the opportunity to be his protgs, his sidekicks in his journey of justice throughout the world. My friend rejected the invitation, while I jumped at the chance, finding the life of a hero one worth living, so, from that day forward, I became Aqud." ~That''s quite a tale,~ I said, getting a smile from Aqud. "It is," Aqud nodded, his eyes fixed on me. "I have one question, if you don''t mind me asking." I paused, giving him a pondering look before nodding, feeling a bit curious about what question he had for me. "You said that at first, you became a hero because you had no other choice, right?" Aqud asked, to which I nodded in response. "What changed that? What made you pick this path?" ~Those I love,~ I replied, my expression softening as I thought of my sister. ~ There are a few people that mean the world to me, and in order to protect them, I must be strong.~ Aqud nodded in understanding, something that was shared by the others around the campfire as well. "I became a hero because of him," Raven said, cutting through the silence that my answer had created. "You could say he saved me, and well, that inspired me in ways I didn''t think possible." Aqud smiled. "My King always says that the biggest quality of a hero is their ability to inspire others to hope, to change, to make the world better." "He''s not wrong," Robin chimed in, a faint smileing across his face. "I wouldn''t be the hero I am today if it wasn''t for Batman." "Same goes for me," Kid sh said. "The sh inspired me to help, to be more than I was." Aqud nodded, his eyes filled with admiration. "It is truly amazing what one person can do." I couldn''t help but agree; after all, if it wasn''t for my sister, I would have never found the courage and reason to be a hero. "I suppose," Superboy said, his eyes fixed on the bonfire. "What about you, Superboy? Did Superman inspire you?" M''gann asked, her question making the young Kryptonian tense. "In a way," Superboy replied, his eyes growing dark as he paused, trying to find the right words to continue. "I... there isn''t a day where I don''t think about destroying Superman." Everyone was frozen in shock, except for me and Raven. We were aware of this situation in great detail, so the revtion didn''t surprise us at all. "What?" Kid sh was the first one to speak, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. Superboy nodded, his eyes growing dark as he continued. "I was created by CADMUS to rece Superman should he perish, or to destroy him should he turn from the light." As soon as Superboy spoke, I examined his bodynguage from head to toe to discern whether the word he said held any additional significance for him beyond what it signified in his sentence. Thankfully, based on how he carried himself, it seemed that the word was nothing more than a figure of speech to him. "I also admire him," Superboy continued, taking a deep breath. "So, you could say I have a conflict of emotions about him." "I apologize beforehand if I''m out of ce, but have you considered the possibility of CADMUS having installed psychic triggers on you?" Raven said, making Superboy freeze in ce as he considered the possibility. "If they made you to destroy him, chances are they wanted a way to control you." A great move by Raven. By bringing this fact to his attention, Superboy will now question a lot of things and will dread the prospect of Raven''s words being true, which will eventually lead him to the conclusion that the only way he can be sure his mind is his own is to allow someone else inside it. "I had never considered that," Superboy said, his eyes growing distant as he considered Raven''s words. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Raven." "Just making an educated observation based on what I know," Raven replied calmly. "I could be wrong, but I could also be right." ~We can talk about that on ater date,~ I said, cutting the conversation from growing in that direction as I turned to Superboy. ~What made you want to be a hero, then?~ Superboy turned to me, his eyes meeting mine as he spoke. "I want to make a difference, just like Superman has." I nodded, understanding his sentiment. "An honorable reason to pursue this path," Aqud said, his voice soft. "I''m sure that in time, we will all make a difference." Superboy looked down a faint smile on his face. "I hope so." -------------------------------------- Two days after the camping trip, we were summoned by Batman to the central room to take on our first mission; unlike the rest of the team, I had already been made aware of this by him a few hours prior, so this summon was more of a notification thing for the rest of the team to know. The mission was on Santa Prisca. "I Santa Prisca," Batman began, as the holographicputer behind him showed images of the ind as he spoke. "This ce is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neo-steroid. A strength-enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom. Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity. However, all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. That''s where this teames in." "We''re going to break into their facility and find out what''s going on," Kid sh said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. I, on the other hand, was not as enthusiastic as Kid sh. Based on my knowledge, the ind was ruled by Bane, who acted as a brutal dictator who enjoyed nothing more than torturing his enemies and allies if he felt like it, Bane on itself wasn''t a problem; I was confident I could take him on easily, the problem was whatever had cut the shipments, as whoever had done it, was clearly stronger than Bane. My biggest concern was that whoever was behind this was clearly an unknown, and unknowns were a factor I didn''t like at all because they left little room for optimal preparation. ~You can count on us,~ I said after a few moments. Already nning ahead in order to deal with any scenario that could pop up. "Good," Batman said with a short nod. "I have full faith in you all." With that, the meeting was adjourned, and we all went our separate ways to prepare for the mission. Chapter 108: Chapter 108: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Soon after Batman gave us the mission, we embarked on Miss Martian''s ship to Santa Prisca in order to figure out what was going on there. On the way, I gave the team a few directives to follow in order to optimize our performance. I also asked Miss Martian to establish a telepathic connection between all of us so that we couldmunicate more effectively. Within a few minutes or so after our departure from the base, we arrived at the ind, where we equipped our camouge equipment, leaving the ship in the middle of a safe location in stealth mode. As I exited the ship, the first thing that struck me was the eerie silence. There were no birds chirping, not even the sound of insects. It was almost as if the ce was dead; taking that into ount, I gave the team a nod as we proceeded cautiously, letting them know that we might be walking into a trap. -Do you guys hear that?- Superboy asked as he came to a halt, looking to his right. I shook my head; as good as my hearing was, Superboy''s hearing was better. -Superhearing. Very well then, Kid sh switch to infrared and see if we are being followed. Robin, try to see if you can catch any radio signals around.- They both nodded. -There''s an armed squad a few hundred meters away down south,- Kid sh said, using his goggles to locate the enemy. -There''s another squading in the opposite direction,- Superboy added as he squinted his eyes ahead. -They''ll meet each other before they meet us.- -There are a few radio signals around, all encrypted,- Robin chimed in. -I can''t fully connect to them, but based on what I see, I think it is safe to assume there''s more than one group in here. The question is, are they allies?- Unlikely. Bane wasn''t a viin to think too much out of hisfort zone, at least in this iteration of him. Here was a viin, but above all, a drug lord. And if there was something all drug lords hated, was their cash flow stopping, so the chances of Bane stopping all shipments were highly improbable, especially considering that a freeze of this level would hurt his professional reputation. Suddenly, as I dwelled on that thought, we heard the sound of gunfire and explosions starting in the distance. -What do we do?- Miss Martian asked. -We figure out what happened here,- I replied, turning to Superboy and Aqud, who were both behind me. -Superboy, Aqud, you two areing with me. Robin, Kid sh, you two scan the area for any other groups approaching the ce, don''t stray too far from the group; your priority is not to be noticed, so keep a low profile. Raven, Miss Martian, you two will provide Kid sh and Robin with aerial support.- The team nodded, and so, we parted ways, each one having their task toplete. Without a word, Superboy, Aqud, and I made our way toward the gunfire rushing through the dark forest as silently as possible. As we got closer, we could see the two groups fighting and shooting at each other; with a simple nce, I recognized one of the groups as part of Bane''s men, the other group two a few extra seconds to recognize, but part of their uniform gave their identity away. The Cult of Kobra. A pseudo-religious criminal organization that is to me for some of the worst terrorist acts of the decade. Its members, called Kobra Cultists, worship their leader Kobra as a living god; normally, their cultists wear deep red robes with hoods with attached fang imitating masks hiding their faces. -It seems Bane is having a war with the Cult of Kobra,- I said, alreadying to a few conclusions, and possible reasons as to why the Cult was attacking Bane. -Why would the cult attack Santa Prisca? It''s unlike them to things like this,- Aqud said as he analyzed the situation. -When in doubt, pick one or all of the following, money, power, or revenge,- I replied, my eyes fixed on the scene ahead. -If the Cult''s actions prior to this are anything to go by, this must be a struggle for power.- -But why now? Why not sooner?- Superboy asked. -My guess is that they''ve been nning this for a while, and were waiting for the right opportunity,- I replied. Then again, the date and reason behind this move were quite possibly minor factors when dealing with the logic of a viin with a Godplex, like Kobra was. -So, what''s the n?- Superboy asked. -We need to stop them,- I replied, reaching for my belt to pull a few explosive knives out of it. -We need more information before proceeding with our mission, and if we allow this war to continue, we will get none. Dead men tell no tales.- Both Superboy and Aqud nodded. -Superboy, you take care of cultists,- I said before turning to Aqud. -Aqud, you''re with me.- And with that, we rushed into the fray, jumping out of the darkness of the forest, efficiently taking down both groups one by one. The two groups had been so focused on each other that they had barely noticed us as we moved through them like a hot knife through butter, allowing us to take down more than half of their numbers before they realized what was happening. "Shoot them!" Bane roared, aiming at me with an assault rifle. It seems he didn''t have his precious drug to enhance himself, meaning that this would be easy. Weaving through the shower of bullets, I threw a knife at Bane''s rifle, exploding his weapon before he could take another shot, the explosion causing him to crash against a tree behind him. Giving him no time to recover, I rushed toward him, grabbing his arm as he tried to attack me, mming him face first into the tree before kneeing him in the back right down the middle. At this, he doubled over in pain, and I used that opportunity to hit him over the head with the hilt of one of my knives, knocking him unconscious. With Bane out of the picture, I turned around to check on my teammates, only to see that Superboy and Aqud had already incapacitated the rest of the soldiers. -Tie them up,- I instructed, taking a deep breath as I turned my gaze back to Bane. -Everyone, regroup at our location as soon as possible.- With Bane captured, there was no need to scout for other sources of information; after all, if there was someone that knew about what was happening in Santa Prisca, that was Bane. Chapter 109: Chapter 109: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After having taken down Bane and the Kobra troops, we regrouped and waited a few minutes for Bane to wake up in order to interrogate him. However, it soon became clear after Bane had woken up that he was not going to give us any information easily. Instead, Bane offered us an alliance, saying that the enemy of his enemy was his friend and that with his aid, we could enter the factory easily because he had a secret entrance. Seeing this, I turned to Miss Martian, giving her the green light to read his mind in order to pry the information out of him by any means necessary. However, she quickly realized that reading his mind wasn''t going to be as easy as it looked by any means. "He''s mentally reciting football scores. In Spanish. This could take a while..." "So, ninos? What do you say?" Bane asked with a cocky smile adorning his face. "Allow me," Raven said, her voice low and cold, as she drew near to Bane, darkness surrounding her like a cloak slowly expanding out of her, her eyes glowing white, promising a world of pain. With each step, I could feel the atmosphere growing colder, a fact that Bane was slowly bing aware of. "Let''s have a talk, shall we?" With that said, Raven engulfed Bane in her darkness alongside her, creating a small dome around them that covered a small area in order to have a one-on-one with Bane. "Should we worry?" Miss Martian asked, looking at the dome with an unsure look. I shook my head. After all, it was Bane the one who had to worry, not us. --------------------------------- After a few moments inside the dome, Raven emerged from the darkness, her eyes returning to their normal ck color as the darkness around her dissipated. "I have what we need," She said simply before turning to Bane, who was now shaking in fear. "E-l d-demonio!" Bane said, his voice trembling. Raven, at this, didn''t answer, instead making her way toward me. "Kobra took over the factory and is apparently working on a secret project that requiresrge quantities of Venom. That''s all he knows about the why." "What did you do to him?" Aqud asked, eyeing Bane as he trembled on the floor. "I had a heart-to-heart with him," Raven replied, her voice as cold as ice. "We don''t do this kind of thing; we don''t traumatize viins!" Kid sh interjected in clear disgust over Raven''s methods. Raven, at this, turned to him, her eyes narrowing. "What we don''t do is let innocent people die because we''re too squeamish about getting our hands dirty." "That''s the thing! We are heroes; we don''t get our hands dirty!" Kid sh said, clearly not backing down from his stand. "Says the boy who''s never had to make a difficult decision in his life," Raven retorted calmly, unfazed by Kid sh''s attitude. "Batman made very clear the do''s and don''ts of interrogation, and believe me; I didn''t do anything he wouldn''t have done. You can ask Wonder Boy." "You don''t know anything about me!" Kid sh said, advancing toward her menacingly, clearly taking offense to her firstment. I stepped in then, putting a hand on his chest to stop him. "Kid, she''s right," Robin interjected calmly. "I have seen Batman interrogate viins to the point we have to provide them with clean clothes before the police arrives." Kid sh, at this, backed down, but the look on his face made it clear that this was far from over. I guess it was to be expected; I mean, out of all the heroes, The sh was the friendliest one when dealing with his enemies, so it was only natural that Kid sh of all would adopt his practices and beliefs. "We will have time to discuss thister," Aqud said, giving Kid sh a look before turning to Raven and then me. "For now, we need to finish the mission." I nodded, turning to Raven. ~Did you get where his secret entrance was?~ Raven nodded before turning to the group. "He has a secret entrance connected to one of the mines of the ind a few miles away from here," she said before turning back to me. I nodded before addressing the group. ~Very well, here''s the n. We''ll split up into two teams; team one will take Kobra and his goons and apprehend them, while team two will infiltrate the factory to figure out what they are nning, using team A''s distraction as a cover.~ "I guess I''m team infiltration, right?" Robin asked, and I nodded. ~And Kid sh,~ I added, giving Kid sh a look. "So, the rest with you?" Raven asked calmly. I nodded. ~Except for you, you are going solo. Your mission will be to destroy all their means of escape, one by one.~ By cutting up their ways of escape, we would erase multiple scenarios, allowing us more freedom to act and react to their advances without having to worry about their escape during battle. This would also maximize our chances of stopping whatever they were trying to distribute from escaping the ce. ---------------------- Moments after nning, we moved to the secret entrance Bane had, finding that it was blocked by arge boulder that covered the entrance, one that Superboy punched out of the way with ease, opening the path that led down a mining path leading into the factory. For this, we brought Bane with us because the door at the end of the mining tunnel, the one leading into the Venom factory, required his biometrics to open, ording to what Bane had shared with Raven during their one-on-one. Following the path, we soon reached the door leading to the factory. "Open it," Raven ordered, to which Bane immediatelyplied, putting his finger where he had to in order to open the door. His purposepleted, Raven tied Bane with the use of her magic, before portaling him into the forest. ~Miss Martian, connect us,~ I said, asking her to once again make a telepathic link with us so that we couldmunicate without having to rely on the radio or our voice, which would only give our position away. "Ok," Miss Martian said a moment before linking us all together once again. With that done, I pushed the door open slowly. The door in question opened with a hiss, revealing a dimly lit area of the factory filled with massive pipes that ran around the ce. Looking around the ce, I noticed the room had no sign of anyone around besides, which meant that our targets were either busy elsewhere or that they were expecting us. -We need to be careful,- I said as we all stepped into the factory, being extra careful not to make any noise that would give away our position. -Here''s where we part ways, so remember to y your roles as safely as possible.- At this, everyone nodded before parting ways, leaving me with Superboy, Aqud, and Miss Martian to continue with our part of the n, going deeper and deeper into the factory until Superboy heard a sound in the distance, following Superboy''s hearing, we walked into a different section of the factory, finding Kobra and his men. -There''s a helicoptering,- Raven said through the telepathic link. -Wait until they disembark it and enter the factory,- I replied before I turned to the team and motioned for everyone to get ready forbat. -We are outnumbered,- Aqud stated, to which I nodded. -I am aware,- I nodded, eying the enemies ahead. Most of them were nothing out of the ordinary; the ones we had to worry about were few, those being Mammoth, Kobra, and whoever wasing to meet with Kobra. -You three can move ahead but wait for my signal. As for me, I will nk our targets.- With that said, I ran towards the opposite side of the room, using the shadows to hide my presence while the others moved ahead doing the same. With everyone in position, we waited in the shadows for whoever had recently arrived to make their appearance before making our move. A minute or soter, the one we had been waiting for arrived. Sportsmaster. -Sportsmaster is the buyer?- Aqud said in shock. -Highly unlikely,- I replied. -He''s a mercenary, a gun for hire. He doesn''t have the capital to front this operation. But whoever hired him does.- -That''s right,- Robin said. -The question is, who hired him?- The Light, if I had to take a guess. -That we will find out,- I said, giving Sportsmaster a look; the way I saw it, I had two options, reporting to Batman and letting this be, or stop it before it bes a problem. I choose thetter of the two. -Team A, you have the room to proceed. And Superboy, the big one is all yours. Team B, make sure to collect as much information as possible. Raven cut their wings.- -Good,- Superboy replied, leaping out from behind one of the pirs, surprising Mammoth as he came down on him with a two-handed strike that sent him flying back. Seeing this, Kobra ordered his men to attack, showering the team in bullets as I moved through the shadows of the factory into a better position to strike Sportsmaster and Kobra down as efficiently as possible. As I moved behind them, I noticed Sportsmaster following Miss Martian''s movements with ease, his head tracing her movements even though she was camouged. -Miss Martian, be careful; Sportsmaster is about to attack you,- I warned her so that she would be ready for whatever he was about to throw her way. -Okay!- Miss Martian replied, taking some distance between her and Sportsmaster. With that done, I reached for my belt and pulled a knife, waiting for him to make his move before making mine, which would soone, because the moment he realized Miss Martian was moving away from him, he reached behind him, trying to grab a javelin from his equipment to hurl at her. Already knowing what he was about to do, I hurled a few knives at him, two of them hitting him in each hand, forcing him to drop the javelin and the suitcase with whatever Kobra had given him as he turned around only to see meing down on him with a flying kick that sent him crashing into the ground. "More children," Kobra said in an emotionless tone that somehow managed to convey his condescending disappointment. Ignoring hisments, I threw a hard punch at him. However, he deviated my fist mid-swing to the side. "A God shouldn''t have to fight the likes of you," Kobra replied before throwing a kick my way, one that I caught with one hand, getting a hold of his leg in a strong grip before I took a step forward, pulling his leg toward me, breaking his bnce as I began to deliver a series of quick punches and kicks that came to an end as Sportsmaster hurled a Discus at me that I had to dodge by jumping out of the way, releasing Kobra. "You got the jump on me, Kid. That will never happen again," Sporstmaster said with a confident yet annoyed tone as he cracked his knuckles. -Raven, Kid sh, if you are done with your tasks, regroup with us immediately,- I said, my eyes fixed on Kobra and Sportsmaster. "Now, let''s see what you have, kid," Sportsmaster said, hurling a javelin at me, that I exploded before it could reach me by throwing a knife at it. "Not bad. But not good enough." Taking a deep breath, I rushed to them, dodging Sportsmaster''s projectiles, forcing him and Kobra into hand-to-handbat against me. At first, Sportsmaster and Kobra dodged my attacks for a brief moment by reading my moves carefully; that, however, became harder and harder for them as I started to press my advance on them more and more, forcing them into a corner. "The League of Assassins trained you?" Sportsmaster asked, mostly to himself. "Well, this makes things a bit moreplicated than I thought." Cutting his monologue short, I dashed toward him, ducking under his attack as I sent a rising uppercut into his stomach that made him bend over in pain before I kneed him in the face, sending him flying back a few feet, giving him no time to recover, I moved forward, stabbing him in the leg with an anesthetic, before jumping back to avoid his counter attack. "My respects, kid, but now, you are dead," Sportsmaster said before injecting something into his leg. Possibly something to counter my anesthetic. "Or at least, that would be the case if I wasn''t on the clock." at this, he chuckled, throwing a smoke bomb at the ground. Knowing very well that he was nning to escape, I leaped into the smoke, throwing a smoke diffusing bomb, only to find he was already gone as the smoke cleared. -Sportmaster is on the run. Keep an eye out!- I said, ducking under Kobra''s attack, who had taken the chance to try and strike me. Dodging a few attempts to strike me, I grabbed Kobra''s arm mid-swing before yanking him forward with great strength, headbutting into the ground and breaking his nose. Then, before he could recover, I kicked him on the jaw, knocking him out cold. Kobra down, I turned my attention to the suitcase I had made Sportsmaster drop at the beginning of our confrontation, pleasantly finding it still there on the ground. -Kobra down.- I announced through the link as I approached Kobra to tie him down. Chapter 110: Chapter 110: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After having taken down Bane, and Kobra, the team and I returned to the base, where Batman was waiting for us. First, upon our arrival, he congratted the team for the results we had provided, then after the congrattions were done, he turned to me, with a scolding look. "The mission was to observe and report, not to engage the enemy." He said in a gruff tone that bordered growling, his eyes staring into mine. "While I understand the reasoning behind your actions, you endangered the team by not following the orders I gave you." ~Your approach to the situation was too passive,~ I replied, staring back at him, refusing to back down. ~If I had just followed your orders, Kobra and his associates would''ve seeded in their mission.~ "They did, regardless of your intervention, didn''t they?" Batman asked, taking a step forward, his eyes narrowing. "Sportsmaster escaped with a vial from the suitcase, as per your report. So, what did your disobedience aplish?" ~I stopped Sportsmaster from getting away with the suitcase,~ I answered. ~And I captured Bane, who is now on his way to Arkham Asylum.~ "Your actions, while calcted, put the entire team at risk, and that is uneptable," Batman said, his voice getting harder. "I put you on this team to lead, but even a leader must know when to obey. Hear me well, ck Bolt, I cannot, will not, have team members who do not follow orders, no matter how noble their intentions are. Do you understand?" ~I do,~ I nodded, taking one step forward. ~But as the leader of this team, I must inform you that when I see it fit, I will disobey your orders.~ "I see," Batman said, his eyes narrowing. "Get off our back," Superboy said, staring at Batman. "We did what we had to, deal with it." "This is not with you Superboy," Batman said, his eyes never leaving mine. "Do not interfere." "Or what?" Superboy asked, taking a step forward. ~That''s enough Superboy,~ I said before Superboy could say anything else. ~While I understand your frustration, this is not the time or ce. As the leader, this is my burden to bear.~ Superboy red at Batman but didn''t say anything else, instead crossing his arms and turning away. "I must apologize Batman, but I too stand behind ck Bolt''s actions," Aqud said, taking one step forward. "He led the team efficiently and managed to outy the enemy with his moves," Robin chimed in, also taking a step forward. "He kept us safe," Miss Martian said, joining the others. "He was keeping track of us at all times. He even saved me from Sportsmaster''s attack, by realizing he had noticed me, and alerting me of that before Sportsmaster could attack me." "He got the job done," Raven said calmly. Batman stared at us for a long moment before a smile crept up his face for the briefest of moments. "I see. In that case, good job, team. While I''m not pleased your leader disobeyed clear given orders, you all stood by him and his decisions, and that''smendable. You''re dismissed." ~Do you have a few minutes so that I can give you my full report?~ I asked, looking at Batman. "Follow me," Batman said, his eyes narrowing slightly. I nodded and followed him as he turned and walked away into one of the Zeta tubes. The rest of the team watched us for a moment as we entered the tubes before dispersing to their own areas, each one wearing a different level of concern, save for Raven and Kid sh. ------------------- A few momentster, inside the Batcave''s debriefing room, we each took a seat, reviewing some files before Batman turned to me. "I apologize for not telling you about my little outburst. But I had to make it believable." ~I didn''t believe it, and by proxy, Raven didn''t either,~ I replied, looking around the room, taking in every little detail. The room is brightly lit, but it does little to chase away the darkness that seems to permeate every corner of the cave; maybe that was an intentional design. The table in front of me is cluttered with files and papers from various different cases. ~I know you well enough to know what actually pisses you off. Excuse mynguage. So, I knew you were doing that for another reason.~ "And what reason is that?" Batman asked, his eyebrow raised in curiosity. ~To test the team''s loyalty to me,~ I answered inly. ~You wanted to see if they would stand by me even if you didn''t approve of my actions.~ Batman nodded in understanding before leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers. "Yes, that was part of it. But I also wanted to see how you would react under pressure." I cocked my head to the side in confusion. ~What do you mean?~ "You''re the leader of this team and the only one qualified for this task at the moment. However, you''re still new to the role," Batman exined. "I wanted to see how you would handle a difficult situation, and you did well. Granted, you saw through my test, but be that as it may, you still performed beyond my expectations." ~Word of advice, don''t test Richard like that,~ I replied, giving Batman a look. ~As smart and talented as he is, he''s still a kid deep down, and you are his father, for better or for worse. Hidden tasks, tests, or purposes behind actions will only mess with his head and, in time, will push him away from you.~ "I will take your words into consideration," Batman said, his voice softening slightly. ~The Light was behind this,~ I said, changing the subject as I pointed to the suitcase I had taken from Sportsmaster. "Yes," Batman said with a nod, his face hardening as he looked at the suitcase. "I had my suspicions, but seeing as Kobra and Sportsmaster were there, it''s all but confirmed." ~Based on what I could gather from Kobra''s men as I tied them up, they were making some kind of bio-weapon,~ I replied, taking a deep breath as I leaned forward. ~The suitcase is full of whatever they were trying to make. Sadly, I couldn''t stop Sportsmaster from escaping with one of the vials... I honestly didn''t even see him open the suitcase, but it seems he did at some point.~ Batman nodded, his face thoughtful as he considered my words. "Before we proceed, we need to analyze the contents within the suitcase." ~I assume the Batcave has something toplete such a task,~ I replied, ncing around the room. "Your assumption would be correct," Batman replied as he stood up, leading the way out of the room, suitcase at hand, as I followed him to what I assumed was called the Bab or something simr. Within a moment or two, we arrived at arge room filled with all sorts of gadgets and machines that I couldn''t even begin to understand, as most seemed custom-made. Besides that, there were various monitors set up around the room, each one disying different readouts or images. In the center of the room was arge table with what appeared to be a microscope and some other tools of the same theme. Batman walked over to the table, gesturing for me to join him. "This is theb." ~How do you exin all of these tools to whoever makes them?~ I asked, making some conversation as I looked around the room, taking everything in. "Most of these tools are my own design," Batman exined as he set the suitcase down on the table and began to open it. "As for how I get them here. Lots of money, connections, and nning." ~I see,~ I replied, nodding in understanding as I watched Batman pull out some vials from the suitcase and ce them on what appeared to be a blood analyzer if one went by design alone. "This should take a few moments or so," Batman said as he began to input some data into the machine. Nodding, I crossed my arms and waited patiently as the machine began to do its work, my mind wandering as I tried to see if I could remember anything that could unfold the mystery of these vials, anything from my canon memories. Within a few minutes or so of Batman working, the machine beeped, catching my attention as I walked over to Batman. ~So, what does it say?~ "Inconclusive," Batman said as he read the data on the screen, "It contains Venom, but that''s not all there is within this. The other part will take days, maybe more, to decipher without a sample of the other ingredient." I paused, giving the readings a look, finding some of them very simr. ~Check my database; I think we already have a sample of the other ingredient.~ If I was correct, and I didn''t want to be, the other ingredient was the Blockbuster vial. Some of the readings matched perfectly with the readings I had gotten from analyzing project Blockbuster in the arrow cave. "Interesting," Batman said after a few moments, looking up at me. "The data you have about project Blockbuster fits perfectly with what we have." ~That''s what I was afraid of,~ I sighed, running a hand through my hair. ~This pretty much confirms the Light''s involvement; I mean, how else would have Kobra and Sportsmaster gotten their hands on the Blockbuster form?~ "Agreed," Batman said, his face grim as he looked at the data on the screen. "Based on the data you collected from CADMUS, project Blockbuster is designed to increase the power of ordinary people through abination of gic research and some crystals who happened to have all their data redacted from every single file. When ingested, the serum is supposed to vastly increase the muscle mass of the user creating a thick hide underneath the skin, causing the original skin and facial features to slough off." ~Add Venom to that, and the result is Mammoth,~ I replied, my mind quickly putting two and two together as to why Mammoth looked how he looked. "The Light is nning to create an army of super-soldiers," Batman said, his voice grim as he looked at me. "If they are able to mass produce this serum, the consequences will be dire." I nodded. ~We need to stop them,~ "You might have to leave the team earlier than I would''ve wanted," Batman said as he looked at me, his eyes heavy. ~Wouldn''t now be too soon?~ I replied, remembering our talk some time ago about using Deathstroke''s and his liking to me to infiltrate the Light. "I don''t think we have a choice," Batman said as he looked at the data on the screen. "The sooner we can get our hands on more information about them, the better." I nodded, taking a deep breath. ~And how do you n we do this? I mean, there are a lot of factors at y. We need to make this as believable as possible, and not only that, we still have to create a valid reason as to why I won''t use my powers when ying for the bad guys.~ "Martian Manhunter will help us with your talking situation," Batman said as he looked at me. "As for how to deal with your powers in order to create a valid reason for you not to use them, well, for that, I have a few ideas in mind." ~And what will be my motive for bing a viin?~ I asked, taking a deep breath. ~Dinah and Oliver won''t believe it if I just turn bad all of the sudden.~ Batman was silent for a few moments. "The Joker incident." I froze at that. He actually wanted to use that event for this? I mean, it made sense, and it would work if we yed it correctly, but it would scar Robin and everyone involved by magnitudes we can''t evenprehend. "Mental deterioration ismon to survivors of the Joker Venom," Batman said, his voice heavy. "If we y our cards right and expose you to the venom a second time, we can orchestrate your falling down." I''m fucking d Batman is not a viin. ~I see, and then when you realize I have gone ''bad'', you will find a cure or permanent nullifier for my powers,~ I replied, connecting the dots of Batman''s n. ~I suppose that''s where the device Martian Manhunter is having made for me enters the equation, right? With me trying to kill you all with a scream, only to find out I have no powers, and my voice is doing nothing. Except it won''t be my voice, but the sound the device Martian Manhunter is giving me makes, right?~ Batman nodded. "More or less." ~Raven will know something is wrong,~ I sighed, looking at the floor. ~I won''t be able to fool her. She will read my emotions and immediately grasp something is off about my viin act.~ "In that case, she can know, but the rest of the team and others can''t," Batman said as he looked at me. "If we are going to do this, we need to make it convincing." ~I hate you,~ I sighed, giving him a short nod. ~But I understand why I need to do this.~ "I''m sorry, I really am. If I could have any other way, if there was any other path to take, I would not be asking this of you," Batman said, his voice sincere. "But, you know as well as I do that we are fighting a losing war right now." I nodded, understanding his words all too well. This mission wasn''t optional; because as long as the Light existed, my sister, Raven, Oliver, and everyone else would be at risk, and if the only way to keep them safe from this risk was by sacrificing my own sanity and mental wellbeing, I would do it. Without hesitation. ~I know.~ Chapter 111: Chapter 111: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! The next is a twist to what all of you think. So please chill those angry tits. It''s something your corn needing minds haven''t figured out. Unlikely alliances with be forged, perspectives will change, and a lot of shit will happen in the arc. Like plot wise, this next arc sets a lot of the points for the ending. Not like the ending is near, but thising arc will create a line of reference more clear as to what direction things will take. -------------- [David Lance POV] As the days went by without missions, I continued training the team, helping them improve in their shorings to the best of my ability. During this time, my mind was clouded with the thoughts of my future mission and what that entailed. I knew this had to be done. But that didn''t make it any easier. Infiltrating the Light, ying the role of a viin, training under Deathstroke. It was all so daunting, so terrifying, and so uncertain that I didn''t know what to think, but I had to remain strong for my friends and family. Because I knew that if the Light wasn''t stopped, those I cared about would never be safe. "Alright, that''s it," Raven said, walking toward me after we had finished the team''stest training session, "You''ve been off in your own head a lottely. What''s going on?" I hesitated for a moment before responding with a sigh. ~Can we talk in my room?~ Raven nodded and followed me silently as we made our way to my room. Once we were inside with the door shut and a soundproof spell in ce, I let out a sigh and sat down on the edge of my bed. "Speak," Raven prompted. I took a deep breath, ~Well... I have a mission.~ "What kind of mission?" Raven asked, her brow furrowed in concern as she sat down next to me. ~As you know, the Light is a problem, one that we can''t face as we are now,~ I replied, my eyes focused on the floor as I signed. ~So, seeing as we have no information about them besides the bare bones, well, I have to go undercover, in order to take them down from the inside.~ Raven froze for a moment before she slowly turned to look at me, her eyes wide in horror. "You can''t be serious." I heaved a tired sigh and gave her an apologetic smile. ~Right now, there''s basically no other way.~ "No," Raven shook her head in denial, "There has to be another way. You can''t just go and y the viin." ~They are preparing for war, Raven, the Light is making weapons, clones, and God knows what else,~ I replied, my signs breaking slightly thanks to a shudder as the reality of the situation sunk in. ~And if we don''t stop them, Dinah will be in danger, Oliver... you, and I can''t let that happen.~ Raven was quiet for a long moment until, all of the sudden, one of my pillows exploded under her magic, losing control for a brief second. "Fine," she hissed, her voiceced with anger, "If there''s no other choice, I''ming with you." I shook my head in response. ~No.~ "What do you mean by no?" Raven demanded in hurtful disbelief and anger. "You can''t go undercover without backup." ~It''s too dangerous, Raven,~ I signed with a shake of my head, ~I can''t put you in that kind of danger.~ "And what about you?" Raven asked heatedly, her eyes glowing white as she pushed to the back of my room against a wall with her magic, sealing all of my movements. "Do I really look helpless? Do I look like I need protecting?" Finding myself immobile, I was taken aback by the force Raven was using to subdue me. Right now, for better or for worse, I was at her mercy; heck, even blinking seemed out of the window with the amount of pressure she was putting on me. "You can''t speak, can''t you?" Raven said in a low tone as she floated toward me ever so slowly. "I shut your mouth tight with my magic, then how about signnguage? Can you sign?" I think this is the first time I have seen Raven truly angry, and it wasn''t a pretty sight, to say the least. Raven, seeing I couldn''t reply, scoffed, releasing the hold she had of my hands. "Go on, talk." ~No, you don''t look helpless Rae,~ I replied as I met her re with a soft smile on my face, noticing that at any time she could restrain my hands again if she so wanted. ~You''re the strongest person I know. But that doesn''t mean I''m going to put you in danger if I can help it.~ Raven''s eyes softened at my words. "You are not the only one that gets to care, you know," she said quietly as she floated back to the bed, releasing me from her hold. "I care about you too, David." ~Rae...~ I signed, walking to her side. "I know I might not be the most emotional person in the world, but I still feel," Raven said softly as she looked away from me. "And I don''t want to see you get hurt." ~I know, that''s the same reason I don''t want you toe with me,~ I replied as I gently took her hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Raven was quiet for a long moment, simply holding my hand. "I won''t let you go alone, David. Call me selfish, but I refuse to let you go on this mission alone." ~Batman won''t let you,~ I pointed out with a raised eyebrow. Raven scoffed in response. "Let him try and stop me." I hesitated for a moment before I slowly nodded my head in defeat. ~I won''t talk you out of this, am I?~ "No," Raven said with a shake of her head, going back to her usual monotone, "You''re not." ~I guess we could y into Constantine''s fear of you being evil,~ I suggested with a smirk, knowing full well that Constantine still thought Raven was evil, him, and Giovanni Zatara. "I honestly don''t care about that, as long as I can be there with you," Raven replied as she pped the back of my head. "Someone has to make sure you don''t die out there. Imagine the trouble I would go into to find another friend like you. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find tolerable people?" ------------------------------- A few momentster, after my talk with Raven, I contacted Batman to tell him about Raven''s decision, to which he replied with a text saying that he wanted to meet with us in the Batcave as soon as possible. Seeing no point in dying that meeting, we made our way to the Batcave, using the Zeta tube to portal to Gotham. "ck Bolt told you about the mission," Batman said as soon as we arrived, not even bothering to look up from hisputer screen. "He did," Raven replied calmly. "Then you know why you can''t go," Batman replied, finally turning to look at us. "With or without your approval, I''m going," Raven said in a tone that left no room for argument. Batman sighed in response, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You''re not thinking this through, Raven. It''s too dangerous. But beyond that, it is too unbelievable. Two heroes deflecting at the same time is highly improbable." "Then make it probable," Raven replied. "You''re the world''s greatest detective; figure it out." Batman was quiet for a long moment. "You are letting your feelings cloud your judgment." At this, Raven took a step forward. "You are talking about feelings to me? Since the day I was born, I have had to control my feelingspletely because if I ever lose control, bad things happen, terrible things. You might have years of experience above me when ites to being a hero, but when ites to self-control, you are the one behind." "Am I?" Batman asked, his tone heavy. "You are good, Batman, but even the greatest can''t hide their emotions," Raven replied calmly. "I can feel your emotions, everything you have bottled up. It''s faint, very faint. If I don''t focus, if I don''t really focus, I can''t feel it, but if I do, like I''m doing now, I can feel it deep within you, your anger, your sadness, your guilt, and something dark you try to repress." Batman said nothing, simply staring at Raven. Raven sighed. "I understand better than anyone the importance of self-control. I know what it''s like to have to bottle everything up. So, is my decision an emotional one? Perhaps to some extent, but your decisions when ites to David are the same, aren''t they?" Is she insinuating the fact Batman is probably training me to fill his shoes? I mean, I know that I won''t ever take that job, but I know that I know Batman sees in me the best possible candidate to pass not the title of the Batman, but what he represents. "What are you insinuating," Batman said in a low voice. "I''m not insinuating anything," Raven replied calmly. "I''m stating the truth. You trained David more than anyone else, more than your sidekick, because you want him to inherit your role in this world. I can feel it; you can''t stomach the idea of Robin bing you, so you decided to pick someone else to avoid that." I was right; she''s insinuating that. "You are overstepping your boundaries, Raven," Batman said in a dangerous voice as he narrowed his eyes on her. "Am I wrong, though?" Raven asked calmly in response. "Can you say with confidence that you haven''t thought of this? not even once? That you have never entertained the idea?" Batman was silent for a long moment, his jaw clenched. "I entertain many things; terrible things, that, however, doesn''t mean I act on them. Feelings and thoughts don''t equate to actions." "That doesn''t answer the question, doesn''t it?" Raven replied, arms crossed. ~This is getting out of hand,~ I interjected, getting between the two to get their attention. Batman''s eyes flickered to me for a fraction of a second before he sighed and turned back to Raven. "She''s not entirely wrong. Out of everyone I have ever met, you are the only that could fill my role when my time to retirees. Be that as it may, I didn''t train you because of that, nor will I force you to take my role or anyone for that matter. I have faith that in time, what I represent won''t be needed, at least not to the extent I represent it." ~Look, I honestly don''t care if you were grooming me to fill your role or not because ultimately, it would''ve been my choice to take the role or not,~ I said, turning my attention to Raven. ~As for you, Raven, I appreciate you protecting me, but like you, I can protect myself from anyone. I already suspected Batman wanted me to do that to some extent, and I was okay with that because, more than not, we think alike, and I appreciated the training.~ "It seems you might have misheard me," Batman interjected. "While I admit I have thought of this, like many of my thoughts, I wouldn''t have acted on it. I was simply stating that she was right about you being the perfect candidate if I ever wanted to do that." "I apologize. It seems that to some extent, I let my emotions guide my actions right now," Raven said, taking a deep breath. "You won''t take no for an answer, won''t you?" Batman asked, giving her a hard stare as she changed the subject back to the original point. "I won''t," Raven replied firmly. "I''ll see what I can do," Batman replied after a long silence, his voice heavy. "However, if fitting you in, in the ns, proves to be impossible, you will stay out of this mission, whether you like it or not." Raven said nothing, giving him a stare that said. We''ll see. Chapter 112: Chapter 112: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The days drifted by without there being any major urrences. Beyond Raven and her talk with Batman a few days ago, nothing else had happened, at least nothing worth mentioning or thinking about it. Of course, this remark of uneventfulness was exclusively from my side, as things from the perspective of my team members were not in such luck of mundanity. This was especially true for Superboy. Without missions to keep him upied, his mind had started to wander to a dark corner, at least when it came to Superman and his non-existent rtionship with him. It didn''t help that Superman was all but avoiding the poor kid like a gue or something perhaps worse, giving Superboy more than a few conflicted feelings. To make matters worse, a few days ago, Superboy and Superman had a little encounter in Metropolis, so to speak, where he tried to connect with Superman by aiding his city, only to be rejected like a piece of trash. This encounter took a heavy toll on Superboy, who, after this, was nowshing out more at everyone, behaving in a totally irrational manner more than not. This toll became all the more apparent to everyone when my sister came to train us, resulting in Superboy all but ignoring her. So, in view of this, I decided to talk with him or try to, at the very least. ~Superboy,~ I signed to him, ~Can we talk for a moment?~ He turned to look at me with an expression that could only be described as ''irritated'', but regardless he followed me to a more private spot, which in my book was a win, all things considered. "What do you want?" Superboy asked impatiently, his arms crossed. I took a deep breath before answering him, ~I wanted to talk to you about what happened with Superman and also what''s been happeningtely with you.~ Superboy''s eyes narrowed at my words. "What about it? There''s nothing to talk about." I frowned at his words, ~Superboy, I know that you''re upset about what happened, but you need to understand that Superman is not perfect and that is not your fault that he doesn''t want to talk with you.~ "I don''t need your pity," Superboy spat out, his eyes shing in anger. ~I''m not pitying you,~ I replied, taking a deep breath once again. ~I know you want to connect with him, and in time, you will. But right now, you have to understand that he feels vited, and in a very human way, your presence reminds him of that.~ Superboy was silent for a few moments, his eyes disying anger, sadness, and a few other emotions I couldn''t quite understand before he finally spoke, "I just don''t get why he hates me so much." I shook my head, ~It''s not that he hates you. He''s just struggling to deal with the idea of having a clone.~ "But I didn''t do anything wrong," Superboy said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn''t ask to be created; I just was. He can''t me me for that." I nodded. ~I know that, and you know that, but it doesn''t change how he feels. Just give him some time to process to understand that you are not to me for whatever he feels.~ Superboy was quiet for a few moments before he finally nodded his head in understanding, albeit reluctantly. "I just wanted to know more about myself, about my powers. I just thought that if I showed him I wasn''t bad that he would help me understand what I am, or maybe help me understand my limits if the first one was too much." Even without Raven''s power, I could feel the pain in his words to the point I kind of wanted to punch Superman, even though I understood him. I ced a hand on Superboy''s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze in aforting manner. ~I know. Just remember, Superman is not like the media portrays him to be. He''s just as wed as you, and me, and any other person around. He feels fear, love, hate, and more. And right now, he''s afraid, but he doesn''t understand why, which is why he avoids you." "Do you really think he will get over this?" Superboy asked, his voice filled with hope. I smiled at him. ~I do.~ ---------------------------------------------------- After my talk with Superboy, Batman contacted the team to tell us we had a mission. The mission was that we had to escort two STAR Lab vans during their journey as they moved Amazo to a different location. I could already tell from the get-go this was going to end badly for us, one way or another. Honestly, at times I really didn''t like Batman; I had told him that android was best if it was destroyed, but did he listen, no. Mission at hand, we moved out of the base, making our way to the Litchfield County, where the STARS Lab vans were waiting for us to start their journey; from there, we started our mission by shadowing the vans from different angles, making sure to cover every possible angle in order to better react to any attacks. -Team, keep your heads up. I''m 80% sure we will have some... troubles along the way,- I said through the telepathic Miss Martian had set, making sure everyone was on the same page. -That''s a very negative way of thinking,- Miss Martian replied, her tone showing a bit of concern for what she considered to be a pessimistic outlook. -But I''ll make sure to be alert, just in case your hunch is correct.- -We fought Amazo before, and it was not an easy task,- Raven replied, her voice as emotionless as ever. -In this case, being pessimistic is the same as being realistic.- -I agree,- Aqud said, joining in the conversation. -It is better to be safe. No precaution is ever unnecessary when facing the enemy.- -You fought Amazo before. So how did you guys beat him?- Robin asked, making me smile. A month ago, he couldn''t even look at me in the eyes; now, he was even asking questions. -Amazo prioritizes defense over offense, leaving him vulnerable between power switches. He also takes a few seconds between switches, leaving him wide open for attacks,- I replied, recalling the strategy we used to defeat Amazo the first time. As we continued to talk about Amazo and our encounter with the android a few months ago, something moved around us behind the cover of a cornfield. -Team, we havepany, so get ready,- I warned the team as I pressed the pedal on my bike to reach the van in order to get on top of it. As I did this, a swarm of monkey drones appeared from out of the cornfield, flying toward the vans. Already on top of the van by this point, I quickly moved to intercept them as they tried to push me off the van. -Raven, Miss Martian, use your telekic abilities to destroy as many drones as you can from afar,- I said, doing my best to hold on as the drones attacked me. -Superboy, Kid sh, and Aqud, defend the other van. Robin, you are with me.- -I hate monkeys- Superboy replied in a low growl as he moved to intercept the drones on the other van. With the team moving, I changed my focus to the drones, breaking them with ease with a hit or two. However, the moment I broke one drone, two more would appear, taking its ce, making this fight a seemingly endless cycle. If things continued this way, there was no doubt that I would be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers the drones had over us. -There are too many of them!- Robin cried as he jumped into the van, kicking a few drones off my te. -I know,- I replied, punching through a drone as I kicked another one into the van, destroying it, only for one of the drones toser me in the face, doing no damage, but blinding me for a few seconds, giving a few of the drones enough time to push me off the van. -I''m tired of this,- Raven muttered, catching me before I could collide with the ground before putting me back on the van. -I agree,- I replied, seeing as the drones were using theirsers to make a hole in the side of the van to ess Amazo. Without wasting time, I darted toward the drones, destroying them one by one in a matter of seconds before hurling some explosive knives at a few that were flying toward the van. Thisst act, on my part, seemed to have had some effect because the drones started to fly away. -They are leaving,- Aqud said in surprise, watching as the drones flew away. -It''s not over yet,- I said, feeling something was off. As if proving my point, the drones changed their trajectory and started to fly ahead of us, stopping right in front of the vans before darting forward at full speed, exploding in the tires of the van upon collision before any of us could react. This, in turn, made the vans lose control and fly into the air before crashing down into the cornfields at high speed. Before that happened, however, I jumped off the van,nding on the road, where I rolled on the street, beforeing to a full stop. -Raven, Miss Martian, stop them! Kid sh, the drivers!- The drones had yed us with that move, forcing us off the vans. Be that as it may, it was still not toote to stop Amazo froming back online, and I would be damned if I let that happen; thest thing I wanted, ever, was to fight that robotic menace again. Chapter 113: Chapter 113: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Without wasting time, I rushed to the vans that were a few hundred meters away, catching a glimpse of the robots taking the containers that held Amazo in parts. -Raven portal!- At mymand, Raven opened a portal in front of me, one that connected with the path the droids were taking to make their getaway; leaping out of the portal, I punched two robots out of the way as I positioned myself to the right, making sure to not have anything in front of me, but the droids. There, I took a step forward and whispered. "Enough." My whisper, carrying the destructive force one would expect, destroyed the droids that held the container, leaving nothing behind but a damaged container falling to the ground. -Holy crap,- Kid sh muttered through the telepathic link, seeing the destruction my voice had caused. -You can marvel at my powerter! Stop the other container!- I ordered as I sprinted toward the damaged container I had just avoided from getting away. Taking a deep breath, I reached the container with one hand before ripping it open to see the upper part of Amazo inside. Knowing Batman would never destroy this weapon and that whoever was after Amazo would not stop going after the android either, I grabbed the upper part of Amazo with one hand before tossing it high into the air, as I looked up and said. "Goodbye." In turn, releasing a powerful sonic scream that caused the upper part of Amazo to explode in midair into nothing. -I did what had to be done,- I replied coldly. I told Batman that leaving Amazo be would only bring problems in the long run, but he didn''t listen, so it was only fair that I didn''t listen to some of his orders right now, like keeping Amazo in one piece if possible. -Good riddance,- Raven said, approving of my choice. -We should''ve done that the moment we defeated the android the first time. The League was asking for problems when it allowed that thing to remain.- -ck Bolt! What are you doing?! Our mission was to protect the android, not to destroy it!- Kid sh eximed. I nodded, turning my attention to the droids that remained, who now seemed to be at a loss. Turning their collective heads toward me, before they spoke in one voice that echoed through the empty road. "You will pay for this ck Bolt. Mark my words." "He won''t," Raven said, appearing behind the droids before crushing them with her magic. As for the other drones, they escaped before Raven could get to them, taking flight into the horizon without a clear destination. "So that''s your voice," Superboy said, walking toward me, his eyes locked in the destruction my first whisper had done to the road and cornfield, leaving nothing but dested dirt for miles into the distance. I looked at him and nodded. "If that''s a whisper, what can a scream do?" Superboy asked, mostly to himself, possibly picturing me in a whole new light now. Whether that light was good or bad was yet to be seen. ------------------------------------------- Later in the Batcave, I waited in silence with Alfred for Batman to arrive. The room we were waiting in was small and cramped, with a single table and two chairs. The walls were lined with shelves, each stacked with boxes and files. The only source of light came from a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. "Cookies, Master Bolt?" Alfred offered, putting some cookies on the table. I smiled, grabbing one, before I sat back in my chair, hands sped in front of me, while Alfred simply stood at my side. Within a moment or two, the door of the room opened, and Batman entered the room. His cape billowed behind him as he strode to the table and took a seat opposite me. His eyes were cold and hard as he looked at me, and I could feel the weight of his scrutiny bearing down on me, as well as his clear dislike of my recent actions during the mission. Calm and collected, I waited for him to speak first, knowing very well that whatever he was going to say wasn''t going to be good by any means. "You destroyed Amazo," Batman said, his voice as hard as his eyes. ~I had to," I replied calmly. ~You know very well that Amazo is a threat that we should''ve destroyed a long time ago. I told you so, didn''t I?~ "You did. But, now I ask you, did you consider the effects this action will haveter on? What if whoever made Amazo makes another one now, one stronger, better, and harder to put down than thest," Batman asked, his voiceced with anger. "Or did you not even bother to think about that before you decided to take matters into your own hands and destroy him?" ~I did think about it,~ I replied coolly. ~And I came to the conclusion that if whoever made Amazo could make more, he wouldn''t have bothered to send simple drones after this one. He would''ve sent an army of Amazos, or maybe just one.~ "That''s a supposition of possible events at best," Batman replied in a low tone. ~Maybe, but it has a better ground than your theory about a stronger Amazo so far. We both know Amazo''s creator is dead, just as we also know that replicating Amazo is nearly impossible,~ I replied, grabbing another cookie from the tray Alfred had brought a few moments prior. Batman was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "I understand your reasoning. But that doesn''t excuse your actions. You should''ve followed the orders you were given or, at the very least, consulted me first before taking such drastic measures." I nodded in agreement. ~You''re right; maybe I should''ve. But sadly, it wasn''t within my options to follow that path. I mean, it was just a matter of time before the droids seed in their mission. As you like to say, sometimes you have to make decisions in the heat of the moment, and that''s what I did.~ Batman, at this, said nothing, simply gazing at me. ~Besides, if I didn''t stop Amazo froming back online, I would''ve put the team at risk, and as their leader, it is my ambition and objective to avoid putting them at unnecessary risks,~ I continued, knowing very well that while the team''s safety had been one of the reasons behind my actions, it hadn''t been the main one, I had my personal chips on the entire thing. A long silence followed my words, during which Batman simply stared at me. Finally, after a moment, he broke the silence by sighing as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. "It''s like looking at a mirror from the past, Master Wayne," Alfred chuckled, giving Batman and me a fond look filled with nostalgia. Batman, trying his best to ignore Alfred''sment, spoke. "I can''t say I agree with your actions. But the fact that you put the team''s safety over the mission is admirable." I nodded. "You are dismissed," Batman said, his voice tired, like that of a father being done with an argument. At this, I stood up from my chair and, with ast look at Batman, left the room. Chapter 114: COVID-19 Chapter 114: COVID-19 Corn is sick, like yesterday I was fine, a bit of a sore throat, and today I woke up feeling like I''m about to die. I can''t move. Literally moving one finger is pure and absolute pain for me. For those wondering what happened to me today, well, this happened. Corn will take today to rest, and maybe try and write a bit on my pher today. I''m throwing up. Food tastes like shit. I have chills like 90% of the time. And have a massive headache. Before anyone asks, yes, I''m vinated, but COVID still decided to try and isekai my ass. I won''t let him do that. In the meantime, take this note as a Q&A. The question with most likes by the end of the day will be answered, so let''s see what you guys want to know. Chapter 115: UPDATE Chapter 115: UPDATE Updates will return in 3 days. 9/28/2022 I have recovered, for the most part. I still cough, and find myself without much breath if I exert, but other than that I''m okay. So updates return this 28th. Chapter 116: Chapter 116: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer We already entered a new arc in Patren, thising arc is quite possibly the heaviest lore wise, as all the events in thising arc as key for the future. In this arc, David will scream for the first time in his life, and fight for survival, while growing and learning about himself. He will develop his powers more than ever, and learn things he never thought possible. Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I keep my eyes trained on Aqud as we circle each other in the training room. Our steps are heavy and purposeful, echoing off the tiles as we position ourselves for an attack. I know he''lle at me with everything he''s got, that was the purpose of this, and I''m ready. Taking a step forward, heshes out with a stream of water, but I easily duck under it ande up behind him. Reforming the water he had just used, he tried to spin around and hit me with a water whip, but by the time he turned, I''m already gone. "Where-" Aqud muttered under his breath, cutting his words short as Inded a kick on the back of his head, pushing him to the ground. Grunting in pain, he stands up almost immediately. "I have underestimated your speed." I smiled. It wasn''t so much he had underestimated my speed. It was more like he had overestimated his ability to cover for his blind spots because that''s what happened just now; I moved under his blind spot, giving the impression I was moving faster than expected. "I won''t repeat that mistake," Aqud said, getting back into a fighting stance. Beforete, Aqud moves his hands forward as a pair of water beamse at me fast. Darting forward, I easily weave through the beams, closing the distance between us, seeing me in front of him, Aqud forms a water hammer and tries to strike me. However, I parry the attack with ease, headbutting the Antean a few steps back. Recovering quickly, he takes two steps forward before whirling around,shing in every direction with a water whip in an attempt to disorient me. Seeing his attacke, I calmly jumped over the attack, hurling in the process a few stunning knives at him. The knives having fulfilling their purpose, blind Aqud momentarily giving all the time I needed to force this battle into a close-quarters stage, or so I thought because as I neared the Antean, thinking he had been blind, he turned in my direction, firing a water beam. He had tricked me into a false sense of security. I''m so proud. Forcing my body down, I duck under his attack in just a sliver of time before mming my fist into his stomach. He doubles over in pain, and I take the opportunity to sweep his legs out from under him. He hits the ground hard. "I give up," Aqud said, breathing heavily. Smiling, I reach for his hand and help him up. ~You did well today. Especially thatst attack.~ "I thought if I lowered my guard on purpose after one of your attacks, that you would lower yours," Aqud replied with a faint smile across his face. I nodded. It was a good strategy, and it almost worked. The only reason his n hadn''t worked was the timing behind his execution. ~It would''ve worked if you had waited a bit more before making your move. You took your chance too quickly, allowing me time to react properly; I only managed to dodge because I had time to understand what happened. Next time, don''t give me time to understand what happened.~ "I will," Aqud said with a nod. "You both did great!" M''gann cheered as she walked into the training circle with a big smile on her face. ~Thanks,~ I smiled, giving Raven, who was in the back of the room levitating, a yful wink, in turn making her roll her eyes at me. Ah, I love you too, my adorable emo. "Come on, let''s get some lunch," M''gann beamed, linking her arm through mine without much of a warning. Well, I''m not hungry. But, I am not against some food. So, why not? "I could go for a few burgers," Superboy said, walking behind us as we made our way to themon area. "So, who will pick the food up this time?" Kid sh asked, joining us. "You know who," Raven replied, giving the speedster a look. "Again?" Kid sh asked with an exaggerated groan. "Why does it always have to be me?" He muttered under his breath. "You''re the fastest," M''gann giggled, her grip on my arm tightening a little as we walked. I wonder what''s up with her and my arm today? "But she can make portals!" Kid sh eximed, gesturing towards Raven in an overly dramatic manner. "I can," Raven replied with a calm expression that said, I don''t give a fuck, heck my fucks don''t give a fuck about fuck, hell, I have an empty farm of fucks, so deal with it. "But that doesn''t mean I want to go through the hassle." "Dude, you know the deal. Democracy and all," Robin said with a shrug as he walked beside Kid sh. "Ugh, fine," Kid sh said with an exaggerated sigh as he came to a stop in front of us. "So, what will you guys want?" "Fifteen bacon cheeseburgers, lettuce and tomato on all of them, ten sodas, and twelverge fries," Superboy said without hesitation. "No sauce on the burgers." "I''ll have a sd and two cokes," Raven said, her voice deadpan as always. "Ooh, can I have some sushi?" M''gann asked, her grip on my arm loosening a little as she bounced up and down in ce. "Please?" She begged, giving me puppy dog eyes. Not sure why she had to beg, considering we literally have an infinite amount of money to spend. ~Sure,~ I smiled, ruffling her hair a bit. "Why are you begging him? I''m the one that has to run to a sushi restaurant!" Kid shined under his breath. "You''re the best! I have wanted to try sushi since I came to earth, but the opportunity never presented itself," M''gann beamed at me before turning to Aqud with a look of terrified shock on her face. "No, it is not an insult to eat fish for me, or any other Antian for that matter," Aqud replied immediately, almost as if reading her mind. "I guess to some vegans in Antis, it would, but that''s neither here nor there." "Wow, you answered that fast and the best part? She didn''t even have to ask the question," Robinmented with a smile on his face. "I''ve... been asked that a lot," Aqud replied as a matter of fact. "I would like four bacon cheeseburgers with onions, lettuce, and mustard. No drinks; I will get some water from the kitchen." ~I would like ten hotdogs, with everything, extra onions on all of them. And, no drinks as well; I will get water or a soda from the kitchen,~ I said, giving Kid sh an eye smile as he wrote everyone''s order on a notepad. "Unlike the rest of the team, save for Raven, I have one stomach only, so... a cheeseburger, with everything,rge fries, and a coke," Robin said, giving Kid sh a small grin. "Alright, that will take me five minutes if I got to the best ce for each item," Kid sh hummed. "I will ce the orders through my phone. That way, I will only have to pick them up one by one." ------------------------------------------- Twenty minutester, after Kid sh had left to pick up the orders, Artemis, Batman, and Green Arrow arrived, with Green Arrow presenting Artemis as his new protege and Batman introducing her as the newest member of the team. I had heard of her and her debut in Gotham City. Yet, I wasn''t aware Green Arrow had contacted her; I mean, I knew Batman had because he was Batman, a very territorial hero, but not that Oliver had reached out to her. I guess I had been really disconnected from Star City and everything within. I sighed, giving Green Arrow a look, who in turn simply smiled. "The WALLLMAN is here with some food!" Almost as if on cue, Kid sh arrived with the food through the Zeta Tube. "Wallman, huh? What exactly are your powers? Good customer service?" Artemis said with a yful grin. Ha! I like this girl. "I do too," Raven muttered, a faint smileing across her face for the faintest of moments. "So... who''s this?" Kid sh asked, gesturing at Artemis in clear confusion. "Artemis, your new teammate," Artemis replied with confidence. "Kid sh never heard of you," Kid sh replied just in kind, making Artemis frown. "Ahm, she''s my new protege," Green Arrow chimed in, giving the team an awkward smile. "Wh-what happened to the old one?" Kid sh asked, frowning at Green Arrow. [Recognized. Speedy B-0-7] "Well, for starters, he doesn''t go by Speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow." "Roy... you look," Green Arrow said, taking a step forward as Batman and I shared a knowing look. "Receable," Red Arrow replied in a cold tone. Buddy, you have no idea how true that is. "Why are you even mad? You didn''t want to be anyone''s protege," Raven interjected, giving Red Arrow a in look. "Oh, I see; that''s your power, isn''t it? Hating everything." "Ha!" Artemis snorted under her breath. "Can you even use that bow?" Red Arrow scoffed, giving Artemis a condescending look. "Yes, I can. Want to y moving target?" Artemis replied with a smirk, taking a step forward. "Don''t pay attention to... whoever her name is," Kid sh said, giving Red Arrow a smile. "She''s my niece," Green Arrow chimed in as if that would ease tensions. I smiled, giving him a look that said. Is she now? Green Arrow smiled tightly. "There''s no need for hostilities; she''s not your recement. We have always wanted you on the team," Aqud began as he walked toward Red Arrow. "We have no quota on archers." "And if we did, you know who we''d picked," Kid sh said, giving Red Arrow a smile. "Whatever DoorDash, I''m here to stay," Artemis shot back, rolling her eyes as she walked closer to the rest of the team. Hahaha! DoorDash! Oh, God. She''s a riot. "I didn''te here to join your little clubhouse. I came here for a reason, a reason named Dr. Serling Roquette," Red Arrow replied, turning to look at Batman. "Nanorobotics genius and ytronics expert at Royal University in Star City. Vanished two weeks ago," Robin said, using his wristputer to get info on the Dr. "Abducted two weeks ago by the League of Shadows. I already rescued her, of course. Only one problem, the Shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon. Doc calls it The Fog,prised of millions of microscopic robots," Red Arrow continued, using the holographic disy of the cave to show what he had about this. "Nanotech infiltrators. Capable of disintegrating anything in their path. Concrete, steel, flesh, bone. But its true purpose isn''t mere destruction. It''s theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from anyputer system and deliver the stolen intel to the Shadows, providing them ess to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science, and tech." "Perfect for extortion, maniption, power broking," Artemis hummed, index finger pressed upon her lips. "Yup, sounds like the shadows." Red Arrow said nothing, turning to Batman once again. "The Shadows are after her. For the time being, she''s safe. I stashed her at the high school''sputerb, so from here forward, it is your responsibility to stop the shadows from getting her." "Will you be joining us on this mission?" Kid sh asked, sounding hopeful. "No. I''m done here," Red Arrow replied, walking out of the room into one of the zeta tubes, leaving the base. "Charming," Artemis said, breaking the silence after he had left. Chapter 117: Chapter 117: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Cloaked in darkness, I silently climbed a rear fire escape that led to the second floor of the school where Dr. Roquette was at, having left the rest of the team to take care of the front while Raven and I watched the back in order to keep the Dr, safe. Having reached the second floor, I flicked the lights of the hallway on, or at least tried to because no lights turned on. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the light bulbs of the hallway looked disconnected from where I was standing, a realization that made me frown, as it was almost too convenient. Deciding to confirm my suspicions, I checked one of the bulbs confirming that they had been, in fact, unscrewed just enough to not turn on. -Team, we havepany,- I said through the telepathic link, giving the dark hallway a look. -Any idea of how many?- Raven asked, her voice cutting through the silence in my mind. -No, so stay put. In case this is a distraction,- I replied, plucking two knives out of my utility belt before walking towards the next area, keeping my guard up. I had barely taken a couple of steps into the next room when a sh of light appeared on my left side, sting me out of the hallway through one of the windows. Turning my body around midair, I drew my grapnel gun from my belt and fired it in the direction of the hallway, the hook digging into the structure of one of the walls as it pulled me back in. Back in the hallway, I got into a defensive stance, looking around. Whatever that was, wasn''t supposed to hurt me, just push me out of the building. -ck Bolt, are you okay?- Aqud asked, worryced in his tone. -I am. I just confirmed someone is indeed within the building, so keep your eyes open,- I replied, as the gleam of something flying toward me caught my attention just in time, giving me the time to duck under the projectile. A javelin... Sportsmaster. "Good, I was afraid this was going to be easy," Sportsmaster said as he came into view. -Sportsmaster is in the building. I will deal with him. Keep your positions, and remember our priority is to keep Dr. Roquette safe and stop the FOG,- I informed the team, hoping that this would not make Artemis perform poorly. -Understood,- Aqud replied. -Very well, I will keep patrolling the back of the school. Call me if you need backup,- Raven said, her tone depicting her trust in me dealing with this alone. -Are you guys out of your mind?!- Artemis cried in clear shock. -We need to help ck Bolt, leader or not; Sportsmaster is not someone you can underestimate!- -I already fought him once. He ran. So far, the score is on my corner,- I replied before darting toward Sportsmaster. Chuckling under his hockey mask, Sportmaster plucked another javelin from his back before hurling it at my face. The javelin sliced through the air, gleaming under the moonlight as it made its way toward me. Using the armor of my wrists, I deflected the javelin before hurling a few knives at Sportsmaster, who deftly evaded the projectiles. Each one missing him by a few inches as he darted towards me. "You did better in our first fight, kiddo," Sportsmaster said with a clear sneer, his tone and bodynguage conveying nothing but arrogance and confidence. Finally, within striking distance. I sidestepped out of a kick he had thrown before throwing a hard punch at his jaw, putting my weight into it. The blow knocked the Sportsmaster''s head to one side, and I followed that up with another strike to his face, cracking his mask into pieces. Very durable that mask. It took two hits to break. "I guess you were warming up earlier," Sportsmaster said in a low tone, pulling a retractable Saber from his waist, arming the thing in one snap of his arm. Raising the saber above his head, Sportsmater swung it down at me. I jumped back, hurling a few explosive knives at him. While I was certain no sword could cut me, the events with the joker had left a bad taste in my mouth, as it showed even the ordinary looking could not be what it seemed. Taking a few steps back, I threw a few smoke pellets to the ground as Sportsmaster swung his saber at me. Within a few moments, the entire area we were fighting at; was covered in smoke, allowing me the momentary freedom to set a few things up. "Kiddo, I grew up in smoke and shadows," Sportsmaster said seconds before a discus hit me square on the chest, pushing me out of the smoke, with Sportsmaster slowly walking out of the curtain of smoke, Saber still at hand. I smiled under my mask, pressing a button on my belt, activating the little gift I had left behind for him. Without a warning, the Saber flew out of Sportsmasters hand into the wall, with Sportsmaster following the Saber''s suit soon enough, but not out of his own volition. It was all thanks to the ma I had set a few moments earlier. Taking this chance, I hurled a tasing knife at him, only for him to dodge it by rolling on the ground immediately after he had released his equipment to the ma. "I can''t even be mad at that one. But you''re still dying tonight." One would think that being unable to reply would discourage viins from talking. Taking a deep breath, I took a step forward, getting ready for round two, when all of the sudden, something struck Sportsmaster on the neck, a small dart. "Fuck..." Was all Sportsmaster managed to say before dropping to the ground. The team was still in their positions, so who had helped me? "I''m sorry I had to interrupt your little dance with Lawrence over here, but honestly, you were a few steps away from winning anyhow. All I did was speed up the process," That voice. Deathstroke. I frowned, getting into position as Deathstroke walked into view, making no sound at all. "Now, let''s talk. ck Bolt," Deathstroke continued, stopping a few inches from Sportsmaster''s unconscious body, before grabbing Sportsmaster with one hand and tossing him out of the window. "Or should I call you David?" Chapter 118: Chapter 118: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] "Don''t move, David," The icy voice of Deathstroke whispered as he neared me. "We need to talk." I froze, trying to process the fact he had discovered my identity, and by proxy that of my sister, and perhaps more. A dry chuckle escaped Deathstroke. "Don''t be so tense, if I wanted to hurt your sister I would''ve done so already." Then what did he want with me? Was he intending to use this knowledge to control me? "I didn''te here to ckmail you, kid. On the contrary, I came here for business." Deathstroke said, his mask concealing his expressions. ~Business? I think you came to the wrong ce for that, and to the wrong person at that,~ I replied, tensing every muscle in preparation for what felt like an imminent battle. "Normally, I suppose that would be the case. But, you know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend," Deathstroke shifted his body to the windows. The Light. Another dry chuckle escaped Deathstroke. "I see you already know who I''m talking about. Bravo." I frowned as Deathstroke spoke. Something didn''t make too much sense for me, why was Deathstroke of all viins against the Light? If anything they represented more contracts for him. Was this perhaps a strategy to try and manipte me into his side? No, while doable it didn''t fit with Deathstroke''s approach to things. "The Bat taught well," Deathstrokeplimented. "Never trust the word of another, it always ends in chaos." ~What do you want from me Deathstroke,~ I asked. This was a valuable opportunity if I yed my cards right, after all, Deathstroke worked with the Light, and therefore anything I could get from him would prove to be useful. "I thought I was being clear," Deathstroke replied. "Perhaps you are not as quick as I gave you credit for." I frowned, drawing a knife from my belt as I took a step forward. At this, Deathstroke shifted to me. "I want to take the Light down. And I know, you are a direct channel to the Bat." ~Why?~ I asked calmly, as I pressed a button in my belt in order to record this conversation. ~Excuse my skepticism, but they seem like the kind of people you would work for willingly for the right price.~ Deathstroke chuckled. "Under normal circumstances that would be the case. But they made a terrible mistake." I tilted my head ever so slightly, wondering where he was going with this. "They tried to enve me," Deathstroke said, his voice low and cold, like a knife cutting through the skin of a man under the moonlight. The Light tried to enve him? But why would they do that? They had no need, they had more than enough money to pay Deathstroke''s loyalty, so why the fuck would try to shackle him? "You don''t have to say anything right now, kid, just know this. I discovered your identity through them, as well many other names while I was snooping around," Deathstroke said, his gaze on me. This was bad, really fucking bad, this meant that the Light had had the upper hand the entire time, at least, if Deathstroke''s words were to be trusted, in which case it meant they probably knew the secret identities of everyone in the League. "Here," Deathstroke said, cutting through the silence as he tossed a small card at my feet. "If you want to discuss this matter more freely,e to the address in that card, and bring the Bat with you." I frowned, reaching for the card, by the time I picked it up, Deathstroke was already gone, leaving nothing but a sour taste in my mouth. If the Light was this far ahead of us in the game, if they knew so much as Deathstroke was hinting, it meant things were worse than we could''ve possibly imagined. -ck Bolt, what''s happening? I can feel your emotions going haywire,- Raven said through the telepathic link, breaking me out of my train of thought. -I''m fine,- I replied after a moment trying to control my emotions, but failing to do so. I really couldn''t push my emotions away, I was afraid beyond measure, and not because the Light knew who I was, but because they knew who my sister was, and Oliver, I was afraid of what they could do with that knowledge, of what they could aplish. -What happened to Sportsmaster?!- Artemis asked in a tone that demanded answers. Right, of course. Sportsmaster had been here, I had honestly almost forgotten about him thanks to the truck Deathstroke had unloaded on me. Taking a deep breath, I walked to the window where Deathstroke had thrown Sportsmaster, looking down to find Sportsmaster already gone. -He escaped,- I said, my eyes fixed on the ground beyond the broken window. -The other assassin also escaped,- Aqud replied. -We were actually discussing about moving the Doctor to a different location. But you didn''t seem to hear us.- They had been talking about that telepathically? And I hadn''t heard? I guess Deathstroke''s words really struck a nerve or two emotionally speaking for me to let my mental defenses go back up without knowing. -You kind of disconnected for a bit,- M''gann said, clear concerncing her tone. -We wanted to move and see if you needed our help, but Raven said you were okay. That she could feel your emotions, and that unless she felt you were in danger we were o maintain our positions until further notice.- -I yes, that is correct. Thank you for assuming control of the situation while I was away,- I replied, grimacing about the fact that I had left the team alone without any notice. -Why did you disconnect?- Superboy asked. -I have a naturally strong mind, so when out of focus, I have a hard time keeping my mind open; because it goes into defense mode, keeping intruders out,- I replied, trying my best to answer and not answer his question. -That however, is neither here nor there. We have a mission toplete, so let''s get on that. You guys said you talked about moving Dr. Roquette to a different location, didn''t you? Any ces in mind?- -A few,- Robin replied.y Chapter 119: Chapter 119: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Knowing our location had beenpromised, we moved Dr. Roquette to a cybercafe nearby. There, in order to mislead the assassins, they would continue to send after Dr. Roquette; we then divided into three groups. Group A would act as a distraction. That group consisted of me, Aqud, and Miss Martian, who, in order to trick the assassins, would be shape-shifted into the shape of Dr. Roquette, acting as the bait. Group B consisted of Dr. Roquette, Raven, and Artemis. The three of them would be in a building nearby, around three blocks away from Group A''s location. There, Dr. Roquette would be working on the virus to stop the FOG, while Raven and Artemis provided her protection. Group C was in charge of chasing the FOG in order to slow it down to the best of their collective ability. The group consisted of Robin, Kid sh, and Superboy, all of them having the necessary powers and skills to take on this role. -I''ll be outside the building,- I said telepathically, getting a nod from Aqud and Miss Martian in Dr. Roquette''s guise. -Do not leave the room, even if you hear a fight breaking out.- I really didn''t know what to think of the situation. What to do about the Light, about everything, even killing them wasn''t a real option for most of them; I mean, Vandal was immortal, and so was rion. I paused as that thought crossed my mind. Since when do I know rion was a part of the Light? New memories, perhaps? But didn''t they hurt when they came back? I sighed at this, rubbing my temples. A new fucking variable, now the memories coulde back without me realizing they had, fucking great, just fanfuckingtascr. Taking a deep breath, I pushed these thoughts away for the moment. I had to focus on the mission at hand; besides, I had already gotten distracted enough today as it is. With that in mind, I continued walking around the perimeter of the building, scanning the area, until from shadows that lurked within the trees and vegetation around, a dart flies my way, calm, and without moving from where I was standing, I grabbed the dart out of the air in a fluid motion, before turning my gaze to the trees, finding myself face to face with the assassin known as Chesire, who had apparently note alone, being apanied by two other assassins, ck Spider, and Hook. Chesire steps forward, the other two behind her following suit. "A pleasure to meet you, ck Bolt." she purred, her voice soft and sharp like a poison in disguise. "Do be a good boy and move out of the way. My employer wants Dr. Roquette to be eliminated, so make my job easier." Seeing me unmoving and unimpressed with her cocky demeanor, she drew a de from her cloak and, with a sultry tone, said. "Good, I don''t like the easy way whatsoever. I''m a bad, bad girl, and I like things the hard, rough way." Was it me, or was that overly sexyal in some way? .... No, no, focus on the mission, don''t read into the situation. She''s not Harley. She''s part of the Light, part of them, part of those who want to hurt those I love... "Like the view? It''s the only thing you''ll be catching tonight," Chesire said in a suggestive tone. ----------------------------------- [Unknown POV] Without another word, Chesire attacked immediately, quickly dashing in front of her opponent, striking him violently with her de on his arm as he moved it to block, but to her shock, her attack not only had no effect, but her de had shattered! Dropping her de, Chesire threw a high kick to ck Bolt''s face before jumping back, hiding the pain. It felt as if she had kicked a piece of metal; he felt unbreakable, his face not only had broken a toe on her foot, but it had also absorbed the shock of the blow without so much as a flinch. "Attack him with everything you got," Chesire ordered her two teammates, giving ck Bolt a look. Something in him had changed from one moment to the other. One moment he was flustered by herments like she had intended, and the next, he was simply looking at her, like a member of the shadows looks at his target. Giving them no time to strategize, ck Bolt pushed forward, closing the distance between the two of them in the blink of an eye, his movements too fast for the average human eye to fully perceive. Thankfully for Chesire, she wasn''t average by any definition of the word, as therefore was able to see the punching at her just in time and was able to dodge it as she leaped into the sky,nding a few feet away. Without his target in ce, ck Bolt''s fist crashed into the ground with enough force to not only destroy the ground beneath him but to disfigure the cement around him in a sizable radius. Shocked by this, by his raw power, the assassins instinctively took a step back. "Are you sure you are a hero?" Chesire questioned, taking a step back in order to gain more space between them, giving her the ability to dodge his attacks better. "That attack would''ve killed me." ck Bolt said nothing, staring at the ground, before turning to her. ~I apologize. I let my emotions get out of control. I deeply thank you from the bottom of my heart that you dodged that.~ He signed, apologizing for what could have been her end, a messy end at that. Had she failed to react in time, even by a second, her face would''ve been sttered across the ground like minced meat. In fact, Chesire was certain that had he tried to attack anyone but her at the moment; they would''ve died. "Don''t beat yourself up. We all make mistakes don''t we?" Chesire replied, taking another step back. "And that''s what makes life exciting, isn''t it?" Rushing forward, ck Spider threw a few red balls of sticky web at ck Bolt. "A couple of hot sticky web ballsing right at ya!" "Fool," Chesire muttered, deciding to aid ck Spider in his attempts by hurling several shurikens at ck Bolt, something that Hook imitated byunching his hook at him. ck Bolt remained in ce, weaving through the projectiles with rming ease until the onught came to a stop; there, he looked at them briefly before taking a step forward, looking at the Spider. Then, in the blink of an eye, the distance between them closed. "This does not look good for little ol'' me," ck Spider muttered, as with incredible speed, ck Bolt''s right hand came flying toward his chin, knocking him out cold. Hook, seeing ck Bolt had his back turned, decided to take his shot, shooting his hook arm at the hero, who, without looking, caught it before it could connect. rmed, Hook tried to retrieve his hook using the mechanical system of his arm, but no matter how hard the machine pulled, the hook didn''t leave ck Bolt''s hand. "Chesire, help!" Hook growled, pulling on the chains of his hook like a man trying to move a skyscraper out of ce by pushing it with his hands. "This gig officially is not worth the trouble," Chesire replied, throwing a few smoke pellets into the ground, vanishing out of sight as the smoke came. "I''m sorry, hook, but this is a dog-eat-dog world. As for you, hero, let''s have another date when time allows." "Chesire, you bitch!" Hook cried, but he got no answer, only a pull on his arm as ck Bolt yanked him towards him with great force, where a punch awaited him, waiting to knock him out. ------------------------------------- [Cheshire POV] Well, that was something. I was severely miss informed about ck Bolt and his capabilities. I was led to believe by the shadows that his abilities were just above peak human performance with a destructive voice capable of leveling cities. I almost died because of thatck of information. Not everything was bad, though. He was handsome at the very least and mysterious, I guess not speaking gives him that little touch of extra. Who would have thought I had such basic tastes? I never thought I would like the broody, dark, mysterious type of guy. I guess I like them with some baggage to carry. Him being mute does make him the perfect guy, one that can''t talk. Hrious. "Did you kill the target?" Ugh, and herees the reason Artemis and I will probably need therapy for the rest of our lives. "No, I didn''t." "Why?" Dad asked, confused as to why I had failed. "The same reason you failed to kill ck Bolt as you had said you would. ck Bolt won; in fact, he almost killed me, thank you for the warning, by the way," I replied, rolling my eyes at him under my mask. "He didn''t defeat me this time, someone helped him, and when I find who, they will pay," Dad hissed, his hands balling into fists before he turned his attention back to me. "But back to your failure. What do you mean he almost killed you?" I paused, giving him a look. Did he really not know about ck Bolt''s power? In that case, handsome wasn''t lying; he actually lost control for a moment, but why?... I don''t recall having hurt or killed anyone he knows, or did I? .... ..... .... No, nothinges to mind, I haven''t had many contracts in Star City, so it can''t be that. Meaning it was something rted to me, but not directly, that only leaves three choices, my dad, The Shadows, or the Light. "He showed speed beyond what we thought possible he could reach. And strength, leagues above that as well, had I not dodged that punch he threw at me, we would not be having his conversation," I said, taking a deep breath. I would find what triggered the little heroter. "I see," Dad replied in a low tone as we walked to our extraction point. Chapter 120: Chapter 120: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As I walked into the Batcave, I saw Batman, in his usual ce, sitting in front of hisputer, reviewing some files. As I approached him, I noticed that the cave had undergone numerous renovations since I hadste, minor ones, but enough to be noticeable. "Thank you foring," Batman said, turning his chair around to face me. I looked at Batman for a moment before nodding. ~We have much to discuss.~ Batman nodded as a single word escaped his mouth. "Yes." Before he had even summoned me here, I had informed him about the situation, meaning that he knew how damned we were if Deathstroke''s words were to be trusted. ~And? What will be our move?~ I prompted. Batman paused for a moment as if carefully considering his words before replying. "While trusting Deathstroke is a folly, his words still carry some weight. If the Light knows who we are, who everyone is, a lot of things change from our perspective." I assumed that much. If the Light knew who we were and still hadn''t made a move against us so far while our guards were down to eliminate us, then part of their whole motive, or what we suspected their motive to be, shifted a bit out of ce. After all, killing Bruce Wayne would certainly be easier than killing Batman, and that same tone applied to everyone else in the League. ~Perhaps we are an essential part of their ns,~ I replied, frowning at the thought. "It''s possible," Batman replied, taking a deep breath. "Without truly knowing their goal, knowing what role we y in this scheme of theirs is nearly impossible to deduce with what we have." I paused for a moment, thinking over what he had said. He was right, of course. After all, we knew nothing about the Light, nothing at all, yet they knew everything about us. ~So, about Deathstroke''s invitation,~ I said, giving Batman a look. ~Will we take it?~ Batman was silent for a moment before simply nodding. "It is imperative we take any chances we get when ites to the Light. However, this could very well be a trap. If the Light knows so much about us as Deathstroke hinted, then they could have easily concluded we are the only ones privy to their existence so far." ~Raven also knows about them, and yet Deathstroke is not inviting her to meet,~ I pointed out, taking a deep breath as I did. "True," Batman replied, "But Raven has a history with the League and how we initially reacted to her, possibly making her the weakest link in this chain of knowledge, at least in their eyes." I frowned at that. ~I see your point.~ This was really messed up. I didn''t like this, fighting an enemy in the dark, knowing nothing about them, their ns, nothing. All of this made this entire mission exasperating. ~So, what do we do with Deathstroke''s invitation?~ I asked once again. "As things are, we don''t have much of a choice, do we?" Batman replied, rising from his chair. "Be that as it may, we will approach this as if it were a trap." ------------------------------------- [Unknown POV] In an undisclosed location, Deathstroke sat on a metal beam high above the ground, leaning back against another one, as he gazed into a window conveniently located in front of him, his right-hand resting on his thigh, just above one of his holsters, as the other one held his phone as if waiting for something. As if on cue, his phone starts ringing. Slowly, he moves the phone up and grins as he sees the caller ID. "Hello, Luthor, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He answers the phone in a low, raspy voice. "There are a few targets we want you to take out of the picture in Star City, permanently," Luthor replied from the other end of the phone. "Just send me the list of names and the information about them, and it will be done," Deathstroke replied, his voice bordering a low growl. "Already done," Luthor replied with a soft chuckle. "If only Sportsmaster was as effective as you. Sadly, he chooses to be a walking advertisement for Olympic sports." "If that was all, I have things to do," Deathstroke replied, still smiling as he continued to talk with Luthor. "Of course, de," Luthor replied before hanging up. Deathstroke chuckled softly as he pocketed his phone before looking back at the window in front of him. "I will enjoy killing each and every single one of them. And, I won''t be doing it alone." Deep down, Deathstroke wasn''t sure if the Bat would take his invitation to talk, and honestly, he didn''t care if he didn''t. All he cared about was that he had sowed the seeds of fear in the heart of his future apprentice. Fear of losing everything you love. A man without nothing to lose is a man with an indomitable path. However, the moment that man gains something, something he holds dear, something he loves, he loses his true freedom and bes a ve to his feelings. Deathstroke knew that very well. After all, even he was subjected to this curse. True freedom exists but is never within our grasp, at least not for most, for even before humans take their first breath into this world, they are chained by the love of someone, and as we live, those chains just keep increasing in numbers. --------------------------------- [Dinah Lance POV] I walked into my room, making my way to the closet to get some clothes before going into the shower, my mind being clouded by the fact I wanted to see David. It had been quite some time since I had seen my little brother, or rather, since I had spent quality time with him, and I couldn''t help but miss him. I knew that he was busy with the Team and his own life, but I couldn''t help it. A part of me wanted to call him and check in or maybe just kidnap him from the base, but I wasn''t sure if he would appreciate it or not. Thest time I saw him, he seemed distant and preupied. I, of course, worried but kept my tongue in ce, as I didn''t want to intrude on his privacy. After all, if something was wrong, he would tell me, right? Oh god, I was being a fool. What in the hell is wrong with me? What teenager tells anything to those responsible for them?! "Call down, Dinah," I muttered, taking a deep breath. I was just overreacting, or maybe was suffering from what some call the empty nest syndrome. Maybe I could just ask him directly. Anything was better than inaction. For a few moments, I continued thinking about how to approach my baby brother as I stood in front of my closet, staring at my clothes without really seeing them. I just didn''t want him to think I was seeing something wrong in him if there wasn''t; I didn''t want to make things worse if they were getting better. However, it was my duty and privilege to worry, to care, to overthink shit, and I would continue to do so for the rest of my life. With a newfound resolve, I decided that the best course of action would be just toe out and ask him what was going on with him. No beating around the bush or any of that crap, just a simple and direct question. I nodded to myself, feeling better about my decision as I started picking out clothes for my shower. I would just take a quick one so I could get to the base sooner thanter and maybe catch David before he went to bed or started training. Yeah, right, like that was going to happen. The boy never seemed to sleep; he was always training, always working on something. Maybe I should rmend him that he takes up painting again. Chapter 121: Chapter 121: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I slowed the Batmobile down as I approached the address Deathstroke had written on the card he had given me, giving Batman a look before turning my attention ahead as we would arrive in mere moments. At my side, Batman was checking on some files, using the car''sputer to review them as he prepared everything in case this invitation was a trap. Which was the main reason he had put me on driving duty. The ce we were going was in the middle of the forest. A house, ording to our satellites. Clearing my head, I continued driving around the forest, and after a minute or two of turns and twists, I arrived at the house, or at least what it used to be a house. The house in question was three stories tall, having most of its windows either boarded up or broken. The roof was old and sagging in ces, which matched perfectly with the front door hanging off its hinges and the cracked, crumbling steps leading up to it. Surprisingly enough, despite its state of disrepair, the house was somehow still standing, albeit barely. Taking a deep breath, I got out of the car with Batman following suit. For a brief moment, we exchanged a look before we turned and approached the house cautiously. Within moments, we stepped through the doorway into what must have once been a living room. There was a firece along one wall, its mantle littered with cobwebs and dust. The furniture around was overturned and broken, and the floor was covered in debris, vegetation, and other things I quite couldn''t name off the top of my head. Scanning the area for a brief moment, I turned to Batman and said. ~No trap so far, so he has to be around here somewhere.~ Batman nodded, as all of a sudden, almost as if on cue, a sounding from upstairs on the second floor of the house caught our attention. It sounded like someone wasing down the stairs. Instinctively, I tensed. Getting mentally and physically ready for anything. "I had my doubts. But here you two are." That voice, Deathstroke. "Enough prattle," Batman said in a cold voice, taking a step forward. "You invite us here to talk. So talk. What do you want?" "I did, but first tell me. What do you know about the Light?" Deathstroke asked as he finally reached the end of the stairs. "We know more than they would like us to know," Batman replied in a cryptic voice. "And yet, you haven''t taken them down?" Deathstroke said, his voiceced with amusement. I frowned at this. "Did you invite us here to waste our time?" Batman growled, taking another step forward. "Do not test my patience. You will not like the results." A dry chuckle escaped Deathstroke as he shook his hand dismissively. "I invited you two here to talk business. As you probably know by now, the Light is a powerful organization with lots of connections. Normally this would be the perfect employer for me, however. They made a terrible mistake." As much as I didn''t like Deathstroke, what the Light was doing with him was something no one deserved, not even him, one thing was to put someone in jail, and another was to enve them to do your bidding. "I refuse to be shackled like a dog. No matter how much they pay me to sugarcoat my situation, I will not be their ve." Deathstroke continued, his voiceced with venom. "You want to make an alliance," Batman replied. "Nothing ever escapes you, doesn''t it?" Deathstroke replied with a nod. "As much as I want to, the Light is an enemy I can''t take down by myself." ~Didn''t you say during our first encounter that no one was out of your League? What happened with that?~ I interjected, my mask hiding the smirk I currently had. Deathstroke chuckled, a cold glint in his eye. "I am confident in my skills, kid, some might even go as far as to call me arrogant, and they could be right. However, arrogance and stupidity are not mutually exclusive." Well, that was an answer I didn''t expect or seeing. "As I was saying. The Light is an enemy I can''t take down by myself, and that same case applies to you. So with that clear between us, let''s talk business, shall we?" Deathstroke said, his voice taking on a dark edge. ------------------------------------------------ [Unknown POV] Inside a dimly lit room in an undisclosed location, Vandal Savage sat on a leather chair with golden strips from the Greek ssical period, swirling the cold amber liquid in his ss. His eyes fixed on the monitors in front of him, which show a variety of different scenes. Suddenly a strange noise fills the room, like a faint scraping or as if something was being dragged across the floor. Unperturbed by this, Vandal turned around, seeing a red light open and expand, creating a red vortex. "rion, I was waiting for you," Vandal greeted as rion stepped through the swirling vortex of red magic into the room. "I was having some fun," rion replied with a smirk as he petted his familiar. "Preparing to visit the old fat of Nabu at his tower. His familiar turned to rion and meowed. "Old fart! He knows I meant Old fart!" rion replied in indignation. "Perfect. This will work even better," Vandal said as he stood up from his chair, drink still in hand as he walked towards rion. "Can you still make some adjustments to your ns?" "What do you need?" rion asked with a wicked grin. "I want you to aid me in showing ck Bolt the Light," Vandal replied with a grin of his own. "His powers are fun and everything. But he''s a goodie two shoes, a party pooper even. Do you really think he will listen to my limited wisdom?" rion replied, crossing his arms as his familiar meowed at him. "I meant immeasurable wisdom! He knows that!" "No man changes with the wisdom of another, old friend," Vandal replied before taking a sip from his drink. "For a man to change, to see the Light, they need a new perspective. So, give him the perspective he needs to see the Light." rion grinned wider as his eyes gleamed with chaotic mischief. "I can do that. Yes, I can definitely do that. I can give him all the perspective he needs." Chapter 122: Chapter 122: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As I got ready for the day inside my room on the base, I couldn''t shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong. Since my meeting with Deathstroke, this was a thought that had been gnawing at me, a sense of foreboding that I couldn''t quite exin because, somehow, I knew it wasn''t rted to Deathstroke himself. At first, I had tried to ignore it, to push it away, but it only seemed to grow stronger. Pushing those thoughts aside, for now, I opened the door of my room, and started to make my way down the hallway to the training area, my footsteps echoing dully in the emptiness. It was still early for today''s training session, but I knew the others would be there. They were always there, saying that if the leader was training, that meant so should them. Even Wally seemed to agree with that sentiment. But that could have something to do with Raven and M''gann. Finally reaching the door leading to the training area, I pushed the doors open and saw the team already waiting for me inside, as I had already guessed they would be. But there was something off about their demeanor today. They all seemed almost...eager. For Superboy, Aqud, and M''gann, that was normal, sure, but for Raven, Kid sh, and Robin, that wasn''t the case. ~You guys seem excited,~ I signed, a smile under my mask as I walked toward them. Kid sh was the first to respond. "Well, you know, training and all. Gotta stay in shape." Kid sh is being nice, well, that''s... unexpected. Artemis smirked, putting a hand on her hips. "The team told me you usually wake up pretty early, but it is eight am in the morning. That barely counts as early Bolty." I shrugged, not really minding her teasing. It was always in good fun with her. ~Should I be worried that even you seem... eager, Raven?~ Raven shot me a look, and for a moment, I could have sworn I saw a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Not at all. I just finally started to love how the cold floor of the training room feels against my face when we spar, so don''t worry, there''s nothing to worry about." I narrowed my eyes on her. They were nning something. But what... "So, should we start with our training?" I turned to see M''gann looking at me with a beaming smile. ~Yeah, let''s.~ I had no idea what they had in store for me, but I had a feeling I wouldn''t like it. Maybe they wanted to prank me, or perhaps they had a surprise for me. Either way, I really didn''t like not knowing. But, without the slightest of clues, there was nothing I could do to try and deduce their maybe evil machinations, especially if Raven was on their corner for this one. So, I had no other choice but to wait and see. But seeing Kid sh was somehow in it, it couldn''t be something I would like. Then again, knowing him as I did, I knew very well he would go against everything if it meant impressing one of the girls. In short, there was a big chance his simping side would overpower the side that didn''t like me. Back to square one with this one. "Can I spar against you first?" Superboy asked, already walking towards the training circle with a determined look in his eyes. Pushing my thoughts aside for a moment, I nodded. ~Sure.~ I had barely entered the training circle and nodded to Superboy to begin when he instantly charged at me. Taking a quick step out of the way, I parried his first blow, punching him in the face, before blocking his next two blows, before attempting to counter his advances with an uppercut, which failed when Superboy jumped back. Not bad. Bracing in another defensive stance, I took a step forward, challenging him toe at me with a simple look. Grinning at this, Superboy charged at me, delivering a horizontal kick that I had to parry with my right hand, deviating the power flow of his attack to the opposite side, effectively throwing him off bnce. Taking this opportunity, I pushed my advance, raining on him with a barrage of powerful fists and kicks, each set even stronger than thest. Having trouble recovering his ground, I noticed Superboy quickly bing overwhelmed by the onught of iing blows that, even under his attacks, never seemed to stop. "Enough!" Superboy roared in rage, but something was off about this. Deciding it was best to retreat until I determined what he was nning, I kicked Superboy back, jumping a few feet away from him. Superboy grinned, pulling a few smoke pellets out of his pocket. "Round two." With that said, he threw the pellets into the ground, the smoke slowly covering himpletely until there was nothing to be seen around but smoke. I smiled. I see now. He pretended to be enraged earlier in order to confuse me, and then when that had seeded; he used some smoke pellets to give himself the environmental advantage thanks to his infrared vision, which allows him to see my heat signal without a problem through the thick curtain of smoke. Before, I was happy with his performance. Now, I''m fucking proud. He might even win this spar, but let''s not inte his ego just yet. Now, I have to keep a defensive stance and wait for him to make a mistake. Without being able to see him, I''ll have to rely on my other senses to-. Without being able toplete that thought, I found myself ducking under a shiver, as immediately after, something flew where my head used to be. What the hell was that? Before I could question that strange feeling further, another shiver forced me to jump back, and like before; Superboy struck where I had been standing, shaking the ground of the training area ever so slightly. What was happening here? For the next few seconds, I continued moving around the smoke, dodging Superboy as the shivers continued toe one after the other. I had no idea what was happening, but I was somehow innately evading his attacks. The most shocking fact about this was that I felt like I wasn''t the one doing it, at least notpletely, it was more like my body was automatically moving out of the way to avoid Superboy''s attack. "Ok, that''s fucking it!" Superboy roared. "Someone clear this smoke out!" "On it," M''gann replied quickly, pushing the smoke away, revealing an angry and confused Superboy standing a few feet away from me. "Did you lie to me?" Superboy asked as he red at me. ~Never,~ I replied. I already knew where this conversation was going to take us, and like him, I had no fucking clue why or how my body did what it did. "What''s going on?" Aqud asked, giving Superboy and then me a look. "He kept dodging me," Superboy replied, crossing his arms. "I made sure not to make a sound while approaching him, just like he taught me, so unless he has infrared vision and failed tomunicate that, I don''t see how he managed to dodge every attack I threw his way." ~I''ll bepletely honest with you-~ Once again, I felt another shiver, followed immediately by me jumping to the side, avoiding a magical sting from no other than Raven. Ok, I have to admit this is creepy. It feels like someone is yanking me out of the way, like a string puppet. "Well, that''s new," Ravenmented calmly. ~Why did you attack me?~ I asked with a frown. "I saw you dodging, and I wanted to test it out," Raven replied calmly. ~As I was saying, before Raven tried to kill me,~ I sighed as Raven muttered in the back that that attack she threw my way would have, at best, thrown me to the ground. ~I am as clueless as the rest of you.~ I mean, I don''t remember the original ck Bolt having Ultra Instinct or the Spider-sense. Chapter 123: Chapter 123: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I had no idea what was happening. All my life until now, I thought I had what I had, and that would remain, and now, all of a sudden, I have developed a new superpower. Just how much I didn''t know about ck Bolt? And on that matter, was that power even connected to him in the first ce? Or was I a mix of more than one hero when it came to powers? Hopefully not. Thest thing I need is getting another power that will royally fuck me up; I have more than enough, with my voice being what nukes wished to be, for me to get another ridiculously destructive power. ----------------------------------------- [Aqud - Kaldur''ahm POV] "Is... he okay?" Kid sh asked. "He''s concerned about this new... ability of his," Raven answered as ck Bolt continued to sit in total silence, tuning everyone out. "Why? That power seemed exclusively beneficial," Kid sh replied, tilting his head ever so slightly to the right as he looked at our leader, his eyes conveying how worried he was, and I couldn''t me him. "I don''t like agreeing with DoorDash over here, but he''s right. That power seems to be exclusively beneficial," Artemis said as she crossed her arms, "So what''s the big deal?" "For a self-proimed genius, you are very dense sometimes, man," Robin sighed as he turned to face Kid sh. "One of his powers has the power to level countries like it''s nothing. Now make the connections." "What does that have to... Oh, I see," Kid sh muttered, finally realizing what our leader was thinking. What if I get another power like that one? "And now I feel dumb," Artemis muttered under her breath. "Note to self, if you feel like agreeing with DoorDash, you are probably being dumb." "Yep," Robin shot back with a grin. "Enough," Raven said, her cold tone cutting through the hair like a knife. "Our teammate is worried, and our jabbering won''t help him." I nodded. "Indeed." ~I''m fine,~ ck Bolt interjected as he stood up. Normally, our leader was someone very hard to read, but right now, it was very easy to see right through him, ~Don''t worry about it.~ "Bolt, I know you don''t like talking with others about your problems or concerns. I mean, that much I have gathered so far, but... please rely on us, we are your team, and that should mean something," M''gann said, her voice gentle and soothing as she ced a hand on his shoulder. ck Bolt sighed, and for a moment, I thought he was going to say something, to take M''gann''s advice, but in the end, he just nodded and turned away, silently walking back to his room. "I will talk to him," Raven said as she followed him. "I''ll go too," M''gann said, but Raven stopped her before she could even take a single step. "No, I think it''s best if I talk to him alone," Raven replied before continuing on her path to talk with our leader alone. -------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] As I walked back to my room, my mind still trying to make some sense of what had happened. At least with what I knew, I could make an educated connection between this new power and the powers I already had. It had toe from Marvel. I mean, it didn''t have to, but it would make the most sense if it did, with ck Bolt already being from Marvel. Now the question was, did ck Bolt have this power, or not? I mean, withics as they are, that''s always a possibility. Inics, universes keep getting reset, and the characters from those universes get or lose powers at the whims of the author at that time. I remembered an iteration of Superman that had to fly to a dead gxy trillions of miles away just to sneeze because if he had sneezed close to Earth, the sr system would''ve gone bye-bye, or something like that, a feat of power that leaves the Superman of this Earth feeling like a human byparison. So, for all I knew, there was a big possibility that an iteration of ck Bolt that had the spider-sense, or whatever it was called for him. ck sen- nope, that felt wrong before evenpleting it. Bolt s- even worse. Danger sense? .... ... I like that one. Sometimes, less is more when ites to names. Sighing, I turned around to grab a bottle of water from the vending machine in the middle of the hallway, only to see Raven walking toward me. Forgetting about the water, I turned around and quickened my pace, but the footsteps behind me kept pace with mine. "Don''t you dare!" Suddenly, as I was about to press my pace even more, I felt my body freeze under the hold of Raven''s magic. Caught with nowhere to hide, I felt as I was spun around by my captor, now finding myself face to face with Raven. Seeing my hands were not bound by her magic, I signed, giving her a beaming eye smile. ~Why hello there!~ Raven narrowed her eyes on me. "Since when do you try to avoid me?" ~Me? I would never! I just wanted to stretch my legs, you know, go for a little walk, that''s all,~ I replied with an innocence that would rival that of a Disney Princess. "Uh-huh, sure," Raven said, not looking convinced in the slightest. "Try again." I mentally cursed as I tried toe up with an answer that wouldn''t incriminate myself. ~I was just thinking about tomorrow and how to improve the training session. You know, leader stuff.~ Raven stared at me for a few seconds, her face in aplete deadpan, before she finally sighed, shaking her head. "You''re a terrible liar." ~I would never!~ I replied, channeling my inner drama queen to appear utterly offended, and by that, I mean I was channeling my inner Oliver Queen. "Normally, I would trust you to manage this as I have done before. However, this time your concern feels different, so I will intervene," Raven replied, keeping her eyes on mine. "You have two options, you either talk with me about this, or I will put a curse on you that will make all fast-food you touch disappear. And yes, that includes hotdogs." I gasped internally. ~You would never!~ There was no spell for such a thing; I mean, why would there be? Right? "Try me," Raven replied, her eyes still boring into mine. Well, she finally did it as she promised she would when I ckmailed her with her reading choices some time ago. She said she would find a way to ckmail me like I had ckmailed her, and she did. Bravo to her, bravo infuckingdeed. ~I recognize game when I see it, so you win; I will talk about this with you, but can you at least let me go? This is really ufortable.~ It felt really weird not being able to move at all. Raven stared at me for a few more seconds before finally releasing me from her hold. "Very well." Chapter 124: Chapter 124: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As Raven entered the room behind me, I could feel the tension in the room rising. I knew before the conversation even started that this was going to be a difficult topic to swim around. Reaching my bed, I took a deep breath and sat. I could feel the weight of Raven''s eyes on me as I stared at the floor pensively, trying to find the right words to express the fears that were swirling through my head. As I pondered in my thoughts, I heard the soft creak of the mattress as Raven sat down next to me. "Take your time," Raven said calmly, cing a hand on my shoulder in a reassuring gesture. I smiled at her. I had known her for a long time, and there was no one I trusted more than her. I loved my sister, but I trusted Raven more without a question; I knew that. But even so, I couldn''t help but feel a twinge of nervousness as I sat in my bed, trying to put words to my concerns. It had been some time since I felt like this. Since I discovered my powers, I think. Fudge it. I will not circle back to that dark corner again. ~I have no idea what powers I will develop, Rae Rae,~ I sighed, giving Raven a smile. ~I thought what I had until... Well, until today was all there was, all there could be. I was content knowing I had tamed my powers, the threat they represented. But, now... well, who knows what powers I could develop, that uncertainty, well, scares me a bit.~ Raven was silent for a moment, digesting what I had said. Then she said that which was at the forefront of my mind. "What if nothing wrong happens?" ~Well, that would be fucking amazing, wouldn''t it?~ I replied truthfully, giving her smile. Raven was quiet for a moment, then she spoke in a soft,forting voice. "No matter how much things change, some just stay the same, just like you dork. Don''t worry about what will or could be. Sometimes, we can''t focus on that because we can''t change it, so just live the moment and know that no matter what, I''ll be with you every step of the way." ~You are getting poetic,~ I replied with a teasing smile, yfully pushing her shoulder. "I me, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman," Raven replied with a smile of her own. ~Kind of... weird, considering you ckmailed me into talking, and used your magic to stop me from running away though,~ I replied, grinning at her. "I don''t have the time or energy to build another friendship to this level," Raven replied with a small smirk. "I can''t lose you." A. "You know too much, so it is either friendship or death," Raven said in a serious tone. Hmph, well, that''s funny! And eerily creepy. Yep, that''s my Rae Rae in a nutshell. ~Then I choose friendship!~ "Good choice," Raven replied with an amused smile. Before I could reply, the shrill ring of my phone cut through the silence like a knife. Tentatively, I reached for my phone, half-expecting to see some sort of emergency notification. [Red Tornado summoning the team.] Well, that''s odd. "Do you know what Tornado wants?" Raven asked as she stood up, stretching her arms above her head. I shrugged. ~Nope, not a clue. But let''s find out,~ I replied as I sent a quick text to the team to let them know we were on our way. ---------------------------------------------- [In the mission room.] As we walked into the mission room, we found Red Tornado standing in front of the holographicputer; his arms crossed over his chest. As always, he looked calm and collected. But there was a hint of something else in him that I had never seen before. "This is Kent Nelson," Red Tornado said without preamble. "A friend, he''s one hundred and six years old. He''s been missing for twenty-three days." "The sorcerer supreme," Aqud muttered under his breath, making Kid sh scoff. "Like the red sorcerers and priestesses of Mars! I would be honored to help on this," M''gann said with a smile. "Same here! I love magic!" Kid sh said, which made everyone in the team collectively groan, with the exception of M''gann, and me, M''gann because she was too nice, and me because I didn''t want to destroy the base. "Kent could be in one of his walkabouts, but it is unwise to leave such matter uninvestigated," Red Tornado continued. I nodded. ~Any idea where to start?~ "Take this," Red Tornado replied, giving me a golden key. "It is the key to the tower of fate." I looked at the key for a moment before pocketing it. Then I turned to face the team. ~Okay, let''s do this.~ ------------------------------------- [At Miss Martian''s Ship.] Momentster, in Miss Martian''s ship, we flew toward the coordinates Red Tornado had given us. As we got closer, I could feel the stares the team was giving me. ~Is there anything you wish to talk about?~ I asked, giving the team a look. "We were just wondering if everything was okay?" Aqud asked, his tone cautious. I nodded. ~As good as ever~ "Yeah, that''s bullcrap," Artemis said, her eyes narrowing at me. "And you know it." I smiled at her. ~While I appreciate your concern, it is unwanted. Do not worry about me; I am fine.~ Artemis said nothing, simply crossing her arms in indignation. "Artemis is right, you know," M''gann said, her tone gentle. "We are worried about you." I simply nodded at that, not wanting to argue with them. Besides, we were almost at our destination. And I had a feeling that this was going to be more difficult than any of us could imagine. Hopefully, Raven would be enough to deal with whatever the tower had in store for us. Besides, who knows, maybe this time I would be wrong, and this mission would be easy. Perhaps the man was just having a long nap. He was 106 years old. For goodness sake, the man had to take very long naps to keep that functioning. Chapter 125: Chapter 125: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Within moments we arrived at our destination to find an empty lot ofnd surrounded by buildings, yet, nothing where the tower of fate was supposed to be. "What the-?" Kid sh said as he looked around, clearly confused. "This is the ce, right?" Miss Martian asked, giving me a questioning look. I nodded. ~These are the coordinates Red Tornado gave us. I''m positive.~ Considering the ce we are looking for belongs to Dr. Fate, it''s more than safe to assume that magic was keeping the entire building out of mortal bounds, and obviously, Red Tornado failed to mention that because why would he? "Camouge then? Adaptive micro-optoelectronicsbined with phase-shifting... maybe a bit of nanotechnology?" Robin mused as he kneeled on the ground to inspect the grass closer. "Use the key," Raven suggested as she floated a few feet off the ground in a Padmasana posture. Good point, I mean, Red Tornado had given us the key for something. Perhaps the key to finding the ce, as redundant as it felt right now, was in, wait for it, the Key he had given us. Inwardly smiling at my key joke, I grabbed the key from my belt and stepped forward, inserting the key into a random point in the middle of the air. As expected when dealing with magic, the key inserted into the empty air into what I can only describe as an invisible lock, and with a twist of the key and the click of a door, the tower appeared. "A show of faith," Aqud said with a small smirk as he looked at the newly appeared tower. Not gonna lie, I kind of wish I could learn magic. The sheer flexibility it has and its massive range of uses has always fascinated me. Sadly, I have no affinity for the art, as Raven herself confirmed a long time ago. ~Miss Martian, make a telepathic connection with the team. We''re going in.~ I signed, turning to Miss Martian. "On it!" Miss Martian replied with a nod before establishing the connection. -Raven, empower the connection with your magic,- I added as an afterthought. I mean, we were looking for an old sorcerer, a very old one, who, ording to Red Tornado, had been missing for quite a while. Chances were if the old man wasn''t dead or enjoying some time alone that he had been kidnapped. And, whoever had kidnapped him, couldn''t be a normal guy. After all, beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young. "Got it," Raven said calmly with a nod before using her magic to empower the connection. With that taken care of, I turned back to the tower and pushed the door open, entering the tower with the team following me close behind. -------------------------------------- [Inside the Tower] Once we were all inside the tower, the lights inside flickered to life, revealing arge room with no doors, windows, or any exits for that matter. Even the door we had just used to enter was gone. -Ehm, guys, where''s the door?- Superboy asked as he looked around. -It''s no longer there. Magical constructs between magical gates between dimensions,- Raven said as she looked around the room with a critical eye. -This is advanced, even for me.- -In other words, we''re stuck here,- I summarized as I looked around the room. Before we could continue scrutinizing the room for a way out, a magical hologram of Dr. Kent Nelson appeared in front of us. "Greetings. You have entered with a key, but the tower does not recognize you." The hologram said in a deep voice that echoed throughout the room. Ok. A magical construct inside a magical building has asked us a question, and if Raven has taught me anything, it is that more than not, the truth is always the right answer for these kinds of things. "We are true believers here to find Dr. Fate, isn''t that right, Miss Mmmm?" Kid sh said as he looked over to Miss Martian in an overly flirtatious tone. -I swear to God, Wally, if your stupidity doesn''t kill me today, I will kill you,- I facepalmed, as immediately after, the floor beneath us disappeared with a loud creak, leaving us to fall into a pool ofva. -I second that motion,- Raven replied, catching Miss Martian, Aqud, and Kid sh with her magic, while the rest of us hung to the rocks, Superboy being at the bottom. "What did I do?!" Kid shined as he looked up at Raven in disbelief. -You lied,- I deadpanned. -Those were my favorite boots!- Superboy growled, ring at Wally, before turning his attention back to now naked feet. -This Nelson guy better be worth it...- -I''m... so hot,- Miss Martian panted, barely hanging on to Raven''s magic, that by the looks of it, seemed to be weakening with each passing second. Perhaps this trap had magical means to deal with magical beings like Raven. -You certainly are,- Kid sh grinned. "Oh my god! If you don''t kill him, I will!" Artemis growled, barely hanging on to the rocks. "Hey! We are inches away from a sizzling death, so I''m entitled to speak my mind!" Kid sh protested. -No, you are not, not now, not ever, in fact, if the world were fair, the mute one would be one,- I growled, cutting him off. -Raven, can you teleport us out of here?- -If that was a possibility, I would''ve done so already,- Raven replied, her voice sounding strained. -I''ve been trying to do that since a genius over there trapped us here by answering a magical question without thinking, but no matter what I do, the tower keeps finding a way to block or divert my magic.- -Is that why you look so tired?- I asked. -Not entirely. That would be the magical properties of this trap. Even with my magic, I can''t block all of the heat from below, so... is slowly getting to me,- Raven exined, sweat running down her head. -Right, any ideas, team?- I asked, turning around. -We could answer the question,- M''gann offered. -Perhaps the tower didn''t count Wally''s answer, and if it did, then... maybe we have more chances?- "Worth a shot," Raven nodded. "Red Tornado sent us! To see if Mr. Nelson and the helmet were safe!" M''gann called out. Right as M''gann said that, the pool ofva beneath us closed with a marble floor that, uponnding on it, Aqud and I noticed, was very cold to the touch. -That was unnecessarily close for my liking.- "Agreed," Superboy said as he stood up. "I would''ve been fine, but, yeah." Weird moment to flex, but okay, buddy. "Don''t worry, M''galicious, now everything is gonna be a-okay," Wally said as Raven dropped M''gann and him on the floor. "Enough!" Artemis yelled as she tackled him to the wall. "What? I was just trying to make her feel better!" Wally protested, crossing his arms. "Guys, there''s no need for violence..." M''gann said weakly. "There is when he doesn''t know when to shut up," Superboy growled, ring daggers at Kid sh. "Your little impress-M''gann-at-all-costs game nearly got us all barbecued!" Artemis growled, to which Superboy coughed. "Almost everyone." "What?! When did this be my fault?!" Wally protested, taking a step forward. "When you lied to that magical construct and called yourself a true believer," Raven replied calmly. "But by all means, keep digging that hole; I might even feel bad and offer you a shovel. I said might, though, so don''t get your hopes too high." Chapter 126: Chapter 126: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As Artemis scolded Kid sh for his behavior, I focused on inspecting the ground beneath us. The floor was hard and cool beneath my knees, and from between the cracks on the ground that formed on the floor, the unmistakable stark aroma of the wind of winter tickled my nose. Taking that cold air in, I ran my fingers over the floor for a few moments, finding a groove that would release what appeared to be a secret door. Giving Aqud a look, who was the only one helping me find a way out, I tugged, and the door swung open with a soft creak sting me with a cold st of wind, revealing behind the secret door beneath the floor a tundra of white snow, and destion. "Fromva to ice," Aqud said as he looked at the view behind the door. I nodded, noticing the team had gone silent with their discussion about Wally. At the door, snowkes danced in the stream of light that poured through the opening as the howling of the storm behind it all pushed around. Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward to peer into the new room. It was difficult to make out any details, especially considering the cause of such a ce, but it appeared to be some sort of pocket dimension hosting an ice storm. Options were presented in my mind as I tried to figure out our next course of action. The current room had no escape, and the tundra didn''t seem to have an end. Both paths were or at least seemed like dead ends in their own way. Meaning I had to take a leap of faith again by following the tower''s machinations. Hopefully, the tower will see we are not threats to Kent. -There''s no other path. Let''s go,- I said as I stepped into the tundra, followed by the team. --------------------------------- Without a clear path, we walked through the icy tundra aimlessly, Artemis fighting with Wally and the fact his actions had almost killed us while everyone ignored them. While it was true I wanted nothing more than to scold Wally when this was over, we had other priorities in ce. Suddenly as I was about to ask Raven to scan the ce again, a cane appeared in the middle of the tundra. It was floating eerily in the air as if it had been ced there deliberately. Noticing this, we all stopped in our tracks, staring at the mysterious object. It was clear that this was no mere coincidence. Perhaps Kent was sending us a message. -Raven?- I asked, turning to face her. -There''s a lot of magic in that cane. It feels safe, though,- Raven said after a moment of silence. I nodded in understanding as I reached for the cane, only for Raven to shout in rm. Without questioning why she was rmed, I jumped back. However, even though I had reacted as soon as she had made her dismay clear, I could feel a vortex of energy pulling me in, in every direction, yet to none at the same time as a red whirl of darkness enveloped me whole. Thest thing I saw was the look of horror on my friends'' faces as they watched me being swallowed whole, as Raven glowed positively, trying to save me from whatever this was before everything went ck for a moment. "We finally met," An unfamiliar voice said as I regained my bearings. rion, The Witch. The Lord of Chaos. I tried to get up to avoid direct confrontation with him, knowing I had nothing in my arsenal to deal with him, but my body wouldn''t respond, no matter how much I willed it to. It was as if my body had been frozen in time by magic. The only thing I could move was my eyes, which darted around the room wildly, trying to take in my surroundings for a way to escape. "Rejoice! you''re in my presence now. You should feel honored. Not many people get summoned by me," rion said, his voice sickeningly sweet as he circled around me like a vulture. I tried to follow his movements with my eyes, but it was difficult to keep up. He seemed to be teleporting around the room randomly. "rion! Kent has escaped!" I heard someone shout. "What?" rion said, his voice suddenlyced with anger as he teleported to the person who had spoken. I couldn''t see who it was, but from the sound of their voice, it was clear that they were terrified of rion. If I had to take a guess, I would say it was Abracadabra; his ent and speech pattern matched what I knew of the guy. "You imbecile! I''ll deal with youter. For now, find Kent and capture him!" rion shouted before turning his attention back to me. "Now then, where were we?" He said with a sickeningly twisted smile on his face. "Oh yes, perspective. I was about to give you perspective." Perspective? What the hell was he talking about? And why did I feel that whatever it was, I would not like it, not even one bit? "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," Raven roared, snapping out of my train of thought as Raven''s astral form appeared behind rion, sting him head-on. "That''s adorable," rion snorted, blocking her attack with one hand, swatting Raven''s astral body aside as if it was a mere fly. "Sad, but adorable." As rion mocked Raven, I realized the hold he had on me was gone as I was able to move, so, without dy, I jumped back, muttering. "Begone!" "Be silent, will you," rion said, waving my attack away with a dismissive flick of his hand. I looked at Raven, and without words, we both came to an understanding. rion wasn''t an enemy we could face alone as we were right now; we needed to regroup, lest we wanted to y his sick games any longer. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven said, opening two portals, one for her and one for me. "Don''t worry, Bolty, we will continue our talk soon," rion chuckled, not even bothering to stop our escape. Chapter 127: Chapter 127: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I jumped through the portal Raven had opened,nding on the other side, an elevator. "Hello there," Kent greeted, a friendly smile on his face. I blinked, looking around, trying to find Raven, but besides Kent and myself, there was no one else around. "If you are looking for your friend," Kent continued as if he could read my mind. "She is on her way up but through another path." I nodded, still trying to wrap my head around how easy rion had dealt with us a few moments ago; as I pondered over that, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened, revealing another room full of stairs that led to nowhere. I''m honestly starting to hate magic. "Bolt!" Raven''s voice called out, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to see her running towards me, a relieved look on her face. "I''m d you''re okay." ~Barely,~ I nodded before noticing the rest of the team was also there. ~Sorry, I must have worried everyone.~ "You did," Artemis said,ing to stand next to me. "What happened?" Robin asked, his eyes narrowed in concern. ~rion,~ I replied, that being all the answer Robin needed to freeze in ce. "Bolt, are you sure you''re okay?" Miss Martian asked worriedly as Superboy crossed his arms behind her, letting out a breath of relief from what I could see; it looked like he was worried about me. I nodded. "While the reunion is touching," Kent interrupted, tapping his cane on the ground to get our attention. "But, I''m afraid we don''t have much time." "What do you mean?" Wally asked. "He means me," rion''s voice came from above us, answering Wally''s question. "Unfortunately, he''s right," Kent sighed, looking up at rion. "Now, where''s the helmet, old man?" rion demanded, his eyes narrowed in anger as he looked at Kent. "I''m afraid I don''t quite remember, you know, part of being old," Kent said calmly before tapping the ground with his cane again, creating a portal behind him. "Follow me." Kent walked through the portal, vanishing from sight. "Come on!" Robin called out, running towards the portal. "No, no, no!" rion called out, flying towards the portal as we made our way to it, but Raven was already ahead of him, shooting a beam of magic at the ground in front of rion, halting him for just the right amount of time, allowing us to escape him. "Running around won''t defeat him or work for much longer," Raven said, giving Kent a stern look as the portal closed. "I know," Kent nodded, his face solemn. "But, it will give me enough time to collect the helmet." ~M''gann,~ I signed, getting her attention. ~Make a connection again.~ M''gann nodded before making a mental connection with everyone. -Done.- -Someone asks Kent if he knows any weakness of rion.- If anyone knew how to deal with that overpowered menace, it was Kent. He had fought the obnoxious Chaos Lord longer than all of us have been alive, well, Dr. Fate had, but that''s basically the same thing, hopefully. -No need to ask. The youngdy connected me as well,- Kent replied before tapping his cane on the ground twice. -As for how to deal with rion, well... we can''t; only Dr. Fate can. We can slow rion down, but only Dr. Fate can truly fight him.- It''s official, I hate magic now. -Without Nabu, our best shot would be to destroy rion''s familiar, but that would only stop him momentarily, though to be fair, there''s no permanent fix for a Chaos Lord. Nabu simplysts longer, I suppose,- Kent exined as he continued to tap his cane on the ground. -What''s with the tapping?- Superboy asked, giving Kent a look. -It helps me concentrate,- Kent replied distractedly, still tapping his cane. -It also helps me trick rion. Each tap changes our general surroundings, allowing us to move without being intercepted by rion. I might be old, but I still have a few tricks under my sleeve, and in the tower of fate, I can be of help.- -So, where''s the helmet of whatever?- Wally asked, taking a step forward. -Ignore him; we all do,- Artemis sighed, elbowing Wally in the side. -Ow! What was that for?!- Wally yelped, rubbing his side. -Haha, young love,- Kent smiled, his eyes twinkling mischievously. -We''re not-! I mean, she''s not-! Ugh!- Both Wally and Artemis stammered mentally, their faces red. -As for where''s the helmet, well, we are getting close, which means we must decide now who will wear it. Otherwise, our venture will be in vain,- Kent said, his face growing serious as he looked at each one of us. -I''ll do it,- Raven replied, stepping forward. -While your arcane capabilities are quite possibly the highest I have ever seen in my long, long life, your affinity to the dark arts and chaos itself will only weaken Nabu. I believe it would be best if someone else were to don the helmet,- Kent said, giving Raven a smile. -I''ll do it then,- I offered, stepping forward. Hopefully, myck of magical abilities would be enough for Nabu to release me. -Hm, maybe. You do have a certain aura of the arcane around you, but it is not one of affinity, I wonder...- Kent mused before tapping his cane on the ground. Wait, I have an arcane aura? Since when? At this, I looked at Raven, who looked back at me just as confused. -Why don''t you wear it?- Wally asked, tilting his head. Kent broke into a coughingughing fit before waving him off. -While that would certainly solve our dilemma, I''m too old for that. The helmet taxes one''s body, and I''m not as spry as I used to be; if I put it on right now, I would die before I could do something about rion. No, it must be one of you, youngsters.- -So, can I do it?- I asked, looking at Kent. -Well, to be entirely honest, anyone can. Whether Nabu can use their body to the fullest potential or not is the real question,- Kent replied, looking at each one of us. -What do you mean?- Superboy asked, his brow furrowed. -Well, Nabu uses his arcane powers, alongside the arcane powers of his host, to increase his power and efficiency. If one of these two parts doesn''t fit in that, well, hees up short, so to speak,- Kent exined. -So, you''re saying that it''s up to whoever has the mostpatible arcane abilities with Nabu?- Aqud asked, his brow furrowed in thought. -Yes, that would be the most logical conclusion,- Kent replied with a nod, tapping his cane on the ground once again. -And who is that?- Aqud asked, looking at each one of us. -Right now? You,- Kent replied with a sigh. -Which is why I''m not offering you the helmet. When Nabu finds an ideal host, well... He likes to make that host a permanent arrangement.- -Then I''ll do it,- Aqud said with a nod. I shook my head. -The hell you will! Didn''t you hear him? If he likes the host, that''s it; you''re gone, forever locked inside the helmet.- Aqud''s face softened. -I am aware, but... This is important. We need Dr. Fate if we''re going to beat rion. I don''t want to sacrifice myself, but I will if I must.- Not gonna let that happen. -Sorry to cut the moment short, but we have arrived,- Kent said as the ground before us opened up, revealing a staircase leading... sideways. -What''s with all these sideway stairs,- Superboy muttered as we all began to follow Kent down the staircase. -It''s an arcane thing,- Kent replied with a wave of his hand. -The less sense it makes, the better.- -That sounds like a you thing; I do magic, and I like my things to be organized. This ce is a headache,- Raven said, her voiceced with annoyance. -I''m sure it is, my dear,- Kent said with a chuckle as we arrived at the top of the tower. Wait... what? How the fudge did we end at the top of the tower? "Now, time to call that old helmet back," Kent said as he began to chant in anguage, I didn''t understand. Suddenly, the air around us began to distort, and a yellow mist appeared before us, revealing the helmet of Dr. Fate. "Even Hollywood has better special effects," Kid sh said, rolling his eyes. "How can someone so young be so headstrong?" Kent asked, shaking his head. Before anyone us could reply, a red portal appeared behind the helmet as rion''sughter echoed through the tower. "I see you have found the helmet. How unfortunate for you," rion said, his voice dripping with amusement as he and hispanion Abracadabra stepped through the portal as it closed. "Abracadabra! Make yourself useful!" Time to meet Nabu, I guess. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and reached for the helmet. However, as soon as my fingers brushed the metal, I was sted back by an invisible force. -What the?- "I see," Kent muttered. "Interesting," rion said, his voiceced with amusement. "It seems the old fart doesn''t want you as his host, after all. Well, that makes things... simpler for me." "Give me that. Maybe there''s a button somewhere..." Wally said, grabbing the helmet and inspecting it closely before Aqud took it from his hands. "Goodbye, my friends. It was an honor fighting by your side," Aqud said, his voice sad as he ced the helmet on his head. The moment the helmet touched Aqud''s skin, his body was engulfed in yellow light, and Dr. Fate was reborn anew. Chapter 128: Chapter 128: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] "Witch Boy! You have failed! You sought the power of the helmet, and it now has a new host, ready to deliver order!" The voice of Kaldur and Nabu echoed as the battle between order and chaos broke out in a sh of magic that shook the tower itself. "Fail?! Don''t think so! you old fart!" rion shouted back as he teleported around the area, evading attacks and striking back with his own. "Electrifying!" Abracadabra shouted, aiming his wand at Dr. Fate, only for the lord of order to ignore him, opening a portal under him as he continued fighting rion. As for the rest of us, we stood there feeling powerless as we watched the two most powerful magic users in the world fight. It was like watching a tornado and an earthquake sh, two forces of nature beyond our current reach to stop. I had faith that Dr. Fate would win; what now troubled me was whether he would let Kaldur go or not. After all, Kaldur was a perfect host, Kent had said so himself, so the possibility of losing Kaldur to Nabu was terrifying, which is why I had tried to put the helmet myself, to avoid forcing anyone else to make that sacrifice. Yet, the helmet had rejected me violently, might I add. -Is there anything we can do to aid Dr. Fate?- I asked, looking to Kent for some kind of answer. -Nabu prefers to work alone,- Kent said with a solemn expression,-We can only hope that he prevails.- I frowned, balling my hands into fists. I hated this feeling; I hated feeling helpless, especially when people''s lives were on the line when my friends were in danger. -Why did Nabu reject me?- I asked, giving Kent a look. -I tried to touch the helmet, and it threw me across the room. You said anyone could put it on, yet, he rejected me like the gue.- Kent sighed, his hold on his cane tightening so much that his knuckles turned white as he looked at Dr. Fate and rion fight in front of him. -I do not know, kid. Perhaps it has something to do with the magical aura I felt around you, but unless Nabu himself answers, I don''t know.- "Party pooper!" rion cried out as he was sted backwards by a powerful bolt of magic, "This isn''t fun anymore!" "Your entertainment is not my concern. Destroying you is," Dr. Fate retorted as he prepared another attack, his voice echoing through the area. Taking a deep breath, I turned to the team before directing my attention to Kent. -Any idea where is Abracadabra?- rion had summoned him, but as soon as he had, Dr. Fate had sent him somewhere. Kent shook his head. -I can check to see if he''s still in the tower, but other than that, I''m afraid I can''t help.- I sighed, running a hand through my hair. -It''s worth a shot. Look for him and let me know.- Kent nodded, tapping his cane against the ground before vanishing in a puff of smoke. "He''s still here," Raven said calmly, her eyes closed as she concentrated. "But I can''t tell where. The magic of the tower and the fight in front of us is blinding my senses." Before I could reply to that, the echo of a cane tapping into the ground was heard as Kent appeared in front of us once again with a puff of smoke. "I found him." -Can you take us to him?- I asked. If Abracadabra was the only one we could deal with, with him, we would deal then. "I can," Kent said with a nod, tapping his cane on the ground as a portal opened up. "I will keep the portal open for convenience''s sake. Just step back through it when you''re ready dealing with that clown." I nodded, taking a deep breath as I turned to the team. -Let''s go. Raven, you stay here and provide Mr. Nelson with protection should he need it- -Understood,- Raven nodded. And with that, we stepped through the portal and back into the tower, finding the future stage magician at the other end of the room Kent had opened a portal to. "Well, well, well," Abracadabra said with a smirk as he saw us, "If it isn''t the Justice League''s B-Team. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Ignoring him, I turned to the team. -M''gann, immobilize him with your telekinesis; Robin, Artemis provide long-range support, Wally, Superboy, distract him as much as possible, be as loud and shy as possible, and I will deal the decisive blow.- The team nodded, getting into position as I darted forward, Superboy and Wally running past me toplete their part of the n. "You lot won''t be enough to defeat me," Abracadabra said with a chuckle, aiming his wand at us before a lightning bolt shot towards Wally. Thankfully, Abracadabra was apparently very stupid because he had aimed a fast-moving attack at the fastest member of our formation, and therefore, Wally had managed to get out of the way without problems, the bolt hitting one of the walls behind him instead and causing it to explode. Continuing with our strategy, I pushed hard as Artemis and Robin showered Abracadabra with arrows and batarangs, keeping him on the move. "Hey! phony!" Wally cried out as he dashed in circles around Abracadabra. "Use your magic to stop me!" "Distracting me won''t save you, boy," Abracadabra said with a scoff, aiming his wand at Wally again. "And who will save you!?" Superboy growled as he leaped towards Abracadabra, mming his fists on the ground as the magician jumped back to avoid what would''ve been certain death if he hadn''t moved. "Electrify!" Abracadabra eximed as he pointed his wand at Superboy. I smiled, grabbing him by the back of the neck before mming him to the ground, where I tased him, making sure he was unconscious before I stood up and dusted myself off. It always works with viins that have an ego. Make them talk, make them focus on a few, and they forget about one or two people. -Tied him up,- I said, giving Wally a look. -But first, be sure to check him for gadgets thoroughly. In fact, help him with that, M''gann. Futuristic technology can be tricky.- "Ok," Wally said with a nod as he zipped over to Abracadabra, M''gann flying to his side to aid him. Within a few moments of thorough searching, they had found and confiscated a few gadgets, including what appeared to be a teleportation device. -Let''s go then,- I nodded, Superboy carrying Abracadabra as we stepped back through the portal and into the fight between Dr. Fate and rion. "This battle is pointless, you cannot persevere!" Dr. Fate proimed as he sted rion into the ground with his magic. "No, YOU cannot persevere!" rion hissed as he sted Dr. Fate with a beam of magic, causing the Lord of Order to stumble back. "You''ve grown weak, old man! You''re not the hero you used to be!" "I will not prolong this any longer," Dr. Fate said as he gathered his magic, "You better than anyone should know that it is difficult for a Lord of Order or Chaos to maintain a presence on the physical ne without an anchor. I am bound to the helmet, and you are bound to that beast you call a cat. One is easier to break than the other." rion took a step back, his face morphing into one of horror and rage. "NO! You cannot! You would dare to attack a defenseless kitty!?" "I can, and I will," Dr. Fate said as he unleashed his magic. "After all, we both know that thing is anything but defenseless!" rion growled, meeting Dr. Fate''s attack with one of his own. "I won''t let you spoil my fun! Not again!" "You''ve caused more than enough destruction and chaos, and it ends here!" Dr. Fate eximed as he pushed rion back, the spell slowly reaching rion''s familiar, who was now meowing in concern. "I know! I know! I''m trying!" rion said with a low growl before sting Dr. Fate''s attack into the side with a burst of magic. "This won''t be thest time you hear of me! You... you... YOU! BULLY! KILLJOY! GEEZER!" "Begone!" Dr. Fate eximed as he sted at rion with a beam of magic that the Lord of Chaos dodged by portaling out of the way to his familiar''s side. "Oh well, I had my fun," rion said with a nonchnt shrug as he petted his familiar. "Untilter, Bolty..." And with that said, he teleported away, his eyes never leaving me as he disappeared out of sight. I sighed, turning to Dr. Fate as he floated towards us. "Nabu, old friend, don''t you think it is time to release the boy?" Kent said, looking at Fate with a raised eyebrow. "He is a perfect candidate to wear the helmet," Dr. Fate said, his voice once again calm and collected. "However, he''s untrained to his fullest potential in the mystic arts and unwilling to stay as Dr. Fate." "Well, can you me him?" Kent chuckled, shaking his head. "I mean, thest thing anyone wants is to be stuck in one''s head, unable to do anything." "Be that as it may, today is proof Chaos is stronger than ever and that this world needs Dr. Fate. So, I have tasked this boy to find me a host, as you have proved to be inadequate doing so, Kent Nelson," Dr. Fate said as he removed the helmet. "Harsh as always," Kent chuckled. I smiled, pulling Kaldur into a hug. For a moment there, I thought Dr. Fate would keep him forever. "Wee back," Superboy said, giving Kaldur a smile. "You had us scared for a moment there," Artemis grinned, putting a hand on Kaldur''s shoulder. "I''m just d you''re okay," M''gann said, hugging Kaldur from the other side. "I''m fine; I promise," Kaldur chuckled, ruffling M''gann''s hair yfully. "Though I must say, that was quite an experience." Breaking the hug, I turned to Raven before turning back to Kaldur, asking him. ~Any idea why I was rejected?~ Kaldur paused for a moment before replying. "He didn''t specify, but he mentioned something about the mark of destiny or something along those lines. He didn''t say anything more on the subject after that." The mark of destiny, well, that answers nothing. Chapter 129: Chapter 129: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The mission had been a sess, at least to a certain degree, and with Kent safe and sound in the tower of fate, it was time to go back to the base. By the time we arrived at the base, the sun had barely risen above the horizon. The air inside the ship was thick and filled with tension, sure, we had won, but it didn''t feel like a victory. We had all felt powerless, without an ounce of control, and the feeling wasn''t weed at all. The truth was, as much as it pained us to admit it, that we had been massively underprepared for the challenges we had faced today. Raven walked toward me with a serious look on her face, cing a hand on my right shoulder. "We need to talk." I nodded and followed her into my quarters. ~What''s on your mind, Rae Rae?~ Raven paused, looking at the wall behind me for a moment before she replied. "We barely made it out of there today." I nodded. ~That''s... a pretty urate way to describe our mission today.~ Raven ran a hand through her hair as she sighed. "If Kent hadn''t been there if he hadn''t intervened when he did..." Her words trailed off, but I knew what she was trying to say. If Kent hadn''t been there, we would have all died. I frowned before taking a seat on my bed, inviting Raven to do the same. ~We were lucky, there''s no denying that. rion was clearly out of our league.~ Raven nodded, taking my invitation to sit. "He was toying with us." I sighed, giving Raven a look before leaning back against my pillows. ~Like cats, y with mice.~ Raven paused for a moment, her violet-blue eyes staring into mine. "He could''ve killed you, and I would''ve been powerless to stop him." ~But we survived, and that''s all that matters right now, isn''t it?~ I replied, my emotions welling up inside of me as I remembered my encounter with rion. Raven let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling slightly. "I know we did, but it was far too close for myfort." I smiled, yfully pushing her shoulder. ~See, I knew you love me.~ Raven smiled for a brief moment before returning to her usual mask of indifference, the worry still present in her eyes. "Love is a strong word, more like... I tolerate you, barely." I rolled my eyes at her response. ~So, now what?~ Raven sighed, her eyes fixed on the floor. "We can''t count on luck next time." I nodded. Luck, while good, and a part of all, was a very unreliable factor for all parts, one that no one should trust on; unless they can affect probability itself, which wasn''t the case for any of us. ~Any idea where to start? I mean, you are our magic expert.~ Raven turned to look at me, her eyes narrowed in thought. "I talked with Mr. Nelson for a bit before we left the tower, and he offered me some guidance and books to help me, and I epted his offer." I blinked, a bit surprised by her answer. It wasn''t like Raven to ept help, at least when it came to magic. ~Does that mean you will learn Order magic?~ Raven nodded. "My magical affinities do not align with the school of Order, which makes this project all the more difficult, but affinities can be trained and, in time, develop beyond original limitations. It''s just harder that way." ~I''m sure Kent will prove to be an excellent teacher. I mean, age and wisdom do go by hand more often than not, right?~ I smiled, happy to see Raven having someone to help her with her magic studies. Raven turned to look at me, her expression unreadable. "Now, all that''s left is you." I frowned, not understanding what she meant. ~What do you mean?~ Raven stood up, her arms crossed. "rion was interested in you, very interested. We all heard hisst words before he teleported away." I was trying to forget that, at least for today. ~I remember vividly.~ Raven sighed, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. "We can''t really stop him if hees for you, not as we are. But, I have a suggestion that might help you against him." ~I''m all ears,~ I replied, eager to hear anything that could help me against rion. Raven paused for a moment as if debating whether or not to continue. "The Mark of Asteria." Asteria, that name sounds familiar. ~Isn''t Asteria, a greek goddess?~ Raven nodded. "Asteria is the Titan goddess of nocturnal oracles and falling stars. She was also considered by many as the protector of young children during the lone starry nights." ~And getting her mark will help me in which way exactly?~ I asked, still not fully understanding where this was going. Raven nodded slowly. "It won''t protect youpletely, but the Mark of Asteria is said to give its bearer the power to see things that others can''t or won''t, as well as a natural resistance to many schools of magic, like Chaos." ~I have read enough about the Greek Gods to know that owing them a favor is never a good thing,~ I replied, not too keen on the idea of making deals with deities. "It''s not a deal with the gods. It''s a spell Asteria left behind, one that found its way to Azarath," Raven exined, her voice gentle. Well, that makes me feel a little bit better. ~Alright then, if you think getting the mark will help me, I trust you.~ Raven smiled for the briefest of moments. "I will start preparing the things we need for the spell. Hopefully, the mark will be enough to help." I smiled before a frown came to my face. ~If the Mark is as beneficial as you proim, wouldn''t it be better for everyone on the team to get it?~ Raven nodded. "It would, but the ingredients required for the spell are exceedingly rare, most of them can''t no longer be found anymore. I have most of them, and it''s only because I saved them from Azarath; I never thought I would use them, and for the most part, they were nothing but nostalgic trinkets I had collecting dust in my room. Our encounter with rion reminded me of them; unfortunately for the rest of the team, I barely have enough for one mark." I sighed. ~I see.~ "Don''t leave the base. The preparations won''t take long," Raven replied before leaving my room through a portal. ----------------------------- I stood outside of Raven''s door, as she had called me, telling me the spell was almost ready. Taking a deep breath, I hesitated in front of the door for a moment before finally deciding to go inside. Inside, the room was dark, and the only light came from a few candles that were burning on the nightstands. In the center of the room was a small table, and Raven was sitting in front of it with her eyes closed. "I''m almost finished," Raven said quietly as she gestured for me toe closer. "Sit." It looked like I was about to sell my soul to the devil. Taking a deep breath, I approached the table warily, taking a seat as she had told me to do. Without opening her eyes, Raven reached out to take my hand. Her touch was hot, burning, like fire, ready to scorch my skin off. "Don''t move," Raven said, and before I could wonder too much what would happen next, she began to chant in anguage I didn''t recognize. For a few moments, this chant continued until I started to feel a strange energy flowing from her hand to mine, like a snake making its way up my arm. As this continued, the candle mes grew taller and wilder, casting eerie shadows on the walls as the hair on my arms stood up. Suddenly, Raven opened her eyes to reveal them glowing, a white, blinding glow that expanded from her face to mine until there was nothing but white, and I felt as if my body was being consumed by a raging fire. "It is done," Raven said as the light began to fade, leaving a burning sensation on my arm. Looking down at my arm, I saw a ck symbol there, one that looked vaguely like a star. ~So this is the mark?~ I asked as I traced the lines of the mark with my finger. "It is," Raven replied with a short nod. ~I don''t feel any different,~ Imented as I looked back up at her. "It may take some time for the effects to be noticeable," Raven replied calmly. "Besides, most of the effects are passive in nature, like the one I hope it will help you against rion." ~Hopefully, it will. If not, at the very least, I got some protection against other magical entities,~ I replied, giving the mark another look. ~That, and I also got a cool tattoo, so, even losing, I win with this.~ Raven rolled her eyes at me. "You should rest." I smiled, giving her a small nod. I was quite tired from everything, and taking a nap felt like a wonderful idea right now. Chapter 130: Chapter 130: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Seeing as nothing was happening, at least nothing that required my attention, I decided to visit my sister to spend some time with her. It had been too long since I had seen her properly. Too long since I had talked to her. "David!" Dinah greeted me as soon as I stepped into the manor. "I was about to make a trip to the base, give you a scolding for not calling your poor, old sister. How have you been?" ~I''ve been good. You know, work and stuff,~ I lied with a smile. "Yeah, I know how that is," Dinah replied sympathetically. ~Where''s Oliver?~ I asked. "Working. Something about a shareholders meeting," Dinah replied before gesturing for me to follow her to the living room, where we took a seat opposite each other. "Remember I told you before that I can see behind your lies? Well, let me ask you this question again. How have you been, really?" Dinah asked, giving me a look. I hesitated for a moment, not sure how to answer that question without destroying my ns with Batman. ~Dinah, I''m fine. Stressed? Sure, but nothing too big, I promise you.~ Dinah sighed, shaking her head. "I don''t believe you, but I''ll let it go for now." ~Trust me to deal with this,~ I replied, cing my hand on hers. "I do, I always do," Dinah said with a smile before her expression turned serious. "But please, don''t ever forget that if you ever need to talk about anything, don''t hesitate toe to me, all right? I''m always here for you, no matter what." I nodded in response. ~So, any ns for today?~ "Besides spending time with my adorable little brother?" Dinah asked, a yful smile appearing on her face. I couldn''t help but roll my eyes at her. ~Yeah, besides that, dork.~ "Nothing besides that," Dinah replied, grinning from ear to ear. "So, what do you want to do? I''m all ears." ~I don''t know,~ I replied with a shrug. ~What do you want to do?~ "Hmm," Dinah said, tapping her chin in thought. "We could go bowling." Bowling? Hmmm, not a bad idea; I haven''t done that in a while. ~Count me in.~ ---------------------------- After bowling, eating an unholy amount of hotdogs, and watching an old movie at a trailer park, I decided to stay a bit longer in order to help my sister with her patrol of the city. Thankfully, there weren''t any criminals on the run, or that required our attention, which allowed us to talk during the patrol without a care. Eventually, the patrol came to an end, and it was time for me to go back to the base, so with a hug, I said my goodbyes, promising to visit her more. As I neared the zeta tube to get back to the base, I noticed the sun had long since set, casting an eerie glow over the city. Smiling, I continued walking until I saw the space in front of me warped and moved. Taking a step back, I felt my entire body tense, as in a burst of red, a figure emerged. rion. "I told you we would continue our talk," rion said, a sick, demented smile on his face. I took another step back, my hand reaching for the SOS beacon signal on my utility belt. "Don''t be a party pooper. This party is only for the three of us," rion said, waving his hand dismissively as a wave of red crashed into me, breaking upon contact. "Huh, magical warding? Interesting, but not enough to stop me. All that pesky mark will do is make this trip more painful for you." I took another step back as rion stepped closer, a ball of red energy forming in his hand. I frowned, hurling a few explosive knives at him. I had already called the team and anyone else, and now all I had to do was buy some time. rion chuckled as the knives detonated harmlessly around him, the red energy in his hand growingrger until his familiar meowed at him. "What?... I... right, right, perspective, I knew that... YES, I DID, NO, I DID NOT FORGET! He knows I didn''t forget, right Bolty?" Taking his debate with the cat, I darted toward the opposite direction of him at full speed, knowing that a fight with him would only be a waste of time, as I had no way of dealing with him, not on my own. rion chuckled once again, snapping his fingers as a small red energy sphere appeared in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. "Oh no, you don''t; we''re not done here yet." The sphere disappeared as quickly as it came, and I was sent flying into a nearby alleyway, where I hit a wall hard. Without wasting time, I pushed myself up, noticing rion slowly walking toward me with an amused look on his face. "Now, ready to receive some perspective?" I red at him, my mind racing for a way to get out of this. I had to buy some time for the others to arrive, but how? "It was a retroviral question," rion cackled with glee as a red portal appeared in front of him. However, before he could continue, his familiar meowed at him. "Rhetorical, he knows I meant rhetorical!" I took the opportunity to hurl a few knives at the familiar, only for rion to vanish in a puff of red fire, leaving the red portal in ce as he reappeared behind me. "Enjoy the trip," rion said with a grin close to my ear as he pushed me into the portal with a snap of his fingers, creating a small, red-looking explosion that pushed me straight to the portal, his dementedughter echoing around me as I felt myself entering the portal. "See youter, Bolty." -------------------------------------------------- For what it felt like hours, I plummeted through the darkness that had been waiting for me behind the portal, feeling weightless, until suddenly, I collided against something with great force. The impact was so forceful that the breath was knocked out of me. For a moment, Iy there in shock, gasping for air, trying to process what had happened as the darkness started to dissipate. Taking a deep breath, I got to my feet and looked around, realizing that I appeared to be in some kind of forest. There was no sign of civilization anywhere. No roads, no buildings, no people. Just trees as far as the eye could see. Just where had rion sent me? Finding myself alone, I tried to call Raven with my belt, but for some reason, it wasn''t working, it was almost as if I was calling a number that didn''t exist. Frowning, I then tried to call out for help using my secondmunicator, but like before, there was no response. It was as if I had been cut off from the rest of the world. With no way to ask for help, I started to walk in what I hoped was the right direction, hoping to find a town, or something in order to contact the team. ---------------------------------------------------- [Rachel Roth - Raven POV] I had been meditating when I sensed it. A sudden change in the arcane energy around me. It was like the air had turned to ice, or as if the world had turned upside down. One moment I was surrounded by the familiar hum of magic, and the next, I felt something shatter, something disconnect. The Mark of Asteria. "David," I muttered. I knew, with a sinking feeling in my gut, that something was very wrong. Something had happened to David. Without wasting time, I tried to reach out to him with my mind, with my magic, but there was nothing. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. I summoned mymunicator, finding an SOS message from him. However, the message appeared dyed, by unnatural means. Technomancy? rion. The name crossed my mind like a curse. "Kent, he will know what to do," I muttered, before teleporting to the tower of fate to meet with him. He would help me. Chapter 131: Chapter 131: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Aimlessly, I walked through the forest rion had left me in for hours, growing ever so desperate to find some sign of civilization as time went by. Eventually, my aimless exploration paid off as I found myself face to face with a path leading out of the forest. It was a dirt road, barely more than a path, but by the way, it was shaped, it was easy to tell that it was a way out. Smiling, I quickened my pace, eager to escape the forestal prison that encased me. But as I walked, I couldn''t help feeling a sense of unease growingrger andrger as the seconds passed. Keeping my pace, I shook off the feeling and continued running down the path until I found myself face to face with an empty highway, a sign standing in front of me. I stopped, giving the sign a look. [Washington DC - 300 Miles Away]. Washington DC. Had rion really just teleported me to a random forest close to Washington DC? So much effort for that? It felt off. Taking a deep breath, I shook my head, trying to clear my mind as I started to walk toward Washington DC; however, with each step, a cold breathing-taking chill ran down my spine until I was forced toe to a full stop. My newest superpower was going crazy, haywire, telling me to go in the opposite direction. I guess it would be best to listen, but unless I see the threat, I won''t know how to n and react ordingly. Reminding myself of Batman''s words, I walked back into the forest, deciding to run a few miles inside the forest before putting on a civilian attire to continue my path. As I walked back into the forest and started running, the unease remained, but it was now calmpared to before, like a whisper instead of a shout in my ear. Eventually, after half an hour of running through the forest non-stop and covering quite some mileage, I exited the forest back into the highway, this time looking like a normal guy, a hitchhiker even. [Washington DC - 125 Miles Away] Taking a deep breath, I started walking down the highway, the hot sun beating down on my skin, as I kept a thumb up in order to try and get a ride. Thankfully, it didn''t take long before a car stopped in front of me, and an old man leaned out the window of an old truck, a Ford F-250, from 1978. "Where are you headed?" Pulling out a notepad, I raised my hand to him before writing my answer. [I''m heading to Washington, I apologize for the note, the downsides of being mute.] The old man nodded his head before motioning for me to get in. "Not a problem, son. I''m heading that way myself. Smart thinking, having a notepad with you." I nodded my head in response before getting into the truck, the old man keeping up a single-sided conversation as we drove down the highway. I guess he was just happy about having someone to listen to him. As time went by, the conversation went from personal anecdotes the old man wanted to share to a topic that caught my attention, and not in a good way, not at all. "I still can''t believe what happened in Metropolis, you know? I had friends there," The old man said, his voice trembling slightly. "It''s just not right, all those people dead. And for what?." What happened in Metropolis? Was that the reason I didn''t receive any backup for my SOS calls, or why no one seemed to get them in the first ce? "That Joker," The old man said, shaking his head. "I really hope he''s rotting in hell right about now." The Joker. Metropolis. Lots of dead people. It... it can''t be? right? I turned to the old man, my mind racing a million miles a minute as I tried to process everything. Then, after a moment or two, I pulled out my phone, and using the text-to-speech function, I asked one simple question. [What about the nuclear radiation?] The old man sighed, shaking his head. "No idea, son. They say it might take years, decades even before the city is livable again, and it''s not because of the radiation." My heart sank into my stomach as the old man''s words sunk in. I was in the world of Injustice. This wasn''t my earth, my reality. As the realization hit me, my heart started racing, and my breathing became erratic. I was in a world where the Joker had nuked Metropolis, destroying the city and robbing Superman of everything, I was in a world where Superman had gone mad with grief. "Are you okay, son?" The old man asked, looking at me with concern. "You don''t look so good." I nodded, trying to clear my mind as I took a few deep breaths. The old man looked at me for a few more moments before sighing and shaking his head. "Young people nowadays." He muttered before turning his attention back to the road. I sat in silence for the rest of the ride. I know knew, with every cell of my being, this would probably be thest moment of peace I had, for a storm was brewing for me right ahead. ------------------------------------------------- [Batman - Injustice - POV] I looked out the window, arms crossed. The wind was howling outside, and the trees were swaying. In the distance, I could see lightning and hear the thunder crashing as a storm started to brew in the city. "Batsy!" Harley greeted, entering the room. I turned to face her. "Harley, I need you to investigate something for me." Harley cocked her head to the side, biting her lower lip before asking. "What is it?" I handed her a paper with coordinates. "I received an SOS call near Washington DC. What really got my attention was that whoever sent this call was using an old line, one I don''t use anymore because of the Regime." Harley took the coordinates from me. "Sure thing, Batsy! Is whoever I''m supposed to bonk still here, or do I have to gomando super serious and stuff?" "Unlikely. Whoever sent the signal turned the tracking off," I replied, wondering who this unknown was. I knew it wasn''t the Regime. However, that didn''t mean whoever this unknown was, wasn''t an enemy. "Well, I''ll see what I can find!" Harley said with a salute before leaving the room. Chapter 132: Chapter 132: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I arrived at Washington DC quickly, thanking the old man for the ride as I exited his car, my mind overwhelmed by the developments so far. Everywhere I looked, there were propaganda posters for the regime, urging people, demanding them to support their new leader, Superman. It was unnerving to see such propaganda on disy, especially given what I knew about this world, about the oppression and violence Superman had brought. Taking a deep breath, I walked around the city, taking in the sights and sounds, as I tried to figure out what to do next, feeling more and more uneasy with each step. The people around in the streets seemed brainwashed, like they were living in a different world entirely, perhaps I was simply looking too much into things. Right now my priority was to find a ce to hide. Fortunately, in every city there are all sorts of ces to hide, to set camp. Small nooks and crannies that most people never even notice, let alone think to check. Thanks to Batman and my training, I knew this very well, as I''ve had to find such ces before, many times in order to do my duty. However, this time was different, this time, I wasn''t just looking for a criminal running from the authorities or from a hero. This time, it was me, who was looking to hide from everyone. I had no one here, no allies, no friends, no family, no Raven, I was for the first time in my life, truly and absolutely alone. I couldn''t trust anyone. Not here. Not knowing what I knew about this universe. If I wanted to survive, I had to y my every move carefully, or I would inevitably end, on the wrong side of things. I sighed, rubbing my temples as I continued walking down the street, thinking. The base I required needed to be in a popted area, to make tracking harder, it also needed to be close to various ways of escape. - After a few hours of searching, I found a ce nearby a homeless shelter, a shed that had been abandoned by its owner a few years ago. I entered the shed quickly, setting up a small set up for research that consisted of aptop, a printer, and some other office items I had acquired in a local shop in less than a legal manner. Theptop was connected to the inte in the homeless shelter, that was in turn connected to the inte of the city. For now, this was all I needed. Aputer to do some basic research, and a ce to sleep. The shed would serve for now. Before moving, or doing anything, I first had to figure out where in the timeline I was. I guess it was a good thing I remembered Injustice more than I remembered my own world, otherwise this would be rather problematic in terms of intel. Taking a deep breath, I turned theptop on, and started working. - [Raven - Rachel Roth POV] I teleported to the tower of fate, where I was greeted by Kent, who had been waiting for me. "Come in, we have much to do," Kent said, his voice carrying a dark tone. I entered the tower, a sense of dread still invading my heart, and mind. "rion, he did something to" I paused, the words refusing toe out. "I am aware," Kent replied , his voice softened a bit. "But we do not have time to grieve now, we must act, after all, I''m sure he''s alive." I looked down, trying to control my emotions, before nodding. Kent was right, now wasn''t the time to grieve, David was still alive, I knew it, he had to, he wouldn''t die, he wouldn''t. "What can we do?" I asked, steeling myself for what was toe. "First we need to figure out what rion exactly did, and move from there," Kent replied with a sigh. "Don''t worry youngdy, we will find him. Wherever he is, he won''t be alone for long." I nodded, feeling my resolve harden. David was out there, and I would find him. No matter what it took. [Unknown POV] In the meantime, in an undisclosed location, a man known as John Constantine was sitting in a bar, drinking whiskey. He was waiting for someone, or something. "You''rete," Constantine said as a man with ck hair and a dark suit entered the bar, sitting down in front of him. "I had things to take care of," The man replied nonchntly. Constantine took a sip of his drink before asking. "So, what did you find out?" The man shrugged. "You know that''s not how things work." Constantine frowned. "You bloody bastard, will you help me or not?" The man nodded, a chuckle escaping his lips. "For now, if anything because the kid interests me." Constantine sighed, before downing the rest of his drink. "You do that, and I''ll owe you a favor." "With this one you would owe me like twenty, but don''t worry, I won''t charge you for this one," The man winked as he stood up, leaving the bar without another word. Constantine watched him go before sighing, and ordering another drink. "Fucking Lucifer, I swear." "I heard that. And you wish." - [Unknown POV] Back at the tower of fate, Kent and Rachel were going through some old books, trying to find any information on what rion had done. "Anything?" Rachel asked, her voice tired. Kent shook his head tiredly. "No, nothing so far." Rachel sighed, her eyes red fromck of sleep. She had been looking through books for almost a day now, with no results. "What are we going to do? We can''t just keep looking through these books forever." Just then, something caught Kent''s eye. He reached for a book that was slightly different from the rest, hiding inside the library of Fate. It was old, and dusty, and it looked like it hadn''t been touched in years. He started flipping through the pages, his eyes widening as he read the words within the book. "I think I found something." Rachel perked up at that, moving to sit next to Kent. "What is it?" Kent shook his head. "I''m not sure, but it might be important." He handed her the book, before leaning back in his chair, lost in thought. Rachel started reading the book, her brow furrowed in concentration. After a few minutes, she looked up at Kent with a confused expression. "A book of gates" Kent nodded. Chapter 133: Chapter 133: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] For weeks, I researched about everything I could without moving too much from my temporary base, keeping my radius of operations small and easy to control. During this time, I had also discovered I was being tracked, even though I had been extra careful not to leave any traces of my existence behind, meaning whoever was tracking me was using whatever I had left behind during my arrival. I thought for a while about my options and the best way to get rid of my pursuer. Eventuallying to the conclusion that doing nothing would be the best course of action; seeing as my pursuer clearly had no idea who I truly was, inaction was the best path. Back on the subject of my research, I had managed to discover a bit more about my situation, timeline-wise, after connecting a few dots here and there. Sadly, I wasn''t entirely sure of when I was, but I had narrowed it down to somewhere within the second year of Injustice and the third, seeing as events such as Superman outing Batman by revealing his identity to the world through social media, and the death of Oliver had alreadye to pass. I sighed. Superman was in control. Batman was on the run. The world was in total chaos. And I was in the middle of it all, lost, and without any idea what to do. Maybe I should focus on finding a magical solution to my predicament; I mean, Magic had brought me into this situation; perhaps it could take me out of it as well. But that was a task for another day, unfortunately, for now, I needed to focus on more pressing matters. Namely, how to stay alive and not get caught in between this war. I had seen enough during my research to confirm a few rming facts, like the fact the Superman of this world was leagues above the Superman of my world in every aspect. He was stronger, faster, and more resilient. I was well out of my depth, and I knew it. I mean, just to name a feat, this Superman had been able to have a full conversation with the sh while both of them were fighting an alien, and all of that happened before a single second could evene to pass. This was one of the reasons my primary goal right now was toy low, at least until I could get my hands on some 5-U-93-R pills. A Kryptonian nanotech drug created by the Regime to enhance the strength and durability of non-superpowered troops serving the Regime. When taken, the pill increases the tensile strength of bone and tissue structures by a factor of several thousand percent, giving an average human, superhuman strength and durability. The effects of the 5-U-93-R pill are almost instantaneous, taking a few seconds to take effect after swallowing. The strength and durability levels acquired through this pill are, ording to some raw data I had collected during my investigation,parable to that of super-humans like Superman and Lobo. However, ording to my research, these pills were not exactly easy to acquire. In fact, they were extremely hard toe by right now, so my chances of getting my hands on them anytime soon were slim to none, at least if I didn''t take any risks. I mean, I knew where to find some of these pills. However, the where wasn''t exactly a safe ce, or easy to reach for that matter, as Superman and his troops were in control of such ces, keeping a close eye to them because of his never-ending war with Batman. I sighed, deciding to take a nap before continuing with my research. Maybe some rest would give me a clearer head to think about my options and what to do next. Taking a deep breath, Iy down on my sleeping bag, resting my tired head on the pillow and closing my eyes, letting sleep take over me. Hopefully, when I wake up, I''ll know what to do. ------------------------------------- [Harley Quinn POV] I giggled as I skipped through the streets of Washington DC, feeling more carefree than I had in months. It felt good to let loose and just have some fun for once, especially after everything that had happened recently. I mean, sure, the world was a total mess right now, what with Superman in charge and all, but that didn''t mean I couldn''t enjoy myself every once in a while. Besides, who knows? Maybe things would get better soon. I mean, they couldn''t get any worse, right? Hmmmmm, maybe I shouldn''t be thinking that; I mean, I''m tickling the nuts of bad luck right there. Oh well. Where was I? Right! I was tracking a mysterious individual that had been avoiding me for weeks. Isn''t that fun, voice in my head? Yes, it is Harley! But keep your focus; you''re getting sidetracked again, like always! Ok, ok, geez, don''t worry! I''m totally focused! Scout''s honor! Anyways, like I was saying, this enigmatic individual had been avoiding me for weeks, but even though he, or she, was good, I had a feeling I was finally closing in on them, and once I did, kapow! I can wait to capture my target, Batsy will be so proud of me when I finish this assignment! I mean, sure, Batsy is not exactly the most talkative person out there, but that doesn''t mean he doesn''t appreciate my efforts. Or at least that''s what I like to believe. Harley... the voice inside your head talking, one of them at least, just letting you know that one, you are getting sidetracked, and two, you''re still skipping andughing like a maniac in the middle of a busy street, and people are starting to stare... They are?! Oops! Gotta go! I quickly ducked into an alleyway, pressing my back against the wall and peeking out to see if anyone was following me. "Thanks, crazy voices!" I giggled to myself before quickly darting out of the alleyway and making my way toward the sewage. I would take a nap there and then start my search again when it was nighttime. After all, that''s when my target would be the most active... Chapter 134: Chapter 134: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I continued researching about the events happening in the world, now adopting a new strategy to shake my pursuer off. My strategy was simple, changing my base once every two weeks, leaving crumbs for the pursuer that would lead him or her to nowhere. When I wasn''t gathering data about almost anything, my efforts were directed to finding an essible shipment of 5-U-93-R, and while my efforts had not been in vain, as I had been able to locate multiple ships over the weeks, none of them were within my reach. At least not if I wanted to keep my life. Because of this, I had considered multiple times contacting the Batman of this world. However, I knew that if I did that, if I approached Batman, I would be pulled into this war, putting a target on my head. I truly didn''t want that. Perhaps I was being a coward, I sure felt like one at times, but the truth was; that if I wanted to stay alive long enough to find a way home, to see my family again, my friends, I needed to stay out of this conflict. I sighed. I was getting tired. Tired of running from ce to ce to avoid detection. Tired of being alone. I never thought it would be possible for me to hate someone more than the Joker, but here I was, hating rion with every fiber of my being. If it wasn''t for him, I would be home right now. But no, he had toe and ruin everything; he had toe and give me perspective. Now that I think about it, perspective about what? I never questioned the why behind all of this; I mean, I did, but never beyond a surface level. Why did rion go out of his way to send me to this universe? Why here, of all ces? And what did he mean by perspective? My powers are destructive, sure, but nothing rion can''t handle with his magic. Besides, if the Light really wanted me out of the picture, rion would''ve killed me instead of sending me to a different universe altogether. This wasn''t them getting rid of me. .... This was them giving me perspective... All of this, it was the Light trying to show me something, something this world can show me. The question now is, what? I sighed. It would be far easier to figure out their motives if I could remember everything about them. Before I could continue giving my situation more thought, the rm I had set up close to my base went off, alerting me on myputer that someone was approaching. I carefully and quietly rose from my seat, making sure not to make a sound, walking to theputer to see the cameras I had installed, trying to get a look at the person who had triggered the rm. Harley Quinn. So she was my pursuer all along. I guess it makes sense now; I mean, who else would be so relentless in their efforts to find me? I shook my head, putting myptop in its bag. That didn''t matter now; what mattered was that she had finally found me, and I needed to move before she reached my base, which, based on the rm she set off, means I have between two to three minutes. Taking a deep breath, I quickly but carefully ced all my belongings in my bag before making my way to the nearest window and jumping out. Once outside, I started running, not looking back until I was a good distance away. "What''s the rush toots?" Harley called out, her voice carrying through the alleyway I was currently in. "Aww,e on now, is that any way to treat your number one fan?" How did she catch up with me so fast? Knowing there was no point in running, especially if she had ess to 5-U-93-R, I turned around,ing to a full stop, finding Harley Quinn leaning against a wall as she chewed bubble gum, a smirk on her face. Taking my phone out, I yed a pre-recorded message. "I don''t want any trouble, okay?" The message yed out as I held my hands up in surrender, taking the brief moment my hands were going up to hurl a few explosives above her with a timer of thirty seconds to detonate. Harley tilted her head to the side. "No trouble? Aw, that''s too bad." She then reached into her jacket and pulled out a gun, aiming it at me. "I was really hoping to have some fun with you before I killed you." A gun. Good. I''m being underestimated. "Bang," Harley giggled, pressing the trigger only to show her gun was nothing but a prop that once the trigger was pressed, a g saying bang would appear. As Harley giggled, the explosives went off, and I took the opportunity to lunge forward, using my speed and momentum to knock her to the ground as I quickly disarmed her. "What the-?" Harley eximed, trying to get back up, only for me to grab her and m her against the wall, holding her there as I activated my taser with enough voltage to knock her out. For a few moments, her body trembled as the electrical current coursed through her before she finally went limp, unconscious. It seems the Harley of this world is as empty-headed as the one from mine. Retracting my taser, I released my grip on her, letting her body slump to the ground as I breathed a sigh of relief. Harley out cold; I began to search her weapons and other items as I tied her down, looking for items like 5-U-93-R, finding a few under one of the pockets on her rear as I finished tying her up. I inspected the pill up close, and it matched every picture of the pill I had found during my research. Good, now I just have to leave Harley in a ce the Regime can''t find her and leave this-- Before I couldplete that thought, I was sent flying through the air, my body going through several walls of concrete before I hit the ground hard, pain coursing through my body as I tried to get up. However, my body was in a state of shock, the amount of damage I had received kept me in ce as my body refused to obey me; in fact, I was barely conscious as I was right now. "Naughty, naughty, touching poor Harley," Harley chastised me. But how? She was out cold a few moments ago. "Though I will admit, I liked that electric shock," Harley giggled as she approached me. "Made my toes curl for a bit." I grit my teeth, blood dripping into the ground as I tried to get up, only for Harley to step on my back, grinding her heel into my spine. "Oh no, you don''t," Harley cooed, pressing her heel down on my back hard. "You''re not going anywhere." I tried to move, tried to get away from her, but it was pointless; the pain was too much, and my body refused to obey me. Not only that, but she was clearly disying super strength leagues beyond mine. "Now, where were we?" Harley asked, leaning down close to my ear. The pill, I took one from her. I just need to take it. If I moved, Harley would attack me again, and another attack of that magnitude I knew I couldn''t take. I had but one option, copying her and striking when her guard was down and seeing she was obviously on 5-U-93-R, then I had no need to hold back. Without dy, I dropped to the groundpletely, pretending to be unconscious, just as Batman had taught me. "Oh, you''re no fun," Harley pouted as she prodded my side with her bat. Before turning my body around with her foot. I inwardly smiled before muttering. "Surprise." The st sent Harley flying into the air, giving me enough time to take the 5-U-93-R I had taken from her. "That tickled," Harley said, a small amount of awe in her voice. "I can see why Batsy wants you so bad... wait, does he even know about your voice?" she paused for a few moments, pondering over her own question before she startedughing hysterically. I pushed myself off the ground, and with each passing moment, I could feel the drug I had taken coursing through my veins almost. It was an intoxicating feeling, one that made me feel invincible. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and the world around me seemed to take on a new rity. Every sound, every thought, every breath was amplified; hell, even the colors were brighter and more vivid. Even the pain from a few moments ago seemed almost gone, leaving nothing but total exhration and a sense of power I had never felt before, nor I ever thought it possible to exist. Cracking my neck, I turned my attention to Harley. It was time for round three. Chapter 135: Chapter 135: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As Harley walked toward me, I stood in ce, feeling how my entire body had be stronger. My every muscle had thickened without increasing size beyond what I thought was possible. The increase in power was unfathomable. Giggling, Harley attacked first, using her bat to hit the ground, creating a cloud of rising dust and debris as the ground around us shattered into a thousand pieces under her attack, taking advantage of this, Harley swung her bat at me, taking full advantage of her superhuman strength, but before her bat could reach me, I jumped back, avoiding the strike. The dodge caught Harleypletely unprepared. "So you took the pill, naughty boy." I cracked my neck once again, this amount of power would take a few moments to get used to, I would use Harley to do just that. Grinning, Harley pushed forward, raining on me with a barrage of attacks, however, as much as she attacked, each swing of her bat would hit nothing but the air, creating powerful shock waves that would break anything too close to her swings. She continued her assault while I simply remained in ce, dodging all of her attacks, letting my danger sense guide me as I weaved under her onught. Even my danger sense was more effective now. No, that wasn''t it, it was that now I had enough strength to react ordingly, and Harley''s attackscked any skill beyond an overwhelming desire to hurt me, which in the end made dodging her attacks easier. "Stop dodging!" Harleyined as another one of her swings hit nothing. Obliging her request, I grabbed Harley by the hair and smashed her head into the ground, testing my new strength. Normally, I would be worried about doing such things, but the situation here was different; I knew Harley''s body was beyond resilient right now, thanks to the pill, meaning I could experiment more than ever. "That''s my bad. I''ll admit it; I asked for something and didn''t specify," Harley giggled as she stood up, her face bleeding, as she offered a sadisticugh. After a brief moment of silence, we charged into one another, exchanging blows in a flurry of hits that seemed to have no end; for themon onlooker, Harley was managing to hit me. However, all of her possible hits would end up being parried or redirected before Inded a hit on her, creating a one sided chain of attacks, one that rained on Harley without mercy. "This is starting to feel a bit unfair," Harley giggled, blooding out of her nose and mouth, running down her face in an image of crimson gore. Without another word, Harley pushed forward, our hands interlocking, as we started to push against one another. "If I can''t beat you with my duper martial skills, then I will overwhelm you with raw strength toots!" Pushing with all of her might, Harley''s face began to sweat in the strain, all while I remained in ce, bearing a stoic expression, easily keeping up her effort. Realizing she was making no progress, Harley decided to throw a kick to my side. However, before her kick couldnd on my ribs, I raised my knee, countering her attack and throwing her off bnce. Her attempt failing, Harley found herself sinking deeper into the ground as I pushed her down, taking advantage of the fact she had lost bnce. Once she was on her knees, I released her hands, and before she could process what was happening, my right foot connected with her face, sting her out of sight with a powerful shock wave that destroyed the area around us even more. Taking a deep breath, I lowered my body before leaping after her; my fist clenched as I aimed for her falling body. Harley, seeing this, crossed her arms in an X shape before my punch couldnd on her, blocking the attack. However, the force behind my blow was enough to break through her guard and send her flying back again, this time into a nearby building. I followed after her with ease; my vision focused on her crashing body as I leaped through the air. Before Harley could get back on her feet, Inded in front of her, my right hand tightly clenching her throat as I lifted her off the ground with one hand before mming her back first into the ground. The impact created arge crater on the ground, where Harleyy on her back as I towered over her. "This isn''t fair, you know? The pills are supposed to get everyone to the same level," Harley said as she struggled to get up, her face contorted in pain. Ignoring herints, I kicked her in the stomach as she struggled to rise up, causing her to curl up in pain as she vomited blood. I frowned in concern. I needed to end this now, or I would end up killing her. Perhaps not holding back wasn''t the best course of action; like her, I had assumed the pill would leave me on her level, but it appears I am somehow stronger than her. Taking a step forward, I prepared to deliver the finishing blow, but before I could, Harley managed to get back on her feet, a feral look in her eyes. "You think you''ve won? You haven''t seen anything yet!" Harley screamed as she charged at me, her fists flying. Parrying her attacks, one by one, until I delivered a right hook to her gut followed by a powerful uppercut that sted her through the air, where shended on the ground unconscious. I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful the fight was over, as I walked over to her in order to check her pulse. She was still alive, a few fractures here and there from what I could see from a simple nce, but nothing concerning. The fight had taken a lot out of her; I could see that much, I would need to treat her wounds before she woke up, or she would be in for a world of hurt. Perhaps I could take this chance to interrogate her. I would need to search her again, this time more thoroughly, to avoid being tricked again. Chapter 136: Chapter 136: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After searching for weapons, and other items, I carried Harley''s unconscious body to a hidden location, where I started to inspect her for damage to know what I needed to treat first, she had a few bruises, but they weren''t severe. I decided to start with the more concerning issue, her stomach. The hit I had delivered had caused enough damage to copse blood vessels within her, causing her to vomit blood, meaning she probably had some internal trauma. Taking a deep breath, I gently ced her down on the ground and inspected her abdomen carefully, which was swollen and discolored. She definitely had a few broken bones there, the worst part was, I wasn''t sure I could treat her wounds without the proper medical supplies. Perhaps I could rob a hospital to get what I needed, I wasn''t sure if that was the best idea, considering the Regime could catch me, but this might be my only option to stabilize Harley, after all, internal damage is always tricky. I sighed, turning to look at Harley. I guess I''m robbing a hospital. In the meantime, I needed to keep herfortable and warm, so I grabbed my nket and sleeping bag from my backpack, arranging Harley inside, before covering her with my jacket up to her neck. There, I injected her with a sleeping agent to help with the pain and to keep her unconscious while I was gone. Thest thing I wanted was for her to try and escape while I still wasn''t sure how to deal with this world and its inhabitants. Taking a deep breath, I opened my phone, connecting to the local lines, and searched for a hospital, the closest one being only a few blocks away. Memorizing the address, I closed the search and tapped into the Regime database, and looked up; for any rms. My battle with Harley had been less than subtle, meaning that it was more than likely that the authorities were on high alert in the area, in which case meant that I needed to be extra careful when moving. Though seeing I had fought Harley, of all people, who was brazenly against the Regime, I could probably manipte them into thinking I was on their side if I was caught, that is. Taking a deep breath, I continued my search, finding several alerts for a ''dangerous individual in the area'', along with a description that fit me to a tee and a few dozen alerts to be on the lookout for Harley Quinn, alerts that prioritized mine. Well, thatplicates things; I guess our battle must have been caught by a hidden camera, which I suppose was how Harley found me. With the situation as it is, it would be safer to avoid being seen in public, but Harley still needs medical attention. Besides, seeing as there were no mentions of any hospitals being on lockdown, my n was still very feasible, just harder toplete. As I was about to close my phone, a new alert caught my eye; a curfew had been announced for the entire city, effective immediately. Well, that just makes things more difficult. I sighed, pocketing my phone as I stood up and stretched, preparing myself for what was toe. This was going to be a mission impossible, but without the plot armor, Tom Cruise has in all the movies. I was going to need to be very careful if I wanted toe out of this alive. I swear to God, even in a different universe, Harley finds a way to make my day harder than it has to be. Oh well, time to get to work. ------------------------------------- As I made my way to the hospital, I couldn''t help but feel like I was being watched; which, considering the circumstances, wasn''t entirely unwarranted. The streets were eerily empty for a Saturday night, all thanks to the curfew that had been set in ce. To avoid being noticed, I changed my clothes to something simpler, nder, in order to keep my identity hidden, the cameras had seen me with my mask and hero suit, right now, if things went in my favor, I would appear like a normal guy, walking on the street on his way home to follow the curfew. Taking a deep breath, I made my way to the hospital, ducking into an alleyway as I pulled out my phone, where I connected to the local cameras. The entire city was crawling with armed guards, both in the outer areas and in the inner areas, and the cameras showed they would reach my area within five minutes, making this heist of mine next to impossible, but not impossible. For a moment, I considered my options very carefully. Getting inside the hospital and getting my supplies was the easy part, the hard part would be to get away without being seen, especially since the entire city was on high alert. I could always try and find another way back into the base, maybe the sewage system, though that could damage the supplies, meaning all of this would be a waste of time, all and all, my options were thin, very thin, especially considering how well guarded the streets will be in a few moments. If I failed, I would be captured and depending on multiple factors, tortured for information. Sure, I could try to lie my way out of trouble, I had the Harley fight on my corner, but honestly, I didn''t know how much I could lie, considering the Regime has the Lasso of Hestia on their corner. Taking a deep breath, I hacked into the cameras in the nearby area, creating a loop on the path I was going to take as I made my way out of the alleyway and towards the hospital''s back entrance, where I stayed in the shadows, waiting for my moment to move. I had to confirm the coast was clear before moving in. Once I confirmed the coast was clear, I slipped inside the hospital through the maintenance door, being grateful for the darkness that shrouded the ce. It seems everyone had left the moment the curfew was set in ce. Silently, I made my way through the halls, going to the medical supply room. Which ording to the map I had found beforeing here, it was on the third floor, close to the maternity ward. A weird ce to put their supplies if you ask me. Following the map, I moved swiftly and silently through the hospital, eventually reaching the medical supply room, there, I reached for the door and quickly pulled it open, slipping inside. My eyes darted around the room, taking in the rows of supplies, before I grabbed what I needed, stuffing items into my bag, before quickly moving back towards the door. I had to move quickly, the sooner I was out of here, the better. In the hallway, I reached for my phone and essed the cameras again, making sure the coast was still clear before making my way towards the back entrance again. Moving quickly but carefully, I made my way back to the maintenance door, slipping outside just as the Regime forces were reaching the ce. Taking a deep breath, I ducked into the shadows again, waiting for them to pass, to make an opening before making my move, which depending on how good these soldiers were, it could take hours, maybe more. Thankfully though, the soldiers were rtively clueless, and so, I slipped out of the alleyway during one of their mistakes and made my way towards the base, being extra careful to avoid any patrols or cameras on the way. It was a long and tedious process, but eventually, I made it back to the base without incident. ------------------------------------------------------ I approached Harley, who was still sleeping in ce, just as I had left her. Now all I had to do was treat her wounds and wait for her to wake up. After that, I would interrogate her for any information she could provide before setting her free. Taking a deep breath, I opened my backpack and pulled out the supplies I had acquired from the hospital before getting to work on treating her wounds. As I worked, I came to the realization that treating her would be a lengthy procedure, especially setting her bones into ce; luckily for her, I had all the medical training required to treat such wounds. As the hours went by, and I continued working, Harley started to stir awake. Which was honest to God, was very surprising. I mean, the amount of anesthesia she had was many times what her petite frame should be able to handle. "Wha- where am I?" Harley asked groggily before her eyes widened in realization as she took in her surroundings. "Oh shucks, I lost, didn''t I?" I rolled my eyes at her as I continued treating her wounds. Harley was quiet for a few moments, seeing what I was doing, my hands covered in her blood as I continued treating her. "So, you''re not a bad guy, huh?" I shook my head as I continued working. I was nothing but a guy in the middle of a war he should have no ce in. Harley chuckled softly before wincing in pain. "Well, I''ll be damned. Looks like I owe you one, though you are the one that put me in this situation in the first ce, so... even?" I shrugged as I finished up with setting her bones before starting on the stitches. "You don''t talk much, do you?" Harley asked, trying to make conversation. Ain''t she smart? "Ohh, is it because your voice does explody thingy?" Harley asked, suddenly excited. "That is so cool! I bet that woulde in handy during bang-bang-bangity-bang time, or sex for those in the audience that didn''t understand." I arched an eyebrow at her as I continued working, not really sure how to respond to that. Harley must have taken my silence as a yes because she started talking about all the things she could do with my power and how it would help me, help her reach orgasm during sex. Without much effort, I tuned her out as I focus on my work, making sure to do a good job so she heals quickly and withoutplication. Eventually, I finished treating her most critical wounds, sewing up the gashes, and setting all her other broken bones in ce before wrapping everything up tightly. "So, am I gonna live, Doc?" Harley asked with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. I nodded, giving her a few painkillers for the pain. "Not that I''m not grateful, but that dose won''t do," Harley said, wincing in pain as she looked at the dose of Morphine I was injecting into her. "I''ve got a higher tolerance to the thing than most." Well, that was true; she did wake up mid-procedure. Taking a deep breath, I pulled out a second dose, injecting it into her. "That''s better," Harley said, her eyes starting to droop from the pain medication. "See you in a bit, handsome." I sighed, why must the universe hate me? Chapter 137: Chapter 137: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I sat beside Harley a few meters away from her to avoid any surprises as she slept, the morphine keeping her in a deep painless slumber after the surgery I had performed to set her bones back in ce to facilitate their optimal healing. Talking about healing, Harley''s healing factor was doing wonders as the hours passed; as minor as this healing factor was, it was pushing her to recover beyond what it should be possible for a simple human. Even then, I couldn''t help but notice how pale she looked, how fragile, how small. I knew for a fact she had taken worse beatings, some by the Joker himself, meaning she had to be strong to have survived what she had; I also knew that pity shouldn''t be the first I felt when Iid my eyes on her, she was a dangerous criminal or was, it was a confusing situation. All I knew is that at this moment, she looked so vulnerable, so normal, that it was shocking, unsettling even. I yawned softly, my eyes fixed on the window as a patrol of Regime soldiers passed by, their lights shining in the ss of the window for a few moments before everything went ck. Taking a deep breath, I turned to Harley, my mind racing with questions that I needed answers to. Hopefully, she would offer some insight into this entire situation; the key word being, hopefully, I honestly didn''t know if Harley would be able to answer most of my questions, or any for that matter. I had no idea what to do, honestly. I don''t have the slightest clue of how to escape this situation, how to fix it all. ..... I could survive, but for how long? I could stall until the Regime is destroyed, but would that happen? After all, in the games, there were some endings where the Regime wins, and Superman enves everyone. "What''s the matter, toots?" Harley muttered groggily, breaking the silence in the room, "You looked like you needed a hug. Want one?" I looked at her for a few moments before shaking my head. Once again, she surprises me, I didn''t expect her to wake up so soon. It''s been no less than ten hours since I put her to sleep, and here she was, ready to annoy me some more. "Meanie," Harley said with a small chuckle as she winced in pain. "But seriously, if ya need someone to talk to, Dr. Harleen Quinzel is at your service." I stared at her for a few moments before sighing softly, was I actually considering talking with her about my problems right now? "Don''t worry about me telling a thing, doctor-patient confidentiality and all that," Harley said with a wink as she tried to sit up before wincing in pain and lying back down. I guess I might as well. It''s not like I have anything better to do; also, I could be very vague about everything, and who knows, maybe, just maybe, she could offer some help. ~Signnguage?~ Harley smiled at me. "I do know signnguage. I might be crazy, but I''m a nice crazy person, so go ahead and talk." I rolled my eyes at her. ~Why Batman sent you after me?~ Harley frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "That''s not how a session works. But if you must know, he got your SOS call." I see; it makes sense now. By getting an SOS signal to a probably old and unused channel ofmunication, Batman and his trademark paranoia went into overdrive, which ended up with him sending Harley after me, resulting in our fight. ~I checked your body for trackers, and I found a few that I destroyed upon finding, two on your clothes, two on your body, and one on your hair. My question is the following, are there any other trackers you''re hiding in your person on your belongings?~ I asked, my eyes narrowed at her. Harley snorted. "If I knew, I would so totally tell ya, but honestly, I don''t know. I''ve been with Bats for so long that I''ve lost count of how many trackers he''s put on me. Here between us, I''m pretty sure that''s Batsy''s kink." That''s... not totally inurate. I sighed, giving a look to the window before turning back to Harley. ~Will you continue to hunt me down after you recover?~ Harley shook her head with a beaming smile. "Nah, I was just doing this because we didn''t know if ya were a bad-bad guy, but you saved me, so I owe you one. Then again, you were the one that put me on the operating table, so... hmmm. Nah, I won''t hunt you." ~What do you know about the Regime?~ I asked her, curious to know if she had any insider information that could be useful. "Only that Superdumb is Superstupid, and I wish with all my heart to every flying star that his Kryptonian balls get crushed by a Kryptonite maze!" Harley said with a roll of her eyes. "He''s all high and mighty, sitting on his throne of lies, but as the days go by, he''s making a lot of enemies; not just Batsy is fighting against him, others have joined to stop this nightmare, and who can me them? I mean, people that don''t take kindly to dictatorship." I guess this confirms what I already knew, Harley doesn''t like Superman, and honestly, seeing how the Superman of this world is, I can''t me her at all. ~Is that truly all you know?~ I asked her again. "Honestly, there''s not much to tell. Most of the so-called superheroes joined the Kryptonian roach of Superman, leaving Batsy with a very small group of allies to try andbat him," Harley said with a heavy sigh. "I joined Batsy somewhat recently, we might have our differences, but at least I know where I stand with him." No useful information; she was either avoiding giving too much info, or she honestly knew nothing useful I could use. "Enough about me. As your appointed Dr, I insist we talk about you and your problems," Harley said, her eyes staring into mine. Well, here goes nothing. ~I''m just a man, trying to get home,~ I replied with a heavy sigh. "And where''s home?" Harley asked me curiously. Isn''t that the billion-dor question? Where''s home? ~I don''t know,~ I replied with a wink. ~If I ever figure it out, you''ll be the first one to know. How does that sound?~ Harley smiled, a sad smile filled with empathy. "That sounds like the kind of answer someone gives when they know they''re never going home." Her words struck me like a ton of bricks because she had voiced the thoughts I was pretending to ignore, the voice that kept whispering to my ear that I would never find a way home, that this hell was now my home. ~Well, that''s enough for one session. You need to go back to sleep, you''re still quite injured,~ I replied, pulling a few medicines from my backpack that were sure to knock her out for another ten hours at the very least. "It''s not... healthy to avoid your demons, believe me, I would know...I''m an expert in the subject." Harley''s eyes started to droop as the medicine took effect, and just as fast as she had woken up, she slumped against the pillows, fast asleep. I stared at her for a few minutes before turning away, my heart heavy with sadness. Would I actually find a way out of this hell? And what would happen if I didn''t? I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts of the overtiredness that was making my train of thought one less than optimistic. How long it had been since I hadst slept? twelve days? At this point, I was running on coffee and adrenaline. I really needed to sleep, to clear my head. But before that, I would tie Harley up so that she can''t move even if she wakes up before me. Then I would rest. Maybe rest would clear my head, my thoughts, and hopefully a bit of my pessimism. ----------------------------------------------------------- [Rachel Roth / Raven - Earth 16 / POV ] It had been two days since David had disappeared, two days of no sleep. Two days of continuous research of every magical book I could get my hands on alongside Mr. Kent. ording to him, we were making some progress, but it was still not enough. It would never be enough until we brought David back home. I had failed him, I had promised him I would protect him, that I would be at his side if rion ever came for him, and when push came to shove, I hadn''t been there to save him, to help him, to fight by his side. The team still didn''t know about his disappearance. Only Mr. Kent, Batman, and I knew. At least to my knowledge, I had no idea if Batman had told anyone after I had informed him about the situation, and to be entirely honest, I didn''t care. My only concern was finding a way to bring David back. "Youngdy, you should rest. Your friend would wholly disapprove of this self-destructive behavior," Mr. Kent said to me as he walked into the room, a stack of books in his arms. I red at him. "He isn''t here to disapprove of my behavior, isn''t he?" Mr. Kent sighed and ced the books down on the desk he was sitting at. "I understand your determination, your need to save him, believe I do, but if you don''t take care of yourself, you won''t be any good to anyone, let alone David." I wanted to argue with him, but I knew he was right. I was running on empty, both physically and magically, and if I didn''t rest soon, I would literally copse from exhaustion. "Fine," I said as I stood up from my chair and stretched my stiff muscles. "I''ll go take a nap. I will be back in an hour." Mr. Kent sighed. "Rest well. I will continue the research in the meantime." I nodded before making my way to the room Kent had set up for me, my body feeling heavier with every step I took. Once inside the room, I closed the door behind me before I copsed onto my bed. One hour. And I would return to the books. One hour. That''s all I needed. Chapter 138: Chapter 138: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I woke up to the sun shining through the window. Stretching, I turned to look at Harley Quinn, who was still sleeping just where I had left herst night. It seemed the medicines I had given her were still in effect as she was sound asleep. Taking a deep breath, I walked to her and leaned over to check her temperature, and much to my relief, she was within the normal range. Taking my phone out, I connected to the Regime''s servers in order to see if the curfew they had set was still in effect, and sadly, it still was, meaning the streets were still probably full of armed soldiers. Soldiers looking for Harley and me. I sighed. I honestly had no idea what to do now. "Morning toots." I turned around to see Harley awake and smiling at me. It was good to see her looking better after the beating she had taken, even if the smile didn''t quite reach her eyes. ~How do you feel?~ I asked, leaning against a wall. "I feel like taking over the world!" Harley said, sitting up. "But Superduperdumb already did that, so, meh." That''s good. ~Can you move freely? Or would the wounds slow you down?~ I asked, giving Harley a look. "Bah, don''t worry about little ol'' me; I''ll be fine," Harley said with a giggle as she got out of my sleeping bag. "Just need to find a mallet or a bat, and I''ll be a-okay." That''s a very optimistic outlook, especially considering the streets are full of soldiers, all of which have ess to 5-U-93-R. I am confident in my skills, but even then, even if the soldiers don''t know how to fight at all, thousands of super-powered beings were more than enough to overwhelm anyone. "So, how fucked are we?" Harley asked, reading my expression. ~There''s a curfew in ce, thanks to our battle,~ I replied as I stared out of the window. ~And the Regime has put a bounty on our heads.~ Harley whistled. "Well, that''s no fun." Understatement of the century. "So, what do you suggest we do now?" Harley asked, crossing her arms. ~Honestly, no idea,~ I replied. Harley Quinn tutted. "That''s not very helpful, y''know." I shrugged in response. What else was I supposed to say? That we were screwed? That the Regime would eventually catch us and kill us? ------------------------ [shback - Training with Master Kirigi] I turned to look at Master Kirigi as he entered the training room, making no sound as usual. ~Good morning, Master Kirigi.~ I bowed, showing respect to my teacher, or sensei, as he would often remind me to address him. "Good morning, gakusei," Master Kirigi replied as he walked to the center of the room. "Have youpleted your warmups for today?" I nodded. ~Yes, Sensei.~ "Very well," Kirigi said as he turned to face me. "What is doubt to you?" I paused, thinking about the question. Master Kirigi often asked me questions that made me think, and this was no different. ~Doubt is nothing but theck of confidence, Sensei.~ Kirigi nodded, his expression unreadable. "Correct. And what is confidence?" ~Confidence is belief in oneself,~ I replied. "And why is doubt dangerous?" Kirigi asked. I thought about it for a moment. ~Doubt is dangerous because it can lead to indecision, and indecision can lead to death.~ "Excellent," Kirigi said with a nod. "You have learned well, gakusei. At least the theory of things that is." I frowned. "You are one of the most talented, if not the most talented student I have ever had under my teaching," Kirigi said, his voice cutting through the air like a knife. "However, out of all my students, your doubt is the biggest one I have ever seen." I looked down. "You allow your fears to control you, you learn, but you fear using knowledge, you train, but you fear failing, you advance, but you fear what you left behind," Kirigi said, his voice softening slightly. "I suppose it''s only natural. This is, after all, human nature. You are not the only one with these fears, gakusei. But you must learn to ovee them." I nodded. "I understand oveing one''s fears is not an easy task. Unfortunately, we all must face our demons sooner orter, no matter who we are. You can''t silence them for long," Kirigi said, taking a seat on the floor with his legs crossed. "You won''t do this now or tomorrow. We face our burdens in our own time, so when that timees, do not yield." I nodded once again. "Remember, wisdomes from experience, and experiencees from making mistakes," Kirigi said. "So, do not be afraid to make mistakes, gakusei. It is the only way you will learn and grow." ~What if those mistakes could bring irreparable damage?~ I asked, looking at him. "You can''t live your life shackled to what-ifs," Kirigi replied with a serious expression. "Don''t think of losing before the battle even begins. Consider only victory. Make defeat an impossibility in your mind." ~I understand, Sensei,~ I nodded. ---------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] I had forgotten about that. I was allowing my fears to make my defeat an unavoidable oue. I was letting the situation around me cloud my thoughts by weing despair into my heart. But, as Sensei once said, adversity is an opportunity for change, and change I must, if I want to prevail to ovee this and any challenge ahead of me. I must consider only victory. Making defeat an impossibility in my mind. ~Harley, do you know how to reach Batman?~ I turned to Harley. "Oh, sure thing, puddin''!" Harley said with a flirtatious wink. "But what''s in it for me?" I took a deep breath. ~Your life? I mean, if we stay here is only a matter of time before the Regime finds us.~ "You need to work on your sweet talk," Harley said with a deadpan before her eyes started to sparkle in pure mischievous wonder. "I will help you find the Bat, only if you go on a date with me. Take it or leave it, handsome." This was going to be harder than I thought. ~Why?~ I asked, turning to look at her once again. I understood why the other Harley liked me; I had beaten her half to death, but why did this... ohhh, I get it now. Well, fuck me. "Oh, you know," Harley said, shrugging nonchntly. "I kinda like you." ~And what if I don''t want to go on a date with you?~ I asked. Harley''s face turned into a pout as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Then I guess we better start digging our graves." I sighed. This demented girl was going to be the death of me. ~Fine,~ I relented. ~One date.~ Harley''s face brightened up immediately as she pped her hands in glee. "Yay!" I feel I made a terrible mistake already. Chapter 139: Chapter 139: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] With the help of the information Harley had given me about the city and the regime''s own information about the lockdown, I devised a n to escape the city. It only required two things, irresponsible regime soldiers, some fake ids, and some disguises. Thankfully with some research, I found them all. Turning our escape situation from an impossibility to a reality. Now all that was left was the timing of it all. "So, when are we leaving?" Harley asked as she chewed some bubble gum, looking up at me from where she was sprawled out on the floor of our hiding ce. I sighed, ~As soon as possible.~ ~But what''s the rush?~ Harley countered, popping her gum. Was... was she really asking that? Taking a deep breath, I shook my head, not wanting to get into a logical debate with her of all people. ~The sooner we get out of here, the better.~ "Fine, we''ll do it your way," Harley said with a roll of her eyes. ------------------------------------------------------ Later that night, after I had mapped out the soldiers'' patrol paths, I found what I had been looking for. A few weaknesses in their formation, weak links we could exploit to escape, be it by theirziness, inexperience, orck of good nning. Now, all that was left was to put my n into motion. I looked over at Harley, who was sound asleep, her head pillowed on her arms. Taking a deep breath, I poked her awake. ~Harley, it''s time to go.~ "Five more minutes," Harley grumbled in response but slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. ~Are you ready?~ I asked her as she stretched her arms above her head with a yawn. Harley grinned, jumping to her feet. "Always ready for some Mayhem!" Nodding at her enthusiasm, I put my n into motion. Giving Harley her new set of clothes and ID as I changed clothes in a corner of the room. "So, what''s the n?" Harley asked as she pulled on her new disguise. ~Soldiers 78 to 87 are about to reach our general location, so we''ll wait for them to pass and then follow their path. I have studied their movements on the public surveince thoroughly, and I have noticed there are some major gaps in their patrol, which we can exploit to make our escape,~ I exined. "And that''s the ID for?" Harley asked, looking at the ID. ~In case we are stopped and questioned. ~I said as I finished putting on my own disguise. The IDs were ast resort kind of thing, as first offenders of low-ss crimes were not heavily punished, the IDs would serve to allow us some leniency in the case of capture. "Got it," Harley said with a nod as she put on a pair ofrge sunsses, hiding her bright blue eyes. With our disguises on, we waited for a few minutes until the soldiers'' patrol passed. Then we carefully followed their path, staying close to the shadows and out of sight as much as it was humanly possible. The tailingsted a tense few long minutes, but in the end, our patience paid up as we made it to the first recurrent gap in their patrol without incident. Now it was all a matter of walking a few miles north, and we would be out of the city in no time. ~Let''s get out of here,~ I signed, giving Harley a look. Harley nodded, winking at me. ------------------------------------------------------ An hourter, as we walked away from the city, I couldn''t help but look back at the ce and feel a sense of relief washing over me. We had made it out alive and in one piece. Harley grinned at me, her eyes shining brightly under the moonlight. "That was a heck of an escape." ~Now, it''s your turn,~ I turned to her. ~Where is Batman?~ As I asked Harley this, I caught a glimpse of a movement in the shadows behind Harley, a few meters away from her, a movement that somehow felt familiar. ..... It''s Batman, isn''t it? Following my gaze, Harley turned around before a smile appeared on her face as she spoke, her voiceced with amusement. "Oh, look who decided to show up." Just as I had called it, I watched Batman emerging from the darkness, his cape billowing in the night breeze. "I have been following you since you left the base. I wanted to confirm a few things." That''s Batman, alright. "Jeez, I would''ve loved your help when handsome here was kicking my butt," Harley said, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she red at Batman. "His fighting style mostly relied on defense, and parries, showing a clear aversion to most lethal solutions," Batman replied matter-of-factly, his eyes on me on thest part. "However, the fact he wasn''t used to the pill aggravated the situation beyond his control, leading to your now-solved situation." Harley narrowed her eyes on Batman. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." "Now," Batman looked at me, his expression unreadable as he neared me. "Who are you?" I took a step forward, looking directly into his eyes. ~You sent a reckless lunatic after me. You don''t get to ask the questions.~ Rule number one of Batman, never trust anyone, not even him. Batman''s eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "I see," he said after a few tense seconds, his voiceced with begrudging eptance. "Don''t be too hard on him, Batsy," Harley said as she came to stand by my side, her arms still crossed in front of her chest. "He did risk his life to save me from the damage he caused... But it''s like they say, the intention it''s what it counts!" Batman''s gaze shifted from me to Harley. "Very well." "So, can we go now?" Harley asked, bouncing on her heels as she looked at Batman expectantly. "Yes," Batman replied with a nod, his eyes piercing into mine. "Can hee?" Harley gestured towards me. "I do not trust him," Batman replied, his tone final. "Come on, Batsy, he saved my life!" Harley protested. "No." Batman''s reply was resolute. Harley huffed, ring at him. "Are you really gonna reject a possible ally? We are not in a situation to be picky." Batman was silent for a few seconds as he looked at Harley, his expression thoughtful. Finally, he sighed and spoke. "It seems you are quite ardent about bringing him," he said as he turned his eyes to me. "Very well, you cane with us. But step out of line once, and you will regret it. Are we clear?" ~Crystal,~ I replied, not at all intimidated by his unspoken threat. Chapter 140: Chapter 140: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After encountering Batman waiting for us outside the city, he took us to his base, where he gave the room that not only waspletely under surveince but was the hardest to escape from in case of an emergency, allowing him to put a leash on my every movement without putting a leash. If only he knew the location of my room would not do a thing, all I needed to do was utter a word, and the ce would fall down like a house of cards. "Heya handsome, long time no see!" Harley eximed as she entered my room, throwing her arms around my neck in a yful manner, making sure her body pressed firmly against mine. ~It''s been two hours since we arrived, Harley,~ I deadpanned, gently pushing her away from me. "Aww, c''mon handsome, lighten up!" Harley pouted, sitting on myp and wriggling around. ~I am trying to set up my room to make my stay morefortable, can you please remove your presence from the premises?~ I said as I removed her from myp and stood up. God damn it. Even with the training I had to endure with my Harley back in my universe, this was hard, I was a man. "Yeah, no," Harley said with a wink, "I think I''ll stay here for a while. After all, you owe me a date, pudding." I raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. A date? That was only if she helped me contact Batman, a deal that became null the moment Batman revealed himself to have been following her from afar. ~You didn''t help me contact Batman, therefore, our deal is no longer valid,~ I stated. "Oh, but that''s where you''re wrong!" Harley said with a mischievous giggle, "Batsy is right outside the door!" Before I could react, the doors to my room burst open and Batman barged in. "You wanted to talk?" I blinked, giving Batman a confused look. Batman, reading the situation, realized I hadn''t called him, and turned to Harley. "Don''t waste my time." "Oh, lighten up Batsy!" Harley said as she skipped to the door, closing it on him, "There, you talked, I helped you talk with him, now, we go on that date!" I pinched the bridge of my nose. This was going to be a long day. ~Every time we talk, I get a headache.~ Harley giggled, as she leaned forward in an alluring manner. "Don''t worry, I''ll give you something for that headacheter. But only if you behave." I deadpanned. I might as well get this over with. ~Fine,~ I replied with a sigh. "Yay!" Harley cheered as she hugged me tightly, "Let''s go have some fun!" ------------------ The date Harley had nned, consisted for the most part of us ying in the arcade she herself had built within the Insurgence''s base, followed by some movies in the movie room she had also built. All and all, it was a lot milder than I imagined it would be, considering my past experiences with her, well, not her, but a version of her. The point is, I actually enjoyed myself a bit. "See? You had fun!" Harley said as we walked back to my room, "Told ya I could show you a good time!" ~Yes, it was...enjoyable,~ I admitted. "Aww, c''mere handsome!" Harley said as she threw her arms around me in a tight hug, "Gimme some love." I sighed, hugging her for a bit before breaking the hug. "Let''s watch another movie in my room," Harley smiled as she leaned to whisper something into my ear. "I have all the pirated movies in my room. I don''t want Batsy to add piracy to my list of crimes." I feel I''m being tricked into a lioness''s den. But I am kind of curious to see where this is leading. ~Fine,~ I relented. "Yay!" Harley cheered as she skipped ahead of me, "I''ll make some popcorn!" I sighed, following her into her room. Once inside, Harley immediately started setting up the movie while I looked around her room. Harley''s room was a lot different than I had envisioned it. It was...tidy. The walls were full of movie posters, and there were various pieces of art and knick-knacks around the room. It wasn''t what I expected from her, but in a way, I suppose it did suit her personality well. "What do you think?" Harley asked as she finished setting up the movie, "Do you like my room?" ~It''s...not what I expected,~ I replied honestly. "Oh? And what did you expect?" Harley asked as she popped the popcorn and brought it over to the couch, "A messy room full of junk?" ~Something like that,~ I replied. Harley giggled as she sat down next to me on the couch. "Nope! I''m not a messy person. I like things to be neat and tidy." I raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. "What?" Harley asked, "Is it so hard to believe that I can be neat and tidy?" ~No, it''s just...I don''t know, it doesn''t seem like something you would care about,~ I replied. "Oh? And why is that?" Harley asked. ~You just don''t seem like the type of person who would care about such things,~ I replied. Harley giggled. "I''m not as one-dimensional as you think I am." I shrugged. "Maybe." "Anyways," Harley said as she snuggled up against me, "Let''s watch the movie." Well, I''ll be damned, it seems I wasn''t tricked into anything other than a snuggle, which, again, considering the character, is a rather mild abuse of personal space. Experience speaks for itself. ------------------------------------------------- As the movie we were watching went on, Harley paused the film, saying she needed to go to the bathroom. I took the opportunity to inspect her room a bit more while she was gone, walking around, looking at some of the posters on her walls, and noticing that most of them were made by her if the signature at the bottom was anything to go by. "So, ready for that headache cure?" Harley said in a sultry voice. I turned around to see what she meant, only to find her bodycking any form of clothing, her breasts inches away from my face. I could feel the heat emanating from her body, the scent of her perfume, just as I could feel my heart racing as I stared at her naked body, lost in the moment. I could see her pulse racing in her neck and her chest heaving with anticipation. I could see wetness glistening in the light as droplets of excitement fell into the ground. I could see her erect clit pulsing as she writhed in expectation. A part of me knew that I should simply walk out, but another part of me wanted to reach out and touch her, to feel the softness of her skin. Harley must have sensed my thoughts because she took a step closer, pressing her breasts against my face, halting my breath. Her nipples were hard and swollen, begging for attention. Before I even knew it, I caved to my desires by taking one into my mouth and teasing it with my tongue. I could''ve just walked away. I could''ve done many things. But tonight, I chose to simply be. I needed a night with no rules. I deserved a night of recklessness, I was at the age of that, wasn''t I? Author note: Their rtionship is strictly physical, there''s no love, only carnal desire. Nothing more. Nothing less. Chapter 141: Chapter 141: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! Today is my Birthday! And you might be wondering, what do I want for a birthday present? Well stones, vote for me, vote like I''m a sexy streamer with unnaturally big personality! That and your best cat memes on this line. -------------- [David Lance POV] I had fucked with Harley. Not once. Not twice. Not thrice. But eleven times in a single night. I hadn''t nned it. I had seen iting, sure, but for the first time, I hadn''t been prepared for it, so it just sort of happened. One moment, we were watching a movie side by side on our so-called date, and suddenly she was there in front of me with that mischievous grin on her face. This time, I just couldn''t help myself. I caved. And I''m ashamed to admit; but I don''t regret it. It was an electric development. With each touch, sound, and feeling, a shock of pleasure would run through my body, igniting every nerve I had. Harley''s lips were soft and full, and her skin was warm, and to make her even more irresistible, she tasted like strawberries and cream. It was a memorable experience, one that probably shouldn''t happen, but I was d it had. Now, I had to deal with the consequences. If I knew Batman as well as I thought I did, it was safe to assume he had my DNA by now, thanks to Harley. --------------------- [Harley Quinn POV] I skipped on my feet towards Batsy''s office with a to-go cup of coffee in my hand and a smile on my face. Harley had scored babyyyyy, andpleted her mission at the same time, aren''t I just swell? "Harley," Batman said as he looked up from hisputer screen, giving me a tired look. "You look worse than usual," I said as I sat down on the edge of his desk, swinging my legs a little. "Tough night?" "Did you get the sample?" Batman asked,pletely ignoring my question. "Of course I did," I said, handing him a vial with the sample "I always deliver." "A strand of hair would have sufficed," Batman said as he took the vial from me. "But where''s the fun in that?" I asked, pouting a little. "Besides, you have your methods; I have mine." "Do you even know how old he is?" Batman asked, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "Old enough to kick my ass, old enough to tap it," I replied with a shrug, jumping off the desk. "Besides with all the stuff I have done, this might as well be considered shoplifting at best." "Have you figured out anything useful about him?" Batman asked, getting back to business. Boring!!! "Not yet," I lied. Sorry Batsy, Doctor-patient confidentiality. I might be crazy, but I still have some principles! "But I''m still working on it." "I need results, Harley," Batman said, his voice taking on a harder edge. "We don''t know who he is or what his goals are, he could be a threat." "I know, I know," I rolled my eyes, waving my hand dismissively as I did. "I''ll let you know as soon as I find out anything." And with that, I was out the door, leaving a very frustrated Batman behind. Then again, when isn''t he frustrated? He always is, Harley. Thanks, voice inside my head. ----------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] As Batman worked on whatever sample of DNA Harley had acquired for him, I decided to explore the base a little more to try and find anything that could give me some useful information about the Regime and the Insurgence. The first thing I noticed was that the base was very clean and well-organized, yet it paled inparison to any other base I had seen Batman having. The base only had the absolutely necessary and nothing more. No pictures, no personal effects, not even a nt. Be that as it may, the systems running in the cave looked almost foreign to me, as if they were alien in nature. The machines and gadgets lying around the cave were also unfamiliar to me, which made me think that maybe the Injustice world had better technology than my own world. I continued inspecting the base until the sound of footsteps caught my attention; someone wasing. Turning around, I saw a figure looming in the hallway, illuminated by the faint glow of the lights around. My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the woman before me. I hadn''t seen her, my version of her, in a while, not since that fateful night, not since rion had sent me here. The one standing in front of me was no other than my sister or a version of her. She looked different from the Dinah I knew, from my sister. She looked tired and wearier. But no matter how different she felt, there was no mistaking those bright blue eyes. This world had done nothing to dull the essence of who she truly was, but it had left clear scars deep within her. But as shocking as it was seeing my sister, the version of her in this ursed world, nothing couldpare to the mind-blowing shock as I stared at the baby in her arms. As she neared, step by step, I could feel my entire body tense as I fought the urge to hug her. It would be so easy to just hug her, even if she wasn''t my Dinah. That was all I wanted. To hug her, to ask about the infant in her arms. To hear her voice and the love, it would normally carry when speaking to me. But no matter how much I wanted to move, flee maybe, but before I knew it, she was already in front of me, looking at me with those tired blue eyes. That even though they were tired, they still managed to hold a look of determination, a look that said she would fight tooth and nail for the people she cared about. "Who are you?" Dinah asked, her voiceced with caution. I was about to answer when I felt something tugging at my heart, and before I knew it, words were alreadying out. ~Dav... ck Bolt. That''s my name.~ I had almost given her my name, her mere presence alone was shattering my walls like thin ice. "New to the insurgence, I suppose," Dinah said, her voice taking on a harder edge as she stared at me. "Where did youe from?" I was about to answer when I saw the baby in her arms squirming, and my sister''s grip on him tightened ever so slightly. I could see the love in her eyes as she stared at the infant, and it was here when my suspicions were confirmed. That baby. It was hers. In this world, she was a mother. Did that mean I was an uncle? My heart tightened at the thought as I stared at the baby in her arms. This child was the product of love, an innocent soul destined to exist in a world filled with pain and misery, a fate that he didn''t deserve at all. He deserved a chance to live, to be happy, to be free. But without even giving him a chance, all of that was taken away from him the moment he was born into this world. ~I came from Washington,~ I answered finally, grateful that my hands didn''t waver. ~And I''m here to help.~ Dinah looked at me for a moment. "Never seen a baby?" I shook my head, going with the flow. ~No.~ "He''s beautiful, isn''t he?" Dinah asked, her voice softening as she stared at the baby in her arms with a love that promised to be eversting, unyielding, unstoppable. I nodded. He was. Dinah smiled at me. "Wanna hold him?" As those words left her mouth, my heart started pounding in my chest, threatening to explode as I stared at the baby. He looked so small, so fragile. A part of her, a part of Oliver, a part of two of the people I loved the most. He wasn''t really theirs. Not from my world. But at the same time, it felt like it was theirs. How utterlyplicated it was to love, knowing you were loving something that didn''t belong to you. Dinah smiled, handing the baby to me without waiting for my answer. "His name is Conner." My heart skipped a few beats as I took him in my arms, holding him close as I felt his warmth. Internally I was panicking. One wrong move and I would hurt him, right? As I continued to look at the baby, I felt a lump form in my throat. "Canary," Batman''s voice rang out, causing me to jump slightly. I turned to see him standing there, looking at me with an expression that was unreadable. "Is everything alright?" Dinah nodded. "Just meeting the new guy." Batman''s eyes flickered to Conner for a moment before turning to Dinah. "I see." Dinah smiled at him, giving him a small shrug before she turned her attention back to me. "Can you take care of Conner for a bit? I need to talk with Batman. It won''t be for long." Take care of him?! I stared at her in disbelief as my heart started pounding in my chest. I didn''t know how to take care of a baby! I had no training, food, toys, OR DIAPERS! But even if I did, I should be aplete stranger; why was she trusting me!? As my mind exploded in a fit of panic, Dinah walked away, leaving me there with the baby. ------------------------------------------- [Batman - Injustice POV] As we entered my office, I turned to Dinah, giving her a look. "What was that about?" Dinah sighed, pausing for a bit before answering my question. "I don''t know how to exin it, but it just felt right. He kind of reminds me of Dad. Big eyes unable to hide the truth." I frowned; so she was allowing a possible threat to interact with her baby because of a hunch? I didn''t like the idea of leaving Conner with aplete stranger, no matter how trustworthy their eyes appeared to be. "I understand your concerns," Dinah continued as if reading my mind, "But I really don''t think he''s a threat." More than not, Dinah was never wrong when it came to these things. Perhaps this unknown was a possible ally, or at the very least, someone we could use to our advantage. "Very well," I relented. "Besides, look at him," Dinah said, her voice softening as she gazed at ck Bolt in the cameras, holding the baby. His entire bodynguage surprised me. He was ready to protect Conner at any given moment, a baby he had just met, and yet he was ready to shield him with his life if necessary. I narrowed my eyes. Something here wasn''t right, and I just couldn''t put my finger on it. The way he looked at Dinah. The way he looks at Conner. He''s disying clear emotional attachment. But why? He just met them. "Have you ever seen him in your life?" I asked, my voiceing out harsher than I intended. Dinah frowned at me, her eyes narrowing. "No, never." "Are you sure?" I pressed. Dinah sighed. "Pretty sure." If they truly didn''t know each other prior to today, then the answer to all of my questionsy in his emotional attachment to Dinah. Perhaps the tests I was running on his DNA would yield the answers I was looking for. Chapter 142: Chapter 142: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Unknown POV - Oa] Hal Jordan stands before the Guardians, pleadingly trying to make them see sense, his sense. In his heart, he knows that what Superman is doing is right, that he''s only trying to protect the. But the Guardians don''t see it that way. All they see is a man who has toppled governments and created super beings to make an army. They see a man who is out of control, a tyrant, and they''re not going to stand by and let him rule the. Hal knows that he''s fighting a losing battle, but he can''t just give up. He has to try, even if it means facing the Guardians'' wrath. "He allowed grief, anger, and fear to control him," One of the Guardians stated without missing a beat. "He became that which he swore to fight against." "Earth is better now!" Hal Jordan replied, but it was falling on deaf ears. "Superman made the a better ce. Under his rule, crime is almost gone, starvation is disappearing, viins are no longer a thing, he''s making a perfect world, a utopia." "A utopia born out of fear, it''s like a house of cards, unstable to the very base, and not a real house," Another Guardian replied. "Your attachment to Superman and the has made you blind, Hal Jordan. Be that as it may, your blindness will not change our judgment. Superman is a threat, one we cannot allow. The Green Lanterns will stop him, and that is final." "You are the ones who are blind!" Hal Jordan shouted in frustration, staring at the Guardians as his eyes slowly fixed on the horizon as he noticed every single Green Lantern returning to Oa. They were alling to Oa, and Hal knew why. The Guardians were about to start a war. Taking a deep breath, Hal felt a lump form in his throat. He had failed Superman. He hadn''t managed to stop the Guardians, he hadn''t managed to convince them that what the Regime was doing was for the better. As Hal processed this, Kilowog appeared, slowly walking towards Hal. His eyes staring at Hal as his brow is furrowed in a seemingly permanent scowl. He moves with the deliberateness of a warrior who knows his own strength and has no need to hurry. "I am to bring a squad to earth, and then we are to bring Superman to Oa to face justice," Kilowog states in a monotone voice, his eyes not leaving Hal''s. Hal freezes in ce, shock running through his body. "Do you think I will justy down and allow you to attack my?!" "Don''t be stupid, Jordan," Kilowog replied, his voice void of emotion. "You know as well as I do that you can''t stop all of us. You''re just one man. We are the Green Lantern Corps." At this, Hales to the realization he''s surrounded by several Green Lanterns, all of their power rings glowing, ready to fight. He''s outnumbered and outmatched. But that never stopped him before. Hal was nothing if not stubborn. So gathering all of his Will power, Hal sent out a massive st of energy around him, pushing out several Green Lanterns in the process before he took off to space at full speed, trying to get to Earth. He had to warn Superman, the Regime needed to prepare. However, before Hal can escape Oa, the Guardians put up a shield around the, effortlessly trapping Hal on Oa as the rest of the corp apprehends him, overwhelming him in a matter of seconds. Hal had failed. ---------------------------------------- [Hal Jordan POV] I stared into the wall of my cell. The cold, hard concrete steel being all I had to keep mepany. The Guardians had taken my ring, and as the seconds passed, they were moving their troops against Superman, the entire Corp. I had failed. I had sworn to protect Earth and its people. And yet here I was, locked up on Oa while the rest of the Green Lantern Corp went to war with my home. There had to be something I could do, some way to escape. As I tried toe up with an escape n, the door of my cell opened, revealing John Stewart standing on the other side. He stared at me for a few short moments before he spoke in a rough voice. "Here, take it. You''re gonna need it." Before I could question what he meant by that, John tossed me my Power Ring. The Ring immediately started to glow as its power enveloped me once more. "I''m with you and Superman," John said, his eyes hard. "Capturing you was an act." "An act?" I snorted. "You stood there as they beat me unconscious." "I''m a very convincing actor," John replied with a hint of humor. "I suppose," I smiled before turning my eyes to the horizon. "Let''s go; we have a lot of ground to cover. Earth needs us." And with that, John and I took off into the stars, heading towards Earth to warn Superman of the decision the Guardians hade to take. ----------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] The days went by without much happening. Besides me fighting the urge to hug Dinah every time I saw her, things were mostly okay. Batman seemed to trust me more, but with him, that never meant a thing. After all, if you trust nobody, no one can betray you, and that was the unspoken motto of Batman. Harley and I kept having our "dates". I had already made that mistake once. A few more times would not hurt anyone. Little Connor seemed to have taken a liking for me really fast. He was a good baby, almost never cried, he had Oliver''s smile and Dinah''s eyes. It was truly a sight to see. Other than that, I was still looking for a way out of this universe. As I continued sitting on my bed, lost in thought, a satellite image suddenly appeared on myputer screen from one of the alerts I had set. In the image, there was Superman standing tall and proud in his blue suit and red cape. And arrayed before him, there were at least a dozen Green Lanterns. This didn''t bode well. I know Superman destroyed the Green Lanterns in Injustice, but I didn''t know how. Thoseics were one of the few I never got to read. I had to tell Batman. Though knowing him, he probably already knew and was nning around the situation. As if on cue, myputer dinged, alerting me of an iing message. The message was from Batman himself, summoning me to the meeting room. Taking a deep breath, I quickly saved the image to myputer before making my way out of my room, quickly reaching the meeting room, where Dinah was sitting on a chair, holding Connor. On the opposite corner, there was Batman; his eyes fixed on theputer screen in front of him. Batman turned to look at me, his eyes cold and emotionless. "You said you weren''t our enemy." I nodded. "Then prove it," Batman said as he tossed me a file. I caught it mid-air and quickly scanned through its contents. It was a n to take down Superman, a strategy that included me in the equation. "This is your chance to earn my trust," Batman continued bluntly. "And this is our chance to end this once and for all." I gave the file another quick scan. There was no way he had made this n the moment Green Lanterns had arrived, meaning he had sessfully anticipated the Green Lanterns opposing Superman months before it happened. I originally wanted no part in this war. Not if I could help it. I just couldn''t risk my life without going back home. But... Now, I couldn''t walk away. This Dinah might not be my Dinah, just as Connor might not be my nephew, but that didn''t really matter to me. Not anymore. ~I will do my best,~ I nodded, giving Dinah and Connor a brief look as I turned around. The things I do for love. "You have one day to prepare. We must be ready for when the rest of the Lanternse," Batman said as I walked out of the room. Chapter 143: Chapter 143: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I went back to my room to study Batman''s strategy and my role in it. It seemed like Batman had not only predicted that the Green Lanterns would intervene at some point or another but that they would most likely fail in their first attempt to stop Superman because, like all others, they would underestimate him. And he was right. Pride was the bane of all downfalls. A curse, a blight of stupidity that made most people think that they were invulnerable, unmatched, making them bling, leading to the path of their downfall. But that was neither here nor there. What mattered right now was whether or not I could y the role I had been given. Much to my surprise, Batman had altered his ns beyond my wildest conjectures. After all, he didn''t trust me, so I expected to y a minor part in his n. However, I was wrong; from a strategic point of view, I was the key to this entire n, the lynchpin that everything rested on. This level of trusting from him was unanticipated, to say the least, meaning that he was either desperate enough to blindly trust a stranger. Or that he had figured out something about me that made him change his perspective of me. Then again, I guess there was always option C, which left me as the odd one out of the crew. Meaning I was the expendable one, the one that he was willing to sacrifice in order toplete the mission. I mulled over these possibilities as I analyzed everything that I knew about the current situation. The more I thought about it, the more I went over the n, the more I realized that there was a high chance that I would die in this uing battle, Kryptonian pills or not. The thought should have gged a response out of me, anger, concern, or perhaps fear, it should have made me second-guess my decision to help Batman and the Insurgence, but it didn''t. If anything, it had only solidified my resolve. Because even if I was truly expendable in Batman''s eyes, I had already made up my mind a few days ago that I would do whatever I could to stop Superman, no matter the cost. Be that as it may, I didn''t intend on dying, not unless is of old age. Raven would kill me if I died withouting back. I smiled, giving the file another look. To think I would meet two Batmans in a lifetime, both so alike, yet so different from one another. The Batman of my world would never sacrifice me as a pawn, but then again, he wasn''t in this Batman''s situation. War changes a man. Though, now that I think about it, his ns with the Light were eerily simr in nature to the ones this Batman had given me, as in I was in both ns an essential part of their sess but a part that would be in incredible danger. I guess the real difference here is that the Batman I know is one I consider a friend, a mentor. While this Batman is nothing but a stranger who I owe nothing to and who owes me nothing, quite a paradoxical conundrum. Taking a deep breath, I continued reading the n. Batman wanted me to fight the Regime alongside Dinah, nking their troops as the Green Lanterns corps faced them head-on taking most of their attention. However, Batman was no fool; he knew very well that our nking would eventually get Superman''s attention because of Dinah, who Superman wanted to capture in order to find and kill Batman. In this n. Dinah was the shining beacon. I was the sword. And the Green Lanterns were the shield. I was to battle Superman once he came for Dinah. Batman was truly a bastard, now that I think about it. There is no doubt in my heart that he knows I have feelings for Dinah, he might think they are romantic in nature, or perhaps he already figured out they are of a familiar character. Whatever the case may be, it''s painfully evident he''s using Dinah to ensure I y my part correctly. After all, abandoning my post would mean leaving Dinah to face Superman alone, or inyman''s terms, would leave her to face her death. Batman was simply leaving me with no escape here. He had seen his cards, and he was ying them all, cornering me into action. I wasn''t angry though, I didn''t like him, nor I saw myself liking him anytime soon, but I could understand why Batman hade to the conclusion he needed to use an emotional pull to reach his goal; after all, the man was nothing if not a pragmatist. One willing to do whatever it takes to win, no matter how ruthless or underhanded it may be. Be that as it may, it infuriated me he was being so unbelievably idiotic. Sure, whatever his current idea of me was, and how he applied said idea to pull my strings into action was correct, but what if it wasn''t? What if he made an error of judgment when profiling me? He was risking Dinah on unknowns, and that angered me beyondprehension. I didn''t care this Dinah wasn''t my sister, it was still her in a way, and I just couldn''t stop caring. I sighed, closing the file, as I turned to myputer to check the satellite data I had stored of the fight between Superman and the Green Lantern special team. By now, the battle should have ended with Superman as the winner, but I wanted to see how it had yed out. If I was to face him and seed in the process, I wanted to gather as much intel as I could before jumping into the most dangerous battle of my life. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the y button and started watching how their battle had unfolded. ---------------- "Superman, The Guardians want to talk to you in Oa," Kilowog said as Superman hovered in front of him. Behind Superman, Shazam and Hawkgirl stood, acting as bodyguards, I suppose. On another note, were they really asking Superman to surrender? I mean. Has that ever worked on anyone before? "Cyborg," Superman said, ignoring Kilowog as he touched his ear, probably activating amunicator, his eyes never leaving the Green Lanterns in front of him. For a second or two after Superman had spoken, nothing happened, leaving nothing but what appeared to be a standoff between the two groups. However, even from myputer, I could tell there was an eerie feeling in the air. Momentster, that feeling was vindicated as a massive beam of red light sted the entire area. The light was so bright that it felt like looking into the sun. Burning through everything in its path. The attack created an explosion so powerful that it destroyed miles of terrain around its center, leaving nothing but charred remains. Superman had attacked them with a space-to-groundser, a powerful one at that. But as powerful as this attack had been, when the smoke cleared out, the Green Lanterns stood, seemingly unharmed. It was honestly impressive. I had my doubts the Green Lanterns of my universe could take that hit and survive to tell the tale, but I wasn''t sure as I had never seen them in action, other than some files Batman had, and well, nothing worth mentioning there. "So be it," Kilowog spat as he looked up at Superman before he and his team sted off towards Superman, all of them creating light constructs to fight the Kryptonian tyrant. However, no matter how much they tried to hit Superman, he just kept on dodging. Until eventually, he spoke. "This is stupid," Superman scoffed, effortlessly locking Kilowog in a headlock. "You can''t touch me with a thought-based weapon; I move faster than thought." Kilowog grinned in response. "Then it''s a good thing we already thought of that." Before I could wonder what Kilowog had meant by that, Superman reeled back in pain, releasing Kilowog as he fell to the ground. Above him, the smallest Green Lantern stood, arms on his sides, as he stared down at him. At first, I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but without a doubt, what appeared on my screen was a flying squirrel, a Green Lantern squirrel. At least three times bigger than an earth squirrel, but a squirrel still. "You move and think faster than most, Kryptonian," The Squirrel spoke in a deep, menacing voice, once again kicking me out of the loop. The Squirrel sounded like fucking Madara from the English dub; I honestly did not expect that. "Unfortunately for you, I happen to think faster than you. Fast enough to stop the synapses in your brain with my power ring. Meaning you lost the moment we arrived. It''s always the same with you all-powerful types. You''re used to big thingsing at you so much that you don''t consider the small things. Sure. I''m small. But I can also think very small and VERY fast." On the ground, Superman could only re at the tiny creature with burning hatred, his body frozen in pain as he tried in vain to fight back. "Ch''p, can you keep Superman''s brain out of action until they get back to Oa?" Kilowog asked, looking as his otherpanions carried Shazam and Hawkgirl with light constructs, showing they had been quickly subdued soon after Superman had fallen to the ground. So the Squirrel''s name is Ch''p. "Not to worry, Kilowog, I can easily keep the Kryptonian out ofmission on our trip back. In fact, I will even promise not to permanently damage his brain," Ch''p replied, his voice carrying unyielding confidence, when all of a sudden, his head is pierced by a yellow de construct, killing him to the horror of his fellow Lanterns. His murderer is quickly revealed to be Sinestro. "We can''t have that, now, can we?" Sinestro said with a small smile on his face. I sighed. Turning the PC off, it was obvious what the oue would be now. What''s worse is that I learned nearly nothing about Superman. The battle had ended in a matter of moments, two times, leaving nothing to learn besides the fact that overconfidence is the downfall most face. Chapter 144: Chapter 144: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The days passed without any events or signs of anying. The timeframe Batman had given me to learn about the n being a clear exaggeration or not, better to be prepared before something happens way before it happens than to not be prepared at all. By now, I had fully memorized every step of the n, even the parts I didn''t have to y or help with. But I had done all that days ago. Right now, I was training. To better increase my odds against Superman. I had to take 5-U-93-R in order to level the ying field to eptable terms. However, I was still inexperienced when it came to using the power boost these pills brought. I needed to feel fullyfortable with said power boost in order to use the power efficiently. And to do that, I was training. Besides that, I was thinking of a way to deal with Superman''s flight ability. Because even if the 5-U-93-R pill leveled the field from a purely physical point of view, it would do nothing if Superman decided to make the fight an airborne one. Then again, if everything yed out well, just like Batman was nning, there would be no need to make countermeasures for his flying ability. Be that as it may, I was a fierce believer in the saying that says that no n ever survives contact with the enemy. It is how one reacts to the unexpected that decides if one seeds. "ck Bolt," Batman''s voice snapped me out of my train of thought. Wiping the sweat off my forehead, I turned around to face the Dark Knight, giving him a nod to continue with whatever he wanted to say. "How''s the training going?" Batman asked, looking around the area I was using for training. ~Good enough,~ I replied. So far, I had gotten used to the boost of strength the pill gave, but I was still struggling with the massive increase in speed, both physically and mentally. Though, to be fair, the mental part wasing along well all things considered, maybe because those things usuallye naturally. ~I''m still adapting to the increase in speed, so I''ve been running all day, basically.~ "Good," Batman nodded before falling into silence, his body tensing a bit in lingering pain from the wound Superman had left on his back thest time they faced each other. For a few moments, I waited for him to continue, but when it became clear that he had nothing else to say, I decided to ask a question that had been bugging me for some time now. ~In your n. It''s clear you want to capture Superman. Instead of killing him, why show mercy?~ I had expected Batman to give me one of his usually cryptic replies, but instead, he answered my question with a simple and straightforward answer. "Because if we kill him, we''re no better than him." I paused for a second, contemting his words. ~Don''t think of my question as an intent to actually try and kill Superman, but I went through some of your files. And in most of the encounters you had against the Regime, you have lost allies. And I thought, at a certain point, who''s the one really killing them?~ Batman red at me, his jaw clenched in anger. "You hacked into myputers?! And now use me of killing my allies?!" he growled. I stared back at him, unfazed by his disy of anger. ~I can''t really judge or use you of anything, nor am I interested in doing so. I don''t know what you''ve been through. I don''t know the weight you are carrying every day, so I can''t fullyprehend most of your actions. But that''s neither here nor there; my question was when is taking a life better than sacrificing one?~ "Your curiosity over morality and philosophy doesn''t give you the right to pry into the Insurgency files!" Batman snapped, taking a step towards me in anger. I smiled at him, a calm, empty smile. ~Don''t talk about morality with me. You''re the one using one of your friends to manipte me, well, two, if you count Harley collecting DNA samples for you every night.~ Batman''s anger turned into a look of surprise at my words before he went back to his usual mask of control. "You are an unknown. A threat. And until proven otherwise, I will continue to treat you as such; therefore, information is key." I shrugged. ~Feel free to keep investigating all you want. I won''t hurt you or anyone if I can help it, but I also don''t crave your approval. I will simply do what I must because that''s who I am.~ Batman remained silent for a few moments before he replied. "Think whatever you want. But know that if you ever overstep your boundaries again, I will not hesitate to take you down." I met his gaze, my eyes hard. ~Instead of making new enemies, how about you take down the ones you already have?~ Batman''s eyes narrowed at my words before he turned around and started walking away, his cape flowing behind him in the wind. I watched him until he disappeared from sight before I turned back to my training. --------------------------------------------------------------- Two days after my talk with Batman in the training room. Batman summoned everyone to the base early in the morning, even members of the Insurgency I had yet to meet, like Zatara and Catwoman. Once everyone had gathered, he informed us that the time hade and that this would be thest chance the Insurgency would ever have to stop Superman. He also advised us to take the little time we had before everything started to say our goodbyes, to family, to friends, to partners, to their children, their wives, and their husbands. "Well, ain''t that a pessimistic way to look at things?" Harley said, crossing her arms over her chest before she let out a giggle. "That''s Batsy for ya. Anywho, goodbye, Bolt!" I turned to Harley, giving her a look that said, really? "What? I was just doing what Batsy said. Now that I''m a hero, I must act in an overly serious manner," Harley replied, imitating Batman''s voice. "I brood, in the darkness, because the day is too bright to brood, but even then, I brood in a dark room." At times like this, I wish I could let out a hyena-like cackle because that joke was top-notch. ~Well, I''m off to... for the time toe. Good luck saying all of your goodbyes,~ I signed before turning around and walking toward my room. However, before I could take more than two steps, Harley stopped me. "You could do that, very fun and all, or I could make you somepany," Harley said with a wink. I considered her offer for a few seconds. Even after all the training I put myself through; surviving was still not a guarantee. I might as well enjoy what could be myst moments while having some fun. ~Alright then, Harley Quinn,~I replied with a nod before leading the way to my room. Harley happily bouncing and skipping behind me. --------------------------------------------------------------- [A few hourster.] A few hours of funter, the time had finallye, well, not only the time hade... but enough about jokes. Having done what we all set out to do after Batman summoned us early in the morning, we all gathered in the main room of the base, fully equipped and ready for battle. Batman walked up to the center of the room; his eyes scanned over everyone before he started to speak. "This is it. The final battle against Superman. We all know what''s at stake here. We can''t fail." I cracked my neck from side to side. "I have no doubt that each and every one of you will give it your all out there," Batman continued, giving everyone a look. "Now let''s go stop the Regime, once and for all." With that said, Batman led the way out of the base, with all of us following close behind. As we exited the base, breaking into groups as per the n, as I walked onto the surface, I couldn''t help but notice how the sky was darker than usual, almost as if it was preparing for a storm. "Are you ready for this?" Dinah asked as we walked away from the others to reach our method of transportation. I looked at her and, with a heavy heart, nodded. "Well, one of us had to because I''m not," Dinah said with a nervousugh before she opened the door to the vehicle, a truck. Once we were both in and buckled, Dinah started the car. "I guess that''s part of being a mom, maybe." I nodded. ~I heard someone say that the moment you have a kid, your life is no longer yours. It belongs to someone else as well.~ Dinah chuckled. "Oh, ain''t that the truth." With nothing more to say, Dinah started driving. The drive was a silent one. Not much to talk about when you are about to risk it all, literally. In our own way, we both knew that this could be thest time we saw each other alive, and that made the situation all the more bittersweet. I would ensure she survived. The destiny of this world didn''t have the right to leave Connor alone in this ursed world. Sister or not, I vow to ensure her return. Chapter 145: Chapter 145: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As Dinah drove to our destination, where one Batwing would be waiting for us, I hacked into the satellite sight to see what was happening up there. On disy on myputer screen, I saw battle unfold in a violent crash of lights, the Green Lantern Corps Vs. The Yellow Lantern Corps, who were aiding Superman. The Green Lanterns had even brought a to fight, a whole. As the seconds went by, I could see the battle stretching up thinner and thinner. It was clear that Superman and the Yellow Lanterns wanted to break the Green Lanterns'' formation by bringing them into the earth, where they would be forced to hold back in order not to hurt any humans. They knew that most Green Lanterns would not fight back if that meant hurting others, even if the one hurting the innocent wasn''t directly them. The situation wasn''t looking all that well so far. "We have arrived," Dinah said as she parked the car. I nodded, jumping out of the car as I followed Dinah to the Batwing. The time hade to face Superman. Even with all this preparation, I still felt my heart heavy and a lump forming in my throat with each step I took as I approached the Batwing. Quickly enough, we both got into the Jet and took off. Our destination now was Superman. Which, ording to satellite data, would take us less than a minute to reach. --------------------------- [Unknown POV - On Earth] Hal Jordan had always prided himself on being a man without fear. But in the face of uncertainty and defeat, even the bravest man can falter. When Sinestro offered him a yellow ring as he was about to plummet to his death, Hal didn''t hesitate to put it on. Now. The man that once fought Sinestro now stood by his side as his ally, facing the one he used to admire, Ganthet, and the one he used to call his friend, Guy Gardner. "Such a disappointment," Ganthet said after giving Hal a brief look that ended up over Sinestro. "You two were both terrible mistakes." With that said, the old guardian turned around to face Guy, telling him. "It''s time to leave, Guy, there is someone more important than these two." "THERE IS NO ONE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ME!!" Sinestro screamed at Ganthet as he and a few of his Yellow Lanterns rushed at Ganthet. Barely acknowledging Sinestro, Ganthet turned around, and with a dismissive flick of his hand, he disintegrated all of the Yellow Lanterns in front of him with a powerful st of Will Power, leaving only Sinestro and Hal, both barely standing. "You are a speck in history, Sinestro, and so are you, Hal," Ganthet said calmly as he began to walk away. "The universe will forget you two ever existed. You two are not worth any more of my time." With that said, Ganthet sted into space with Guy at unforeseeable speeds, leaving behind Sinestro and Hal without anything to say. They knew Ganthet was simply too strong for them to stop. Then, before they could process what had happened, a massive beam of Will Power sted Superman back into Earth from space with enormous strength and power of which Superman had never seen before, illuminating the sky with a green powerful hue. Followed by Superman''s seemingly unconscious body free falling into the. -------------------------- [David Lance POV] As we neared our destination, the entire sky was suddenly painted in a green hue thatsted a whole second, revealing soon after the body of Superman falling from the sky, his body limp showing he was seemingly unconscious. Dinah, seeing this, quickly reacted and, at full speed, flew toward Superman''s falling body sting at him with the Batwing''s missiles, taking advantage of this opportunity that had presented itself. But all this did was wake Superman from his short-lived slumber as he turned around to face the Batwing. Thanks to the pill that I had taken the moment I had gotten into the Batwing, I could see from afar that Superman''s eyes were turning red as he red ahead, meaning he was about to destroy the Batwing with a st of his heat vision. Seeing this, I quickly grabbed Dinah before jumping out of the Batwing as Superman fired his heat vision at the Batwing, destroying it instantly with a powerful explosion, with said explosion sending both Dinah and I plummeting out of control. Taking my hand, Dinah moved her body around, stabilizing our fall before activating her jetpack glider, flying the both of us toward Superman, who by some miracle was somehow unaware of us approaching him. Maybe whoever had attacked him in space had left him stunned. Focusing on the battle, I swung off Dinah''s arm, catapulting myself toward Superman, grabbing him by the suit, where I proceeded to speak right up his face. "Enough." In an instant, Superman was sted into the earth at a blinding speed as my power destroyed almost the entire desert ground we had been flying over, leaving everything as far as the eye could see in a scorched and ckened state, with Superman lying in the middle of it all. It was almost as if the sun had descended from the sky and incinerated everything in its path. From that distance. My attack should''ve done some significantsting damage to Superman. No matter how strong he was, the inside of his ears were bound to be several times weaker than the rest of his body, regardless of how tough everything else is. Be that as it may, I would not lower my guard. Not for a single moment. -------------------------------------------------------------- [Superman - Kal-El - Injustice POV] As I pushed myself back to my feet, the world around me was nothing but a blur of light and sound. I could barely make out the two figures of those who had attacked me as they fell into the ground. Angered beyond measure, I tried to move, but with each step, I found myself struggling to not fall, as if walking was now a Herculean feat. It was as if the very air around me was pressing down on me. The pain in my ears was unbearable, unlike anything I had ever experienced. It felt as though his head was being split open, first Ganthet and then that mysterious man. If Ganthet hadn''t attacked me, I would''ve dodged that attack, killing that pest before he could understand the gravity of his mistake. And even if I hadn''t been able to dodge it for any reason. The attack would''ve done considerably less damage. I needed time to recover. A few moments without interruption would do, giving the sunlight enough time to heal my wounds. ------------- [Sinestro - Injustice POV] One moment the green light of Ganthet''s willpower had struck Superman down back to earth, when all of a sudden, the earth trembled under a new attack that sted Superman into the ground, devastating the entire desert without measure. The attack had destroyed everything in its path, leaving behind only destruction. As strong as the Kryptonian was, I had my doubts he could take many of those hits before perishing. If I wanted my revenge against the Guardians, I would need to lend him a hand. Be that as it may, I would not risk my neck against an unknown with such destructive power without some recon. I would let my newest Yellow Lantern do that for me. Once he had the threat upied, I woulde in and save the Kryptonian, gaining his favor. "Hal, Superman needs our help!" I stated, giving Hal a look of feigned concern. "You need to help him! In the meantime, I will try to keep Ganthet upied!" Nodding, Hal Jordan took off into the air, flying toward Superman''s location at full speed. I smiled as I watched him go. Good. If I yed my cards right, Hal Jordan could be the perfect tool. He was a fool, but a powerful one, that much I could admit. All I needed to secure this opportunity was to move a few pieces here and there, and I would ensure that he remained, well, yellow. Chapter 146: Chapter 146: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV ] As Inded on the ground creating a crater uponnding, a sh of light shining a yellow hue in the distance caught my attention, and it seemed like it was approaching our location, and it was doing so very fast. There was no doubt in my mind that whoever was approaching was Yellow Lantern. Inwardly cursing. Taking a tenth of a second to think, I dissected the situation as fast as I could. If I fought the Yellow Lantern, there was a big chance Superman would recover during that time. If I ignored the Yellow Lantern and went toward Superman instead to try and finish the job. Then Dinah would have to face the Yellow Lantern by herself. And then, there was option C, letting Dinah deal with the weakened Superman while I dealt with the Yellow Lantern. The Kryptonite bullet in her possession that Batman gave her should be more than enough to deal with Superman in the state he was in. No matter what I picked, Dinah would be in danger, regardless of my intervention. I had to pick the best possible choice. And that was leaving her to deal with Superman, as much as the idea sickened me. Because as much as I wanted to deal with Superman myself in order to ensure Dinah stayed safe, I knew that fighting a Yellow Lantern in possibly perfect condition would be harder for her. Besides, she was already flying toward him, and she had no Kryptonite for a Yellow Lantern. Having taken my decision, I pressed hard on my feet and charged at full speed at the Yellow Lantern, who, as I approached, revealed himself to be no other than Hal Jordan. Thetter, having seen mee, had already been in a defensive stance, creating a protective yellow ball around him, which allowed him a sliver of time to block my first attack, the ball cracking a bit under my fist. Pushing my advance, I struck the yellow construct defending Hal two times before it shattered, much to Hal''s surprise. However, before I could deliver a clean hit, Hal had already created another defensive construct, blocking my attacks. Giving no openings, I continued the assault, whispering at Hal. "Leave." The whisper weakened his construct, enabling me to shatter it in the following hit. Taking this opportunity, I threw a hard punch at his jaw, putting all of my weight and strength into it. The blow knocked Hal''s head to one side as I pummeled him into the ground, giving him no rest; I followed that up with a right, a left, and an elbow to the face before kicking him into the air, where I once again whispered, sting him into the air. I knew I could probably win battle a whole lot faster if I just spoke at him instead of whispering, but if the attack I had thrown at Superman was anything to go by, there was no guarantee the would stand more than one of those. And this didn''t mean that if I spoke, the would blow up, but that the damage I would do by permanently altering the tectonic tes of the earth with my power could start a few natural disasters in a domino-like chain, like massive earthquakes, tsunamis, stuff like that. "I will not allow you to attack my!" Hal screamed in anger, bleeding from his nose and mouth as he created another construct, this one in the shape of arge hammer, before he immediately started to attack me with it. Following my heightened senses and the tingling of my danger sense, I easily weaved through his assault before quickly closing the distance between us, delivering a kick to the stomach that sent him flying backward, where I followed up with a left hook that broke his jaw, ending the chain of attacks with another whisper. But Hal didn''t give up and pushed through the pain, sting at me with a massive beam carrying the full might of the power of fear before mming one of his constructs on my face, drawing blood. Dodging his next attack, I grabbed his construct before pulling him towards me and punching him in the face with all my strength, which caused a few of his teeth to fly out of his mouth. Then, grabbing him by the arm, I took a step forward and mmed him into the ground creating a crater. Seeing there was still some fight in him as his ring was beginning to glow, I stomped down hard on his power ring hand, feeling his bones crunch under my boot. He screamed out in pain, but I didn''t let up. I just kept stomping until the yellow glow of the ring stopped, and Hal fell unconscious. I knew I had been a bit too cruel with him. Just as I also knew he would heal, given time, thanks to the power ring. Time to help Dinah. [This fightsted 1 minute in real time.] ------------ [Dinah Lance POV] As ck Bolt intercepted the uing threat, I pushed forward toward Superman with my glider, with thetter struggling to not fall down, and honestly, it was surprising he was even standing to begin with, after all, ck Bolt''s attack had been immensely devastating. "You won''t take me down!" Superman said through gritted teeth, his eyes glowing red as unleashed a powerful heat vision attack in my general direction that I managed to dodge easily because his equilibrium was so out of whack he couldn''t aim. Taking my chance, I took my gun out and shot at him with the kryptonite bullet Batman had given me, which immediately dropped Superman on the ground as soon as it pierced his skin. Then, I rushed at him, delivering a solid kick, putting him on his back. I could feel the victory swelling up inside of me as I approached him. "After everything you''ve done, Bruce still asked for mercy for you." -------------- [Superman - Kal-El - Injustice POV] As Iy on the ground, unable to move thanks to my injuries and the Kryptonite enhancing them, I couldn''t help but be in total disbelief. Never in a million years did I think that I would find myself in this situation. How could this have happened? Just moments ago, I was certain of my victory. Now, I was lying on the ground, surrounded by nothing. "After everything you''ve done, Bruce still asked for mercy for you." Mercy. He dares to talk about Mercy?! Killing the Joker would''ve been merciful; all of these viins, we allowed them to remain, to kill, to terrorize, for what?! Where was his mercy when the people of his city kept dying under the schemes of the Joker?! This world didn''t need the heroes we used to be. This world needed heroes capable of inflicting fear and terror in the heart of those seeking to disturb the peace. I will be that. "If you ask me, you don''t deserve his mercy," Dinah continued as she approached me. When all of a sudden, I saw a yellow power ring flying toward me. At first, I was confused but immediately realized this was my chance to turn this situation around, so I extended my hand as the ring slipped onto my finger before a message yed out. [+---- KAL-EL OF THE PLANET KRYPTON. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO INSTILL GREAT FEAR! YOU BELONG TO THE YELLOW LANTERN CORPS!----+] "No!" Dinah screamed as I pulled the Kryptonite bullet out of my chest with my body before standing up, the pain no longer registering to me as I towered over her. "You should''ve just killed me when you had the chance," I said in a dark and twisted voice. Then without wasting a moment, I fired a st of heat vision right through her chest, now being able to aim thanks to the ring. As she copsed to the ground, I clenched my fist as the power ring changed my attire to one of golden glow. "I might have failed in n A, but n B was a sess," Dinah muttered, floodinging out of her mouth as she pointed at her eyes. "I broadcasted all of this to the entire world. Special contact lenses. Everything I saw, the world saw, everyone saw the real you." I gritted my teeth in anger. If they wanted a monster, I would give them one! ----------------------------------- [David Lance POV] By the time I reached Dinah''s general location, a sh of yellow light had disappeared into the sky, with the point of origin being where Dinah should be. Seeing that, worry erupted in my chest as my heart sank. Pushing forward at full speed, I found myself face to face with an image I had never wanted to see, the image of Dinah''s dying, bleeding body on the ground with two holes in her chest. I rushed to her side. Having a meltdown. No, no, no! This couldn''t be happening! Not Dinah! "Hi, Bolt," Dinah muttered, coughing up blood as she tried to give me a smile. ~Hang on, Dinah! I''ll get you some help!~ I signed, my hands trembling as I tried to pick her up, only for her to stop me. "No, it''s toote for that," Dinah said with a sad smile as she slowly reached up to touch my face. "You really look like my father. Did I ever mention that before?" I shook my head, trying and failing to hold back the tears as I frantically signed, ~Don''t talk. Just hold on. I will fix this, and you''ll be okay!~ I just needed to stop the bleeding, and everything would improve from there. I knew it. I... I k... I knew it! "Don''t let Connor get into this war, and tell him I loved him with all my heart," Dinah said as her hand fell from my face as her body went limp. I stood in silence for what felt like forever as I just stared at Dinah''s lifeless body with a feeling of emptiness in my heart, trying to tell myself this wasn''t my Dinah in an attempt to soften the blow. Then, I let out a silent but sorrowful cry into the sky, without a care of who my powers destroyed in the process, the clouds breaking as I copsed to my knees, clutching Dinah''s body close to mine in grief. He had done this. He had brought this world toplete chaos. He had killed her! HE HAD KILLED HER! He would pay for what he did; I would make sure of it. I WOULD KILL HIM FOR WHAT HE DID. I didn''t care anymore. No matter the price. No matter the sacrifice. I wanted to kill him. As Iy on the ground, Dinah''s dead body by my side and my heart consumed by rage and grief. A red sh of light came into view, a red power ring appeared. It hovered in the air for a moment before a message yed out. [////- DAVID LANCE OF THE PLANET #%~<>. YOU HAVE GREAT RAGE IN YOUR HEART!!!! YOU BELONG TO THE RED LANTERN CORPS!!!////] This. This was my chance to make him pay. Extending my right hand, I waited for a moment before the ring slipped onto my finger. Then a feeling unlike anything I had ever felt before, invaded my entire body. A searing, white-hot pain that seemed to pierce through my very soul. I could barely think, let alone move. All I could do was lie there in agony as the ring continued whatever it was doing. Every breath felt like a thousand knives stabbing into my chest. Wave after wave of unending pain. I don''t know how long it hadsted so far or how long it wouldst this pain, and the thing was, I didn''t care as long as it helped me destroy Superman. Chapter 147: Chapter 147: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I knew as the ring changed my body to a mass of seething anger and hatred that I would never be the same. I knew in my short moments of rity. Of reflection. That I was probably making a mistake by taking this power without a second thought. I tried to keep my rage caged; I tried, I really did, but I just couldn''t control it. And as the power came to bear within me alongside the unbearable pain, I found myself caring less and less about such thoughts, about such a fragile morality of ideas. Rage. Was intoxicating. A curse that numbs all sensations, leaving a monster that wants no escape from its situation. But even in pain, both physical and emotional, I stood still, not daring to utter a word. I would not sully Dinah''s body by my patheticments of weakness; I would instead honor her with the corpse of her murderer. So, in her honor, I remained in ce, taking my punishment as the crimson shine of eversting rage continued to consume me, melting my heart into nothing, recing my blood and heart with a flow of scarlet hatred, finalizing my transformation. I looked up at the sky. The battle was still raging on. I stared at the sky for a moment before raising my fists above my head as a sickly red aura appeared around me, covering the ground with red. The crimson aura extended at least a few hundred meters in every direction, getting the attention of a few above me. Without wasting another second, I sted out into space, ignoring everyone as I took flight directly to Superman, who was dealing with what appeared to be a dwarf, no... a Guardian of the Universe? No matter. "A redntern?" Ganthet muttered. "Who are you supposed to be?" Superman asked, his clothes yellow as he emanated the power of fear. "YOUR END!" A powerful force ripped through space, shattering anything in its way, Green Lanterns, Yellow Lanterns, and the very fabric of space as well, sting Superman back in surprise. He had forgotten about me already. I would make him remember. "You are letting your anger control you," Ganthet said, trying to reason with me. "His life is mine to take. I won''t be denied of my vengeance," I replied, using my power ring to reply at the Guardian. "Leave, or blow yourself up. Either way, I don''t care." With that said, I sted toward Superman, who hadnded on Pluto. "I remember you," Superman said, getting up from the ground as I reached Pluto. "Even with all of this power, your voice still hurts. Be that as it may, with the power I wield now, you won''t be able to defeat me." "Enough prattle!" I roared at him, destroying Pluto in a single strike, as Superman flew out of the, escaping my voice. Seeing this, I sted toward him at full speed, reaching him in a fraction of a moment, where I tried to strike him with all my strength using my right fist. Superman, however, took a step back, easily dodging my attack. Growling, I turned as quickly as I could, trying to deliver a kick to his face. However, once again, Superman slipped under my attack, this time sting me with a beam of yellow that sent me to Jupiter in an instant. "I meant to kill you with that attack," Superman noted as he flew over me. "That attack would''ve killed Ganthet. This shows how much of a treat you really are." "Shut it!" I screamed or tried to because before I could even open my mouth, I was pushed back with intense strength, cashing a violent right hook on my face, followed by a knee to the stomach, a kick to the chin, a blow on his head, and a new kick, each and every single strike chained instantly one after the other. I was losing. I REFUSE TO LOSE! NOT TO HIM! I DON''T CARE WHAT I HAVE TO GIVE. AS LONG AS HE DIES! Suddenly, as if waking up from a trance, I pushed forward through a newfound power, headbutting Superman as I grabbed him by the wrists, where I proceeded to deliver several knee blows at the Kryptonian. ------------------------------------------------------------- [Superman - Kal El - Injustice POV] When was thest time I had felt such pain? The answer to that was. Twice today. Both at his hands. With this power I had now, I should be unstoppable, a God amongst Gods. Doomsday, even Darkseid, would pose no threats to me as I was right now, but somehow, with each strike this kid delivered, I found myself breathless! How could this be?! I had the fear of an entire on my side, above the powers I had been bestowed at birth. How could the fear of billions struggle against the anger of one man?! "DIE!" He screamed, right at my face as he had already done once. Immediately after, I was thrown around space so hard that by the time I hade to a stop, I had crossed halfway through the Milkyway. I had to kill him before he actually became more powerful than me. --------------------- [David Lance POV] I would show Superman a strength that just can''t be defied. He would hear my roar and know I am alive and that his life is mine to take. I would stop at nothing; I would show him that MY RAGE WAS INVINCIBLE! That as long as my hatred burned bright in my heart, nothing was beyond my control!!! [Ring battery at 95%... 103%.... 104%... 120%....] "COME KAL-EL! I''M NOT DONE TEARING YOU APART!" I roared, destroying a few stars ands around me. I could feel my body boil, I could feel the hatred coursing through my veins, and the pleasure it was giving me to fight the object of such emotions. I will avenge you, Dinah. Soon. Soon... Just wait, sister. I will send him to hell in your name. [Ring battery at 157%...] Chapter 148: Chapter 148: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Unknown POV] ck Bolt roared into the empty space, the power of his ring increasing as he readied himself for battle, as Superman flew toward him. "This fight has gone long enough," The Kryptonian said, his arms crossed. "I won''t humor your little tantrum any longer." ck Bolt gritted his teeth in ever-blinding rage, feeling the power of his ring pulsing through him, ready to tear Superman apart. Without a word, the Kryptonian rushed at David through the emptiness of space, rearing back for his first strike, but in a stunning move, ck Bolt turned his body slightly and managed to grab the Kryptonian''s wrist. With the power of the Yellow Ring Superman now held, such a thing should''ve been pointless, especially because of the sources of power backing their individual rings, the fear of billions for Superman, and the anger of a single man, for ck Bolt. Superman knew this, and so he knew he should have been able to free himself with a simple flick because, unlike the first few moments of his battle with ck Bolt, he was using more power. However, when the Kryptonian tried to free himself, it didn''t go as he''d imagined. He felt more resistance than he would imagine possible; as the two struggled in ce. Suddenly, ck Bolt''s grip on Superman''s wrist loosened as with his other hand; he created a sword of shining red, a de of pure rage. Pushing himself backward, the Kryptonian avoided the first swipe. The crimson de sliced into the empty space, cutting a moon that was a million miles behind Superman. Seeing the object of his hate had dodged, ck Bolt chased after him, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. There, ck Bolt swung his crimson construct back and forth, shing and swiping, with each strike growing in strength and speed. Though surprised, Superman was able to dodge each swipe. However the Kryptonian was noticing each swipe was getting closer to hit home, and it would be only a matter of time before he wouldn''t be able to dodge any more. His enemy was growing stronger. Too strong. Dodging onest time, Supermanunched a powerful beam of pure fear at ck Bolt, the close range making it ten times more effective. Seeing this, ck Bolt only had time to cross his arms in front of him defensively, using the power of his ring to shield himself as the st struck him. The st was so powerful that its detonation shrouded the entire upper side of the gxy in a shine of yellow, destroying several uninhabiteds. However, amidst the cosmic debris, ck Bolt stood, barely scratched, as he stared into Superman in pure hatred. For the Kryptonian, this didn''t make any sense. None of this made any sense, he knew he had the power to destroy this threat that stood in front of him, but as hard as he tried, his enemy remained, determined to waste his time. As Superman pondered in silence, ck Bolt rushed at him, ready to end him. However, much to his dislike, the Kryptonian ducked just in time to avoid the fatal blow before kicking him away. "ENOUGH!" ck Bolt roared, sting Superman away as he readied himself to shoot a beam of concentrated rage at the Kryptonian. Superman, realizing this, did the same. Then, as the two stared into each other, they released their attacks, the two beams of red and yellow meeting in the center of the two with a mighty rumble, each struggling to ovee the other. Suddenly, the ball of conflicting energy at the epicenter expanded and detonated, hurling both of them in opposite directions. "If this continues, I will lose," Superman admitted under his breath as ck Bolt rushed at him, his power continuously growing under his rage. Superman had wanted to end this battle without using too much power from his ring. Otherwise, he wasn''t sure he would be able to defeat all of the Green Lanterns corps. But if he continued fighting like he was, he knew it was a matter of time before the rage of that manpletely overpowered the fear of his ring. Ganthet had required minimal effort from him, but this guy? He was pushing more and more into a corner. Taking a deep breath, Superman aimed at ck Bolt with his ring, releasing a beam of fear so powerful that it caused the entire area around them to ripple and distort. Pushing ck Bolt a few million miles away from him. Only stopping after his body crashed into an empty ten times the size of Jupiter. However, the Kryptonian knew this would not be enough, nor did it have to be enough. All Superman wanted for the moment was to slow him down a bit in order to finish him. As talented as he was, he was still getting used to the ring and gathering the power he needed to destroy his enemy would take him a few seconds. "Come, and tear me apart, as you promised," Superman taunted as he began to charge the power he needed. Stunned by the attack, ck Bolty in the center of the he hadnded, his body still smoking from the st he had received; as the words of Superman reached him. Breaking out of his stunned state, ck Bolt exploded with anger as heunched himself toward the Kryptonian, his power growing more and more through his rage that seemed to have no end. Taking a deep breath, Superman started bringing out all the energy he could from his ring, as a very blinding light seemed to emerge from his body, dazzling the entire Gxy; as he increased his energy output without stopping, to the point the space around the Kryptonian started to twist under his own power, creating an artificial point of gravity. In short, the energy Superman was generating was so unmeasurable that his mass had increased. Finally done gathering all of his power. Superman aimed at ck Bolt with his ring hand as multiple balls of yellow energy appeared, coalescing into a single giant st, a wide beam of energy that flew toward ck Bolt at the speed of light. Realizing toote what Superman had done, ck Bolt was hit by the Kryptonian''s attack, the massive beam of energy pushing him without stopping out of the Gxy as he screamed in pain. "KAL... EL!!!!" It was thest word ck Bolt uttered before beingpletely engulfed by Superman''s attack, carrying him into the unknown. "That... should''ve taken care of him," Superman gasped out as he fell to his knees in the void of space,pletely exhausted from the amount of energy he had used. His body was trembling from the aftershock, and his eyesight was getting blurrier by the second. In all honesty, he wasn''t sure if he had won or not. All he knew was that he had used way too much power and that there was no way that that raging monster would be back at him anytime soon. "I... have to go back to Earth," Superman said, forcing his body to fly back to Earth. He was tired, very tired, but he would have time to rest after he took care of Ganthet. Chapter 149: Chapter 149: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Atrocitus - Injustice POV] A new Red Lantern had risen in Sector 2814, one that somehow had been able to retain his cognitive abilities despite the ring''s purpose to suppress all thought, leaving only anger, for I was to give them back their thought, should they prove worthy of such a gift. This wasn''t the only surprise this newntern had brought to light. His power was without parallel; his rage and his desire for vengeance had turned him into a killing machine void of rationality, emotion, morality, or remorse. Never in my long life had I seen such power, such rage. I couldn''t help but wonder what exactly had fueled such a monster to be born. Be that as it may, even with all that overwhelming power that coursed through him like blood, all that burning rage, that crimson desire for justified vengeance that fueled his ever-growing power. He had lost. But even in defeat. His thirst forbat and desire for death and destruction against the one who wronged him was unyielding. Which is why I hade to retrieve him instead of killing him. This had been a difficult decision, mostly because of his ability to somehow resist the ring''s forceful indoctrination, which makes all Red Lanterns sumb to the rage and hatred in their hearts until it is all that they know, an all-consuming need for revenge and destruction, in turn taking over their minds. Making them mindless beasts. He, however, had overpowered the ring''s indoctrination. At first, I wanted to kill him, for he represented a threat. But, while the threat he represented was true, his power was without peer. So, I decided to use him, to make him one of my fiercest warriors, the instrument of my vengeance against those who had wronged me. "He seems stable," Morthu said as my newestnterny inside a stasis pod. Morthu was the closest doctor I had been able to find around sector 2574. "He would heal faster if you allowed me to take him out of the stasis." I red at the doctor, my eyes burning red. "He is not to be taken out of the stasis until I say so." "Yes, as you wish, Lord Atrocitus." Morthu trembled before me, his fear palpable in the air. "You are dismissed." I waved my hand dismissively, and Morthu bowed before scurrying away. I then turned my attention back to the stasis pod, looking at the wounded man in front of me. While I understood the Doctor''s concerns about his patient, taking him out of the stasis pod could prove to be a terrible mistake, for I still had no way to contain him should he rebel against him. For that reason, I needed him out ofmission as long as possible. --------------------------------- [Morthu POV] A few hours after Lord Atrocitus had left the patient''s room, I entered to continue treating the patient alongside my assistants. "His pulse is getting better," I said, smiling as I checked the charts,paring his vitals from two hours ago to now. This was the first time I was treating a human, but based on the data Lord Atrocitus had given me, the readings I was getting were pretty normal. Now time to check his neural activity. Suddenly, as I moved to theputer, the stasis pod shattered with a loud crack as a hand burst out, catching me by the throat, forcing a single terrified grunt of pain and a gasp of fear from my young assistants. For a few silent moments, I hung, imprisoned by the powerful grip of the one I had saved, as red glowing eyes stared at me. "Who are you?" The patient growled, his voice deep and guttural. Though the voice didn''t seem toe from his mouth, for it remained close as each word came. I gasped for air, trying to speak, but the grip on my throat was too tight. I could feel my vision blurring as I started to lose consciousness. However, just as I was about to ckout, the grip on my throat released, and I crumpled to the floor, gasping for air. "I am Morthu, a doctor currently in service of Lord Atrocitus." I managed to choke out, my voice raspy and weak. "Atrocitus?" The patient questioned with a growl, his brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before realization hit him. "I see." He then turned his attention to my assistants, who were still cowering in fear, and he approached them slowly, a predatory grin on his face. "Please," I begged, "they''ve done nothing wrong." The patient stopped and looked at me for a moment before shock and realization crossed his features. "What am I doing?..." "You awoke," Atrocitus said from the doorway, his eyes narrowed in anger at me as he looked at the patient. "I have no interest in joining your crusade," The patient said, his voice cold and detached. "I only want revenge against Superman." "And I can help you with that," Atrocitus replied, his voice equally as cold. "But first, you must learn how to control your power." ring at Lord Atrocitus, the patient bawled his hands into fists as a crimson-red aura appeared around him, cutting our breath. "Do I look like I need your help?! I could rip you apart before you could even process what happened!" "I don''t doubt that," Atrocitus said with a calm growl. "But if you can''t control your power, then you''ll never be able to defeat Superman. You lost because the overwhelming amount of rage you were producing started to take a toll on you." "And you can help me?" The patient asked, his voice dripping with venom. "How generous of you. Cry me a river, I know who you are, and while your reasons to hate the guardians are just, you are not." "Then, by all means, leave and die at the hands of the one that broke you," Atrocitus replied with a shrug. "But if you stay, I can help you harness your power and direct it towards defeating Superman." The patient red at Atrocitus for a few moments before finally sighing in resignation. "Fine, I will take you on that offer, but if you try, even for a second, to manipte me, I will eliminate you on the spot. Am I clear?" "I expect nothing less," Atrocitus grinned in response, seemingly pleased by the patient''s threat. Chapter 150: Chapter 150: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I can''t escape this hell. No matter how many times I tried. My grief had sealed me in a prison of rage, abyrinth without escape. I knew that; I knew that the ring was empowering my darkest emotions and numbing everything else to the point of non-existence. And while I had tried to fight this cage of crimson, I had willingly epted, at least since I was defeated by Superman, my attempts had been in vain because, on a fundamental level, I wanted this, this power, the rage I felt, the hatred, was addicting beyondprehension. The funny thing was that I didn''t feel good. Addictions are supposed to feel good. That''s how they hook you, but this? This didn''t feel good, not even a single bit. I mourned Dinah in a perpetual state of rage and hatred; I had no positive thoughts or calming ones, just rage, pure rage. That was all I had, alongside a bit of logic that I had somehow managed to retain through this evolution of sorts. Suffering, hate, and rage were the only emotions I could feel. And somehow, I was addicted to them. Pain without love. Rage, I couldn''t get enough. I was bing a monster. Little by little, I could feel it. I had almost killed the ones that had saved my life just because I could. I remember seeing their faces, their dread, and I remember enjoying it; I had only stopped because the doctor had managed to somehow reach me. The worst part was that, beyond regret, I felt annoyed he had interrupted me. "Are you ready to start your training, recruit?" Atrocitus'' voice suddenly boomed around me, shattering any and all thoughts I had been entertaining before his interruption. I red at him, clenching my fists so hard that my knuckles turned white. I knew his game, he thought me a fool, but I knew he was nning to use me for his own benefits, toplete his vengeance. I refused to be used. However, I could see the benefit of learning whatever he has to teach, so while eradicating him from the face of the universe would''ve been my first choice, I had begrudgingly decided to learn under him. "Remember our deal, Atrocitus," I replied, using my ring to speak. Atrocitus chuckled a deep and guttural sound. "I remember our deal very well. Though we have yet to discuss what do I gain from this arrangement." "You get to keep your life," I replied coldly, my power ring glowing red as it transmitted the message. Atrocitus'' smile widened. "If your attempt at my life will be as poor as the one you did on Superman, I like my chances." Red aura bursting to life around me, I took a step forward, ring at him in blinding rage; I wanted to eliminate him. I wanted to tear him limb from limb and watch him bleed out, but by some miracle, I resisted the urge. "Don''t push your luck Atrocitus, don''t bet on my control," I replied, the voice my ring was ying dripping with venom. "With each breath I take, I feel my rage grow, and while I try to keep it caged, I can''t control it. I can feel my wrath scratching on the walls of my psyche like a wild animal demanding to be released, so unless you have a death wish, behave." It was hard to keep it together; I wanted tosh out, to hurt him. I wanted to make him untold pain, unmeasurable anguish; I wanted him to feel the way I felt. But I couldn''t give in; I wouldn''t give in. I was better than that, stronger than that. Or at least I used to be. The ring, in a way, was corrupting me, making me into something I never wanted to be. But what other choice did I have? Only with it, I would be able to fight Superman, meaning my only choice was to fight tooth and nail for every ounce of control. "I suppose your words carry some weight," Atrocitus conceded with a growl. "So, for now, I will y by your rules. However, know that, should your rage ever wane down, should your hatred be weak, I will be there to reim what is rightfully mine." An empty threat, the weapon of choice of those who are powerless to change their situation. Pathetic, utterly pathetic. "I don''t care what you tell yourself, but stop wasting my time," I growled through the ring. "You might feel your rage is without equal, that only you feel the way you feel," Atrocitus replied, walking around me. "But you are wrong. There are many who wear the red, many who have been consumed by hatred. You are not alone. We all share the pain that is to wear this ring." "Is this going somewhere?" I asked, my patience wearing thin. "Yes," Atrocitus said with a smile. "Everyone in the Red Lanterns has lost everything. Our rage burns bright because our reason to love was taken from us." "It thrills me to hear you speak about philosophy instead of training me; IT THRILLS ME!" I red at him, my ring glowing red. "You are unbearable," Atrocitus said, his face contorting in anger. "The point I was trying to make is that while you feel the way we feel, you are a special case. Because you still have a reason to love." I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Where was he going with this?! Could it be that he had learned something about me through the ring''s link?! No, it couldn''t be. I was certain his control over my ring was very limited, only allowing him to locate me; other than that, I was in control or as much in control as I could possibly be. "I might not be able to subjugate you, not yet," Atrocitus continued. "But I have more than enough power to sense a few things." I bared my teeth at him as my ring glowed brightly. "Care to borate?! Because it feels like you''ve been shopping around where you shouldn''t have!" "Don''t make a big deal out of nothing; I didn''t read your mind," Atrocitus said dismissively. "Butcher knows I tried, though, but your mind is annoyingly well-protected. You have mental blocks I doubt anyone can prate." "Then borate on what you meant, in a concise manner," I growled through the ring, my patience at an end. "Every power ring, no matter the color, grants the user the ability to perceive a vast array of emotions in the emotional spectrum," Atrocitus replied. "When you were unconscious receiving medical care after I saved you, I was able to feel something within you, something faint, very faint, but peculiar enough that it contrasted with the rage in your soul. Love." I see. I had lost a lot in this world. But at the same time, in a way, things remained the same for me. My sister, my Dinah, was still alive. Raven was still alive. Oliver was still alive. Hopefully, they were still alive. .... "So I was right," Atrocitus said as he stared into me. Meanwhile, I remained frozen in ce, trying to make sense of the new feeling that had invaded me for a brief moment, hope. I had felt hope for the briefest of moments. "Disgusting," Atrocitus said as he walked toward me. "Within you, there should be no room for hope, only rage!" Having had enough of Atrocitus, I darted forward and grabbed him by the throat before mming into the ground with enough power to force some blood out of him in a cough. "Go on, keep wasting my time, and we''ll see how it ends." Atrocitus grinned in rage and something else I couldn''t quite read. "That''s it! That''s all you should feel, RAGE! HATE! NOTHING MORE! Hope is long forgotten for us!" I tightened my grip on his throat, momentarily severing his ability to talk. He struggled, using both hands to grab mine, but no matter how much he tried and how much power he used, my hand wouldn''t budge. "Let me remind you of our agreement. You teach me what you know about the ring and how to use it, and I let you live," I said through the Ring as I loomed over him before releasing him of my grip. Touching his throat gingerly, Atrocitus red at me in a mix of rage and amusement as he coughed a few times. "Very well, let''s get started then." ------------------- [B''dg - POV - Elpis] In a sea of rage and despair, I felt one ray of hope shine bright for the briefest of moments. Not enough to be a bringer of hope, but enough to receive salvation and release. "You felt that?" Bro''dee Walker said calmly yet with a hint of excitement as he stared at me from his meditative position. I nodded, still trying toprehend what I had just experienced. "Yeah, for a second there, I felt something more than crimson red within the heart of a Red Lantern." "No matter the situation, hope never dies. It remains strong through all adversity," Bro''dee mused as he leaned back, a sad expression dawning on his face. "I can''t help but feel sad about that poor soul, to be trapped in a state of perpetual torment. I can''t imagine a worse fate." I agreed with him. "But now that we know of him, we must help him." Bro''dee nodded sagely. "Yes, we must. The question is, how?" I sighed. Unlike the other corps, our numbers were not as plentiful, which made taking tasks a difficult decision as, more than not, we didn''t have the numbers to assist those who needed it. "I know our numbers are tight, as per usual, but I can''t in good conscience let this be. I will take on this mission alone if that''s what it takes." "You won''t be alone in this, dear friend; I will apany you. Elpis can survive a few days without us, though to be sure, I will call back one of our friends to fill in for us," Bro''dee said with confidence as he stood up. "For now, though, we must rest. We have a long journey ahead of us, and we need to be prepared." I nodded. Chapter 151: Chapter 151: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Kent Nelson POV] [Injustice] [Moments after Canary''s Death] As I neared Dinah''s body, the life gone from her eyes, I could feel two immeasurable energies shing against one another beyond the reach of this world. Rage and fear, shing against one another in a battle that threatened to consume everything. Even from down here, their battle echoed untold destruction. "That kid," I muttered as I stared into the sky. "He''s going to destroy everything." This rage... it wasn''t normal. It went beyond anything I''d ever felt before; it was all-consuming, all-epassing. It was suffocating to feel. No matter how much he felt he had lost, his rage shouldn''t have been like this; something wasn''t right. I focused my senses on him and felt a faint shade of magic, something dark and corrupting, seeping into his soul. "What is that?" I whispered, giving Dinah''s body a look. She had been the catalyst for this, her death had sent him over the edge, and now a dark, mysterious power was corrupting him, it felt old, very old, and it was incredibly powerful. I had to find out what was corrupting him and how to stop it before it consumed him entirely. He was already teetering on the brink of insanity, and if this power took hold of himpletely, there would be noing back from it. But first. I had to save Dinah while I still had the time. -You will not!- Nabu screamed inside my head. I grit my teeth and pushed forward. "I have been a loyal follower of your cause since my wife died, but I''m afraid today I will defy fate, old friend." -You cannot defy fate! She was destined to die, and you can''t alter that. We are order! And what you are about to do, is a desecration to the bnce of life and death! is CHAOS!- "Don''t mistake things, old friend, you are order. I''m just a human, and we are as chaotic as can be," I replied as I reached Dinah''s body. There I sat before taking a deep breath, where I started drawing a few magic sigils in the air then, as I hadpleted the sigils, a powerful surge of energy coursed through my body before sting Dinah''s body, iming back her soul by setting her in golden mes of resurrection, the mes of life. ------------------------------------------------------ [Rachel Roth - Raven - POV ] [Young Justice] No matter how much I researched in the Tower of Fate, how much I experimented by myself, no matter what I did, my goal would remain just out of reach. I had read every book on transdimensional travel, I had tried every summoning spell I could find or make, but no matter what I did, the result would be the same, David would remain trapped in whatever dark corner of the cosmos he had been sent to. At this point, it felt like I was just iling in the dark, grasping at straws. "Raven," Miss Martian entered the room. I hadn''t noticed her. I guess I can''t be bothered to feel other''s emotions when my own are so heavy. "What are you doing here?" I asked, not bothering to look at her. "The others wanted me to check up on you," Miss Martian said hesitantly. "You''ve been in here for over a month." "I''m fine; you can go," I replied, my voice cold. "Raven, you''re not," Miss Martian said as she came closer. "You need to eat; you need to sleep. You can''t keep going like this." "Do I need to remind you that I''m no longer a member of the team?" I replied, finally turning to look at her. "It matters to us because we care about you; you''re still our friend," Miss Martian said pleadingly. "Please, juste out and talk to us; we''re worried about you." "I have little time to waste as it is, and none of that time includes talking to any of you," I replied before turning back to my work. "You''re not the only one that misses him, you know?" Miss Martian said, hurt evident in her voice. "I''ll be back in a week to check on you. We''re not going to give up on you; Bolt wouldn''t like that, would he?" I stayed silent as Miss Martian left the room, her words bouncing around in my head. I wasn''t the only one that missed him? I knew that. But nobody missed him like I did. We were each other''s anchors; we were the only ones that truly understood each other. And now he was gone, taken from me by the very thing I had sworn to protect him from. I failed him, and I would never forgive myself for it. They only knew the version of him that he had learned to y; they only knew the mask, not the one behind it. But I knew him, all of him. I had seen him at his weakest, his darkest, just as he had seen me, the one beneath the facade. "I''m sorry, David," I whispered into the empty room, a tear rolling down my cheek. "I''m sorry I couldn''t save you when it mattered, but just wait; I will get you out of there in no time, I promise." -------------------------------------------------------- [Superboy POV] [Young Justice POV] I stared into the sky, waiting for M''gann toe back from her weekly visit to Raven. Hopefully, this time it would bear better results. It had been a while since Bolt had disappeared, and there hasn''t been a day since where I don''t think about him. I missed him. Perhaps M''gann was right, and he was my best friend. I wouldn''t know. I wasn''t the best with all that mushy stuff, but then again, I guess that was why we got along so well. He was always straightforward with me, he understood me without me having to exin, he wasn''t afraid of me, in fact, the bastard challenged me on my bullshit. I miss our spars. Taking a deep breath, I heard a set of footsteps approaching from behind. I turned to see M''gann walking towards me, a sad look on her face. "How did it go?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "No better thanst time," M''gann replied with a downcast expression. "She''s still consumed on saving Bolt no matter the cost... She barely touched the food I brought herst week." "What about water?" I asked, concerned. "She drinks it, but not as much as she should," M''gann replied. "I''m worried about her." "We all are," I said, running a hand through my hair in frustration. I hated this; I hated problems I couldn''t punch away! "But what can we do? She''s not going to listen to us." "Bolt would know what to do," M''gann said quietly. "He would," I replied as I walked with M''gann back to her ship. ------------------------------------------------------------- [Batman POV] [Young Justice] I stared at the file in front of me, and it was yet another dead end. I had been searching for any lead that could help me reach David''s whereabouts, but magical or not, all leads led to the same dead end; it was as if he had vanished into thin air. But I would not give up. I knew he was alive. Giovanni had suggested more than once that he could very well be dead, as he had dealt with rion of all viins, one known for his extreme cruelty. However, I refused to humor such an option. "Anything?" Dinah''s voice snapped me back into the room. Closing the file I had open on my PC, I turned to see her and Oliver walking toward me as Alfred closed the door behind them, both of them with hopeful expressions. I shook my head in reply, their faces falling in disappointment. "Constantine is working with a contact of his to bring David back," I said, trying to reassure them. "He has been doing that for weeks!" Oliver eximed. "We can''t just sit here and do nothing!" "I know," I replied. "But, unfortunately, we have to trust John; he knows what he''s doing." "Trust John?!" Oliver eximed. "Have you seen the guy!? He reeks of cheap booze and disappointment!" "Constantine''s contacts in the magical world are vast, immensely vast, and while at times he has been more than unreliable, he always delivers when it truly matters," I replied, a part of me wondering if I was saying this to them, or to convince myself Constantine would actuallye through this time. "Oliver, I know you miss him," Dinah said, cing a hand on his arm to calm him down. "And while I don''t like it, Constantine is our best hope right now." "I know," Oliver said, sighing in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair. "It''s just... I feel so helpless." "We all do," I said, understanding his frustration. -------------------------------------------------- [John Constantine - POV] [Young Justice] I stared at the lousy bartender as she wiped down the bar, trying to ignore the fact that my drink hadn''t been served yet, or that Lucifer hadn''te as he had promised he would. For bloody sake, I had been waiting for hours, and so far, it had been a giant waste of time. "Constantine, what a surprise," The cocky and unmistakable voice of Lucifer got my attention as he walked towards my table, a smirk on his face. "Surprise? Are you daft?! You set this meeting!" I eximed, standing up from my chair. "Where the bloody hell have you been?!" "Feisty as always," Lucifer said, holding his hands up in a cating manner. "I was busy entertaining two lovely twins." I red at him. "You promised to help a long time ago. Last time I checked, the devil''s word was something you could trust, so what happened?" Lucifer chuckled as the bartender brought him a drink. "I promised I would help, and help I will. Or should I say I already did?" I paused at this, staring at him. "What do you mean?" Lucifer grinned, winking at me. "Well, you asked for help bringing him back. So, I set a few events that will ensure a certain gothdy brings him back, eventually." "That wasn''t the deal!" I replied, mming my fist on my table. Lucifer smiled at me. "You said, and I quote, help me bring him back. You never say how. Honestly, you should know by now I enjoy ying you. Besides, the kid is fine, mostly... going through a rage stage, but who hasn''t?" "I know you don''t like me," I sighed, my eyes growing tired. "But don''t take it on the kid." Lucifer''s smirk softened a bit as he took a sip of his drink. "I don''t know what impression of me you have, Constantine, but I don''t torture innocents." I stared at him for a long moment. "I know this sounds stupid, but is someone bigger than you pulling the strings?" "You mean him? Ha! I wish! That would make this little deal of ours more enticing, but no," Lucifer snorted, putting his drink back on the table. "He can''t be bothered to help anyone; it''s all part of his big n, mysterious ways my ass, h h." "Alright then... then why the FUCK, don''t you open a portal and bring the kid back here?" I nearly shouted. "His destiny is bigger than you could possibly imagine, Constantine," Lucifer sighed, his fingers tapping on the table, one after the other. "I checked with Destiny just to be sure, and well, to make the story short, the kid is writing his own chapters. If I bring him back now, I would be doing what I hate the most, taking his free will, rewriting his chapters by my own hand. Instead, I decided to aid what was already destined to happen, to happen faster." The Kid was doing FUCKING WHAT?! "That''s impossible, Lucifer," I replied, my mind still processing what he had said. "He''s a mortal, only the Endless and..." Lucifer interrupted me. "Only the Endless, to an extent, and primordial beings can alter their own destiny, I know. That''s what makes this kid fascinating." "Can you tell me at least what destiny awaits the kid?" I asked, trying to get more information. "But, friend! That would spoil the audience," Lucifer winked before taking another sip of his drink. Chapter 152: Chapter 152: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] In a matter of days, I had mastered everything Atrocitus had to teach and more. Yet, I felt no closer to controlling my rage at all. No matter what I did, I felt my rage deep within, beneath my skin, scratching at my head like a wild animal, struggling for control. Perhaps there was no controlling what I was going through. There was also the chance that Atrocitus was simply withholding what I needed from him, but I highly doubted that to be the case. I had talked with Atrocitus a few times, and I had made sure he was being honest each time in the only way he knew. "I have taught you all I know," Atrocitus growled, blooding out of his mouth as his body was pressed into the ground by my foot. "It seems you have," I replied, using the ring. Now that I had learned everything I could from the pathetic excuse of a leader the Red Lantern corps had, it was time for round two with Superman. And as it was, I could hardly wait. "Hiss!" Hearing the hiss, I turned around to see Dex-Starr floating a few inches away from me. "What do you want?" Dex-Starr yowled in response, which only served to further my annoyance. "You have the ring, cat, so use it to talk before I rip it out of your tail," I said, baring my teeth. "I find who hurt Dexter. I revenge. I good kitty. Good kitty help you, you help good kitty?" Dex-Starr said in broken sentences. I scoffed, pressing my foot on Atrocitus hard to make the point clearer. "I need no help." "Dex-Starr useful. Dex-Starr help you. Help you get Superman. Then you help Dex-Starr?" The Cat said, his tail twitching in anticipation. I stared at the cat for a moment. "What do you think you''re doing, Dex-Starr?!" Atrocitus shouted, seemingly not happy with Dex-Starr''s offer. So Atrocitus doesn''t like the idea of Dex-Starring with me? What an interesting development. Grinning at Atrocitus'' response, I took my foot off of his chest as I walked over to Dex-Starr. "Very well, cat, you help me, and I''ll help you. I like that." "Deal," Dex-Starr said, holding out his paw. I stared at the paw for a moment before shaking it. I didn''t need the cat''s help, not at all, but seeing it bothered Atrocitus, well, it made taking the cat with me worth it. What can I say? I didn''t like Atrocitus. Though, to be fair, right now, I don''t like anyone. "Very well," Atrocitus growled, getting up from the ground. "You made your choice, Dex-Starr, don''te to regret itter." Dex-Starr simply ignored Atrocitus as he floated next to me, his tail swishing back and forth. "Are you done throwing out empty threats?" I asked, not really caring for Atrocitus'' bravado. "Let''s go, Dex. Before I get the urge to rip him apart." With that said, I turned around, not sparing Atrocitus a second nce as I sted out of the with Dex-Starr on my side, ready to eliminate Superman. I had permitted that Kryptonian to live more than he should''ve; it was time I avenged Dinah, once and for all. And I guess the cat would be there to see it all. -------------------- [B''dg POV] [Injustice] Even from afar, in the middle of the cosmos, I could feel the one I had promised to help flying in our direction, making his way to sector 2814 at full speed. Taking a deep breath, I turned to Bro''Dee, who, by the looks on his face, had also felt this. "He will reach us in an hour or two if he keeps that pace." Bro''Dee nodded, his face dawning in contemtion. "Any idea of how to approach this?" I shook my head, not really knowing. "I am not sure." No matter how we approached this, I had a feeling this was going to be a delicate situation; that much was certain. Rage is a terrible emotion, one that doesn''t want to let go no matter what, one that is always looking for reasons to remain, creating a shroud of darkness around a poor soul. Hope was the beacon to that darkness. Hope was a powerful emotion. One that inspires us to do the impossible and helps us carry on during difficult times. "I propose we initiate with a talk," Bro''dee said after a while, his voice breaking the silence. "Letting him know we only seek to help." I nodded, agreeing with him. "That would be the best course of action, I think. But keep in mind that those in rage often strike those that wish them the best." I had no doubts that the power of Hope would help this suffering soul, but that didn''t make me a fool... After all, no beast is more savage than a man when possessed with power answerable to his rage. "Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured," Bro''dee replied with a calm nod. "I''m fully aware of the risks behind such a task, do not worry." -------------------------------------------- [Batman POV] [Injustice] Once again, I had failed. Once again, I had lost more allies. When would this nightmare end? I had thought, naively, that by using a Kryptonite bullet to incapacitate Superman, I would be able to put a stop to his tyrannical reign. But it was all for naught; I had failed to ount for the Yellow Lantern rings, one of which had given rk the power to simply take the bullet away, allowing him to kill Dinah. I had failed her. I had failed all of them. Again. "Batman!" An echoing scream through the base, followed by the symbol of fate, appeared in front of me, creating a magical gate. "Dr. Fate, what''s the meaning of this?" I asked, not really in the mood to deal with Nabu''s antics. "Do you have any idea of what you have done!" Dr. Fate boomed, his voice full of anger. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to think where he was going with this. Unfortunately, theck of information prior to his sudden visit had me in a nk. "In your foolishness, you have set in motion a chain of events that could possibly lead to the end of all things!" Dr. Fate eximed, staring right into my eyes. I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Exin." "ck Bolt has, unbeknownst to him, in his grief and anger, allowed a monster far beyond your mortalprehension to take hold of him," Dr. Fate continued his voice heavy with worry. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as realization hit me. In my careful nning, I had anticipated multiple oues, but none like this. ck Bolt was supposed to be our secret weapon against Superman. His power and gic rtionship with Dinah were keyponents to ensure optimal results, but if Fate was right, in myck of foresight, I had unwittingly unleashed a horror upon the world that could potentially bring about its end. "You knew?" Dr. Fate asked, his voice low and dangerous. I remained silent. ck Bolt''s DNA had been a challenge to read. In fact, it was downright impossible. However, through Dinah''s DNA, I had found the key to understanding his own DNA, at least just enough to draw a few solid conclusions. "I see, and yet you still used him as a pawn in your war without telling either of them," Dr. Fate used me, his voice dripping with venom. "If Dinah had known he was her brother, she wouldn''t have allowed him toe with her, but he would''vee anyway, making the mission an impossibility to aplish," I replied. "I wonder if you can still look at yourself in the mirror," Dr. Fate mused before vanishing in a swirl of yellow light. With him gone, I was left alone with my thoughts, which were not pleasant ones. I had once again failed, and like that fateful time in Metropolis, I had put the world at risk. Chapter 153: Chapter 153: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As I flew across the empty space with Dex-Starr reaching Sector 2814, two figures shining in a soft hue of blue appeared on the horizon. The figure on the left was tall as a tree, and he looked like a king of some Troguta, or the DC version of it, with broad shoulders and a thick neck that sloped down to his chest, wearing nothing but blue. The other figure was small, and it looked like an anthropomorphic squirrel. His face had a slight smile around the mouth, but it seemed almost forced, and his eyes were wide open as if he expected something bad to happen at any moment. And judging by the way he held himself, he did indeed expect something bad toe out of nowhere. Like his friend, he was also wearing only blue. Blue Lanterns. "What do you two want?" I asked them, my ring glowing more and more. "Hello stranger, I know that this might sound strange to you, but wee here because we seek to help you," The small one replied, taking a deep breath as he did so. I scoffed as Dex-Starr began to angrily yowl at them, his own ring shining brighter. "I have no need for your help, now move, or be moved." Dex-Starr hissed in agreement, the fur of his tail going up as he readied himself for battle, which he seemed to be expecting eagerly. "There''s no need for that," The blue man said, holding his hands up apologetically. "We truly mean you no harm." I knew why they were here, they were here to try and take the Red Lantern ring from my hand, but I would not allow that; I needed this power to kill Superman, and kill him I would, even if that was thest thing I did. Without the ring, Icked the power to end him. I needed the ring. "I know what you want, and you can''t have it," I growled menacingly, clenching my ring hand. "Superman will die by my hand, and no one will stop me." "The ring is corrupting you," The small one said, moving forward. "It''s not toote to turn back; you don''t have to do this. Not while your wrath consumes you." "Move!" I snarled through the ring, baring my teeth. The tall man sighed as the squirrel looked at him as if seeking an answer of some kind. Eventually, the tall alien shook his head, and the small one reluctantly stepped back. "You hate Superman, right?" The squirrel asked, his eyes softening slightly as he looked at me. "Then why are you following his steps?" "You dare?!" I snarled as the aura of my ring grew exponentiallyrger in a single moment, to the point their blue hue was no more, for even they looked to be wearing red in the face of my fury. "You''re behaving just like he did when he lost everything," The squirrel pointed out. "He was angry, and in his anger, in his overwhelming grief, he forgot everything that used to be important for him." "Keep talking, and I will rip that furry head of yours right off you!" I snarled through the ring, my fists clenching so hard that blood wasing out of them. The squirrel remained in ce, looking at me as he continued. "You''re not a bad person; I can see that, even through all that rage; you keep yourself from hurting us, even though you want to, you want to a lot. So, before you go ahead and kill Superman, think about your actions; what would your loved ones say if they saw what you''ve done? And would that hurt them deeply?" "Don''t presume to know anything about me! How can you expect me not to kill this piece of shit who killed my sister! How can you expect me not to kill him after he robbed Conner of having a mother?! I need to avenge her death!" I replied, my wrath growingrger andrger, begging me to destroy them. The squirrel smiled softly as he looked down. "And what about Conner? Doesn''t he need you?" I... Conner, I had left him alone... I... How could I do that? ---------------------------------------------------- [Inside David''s Head.] Within David, unbeknownst to him, a voice whispered to his ear, pushing his rage higher and higher, feeding the hate within his heart. Rage is all you need, is all we need. "Conner..." I muttered as the squirrel stared at me in confusion. This is wartime; this is our time! You will show the one who took everything from you what it means to truly suffer! He deserves this! You know that! This is justice! True Justice! "Superman deserves to die," I snarled, ring at the squirrel. "Kid, something is not right," The tall alien interjected. They want to stop you! They want to stop a just cause! Don''t let them! Show them that we won''t be denied! Crush them and feed the fire that is raging inside you, and use that fire to eliminate your enemy! Show them strength that just can''t be defied! "I don''t think you''ve fully understood your positions. When I give an order, your only course of action is to obey!" In a fit of rage, I sted toward them before they could react, grabbing them both by their heads before smashing their heads into the ground of a nearby. However, even after such an attack, bothnterns managed to stand, their faces bleeding heavily. Let the beast inside you be woken! You know you need this power; without it, you would die! And in this world, only the strong will survive! So don''t hold back, and don''t show mercy to those that oppose you! Heed the call of confrontation, and tear everyone in your way! "Kid, something is ying with your head," The squirrel said, barely keeping himself on his two paws. "This power isn''t only your rage... something is feeding your ring power and your heart corruption." "You two prattle long enough!" I snarled, using my ring to crush them back into the ground with devastating force. This time, they didn''t stand up, their bodies remaining deep within the crust of the, so far inside that, I couldn''t see a thing. "Let''s go, Dex-Starr." Chapter 154: Chapter 154: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After dealing with the Blue Lanterns that had dared to try and stop me, I continued flying across space using my redntern ring to fly at full speed. At my side, there was Dex-Starr, the redntern cat and unlikelypanion I had epted just to piss off Atrocitus. At the speed I was going, I was certain I would reach earth''s sr system within a minute or two. From there on, my sole mission was to eliminate Superman, to kill him, to torture him to hisst breath. Be that as it may, I wasn''t so blind to my rage that I was stupid, not entirely, at least. I knew that I would have to fight the entire Regime to get to him, a most difficult task if I considered my target. As I pondered about the Regime''s forces and the dilemma they represented, I continued flying, watching the stars as I flew by them, just now realizing I had never seen them this close before in my life. Perhaps I would''ve enjoyed this show had the situation been any different, but right now, even in their beauty, they were nothing more than annoying obstacles. The only thing keeping me calm and collected right now was knowing that soon enough, I''d be able to tear Superman limb from limb. That simple thought made me unbelievably happy. Knowing that he would soon suffer was intoxicating beyond belief. But that brought me back to my original concern. How would I deal with the Regime as a whole? Superman alone would be simple enough; I had no doubts my rage would tear through him easily enough, but fighting him and the entire regime alone, well, that was another matter altogether. Perhaps the best course of action would be to take the Regime''s champions one by one. It would not only serve to make my job easier, but it would torment Superman, seeing his pathetic empire crumble to dust without having the power to stop it. That would work. Even in rage, I was still able to see there was more than one way to approach things. "Dex-Starr, there has been a slight change of ns," I said,ing to a stop as I was about to enter Earth''s sr system. "In order to better achieve our goals, I have decided it''s best if we take a more careful approach to this." Dex-Starr hissed at me as if saying. That was not what we agreed on! I rolled my eyes at him. Maybe it had been a mistake to bring the fur ball with me, I could always kick his tail back to Atrocitus, but that would beat the point of bringing him, which was to piss off Atrocitus. "I am aware that wasn''t what we agreed on, cat. And believe me, this is not a decision I take with pleasure, but unfortunately, there''s is a chance that fighting the entire Regime would backfire on us, resulting in our execution, which means no revenge for me and, by proxy, no revenge for you." Dex-Starr yowled, not liking that oue at all. "So, to avoid that, I have decided to eliminate our obstacles, one by one," I replied, clenching my hands as my ring glowed. "Leaving Superman forst. After that, the earth will be ours to search for the one who wronged you." At this, Dex-Starr purred happily at my side, his rage and excitement growing stronger. "I''m d you approve of my n," I rolled my eyes once again as I focused on the new problem at hand, reaching Earth undetected. No matter how I approached this peculiar task, I had no doubt that I would be detected. The Regime had multiple satellites and other tools to monitor their borders. Then again, sometimes what is there to stop someone can be used to help that very same person if you think well enough. If their space monitoring system was my problem, why not make it an advantage by using a distraction? If memory serves me right, Superman should have already killed Darkseid''s kid, meaning the conqueror had quite the score to settle with the Kryptonian, just as I had. I could use that to my advantage, making an alliance of interest with the New God out of our mutual hate for the Kryptonian. Looking at my ring, I asked through my mind. Where is Apokolips? Immediately without wasting a single second, the ring answered my call, giving me the coordinates to Apokolips. "Alright, Dex-Starr," I turned to face the cat, my eyes telling him I would take noints. "Let''s go to Apokolips." Dex-Starr didn''t make a sound, dutifully following me as I sted toward Apokolips. I wasn''t happy about the fact that I would have to wait a bit longer to kill Superman, but if by doing this, I would ensure his demise as an unavoidable fact, then I could wait a bit longer. After all, the best things in life are worth the wait, and killing him would make each second worth it. ---------------------------------------------------------- [Dr. Fate POV] [Injustice] Inside my tower, I sat in the air inside my library as the ancient books of magic within the library floated around me in a circr manner, illuminating the room with a soft light. The books were written by many different magicians from across history and other worlds; with some of them being centuries old. Each book carrying spells with power beyond belief. But would any of them be enough to stop the entity ck Bolt had allowed into his heart? I doubt it. Even from afar, beyond the reach of our stars, I could feel the entity growing stronger every moment. The power I felt grasping at his mind was dark, tainted. A darkness so absolute that no light could exist within it. It reeked of death, decay, corruption, and despair. In my most dire visions, it seemed like the soul of madness itself. There was nothing but evil in its presence. No love or kindness existed there. Only destruction for all things living, an imcable hatred, and a thirst for knowledge greater than any god ever knew. And Bolt had made a contract with this entity, without knowing. My onlyfort right now was that until Boltpleted the contract, the entity would be merely the shadow whispering in his mind, giving him power, barely able to manifest even a tenth of its power. But once the contract wasplete, once the entity had done its part, it would be time for Bolt to pay the price. Which I had no doubt would result in the entity gaining ess to our realm. The idea chilled me down to my core. For if that monster gained entry into our world, we would be destroyed, and there would be nothing we could do to stop it. I had to find a way to break the link between the two before Bolt finished what he had set out to do. "If seeing me die was the breaking point, wouldn''t seeing me alive help?" Dinah asked. For a moment I had forgotten she was here. I had already given her a new life, in a new reality. But, in my fear I had brought her back to the tower as ast resort to stop Bolt. Had Nabu tried to stop me, I would''ve had, but apparently, just like me, he knew how big this threat was, so much so that he was ying blind with my dealings in Chaos. "We don''t know how far gone he is, Dinah," I replied. "It might not work." She smiled sadly at that. "Then you better think of something, because brother or not, we have to break him free from whatever hold this thing has on him." I nodded slowly. "If we are lucky, Trigon''s hold might not be as strong as we think." One could only hope that was the case. Chapter 155: Chapter 155: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! If we reach top 3, I''ll post more! More! MORRREEE! -------------- [David Lance POV] I flew across space, making my way to Apokolips at a fast pace. Reaching the''s surface in less than half an hour, a feat not all too difficult when you had ess to a Lantern ring. Taking a deep breath, I descended into the, slowing down as I approached Darkseid''s stronghold. Surprisingly, not one had attacked me yet. And considering Darkseid''s reputation, I expected more than a few casualties before I could even talk with the man himself. He was either expecting me or was simply curious as to why two Red Lanterns woulde to Apokolips. Clearing my head, I focused on the task as my destination came into view. At the door of the stronghold, there stood three figures, three females, two of which I didn''t recognize, and thest one being Granny Goodness, each one of them armed to the teeth with multiple weapons. Not that it mattered to me; if push came to shove, I would deal with them ordingly. "Oh dear," Granny Goodness said with a sadistic grin, bringing one of her hands to her heart. "Granny doesn''t remember having visits scheduled for today." "I came seeking Darkseid for a business proposition," I replied, using the ring tomunicate my words as I tried to ignore the urge I had to rip her apart, limb from limb. "Oh my, what do my old ears hear? I can''t believe it! Such disrespect!" Granny Goodness gasped in feigned shock. "Addressing the God of Evil, by his name. Tsk tsk tsk, naughty, naughty, it seems you need some discipline, the kind only a granny can provide." Dex-Starr, who had been quiet until now, yowled at her, taking insult to her words. "Do your worst then, old bitch," I told her with an evil smile, my ring glowing red in anticipation. "Barda, be a dear and wee our guest," Granny Goodness ordered, and without another word, Barda shot forward, sword at hand, aiming for my head. Seeing this, I stepped back, letting out a smile as Dex jumped on her, scratching the shit out of her, knocking her to the ground before sting her back with a beam from his ring as he let out a feral hiss. "If you seek death, vermin, I will happily deliver. For DARKSEID!" With a loud battle cry, Barda got up quickly, firing red beams at Dex, and me from the tip of her melee weapon, while Granny Goodness walked toward me slowly, pping her hands together softly. "What a shame," Granny Goodness said, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "To see children be so unruly, it truly breaks Granny''s heart. But don''t worry, in time, Granny will fix you; Granny always does." Ok. I had enough of this bullcrap. Moving faster than Granny Goodness could react, I closed the distance between us, hitting her right in the face with a devastatingly powerful punch, causing her to rocket back into the stronghold behind them hard, smashing through the thick walls of Darkseid''s home. "Kneel," I ordered at the two remaining enemies, using my ring to force them into their knees. From the broken walls of the stronghold, Granny Goodness came out walking, pping her hands in approval as she came into view. "Brilliant!" Her face was bleeding heavily, with blood running out of her nose and ears. "Granny is proud, sweety, such power, such cruelty. That has to be rewarded! I have to admit; you caught Granny by surprise! Who would have thought at first nce that you were such a tough cookie?" She was still alive, impressive. I had meant to kill her with that first andst attack. Perhaps there was more than her annoying personality behind her. "Out of respect for surviving my attack, I will make the same offer again," I said, my ring glowing as it spoke for me. "Where''s Darkseid? Ie with a business proposition." "Oh dear, you break Granny''s heart," Granny Goodness cried, bringing both hands up to her heart. "But don''t you worry. Like I said before, Granny will fix you right away." Fix me? Laughable. Oh well, if the old hag wanted to die, I would oblige her request. In fact, I would be doing the universe a big favor by wiping her off the face of creation. My good deed of the week; God knows I''m behind on those. "Enough," Darkseid ordered from a far-off area of the stronghold, making Granny bow and obey his order without a question or hesitation in her eyes. "What does a Red Lantern seek in Apokolips?" As Darkseid flew slowly towards me in a standing position, arms behind his back, I took his image into mind, taking note of his massive size, skin as ck as night, red eyes as crimson as my ring, and dark blue armor covering him in the most vital points. "I won''t repeat myself," Darkseid said,ing to a stop a few feet away from me. "I came here with a business proposition," I replied. Darkseid remained silent for a very brief moment as he looked at me with an unreadable expression as if seeing something inside me I couldn''t. Eventually, after a moment or two, he responded. "And what could you possibly have that Darkseid can''t get otherwise?" "Perhaps I should rephrase my proposition better. I came here to make an alliance between the two of us, an alliance to kill Superman," I replied. Darkseid let out a softugh, but it wasn''t out of amusement at my words. It was a cold, calcted, and dangerousugh. "I see, so you seek to eliminate the Kryptonian. That is indeed quite ambitious." "I know you have a score to settle with him, and so do I," I continued, my ring glowing brighter. For a moment, Darkseid remained silent before all sense of hostility disappeared from the air. Or at least most of it. "Barda, prepare a room for our guests," Darkseid ordered without even ncing over at Barda, who nodded while she kept her eyes on me. Then, with his eyes on me, Darkseid smiled ever so slightly. "Come, we have much to discuss." Chapter 156: Chapter 156: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Darkseid guided me through the long, empty halls of his castle in total silence until, finally, we stopped outside of one of many doors along the way. The door was ck and massive, easily towering over a two-story building. On top of that, it almost looked like the door was made from Skulls and cybeics going through them. The door opened as soon as he approached it, revealing the room beyond to be empty of any furniture save for the table in the middle of the room and several chairs around it. As we entered the room, the doors closed behind us as Darkseid continued walking, taking a seat, the one that looked more like a throne than a normal chair. He sat down calmly, crossing his arms in front of him. "Now then," Darkseid began with a slow exhale. "Tell me why you want to ally yourself with me." "As I said before, I have a score to settle with the Kryptonian, just as you. Meaning that at least for the moment, our interests in regards to Superman align," I replied through the ring as I inspected the room carefully, looking for any signs of traps or simr. After all, the fact we shared amon enemy didn''t imply he would y nice. Keeping my eyes on Darkseid, I continued scanning, but no matter where I looked, I couldn''t detect anything out of ce beside the very unsettling decoration. "But whye to Darkseid?" Darkseid stared at me without moving an inch, his red eyes piercing into mine withser-like intensity as if waiting for something. Was he really asking that question? Wasn''t the answer obvious? He had ess to technology beyond human understanding, far more powerful than what the Regime possessed. With just that, It wasn''t hard to imagine that such technology could help make things easier for me when the time to eliminate Superman came. On top of that, he had armies at his disposal, valuable assets I could use to separate the Regime''s champions from their leader, making it easier to take care of them. "Your resources," I replied after a moment of careful consideration, deciding it was best to be straightforward with him. Darkseid remained stoic as his crimson eyes glinted something akin to interest. "My resources are vast. But why would I waste them on you?" "I wouldn''t call it a waste, more like an investment," I replied through a growl. Darkseid narrowed his gaze slightly before he nodded. "An interesting point of view. But one that means nothing to me." "I almost defeated him thest time we fought, and at that time, I was nothing more than a wild animal." I continued, clenching my ring hand as the memories of my fight with Superman came to mind, the mere recollection of them feeding my wrath like gasoline to fire. "Since then, I have learned how to use the power of this ring more effectively. Be that as it may, I don''t think I can deal with the entire Regime on my own. Which is why I havee to you, Darkseid." Darkseid crossed his arms as he watched me with an unreadable expression, leaning forward on the table. "How to use a weapon and how to control one are two different matters. You might know how to use the ring now butck control of it." "As long as the Kryptonian dies, do you really care if I''m in control?" I asked, pushing back the burning desire to leap at him. He was testing my patience. "Careful, it almost sounds like you care about me. Imagine what that would do to your reputation." "Do not forget yourself, child. Don''t mistake for a second my hospitality to be a sign of weakness," Darkseid said with his voice bing deeper than normal. "If I am to invest in this mission of yours, I need to ensure the resources are not wasted by ack of judgment. And yourck of control is a clear liability, a weakness." "Are you calling me weak, Darkseid," I replied, my ring using a cold, low tone as I struggled to keep myself together. "Weakness is more than physical affliction. More than not, it implies a failure of character, which is exactly your case," Darkseid replied as he uncrossed his arms, cing them on the armrests of his throne chair. "Even now, you struggle to keep your head in one ce. I can feel your rage, beckoning you to attack me like a dumb animal. It''s rather disappointing." My blood boiled at those words, and without noticing, I clenched my fists as I pushed back against my instincts. "Then what is the purpose of your hospitality, Darkseid?" Darkseid looked at me for a moment before speaking. "I have yet to determine that." "Well, if you won''t help me, I will be taking my leave," I said, grinding my teeth under my closed mouth. Darkseid simply stared at me with that same unreadable expression. "Don''t presume to know the decisions of Darkseid, child. I never said I would not assist you." WHAT?!! THEN WHY IN THE FUCK IS HE WASTING MY TIME?!! "Well, it certainly felt like you were implying it," I replied, ring at him. "What you feel or not is inconsequential. What matters is that my interest is piqued," Darkseid replied, paying my re no mind as he gestured to his side. There, a wall slid up from the ground; as a figure cloaked in shadows and robes appeared. "DeSaad, show our guest to his room." DeSaad nodded respectfully before walking towards me. As he neared me, I noticed right away he looked like a burned corpse, a zombie perhaps. No wonder he used robes and shadows to hide himself, the bastard as puke-inducing. "I have no time to waste," I said, narrowing my eyes at Darkseid. "You do if you want my resources," Darkseid replied calmly, meeting my gaze. "I expect an answer by tomorrow," I replied through my rage, deciding to give the conqueror at least a day to fully decide whether or not he wanted to assist me. "You dare to make demands?!" DeSaad cried out in anger, raising a hand above his head, ready to attack me, only to be stopped by a simple nce from Darkseid. "I-My apologies, my Lord." "I like your spirit, but try that again, and things won''t end well for you," Darkseid said as he stared right at me. Then he turned to DeSaad. "As for you." Out of nowhere, DeSaad started convulsing on the ground, screaming in pain. "The pain will help you remember your position. If you survive the punishment, that is." No wonder DeSaad looks the way he does. Good riddance if you ask me. Hopefully, he''ll die. Though now that I think about it, Darkseid might just have saved his life, if he survives his punishment, that is. Because had the Conqueror not intervened when he did, the bastard would''ve died before he could''ve regretted his choice, as I would have ripped his dposing head right off his neck before sting his body into ashes. "Barda, take our guest to his room," Darkseid ordered, as from the same wall DeSaad hade from, Barda walked in. "Your wish is mymand; Lord Darkseid" Barda bowed in Darkseid''s direction before she approached me with her hands behind her back. "Follow me; I will guide you to your room. Your beast awaits for you there." "Enjoy your amodations," Darkseid said as I followed Barda out of the room. One day. That was all I was going to give him. One day to give me an answer before leaving. Chapter 157: Chapter 157: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After Barda guided me to my room, the next day came faster than I thought it would, especially considering that I hadn''t slept a single second for multiple reasons. One, the ring didn''t allow me to do things like sleeping, all my time was spent awake, imaging Superman''s death, and two, I was staying at Darkseid''s, who, even though I wanted to make an alliance with, I didn''t trust him at all. Only a fool would trust Darkseid. Luckily for me, as soon as the morning came, Darkseid called upon me to continue with yesterday''s discussion. So without wasting time, I made my way to the room I had been summoned to, following Barda, my guide along the way, to see whether or not I had really wasted my timeing to this hellhole of a. As we reached the ce, Barda entered first before beckoning me inside after she closed the doors behind us. The room appeared to be a throne room of some kind, where Darkseid conducted his business. The ce was lined on both sides by ck stone walls, which were adorned with multiple bodies frozen in a state of perpetual agony. At the back of the room, there were some fountains that, instead of water, spilled blood. "Do you like my collection?" Darkseid asked from his throne as he leaned forward with his arms crossed over his chest, watching me walk towards him. "Art is subjective," I replied as I looked around at all those people stuck in a perpetual state of suffering, being nothing more than another decoration for him. "Everyone is here for a reason," Darkseid said as he pointed to the victims trapped within his walls. "They are a reminder for everyone who walks into this room about what happens when someone decides to stand up to me." I raised an eyebrow at that but didn''t say anything. "This one was the King of Aspera," Darkseid said, pointing at one of the bodies next to him, causing it to shudder out of its frozen state violently before its face melted off with a painful scream, revealing a body with no eyes, nose, ears, only teeth, and some bone. "Is there a point to this conversation?" I asked him, growing tired of him wasting my time. "I believe I''ve made my position clear already," Darkseid responded coldly. "My resources will be put at your disposal once I determine your usefulness." "And I believe I made my timeframe for such judgment clear as well," I replied, as coldly as him. Darkseid red at me through his crimson eyes, wearing his usual unreadable expression; then, he gestured towards a door on his right with his finger. "I have a test for you. Pass it, and my resources will be at your disposal. Fail, and you''ll find that the doors will be locked forevermore on you. It''s that simple." "That is very vague," I replied, looking at the door. "If I gave you the answers, it wouldn''t be a test," Darkseid replied indifferently. A test. Well, this is most interesting and strange. I expected many things from Darkseid, but not a challenge. "Very well," I nodded, cracking my neck side to side. "I willplete whatever test you have in store for me. But that''s it, I do the test, and you help me." "Of course," Darkseid simply replied as he leaned back in his seat. "If you pass, that is." ----------------------------------------------------------- I walked over to the door without hesitation. As soon as I ced my hand on it, I was teleported to a different ce, a different, thanks to a motherbox. This world waspletely covered by a sea of dark clouds that spread out across an endless horizon before reaching into space like a giant ocean of death. In fact, everything about thend beneath those ck waves was grim and lifeless. "So you are the one Darkseid promised to send," Said an eerie voice, catching me by surprise. Ready for battle, I turned around to see a tall figure standing a few meters away from me, wearing a ck set of armor with golden edges, his face hidden behind a helmet, making it impossible to see who it was behind it all. Whoever he was, he carried himself with such grace it could only be described as perfect. Each move, each breath, it was wless. I looked at him, wondering what my test was exactly, as he started walking towards me slowly; he moved like the shadows themselves were under his control, and yet at the same time, they appeared to follow him of their own will. "Did Darkseid happen to tell you what I was supposed to do here?" "Escape," The stranger said as he stopped right in front of me. Escape?! And here I thought I would get a challenge. "I don''t escape things," I replied confidently, eager to tear this stranger apart. "I destroy them." "Is that so?" He replied calmly while staring directly into my eyes. Done with talking, I moved to attack the strange man only to realize that even though I had the power to reach the speed of light, I wasn''t moving even close to that speed; it was as if my power had been weakened somehow. Missing my attack as the man moved out of sight, I felt something touch my face before mming into a mountain. Fuck this. If this bastard had a way to weaken my ring, I would simply decimate the entire alongside him. "Would you look at that? You still haven''t destroyed me," The bastard spoke from behind me, his voice filled with sarcasm. I had it with this guy! "GO TO HELL FUCKER!" I screamed right into the ground. However, instead of exploding the, as I should''ve had with a scream, I simply created a big crater. A result smaller than a whisper would''ve created. But... how? "Trying to destroy the so soon? Are you really having that hard of a time keeping up with an olddy?" The stranger chuckled at my attempt. That bastar--- wait, what? Olddy?! "What have you done to me?! Tell me before I rip you apart!!!" I growled, my eyes shining red as my rage increased. "I sealed part of your powers," The old bitch replied, slowly walking towards me. "The bonds of Yuga Khan. You should have around 1/50 of your full power as you are now, maybe less." "I will enjoy tearing you to shreds!" I shouted, using my voice, aiming directly at her. This time, however, she didn''t dodge; she remained in ce, taking my weakened attack as if I was throwing her a toy,pletely unmoved by it. "You already know that won''t work," The old bitch, with the voice of a man, chuckled as she walked towards me. I WON''T HAVE MY REVENGE THWARTED BY A FUCKING STRANGER! I WON''T! I FUCKING WON''T!! I WILL KILL HER NO MATTER WHAT! "To kill me, you would first have tond a hit, child," The old woman said with a sigh. "Such blood thirst, it''s almost shocking. Though I suppose it is not entirely your fault. Not with that thing clouding your head." "Enough prattle bitch!" I roared, dashing at her. "My name is Wioska, child, and you will address me as such." Chapter 158: Chapter 158: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] No matter what I tried, my attacks would never reach Wioska. No matter how much rage I had, she always remained just out of reach, always one step ahead of me, taunting me. "Getting tired already?" Wioska asked from behind me, using the same mocking tone she had been using since this battle started. "When will you learn that leaping at the enemy blindly doesn''t work?" "I will tear you apart!" I replied as I dashed towards her, mming myself against a mountain. "You''ve been saying that for quite a while, and yet here I am, in one piece," Wioska replied calmly as if my attempts to kill her meant nothing to her. She was treating me like a child, a mere annoyance that didn''t demand any effort on her part; she wasn''t even fighting back anymore; she was just dodging me. Everything about her pissed me off. Roaring in frustration, I punched the ground below with all my might, frustration coursing through me. "You know, this test could be easier for you if you were willing to listen," Wioska said as she walked toward me. "You won''t be able to defeat me, not like an animal, at least. So, let''s talk, shall we?" I paused momentarily before replying coldly. "No." I refused to ept her help. Not after she had humiliated me so much, no, she would die, no matter how much time it took me, I would rip her condescending face off her head and bask on her corpse! At my response, Wioska simply sighed. "Fine by me then... " Then, before I could react, she stepped forward, cing both hands at the sides of my head, making me freeze as she pressed them directly against my forehead. "I guess I can always do this without your consent." I screamed in pain as a new sensation entered my being, overwhelming my every sense beyond reasoning as Darkness swirled around us wildly until there was nothing around me but a void of pain, revealing a figure of red standing in front of me. A red demon with horns and four eyes, a demon I knew. Trigon. "What?" I muttered, and just like that, the darkness and the void disappeared, bringing me back to Wioska. "So, are you willing to listen now?" Wioska asked, releasing me from her hold. "I promise you''ll regret refusing to listen to me, even if you fail this test." I looked at her, not knowing what to think. "Trigon..." What was Trigon doing inside my mind? Had Raven betrayed me?.... What am I even thinking?! Raven would never betray me, not my Raven, I knew her, and I trusted her with my life, so why was I even considering the possibility of her betraying me? "You see it now, don''t you?" Wioskamented, bringing my attention to her. "That thing is controlling you. Partially at least. Do you want to be under its control, or do you want to be free?" I took a step towards Wioska before stopping. She said she could help me; all I had to do was ask? No, this was a trick; she was ying me! just like she has been ying me since I arrived here; I can''t trust her, I What NO! Something isn''t right! My mind, I can''t even think straight, something... I can''t... focus; I keep going back to the same point over and over again. "I can''t focus," I growled, my head spinning as I tried to focus on what I had seen, on what Wioska was offering. "Of course, you can''t. Why would that parasite let you focus? Imagine you make an intelligent choice. He can''t have that," Wioska replied calmly, making me angry all over again. But she was right. After all. Why would Trigon keep me in a state of rageful ignorance of everything but my main focus? The answer was simple: because otherwise, I would know if someone was using me like a puppet, dancing around their own interests. There was also the possibility that Wioska was ying me. But seeing she could''ve killed me anytime during our long fight if you can''t call our fight a fight, I was willing to bet killing me wasn''t her goal. "You said you could help me, then do it." I replied through a growl, shattering the earth beneath me as my voice pushed through the air. "Impressive," Wioskaplimented, her toneced with a hint of surprise. "You managed to regain some of your senses incredibly quickly. Normally, once a mind is that far gone, they don''te back that easily." "Good to know," I gritted out as anger bubbled up within me with each word that left her mouth. Wioska chuckled softly before she finally started to walk towards me once again, the ground shaking with each of her steps. "This will hurt a lot. So, be sure to get control on the first try." --------------------------------------------- With a gentle touch from Wioska''s hand, I was once again engulfed in darkness and pain until I found myself in a strange ce. It was an empty in lit by an eerie red light, having nothing but dirt and bones to fill the ce. Then, before I could react, my body froze into ce. "CAUGHT YOU" A deep voice thundered inside my skull, seeming toe from everywhere around me. "Trigon, I suppose," I replied, trying to escape whatever bound me in ce. It felt strange, not like Raven''s hold, or rion''s, more like physical in essence. "YOU KNOW OF ME; THAT MAKES THINGS EASIER," The demon chuckled in amusement. "I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, AND I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU. YOUR MIND HAS STRUGGLED TO KEEP ME OUT SINCE THE MOMENT I DECIDED TO AID YOU, BUT NOW YOU KNOW! YOU KNOW WHO I AM! AND THE POWER I POSSESS! THERE''S NO NEED FOR DARKSEID! FOR ANYTHING! JUST GIVE YOURSELF TO ME, AND I WILL SEE THE KRYPTONIAN DIES A MOST PAINFUL DEATH!" "I want to kill him, but I won''t whore my soul to you to get that result, so let me be!" I replied in a shout. Trigon, at this, chuckled, hisugh booming across my mind as he appeared in front of me, towering above me like a man in front of an ant. "I have already gotten ess to your mind, child. We made a contract. You can''t escape me; whether you like it or not, I am here to stay." How does Raven do it? How can she keep this monster at bay, and could I even do it without magic? Unless Magic wasn''t a part of my particr case. Taking a deep breath, I focused on my redntern ring, of how it felt to have it, its power, the rage boosting my every move, until suddenly a red shine appeared in my hand, shattering to pieces the hold that kept me in ce. "Bravo," Trigon pped, grinning at my disy. "Unfortunately, that won''t help you against me at all. I really don''t understand why would you try to fight me, the Kryptonian deserves to die, and I can grant you the power to do so." He could. I knew that. He was unimaginably powerful. A being that transcended everything I knew, a God beyond my reach. However, just because I knew that was the case, I couldn''t help but wonder why hadn''t he given me the power I needed to kill Superman already. Or the power to defeat Wioska? That question had two answers. One, he didn''t want to help me at all. Or two, he couldn''t give me any kind of power and was instead simply powering my emotions, which in turn would give me more power through the ring. "You have no ess to your magic, don''t you?" I asked, staring at him. Trigon froze for a moment before his confident posture turned into one of rage. "You wish to see my power, child, so be it!" With a roar, Trigon swung his hand, releasing a torrential wave of fire at me, burning through everything around the ce. The fire rushed through my skin faster than I could react, scorching my every cell to ashes. Bringing me pain beyondprehension. However, as painful as this was. It wasn''t real. I could see that. I had experienced something like this before in my training with Martian Manhunter. I smiled, realizing I was right. "That hurt. Or at least I imagined it hurt; the mind can be a confusing ce, am I right?" Trigon remained silent, staring at me before breaking into a fit ofughter, one that seemed toe from a ce of rage and amusement. "You''re right, child. I can''t use my magic, not with you, at least. You are warded with a powerful spell, one that is connected to the life of another, one that feels familiar yet distant. Be that as it may, without me, your power will vanish, for it is my fury that powers the ring. Not yours!" "Perhaps, but unfortunately for you, there are more ways to kill a Kryptonian, thousands of ways," I replied, feeling a sense of relief I hadn''t felt in a while. I guess it was part of being inside my mind that I no longer felt nothing but blind rage. It was refreshing, even if my rage was justified. "It doesn''t matter, really. It''s only a matter of time before your mind breaks to my control, and then, you will serve as all should," Trigon replied, looking down at me. I looked at him, and remembering Raven''s words and Martian Manhunter''s teachings, I changed my mindscape to one better suited to host my unwanted guest. A prison. "My mind, my rules, bitch," I replied, with me now being the one that towered over Trigon and the cage I had formed around him. Trigonughed. "You think you can keep me here? Youck the magicalponent to make this asting solution." I smiled back at him. "And youck the magicalponent to make you a threat. At the end of the day, things even out." Trigonughed once again. "Boy, the nightmare has just begun. The mind is a feeble thing, to win control you''ll need to do much more than this let''s see what you have in store." - Author note: the next few chapters are a nightmare, a struggle between David and Trigon for control, David in this world will meet someone who''s very important to his future. Someone that''s gonna be a vital part of his development, from this point to the end. Chapter 159: Chapter 159: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] [Nightmare] With a gasp for air, I opened my eyes, finding myself to be lost in the woods, having no idea how I got there. In fact, I barely remembered anything beyond my day with Dinah. Taking a deep breath, I looked at the sky, and it was dark. Staring at the ck sky, I took a moment to gather my bearings, remembering that I was looking for a small shack that was located in the woods. Though this felt somewhat off. Like I was missing something. But I couldn''t remember what exactly. Perhaps it wasn''t important if I couldn''t remember it, right? Shaking my head, I started moving toward the shack, taking in my surroundings. There were no signs of human life. The forest seemed to stretch out forever, and it was so dark that I could barely see anything beyond my nose, which made me feel uneasy. It didn''t seem like I could walk around much longer without stumbling upon something. Pushing through my difort, I continued walking, trying my best not to stumble with anything until I began to hear something right ahead. Unsure of what to do, I decided to get a closer look, following the sound. Once I reached a near enough ce, I could see a small house at the end of the path. Inside the house, there was a light flickering, as well as the sound of people talking. I could tell from the sound of their voices that they were arguing with one another, but I couldn''t make out any words. It was then that I saw a shadow standing behind them. A tall looming figure, leaning over their shoulders, watching me. My heart began to race as I started to panic, taking a few steps back. Wait... I should be helping them... I... As the shadow stood watching me from afar, I snapped out of my trance, finding the shadow was no more. Perhaps it had all been nothing but a figment of my imagination; I really couldn''t tell; I wonder what Di... Danah?... Dalia... Dinah would say... Why did it take me so long to remember her name? Something here wasn''t right, but what? I could grasp a coherent thought; everything felt foggy, like walking underwater. I wanted to turn back, but where? It was almost as if something was keeping me rooted to the spot. As I stood there, frozen in ce, I heard the sound ofughtering from inside the house as the arguing disappeared. It was a deep, gutturalugh that sent shivers down my spine. It sounded like... someone familiar, someone that I felt I should know. Theughter echoed through the woods, and as the seconds passed, it seemed to be getting closer and closer to me. I wanted to run, to prepare for the fight, but no matter how much I willed my body to move, my feet felt glued to the ground. I was trapped, like a deer in headlights. And then, theughter stopped as a colossal figure appeared, towering over me with ease. Whatever that thing was, it wasn''t human. His red skin seemed to almost glow in the darkness, and his long white hair flowed down his back like a river of blood. He had antlers that protruded from his head, sharp pointy ears, four red eyes that burned with an unearthly hunger, and hoofed feet that clicked against the ground as he approached. I tried to move, but the more the beast approached, the more it felt like my body was no longer my own. So, in desperation, I could feel the fear welling inside me, threatening to consume me whole. The demon stopped a few feet away from me, tilting his head as he looked down at me with those eerie red eyes. And then, he spoke in a voice that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. "I''ve been looking for you." Before I could even ponder what he meant by that, his hand shot out as he grabbed me by the throat, hoisting me up into the air with frightening ease. His grip tightened as a cruel smile appeared on his face. I gasped for air, trying to struggle against his grip, but the more I struggled, the more his grip tightened. "No one escapes Trigon." Trigon? I knew that name. I remember it well. Like a wave of shock, understanding came to me. This demon, this creature that stood before me, I knew who it was, and by remembering that, I knew who I was, at least enough to understand this was nothing but a nightmare. A nightmare of his own creation. And with that realization, I found the strength to fight back. Angry, I lifted my hand, cing it against his forehead, and with all the power I could muster, I pushed back. Trigon''s eyes widened in surprise as he was sent flying backward, smashing through the wall of the house as he went. He crashed into the ground with a thud but quickly got back to his feet. "A nightmare? Very clever," I said, wiping some blood off my nose. "Memory doesn''t work well in dreams. You almost got me there for a second." "We''ll see about that," Trigon said, charging at me with inhuman speed. I quickly dodged to the side, but he was already on me, swinging his fist at me. I ducked under his punch and then countered with an uppercut of my own that sent him flying backward once more. "You do realize the moment the dreamer realizes what''s going on, control is no longer within your grasp, right?" I asked, taunting him. Though I knew that wasn''t entirely the case. When it came to the control of a mindscape, it was a battle of the minds, a struggle between the host and the parasite. Especially since the parasite had taken so much control already. "I don''t need control," Trigon said, getting back to his feet. "Not right now, I just need to tire you, your mind, and eventually, you will give in. It''s a matter of time, and believe me, that''s resource, I have plenty to spend!" Chapter 160: Chapter 160: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] He charged at me again, a feral grin on his face. I side-stepped his charge and then grabbed him by the horns, using all my strength to lift him off his feet and m him into the ground. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, but Trigon quickly got back up, unphased by the attack. I knew none of this mattered. It was a dream. A mental battle. One that would not end until I found a way out, and if my suspicions were right, that way out was linked to whatever knowledge I had forgotten. Like why Trigon was after me, to begin with, all I remembered was going bowling with Dinah, and that''s it. Nothing more than that. But I remembered enough to know I was missing some keyponents. I needed to remember. The question was how. Nothing, when it came to the wonders of the mind, was ever easy. But nothing was impossible to solve; remember what Batman taught you, analyze the situation, find a persistent value, break that constant down to understandable parameters, and see the truth as it is. I was missing some memories, which was easy to conclude, thanks to the big gaping hole in my thoughts and knowledge about my current situation. Two, I was fighting a mental representation of Trigon. Who appeared to be quite adamant about keeping me trapped in this nightmare. Three, seeing as I was in a dream, it meant reality, and thews that governed didn''t necessarily apply here unless one of us wanted that. In short, it was all a game of illusions of who had the strongest mind and the best ying field. I had the best ying field, seeing it was my mind we were trapped in. However, I doubted I had the strongest mind of the two; Trigon was older than I could imagine, the celestial conqueror, the embodiment of true demonic power, a being that was far beyond time, so it was safe to assume his long life had honed an indomitable mind. "You won''t be able to defeat me, no matter how many times you try. You always snap back at the same time, but you always lose in the end. Do you have any idea how many times we have done this already?" Trigon growled with a hungry smile as he charged at me again. Once again, I sidestepped his charge and then quickly turned around, delivering a powerful kick to his chest that sent him flying backward. How many times have we done this? He was either trying to make me lose focus, or his words were true; I was stuck in a loop with him within my mind, one where my nightmare would restart at a certain point once the conditions for such rest were met, wiping my memories of thest run, creating an endless cycle. If that was the case, there was only one logical conclusion. In each run, I would try the same approach, resulting in the same results. To avoid that, I had to do something out of the ordinary. But what? I had no guarantee I hadn''t thought of this before already. After all, if this was a loop, it was safe to assume I hade to this conclusion more than once; that was if Trigon had opened his mouth more than once. Loops wereplicated, especially if you didn''t retain any information after each run. But there was a chance, albeit a small one, that I could break out if I did something out of the blue, something that even I didn''t expect, something so out of my character that even Trigon will be caught off guard. It was a long shot, but it was all I had. The question now was, what could I do that would be so out of character for me? Based on Trigon''s words so far, if they were to be trusted, we have already fought multiple times through the loops, meaning our shes with a constant variable in each run, regardless of how each run started. I doubted giving up would break the loop, so seeing that wasn''t an option I was willing to take, it left one path, avoiding the conflict. But how? I was in a dream, a lucid one, which meant I should have control over the dreamscape. However, I didn''t seem to have much control over it; the scene was the same, a dark forest, the stage Trigon had set for my nightmare, which meant that so far, he had more control over the dream than I did. This was, however, my mind, so if I could find a way to change the scene, to take us out of the dark forest, it was possible that Trigon''s grip on the dream would loosen, allowing me to gain some control over the loops. The problem was finding a way to do that. Taking a deep breath, I tried thinking of a different ce, a happy memory, anything that would take us out of this dark forest, but every time I tried, nothing changed. I simply remained in the same ce, shing with Trigon in what seemed to be a stalemate. It was almost as if this forest was part of my subconscious mind. I guess it was time to change my approach. If I can''t will us out of the forest, it was time to move us out of this stage physically. "So we are stuck in a loop, kind of sad, considering you''re a celestial being, and I''m just a mortal," I taunted him, looking down at him with a smirk. "Having trouble breaking my will?" There was a reason I was taunting him. To make sure he would follow me without hesitation. Trigon let out a low growl as he pushed himself off the ground, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "You''re stalling," he used me. "Am I?" I replied with an innocent smile. "You''re the one that hasn''t been able tond a single hit so far. I mean, sure, this is a mental battle, but still, I kind of pity you." "You will regret those words," Trigon snarled,unching himself at me. Good, that didn''t seem like the response of someone that has already seen that interaction through a loop, he was either a very good actor, or I was making a new path. Either way, I had a good feeling about this development. Chapter 161: Chapter 161: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As I ran through the forest, I continued taunting Trigon to ensure he would follow me. With each charge on his part, I would dodge, sidestepping him effortlessly, causing him to stumble forward from the momentum more than once. "What''s wrong? Can''t hit me?" I taunted him again as I ran in the opposite direction, leading Trigon away from the forest in the direction I hoped I would find a new scene. "Is that all you can do? Run through the endless forest?" Trigon demanded angrily, his steps faltering for a moment as if he was debating on whether or not to continue following me. "Why not?" I called back over my shoulder with a shrug. "If I am to be stuck with you in my mind, I might as well enjoy the moment. I mean, our fight so far has been pretty boring, sleep-inducing even, so yeah." "Damn you!" Trigon roared, picking up speed as he chased after me. He''s mad. Well, that was surprisingly easy to aplish; I''m honestly starting to think he''s actually just ying along with my games, but I won''t focus on that now; I need to test the limits of this stage and see if a physical escape is possible; I will have time to contemte Trigon''s actionster. Running at full speed, I zig-zagged through the trees, hearing Trigon''s angry breaths as he followed close behind me. After a few minutes of leading Trigon on a merry chase, I found something odd; arge tree with a hollowed-out center. Lights came from the tree as if it was some sort of portal. This could be my way out. But what if it''s a trap? Honestly, I didn''t have time to think about that; and seeing I was stuck in a loop, perhaps it was best to simply act without thinking which would fit what I was going for, which was to break out of my character. This was a long shot, and I had no guarantees following this path would work. However, I needed to test this theory out before he caught up to me. With a deep breath, I leaped into the tree, not knowing where I would end up. As I passed through the tree, I felt a sudden jolt of energy as I rolled out of the hollowed tree into the same old forest, but this time a scene was ying out in front of me. A teenager fighting a shadow, no... a demon. I quickly scrambled to my feet, my eyes wide as I stared at the scene in front of me. I knew who this teen was; it was me years ago, fighting one of Trigon''s followers and my first demon. This was also the day Raven and I first fought together. I remember that now. But why am I seeing this? Before I could ponder on that thought, the scene changed, and I found myself in another part of the forest. This time it was daytime, and I was surrounded by what looked like small animals; Bunnies, squirrels, and deers; they all seemed unafraid of me. In fact, they seemed to be intrigued by my presence. "Still in the forest, but now it is daytime. I guess that''s progress," I muttered, looking at the critters around me. Not only that, but Trigon is nowhere to be seen. Perhaps this was part of his machinations, though I highly doubted he would use cute animals in any shape and form. A hand touched my shoulder from behind, causing me to jump forward as I readied for battle. "What are you doing here?" A familiar voice asked as I turned to face Raven. "You''re not supposed to be here." "Raven?" I asked, relieved to see a friendly face but confused as to why she was here, to begin with. Perhaps she was an interactive memory of sorts, God; I really hated this dream narrative I was being forced to y; nothing made sense. "Raven?" Raven tilted her head. "So that''s who you see when you see me. I honestly thought it would''ve been your sister." I frowned at that. If she wasn''t Raven, then why was I seeing her as such? I know I don''t remember much, but I would never forget Rae Rae, not in a million years. Perhaps it was Trigon ying with my emotions by using his daughter''s form. However, it felt off for his general character. In the short amount of time we have interacted, I have gotten a decent grasp of his personality, and he''s an old kind of viin that enjoyed straightforward methods. Using Raven''s form was one too many steps for him, and was without counting the beautiful setting I was in right now. The girl in front of me let out a sigh as she closed her eyes before opening them again. When she did, her entire appearance changed. She went from looking like Raven to a different person, one that, while it shared many simrities with Raven, it wasn''t the same. Now, in front of me, stood a pale goth girl dressed in casual clothes, a ck top, and an old pair of jeans. Around her neck, there was a silver ankh hanging on a silver chain, matching the eye of Horus around her right eye. "I honestly got nothing," I said, looking at her. "If you''re Trigon, and your intention was to confuse me, it worked. I... I don''t know what to do with this... at all." "Trigon, am I really that ugly?" The girl said with an amused chuckle. Ok, she''s not Trigon. "No, of course not," I shook my head. "You''re beautiful." The girl smiled at that before she sobered up, looking at me with a kind and calm expression. "Beautiful? Careful there; Raven might get jealous." I blinked. Were Raven and I dating? Was that one of the memories I was missing? No, that... wouldn''t happen, or would it? She was my best friend, so perhaps at some point, we connected on a deeper level. "Though I suppose it was to be expected on some level, seeing who you like and how I look, I guess you could say you have a type," The girl continued, interrupting my thoughts. ... Did she really say I have a thing for Goth girls? "I won''t dignify that with an answer," I replied, crossing my arms. The girl smiled before her expression changed to one of a more serious demeanor. "You have amnesia, don''t you?" "Who are you?" I asked. "Hmm, I''m just me. You could say I''m just like any human, I''ve got a job to do, and I do it... When the first living thing existed, I was there. Waiting, and when thest living thing dies, my job will be finished. That day I reckon I''ll put the chairs on the tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave," The girl replied with a serene smile. "You''re Death," I replied. Death smiled as she nodded. "I am. A pleasure to meet you." Chapter 162: Chapter 162: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Did she say she was fucking Death?! As in: I''m gonna harvest your soul, Death?! "Why are you here?" I asked, keeping my tone as respectful as possible, looking around. "Is this some sort of cosmic intervention because I made some bad life choices?" "Oh no, nothing like that," Death chuckled as she shook her head. "If anything, you''re the one that dropped unannounced, which I have to admit, is a first for me. This is my realm, my room if you wish." "But, I was... in my mind a few moments ago," I asked, looking around. "I mean, this ce looks exactly like the one I was before, but... prettier." "Hmm, a nightmare at the hands of Trigon, I suppose," Death replied, her lips forming a thin line. "And as for the simrities between this ce and your nightmare, well, sometimes woods tend to look simr, I suppose." I nodded. "I guess that makes sense. As for Trigon. Well Based on what I know, I''m stuck in a nightmare loop with him." "That would exin why youck a physical form right now," Death mused as she looked at me. "Half of your soul is here, and the other is keeping Trigon at bay, it''s rather remarkable." My soul was doing what?! "What do you mean by that?" I asked with an awkward smile. "Well, your other half is keeping Trigon trapped in the stage he created, stalling him for as long as possible, giving you time to... remember who you are," Death replied, her expression turning serious. "That, however, doesn''t exin how you got here. Not even my siblings cane here without an invitation." Oh shit. I invaded Death''s privacy. That''s it, I''m fucking dead, I will die not even remembering why I don''t remember most shit about myself. What a terrible ending. "I''m sorry," I replied, hoping not to anger the literal embodiment of Death if I hadn''t already. Perhaps I could appeal to her softer side? "Don''t be," Death replied with a smile. "I know you didn''te here on purpose. Besides, I''m rather intrigued, to be honest. Like I said before, this is a first for me." Good, the embodiment of Death doesn''t want to harvest my soul just Yet. Good... that''s good. "I know this is a long shot; I mean, your title pretty much tells me you must remain impartial, but... is there any chance you could help me remember?" I asked, I mean, what did I lose by asking her for some help. "Hmm, that''s a difficult question," Death replied, looking thoughtful. "As you said, my station requires me to be as impartial as possible, especially with the living. If you were dead, I would have more liberties, but you aren''t. You see, when ites to the living, I can''t or shouldn''t pick sides, as it would unavoidably disturb the natural order of things, so for the most part, all I do is guide souls to their final rest. However, in your case... I may be able to do something." "Really?" I asked, barely able to contain my excitement. "Yes," Death replied with a nod as she leaned forward with a smile. "You see, between you and I, you''re technically out of the natural order of things." I was out of the natural order of things? Was... was that good? Can it please be good? I really need a win today. I have enough shit with Trigon using my head as a low-rated Airbnb, or a budget horror film studio. "How so?" I asked, confusion evident in my voice. "You''re a ghost," Death replied matter-of-factly. I blinked. "A ghost? Wait, am I dead then?" I fucking knew it! I pissed her off by entering her room, and I died. "No, it was just an expression; my apologies, though. I can see why you would take it the wrong way," Death replied with a shake of her head. "What I meant to say was that your existence is out... well, the natural order of things." That... answers nothing. But at least now I know I''m not dead yet. "I''m sorry, but could you borate on that?" I asked. Perhaps it was the fact she was on an entirely different level of existencepared to me, but I didn''t understand her point very well, at least with herstment. "Well, it''s hard to exin, but I''ll try," Death replied with a smile. "You see, everything in this vast multiverse, from the darkest corner of the creation to the brightest one, from the strongest being to the weakest, was born from the light and darkness of a single being; one that humans call God." And if I was out of the natural order of things, that meant. "Everything but me, right?" Death nodded. "Correct." "Will that anger... God?" I asked, seeing my problems escte out of control. First, it was Trigon I was dealing with, then it was Death, and now it''s God. I have no idea what I was doing before having to deal with Trigon, but whatever it was, it led me down a dangerous path. Death chuckled, her eyes closing as she shook her head. "No, it won''t. You see, for a being that has seen it all, all that has been or could''ve been, all that is being and could''ve been, and all that will ever be or could''ve been, you are a breath of fresh air." "I won''t lie. That''s not exactly reassuring," I replied with a sigh. "It isn''t," Death replied with a smirk. "I mean, that''s not the real reason he won''t wipe you out of existence." .... I''m getting a lot of mixed signals from her about my standing with God. "The real reason why he won''t hurt you is because the two of you share something, something that no other being has ever shared with him, and that''s the mystery behind your creation and his," Death continued, a calm expression on her face. Wait, if God created everything, but something created God... Does that mean there''s an even higher rank of power out there? Oh god, this is escting out of control even more... "But that''s neither here nor there," Death said, waving her hand dismissively as she walked toward me. "What really matters is that I can help you, as long as I want to, seeing you don''t enter the natural order of things." I had a lot of questions about what she had said, but I could tell from a simple nce she was done talking about the mysteries of my existence. "Thanks, you don''t have to. But thanks." "You''re wee," Death replied with a bright smile. "Now,e." With that said, she extended her hand toward me, warmth expanding out of her body to mine, even without contact. Without hesitation, I took her hand, and as soon as our skin made contact, a bright light engulfed us, and I felt myself being pulled into the void. Chapter 163: Chapter 163: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! If we reach TOP 3 double release. Maybe triple if the corn gets some popcorn. -------------- [David Lance POV] The moment I took Death''s hand, the world around me changed, and in the blink of an eye, I was in apletely different ce. It looked like a library, but it was empty and void of any color. The only light came from the bright full moon that shone through the windows of the ce, a moon that appeared to be so close that I felt I could touch it if I extended my hand. "What is this ce?" I asked, awestruck by the beauty of it. "This is the ce between existence, a limbo of sorts," Death replied calmly. "It''s also a ce where you can find answers to any question you have, no matter how trivial or dangerous those questions might be." I took a step forward, my eyes scanning the area. "Excuse my ignorance, but the room is empty. So, how does this work?" "It''s simple," Death replied as she walked past me, taking a seat in a chair that conveniently appeared behind her. "You just need to think of what you want to know, and the answer will appear before you. Careful though, the moment you ask the in-between a question, the knowledge wille to you instantly. What I''m trying to say is, too much knowledge and your soul could simply self-destruct." I see, like a Supernatural Google. Ok then, I will ask only what I need to avoid destroying my soul and abusing Death''s trust. Now, I had to be careful of how I worded my question. Thest thing I wanted was to remember every waking moment of my life, from the moment I came to be to now. "I wish to know what I have lost recently," I asked, phrasing it as best I could. And in an instant, just as Death had advertised, a massive wave of information hit me like a ton of bricks. I remembered my powers. My fears. My pain. My happiness. My battle with Trigon in the mindscape. The hundreds of thousands of times I had faced him so far, in the loop he had forced my mind into. And how he had escaped the prison I had first made for him. And as I came to understand this, as I came to understand what I had lost, I remembered my anger, my wrath, the ever-consuming feeling of hatred that I had weed into my heart when Superman had taken Dinah from me. Not my Dinah. But it hurt all the same. "That''s a lot of pain for a soul so young," Death said, her voiceced with sorrow. I turned to look at her, my hands trembling as I struggled to form a reply using signnguage. After a few moments of shock processing it all, I remembered I had no need to use my hands, for as I was now, my powers weren''t active. "Thanks for your help, Death," I said, my voice trembling between sorrow and unwavering anger. "I appreciate it." "You''re wee," Death replied, her voice soft and gentle. "I know when a soul is suffering, they rarely listen to advice, but... if you truly want to thank me, don''t let your anger consume you." "He killed her," I replied, the wordsing out as a snarl. "I know," Death replied with a soft nod. "But if you let your anger control you, then you''re no better than him at the end of the day, are you?" I wanted to retort, to say something that would shut her up, but I couldn''t find the words. She was right, and as much as I hated to admit it. "I don''t care if I''m better than him. I just want him dead." "You seem to be misunderstanding me," Death replied, her tone soft as her eyes turned serious. "I''m not telling you that you shouldn''t kill him; that''s your call. What I''m telling you is that you shouldn''t do it while you let your wrath control you." I frowned, processing her words. "There''s a fine line between justice and revenge, and more than not, that line blurs," Death replied as she looked at the moon outside through one of the windows. "You know the saying that says revenge is a dish best served cold?" I nodded, not sure when she was going. Well, I had an idea, but with her, who knew where things were going? "Well, that saying was born from a passage of wisdom of old times, at least by human standards, and it goes like this. Between revenge and justice, I chose justice, for, in justice, I can temper my soul and serve the cold touch of judgment upon those who deserve it," Death continued, a faint smile on her face. In other words, calmness before fury. "I know that," I replied. "Do you really?" Death asked, raising an eyebrow. "What would your loved ones say of your recent actions, and I don''t talk about your desire to kill Superman. No, I mean everything else. Would they understand?" I... Of course, they would! ... Would they? "I... don''t know," I finally replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "Do you want to know the real difference between justice and revenge?" Death asked, her voice gentle. I nodded after a moment. "Well, as I said, there''s a thin line between the two. However, there''s one notable enough difference, those who follow the path of revenge usually abandon everything they used to stand for," Death replied, her eyes turning sad as she gazed at me. "They be monsters in the pursuit of destroying the one who wronged them, and in turn, they end up hurting everyone else around them. Ironically enough, the Superman you hate is the best example of this." I stayed silent, not knowing how to reply to that. "You have a difficult road ahead of you," Death continued after a moment, standing up from her chair. "But I have faith that you''ll make the right choice. Or, at the very least, a choice you won''te to regret." "So now what?" I asked her. "Now, you should go back to teach Trigon a thing or thing," Death replied, moving towards the door. "Oh, and one more thing." "What?" I asked. "You should probably have some of Raven''s favorite snacks with you from now on, just in case," Death said with a smirk as she opened the door. Once the door was opened, a bright light consumed everything around me. Chapter 164: Chapter 164: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! If we reach TOP 3 double release. Maybe triple if the corn gets some popcorn. -------------- [David Lance POV] After Death opened the door, light engulfed me, and in a blink of an eye, I found myself back in the forest. Watching the very same scene, I had seen before encountering her. In front of me, I saw the old me, fighting one of Trigon''s demons, or sons, barely keeping with them. It was only a matter of time before Raven appeared to the rescue. I smiled fondly at the memory. I can''t help but wonder if things would''ve been the same had Raven been by my side when I gave myself to my sorrow and hatred. I doubt it. My Rae would''ve found a way to stop that from happening. I miss her. I miss my home. I miss not being alone. Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. Right now, it was not the time toment; I had a demon to subdue, and reminiscing about what I had lost would not help me with that. Time to beat Trigon once and for all. Taking another deep breath, I was about to take a step forward when I felt something tugging softly at my pants. I turned to see what it was and saw a small ck cat with green eyes looking up at me. "Mrrrow?" A cat? It somehow reminds me of Death. I don''t know why, but I can''t shake the feeling this cat is rted to her in some way. As I pondered about that thought, the cat proceeded to start rubbing its head against my leg, purring contently. I couldn''t help but smile as I reached down and started petting it. "Well, hello there, little one. What are you doing out here all alone? Did Death send you?" The cat just meowed in response as it continued to enjoy the attention. I smiled at this, picking the strange cat up. "I see, so you''re here to guide me, are you? Well then, let''s get going. We have a demon to take care of." The cat meowed in response as it settled down in my arms. What a strange thing, a cat inside my head. A spirit animal, perhaps? I guess whatever the case, I was grateful for thepany. It felt good not to be alone in this dark ce, it felt good not having to face Trigon alone. "There you are!" The unmistakable voice of Trigon boomed throughout the forest, causing the trees to shake. "I have no idea how you managed to escape me or how you managed to shroud your presence for so long, but it is over." In a burst of mes, Trigon appeared before me, his red eyes ring daggers. "Aren''t you bored of this?" I asked as I continued to pet the cat in my arms without a care in the world. "I mean, I honestly don''t understand your fixation with me. By this point, I would reckon I''m not worth the trouble." Trigon just chuckled darkly in response. "Tired of this? Why would I ever be tired of this? Your suffering, your hate, your resistance to the inevitable, it''s all beyond delectable to me." I guess that''s about what you can expect from someone like Trigon. "Well, unlike you, I am tired of this game, so this ends now. See, I even got a new ally," I replied, holding up my feline friend for him to see. Trigonughed at me, mocking my reply before his eyes widened in surprise. "How? How is that possible?" So, I guess I was right. The cat is special and not another figment of my imagination. At this, my feline friend proceeded to start hissing and growling at Trigon with all of his tiny might, baring out its ferocious fangs. Trigon took a step back and then another, keeping his eyes glued to the cat. "Mors signum. Ex nihilo nihil fit. Veni, vidi, vici." I knew thatnguage. It was Latin. Trigon was speaking in Latin as he slowly retreated, and not only that, he seemed in some way to be scared of my feline friend, who, on the other hand, was not all afraid of Trigon. In fact, it seemed ready to lunge at the demon at any given moment. "It''s time to leave me alone, Trigon," I replied, feeling a sudden surge of confidence. "Lest you want to face kitty over here" Trigon just red at me in rage, looking between the cat and me before turning tail and disappearing into a puff of smoke. Almost immediately after, I felt a massive weight leave my shoulders as the presence Trigon represented in my mind left, and the darkness of the nightmare started to dissipate. I smiled, petting my feline friend onest time before setting him down. "I think we make a pretty good team, don''t you?" The cat just meowed in response as it rubbed its head against my leg, purring contently. "Will you remain in my head?" I asked the little cat as I scratched his chin. "I honestly wouldn''t mind having you around." The cat just meowed in response as it continued to purr contently, which I took as an affirmative answer to my question. I smiled, feeling the warm embrace of relief spread through my chest. "Thank you, Death for everything." With that said, the world around me started to dissipate as I slowly started to wake up from the dream. It was time to face reality, to face my wrath, my sorrow, and more, this time without Trigon''s interference. This time, I would move forward without him whispering in my ear. I was ready. At least I felt ready. I didn''t know for sure. But at the end of the day, what did it matter? I had much to aplish. And I would see it all through. Chapter 165: Chapter 165: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] With my nightmare being finally over, I opened my eyes and slowly sat up, trying to take in my surroundings. It was difficult to see in the darkness that surrounded me, but as my eyes adjusted back, I could make out a faint light in the distance. Cracking my stiff neck, I stood up and brushed the dirt off my clothes as I began to walk towards the light, using my power ring to light the way. As I walked, I noticed my anger not being the same, I still wanted to destroy Superman, but now, I had a much clearer view of actions thus far and what I was truly willing to sacrifice to bring the Kryptonian to his knees. I carefully made my way across the empty field, and so far, there were no signs of Wioska to be seen; perhaps she had left once I was out ofmission. Within moments, I reached the light, finding it to be a smallmp sitting on top of a table. "So you''re finally awake?" Wioska said, her voiceing out of the darkness. "I was beginning to think you were going to sleep forever. I won''t lie; I had my doubts you would make it through your fight with Trigon." Hearing her voice, I turned to face her, finding her to be sitting in a chair behind some rocks I had failed to notice, a big smile on her face. "Why did Darkseid send me here?" I asked her, using my ring to speak. Darkseid''s decision to send me here made no sense to me; I just couldn''t wrap my head around it, no matter the angle I took to analyze it. Under Trigon''s influence, Darkseid could''ve just manipted me into doing something for him by ying around the demon''s influence, yet, he decided to send me to someone that could help me. And sure, I knew that Trigon probably represented a threat Darkseid wanted gone, but why help me? He could''ve asked Wioska to kill me. "Oh, that?" Wioska asked. "Well, that''s easy enough to answer. Trigon''s hold over you represented a threat to his ns." "I know that. What I''m truly wondering is, why did he help me? I mean..." I asked, a small frown forming on my face as I looked at her. "He could''ve just asked you to kill me." Wioska tilted her head to the side, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Darkseid doesn''tmand me. I was the one that decided to help you if anything because I found it rather impressive the fact you resisted the demon for so long without knowing he had a hold on you." An event that shouldn''t have happened. I shouldn''t have needed her help. Nor Death''s help, though both were weed, I never should''ve been in that situation. I have no idea how I allowed Trigon within my soul, but that''s a matter I intend to rectify sooner thanter. "As for why Darkseid didn''t kill you, well," Wioska said, standing up from her chair and walking towards me. "Killing you would''ve taken too much effort. He knew you were stronger than him, that his avatar didn''t have enough power to eliminate you, and that because of that, he knew he would''ve needed to use most of his resources topensate for the gap between the two of you. Ultimately killing you wasn''t worth the effort, so he sent you here. He knew that I would either kill you or help you." I see. I didn''t expect Darkseid, of all people, to admit he was outssed. I wonder if I still have more power than him. I''m definitely weaker than before, a lot weaker, but not so much that I felt powerless. In any case, now wasn''t the time to worry about that. I had more pressing matters at hand. "Well, in any case, thank you," I bowed my head slightly before looking back at her. "For everything." "No need to thank me," Wioska said, shrugging her shoulders. "I didn''t do it for you. I did it to spite Trigon and Darkseid a little bit because I''m sure he would''ve preferred if I had killed you." Be that as it may, I was still very thankful for her help. Without her, I would still be under Trigon''s grasp, his influence eating away everything that made me who I am. "I suppose you no longer have a reason to keep me here, right?" I asked her, wanting to leave this ce as soon as possible. I had many things to do and preparations to make in order to face Superman. "No, I don''t," Wioska said, shaking her head. "You''re free to go. Or to stay." I nodded, turning to walk away as I realized what she had saidst. "What do you mean by that?" It almost sounded like an invitation. And while I wanted to kill Superman, more than anything, I was intrigued by Wioska and the power she held. Even now, without anything sealing my powers, I felt I was no match for her. My danger sense was telling me not to engage her, and by telling me, I meant it was screaming at me not to do it. Wioska smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Nothing. Why?" I frowned. She knew what I was asking, but it seemed like she wanted me to say it out loud. "I can''t read minds, you know, so if you want something. Ask for it," Wioska said, her voice taking on a more serious tone. I paused for a moment before turning back to look at her. "Every fiber of my being tells me you are stronger than me." "Oh," Wioska said, her eyes widening in surprise before she startedughing. "You have quite a perceptive body, then. And you would be wise to listen to it because your body is absolutely correct, I am stronger than you." Humble much? "Can you help me be stronger?" I asked, clenching my fists as my eyes liT red in rage. "There''s much I need to aplish, and in order to do so, I need more power." Wioska''s smile widened at my words before she started pping her hands slowly, the sound echoing across the ce. "Bravo," she said, her voice filled with approval. "I like your spirit. And, sure, I will help you. I have nothing better to do." That was easier than I expected. But I won''tin. "One week," Wioska said, her voice taking a harder edge. "I''ll train you for one week." One week. I could work with that. Killing Superman could wait a few more days. I had waited long enough already, and seeing I had lost some of my power, it was best to find a way topensate for that loss, if anything, to ensure Superman had no chance when the time came. Chapter 166: Chapter 166: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] [Training begins.] Soon after I had asked Wioska to train me, and she had epted, she proceeded to once again seal my powers because, in her words, her training required me to be at my weakest to be effective. Soon after that, the training started, and within moments I found myself standing in front of Wioska, my clothes torn and my body covered in sweat and blood after a simple spar where I had failed tond a single hit on the old warrior. "Your fighting skills leave much to be desired," Wioska said, shaking her head as she looked at me with disappointment. "You''re too stiff, too slow, too green. But, credit where credit is due. Without Trigon''s influence, you can actually be called a warrior, a bad one, but a warrior nheless." I grit my teeth in frustration. Perhaps I would do better if she allowed me to use the ring. Who am I kidding? With or without the ring, I would''ve lost. My frustration was nothing but the result of the anger inside of me growing with each passing second. Fueled by each hit shended and the fact that no matter how much I tried or how hard I tried, I couldn''tnd a single blow on her. "You equate yourck of power to your circumstances," Wioska said, taking a step towards me as she looked at me with a piercing gaze. "Let me show how stupid that is." Before I could give her words much thought, a few figures appeared in front of me, figures of people I knew, though only three of them froze me in shock. Dinah. Raven. Oliver. "One of my gifts is that I can see a warrior''s physical and psychological weakness," Wioska said, her voice cold and emotionless. "You want to be strong because of them. However, you fear bing strong because of them; how ironic, isn''t it? Deep within, you believe that if you ess your full potential, you''ll be something they won''t ept, something they mighte to despise." Without even realizing it, I tried to look away from the apparitions in front of me, but no matter where I looked. They would be there. "Instead of ending your fights immediately by utilizing your power, you lower yourself to your enemy''s level, and for what? for a false sense of humility, to make those you want to protectfortable?" Wioska asked her words like daggers that pierced through my head. "You''re not being humble; you''re being a coward." I had to hold back. If I didn''t, I would end up killing someone that I didn''t want to kill. I have to restrain myself, my every move. Or at least that''s how it used to do that; it''s been a while since I think of the consequences behind my actions. "Reaching your full potential and bing a monster are two entirely different things," Wioska said, almost as if reading my mind. "I could''ve killed you at any moment had I wanted. But I didn''t because I have control over my power, absolute control. I hurt you as much as I want to hurt you; I make you bleed as much as I want you to bleed." Without a warning, Wioska moved, and with a single motion of her hand that blurred out of my sight, she shed my chest horizontally, causing me to fall to my knees in pain. Then, without another word, she repeated the same movement, but this time aiming at the mountain behind her, cutting it in half with a single sh. "That''s control," Wioska said, looking at me. "That''s what separates the monsters from warriors." I looked at the mountain falling behind her and then back at Wioska, who was now standing in front of me, the tips of her ws still dripping with my blood. I smiled. Even though her every disy of superiority over me infuriated me beyond measure, I was d I had asked her to train me. I had no doubts that I would learn something valuable under her. "Now get up," Wioska said as she turned her back on me. "We have much to do and little time to do it. I gave you a week of my time, and I intend to make you a warrior within that time frame. I won''t have you sullying my reputation by being a weakling." Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself off the ground and followed Wioska as she walked, determined to get stronger or as strong as I could get within a week. "Oh, I forgot to tell you something. Unlikest time, I won''t release the seal on your power," Wioska said, not even bothering to look at me as she spoke. "You will have to regain your power and more during this week or die trying. And in case that wasn''t clear enough, allow me to rify, you''ll either get stronger, or I will kill you." Well, that is quite a way to motivate someone. Very effective, though, that much, I could admit. Because I adamantly refused to die, not while Superman is still alive, I havee too far to fail now. "Are we clear?" Wioska asked as she continued to walk. "Crystal," I replied without hesitation. "Good, you might be disgustingly weak, both of body and mind, but at least you have some resolve in you," Wioska said, giving me a backhandedpliment. I wonder where the wise-looking Wioska went? When I was possessed by Trigon, or rather under his influence, she behaved differently. Much differently. Now, it was almost as if she had done a one-eighty turn. It was almost as if she was trying to get a rise out of me. Which she hadn''t achieved, only because even though my anger was prominent, thanks to the redntern ring, I was no idiot. I knew very well she would beat the ever-living crap out of me, with or without the ring. If for a moment, even a single moment, I felt I could beat her, I was sure without a doubt that I would fully give in to my anger and try to kill her. However, the gap in our strength was so massive. That even through my ever-growing rage, I could see it was best to avoid confrontation with her. Though, I had to admit. Behind all my anger, I was excited to see what I could learn under her. If I could make just a fraction of her power mine, Superman would stand no chance. Chapter 167: Chapter 167: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] [Day 3.] I was in the middle of my morning run around the fucking, trying to keep up with Wioska, when I saw a blur sh by me. It was so fast that I couldn''t even tell what it was, but I knew that it wasn''t something human, not even remotely. I turned to look at where it hade from, and I saw arge figure standing on top of a hill, looking down at me. Whoever or whatever this individual was, it looked like some sort of anthropomorphic rhinoceros. Instinctively, my ring started to glow as I readied myself for battle, but I stopped myself when I saw Wioska looking at me. "Are you really so weak that you need the ring to defeat that insect?" Wioska asked, her voice dripping with disdain. I grit my teeth in frustration. I was honestly getting tired of her constantly putting me down. "I''ve seen Kalibak best insects like this with a single hand," Wioska said, walking past me. I guess I will have to beat McHorn with my bare hands. "So you are the one I have to crush under my hooves," The Rhino said in a voice that sounded like two rocks grinding against each other. "Good, I''ve been waiting for you. Rejoice in the fact you will be The Great Bakaara''s one-thousandth kill!" If his way of talking is anything to go by, this guy is a brawler. And a fault of all brawlers is that they rely heavily on their physical might, their whole style revolving around overpowering their enemy. Taking that into ount and the fact that everything with Wioska so far has been extremely difficult, I think it is safe to assume this beast is stronger than me. At least on the physical side of things. "Come then, let us fight for glory!" Bakaara said as he charged at me. I quickly dodged to the side, barely avoiding his charge. He was fast, very fast, but not as fast as I had seen move. During his introduction, he had shown a vastly superior level of speed. He was either holding back, be it out of his own ord or because Wioska told him to. However, I honestly doubted Wioska would tell him to hold back; after all, she had made it very clear on more than one asion that her training would either make me stronger or kill me. "Is that all you can do, little monkey?" Bakaara said as he charged at me again. Once again, I dodged to the side, but this time he was ready for this course of action and changed his trajectory mid-charge to follow me with a dexterity that betrayed his looks. "I am The Great Bakaara!" Bakaara roared as he finally caught up to me and swung his fist at me. I quickly ducked under his massive arm, delivering a swift uppercut to his chin. However, instead of my attack harming him, it was I the one that took damage, having one of my knuckles fractured after the hit. It felt like I had hit a wall of steel with all of my strength as a normal human. Realizing I had no chance to win this fight by taking him head-on, I jumped back, but before I could get away, he grabbed me by the throat and started to squeeze, slowly cutting off my air supply. I tried to pry his hand off of my throat using all the strength I could muster and more, but it was like trying to move a mountain. "Are you really struggling with that insect?" Wioska said, her voice dripping with disappointment as she walked towards us. "The Great Bakaara is disappointed. He thought you were stronger," Bakaara said as he continued to choke me. My vision was starting to fade as the grip of Bakaara continued to tighten; I had to do something. It was clear Wioska had no intention of intervening, and I refused to die at the hands of someone that speaks in the third person! Gritting my teeth as I felt my desperation grow with each passing second, I swung at him with all my might, refusing to die, refusing to lose. The impact was enough to make him release his grip on me and stagger back a few steps. "Perhaps I can still make a warrior out of you," Wioska said, looking at me with a small smile. I gulped downrge breaths of air as I tried to catch my breath, my throat burning. I had managed to push him back, I had done no apparent damage, but I had pushed him back. I clenched my fists with newfound determination, realizing the fist I had used to attack Bakaara felt fine. I had fully expected to break my hand after that strike. After all, I had broken a knuckle with the first hit, but somehow, my fist waspletely fine, a bit sore perhaps, but fine. "YESSS!" Bakaara roared to the skies before cracking his neck as he got back into his fighting stance. "The Great Bakaara is pleased to see you still have some fight in you! Good! Excellent! An easy fight brings no glory, no honor, no satisfaction!" I got into my fighting stance as well, bracing myself for our battle to restart. No matter the cost, I would win. "Replicate the feeling you had with thatst punch, and you might just defeat this insect," Wioska said, her voiceced with a hint of amusement as she looked at Bakaara. "Your power remains the same, yet what changed during thatst attack? Ask yourself that." What changed, indeed? I had been close to biting the dust for a moment there. Hysterical strength, perhaps? It could be, I mean, hysterical strength is a disy of extreme physical strength some creatures show, giving results beyond what is believed to be normal, an evolutionary method of self-preservation that normally urs when people perceive themselves to be in life-and-death situations. This extra strength ismonly attributed to increased adrenaline production in the body. That would fit what happened right now. Bakaara had pushed me into a corner, and my body had reacted out of self-preservation. However, as much as this fit what had happened, my state of being right now showed no signs of a massive increase in adrenaline, meaning that whatever I had done to muster more strength wasn''t a result of a boost thanks to hysterical strength. I guess I will have to find out what exactly was that I did differently that time. Trial and error. But with the risk of losing my life, how charming. Chapter 168: Chapter 168: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I stared at Bakaara, trying to think how to beat him before he charged at me once again. Lowering my body a bit, I got into a defensive stance, which allowed me a sliver of time to parry his first blow with my arm, breaking it. I dodged his follow-up, jumping a few steps back, where I took a brief second to look at my arm. Once again, he had managed to overpower me, but it wasn''t because he was getting stronger; no, that wasn''t the case here. He was just as strong as he had been all fight. I had broken a knuckle trying to hit him during my first attempt. This was just like that, but with him; being the one on the offensive this time. "Come on! FIGHT!" Bakaara shouted, mming one of his hooves on the ground with enough strength to crack the ground. Bracing in on another stable defensive stance, I took a step forward and exhaled. I had no doubts I could beat this annoying insect with normal strength, without the use of the ring or my voice, but as it was right now, with my powers being severely limited, he was a challenge. One that I intended to win. It wasn''t an impossible task. Someway somehow, I had managed to hurt him before. Not a lot, not even something worth mentioning, but I had managed to muster strength I didn''t have to push him off me before he could kill me. I had to replicate that. I would replicate that. Failing was simply not an option. Taking a deep breath, I turned to Bakaara and got into position. My eyes telling him,e. As Bakaara watched me prepare to step back into battle, his mouth stretched into a broad smile, and with a joyful stomp of his hooves on the ground, he tipped his head toward the sky and roared. "AHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" His roar, full of intent and desire for battle, shook the heavens and the earth with anticipation. I could die. He could die. This was a battle not between a fallen hero and a viin. This was a battle between two warriors. The shot signaling the start of the battle had been fired, and by the end of today, there would be only one of us standing. Closing the distance between us, Bakaara swung his massive fist at me with a broad smile on his face as I retreated, avoiding the hit before this one even started. As I continued to dodge, listening to my instincts, my danger sense to guide me through this battle, I realized more than ever that a single mistake would cost me dearly. Even the winding off from Bakaara''s attacks had enough power to injure me if I didn''t dodge correctly, which spoke to the obvious gap between our current strengths. Wioska had said one of my main weaknesses was my ever-present hesitation. In that case, I would show no hesitation. Abandoning my sense of self-preservation, I took on the offensive, attacking him relentlessly with everything I had without a care for the possible injuries I could sustain during this, all while I continued to dodge his attacks, weaving my pace through the battlefield. Bakaara, seeing this, smiled, easily tanking each and every single attack I threw at him as he continued to push his advance on me harder and harder. To the point I could hear his fists screaming through the air like whistles of imminent death. But for me, at this very moment. None of that mattered. I refused to die. Not here. Not today. And it wasn''t because I wanted to kill Superman that I didn''t want to die. It was because I still had a lot to live for, and that was a fact that, even through my rage, I could clearly see. So, through the pain, I continued pushing forward with my assault, raining on Bakaara with a barrage of attacks, each set even stronger than thest, until eventually, my hits started to have an actual effect on him. "Not bad," Wioska said, nodding her head in approval as she watched our sh. I paid her words no heed, continuing with my assault like this fight was the only thing that mattered in the whole universe, my hits starting to overwhelm Bakaara, who, under my onught of attacks, had begun a slow retreat backward, finding no halt to the iing blows. With each sessful strike, Inded, my fists hurt, crying out in pain. But at the same time, they felt numb. I knew I was damaging my body with each strike I dared to throw, just like I knew that more than eighty percent of the blood flying around was mine, if not more than that. But I would not relent, even if I had to destroy my hands in the process. The beast would yield. "Enough!" Bakaara roared, mming his hooves on the ground, but I didn''t stop. Instead, I pummeled my fist against his face with all my might, pushing him into the ground with enough force to create a small crater around him. In shock, blood spurted out of his mouth as he groaned in pain. I smiled at him, my hands bleeding heavily, showing massive tears of my flesh and the broken bones of them protruding in a ghastly disy of gore. I couldn''t help but wonder in almost masochist delight if they were still even hands with how they looked. I didn''t think I could make a fist with how broken they were. Not that it mattered. I would win this fight even if I had to destroy every part of my body. I would bite, kick, tear, and punch. I would do anything to bring him down permanently. Bakaara stared at me, almost as if he was looking for something, before eventually shaking his head and letting out a tired sigh. "I yield," he said, slowly getting up from the crater as he looked at me with an unreadable expression. I stayed silent, blood running down my hands. I felt... cheated. This was no victory. I was starting to win! This Zootopia wannabe side character was robbing me out of my victory! "Already?" Wioska scoffed in what looked to be disappointment as she stared at Bakaara. "I know when I''m beaten, and I was beaten," Bakaara said, bowing his head in a show of respect that I found both amusing and idiotic. "I could''ve prolonged the fight a few moments, but why would I do that? You hired me to fight him, not to die at his hands, and I would''ve died had I not surrendered." I see so that''s why Rhino here came to kick my ass. Wioska smiled. "Very well then, in that case, your job here is done. You can go now." "What about my fee?" Bakaara asked, to which Wioska simply waved her hand dismissively. "You''ll get it," Wioska replied before turning her attention to me. "Now, as for you." I stared at her silently, waiting for her to continue talking. "I''m impressed," Wioska said, a small smile on her face. "You managed to ovee a clear struggle without using the ring and while having your powers sealed." I nodded before giving my hands a hesitant look. They would take some time to heal, even with my healing factor.... fuck, I just remembered she sealed my powers to the absolute minimum. Great, I might be a cripple now. "Let''s take care of that, shall we?" Wioska said, moving out of sight before reappearing in front of me, where she proceeded to look at my hands with a smile. I followed her gaze and saw that my hands had stopped bleeding, and the wounds I had received were starting to close up at an elerated rate, one much faster than my own healing factor, with my wounds disappearing within seconds as if they were never there in the first ce. I looked at her in surprise, flexing my fingers a few times to confirm that they were healed. "Before Darkseid, I used to train New Gods, and in order to do that effectively, I had to heal them. Daily," Wioska said, almost as if reading my mind. "You can''t forge a warrior out of a broken body. The only thing you need to break is their spirit." That felt like a foreshadowing of some kind. "Besides, I can''t continue your training with your hands in a bad state," Wioska chuckled as she patted my shoulders. "I mean You will sustain enough injuries thesesting days; there''s no need to suffer more than necessary." "What''s next?" I asked, using the ring to do the one thing she had allowed me to, to speak. "I think your kind calls it... Chi, or is it Ki? I haven''t updated my human knowledge in a while," Wioska said as she walked around me in a circle, hands behind her back. Ki? That shit was real?! What is this Dragon Ba.... I just realized how stupid it is to question the existence of that when in thesest few months alone, I traveled to a different reality, and a transdimensional demon possessed me. I mean, why did I even question that?! I''m alive, and I have no heart! And I didn''t mean that in a sappy way. I literally have no heart, thanks to the ring. My blood and heart were reced by something that looks likeva, but it was way hotter than that. Talking about which, if my hands were bleeding, why was the ground ok, and why was Bakaara okay? He was bathed in my blood at the end of the fight. He should''ve died. "You are wondering why your blood didn''t kill Bakaara, right?" Wioska asked, snapping me out of my train of thought. How the hell did she know I was thinking about that? "Chi." I deadpanned at that. Of course, that''s the answer. Chapter 169: Chapter 169: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The following day after my battle with Bakaara was one of the hardest I had ever faced in my entire life. The number of times I had been close to the gates of the cold beyond at the hands of Wioska during that single day, were simply too numerous to count, as were the amount of times I was dragged back into the living world by her power. At first, I couldn''t grasp what she was trying to teach me during our training. She wasn''t exactly the most talkative person I had had the pleasure of training with. Even then, something was very clear. She was certain I would learn what she was trying to teach me sooner orter, lest I wanted to die at her hands by the end of the week. On our first day, she put me through various situations. One more deadly than the other, all of them including a fight of some sort, be it against a warrior, a beast, or things I couldn''t name; for theck of words in my nativenguage that could describe them urately. In total, she made me face three challenges. And some others that weren''t quite a challenge perse, but were tasks that required a lot. The first was a very straightforward challenge. All I had to do was defeat a warrior of great renown on this, one who was strong enough to defeat Bakaara with a single finger. I lost. The moment the fight started, the warrior simply vanished out of sight, cutting me in half right around the waist before simply walking away. I hadn''t even seen him move. One moment he was in front of me, and the next, I was falling to the ground without a chance to fight back. Wioska healed my wounds soon after that, and for the next two hours, she had me fight this warrior. For the next two hours, I was cut down more times than I cared to admit. And each time, it would be the same thing, he would disappear and strike me down before I could even react. This continued until; eventually, I dodged. After more than a hundred cuts, I had dodged. That, unfortunately, didn''tst for very long because the next swing of his de did what the first didn''t do, cutting me down. However, after that first fateful dodge, my luck started to change. I started to dodge more and more often as time went by. At first, I would dodge once every few hundred cuts; then it was once every fifty or more; that number kept going down to the point I found myself dodging several attacks at once. I was finally able to see his attacks. My danger sense was finally able to sense his de before it swung down on me. Here, what I didn''t understand was the fact that even though I wasn''t moving any faster than before. I was somehow keeping up with him. I couldn''t help but wonder... What exactly had changed? She had said something about one''s Chi before the challenges started. However, she hadn''t borated further than the fact she had Chi and that she could use it. Perhaps that was what had changed. Chi. Perhaps the reason I was now keeping up with the warrior was that I was tapping into that power in some way, though I wasn''t sure that was the case right now. After all, I felt no different. Pushing those thoughts aside, I continued fighting the warrior until, eventually, the tables turnedpletely. As my senses continued to sharpen under the ever-present threat of this de, I noticed a ring w in his style. After each swing, he would leave himself open for just about a split second. Without hesitation, I took that opening. I struck him with everything I had, hitting him so hard that he was sent flying several meters before crashing into a massive boulder, breaking it in the process. He didn''t get up after that. The second challenge was against a beast. I soon found this one was considerably harder than thest challenge. The beast in question was a massive creature with two long tusks protruding from its jaws and spikes running down its back. This beast had no style, no focus. It was simply a body of wild destruction. Without hesitation, the beast attacked me the moment it saw me. I tried to dodge it, but even though I was able to see the beasting at me, I was simply too slow to dodge it. So, instead, I tried to block it, that, however, did nothing as the beast sted me out of the way before it started to trample me into the ground. The cycle started once again. I was healed by Wioska and thrown into the fray. And so, I fought. Over and over again, I was thrown into the battle only to be trampled or tossed aside like a ragdoll. But each time, I would get back up and continue fighting until, eventually, my masochistic tenacity began to pay off. I stopped the beast during one of its charges. Like before, I couldn''t feel any change within me, yet I had been able to somehow stop the beast, the very same beast who had mere moments ago overpowered me with ease, breaking my defenses like a castle of cards. From that point on, I just continued fighting this mindless creature until, eventually, I imed my victory by defeating the beast. The third challenge was against another animal/beast and it was a speedster. Not like the first challenger, who mostly relied on bursts of speed alongside his de. No. This one was a real speedster. And, like the previous two, I knew this wasn''t going to be easy. But no matter. Regardless of the challenge, this annoying creature would unavoidably represent, I would defeat it. It was only a simple matter of time before that happened. And who knows, seeing Wioska said this creature was an animal, I might cook it; I mean, it might taste good. Chapter 170: Chapter 170: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! If we reach TOP I''ll do mass release this Saturday or Sunday. -------------- [David Lance POV] The challenge I was facing soon proved to be difficult in its own way. This creature was incredibly fast, so much so that I wasn''t sure what exactly I was fighting, as this animal was nothing more than a blur as they circled around me at high speeds, pelting me with attacks from all directions. If there was any sce to this challenge, it was that the creature''s attacks didn''t hurt at all. At best, their attacks felt like an annoyance. However, being able to take their attacks head-on would not grant me the victory Wioska so clearly demanded of me, so at every given moment, I tried to counter-attack to the best of my abilities by predicting the creature''s trajectory. This, sadly, didn''t work. No matter the approach I took, the result would always be the same, being that I couldn''t eveny a single finger on whatever was attacking me. It was infuriating beyond belief. It was even more infuriating than the first two challenges because, with them, I had at first been severely outssed, but here, I knew I was stronger than this animal. I knew that all I needed was a single touch to end its life. So the fact something so much weaker than me was toying with me was maddening beyond belief. With each passing second, I didn''t kill that thing; I could feel the ring beckoning me to use it. It would be so easy to simply use the ring and crush that thing. Oh, so very easy. "Are you quite done letting that chicken attack you?" Wioska''s voice rang out from the sidelines. Did she say a FUCKING CHICKEN was the thing I had been struggling to kill?! No NO! I FUCKING refuse to ept an alien nugget is pecking me into a berserk stage! She must be doing this to get a rise out of me. I really wanted to destroy her. For things like things, I could feel my rage demanding her head. But that was aughable goal. After all, how could I even hope tond a hit on her if a FUCKING farm animal from another was toying with me?! "You won''t be able to hit your target, not while you let your rage control part of your deep self. Calm down for a moment and focus." Wioska added, her voiceced with amusement. I growled in frustration. It wasn''t easy to calm down and focus with all this anger within me. It was like trying to swim against the current of a storm. But I said to hell with the current. No one said I can''t be calm, focused, and angry. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and after an hour of meditation, one hour were I was being attacked by this creature without stopping. I allowed my anger to recede into the background, where it would remain, waiting for me to call upon its power once again. Then, I focused as Wioska had instructed. I focused on every sensation. The attacks. The interval between each. My breathing. How the earth felt beneath my naked feet. The vibrations in the ground. I remained in ce doing this for the next few hours until, eventually, something changed. At some point, I began to feel something new. An odd sensation, like a ball of light moving around me; at first, this sensation woulde and go. But each time, it wouldst longer. From this point forward, it didn''t take me long to figure out that what I was feeling moving around was the bird. A ball of light that moved around me in circles as it attacked me relentlessly. Chi sensing. Or life force sensing. If this was correct, it would mean I had tapped into this power during all of my challenges so far. However, unlike thest two times, this time, I was actually able to sense some sort of change, a sensorial one, but a change nheless. Reading the bird''s movements through this newfound feeling, my hand shot toward my target at high speeds. And before I could know it, I had already caught my target, grabbing it by the neck before squeezing it tightly until I felt its body go limp in my grasp. To think I struggled the most with an alien ostrich. "That which you felt right now was the Chi that creature had," Wioska said as she walked over to me. "Chi is the life force that flows through all living creatures. By taking a better hold of your emotions, you were able to sense the Aloratis Chi, allowing you to better anticipate its movements." So I had truly tapped into this power. "However, it took you hours to sense the Aloratis Chi," Wioska continued, her voice carrying a heavy tone of disappointment. "You must learn to sense it quicker if you want to stand a chance against your enemies. No enemy will give you twelve hours to familiarize yourself with their energy." Well, it wasn''t like you were telling me what to do! I mean... This training so far has been nothing more than Wioska throwing me at different enemies and then proceeding to see them break me apart for several hours before I can actually do something. Her only instructive words so far had been the ones she just spoke. Before that, all she had said was to defeat them. That''s like telling a sick person to try and get better. Of course, I have to fucking defeat them! "But for now, though, your progress it''s nearly eptable," Wioska said as she looked down at the dead animal in my hand. "Good job." I grunted before turning to the animal I had killed. "Chickens on earth are smaller." "Well, to be fair, that''s not quite a chicken, but it''s the closest thing the natives here have," Wioska replied without even looking at me. I see. I guess its time to see if this thing tastes good. "I would not eat if I were you, the Aloratis meat is one that dposes at an rming rate the moment its heart stops beating," Wioska added as she started walking away. rming rate? How bad could that. It was here when I turned to see the Aloratis, seeing its flesh already full of maggots. . It dposed in the time I took to turn and look at Wioska. Hm. Not so different from any organic store back on earth. Chapter 171: Chapter 171: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I followed Wioska into a cave, where she said thest part of my training would take ce. What exactly would I do there? She didn''t care to borate, but if the challenges she had made me do so far were anything to go by, I knew it would be difficult. As we walked further and further in, the cave became more treacherous, to the point I had to be careful not to slip on the slimy rocks or touch the eerie glowing fungi that lined the walls. Each step became more and more dangerous. Eventually, we came to a stop in front of a deep pool of water, where Wioska motioned for me to jump in. I nodded. But before I could take a single step into the pool of water, she gave me a strong shove from behind, sting me into the pool with massive force. In pain from her hit, I gasped as I hit the water. It was freezing cold and, at the same time, burning hot, abination that made my lungs cry for air. I struggled to get to the surface, it was almost as if the water was holding me down by a force I couldn''t see. Not only that, but I could also feel my strength draining and my vision starting to fade as the seconds went by. I didn''t need to know more to know this water wasn''t normal by any means. Growling under my breath, I pushed as hard as I could, trying to free myself from the grasp of this treacherous trap, but the more I tried to escape, the harder it became. I had no choice. I had to use the ring if I wanted to survive this. However, before I could even will myself to actually use the ring to escape this trap, Wioska''s face appeared in front of me, and with a quick movement of her right hand, she grabbed my arm, yanking me out of the pool. Out of the water, I gasped for air, coughing up water as I copsed on the ground beside Wioska, who simply stood there, looking at me with a satisfied smirk on her face. "The greatest enemy any warrior can face is nature," Wioska said coldly. "That pool drains pure energy, no matter the shape this one takes. Be it Chi or electricity, this water will drain the body dry." I looked at the water with a frown. A body of water that absorbed all forms of energy that was dangerous, too dangerous. "Why are we here?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. I mean, normally, she would simply ignore my questions or tell me I was supposed to figure that shit out by myself. But, it is like they say, you don''t lose anything by asking. "Well, that''s simple, my young student, all you need to do is find a way to cross this water and reach the other side," Wioska smiled, giving me a strange look before she turned around and started to walk away, leaving me alone in front of the pool of death. I stared at her, retreating back for a moment before I turned my attention back to the task at hand. How was I supposed to cross this water? Jumping across it was beyond my capabilities, thanks to the seals Wioska had in ce. Swimming across was also out of the question. I could probably build a raft if I found the right materials. But now that I think about it, I haven''t seen a single tree in this world, only rocks. I suppose I could try and carve a boat out of rocks, but for that, I would need to calcte the weight of water I''m gonna disce in order to ensure the result is greater than the weight of the boat going into the water, as well as making sure the center of gravity of said boat remains above the waterline. I could do that. However, without the proper tools, that would take me more than a day. And I don''t think Wioska would give me that much time. I could try to find a way to resist the water''s power, but without any knowledge of this world, that would be a long shot. Taking a deep breath, I stared at the ceiling of the cave, trying toe up with a solution. But no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn''t think of anything. And it was here when it hit me; I could use the ceiling. The cave had plenty of rocks that could be used as handholds and footholds. Sure, most of them looked unstable; but I was careful I was certain I could make it to the top and continue to the other side, bypassing the water altogether. It was a risky n, needless to say, but it was the only one so far that felt viable. "Let''s do this," I muttered, my ring glowing red as it enunciated the words. And with that, I started to climb. From the get-go, the climb wasn''t easy, the rocks were slippery, and more than once, I nearly fell into the water below. But through blood and pain, I pushed on, driven by the desire not to fail now that I had gotten so far. Eventually, after an hour of pain and sweat, I made it to the other side, and as soon as I was out of the water''s reach, I copsed on the ground, panting and exhausted. I was more exhausted than I expected. Perhaps even from afar, the water was dangerous. It would certainly exin why I felt like I run two hundred marathons in less than a single minute. The qualities of this water were unlike anything I had seen before. If I could find a way to use it without affecting me I can''t even begin to imagine the possibilities. Before I could continue with that line of thought any further, Wioska appeared in front of me then, a pleased smirk on her face. Chapter 172: Chapter 172: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Seeing Wioska approach me, I looked at her. Her steps echoing in the cave, one after the other. "Good job," Wioska praised with a slow p. "You passed that little challenge with flying colors." I still didn''t know exactly what she had tried to test me for, but based on the nature of the test, perhaps it was ingenuity? Wioska smiled at my clear look of uncertainty. "If you''re still wondering what I was trying to teach you with this menial challenge, at leastpared to the ones that came before this one. Allow me to exin... in your life, you will face challenges that will be impossible to take head-on, impossible to beat by simple prowess on the battlefield. In short, there are some fights that are simply not worth fighting." I stared at her with a frown. "So, the purpose of this task was to show me that sometimes it is best to find other paths?" Wioska nodded, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Yes, there will be times when the path you''re currently on is not the correct one, and when that happens, you will need to find another way around your problems. You must always remember, strength, as alluring as it is, it''s not all there is. The one you know as Batman is a great example of what a weak creature can aplish without any power." Batman. I gritted my teeth, trying to push down the anger that bubbled up at the mention of that name. One Batman I considered a friend, the other I considered my enemy, one was to me for Dinah''s death, yet the other was my mentor. Wioska nced at me, her eyes narrowed. "You don''t seem too pleased at the mention of him." I looked at her in anger; my fists clenched so hard I was bleeding. "That''s because I''m not," I replied darkly. Wioska continued to stare at me for a few moments before finally breaking the silence. "You hate him, yet you don''t hate him. Your Chi swirls in a vibrant color of chaos full of conflicting emotions." "What''s next?" I asked, my voiceced with venom. Wioska chuckled, her eyes beaming with interest. "Interesting. I can''t believe I didn''t notice this before." "What?" I asked, my brow furrowed in confusion. "You''re not from here," Wioska replied, her voice full of awe. "From this universe." I paused as the words left her mouth, my mind racing in confusion and shock, trying toe up with a way to answer thatment, trying to find the right words to reply. However, after a moment, I decided to simply ept her discovery with a straight answer. "How did you figure it out?" I asked. "You''re not the first multiversal traveler I have met," Wioska replied, her voice full of mysterious amusement. "When you live for as long as I have, even the unusual bes ordinary." I suppose that makes sense. If rion sent me here, it was only fair to assume other entities of the same caliber or higher could''ve done the same to other beings. rion wasn''t the strongest thing out there, not by a long shot, meaning this feat of his wasn''t much in the great scheme of things. "Do you know how to travel between universes?" I asked, hoping she knew how to leave this ursed universe. More than anything, I didn''t want to remain here. Once my mission was done, once Superman paid for his crimes at my hands, I wanted to leave. Wioska''s amusement faded, her face contorting in a thoughtful frown. "I''m afraid I don''t. As powerful as I am, Ick the necessary knowledge to breach other universes." My heart sank at her words, the hope that had bubbled up inside me fading away as quickly as it came. "However," Wioska continued, her voice gaining a dark edge. "I''m not the strongest being, you know. Right?" I paused, confused by her words. "What do you mean?" "Don''t y dumb with me, brat. I know you know of another who is far more powerful than I," Wioska replied, her voice dripping with venom. "One who could show you the way out." Death. She was talking about Death. "You knew?" I asked, my voiceced with disbelief. Wioska nodded, her face contorting in a smile. "Of course. Sure, I have never personally met this entity, but I have felt its presence enough to know for certain that you came into contact with it." Considering how old New Gods can be, and Wioska being one of the oldest, it made sense what she was saying. Her life before retirement was one of war and carnage, meaning more than not, she was surrounded by those who had fallen, be it by her hands or the hands of those she trained. Knowing that it didn''t sound far-fetched to think she at one point had felt Death close to her, the embodiment of Death. "I see your point, Wioska. And yes, I have met with the entity you refer of, at least in a manner of speaking. However, I have no way to contact said entity," I replied. Sure, in an ideal world, calling Death would probably solve my problems. However, this was one of those situations that were easier said than done. I didn''t even know if calling Death was possible. Or if she would help. After all, she had already helped me more than enough. Wioska''s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "You could always die." I looked at her, unamused by her words. "Excuse me?" "You heard me," Wioska replied, her voice dripping with mirth. "If you die, you''ll meet Death once again. It''s the simplest way to contact the one who governs the realm of death." "I won''t humor your games any longer, Wioska. I have no intention of dying," I replied, my voiceced with disgust and anger as my ring glowed brightly. "Cease this nonsense at once." Wioska''s amusement faded, her face contorting in a dark scowl. "And if don''t?" I looked at her, my face betraying no emotion. "I know you are stronger than me. Be that as it may, I won''t dance to your amusement." Wioska''s scowl deepened before she immediately started chuckling. "What a wonderful development. A few days ago, you would''ve jumped at me, trying to kill me. Now, you keep your head cold even through anger. Your change is admirable." "ttery," I replied, looking at her with a frown. "Should I be afraid of what remains of our training?" Wioska''s chuckles slowly faded as she shook her head before replying. "Not at all. But then again, who knows what I have in store for you, right?" I looked at her, not bothering to hide the impatience in my voice as my ring spoke. "Yes, well. I suppose we''ll find out soon enough." Wioska nodded. "Nowe, time is running short, and using it in futile conversations is not the wisest course of action." I nodded before following her as she turned around and started walking away. Chapter 173: Chapter 173: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Unknown POV] In the middle of nowhere, a man in a suit stood watching over a beautiful garden full of roses of all imaginable colors. There, he waited patiently for someone to arrive. On the horizon, seeminglying out of thin air, a woman appeared. One of fair skin and kind eyes. The woman''s pale skin stood in stark contrast to the vibrant colors of the garden around her. The roses brushed against her as she walked, leaving a trail of petals in her wake as she made her way to the man. Without stopping, she continued walking across the garden until she came to a rosebush that was taller than the others. The bush was covered in sharp thorns, protecting each and every single rose. With a summer-like smile, the woman reached out and boldly took a rose from the bush, ignoring the prick of the thorns. As she lifted the rose to her nose, a smile came to her face, and she closed her eyes, inhaling its sweet fragrance. It was almost as if, for a moment, the woman had all but forgotten all about her worries and was enjoying the beauty of the garden around her. And how could she not? The entire garden was in full bloom, and the bees werezily buzzing from one blossom to the next. At the horizon, the sun was just beginning to set, painting the sky in a spectrum of oranges and pinks. It was a peaceful scene, and the woman couldn''t help but feel a sense of wonder. Taking another look at the rose in her hands, she turned to see the man she hade to see smiling at her from a few feet away. For a brief moment, the two shared a moment of silentpanionship before one of them decided to break the silence. "Long time no see, Death," The man said with a grin, his voice full of mirth. Death smiled back at him, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "It has been a while, Samael. How have you been?" "Ugh, please, if you have to call me something, pick anything but that name," The man said, making a face. "It brings nothing but bad memories." Death chuckled at his response with good humor. "Fine, what would you like me to call you then?" "Lucifer, or Luci if you must," Lucifer replied with a yful smirk. "Very well then, Lucifer it is," Death said, still smiling. "How''s the kid?" Lucifer asked, fixing his tie as he spoke. Death''s smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she quickly schooled her features back into a neutral expression. "He''s doing okay, I suppose. He has so much on his table for someone so young, and his life is barely just starting." Lucifer sighed, snapping his fingers to summon a cup of expensive whiskey. "I suppose it is to be expected." At this, he took a sip of his drink before continuing. "After all, the role he will fill needs a certain character, one that can only be forged through adversity." Death nodded, her expression thoughtful. "That''s one way to look at things. His destiny is out of reach for us to understand, and... I can''t help but worry about him. He''s so alone, and I fear that one day he might lose himself." Lucifer said nothing, simply staring at his drink as he swirled it around in the ss. After a few moments of total silence, he put the drink down with a heavy sigh. "I understand what you fear, and I can''t me you for wanting to do more. Out of all of your siblings, you''re the most human, but we can''t let our emotions cloud our judgment. I''m certain he''s going to find his own path, Death." At this, Death smiled, albeit a little sadly, making a little pout. "I know, but I can''t help but want to help him a bit more." Lucifer chuckled, patting her shoulder in aforting manner. "I know, and we will help him in time. But not now; I mean, we can''t ruin this for those seeing this from afar, right?" Death sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Will ourws affect him?" Lucifer paused for a brief moment before shaking his head. "No, he''s... different. He''s not part of him like all of us are. Lucky him. So, even if we wanted to, I highly doubt such rules would apply to him." Death smiled. "Good." Lucifer smirked at her as if reading between the lines. "Ohh, I see now. You little miscreant. Who would''ve thought Death would have such impure thoughts skipping around her head? What a delightful discovery." Death smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Are you quite done?" Lucifer chuckled, his smirk not fading in the slightest. "Not in the slightest; I want details." Death rolled her eyes at him, her smile still in ce. "I think you''ve been spending too much time in the mortal realm Luci." Lucifer''s smirk turned into a full-blown grin at her remark. "And I think you''ve been spending too much time working; you only live once. I mean, one would think that you, of all people, would know that." Death couldn''t help butugh at his statement. "Fair point, but no. It is not what you think at all." "Then what is it?" Lucifer pressed his grin still in ce. "Don''t spare any details. Come on, don''t make put out the charm because I warn you, I am irresistible." Death rolled her eyes at him once again. "I''m just d our rules won''t keep him from the girl." Lucifer smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, I see. You''re shipping them!" Death chuckled, her eyes widening in surprise. "Like I said, too much time in the mortal world." Luciferughed, his head thrown back in amusement. "Oh, this is going to be fun." Death shook her head at him, her ownughter bubbling up. "You''re incorrigible." "I know," Lucifer said, still chuckling. "But that''s what makes me so fun." "I won''t humor your child-like behavior," Death replied, taking another rose from the garden. Lucifer chuckled, clearly amused by her reaction. "Ohe on, you can''t deny that you want them to end up together. Just admit it! That could be our thing, shipping mortals together! Just imagine! The possibilities for mischief are endless, pun intended." Chapter 174: Chapter 174: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath, my knuckles buzzing in pain as they dripped with blood, melting the ground beneath me. For forty-two hours, I had sparred with Wioska without stopping, making in our wake a trail of blood and destruction as the brutal battle went on. Not a single drop of blood was hers. Her unfathomable power drove me to the gates of beyond more times than I could count. Her power was without equal as far I was concerned. She was formidable. A worthy opponent. One I had failed to conquer on the battlefield. "Impressive," Wioskaplimented, her tone sincere, showing admiration for my progress. With a blood-tainted smile, I looked at her before surveying the scene around me. Mutted pieces of my broken were strewn everywhere, some mangled beyond recognition, a true massacre of one man. The ground was slick with blood and gore, and the air was thick with the stench of death. Even for my current mindset, one fueled by rage and an unyielding desire for vengeance, the scene before me was truly gruesome. No matter where I looked, the picture would be the same, growing darker under the dim light of the night. Severed limbs and entrails piled high as my very own blood pooled on the ground, giving birth to a cloying perfume that made my gorge rise out of reflex. in fact, flies were already starting to gather, drawn by the sickly-sweet scent of my own dposing flesh. Without a doubt, this was a scene of utter carnage, one that I knew I would never forget for as long as I lived. Sure, Wioska had healed me after every lethal injury, but the experience remained. The pain of each near-death experience, the suffering behind the futility, and the fear of the unavoidable would forever be there, etched into my mind like a brand. "Impressive?" I chuckled darkly, "I didn''t manage to make you bleed, not even once." "True," Wioska admitted, "But you came closer than anyone else has in a long time." I snorted, "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Wioska shrugged, "It is what it is. You should be proud of your aplishment." To be proud of one''s own failure, how utterly pathetic! I refused to ept such mediocrity! I didn''t go through Wioska''s cruel training to ept this pitiful result! The reason I had epted to be under her tutge was to set my sights even higher than before. Failure was simply no longer an option. I respected her overwhelming strength, but my respect didn''t equate to an eptance of defeat. If anything, my understanding of her power made my resolve even stronger. "Proud?" I spat the word out like it was poison, "I will never be proud of this result." "Don''t be so harsh on yourself," Wioska replied calmly. "You''ve improved by leaps and bounds. When we first started, you couldn''t even touch me. Now? You cannd more than a few hits." I knew her words to be true. Even with my powers sealed, I had shown results beyond what was expected of me; however, this truth did little to cate my desire for victory. "The week ended, Wioska," I said, breaking the silence as I turned to look at her. "What will happen now?" "Nothing, I go back to my retirement, and you go back to your vengeance or whatever, I don''t care," Wioska replied inly. I frowned. I recalled her saying I would have to endure a test of great difficulty at the end of the week. Had she forgotten about that? "You passed my training, at least the first week of it," Wioska answered. "If you remember correctly, our agreement was for one week of training. That week has now ended." I grunted. It seemed like defeating her would have to wait for another time. "So I passed your test, the one you said I would have to endure at the end of this week?" Wioska nodded, "In a way, you did." ----------------------------------------------------- [Rachel Roth - Raven POV] [Young Justice] I had finally done it. After months of research, I had finally found a clear path to my goal, bringing David back. It had been hard to unveil the threads of chaos, but one by one, I learned the arcane secrets behind them, their mystical meaning and purpose. Now, all that remained was to gather the ingredients. Some weremon enough, but others were rare and unimaginably difficult to obtain. It would take time, but I was willing to do whatever it took. This was my chance to bring him back. The first ingredient was the most important and also the most difficult to find. It was a small ck stone, norger than a child''s fist. But it was not the size that made it so difficult to find; it was the magical properties of the same. The stone was incredibly dense, heavier than anything else on Earth, yet at the same time, it was lighter than air itself. A physical paradox of arcane origin. This stone was known as the remains of the in-between. ording to some spection on Fate''s part, this stone was the physical embodiment of the space between creation and nothingness. Something that should not exist in this world, yet against all odds, it did. That ingredient would take me some time to find. The second ingredient was a drop of rain from the tears of a god. Compared to thest one, this one would be easier to acquire, not only because there were many gods in the world but because I had someone who could help me with this task. Diana of Themyscira. Now, as for the third and final ingredient, I needed to acquire the blood of a familiar. Preferably one whose master was powerful in the arcane. Needless to say, I already knew who I would use to get this ingredient. rion and his cat would serve this purpose well. After all. It was only fitting for that pathetic chaotic scum to aid in David''s retrieval. Chapter 175: Chapter 175: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Havingpleted my training with Wioska, learning a lot, yet not so much at the same time, I took flight to Apokolips at full speed. My head was heavy with thoughts and questions about what course of action I should take before taking to earth. At a core, my intentions hadn''t changed. I wanted to kill Superman. However, now that I was clear of Trigon''s hold, the path I wanted to take wasn''t the same. Without Trigon whispering in my ear, I was able to think things more thoroughly, more calmly, or rather as calmly as my rage allowed me to. I wanted to kill Superman. Even without Trigon in my head, my every thought was that; killing the man that had taken Dinah from this universe, I wanted to make him suffer; I wanted to make him scream before sending him to hell. That was my only desire. Well, that and going back home. But one thing at a time. Right now, my whole focus was Superman; after taking care of my business with him. I would invest my time in finding a way to go back to my universe. I sighed. I suppose now the real question was, why was I going to Apokolips instead of Earth? Wioska had been very clear about Darkseid''s intentions regarding me. With ease, he had seen right through Trigon''s tricks and had decided in a tactful manner that it was best to avoid confrontation, as my power at the time was quite possibly too great to be worth the effort or the resources that it would''ve taken to take me down. Now, however, I wasn''t that strong. Sure, in a way, I was stronger thanks to Wioska''s training, but the strength I had right now didn''tpare to the one I used to have under Trigon''s hold. Meaning that Darkseid could now easily consider the task of killing me worth the effort. Then again, I also had to consider a minor yet important detail about the ruler of Apokolips, which was the fact that Darkseid wasn''t one to lie, for it was beneath him to do so, meaning the fact I was returning from Wioska''s, havingpleted the quest he himself had given me, could very well open the door to a shaky alliance. Of course, this was all spection on my part. For all I knew, Darkseid was a skillful liar and could very well attack me on sight upon arriving at Apokolips. A part of me was telling me to go back, to change my course. But if I did that, I would be betraying Dex, who, although I had no emotional connection to, had trusted me, offering me his help on this quest of mine in exchange for my own help with his quest. Betraying him was something I wasn''t too keen on doing, even under all of this rage that pushed me forward. Taking a deep breath, I continued to fly through the emptiness of space, surrounded by the cold darkness. As I made my way, I couldn''t help but smile a little; space was truly beautiful and terrifying; an infinite void of beauty and terror. A ce with no sound, no light, and no life for the most part. A vacuum of nothingness with a chillingly dark reputation. As I continued to admire the wonders of space around me, I reached Apokolips within short moments, which made mee to a halt in front of the. The dark loomed in front of me, its atmosphere swirling with smoke and ash. Even from afar, I could feel the extraordinary heat emanating from the''s surface, which was beyond surprising considering where I stood. Time to meet Darkseid again. Without wasting any more time, I descended into the, for the first time noticing the ce I had previouslye for help. It was like stepping into Hell. The sky was red and ck, thend was ck, and the air was filled with the screams of what I assumed were Darkseid''s enemies, tainting the ce in a symphony filled with pain and suffering. It was almost enough to deter me. Almost, but not enough. Within short moments, Inded on the''s surface, my boots touching the scorched ground with a soft thud as I stared at the structure in front of me. Darkseid''s castle. The castle loomedrge and foreboding, its imposing walls seeming to mock those who would dare approach. At the castle''s door, there were two armored creatures. The creatures wererge, at least eight feet tall, with hide that was ck as night. Their eyes burned red, and they had sharp horns that curled back from their forehead. In their hands, they carried deadly-looking spears as they stood so very still that they might as well have been made of stone. I paid them no heed, calmly walking to the Castle''s door, only to be stopped. "On your knees," One of the guards ordered loudly, tapping his weapon on the ground. Needless to say, I paid his absurd request no importance as I continued walking towards the door they guarded. "For your foolishness, you will pay in blood! For Darkseid!" With a roar, the guard slowly brought his spear back, readying himself for the attack. "Hmm," I smiled at this little disy, staring at the creature with a sense of amusement. Seeing this, the guard took a step back, almost as if a predatory beast had suddenly arrived, taking my ce. However, there was no one else around but me. Stopping in front of the guards, both now seemingly petrified in fear, I grabbed the one that had reeled his spear back with an outstretched arm and lifted him up with no trouble by the neck, flying a bit topensate for the height difference. It''s said that all creatures have a natural intuition, an animal instinct that bes dull when sentience gets in the way, but even dulled, when pressured enough, all creatures are able to perceive with rity when there''s an unmistakable gap. And to put matters in a simple way, the difference between me and these two was the difference between absolute strength and absolute weakness. "No need to panic," I said, using the ring as I patted the guard on the shoulder. "I just came here to talk with Darkseid. Nothing more, and nothing less." Almost as if snapping out of his fear-induced trance, the guard gripped his spear tightly before moving it forward, trying to pierce me with all of his strength, an action the other guard sadly repeated. However, both weapons broke upon contact with me without delivering any damage. At this, my grip strengthened, and the guard suddenly found that it was more difficult to breathe. "Gugh!" "I honestly have no idea why you thought that was a good idea," I said, almost genuinely curious. "But I guess it really doesn''t matter now, does it?" Their fates had been sealed the moment they had hesitated to attack; I knew that much. After all, Darkseid demanded absolute devotion, and hesitation was simply not epted under any circumstances. The best I could do for them now was to offer them a quick and painless death. "Goodbye," I said, as with a flick of my wrist, I broke the guard''s neck, killing him before casually tossing him to the side, where he fell with a thud. The other followed soon after, breathing hisst breath before I erased him out of existence with a point-nk beam of my ring. With that done, I turned my head upwards to greet my audience. Darkseid. Who had been watching all of this from above. "Ipleted your task, Darkseid," I said, looking at him. "Now, let''s talk about my reward, shall we?" Darkseid smiled for a brief second, giving me a sickening, twisted grin that made it clear that he was not to be trifled with. "Of course. Come, let us discuss this inside the castle." Chapter 176: Chapter 176: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As I walked behind Darkseid, I could feel his presence looming over me. His massive frame casting a foreboding shadow that seemed to suck the light out of the room. It was rather impressive, that much I had to admit. And it wasn''t the fact that his mere presence was trying to subjugate me through sheer pressure. But the fact that even though I knew with certainty that I could take him if push came to shove, my body was telling me not to act. In a dark, twisted way, I couldn''t help but admire him. His presence was worthy of his reputation. His ck armor was unmarked and unyielding; his red eyes burned with an unnatural fire, and with his every step, I could feel immense power emanating from him, making the entire experience both exhrating and terrifying. I wasn''t afraid, not in the slightest. However, through his very presence, a part of me wanted to be afraid. "I have to admit. It was an interesting development that you survived Wioska," Darkseid said in a deep and gravelly voice. There was an unsettling silence that followed his words before he continued. "You proved worthier than I had given you credit." "That''s an interesting way to say you send me to Wioska to die," I replied, not missing a beat. Darkseid chuckled, but hisughter had no trace of mirth in it. "Your demise at Wioska''s hands was a possibility I had ounted for, a weed possibility. Trigon''s hold made you a liability, and Wioska was simply the easiest way to dispose of said liability. However, in the end, you proved yourself more resourceful than I had thought." I suppose that response was to be expected, considering the individual I was dealing with. "I see," I replied calmly, taking a small pause before continuing. "I have to admit I had my doubts abouting here for a second time. After I discovered your intentions of getting rid of me permanently, I was uncertain you would keep your end of the deal." Darkseid''s gaze shifted as he came to a stop in front of me, his eyes staring into me intently. "Darkseid always keeps his end of the deal. As for eliminating you, don''t confuse my words, child; all I wanted was for Trigon to be gone. Whether you lived or not after that wasn''t my concern at all." Hmph, that almost felt insulting. "Fair enough," I replied with a nod. With our conversation done for the moment, we continued walking until we arrived at a room. This room, unlike the one I had seen before, was different. As I entered the room, the first thing I noticed was the blood-red walls and the fact that almost every inch of the walls was covered in grotesque works of art of what could only be described as abominations and tortured souls. The floor in this room, unlike the one I had seen, was made of cracked ck marble. In the center of the room, there was arge throne made of bone and something that looked like iron. On either side of said throne, there were two massive torches, their mes casting an eerie glow over the room. "Table," Darkseid said, his voice echoing in the room. And immediately after, a table appeared in front of us, almost as if the room had been expecting Darkseid''smand. On the table he had summoned, there was a book and a small box, both made of what appeared to be pure obsidian. "Take a seat," Darkseid said in amanding tone, pointing at one of the chairs around the table. Calmly, I took a seat and waited for him to do the same. Once he had taken his ce on the table, I tilted my head slightly to the side and said. "Let us talk business, Darkseid." Darkseid nodded, his face betraying no emotion. I never would''ve imagined this ever happening. Having an affable conversation with Darkseid, well... as affable as it can be. "This," Darkseid said as he pointed at the book, "It''s your reward for your triumph." I raised an eyebrow looking at the book. Wondering how a book, of all things, would help me take Superman down. "What is it?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. At this, Darkseid lifted the book and opened it. "A detailed inventory of the troops I have prepared for your quest," Darkseid said as he flipped through the book revealing various illustrations of creatures that I had never seen before. "Soldiers loyal to you, and only you. Trained by Granny Goodness herself." I looked at the book and smiled. "You want me to believe Granny Goodness trained them to be loyal to me? I apologize, but do I look that stupid?" A smirk tugged at the corner of Darkseid''s lips. "It seems without Trigon; you truly have some sense in that head of yours." "I do," I replied, crossing my arms. "Which is why I have my concerns. I hope you understand." Darkseid leaned back in his chair, folding his hands against the table. "Your fears and concerns are not without basis. Granny Goodness'' loyalty to me knows no bounds, which is why I made sure to let her know what I wanted from her." "A mostforting fact, without a doubt," I replied with an amiable smile. "But, again, you will have to apologize me for my paranoia, but the thing is, I don''t trust Granny Goodness to follow your every word." Darkseid looked at me, his eyes carrying a dark edge. "You would question her loyalty to me?" At this, I smiled, shaking my head. "No, I would never. How to question the unquestionable? Her loyalty to you truly knows no bounds, as you described earlier. However, because of that loyalty, I can see her breaking your orders if that ensures your undisputed rule. Even if doing that means her death." Darkseid nodded slowly, his brows furrowing. "A fair concern. But one that has no ce between us. My word isw, and I ensure all of my subjects learn that thoroughly. Even then, I understand your point, as betrayal is always to be expected, even in my position. However, when ites to Granny Goodness, I have ensured she gives me nothing but absolute obedience." Honeyed words, I thought to myself. There was no way I could simply trust his word, there was only so much I could trust him, and that line had already been crossed when I came here against my better judgment. Be that as it may, I also knew there was no reason for Darkseid to lie at this point, I mean, if he truly wanted to kill me, there were certainly easier ways to do so, and most of them didn''t include him giving me an army. "Very well," I replied, nodding in agreement. "I will trust your judgment." "A wise choice," Darkseid said, his voice scratching on my ears like a low growl. "So, in that case, I suppose that is all?" I asked, giving him an inquisitive look. Darkseid shook his head. "Not quite." At this, he took the small box that had been lying on the table and pushed it toward me. "Open it." I raised an eyebrow at this, my curiosity piqued. And so, without much apprehension, I opened the box, only to find a small medallion resting inside it. "I suppose this has a use other than being nice jewelry, right?" "Yes," Darkseid said as he pointed to the metal sigil on the medallion. "With that medallion, you canmand your soldiers, and they will obey without question. No matter the order." I looked at the medallion for a moment before I slowly nodded. "A useful tool, thanks." Darkseid nodded, his crimson eyes glinting in the mes of his throne. "I have instructed Granny Goodness to give you a thorough rundown of your troops and how to utilize them best. She awaits for you in the barracks." I nodded, slipping the medallion into one of my pockets. "I will go and see her then." "Onest thing," Darkseid said, his voice low and menacing. "If you seed in this quest of yours, I will give you any reward you desire, within measure." "I will keep that in mind," I replied before leaving the room. Chapter 177: Chapter 177: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] The door to Darkseid''s throne room hissed closed behind me as I walked to the barracks, my mind reeling about multiple things at once. My desire to destroy Superman, the fact I was getting closer and closer to aplishing said desire, and the moral dilemma all of this represented, and I didn''t mean my intentions when it came to Superman; I didn''t care about morality with that one, I meant using Darkseid''s help to do so. Deep in thought, I walked through the empty halls of Darkseid''s castle, my boots echoing on the floor as I made my way to the barracks. Eventually, after a minute or two of walking, I arrived at the ce where I saw Granny Goodness waiting for me. Her eyes were cold and hard, and her mouth was set in a cruel line. "Oh dear, granny was starting to think you wouldn''t show up," she said after a moment, her voice as sharp as a knife. "I''m d to disappoint," I said with a cold tone, my eyes daring her to try me. "Truly heartbreaking, seeing a child in need of discipline and not being able to provide said discipline," Goodness said, crossing her arms across her chest. "Oh well, sometimes a Granny can''t do it all, so let''s get down to business." She gestured towards the door of the barracks. "Shall we?" Ignoring her antics, I stepped past her and into the barracks, taking in the sight of thousands of obedient monsters Darkseid hadmissioned for me, marching in formation. In a twisted way, I couldn''t help but smirk at the sight of it all, feeling a sense of satisfaction knowing that soon I''d be able toplete my mission. But with that satisfaction came a deep sense of regret, for I knew that if anyone I cared about ever found out about this, their eyes would never look at me the same. A most dreadful risk, one I was willing to take. "Four million soldiers," Granny Goodness said, her voice cutting through the silence as she stepped up beside me. "All loyal to you, and only you, all willing to do your every bidding." Four million soldiers? Looking at the creatures, I found myself without a word as I nodded silently. Granny Goodness smiled at me, her face lighting up with a sick joy. "You should be proud. This, all of this, every single being down there, is a gift to you, a gift for having exceeded Darkseid''s expectations." I couldn''t help but feel a chill run down my spine at thatment, but I kept it off my face as I nodded again. "Wioska sends her regards." At this, Granny Goodness tensed up, her face showing the slightest signs of fear. "Oh my, that''s a name Granny hasn''t heard in a very long time. I hope she''s doing okay; Granny wishes her only the best." I smiled at that. You fool no one Granny Goodness, I can almost taste the fear around you, and that''s not even my emotional spectrum right now. "I''m sure you do," I replied, turning my gaze back to the army. "Now, let''s get back to business." Granny Goodness nodded, her face returning to its usual expression of cruel glee. "Of course, follow me." I nodded as I followed her down into the barracks, marching terrain. "How strong are these creatures?" I asked, my eyes scanning the monsters as they marched. "Strong enough to fight your average Green Lantern," Granny Goodness answered without missing a beat. "They are loyal, obedient, and will fight for you until death." "I see," I replied, my expression showing nothing but grim determination. I knew that there was no turning back now; I had taken the first steps on this dark path, this quest to destroy Superman no matter the cost. From here on out, there would be no mercy given, no room for failure; only victory would do. "It was a hard task to make them in only six months," Granny Goodness said, her voice almost reverent. "But Darkseid''s orders were clear, and his words arew, so here we are." I froze. My head going over her words carefully, over and over again. Had Granny Goodness truly said six months? But that couldn''t possibly be; I only spent a week at Wioska''s. "Granny Goodness, how long has it been since west saw each other?" I asked, looking at her. The old woman''s face remained cold and twisted as she replied with cold indifference. "Six months, deary." Having said that, she turned to face me, her eyes holding mine in an unspoken challenge. "Granny is very worried, sweetie. Do you want dear ol''me to take you to the infirmary?" "Keep the act, and you will be the one going there," I replied coldly, turning away from her. Asking my ring to confirm this finding. [Time irregrity on user''s log detected. The of -UNKNOWN- where the New God known as Wioska resides, shows multiple anomalies in the atmosphere, whichbined seemed to have created spatial mutual, one that allows the topress the flow of temporal energy, stacking the currents into multipleyers, creating inside the a pocket dimension of extremely high density of time. Inside this subspace dimension of increased density of time, time flows differently than that of the outside dimension. Further data is required for a more thorough report.] Six months. I wasted six months!? Raging at this revtion, my ring started to glow with rage. "Oh, deary, don''t be angry now," Granny Goodness said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "At the end of the day, you got what you wanted, didn''t you? I mean, what are a few extra days here and there if you can see your enemies dropping to their knees?" I red at her, suppressing the urge tosh out. "Where''s Dex-Starr?" Granny Goodness paused for a moment as if calcting what she was going to say. "He''s resting." Without a word, my hand shot forward, grabbing her throat before mming her against the ground, pinning her with such strength that moving was impossible for her. "I will ask the same question again, and I will advise you to answer to the best of your ability... if you want to continue servicing Darkseid, that is. Where. Is. Dex-Starr?" I said, my voice low and deadly. Unable to move, Granny Goodness smiled at me before answering, her voice barely a whisper. "Such cruelty, such power, you make Granny proud, very proud. He''s in his room, resting. You can check for yourself and see Granny isn''t lying, sweetie." Using my ring, I expanded my energy until I reached another signal simr to mine, one from another Red Lantern ring, the ring of Dex-Starr, confirming his whereabouts and the truth behind Granny Goodness'' words; I released my grip on the old woman before getting back on my feet. "I assure you, darling, he was treated with the utmost respect, the kind only Darkseid himself can demand," Granny Goodness said before standing up, brushing off her clothes, the marks of my hand clear on her neck. I nodded once in acknowledgment, my gaze cold as I spoke. "I will go and check on Dex-Starr. Once that''s done, I''ll be back, so you can tell me what these monsters can do and how to best use them." Granny Goodness smiled, her eyes beaming with twisted joy. "Of course, deary. Granny will be here ready for you." Chapter 178: Chapter 178: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] Within moments of leaving Granny Goodness, I reached the room where Dex-Starr was supposed to be resting. Inside, the room was small and sparsely furnished. A single bed sat in one corner, and a small table and chair were tucked into another. Against one wall was a small dresser, its surface bare except for a single candle. Why on earth a cat would need a dresser was beyond me. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, searching for Dex-Starr in the room. However, there seemed to be no signs of Dex-Starr anywhere around, and that was until my eyes caught sight of a box beside the bed. It was a small, unassuming cardboard box, but a part of me knew what it contained. It couldn''t be, could it? I mean, sure, Dex-Starr was a cat, but he wasn''t a normal cat by any means, he was a cat given a higher level of sentience through his rage, and therefore such things had to be beneath him, right? Taking a deep breath, I approached the cardboard box, half expecting it to be empty. But when I peered inside, I found the one I was looking for, curled up and fast asleep. It seemed no matter the level of sentience he had, Dex-Starr was a cat at his core. I sighed, the little monster looked so peaceful inside that box that I couldn''t help but smile, and without knowing, I found myself reaching inside to pet the cat-shaped murder machine gently. This, in turn, woke Dex-Starr up, who, in shock or perhaps surprise, simply stared at me as I petted him. "What... doing?" Dex-Starr asked through his ring. "Petting you," I replied as if that answered everything. "I guess at the time; it seemed like the right thing to do." Dex-Starr stared at me for a moment, almost as if finding this interaction alien to him, unknown, strange beyond measure. After a few moments of awkward stares between us, Dex-Starr leaned forward, sniffing my hand a few times in trepidation before nuzzling against my palm. And then, as if he had made up his mind, he closed his eyes and started to purr. I smiled again, happily stroking his fur as he leaned into my hand. With each brush of my hand, I could feel Dex-Starr''s soft fur and the steady rumble of its purr. I had to admit, it was aforting sound, so much so that for a moment, I forgot about all my troubles. Perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact Dex-Starr looked a lot like the cat that scared Trigon away or the fact that this has been one of the few positive things I had gone through in this ursed universe I found myself trapped in. "Well, we have work to do, don''t we?" I said, getting up and patting Dex-Starr on the head. Dex Starr yowled in response as his body glowed red, remembering what our mission was. "I good kitty, I waited for you, I good kitty." "Good kitty indeed," I replied with a small nod. "Now, let''s get started." I was d Dex-Starr was okay, for a moment there, I had thought they had killed him, or worse. But he was okay, it seemed that Granny Goodness was simply ying with me for the sake of her own amusement. I would make her regret thatter. ----------- With Dex-Starr at my side, I arrived back at the barracks, finding Granny Goodness right where I had left her. It took her a few brief moments to acknowledge our presence, but when she finally did, she smiled at us, her eyes filled with deception. "Do my old eyes deceive me, or is that thepanion you were looking for, sweetie?" Granny Goodness asked mockingly. At this, Dex-Starr hissed at her, his fur standing on end as he tried to appear bigger than what he was. I had to admit, it was a bit amusing, and perhaps even adorable, if you didn''t count the ring he wielded, but now wasn''t the time for such things. "Save your act for someone that cares to see it," I said coldly, my voice oozing with contempt. "I know what you are trying to do, and I won''t stand for it. Not anymore, so get on with your exnation about my army and begone." Granny Goodness simply stared at me as if she was assessing me before finally breaking into a wide smile. "Oh well, you can''t me an old woman for trying to have some fun, sweetheart. But I can see you''re getting tired of dear old granny, so I won''t waste your time senselessly. Granny knows what her babies need, so I shall exin the details of your army and their capabilities." "Get to the point," I said impatiently. Granny Goodness responded with a brief chuckle before waving her hand, making a holographic map appear in the center of the room. "As you already know, sweetie. Your army isposed of four million gically engineered soldiers: two million of them are considered brawlers, one million and five hundred thousand are airbat specialists, and the remaining five hundred thousand are terraformers," Granny Goodness then motioned for me to look around the room. Every wall of the barracks was filled with weapons; guns specifically designed for each individual soldier. "Each soldier is equipped with special weaponry that fits their individual style, making them capable of taking down even the most bothersome enemies." I stared at the soldiers, the monsters Darkseid had offered me, and the weapons they wielded, using my ring to scan them to see whether or not Darkseid had given me second-grade weapons, or not. Much to my surprise, however, it seemed the weapons were of top-notch quality. Now my questions leaned toward the categories Granny Goodness was using. Brawlers, flyers, and terraformers. "Are all of them able to fly? the descriptions you used for them didn''t rify much about that regard," I asked her, staring at her. "In fact, it exined nothing about them at all besides a very general point." "Don''t worry, sweetie, Granny will answer all of your questions," Granny Goodness said with a smirk, one that made me want to tear her head right off her shoulders. "To answer your question, yes, they all have flying capabilities, but each one shines in a different area. Brawlers are the ones that use brute force to get things done; and believe me, of brute force, they have plenty to spare. They can be best used for close-quartersbat, ambushes, and direct assaults." That one, I could assume that much. The ones I wanted to know more about were the terraformers. "Flyers are the ones that handle airbat and reconnaissance; they excel at... how do humans call it? dog... dogfight! they excel at dogfighting, scouting missions, and things around those lines," Granny Goodness continued, as a dark smile formed on her face. "And finally, we have the terraformers, soldiers with long-range capabilities that specialize in the engineering feats of modifying the atmosphere, the temperature, the surface topography or ecology of a, moon, or otherary body to a terra-preset installed in their little heads." That sounded incredibly dangerous and powerful. They felt like a ss canon, so to speak. "What presets do they have?" I asked in order to decide whether I would use them for their designed purpose or throw them as sacrificial meat in the uing fight. "They can terraform any, given enough time to a few presets," Granny Goodness responded. "You can order them to make a''s atmosphere suitable for human life, or in the opposite corner, sweetie, you could make a second Apokolips. There are a few other presets, but none are worth mentioning or feel worth mentioning. Well... then again, maybe one is worth mentioning now that I think about it. The Red Sun preset; with it, you could have the terraformers change the atmosphere on Earth to one simr to that of a under a red sun." A red sun atmosphere... That would depower Superman, putting his head on a silver tter. "Wouldn''t that affect the Kryptonian?" Granny Goodness asked with a malicious grin across her face. At this, my thoughts came to a halt. Something about this seemed like Granny Goodness wanted me to use this ''preset'', and for more than obvious reasons, that didn''t settle well for me at all. "It would," I replied coldly, turning away from Granny Goodness and towards the soldiers. I would find her true intentions sooner orter. For now, I had much to n. Chapter 179: Chapter 179: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! If we reach top 5 I will post another chapter. -------------- [David Lance POV] After Granny Goodness had finished her exnation about my army and its capabilities, I proceeded to inspect every soldier I had been given, using my power ring to do so, examining every monster in my ranks as thoroughly as possible. Making sure to the best of my ability that the old hag wasn''t trying to trick me in any way. Be that as it may, I knew that inspecting them wouldn''t do much from a realistic point of view, as there were many things my ring couldn''t possibly detect, but while that was true, scrutinizing them wasn''t a waste of time. At the very least, it would discard some scenarios from my table. Once my inspection was done, I started nning. My head running over a thousand scenarios at once. Having an army didn''t mean I had this war won. If Kalibak''s invasion of earth had proved anything, it was that Superman could deal with armies, even superpowered ones, with extreme ease. This meant I had to n my approach carefully in order to seed, but at the same time, I had to do it quickly in order to minimize the chance of losing the element of surprise. A very hard task on its own. I had led people before, for a brief time, but nothing even close to this scale. I knew I wasn''t born a general, just as I knew I wasn''t trained to be one. However, that didn''t mean I did not know how to lead an army into battle. Through the ring and my own life, I had seen enough deaths and battles to amount to a level of experience many would kill to have. This world had hardened me enough to wage war efficiently. I wasn''t the same kid that hade to this universe against his will at the hands of a monster. In my time here, I had killed more than enough individuals to give even the likes of the Joker a run for his money. The bodies I had piling up behind me could fill entire graveyards. Like the Joker always loves to say, One. Bad. Day. That''s all it takes to change a man beyond repair, beyond morals, and it sickened me without measure that someone so vile and loath worthy like the Joker had proven to be right. It was almost funny. It really was. I could almostugh at the irony of the situation. I had never been a violent man. I was raised to believe, no... trained to believe that killing was never the answer, no matter what the question might be. But then I made a mistake, I lowered my guard, and because of that mistake, I was sent to this world. Here, I quickly learned how wrong I had been. No matter what you stand for, some lives are simply not worth saving. Not worth the effort. Haha. Perhaps all of this was nothing but thoughts of a man who had openly embraced his rage, and through that rage, through that tiny lens of the spectrum, through that filter, was seeing the world differently. Perhaps without the ring, I would feel disgusted at the man I have be. I honestly didn''t know. All I knew with certainty was that no matter the answer to that question, I would simply have to wait to find out. "Are you quite done nning your little invasion, sweety?" Granny Goodness asked me from the corner of her room, jolting me back to reality. "If you need help, Granny is here for you." I red at her for a moment before replying with a cold tone. "Bring a Mother Box to open the boom tubes." I didn''t have a masterful strategy or a sure way to ensure the best development of things. But I had enough to start this. Granny Goodness smiled in a twisted yet condescending manner before giving me a quick nod, vanishing out of my sight and the barracks, leaving me alone with my thoughts and Dex-Starr, as I waited for her to start. I had finally done it. I had nothing else to do. Nothing to dy me any further. It was finally time to do what I had set out to do. "Let''s do this," I growled with hunger, my hands bawling into fights as Dex-Starr yowled in approval from the back, his anger and bodynguage showing clearly that he was excited with the war I was about to unleash upon the Regime. It was time to show Superman that no matter how powerful he is or how untouchable he thinks he is, retribution alwayses. Sooner orter. "Ready?" Granny Goodness asked as she came back into the barracks, a Mother Box by her side. "Yes," I replied with a bloodthirsty grin, ready to march into battle. I had waited for this moment for so very long. Ever since he had killed Dinah, and now, after so much, the time hade. I would make him suffer as he had made me suffer. He would know the full extent of my wrath. There would be no escape for him this time. I would have my revenge. I would have my justice. "I will open the boom tubes near your sr system in order to avoid... unnecessary attention to us," Granny Goodness said before the Mother Box and opened the tubes with a loud pulse of energy. "It should take you no time to reach earth from where I opened the portal. Good luck, sweetie; Granny wishes you the best." Without a word, I walked past her as I used my ring to scan every single tube and the locations each one led to in order to confirm whether or not Granny Goodness was being truthful. Better safe than sorry, as they say. After confirming the locations behind all of the tubes and seeing all of them lead to the same coordinates, which matched with what Granny Goodness had said, I ordered my army to go through them. Until eventually, there was no one left around but me, Dex-Starr, and Granny Goodness in the barracks. For a brief moment, I simply looked at the tubes without moving, feeling within me a whirlwind of emotions, of things I couldn''t quite exin. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and imagined Superman at my feet, fallen, broken, finally defeated. With his demise. I would be free. Without him, there would be no more suffering, no more pain. Only peace. Exhaling loudly, I opened my eyes with determination and conviction, and with Dex-Starr on my side, I walked through the tubes, leaving Apokolips behind. Chapter 180: Chapter 180: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. -------------- [David Lance POV] Leading my army through space, I reached Earth''s sr system within moments, finding Sinestro and Hal waiting for me alongside several hundred Yellow Lanterns. It seemed someone had told them I wasing... And If I had to take a guess, I would say without hesitation Granny Goodness had been involved in this less-than-favorable development. No matter, I had already ounted for this kind of scenario beforehand, I will simply push forward and adapt as I go. "We seek to talk," Hal spoke first, his gold aura emanating bright. I stopped, halting my army with one hand as Dex-Starr hissed at the Yellow Lanterns, earning a re from Sinestro, who seemed ready to use his ring at a moment''s notice, probably should I reject their terms. "Talk? Oh no, no, no, we are beyond that," I replied, my tone dripping with malice. "There''s nothing to talk about, and your leader knows that." "Do not be stupid, kid. You can''t win this war," Sinestro spat, his voice full of contempt. "And if you think otherwise, you are even dumber than I had imagined. And believe me, that''s a lot." I smiled at the insult, finding it rather amusing that he thought so lowly of me. Especially considering how weak he waspared to me, it was... poetic in a way. "Then why talk? Destroy me, and im victory for your master Sinestro," I replied, looking him dead in the eye. "Don''t let my army deter you. They won''t interfere should you decide to take me on; in fact, I will even allow Hal to help you." At this, the atmosphere shifted to one of unease as the space around us seemed to crackle with tension, rage evident in Sinestro''s eyes. It seemed my words had struck a nerve with the Yellow Lantern''s leader. "We don''t have to do this," Hal replied, his voice calm and steady. "Yeah, we don''t," I smiled, my voice cold and unwavering. "In an ideal world, you would simply let me fight Superman and Superman alone. But you won''t do that; none of you will, so here we are." "Superman is not the monster you think he is," Hal replied, his gaze determined. "The only reason we meet you like this, looking for peace instead of simply attacking you, is because he knows what you''re feeling right now; he knows better than anyone the kind of pain you are enduring." I snorted at that. There was devotion, and then there was stupid naivety, and it didn''t take the loss of a loved one to know Superman needed to die. How could so many former heroes not see that was simply beyond me. "If you value your life overplete annihtion, listen well, brat. Superman is offering you an easy way out of this. Not out of fear for your pitiful army, no, why would he fear them?" Sinestro said, his voice dripping with contempt. "He leads a force, an army so massive, so powerful that not even all creatures in the universe could oppose him should he decide to subjugate them all." I snorted, taking this time to give my army somemands in order to prepare. I had lost the element of surprise, but this talk they were offering me was giving me time to recalcte my approach. I even dare say my ns were even better now than before. "You would be wise to ept his mercy," Sinestro added, anger clear in his eyes. "You should really brush your teeth more often, or at the very least use better dental products... I mean, even from here, in the void of space, I can smell him inside your throat, Sinestro." I replied, not even attempting to hide the contempt in my voice. The two men looked at each other before Sinestro growled, taking a step forward in a rage only to be stopped by Hal. What a shame, so close to making him throw his life away. "Superman wants toe to apromise. He understands your loss and is willing topensate you for it. All he requires is a token of your goodwill, a token of your submission," Hal replied, holding Sinestro back for a moment until the former calmed down. Submission? Was Superman really trying to 300 his way out of war, Xerxes-style? "Submission?" I chuckled, finding his offer so preposterous, soughable, so insulting on more than one level that I could feel my skin crawl in anger and bewilderment. "Well, that''s not gonna happen." "Then you will die," Sinestro replied, his eyes like cold steel as he stared menacingly at me. "And who''s gonna kill me?" I asked, tilting my head as I approached the duo slowly, my mouth forming a thin line. "You two? Hahaha! Certainly not,st time, I almost killed Hal, and I was at my weakest, meaning you must mean Superman will kill me, which also means you two won''t live long enough to see that happen. It almost feels like your great leader sacrificed the two of you. How cruel of him." Without another word, I continued approaching the two. And once I was around forty feet away from them, Sinestroshed out in anger, or perhaps fear, throwing a few fear-based constructs at me, but with a single hand, I pped his constructs away effortlessly, shattering them one by one without breaking my pace toward them. Hal, realizing there was no turning back, started aiding his ally, hurling with him construct after construct at me, but again and again, I continued shattering their efforts, tearing through theirbined attacks with ease, keeping my pace slow and steady to show them they had no chance of winning. "What are you all doing?! Attack!" Sinestro screamed at his troops from the top of his lungs. However, before they could follow hismands, I gave my first order, and my army moved forward without hesitation, intercepting them. "Asking your soldiers to attack me so soon? Where is the bravado you had a few moments ago?" I asked, breaking through Hal''s and Sinestro''sbined effort with ease as both grunted with effort. "I won''t be insulted by a child!" Sinestro roared, darting at me at full speed with a construct at his ring hand, a sword. However, just as he was about to reach me, I lunged forward with terrifying speed, thrusting my left hand straight through his chest. "Remember when I said you two wouldn''t live long enough to see Superman kill me?" I muttered, slowly pulling my arm out of his chest. Sinestro, trembling in shock, stares down at the hole in his chest in disbelief as blood pumps out of the hole, pouring down like a river in the void before he topples down, the once bright yellow aura that surrounded him gone. "That was... honestly, very... disappointing," I said, turning my gaze to meet Hal''s before vaporizing Sinestro''s corpse and his ring with a crimson beam without breaking eye contact. "But I suppose it will do as a warmup before I get to fight Superman. Do me a favor, though, and believe I know it''s a difficult request, but... try tost longer than Sinestro did; I need to get in the zone, so to speak." Hal said nothing. His eyes were wide, and his face was pale in shock. He looked at me with a mix of horror and disbelief, and without even realizing it, he found himself taking a step back from me, one that was soon followed by another and another until he simply found no other option but to cave to his instincts, sting out of at full speed, in a pathetic attempt to escape. "So that''s your decision," I chuckled, cracking my neck from side to side. "Can''t say I me you for it." Watching in glee as Hal flew away and my troops overwhelmed thenterns he had left behind, I could feel my heart racing in excitement. Just as well as I could feel the fear in him as he ran from me, trying his hardest to escape me, to escape his death. It was almost...mendable if it wasn''t for the fact he had no way to escape me. Which is why I was allowing him to get a good head start before I started to close the distance between us. So, as my army tore through thenterns, I waited in ce, patiently, watching as my prey kept going forward, watching him fly with all his might in a desperate attempt to escape. And with each second I gave him, my rage and my heart raced in anticipation, the thrill growing more and more as I waited for the perfect moment to strike. Finally, when the time was right, and he was far enough, I smiled, taking off after him with overwhelming speed. Reaching him in a matter of seconds, stopping right in front of him, cutting his path. Seeing his shock, I couldn''t help but remember our first fight before everything happened; I couldn''t help but remember his involvement in stopping me from helping Dinah in his attempt to save Superman. With each memory, I could feel the anger bubbling up inside of me, and before he could move another muscle, my hand shot forward, grabbing him by the throat. Using all of his strength, he struggled under my grasp as I squeezed his throat as hard as I could, relishing in the feel of his windpipe slowly crushing under my fingers. He tried to attack me, in desperation, trying with all his might to break my hold. But it proved futile, which only made his fear and despair growrger. I paid his desperation no heed, continuing to squeeze his throat, as his eyes bulged, and his face turned red, as all I could think when I saw him was the pain he had caused me. He kicked and thrashed, blooding out of his eyes, mouth, and ears, but no matter what he did, I didn''t let go. I simply continued to squeeze harder and harder until his body wentpletely limp under my hand and he stopped moving. By the time that had happened, my army had already eliminated thenterns they had brought. Chapter 181: Chapter 181: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. -------------- [Wonder Woman - Injustice POV] I walked down the hall of the Regime''s base to meet with rk, my boots echoing on the hard floor with each step I took. As I walked, I couldn''t help but wonder deep down why rk had decided to offer that man... no... that monster our mercy. By his own words, this unknown had proven to be a threat bigger than anything he had ever faced, and yet, despite that acknowledgment, he had decided to approach this beast and his army, which were a clear call for war, with peace. No matter how much time I spent analyzing this. It just didn''t make sense to me. Perhaps rk was starting to falter in his resolve. Perhaps my involuntary absence had opened room for weakness within him, and because of that, he was beginning to doubt whether or not this war was worth fighting. Or maybe he was just getting too soft. Either way, I still couldn''t fathom what had led him to make such a rash decision, especially without confiding in me first. Regardless of his state of mind right now, this had been a terrible move in more than one way. If Hal failed, our enemy would undoubtedly take his life, meaning we would lose valuable allies, and that was something we couldn''t afford to pay right now, not when war was brewing in the air. At this point, I could only hope that Hal would make it out alive, even though I knew the odds were stacked against him. With the limited number of soldiers rk had given him, there was simply no way Hal would be able to defeat a beast of such terrifying power and strength, no matter how valiantly he fought. This was out of my hands already. I hadn''t been consulted about this decision, and by now, even if I wanted to help Hal, I would be toote to do so. At this point, the best I could possibly do is prepare for war, like rk should''ve done the moment we received notice of this monstering back. "Diana," The unmistakable and insufferable voice of Lex Luthor, the snake amongst our ranks, interrupted my thoughts as he walked out of a room that connected with the hallway. "What is it that you want, Luthor?" I said without turning to face him. If I had my way, I would''ve ripped his head off, but for reasons I had yet to understand, rk had decided to spare him. "And make it quick. Unlike rk, I have no tolerance for you." Unfazed by myment and unspoken threat, Luthor stood next to me. And with his eyes drawn to a point in the distance, he spoke. "Your concerns about the threating to earth were correct, Diana. Hal died. In a pretty gruesome way." I felt my heart sink for a moment at the loss of our friend. Never before had I wished so hard to be wrong at something, but s, I had been right. Hal was gone, and it was all because of a terrible decision on rk''s part. rk had failed to stand against this monster that threatened our world and the people we cared about the way he should''ve. Instead, he had offered up Hal as a sacrificialmb in an attempt at peace, only to have his own efforts backfire like I knew they would. Luthor smiled as if enjoying my reaction. "It seems this time... rk''s vision for peace was .... rather misguided," taking a deep breath, he continued. "We better prepare for what is toe. No matter how much we try to avoid it, war is inevitable now." ------------------------------------------- [Raven - Rachel Roth POV] [Young Justice] As I walked into my room, I could feel the magic begin to stir. The air was thick with tension and power as the shadows seemed to lengthen in anticipation. After months of hardships and more, I was finally almost done collecting the ingredients I required to rescue David. There was simply one thing left I required, the blood of a powerful familiar. rion''s familiar. Those two had taken David from this world, and If I could just get the blood of that ursed cat, then I was sure without a doubt I would have more than enough power to open the gateway I needed to reach David. I just needed to forcibly summon rion, and the rest would fall into ce alone. "Today, today I bring you back, I promise," I muttered under my breath, as all of a sudden, I heard a knock on my door. From the magical signature alone, it was easy to tell it was Kaldur, the one behind my door. Knowing what he was doing here, I opened the door with a wave of my hand. "I know why you''re here, and as I have told you before, I am not interested in going back to the team nor in talking about my problems," I said coldly as Kaldur entered the room. "Raven, I know you have been through a lot, and we all understand why you don''t want to talk with us about your problems," Kaldur replied with a concerned look in his eyes, his tone soft. "We all miss him, but it''s been more than a year." I red at him in anger. "And because of that, you want me to give up?!" My voice echoed in the room as my magic intensified. Kaldur stood his ground, unflinching, even though he could clearly feel the power emanating from me. "I didn''t say that." He said calmly. "I would never say that. He''s our friend, and he will always be, just like you are. But doing this alone, it won''t end well for you." Their friend... they knew nothing about him, they didn''t know him as I did, no one did. They only knew the man he wanted them to know, not who he really was. I knew his fears, his hopes, his strength, and his weaknesses. Taking a deep breath, I looked away, tears threatening to start streaming down. "Goodbye, Kaldur." With that said, I opened a portal and walked through it, leaving Kaldur standing alone in my room. Today, I would bring David back. No matter the cost. I would do it. ---------------------------------- [Kaldur''ahm POV] [Young Justice] I watched as Raven stepped through the portal that she had opened, and all I could feel was a heavy sense of dread on my shoulders. I knew what she nned to do, and I also knew it was foolish. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, and even her magic, as vast as it was, wouldn''t be enough to protect her. No one should ever attempt a magical ritual like this alone; it was too dangerous. Especially considering she had to face rion to achieve her goals. What Raven didn''t seem to understand, though, was how much we cared about her, about ck Bolt, and that, just like her, we were willing to put our lives on the line for him if necessary to bring him back. "I told you she would react like this," Robin murmured as he stepped beside me. "She mes herself for what happened to Bolt, and because of that, she feels she has to do this alone... Believe me, I would know..." Swallowing down my apprehension, I nodded, knowing he was right. "With her powers, we have no way of following her," I said, and Robin shook his head. "We don''t... But maybe there''s someone who can," Robin suggested, and almost immediately, I understood what he was proposing. "Dr. Kent Nelson," I concluded, and he nodded in response. "That''s not a bad idea. As we are right now, weck the tools to follow her effectively, but Mr. Kent doesn''t. If anyone has the magical dexterity to aid us in this, it''s him." "Exactly," Robin said with a determined expression. "Call the rest of the team," I said firmly. "We''ll need all hands on deck if we want to seed." Chapter 182: Chapter 182: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. -------------- [Raven - Rachel Roth POV] [Young Justice] The forest was eerily quiet, and the air cold and heavy. I could feel the magic inside me, swirling and growing stronger with each step I took, preparing in anticipation for what was toe. After so long, this was it. This was the moment I had been waiting for. I reached the spot I had previously handpicked for this ritual, an opening in the trees that seemed to bask in the darkness of the forest, and with a deep breath, I stepped through. There, I started to chant, my voice echoing in the silence as the magic circle that would summon rion started to form. Once the summoning circle wasplete, rion appeared in the center, his face twisted in a sneer. "What... where am I? You!? What do you want, little girl?" He asked scornfully, and I could feel the anger radiating off him. "I want what you took from me," I spoke calmly, my rage flowing out of me like venom. rionughed mockingly and shook his head. "A, poor little swirl. You know there''s no way you can do that on your own." "Meow," His familiar meowed. "Girl! she knows I meant girl," rion replied back in an insulted manner. "I know I can''t do this alone, which is why you''re gonna help me," I said, my voice strong and unwavering. rion stoppedughing and stared at me for a moment before starting tough even harder. "Oh, did you hear that, Teekl?! I can''t... believe it! She actually thinks she can take me!" "I don''t need to take you," I replied coldly as he continued tough. "I just need your familiar." rion looked taken aback but still managed a smirk. "You would dare to hurt an innocent kitty?! I guess the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. Alright then, little girl, let''s humor your tantrum, shall we? Let''s see if you have what it takes to get what you want." With that said, he extended his hand out toward me with a glint in his eyes that promised a world of pain. I held my ground, not faltering in the slightest as I readied myself for battle. I knew that no matter how prepared I thought I was, I would note out this unscathed; rion was stronger than me, older than me, and more experienced than me. However, at this point, I just didn''t care. All that mattered was seeing this through. "Azarath metrion zinthos!" I shouted, gathering my magic andunching a powerful st of energy at him. Unfazed by my attack, rion blocked the st with ease, using a single hand as he retaliated with an even more powerful st using his other hand, one that I only barely managed to dodge, by teleporting away. "You really think that will be enough to defeat?" rion asked, his smirk growingrger. "It will," I replied, gathering more magical energy as I prepared for the next attack. "Well then, let''s see it!" rionughed mockingly beforeunching another st at me. "Let''s see that power you''re so proud of! demon girl!" Using all of my power, tapping into the demonic waves of my father''s power, I started shing with rion in a magical struggle between chaos and darkness. Right now, I was standing my ground, keeping up with the chaos lord in what could be described as a stalemate. However, I knew very well that I couldn''t keep this up forever. Sooner orter, one of his attacks would overwhelm me and connect, and then it would be all over. Not only that, I couldn''t use my demonic powers for too much time, lest I wanted my father to corrupt me. I had to end this quickly. "Hahaha, yes! YES!" rionughed in sadistic glee as he continued to barrage me with sts of power. "Let''s have some fun! Demon girl!" Blocking his attacks with a few of my own, I readied myself to attack once more. However, I was stopped when a portal opened in front of me, one I knew all too well. The portal of Fate, one made by doctor Kent. "You really thought we were going to let you fight this battle alone?" Kaldur''s voice echoed from the portal. "Not cool, Raven," Kid sh added, sticking his head out of the portal as the rest of the team stepped out of the portal. rion looked disappointed for a brief moment before bursting outughing again. "Would you look at the Teekl, the canopy of forks." "Meow." "Cavalry of dorks! They know I meant Cavalry of dorks!" rion roared at his familiar. "You don''t have to do this alone," Miss Martian said as she stepped forward, her voice firm and resolute. "We''re here for you, Raven." "Besides, were you really gonna hoard all the fun?" Artemis asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Tell us what you need, and we''ll help," Superboy added, cracking his knuckles as he red at rion. "Oh well, I guess that''s more toys ready for the breaking," rion said, still smiling. "Let''s have a little fun!" I hadn''t called them; I had no need for them... I wanted to do this on my own, I had to do this on my own, for him, I owe him that much... yet they had shown up, using Dr. Kent to reach me. I wanted to tell them to go away, but... perhaps the help would serve me well. I was in no position to turn down help. rionughed maniacally as he saw the team step forward. "Show me what you got! and make it doable!" "Meow!" "Double! they know I meant double!" rion shouted at his familiar before cackling again. Taking a deep breath, I looked at the team and telepathically told them. `I need the cat, a few drops of its blood, and I''ll bring David back.'' ''Got it,'' Superboy said before charging towards Teekl at full speed. Today, David, today I will bring you back, no matter what! Chapter 183: Chapter 183: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. If we reach a rank between the top 3 - I will post double release, triple if! you add memes to that. But they have to make meugh! -------------- [David Lance POV] I arrived on Earth, on the north pole, with a few thousand of my soldiers to back me up alongside Dex-Starr, as I ordered the remaining rest to spread across the globe and to only attack those serving the regime if possible. As expected, I was greeted by Superman, Wonder Woman, and a few thousand regime soldiers upon my arrival. What made this even better was that Superman was back to his normal self, no Yellow Ring. "Long time no see, Superman," I said, my every word fueled by unfathomable rage. The mere sight of him made my blood boil, made my non-existing heart pump vile out of the abhor I felt for him; I wanted to kill him, to tear him apart, to end him. "I offered you peace, and you spat on my face," Superman replied, clenching his jaw. "Of course I did," I sneered, the glow of my ring intensifying. "I want nothing from you except your head!" "The only one that will lose its head here is you, monster," Wonder Woman answered, getting into a spartan-like stance, sword and shield ready. Having had enough of this waste of time, I raised my arm and beckoned to my troops behind me, who, in unison, slowly advanced toward the regime soldiers as I shouted using my ring. "Kill them all!" Seeing this, Dex-Starr let out a loud and menacing roar, his fur standing on end as he charged forward with the soldiers, ws drawn and ready to tear through anyone that was foolish enough to stand in his way. Soon after, both armies were shing together, and without a word, I followed their suit, and just like that, the battle I had been dreaming of for so very long had begun, and this time, nothing would stop me. My soul and body were aze with pure unadulterated rage as I darted toward Superman, ready to unleash all my hate on him. ------------------------------- [Unknown POV] The two armies had barely started to sh when the twomanders had started their very own sh, with Superman blocking the Red Lantern''s first blow with his left forearm as the attack itself pushed him backward. The Kryptonian blocked the next few attacks with visible struggle before attempting to counter with a fast uppercut, which failed when the Red Lantern grabbed his arm and, with a powerful tug, sent him flying into a mountain a few miles away. T Bracing in another stable defensive stance, the Kryptonian exhaled. And before he knew it, his opponent quickly continued the assault, delivering a series of sts with his ring that the Kryptonian had no choice but to block with his block, tensing his muscles to minimize the damage. "Enough!" The Kryptonian roared, sting through the Red Lantern''s attacks with his powerful heat vision. The sudden attack threw the Lantern off bnce for a moment, and taking this chance, the Kryptonian pushed forward, fully intending to press his advantage. However, much to his surprise, the Kryptonian was taken aback by the speed with which his opponent recovered his bnce, taking back the lead in the fight. With unrelenting fury, the Red Lantern was back on him instantly with a barrage of powerful attacks, each attack even stronger and skillful than thest. Showing that even in rage, the Lantern''s attacks seemed like those of a master. Under this pressure of raw strength and skill, The Kryptonian was quickly bing overwhelmed and had begun a slow retreat backward, seeing no other way to avoid the onught of iing blows. "I almost pity you. Without the ring, you are nothing but a shell of the man that defeated me," The Lantern said, bringing Superman to his knees with a blow to the head. "This... almost feels empty... Who am I kidding? I''m enjoying this a lot. But s, like Wioska says, why extend what''s already over?" the Lantern added, going in for the final blow. However, before the Red Lantern could deliver the final blow, a cry of rage cut through the battlefield like the p of thunder. "Leave him alone!" Wonder Woman shouted, charging toward thentern with her sword in hand. And with one powerful swing of her blood-stained de, she managed to knock the Red Lantern away from the Kryptonian. Cracking his neck, the Red Lantern brushed his arm, the one Wonder Woman had attacked, showing he was unscathed, and with a sadistic smirk on his face, he said, ring at them. "Well, well. If it isn''t the princess of Themysciraing to save the day. Quite noble of you to throw your life away for... well, nothing." "I will vanquish that smile off your face," Wonder Woman responded with a re of her own as she readied her sword for battle. Ready for round two, Superman slowly got up to his feet, with Wonder Woman standing beside him in protection. Looking at each other without saying a word, they both shared a brief moment of understanding, both epting the fact that the enemy in front of them was simply too strong for them to beat alone. This enemy might have had the upper hand before, but the battle had just begun. And like always, the Demigod and the Kryptonian would stand side-by-side together; and no matter what happened... they would never give up. "Come!" Superman roared, pointing his fist toward the Red Lantern. "And take my life if you dare!" The Red Lanternughed before charging at them with a feral blood-thristed smile. "Very well! If you insist!" ------------------------------------------ [Dr. Fate POV] [Injustice] The skies above the battlefield turned dark, signaling ck Bolt''s arrival and the rage within his heart. From afar, I watched this battle unfold from a magical vantage point, readying myself to intervene to help ck Bolt escape his rage. He was no longer in Trigon''s control. But through Trigon, his rage had sunk too deep for him to escape. "We need to help him and stop him," Dinah said, worry clear in her tone. "If this continues, if this war continues he will kill millions." "He seems to have ordered his soldiers not to attack civilians," Ch''P, the bluentern I had rescued from dying in outer space, said. "That alone shows remarkable control, to a certain extend." "Indeed, it shows there''s still hope for him," I replied, my tone hopeful. "Are you certain your ring''s power will save his life if we take his ring off?" Ch''p nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yes. It will be hard to do so, and it will take all of my energy, but if we manage to take his ring off, it''s all a matter of healing him with my power." Chapter 184: Chapter 184: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. If we reach a rank between the top 3 - I will post double release, triple if! you add memes to that. But they have to make meugh! -------------- [David Lance POV] In front of me stood Superman and Wonderwoman, side by side, their shoulders almost touching, both ready to take me on. It was almost poetic, seeing the supposedly all-powerful Superman having no other option but to team up with the Greek Demigoddess to have even the slightest of chances to take me down. Many in this situation would feel intimidated. But I wasn''t like the rest; unlike others, I weed their challenge. I had been trained for this moment. It was almost as if all my life had led to this very moment. "When I came here, to earth, nning to end you, I... didn''t expect to fight you first," I said, my eyes never leaving them. "I fully expected to fight your goons, one by one, until you finally decided toe. Or to have to put in motion aplicated strategy to draw you out. s, I was wrong; you came right to me without so much of an invitation." "Earth doesn''t shy away from the enemy," Wonderwoman spat, her voice steady and cold. "That''s funnying from the two of you," I said, taking a step closer. "You''re nothing but a piece of y Zeus decided to nt his seed on, and as we have seen in Greek mythology, that''s... nothing special. As for your partner over there... well, he''s an alien." "Get to the point!" Superman warned, his voice like thunder. "Jumpy, are we?" I replied, a sly smile on my face. "The point is you two don''t represent the earth. You two are as alien as anyone can be. If I had to pick, I would say Batman represents humanity better; the madness behind his actions, the inability to change, the sheer hypocrisy behind every cmity... that''s humanity at its core." The atmosphere thickened as both Superman and Wonderwoman tensed up. "Then again... if you look at us really close, we all embody humanity''s essence," I sighed, taking a few more steps forward. "I didn''t get it until... just now, but. Rage, hatred, revenge, greed, lust... that''s what humanity is all about!" Wonder Woman gripped her sword tighter at my words, her knuckles turning white as she looked at me with an uncertain tone. "We do what we must for the sake of humanity. And that''s something you will neverprehend." I smiled, my voice low and dark. "Are you, though? are you really doing all this for... humanity''s sake? Or is this all a cry of revenge for your wife and unborn child?" Superman stepped forward, his voice loud and clear. "One more word out of your mouth, and I''ll rip your tongue out!" I met his gaze as I cracked an even bigger smile at him. "That''s it! That''s what I was talking about! Hatred, revenge, grief! Whenever someone lets those feelings take over, it''s when they are at their most human. After all, humanity''s truest form is evil." Having said all there was to say, I cracked my neck as I walked towards them, one step at a time. Seeing me approach, Wonder Woman drew her sword from her slowly; the de made a hissing whisper as it was removed from the sheath. All the while, Superman stood firmer, hands bawled into fists. "Two against one. Hmph. Word of advice... Don''t hold back, or this will end rather quickly," I snarled at them. Before any of us could take another step, Dex-Starr appeared, bathed in blood. It seemed like he hade to aid me. Appreciated but unnecessary; I was going to take these two down on my own. "Dex-Starr, these two are mine," I said, giving the cat a single look that said, leave now. "Go have fun." "I good kitty, I kill soldiers," Dex-Starr replied before sting off back into the battlefield. With that done, I turned my attention back to the duo in front of me, "Now, where were we?" and with a quick flick of my hand, as if to say. Come on. The battle started. With a battle cry worth of an Amazonian warrior, Wonder Woman rushed at me, with Superman following her close behind. Once the distance between us was no longer there, the Demi-Goddess shed downwards with her sword as Superman tried to punch me in the back of the head. Taking a step forward, I dodged Superman''s attack before sting him off into the distance with a kick, all while I parried Wonder Woman''s attack with my right hand covered in red energy, which shed against her sword with a shriek that sent sparks flying into the air. Impressive. Any normal sword would''ve broken by now. Leaving no room for thinking, Wonder Woman reeled back and readied herself for another attack; trying to sh me across the chest as Superman flew towards me, trying to tackle me. However, seeing this, I sidestepped to the right just enough to avoid both attacks, with the de passing a hairs breath from my chest. Then, before they could recover from this failed attack, I kicked Superman with an axe kick to the middle of his spine, sending him miles deep into the ground, before swiftly punching Wonder Woman in the sr plexus, knocking the wind out of her and stunning him for a brief moment. Disoriented and still open for a few other attacks, I decided to be a gentleman and oblige her, putting another strong hit on her sr plexus, followed by another, before delivering a rising uppercut at her stomach, doubling her over. Patting her head a few times with a smile on my face, I followed myst chain of attacks with an axe kick, kicking her head up before bringing it down in a fast motion, digging her head under my foot with earth-shattering earth. And all of that, just in time to wee Superman back from his trip to the earth''s deeper crust. "I do have to say, Superman," I smiled, digging my boot into Wonder Woman''s neck harder so she wouldn''t get up, using my ring''s energy to subdue her even further. "I am profoundly unimpressed by your performances so far. In fact... it is somehow easier to fight you both together." "Release her, now!" Superman demanded, taking a step forward. Seeing his anger rise, I smiled in response. He wanted me to release her? Very well, then. He never specified how, though. So, with one swift movement, I took my boot off her neck before bringing it back on her neck even harder, using all of my strength in order to crush her neck in a single motion. Taking my boot out and releasing her, she gasped for air, but it only came out in a gurgle as the blood flowed freely from her new wound, coating the white ground in the very sameyer of sticky red now adorning one of my boots. I watched dispassionately as she struggled to breathe, shakily extending one of her hands towards superman, as her body convulsed and fought for air that would nevere. Finally, after a few silent moments, she went still, dropping to the ground, her eyes ssy and empty. "There, all yours," I said, kicking her body toward him as if it was trash. "I have to say Dating you is, quite honestly, the biggest red g one could ever have. Don''t worry, though; I''m sure you''ll meet the one in hell." Chapter 185: Author note. Chapter 185: Author note. Just taking today off. I''m kind of sick, but don''t worry, updates restar tomorrow. Chapter 186: Chapter 186: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. [Raven - Rachel Roth POV] [Young Justice] The team hade to aid me, even though I hadn''t called for them. Very well. This wasn''t part of my ns, but I would adapt to this; I had no time to waste. I had already made David wait long enough. "I need the cat," I told Superboy under my breath as I stared at rion. Cracking his knuckles, Superboy nodded before jumping at rion with a loud roar. rion cackled at this in a maniacal manner, snapping his fingers with impish delight, creating a fiery explosion of red in front of Superboy, sending him flying backward. "Do you really think numbers will make any difference?" rion asked, his face disying a smug grin. "You can''t defeat me, you''re nothing but ants, flies trying to eat the sun," he added haughtily, looking around at all of us with delighted contempt. The anger bubbled up within me at his words, and I clenched my fists tightly. "Shut up," Artemis growled, shooting an arrow at rion. rion snorted, an evil glint in his eyes as he conjured up a force field that deflected the arrow without even moving. "An arrow? Really? The fact you think that can defeat me is insulting." Artemis grinned, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, I''m just getting started," she said before releasing a barrage of arrows at rion. Arrows I coated in magic. rion''s eyes widened in surprise. "Your stupidity knows no end; how delightful!" he said gleefully, his hands moving quickly as he formed a ball of bright red energy and released it at us. The projectile flew towards us, but Superboy was quick to move, tanking the attack and protecting us from the full brunt of it. rion''sughter echoed through the air, and the smoke, taunting us as we stood there, feeling powerless to stop him. "Superboy, are you okay?" Miss Martian asked, worry obvious in her voice as she approached him. Superboy nodded, pain written all over his face as he rose from the ground. "Yeah," he said with a weak smile. "That move yed out better in my head." "Hey, Rave, any idea how to defeat this guy?" Artemis asked, turning to me. I narrowed my eyes at rion before nodding slowly. "Yeah." "Miss Martian, link us," Aqud said, his voice calm and even. Miss Martianplied, her power forming a link between us all to facilitatemunication. ~What''s the n, Raven?~ Aqud asked, his mental voice echoing through my head. ~Chaos can''t be defeated, only halted. We need to distract him and get his cat; if we kill his familiar, we win. The cat is his anchor to the living world,~ I replied, turning my attention to Miss Martian and Aqud. ~I can distract him alongside Aqud and Miss Martian. The rest should go for the familiar.~ "So, who''s next?" rion said, drawing our attention back to him. "I had enough!" Superboy said through gritted teeth before leaping forward and attacking rion. rion, seeing this, simply swatted Superboy aside with a flick of his hand. "Well, that was fun. Next." "Azarath metrion zinthos!" I shouted, sending a wave of spiritual energy at rion, who was forced to use both hands to defend himself. Aqud and Miss Martian then used this opportunity tounch their own attacks, adding to my own attacks in order to keep rion upied while Superboy, Artemis, Robin, and Kid sh went for his familiar. "This is getting boring. Is that all you guys have?" rion asked, his voice growing tired as he continued to block our attacks with ease, one after the other. "Oh well... Teekl, go and have some fun with the rats sneaking behind me." At this, his familiar transformed into a sabertooth tiger of massive proportions and charged toward the others, who, in shock at this sudden transformation, were barely able to dodge it. "Now, where was I?" rion said, index finger pressed upon his lips as his attention finally turned back to us. "Ah yes, I was about to y hospital with you guys. I call dibs on being the doctor," he added, the corners of his mouth curling into a sinister grin. Feeling the sudden and terrifying change in mana around me, I rushed to create a shield of darkness to protect us from rion''s impending attack. Blocking what would''ve been a fatal attack in the nick of time. "Not bad," rion said, pping slowly. "I guess now the game is, seeing how long you can keep this up." "Just enough to distract you," I replied with a small grin. rion''s expression turned dark as he realized what had happened. However, before he could do anything about it, there was a loud yowl as Superboy broke Teekl''s neck. "Teekl!" rion shouted, his voice carrying what appeared to be a pain, as he turned his attention away from us, looking around frantically for his familiar. But it was toote; Superboy already had her in his arms, death. "No fair! NO FAIR! NO! NO! NO!" rion shrieked in rage before his physical form dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only a cloud of red smoke. Now it was time to collect the blood of the familiar, thest ingredient I needed to bring back, David. "Now what?" Artemis asked, breaking the silence. Without saying a word, I levitated Teekl''s body out of the ground toward me, pulling a few syringes out of my cloak before using my telekinesis to collect a few samples of her blood. With that done, I tossed Teekl''s body to the side before storing the blood in my astral form. Now all that was left was finding David. "Raven, we are here for you," Miss Martian said, interrupting my thoughts as she approached me. "Let us help you," Aqud added,ing to stand beside her. I smiled at their offer in a cynical manner. "You already did. Now the rest is up to me." "Ok, I had up to here! With your attitude!" Artemis said, exasperated. "I can''t say I understand your painpletely. Out of all of us, you were the one that cared for him the most. But I''m BEYOND tired of this solo act you are trying to pull without a reason! WE CARE FOR YOU! WHEN YOU WILL ACCEPT THAT!" "And when will you all ept that I don''t care about you all?" I replied, my tone cold and detached, before I opened a portal in front of me, only to be stopped by another portal that appeared beside me. "That''s not a nice thing to say to your friends," The unmistakable voice of Dr. Kent came through that portal as the old man stepped through, tapping his cane on the ground to close the portal behind him. "What are you doing here, Dr. Kent?" I asked, keeping my tone calm. He was the reason the team had interfered. As long as he remained, I would be gued by the team. "I''m here to try and reason with you, young woman. The spell you are about to use is a dangerous one, one that could tear the very fabric of reality," Dr. Kent replied calmly, his tone carrying a sense of wisdom. "I know you want to save your friend, but at what cost?" "That''s only if I do this wrong," I replied. "Yes, I suppose that''s true," Dr. Kent said slowly, still looking at me with an unwavering gaze. "If you seed, everything will go well. If not... Well, who will save your friend then? there won''t be another try if you fail this one. Are you willing to bet his life on a single shot? I understand your desperation. But please consider this carefully before you act." At this, he paused for a second, letting his words sink in. I knew he was right. To a certain extent, his words carried nothing but the truth. However. "I... very well," I muttered, a tear rolling down my cheek. Seeing this, Dr. Kent approached me, opening his arms to give me aforting hug. "I know it hurts, child, but don''t worry, we will save him no matter how long it takes," Dr. Kent said in a soft, reassuring tone. "I''m sorry," I muttered, tapping Dr. Kent on the head, putting him to sleep with a powerful spell. "But as long as you remain, you represent an obstacle too big to ignore. Rest well." "Dr. Kent!" Kid sh shouted as I gentlyid Dr. Kent''s body down. "What is wrong with you?!" he shouted, looking at me. Giving them no reaction, I raised my hands in the air and summoned a dark portal, quickly stepping through before anyone could even react. I would wait no longer to save David; I had already waited long enough. No more. Chapter 187: Chapter 187: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. [David Lance POV] With the war on Earth against the Regime going in full-throttle and Wonder Woman dead, I continued my battle with Superman one-on-one without further dy. As the fight raged on across the snowy terrain, I could see that wrath I had evoked after killing his... friend had made him stronger, making his attacks heavier and faster. s, it was still not enough to give him an edge in this battle. "Is this all?" I asked, dodging one of his attacks before punching the Kryptonian in his chest with enough force to double him over in pain. "No wonder everyone you love dies. This is pathetic." At this, Superman growled in blinding rage, his eyes nearly alight with fire as he lunged forward, fist raised and ready to strike, but I was quick to move, easily deflecting his blow before kicking him into the ground. "You can''t beat me," I said, walking toward him. At this point, it was all a matter of ending the fight at any given moment, I had the strength to, and after so many hits, he was weak enough to ensure such a task was easy to aplish. However, there was something I had to admit, a little sin of mine, I was enjoying this... a lot. I knew I was probably making a mistake. After all, Wioska had taught me it was best to end things quickly, but the thing is... I was having far too much fun beating him up. I wanted to savor this a little bit longer. "I won''t let you win!" Superman screamed in a mix of rage and determination, darting toward me with newfound speed, and power, catching me by surprise as hended his first sessful blow in a while, sting me out of sight. I had to admit this was an unexpected development. Although downed and grievously battered, here he was, the man of steel retaliating against me, going above and beyond to try and beat me. "I WON''T!" Superman roared, sting me with his heat vision, with a beam big enough topletely engulf my entire body. Covered under the red of his beam that burned through my skin, I grinned before flying through his beam, grabbing him by the head, and hurling him into the ground with devastating force. "Now that''s better," I said, with a wicked grin in ce, giddy at the fact Superman was making things more interesting. However, he needed to up his game a few more times if he wanted to level the ying field. "But unfortunately, not nearly enough." "I... will... defeat you," Superman said, his body shaking in pain as he tried to crawl back up. However, before he could do that, a portal opened before him. A portal in the form of an ankh symbol. Dr. Fate. "That''s enough, ck Bolt," Batman said, stepping out of the portal. "He''s already defeated." Hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAH! I don''t know whether to admire Batman for saying that or rage at the fact he said that. This was so brazen of him that I honestly didn''t know how to react at all. "You don''t have to do this," Dr. Fate said, being the second one to walk through the open portal. "I don''t?" I replied, tilting my head as my anger grew in power. "He killed her, and that''s enough for me. So step aside, or die with him. Your call." "Shouldn''t that be my call?" I froze in ce as those words came through the portal, revealing Dinah, safe and sound, alive... But... that couldn''t be, I saw her die... "I know you want to avenge me, but you need to stop. You took the regime down; without Superman, without Wonder Woman, they have no ground to stand," Dinah said, looking at me with worry in her eyes. "I''m alive; Dr. Fate saved me; he revived me. You don''t have to do this. Let us take things from here..." As Dinah spoke, I found myself without words, unable to form a single sentence, simply staring at her as I battled a turmoil of emotions within me. "You will regret this!" Superman spat, ring at me, before turning his attention to Batman and the rest. His voice snaps me out of my trance, bringing my eyes to his. No. He didn''t deserve to live. No, after all, he had done. No more holding back. "He''s a monster that needs to be put down, he''s-" Superman growled, looking at the group. However, before anyone could react, I moved forward, interrupting his speech, appearing behind Superman before ripping off his left arm with a loud crunch as Batman, Dr. Fate, Dinah, and someone else watched in horror. "I am a monster," I said, tossing Superman''s arm to the side. "One you created, now is time to reap what you sowed!" "That''s enough!" Batman shouted, running toward me. I ignored him, shing past him and taking his utility belt right off his hips. "Ah, there it is..." I said, plucking the item I was looking for from his belt, a shard of Kryptonite. "You can have this back." Having gotten what I wanted from the utility belt, I hurled back at Batman just as Dinah reached me, standing in front of me, a few inches away, seemingly having no intentions to fight me or let me kill Superman. "Don''t make me fight you," Dinah begged, her voice trembling. "I know you''re my brother. Which means you''re thest thing I have in this world, alongside my son. Please, just stop this... don''t make me fight you." "Very well," I replied, knocking her out without hurting her in a motion so fast that no one around but Superman was able to perceive fully. "There, you won''t have to fight me if you can''t fight." Seeing this, Dr. Fate snapped out of his trance, and using his magic; he started to attack me. I dodged his attacks, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye before grabbing his head and hurling him with all my strength into the distance. Magic or not, the guy inside the helmet was still human, and by the time he recovered or managed to process what had happened and acted, it would be already toote. With that done, I turned around to face Superman, seeing him on the ground, bleeding. "Ahhh!" Superman gasped in pain, as his body convulsed in agony. Time to end this. Charging my attack to finish things once and for all, I moved forward to strike Superman, only to be sted by a blue beam of energy, its power harming me more than it should''ve had. "That''s enough!" That voice... Ch''p, I remember him. One of the two bluenterns that had tried to help me a long time ago. To think someone so weak like him would be the one to hurt me the most. That attack just now was, without a doubt, weaker than anything Superman had thrown at me during this fight. And yet, it had brought me down to my knees momentarily. "Stand down. We just want to help you," Ch''p ordered, aiming his ring at me as the former glowed blue. "Very well, I yield, but you better save the guy, or all of this will be for naught," I replied, pointing at Superman, who was currently bleeding out. Ch''P turned to see Superman, and taking that opening, I moved forward, blurring past the squirrel. "I didn''t want to do this!" Ch''P shouted, turning around and aiming at me with his fist, just now realizing his fist was naked and that he no longer had the bluentern uniform. I can''t believe he felt for that one. "I will be taking this for the time being," I replied, holding the Hope ring in my hands, as I turned to face Superman once more, this time without any obstacles in my way. "ck Bolt, if you do this, there''s no turning back," Batman began with the same shit. However, before the hypocritical Dark Knight can finish his speech, I move forward, ripping through Superman''s body in an instant; while using the Kryptonite I had taken earlier to empower my attack, as everyone watched in shock as Superman fell to the ground, bleeding out from his abdomen profusely. Chapter 188: Chapter 188: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. [David Lance POV] Finally, after so long, I had done it. Superman was no longer. I had finally killed him. No more would his presence haunt my every thought, at least that much I dared to hope. "You gave in..." Batman spoke, breaking through the silence. "You could have defeated him without killing him, but you decided to take the easy way out." "And why are we supposed to take the hard path? Out of masochism?" I replied, my voice full of disinterest. "Spare me your words, and go evangelize someone else. I did what you should''ve done the moment he started killing everyone, one life, for the many." Before Batman could reply, Dr. Fate arrived at the scene, seeing Superman''s corpse on the ground, and though no words were spoken as he descended to the ground, I knew he was displeased with my actions. "Was it worth it?" Dr. Fate asked in a cold and somber tone. I looked up to the sky, snowkes falling on my face as I pondered over the answer to that question. "It was. Not everyone deserves a second chance. Not everyone deserves the gift of life. Some people are better off not existing, and he was one of them." "That wasn''t your call to make!" Batman spat, his anger palpable in the air. "Perhaps not," I said simply. "But someone had to make it. If you are expecting a higher power to make those decisions for you, then I''m afraid you will die waiting." Taking a deep breath and leaving Batman in silence, I ordered my soldiers to stop, giving them a new order to wait outside Earth for further instructions. "I can''t stop you," Dr. Fate said in a low voice. "But if I must, I will die trying." He paused, ncing at Superman''s body onest time before he continued. "So tell me, is your crusade over, or do I have to fight you to my dying breath." "It''s almost over," I replied quietly. My mission wasplete, but now it was time to do what I had promised Dex-Starr, I would, "But don''t worry, I don''t have another target. Not in the way you think, just someone I wish to meet, and if you help me, it will take no time." "Don''t do it, Fate," Batman warned. "You can''t trust him." "If I help you, you swear not to harm anyone else?" Dr. Fate asked, his gaze piercing through my soul. I simply smiled and nodded in response, and it was honestly nothing but the truth. After all, I wasn''t the one who would hurt this one; I simply wanted to talk with him or her and introduce them to Dex-Starr. Nothing more. Nothing less. Reluctantly, Dr. Fate nodded. "Very well," he said. "It''s against my better judgment, but I will help you. If anything, to stop this madness." I smiled, pulling a tattered scarf from my suit. The only item Dex-Starr had of his former owner and the one he had given me to track was the one who had taken everything from him. "I want you to track the one who killed the owner of this scarf," I said, handing it to Dr. Fate. "I wish to ask them why they did it." Batman was about to protest, probably realizing I was manipting Dr. Fate into something; however, Dr. Fate stopped him with a shook his head. "How can I trust you won''t harm this person?" Thinking for a bit, an idea came to mind. The Lasso of Truth. "Wait here for a moment." Having said that, I walked past Batman, Ch''p, and Dinah''s unconscious body, before extending my ring arm and using its power to grab thesso of Truth from Wonder Woman''s corpse. Once thesso was in my hands, I turned to Doctor Fate, handing it to him, "Use this on me. Then you''ll know my intentions are true." Hesitating for a bit, Dr. Fate nodded, and soon enough, thesso began to wrap around my arm body as the power of truth-filled my body. "Do you wish to harm the person you want me to seek?" "No," I replied, the truth residing in my voice. "I only wish to ask them why they killed a certain person, that''s all." The thing about the Lasso of Hestia was that unless you asked the right question, you could still be deceived. Dr. Fate paused for a moment before removing the Lasso from my body and handing it back to me. He then gave me a curt nod, "Very well, I will help you." "Good," I smiled. And with that, I gave Doctor Fate the scarf. His eyes glowing in a gold hue, Dr. Fate started chanting in an unknownnguage, and before long, a scrying window opened in front of him, revealing a man working in a construction factory. "He is the man you seek." I watched the man for a brief moment, my eyes going to the tattoo on his right arm, one that matched perfectly with what Dex-Starr had described to the best of his abilities. "Bring him here," I said, giving the man one final look. "Fate, he''s ying you! Don''t do it!" Batman shouted, trying to reason with Fate. However, thetter refused to listen. "Bring him here so that I might ask my question," I said, giving Dr. Fate a look. Dr. Fate nodded, and with a wave of his hands, the man was transported from the factory to us in the blink of an eye. Startled, the man looked around, confused, before noticing us. "Where... where am I?!" "I will send you back to your home after you answer a few questions," Dr. Fate said, his voice low and serious. The man nodded in silence. He obviously was scared and, therefore, willing to do whatever it took to return home. Taking a deep breath, I walked towards him, my gaze focused on his arm tattoo. "Years ago, you killed a ck woman; she was around her forties and lived in a bad neighborhood. She had a ck cat who tried his best to fight you, scratching your arm, before you tossed him out of the window." The man''s eyes widened, and his face grew pale. "Tell me, does anything so far rings a bell?" I asked, my tone calm but firm. The man shook his head slowly. "No... I have never killed anybody." "Try that again," I said, my voice suddenly bing colder as my eyes glowed red. Making Dr. Fate, Ch''P, and Batman tense. The man gulped, his eyes darting around in fear. "Now that I think about it... yes, I... I killed her... It was a long time ago, and I was a different man back then. I got clean and even got a decent job in a... small town in Missouri." Without a word, I scrutinized the man and his words, using my ring to detect and confirm everything. He was telling the truth in everything. He had both killed Dex-Starr''s owner and had changed for the better. Oh well, time to give Dex-Starr what he desired most. Taking a deep breath, I called Dex-Starr through my ring, sending him the information I had, informing him the one who had wronged him was in front of me, ready for him. "Is that all?" Dr. Fate asked, standing beside me. I shook my head. "On my part, yes, but now he has to answer to someone else." Dr. Fate froze, finally realizing I had yed with him. "I will-" "You will do nothing," I replied in a cold tone, turning my gaze to him. "Go back to your Tower; this is a matter between Dex-Starr and him. Interfere, and you will see just how low I have truly fallen." If push came to shove, I would rip that helmet off his face and shatter it into a million pieces. That was the unspoken threat I had thrown at him, one Dr. Fate had understood. And while it was true I was weak to magical users; I was considerably faster than Doctor Fate, his human part at least, which was the one controlling the power right now, meaning I could end a fight between us before he could even muster a single thought. As I was now, I moved faster than thought. And he had no way to defeat if he couldn''t cast a single spell. "Your call, Dr. Fate," I said, giving him one final look. Dr. Fate remained silent, unsure of what to do. "If he won''t fight you, I will," Batman said, stepping forward. "Sure, why not?" I shrugged without even ncing at Batman. Batman wasn''t a threat. Right now, the only possible obstacle was Dr. Fate, so I had to keep an eye on him, for if I saw him twitch a single muscle in the wrong way, I would attack without hesitation. As the tension grew between all of us, Dex-Starr arrived, yowling and hissing in unwavering hatred, approaching the one he had been looking for, one paw at a time. His ws unsheathed and his fur bristling, he was more than ready to make the one who had wronged him pay. Chapter 189: Note Chapter 189: Note Updates restart tomorrow Chapter 190: Chapter 190: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. [David Lance POV] Consumed by fury, Dex-Starr began to tear the object of his hate piece by piece while I kept Batman and Dr. Fate locked in ce. The man tried to scream, to run, but Dex-Starr''s ws were around his throat, keeping him in ce, choking off any sound. The man''s eyes bulged in pain as the cat sunk its teeth into his flesh, tearing chunks of meat from his body. This was his revenge, his justice. By the time Dex-Starr had decided to stop defiling the man, the man had long since stopped screaming, having died a few minutes prior. His enemy finally gone, Dex-Starr remained in ce, standing above the unrecognizable remains of his victim, repeating over and over again that he was a good kitty, his fur matted with blood and chunks of meat. Taking a deep breath, I approached the cat and, with my ring, removed the remains that tainted his ck fur. "Time to go." Dex-Starr said nothing. Instead, he simply moved out of the scene, flying to my side in an almost catatonic state. "Well, as I promised, I will leave now," I said, giving the heroes a look, who, having no power to intervene, had been forced to watch the entire scene in horrified silence. "If you evere back to earth, I will take you down," Batman said, his voice strained but full of anger. I nodded, giving Dinah, who stilly on the ground unconscious, onest look. I no longer had a reason to remain here. My new mission was to find a way home. "Goodbye," I said, preparing to fly away when all of a sudden beam of light hit me, blinding me. This development had caught mepletely off guard because it hadn''t alerted any of my senses at all. I had only reacted because I had seen it the moment before it had stricken me; otherwise, I would''ve realized about the attack before it had stricken me. Eventually, the light died down; however, by the time this happened, I found myself in a strange ce, trapped in some sort of cage that appeared to be made out of ss. My first reaction to this was to try and st my way out of it, but much to my shock, the cage seemed to absorb my attack. Seeing that hadn''t worked, I gritted my teeth, deciding to take a different approach to my situation by inspecting the area. I was trapped, but I could see beyond my cage thanks to the translucent nature of the same. Outside my prison, the walls were lined with wires and strange pieces of equipment, all of which looked very advanced. Around the room, I could hear a faint humming sound that I was almost certain was due to static electricity. Beyond that, I couldn''t see more. Meaning my information was heavily limited. Clenching my fists, I walked to the edge of my cage, touching the ss-looking walls. They felt malleable and fragile, yet they somehow had managed to fully absorb my attack without receiving any damage. Perhaps it was an energy field of some sort, and energy-based attacks were not the way to go. Deciding to test that theory, I reeled back my right fist and punched the wall with all my might, but just like before, my attack did nothing. Absolutely nothing. I growled, frustrated with my situation. If physical attacks and energy attacks weren''t the answer, myst resort was my voice. "BREAK!" I shouted, my voice filling the air, making the cage vibrate; but just like before, when the silence came, I realized that nothing had happened. The cage remained intact; if anything, I had been the one that had taken some damage. I took a step back, shocked. This wasn''t possible, or was it? My voice could destroys, sr systems... So how was it that this cage was able to remain without any damage after a fully powered scream? Could it be that this prison was made specifically for me? If so, who was the one behind all of this? As if ready to answer my unspoken questions, I heard footsteps approaching as a voice spoke from the distance. "Wee, anomaly." At this, I turned my attention toward the voice, watching as a green-skinned alien entered the room. One I knew as one of the greatest threats in the DC Universe, Brainiac. His eyes were cold and calcting, and he regarded me like a scientist would ab rat. "You might be wondering, why are you here?" Brainiac spoke, taking a few steps closer. Screw this! Taking a step back, I charged my ring with all the power I could muster before mming my fist on the wall with a scream, mixing all of my arsenal in a single strike. "Why do you continue to struggle when there is clearly no hope?" Brainiac inquired, standing in front of my cage, which still remained intact. "I find your actions highly illogical." I gritted my teeth in frustration and anger as I mmed my fist against the walls of my prison once more. "I will find a way out of this cage, and when I do, I will dismantle you fucking toaster!" "An empty threat and a most futile endeavor," Brainiac replied in an emotionless tone. "I have studied your capabilities carefully from afar, making the necessary calctions to make a prison from which you cannot escape." That exins why none of my attacks do anything. "Energy maniption based on the emotional spectrum, high-level physical capabilities, heightened senses, and a unique organic mutation; located in your brain that allows you to generate a yet-to-be-ssified particle that interacts with the electrons around you in order to create the phenomena you experience as your scream," Brainiac exined, his tone cold and detached. "There is no escape. This prison was made specifically to contain you, making your powers useless." Maybe not now. But I will find a way out. "Why am I here?" I asked, my voice filled with rage. "Knowledge," Brainiac replied. "You are an anomaly, a being from another reality, which makes you a most unique resource. One that I will use to further my understanding of the universe. And the universes beyond the cosmic veil." He knows I''m not from around here. Thatplicates things and makes my escape an even higher priority. This was bad, very fucking bad. I''m not sure if he can use me to open a gate back to my world, but I would rather avoid the chance of that happening. "Initiating biological research on subject 1XR/-999TR, designation, Anomaly," Brainiac said as he stepped away from the cage. Immediately after he did this, I was electrocuted by some unknown means with enough power to bring me to my knees as tubes protruded from my cage, piercing my skin. This bastard better enjoy this, because when I get out of this, I will destroy him! I will not be defeated by an overrated microwave! Chapter 191: Chapter 191: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. [Raven / Rachel Roth - POV] [Young Justice] After leaving Dr. Kent and the others behind, I went to collect the other ingredients I had left in my room before starting to prepare them for the spell. Once I had all the ingredients in my possession, I opened a portal to a deste area where I would have the room and peace of mind to prepare everything correctly. What I was about to do wasn''t easy. It would be, without a doubt, the hardest spell I had ever attempted to use in all my life. It needed careful preparation and perfection at every turn, as I had to draw symbols and runes in the blood of Teekl, all while chanting in ancient long forgotten tongues. But even if it felt impossible, I would not fail him, not again. Using my magic, I began to draw the symbols around the area, chanting the long-forgotten arcane words in the order it was required. Once I was done with the sigils and the runes, I channeled my mana into the spell, lighting the runes and sigils in a dark red tone. Now, all I had to do was keep channeling my mana into the symbols until the portal opens. "Hm, a rather crude method of traveling, but I suppose it will do," A voice said,ing from behind me. An enemy? A friend? It didn''t matter; either way, if I moved, everything I had done, every step I had taken until now would be for nothing; if I stopped now... no... NO! "Rx, I honestly mean no harm," The unknown man chuckled before walking into view. "The name is Lucifer Morningstar, and yes, the pleasure is all yours." Lucifer Morningstar... He was the devil. "Right, you can''t speak or move while you make your portal," Lucifer said, walking around the ce like a curious child. "Let''s fix that, shall we?" he added, snapping his fingers, andpleting my spell. He created a transdimensional portal with a snap of his fingers, no runes, no spell, he just willed the portal into existence, and it did. This man was dangerous, more so than even my father. "What?" Lucifer said, a smirk curling his lips as he took a seat on a chair that hadn''t been there before. "I mean, I can''t have a pleasant conversation if you can''t speak, so... I took the liberty to make your portal. You''re wee." "Why are you helping me?" I asked, unsure of his true intentions. Lucifer chuckled before rising from the chair and walking towards me with a confident stride, stopping in front of me with a smirk still on his lips. "Juicy gossip, that''s why." I... what? "I''m... sorry, but... what?" I asked, confused. "A friend of mine and I have a few bets on who will confess to who first," Lucifer exined, tucking his hands in his pocket and looking away with a sly smirk. "I personally think you will be the one to tell your depressed little crush that you like him more than just a friend, but my friend seems to think he will be the one to confess first." ... .... ..... What is going on? "So," Lucifer said, looking back at me with a knowing smirk. "What do you think? Who will confess first? You or him?" "I have no idea what games you''re ying. All I want is to save him, nothing more," I said, my voice firm and unwavering. Lucifer deadpanned, giving me a look that said. No one believes that. "Hm, the denial is strong in this one." He then smirked, cing a hand on my shoulder. "Now, now, there is no need to fight it. You can tell me your heart''s deepest desires." "I want to see David again, more than anything in the world. He was my home, the part of me I thought to be non-existent." "And there it is!" Lucifer said, pping his hands in delight. "Now that you have been honest with yourself, it''s time to stop dallying. We have a future boyfriend to recover!" ... ..... What did I just say? Did... did he just bewitch me? "Now let''s talk first-date arrangements," Lucifer said, index finger pressed upon his lips. "Let''s see. It would be your first date, so... something overly cliche... Hmm... Chocte-covered strawberries and a romantic stroll down the river? Or maybe a night out on the town? What''s your budget?" I stared at Lucifer in disbelief. Before deciding, it would be best to simply ignore him, even if he could will me out of existence. "Thanks for the help, but I need to bring David back, and I can''t waste my time with you." "Hmm, a low budget, you say?" Lucifer said, ignoring my words and continuing with his own agenda as he followed me through the portal. "Worry not, I have plenty of money, and I''m overly invested in this, so no limits." "Could we change the subject?" I asked as calmly as possible. "Like lingerie arrangements?" Lucifer asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "No!" I almost shouted. My magic going out of control for a brief moment as I lost hold of my emotions. "I assure you, I am an expert in lingerie," Lucifer said, his face now more serious, looking almost insulted at my reaction. "I can make sure without an ounce of doubt that your future boyfriend is titited by whatever you choose as your outfit." I stared at him, my eyebrow twitching in disbelief. How did I even get into this mess? "But I suppose we can change the subject to something else," Lucifer continued, a small smirk forming on his lips. "Thanks," I muttered with a sigh. "Waxing arrangements?" Lucifer suggested nonchntly. "WE HAVEN''T EVEN GONE ON OUR FIRST DATE YET!" I eximed exasperatedly, my voice echoing throughout the portal. "Oh, so that means there will be a first date," Lucifer said, a satisfied smirk on his face. "I suppose I should start looking for that lingerie now, then. Better be prepared for any development." I want to die. Chapter 192: Chapter 192: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Marvel: Gamer Path is back. Getting updates. If you want to read ahead for either one be sure to check my sexy Patrrreon. [David Lance POV] It had been two months since Brainiac had captured me, and things hadn''t been exactly the best for me. Every day, he would torture me, experiment on me, trying to unveil the secrets of my existence, as he himself described them. My almost every hour within his grasp was painful beyond belief. And sadly for me, his knowledge and creativity in the arts of torture and experimentation knew no bounds. Nevertheless, I remainedposed and dignified as if it were simply a minor inconvenience through it all. Despite the physical and mental anguish he would impose on me, I would never fail to carry myself with an air of supreme confidence. It was as though I was genuinely untouchable. He would say that he could see through my tough act. But I knew that despite that statement, my defiance was starting to annoy him. And that was all the fuel I needed to continue ying his game. This wasn''t to say I wasn''t trying to escape; I was. Every moment of rest he gave me, be it because he had other things to do or something, I would try to break out of my cage. I had yet to make any progress. Nevertheless, I was determined to seed. Call it pride or arrogance, but I would not let an overly glorified toaster be the one to end my story, no matter how powerful he was. "No matter how many times you fail, you still try," Brainiac said in a cold, calctive tone. "Why?" "Do you even care?" I retorted. "Why else would I inquire?" Brainiac replied. "Inquiry in the ultimate path of evolution, to understand everything there is to understand. By understanding why you still try, despite the futility of it all, I might find a way to cure your ailment." "I try because I still have things to do, like tearing your synthetic ass apart, piece by piece," I replied, leaning against one of the walls of my prison. Brainiac merely looked at me for a moment before saying. "You think you can escape me? Do you even know what I am capable of?" "Yes, and I don''t care," I replied. "It seems you are suffering from Thought Disorder," Brainiac replied, staring at me unblinkingly. "Otherwise, there is no exining why you make such statements without any data backing them up. Your entire self seems to act through pure illogical impulses." "Don''t you have better things to do?" I replied, taking a deep breath. "Like, I don''t know... dividing by zero? or something?" "You seem to forget you''re under my control, and I can do whatever I want," Brainiac said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Then, in that case, go ahead and torture me. I insist, honestly, the less time I spend hearing your voice, the better," I replied, crossing my arms. Brainiac stared at me for a second without moving an inch or even replying until, eventually, after a moment or two, he turned away and made his way toward the door. Finally, alone, I returned to what I was doing, trying to break out of my cage. I had tried everything, brute force, energy attacks, focused attacks in a singr spot, random attacks to random spots, and so far, nothing. I had even peed the walls to see if that worked. Not my best effort, I admit, but I was running out of options. "A prison made specifically for me," I muttered, touching the walls with a sigh. I had tried everything and more; what else was there to do? Unless... Brainiac said this prison was made to contain me perfectly, a cage without escape based on the data he had collected of me through my stay in this universe, meaning everything I had so far, everything I had learned, acquired, and more, was something this ursed room was equipped to deal with. Meaning that the obvious solution to my current dilemma was to do something out of Brainiac''s data, therefore breaking his preparation. Easier said than done, of course. All of my powers, abilities, and skills were something Brainiac had prepared for, and sadly, it wasn''t like I could just spontaneously create a new power. .... However, not everything was lost. I still had the Blue Lantern''s ring in my possession. Although a long shot, seeing Brainiac had already prepared for a power ring, meaning there was a big chance he had prepared for them all, I still had the ring in my possession. Making this the only possible variable out of Brainiac''s preparation. Well, that or the unlikely event I develop a new power but seeing I hadn''t so far, I might well give the blue ring a try, even though I wasn''t all that... excited to do so. There was a reason I had purposely ignored this... option so far. Well, a few reasons. One, I had no idea how to use the ring; I mean, sure, I had mastered the Red Lantern ring, but chances were my skills with one ring didn''t trante to the other. Two, the painful metamorphosis. As I was right now, I had no organs within me, for the most part, at least, because the Red Lantern ring had melted them away, making me puke most of them, recing their space with sma. So, if I put on the Blue Lantern ring, those organs woulde back, and well... That sma woulde out. Making the entire process rather painful. I was okay with the pain. I didn''t like it, sure, but I knew I could take it. The problem was the time during the pain. Brainiac had the entire ce under heavy surveince, and that was putting it lightly. The room I was in had hundreds of cameras, robots, and other things that were always looking at me from outside my cage. Meaning the moment I started to show even the slightest semnce of change, Brainiac would intervene, which brings me to my third point as to why I hadn''t used the blue ring. The absurdly short window of action all of this gave me. To summarize, I had to put the ring on and start sting right away, not a secondter, not half a secondter, but immediately after, which made this a very hard thing to pull off. I was confident in my skills, in my ability to adapt and learn from my mistakes, but even I knew having less than a second to act made my possible escape... impossible. ... Now that I think about it, there''s maybe a way to make this escape attempt more feasible... What takes the most time of all I had thought so far was the metamorphic stage of it all; I mean, even with the power of the rings, regrowing organs wasn''t exactly an easy feat, but... what if I could skip that step by using both rings? I wasn''t sure if using two power rings at the same time was even possible, but if it was, which I honestly hoped it was, I should be able to stop the blue ring from regenerating my organs by exerting control of that stage through my red ring. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try. "Well, fuck it," I muttered, pulling the ring out of my clothes and on my finger. As things were now, I had nothing to lose, so fuck it all, and let''s try dumb shit. Chapter 193: Author Note Chapter 193: Author Note Updates return tomorrow, going to a funeral today. Hope you can all understand. Chapter 194: Chapter 194: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Updates will remain, but I will be off thement section for a bit. Thanks for your understanding. [David Lance POV] "Well, here goes nothing," I muttered, pulling the ring out of my clothes and on my finger. As things were now, I had nothing to lose, so why not bet it all? As soon as I put the blue ring on, a wave of calmness rushed through me. It was so strange, so foreign, something I hadn''t felt in a long time; I felt... safe. I was still angry, but it was different now; it was... refreshing. The next second, the metamorphosis started as time seemed to freeze around me. The environment turned into something else entirely as I focused both power rings on myself and exerted control over every single cell within my body. Forcing the regeneration to stop. I could tell right away my control over the ring''s power was limited, very limited. Not only was I not a Blue Lantern, but this ring already had an owner, meaning I was shackled to the very basics the blue ring could offer. But that would have to do. So, without wasting any more time and hoping Brainiac hadn''t prepared for this oue, Ibined the energy of both rings into one before shooting at the walls of my prison in a singr beam. At first, the crystal-like walls of my cage resisted the attack, fighting against my attempt like they had done before, but just as I was about to stop, with my energy running low, I heard a crack, and before long, my beam was pushing through, melting the walls away like butter. "It seems I have underestimated you," Brainiac spoke through some sort of speakers, his detached voice echoing through the ce in a haunting manner. "I assure you, that''s a mistake I won''t repeat again." "You won''t be alive to have that opportunity again," I replied with a growl. Having said that, it was time to test if his entire ship was David-proof. So, taking a deep breath of relief at the fact my n had worked, I took a step forward, and unchained I screamed. "Goodbye!" What followed after that was a scene of utter destruction. One moment, everything was normal. The next, a massive explosion ripped through Brainiac''s ship, leveling everything in its path and reducing it all to dust. The st of my voice was so powerful that through both rings, I knew it could feel light years away, shakings outside my immediate reach. When the dust finally settled, there was nothing left but the vast emptiness of space around me. It was as though my attack had erased all traces of Brainiac''s existence. If only that was that easy. Just as nothing had been around me after my scream, in the blink of an eye, that void was filled, and I was now surrounded. By hundreds, no.. thousands of ships all identical to the one I had just destroyed, and in front of each ship, a brainiac stood, his face expressionless. "Resistance is futile," All the Brainiacs said in unison. "Give up, and ept your purpose." How to kill something without a body? A real body. This wasn''t looking good for me, not at all. I had never seen so many ships before, or Brainiacs for that matter, thousands of him. They were everywhere, an army of never-tiring machines controlled by a single mind. I was rather confident I could fight him off for a long while, keeping the upper hand against his numbers and everything, perhaps not as long as I would be able to fight him in top conditions, but that wasn''t the question right now, no, the real question was, would I tire before his resources ran out? or would his resources run out before I tired? No matter how I looked at my situation, my only option right was to escape, if anything, in order to fight another day. So, with a scream to act as a distraction, I collected the remaining energy from both of my rings before sting out of sight at full speed. My destination, Apokolips. Darkseid owed me a gift, one he had promised if I seeded in killing Superman, and right now, that was an offer I intended to collect; I was in no room to be picky. Besides, of all the beings in this universe, Darkseid was quite possibly the only one with enough resources to match Brainiac''s. I had the raw power, and of that, I had no doubt; I just didn''t have the numbers to make this an easy challenge. There was such a thing as too many enemies. [Hostile ships approaching you at high velocity. Collision imminent in 10 seconds.] I heard the robotic voices of my rings alerting me, one in a calm, soft tone, the other fueled by rage. This wasn''t good, not at all. The fact Brainiac was already on my tail and would reach me in ten seconds meant his ships flew faster than me. How to escape an enemy when said enemy is faster than you? And has unquantifiable clones of itself to chase you down? Grinding my teeth, I pondered over my situation, trying to formte a n to escape Brainiac before the former reached me, forcing me to engage in a battle I knew I had no hopes of winning right now when all of a sudden, a boom tube opened in front of me, a millimeter away from my face, sucking me in. The entire scene had happened so fast and so suddenly that I didn''t have time to question it or realize what was happening; I was simply... Whisked away to who knows where. Passing through the boom tube at full speed, I crashed against a, almost reaching the core of the same before managing toe to a stop. Looking at the hole I had created, thanks to my inability to stop my momentum at this sudden change of scene, I sighed. Besides almost destroying a by flying right through it, it seemed like I had been saved by someone, but by whom. There were a few beings in the universe capable of using the boom tubes, Cyborg, Darkseid, and the New Gods of New Genesis. I doubted Cyborg had any intentions of saving me, and the New Gods of New Genesis probably considered me an enemy thanks to my dealings with Darkseid, and if they didn''t consider me an enemy, well, they had no reason to help me anyway. Which left only one option, Darkseid. But why? It just didn''t fit in his character at all to save me. In fact, from a purely strategic point of view, he would gain more by just letting me die. Shaking my head, I decided to leave those questions forter. Right now, what I actually needed was to recover my energies, and in order to do that, I needed to find a safe ce to do so. "Rings, where am I?" I asked, looking around me. [You are on X7892546837, sector 1487. This is currently inhabited by nothing more than microorganisms. ording to the data, this hasn''t been named because it will inevitably die along its sun in 1617.6 years. Leaving no room for sentient life to evolve or form.] Taking note of that information, I started to fly out of the hole while looking through the rings and their respective databases for a safe ce to recover before going to Apokolips. However, once I was out of the hole, those ns came to an abrupt end as I was met by no other than Granny Goodness herself and a few of her furies. "It seems Granny was just in time to save you," Granny Goodness smiled in a sinister manner as she slowly walked towards me. "You have to take better care of yourself, if not for you, for Granny; after all, it would''ve made Granny very, very sad if you died, sweetie." Rolling my eyes and clenching my fists, I snorted. "Why did you save me?" Granny Goodness raised an eyebrow as if she was surprised I asked that question. "For the same reason, I do anything to make sure Darkseid''s will is done." Well, I suppose I won''t have time to recover before meeting with Darkseid. I could easily defeat Granny and her furies, but I didn''t want to risk getting on Darkseid''s bad side, especially now I already had an enemy with a seemingly endless army to face; I didn''t want to add another to that. Chapter 195: AUTHOR NOTE Chapter 195: AUTHOR NOTE Getting back from the funeral, updates will return tomorrow. This time, uninterrupted. Thanks for yourprehension. Chapter 196: UPDATE Chapter 196: UPDATE Updates restart tomorrow, seeing the voting poll restarts tomorrow I thought it would be best to well, post tomorrow and rest today. As for how I''m doing, I''m doing fine. Mostly helping my mom deal with this, a bit tired more than anything. Love you all. Corn. Chapter 197: Chapter 197: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz If we reach top 3 I will post an extra chapter. [David Lance POV] As I arrived at Apokolips through the boom tube Granny Goodness had opened, I could feel the weight of Darkseid''s presence bearing down on me. He was waiting for me, lurking in the shadows of his throne room. Following the furies and their trainer, I walked through Apokolips as we made our way to the castle at an almost leisure-like pace. Just as I remembered, the was a dark, nightmarish ce filled with endless suffering and despair. The air was thick with the stench of death, and the ground was littered with the bones of those who had dared to challenge Darkseid. No matter how many times I visited Apokolips, it would still unsettle me. Eventually, as we continued to walk, we finally reached the throne room, where Darkseid was seated on his throne like a king of old. His eyes burned with hatred for even the furies and their trainer. He red down at us with contempt and malice, so much so that it felt like an icy chill was entering my spine, and it wasn''t out of fear. "Your will has been done," Granny Goodness reported, kneeling down alongside her furies in a show of adoration. Darkseid simply nodded and responded, "You may leave." Once the furies and Granny Goodness were gone, I was left alone in the throne room with Darkseid, where I could feel his gaze bearing down on me as if judging every fiber of my being. If I had to describe what it felt under his gaze, I would say it was like being stared at by a force of nature that could not be controlled or reasoned with. I guess that was to be expected, considering the character. After all, Darkseid was negativity incarnated, the being who embodied evil and hatred to its very core. "It''s been a while, Darkseid," I said, my voice steady and without a trace of fear. Darkseid simply stared at me for what felt like an eternity, but eventually, he spoke. "You are brave," he said in a low, deep voice. "Braver than most." "Coming from you, that''s apliment I will take to heart," I replied with a faint smile, the tension in the air slowly dissipating. "Reports say the Kryptonian is no more," Darkseid said, his eyes glowing ever so lightly. "And those reports would be correct," I confirmed. "Unless they revive him somehow, he''s dead." Darkseid nodded and stood up from his throne, slowly walking toward me. He stopped mere inches away from my face and red at me intently before saying, "You have done well." "I didn''t do it for your praise," I replied, matching his gaze. "I did it because, more than anything, I wanted to kill him." Darkseid looked at me and nodded. Though his face remained emotionless, I could tell he almost seemed... impressed. "As I promised before, anything you desire will be yours, within measure." I paused. First, he saves me, and now he still offers what he offeredst time? "Not to sound ungrateful, but why?" I asked. "First, you saved me, which by the way, I still don''t understand why, and now you offer me a wish? Please do excuse me if I sound crazy, but it just doesn''t add up. On my way here, I had rationalized you had saved me just to clean any outstanding arrangements between the two of us, any debts or promises. s, it doesn''t seem like that was your intention." Darkseid nodded, his eyes burning like fire as he spoke. "You are correct. Had no one intervened, I would''ve let you die; for it was your weakness that led you to be captured. Nevertheless, I owed Wioska a favor forst time, a favor she used on you." So it was Wioska the reason why Darkseid had saved me. Hm... Somehow that feels even harder to believe than Darkseid just saving for no reason. "I see. That exins that, then," I replied, still rather stunned at the fact I had been saved by Wioska. "Now, what will you do?" Darkseid asked, his arms crossed behind his back. I paused and thought for a moment about how to word out what I wanted to say before replying, "Well, like before, we have an enemy inmon, though, unlike Superman, this one is more of a business enemy." "Brainiac," Darkseid replied. His tone and bodynguage showing this wasn''t news to him at all. "I have been aware of him and his puny ambitions for decades. He represents no threat to Darkseid." In other words, he has no intention of destroying Brainiac. "I don''t doubt that. Nevertheless, Brainiac is a pest that needs to be erased, one that happens to be very difficult to fully eliminate, given theplexity of his tech and the vastness of his resources, and while now he''s not a threat, who says he won''t be one in the future," I replied, trying to guide the tyrant''s head to my same space of thinking. Darkseid walked past me, arms still behind his back. "Don''t think I don''t see what you''re trying to aplish. You want my help, but maniption won''t work on me," he said simply, his voice devoid of any emotion. I guess there goes my chance to have him on my side for this particr enemy. "And if I used my wish within measure?" I asked. "No," Darkseid replied bluntly. "I have no interest in being part of this pathetic conflict; it serves Darkseid no purpose." At this, he paused for a moment as he turned to look at me before continuing, "If you need resources, I will grant some, but you will have to win this war by yourself." Not the result I had been looking for, but still eptable. Sure, it would''ve been easier to fight Brainiac with Darkseid as a temporary ally, but not everything in lifees the way you want; I was the living proof of that piece of wisdom. "Very well," I nodded, epting this offer. "You may rest in the same quarters you usedst time; by the time you wake up, you will have what you need to wage war," Darkseid said as he started to depart from the room, when all of a sudden, a voice echoed through the halls of the castle. [Inhabitants of Apokolips, my name is Brainiac. And I havee for the individual known as ck Bolt; surrender him, and you will be spared. For facing me is a fatal error.] For an artificial intelligence that boasts of being the superior being in all of creation, that was pretty dumb. I turned to look at Darkseid, who simply remained silent and still, like a storm building in the distance. "You dare?!" Darkseid muttered in a deep low tone, the ground around him shaking as his eyes burned with fury and hatred aimed at one who had dared to challenge him in his own kingdom, promising to show them the full extent of his wrath. "YOU DARE?!" [Don''t make a foolish mistake by overestimating your chances, Darkseid. I have studied your every move and action from the beginning of your reign to now. Your power cannot touch me. The only logical thing to do is give me what I want.] Darkseid clenched his fists in anger. "Do not concern yourself with what I have done, machine; rather, tremble at the thought of what I am about to do to you." Chapter 198: Chapter 198: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz If we reach top 3 I will post an extra chapter. [Rachel Roth - Raven / POV.] [Injustice World.] I stepped through the portal with Lucifer, finding myself in an unfamiliar ce. The walls were lined with rich mahogany paneling, and the air carried the scents of expensive perfumes with a hint of something else underneath it all. It didn''t take me long to realize the ce I found myself in was a bar of some kind. "Wee to Lux, or a version of it anyways," Lucifer said, gesturing to the room. Specifically to the wall behind the bar, one that was lined with bottles of expensive-looking liquor. Before I could ask him what I was doing here, I heard a voice call out from the shadows. "Who''s this brat?" Lucifer chuckled and stepped forward, introducing me. "This is Raven, Raven; this is Mazikeen." The figure who had spoken stepped into the light, revealing a young, beautiful woman with wless, medium-dark skin, a slim but sexy, model-like build, and gorgeous long dark hair. Or that would say anyone who couldn''t see behind her facade, for the real her was a mutted demon disfigured beyond recognition. And if her expression was anything to go by, she knew I could see her true form. Just as I knew, she knew by just looking at me that I wasn''tpletely human. Mazikeen smiled, and her eyes seemed to sparkle. "I like you," she said as she opened a beer behind the bar. I nodded before turning to Lucifer. "Where are we? Where''s David? The portal was supposed to bring me to him." Lucifer smirked in a yful manner. "And it did. You are currently in the same universe as him." Taking his word, I focused my energy on reaching out to David, trying to find him, but no matter how much I tried, I felt nothing. Refusing to give up, I tried again, and a few more times after that, until eventually, I felt something blocking me; something dark and evil. It almost felt like Trigon. But colder. "What''s going on?" I asked, my voice shaking. Just imagining that David was within the grasp of someone like Trigon was painful beyondprehension. At this, Lucifer smiled as he stepped forward, cing aforting hand on my shoulder. "Don''t worry, he''s fine. He''s with... was his name? Dark.... something, Dark Vader? Voldemort? No... Darkseid! He''s with Darkseid. Hm, so edgy, you could cut tomatoes with that name." I red at Lucifer. "Is this all a game to you?" Lucifer tilted his head before replying. "Hmmm... yes, I would say yes. But rest assured that when I say something is nothing but the truth, meaning he''s okay, safe, and sound." I felt a slight bit of relief wash over me. One that didn''tst long because whoever this Darkseid was, his presence was as terrifying as Trigon''s, no... worse than his. Meaning it was only a matter of time before David wasn''t safe anymore. "I can''t get his location, whoever this... Darkseid is; his mere presence is disrupting my senses," I replied, clenching my hands. Aftering so far, I was still nowhere near rescuing David. "So, I ask you, can you help me?" Lucifer nodded, his grin growing wider. "Of course, I can help you... s, helping you is not fair at all for everyone involved, so to make things fair and fun for me, I will keep my power limited to your level." My eyes widened at his words. He truly considered all of this a game, a mere event for his entertainment. In any other case, I would not indulge him, but as things were, I had little to no option, and this wasn''t the time to be picky when it came to my allies. "Even I can see that''s in evil, Lucifer," Mazikeen said, her voice filled with a hint of disappointment and amusement. Lucifer merely shrugged. "Evil? Maybe, maybe not. It''s the most entertaining way to make sure things stay fair, though. I mean, poor tomato cutter hasn''t done anything to me. Besides, the kid is in no danger, so where is the rush?" "So, where do we start?" I asked Lucifer. "Well... we could give his sister a visit, well... you know, this universe version of her anyway," Lucifer replied, taking the drink Mazikeen was bringing him. "I''m sure she''ll have some useful information for us, and then we can move on from there." Another Dinah? I had a bad feeling about this. I didn''t know why, but I felt something was very wrong with this. I could feel my bones chilling at the very thought. "With a lock of her hair, we should be able to cast a spell powerful enough to locate him," Lucifer continued with a child-like smile. "After that, is all a matter of finding your boyfriend." I nodded. A lock of hair from Dinah should work to find David''s location, as it would connect on a spiritual level with him through their familiar connection. "Then, what are we waiting for?" "We''ll leave in a few. Just let me finish my drink," Lucifer said with a wink. I sighed, knowing that I had no other option but to wait until he was done with his drink. For even though he considered my mission nothing but a game for his amusement, he was still a very valuable ally and the strongest being I have evere across. If anything, his presence would serve to deter others from trying to attack us. "Don''t worry, girl; Lucifer might be a big child, but he always fulfills his part of the deal," Mazikeen said reassuringly. "In the meantime, want something to drink?" I shook my head. "I don''t drink." "sphemy!" Lucifer gasped dramatically. "Alcohol is the only good thing humans have done." "That and torture," Mazikeen added with a smirk. I said nothing, deciding to meditate while I waited for Lucifer to finish his drink. Soon, I would see David again, and when that happened, all of this would be over. .... .... I wonder why it feels like a lie when I think that now. Chapter 199: Chapter 199: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I watched from a distance as Darkseid''s emotions burst forth from within him like a raging inferno at Brainiac''s threat. His rage was so strong that it radiated across the room like a miasma of malice and violence, making me wonder what Brainiac was truly nning because so far, this was a pretty bad move on his part. Darkseid''s face revealed little of what he was feeling, but in his icy ck eyes, I could see a deep, burning anger that seemed to consume him. At that moment, I became painfully aware of just how much of a threat Darkseid truly was. His wrath was giving me an entirely new perspective of him, like a looming thundercloud before a storm. "Granny Goodness," Darkseid said in a low menacing growl, summoning her to the room. "Prepare the troops for war." Granny bowed obediently and nodded her head, with fear, excitement, and respect evident in her eyes. Darkseid then turned to me, his face still emanating with a fiery rage that seemed impossible to quench. "I will collect my troops on earth," I said, wondering if they were still in ce like I had ordered. "Once that''s done, we''ll join forces, and see how to take Brainiac down." "Make no mistake, I do not require your help," Darkseid said, his voice dripping with contempt, one that didn''t seem aimed at me. "But, seeing this machine wronged you first, I won''t deny you the pleasure of aiding in its destruction." Having said that, Darkseid turned his back and walked away, as I watched him silently disappear into one of the halls of his castle, and even though he was now far away, I could still feel his presence burning with malicious intent and desire for destruction. I truly wonder what Brainiac is truly nning. I refuse to believe this move was made without thinking, without any forethought. Because if that''s the case, I have severely overestimated Brainiac. -------------------------------------------- [Unknown POV] Brainiac''s mind flew across different processes, running simtion after simtion about the uing war with Darkseid. The AI knew without a shred of doubt that the stakes had never been higher before for him and that a single miscalction in his ns would mean his unavoidable end, so, he surveyed every possible scenario, making countermeasures for every possible oue. He had insulted Darkseid for one reason only, to get his attention, because he knew the so-called God, underestimated him, deeming him nothing more than a second-grade machine, so knowing that, Brainiac had decided to y on his ego, pretending to be the one that underestimated him, pretending to be arrogant. His n had seeded. The God was angry, angrier than ever. Now it was all a matter of nning his moves carefully. Darkseid was a formidable adversary, the greatest threat in this universe by a long shot ording to Brainiac''s calctions, but no matter his power, the AI had no intention of yielding to him. He knew for a fact that his powerful intellect gave him an edge in this struggle. Losing was not an option in Brainiac''s mind; for him, there could be only victory. Especially now that he had been made aware of universes beyond this one, of knowledge waiting to be collected. No, he couldn''t lose, not with that on the line. ----------------------------------------------------------- [Rachel Roth - Raven / POV] [Injustice World.] After Lucifer was done with his drink, we made our way to Dinah''s location. The tower of Fate. As we neared the ce, a strange feeling washed over me as my feet carried me down the path toward the tower. Through my own turmoil, all I could feel was Lucifer''s presence beside me, his heavy silence drumming up a sense of foreboding in the air. I had no idea what kind of revtions I''d find within those walls, but I knew it wouldn''t be anything trivial. Nervously, I kept my head down, each beat of my heart inching me closer and closer to the door. "Go on, knock," Lucifer said, pushing me forward with his usual cocky smile. My hand shook as I knocked on the door, my pulse quickening as it opened to reveal Dr. Fate and an older version of Zatanna inside. At first, they both seemed confused by my presence, shocked even, however, once they noticed Lucifer waving at them, they ushered us inside. "Long time no see, Nabu, how''s the old helmet treating you?" Lucifer said, making his way in. Dr. Fate tensed. "Nabu is not in control right now." Lucifer smiled, knocking on Dr. Fate''s helmet two times. "Oh, I see. Well do me a favor, and tell the old grouch I say hi." Dr. Fate nodded, as we continued walking inside the tower, eventually reaching the living room, or what appeared to be the living room. "What brings you two here?" Zatanna asked as we took a seat in the living room. "We are looking for Dinah Lance," I said, going straight to the point. Zatanna and Dr. Fate exchanged a knowing nce as if debating whether or not to help us, before Dr. Fate opened a door on the wall, from where Dinah and Batman came out. "Raven," Batman said, narrowing his eyes at me. "She''s not the same Raven," Zatanna sighed. "This pretty much confirms our once discarded theory that ck Bolt is not from our universe." Lucifer chuckled, pping his hands. "Bravo, brilliant deduction. Are you sure Batman is the best detective? Because if so, he has somepetition on the table." Batman turned his re on Lucifer. "Who are you?" "Lucifer Morningstar," Lucifer grinned. "The pleasure is all yours." "Lucifer Morningstar, like the devil?" Batman asked, his tone unreadable. "The one and only," Lucifer said with a small bow. "He''s telling the truth," Zatanna confirmed. "I see," Batman said, before turning his attention back to me. "Now the question is, what are you doing here?" "We are looking for ck Bolt," I replied, without missing a beat. "My goal is to bring him home." Batman paused for a moment, his hands clenching alongside his emotions. He was angry, both with himself and with David. "Are you two aware of what he has done? of what he truly is?" "No, but I''m sure you will tell us anyway," Lucifer muttered, before summoning a ss of whiskey to his hand. Batman ignored Lucifer, his gaze fixed on me. "The individual known as ck Bolt invaded Earth with an army of extraterrestrial beings, killing millions, including but not limited to Superman, Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan, and others." The moment those words left his mouth, my head started spinning, and my heart started to beat a million times per minute. This... it had to be a mistake. That couldn''t be, David would never do that, not my David. His deep brown eyes and kind smile were the pirs of his being. There had to be an exnation for why he did this if he truly had done it. Even then, the notion that David could be capable of such an act seemed unthinkable; the man I had grown to trust and love, regardless of his ws, would never take it so far. Would he? "ying the politician are we?" Lucifer replied, his eyes fixed on Batman. "There''s a lot of information you''re not sharing with us there. Like the fact Superman was a dictator, or that he killed Dinah over here. Or that the only ones that died were soldiers working under Superman''s regime. "The point remains the same, he''s a killer," Batman said, his voice colder than ever before. "It wasn''t his call to end those lives." "Nor is yours to judge him, human," Lucifer replied nonchntly, taking a sip of his drink. Chapter 200: Chapter 200: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Rachel Roth - Raven / POV] [Injustice World.] Even after being shown undeniable proof of what he had done, I couldn''t believe the usations against David. The one I remembered was always so gentle and kind, it seemed beyond impossible that he could have done such a thing. Even then, even if all of this was the truth, I would never stop caring for him, no matter his guilt or innocence, I wouldn''t desert him in his time of need. My faith in him was resolute, regardless of what he had done or not - my loyalty towards him was unwavering. He had always been there for me in my darkest moments, I owed him the same. I knew very well what Batman was trying to do, but unfortunately for him, I wasn''t easy to fool. I could see his intentions from miles away, he thinks he was fooling me by just showing me the bad side of David''s actions. But I knew he was trying to turn me against David, manipting me with honey-coated titudes, and biased facts in an effort to blind me. If all of this wasn''t true, I didn''t support David''s path, but I wasn''t going to aid one that clearly wanted to hurt him. Nevertheless, for the sake of keeping an eye on Batman, I''d allow him to believe I was on his side, in order to deceive him with false securities. And when the time came, I''d reveal my true intentions and show them why trying to manipte me was a mistake. For now, though, I would bide my time, until I could reach David once again. "I know you care about him, I can see it in your eyes, and because of that, you need to help him," Batman said, his tone low and serious. I looked up at him, my gaze piercing through the darkness of the room, before nodding, something that evoked a sly smirk on Lucifer''s lips. "I will help you, but I won''t let any of you hurt him." "Hurting him is not our intention, just stopping him," Batman said, his expression unwavering. ----------------------------------------------------------- [Bruce Wayne - Batman / POV] [Injustice World] I could tell with ease that Raven, this Raven, was ying both sides, and it was to be expected, after all, her love for ck Bolt was too big for her to be objective about him, meaning it was just a matter of time before she revealed her true intentions, nevertheless, I needed her for now, as her presence would be the key to taking ck Bolt down. Until then I would pretend to believe her fragile show of allegiance. ck Bolt had crossed a line no one should''ve had, and if left unchecked he could very well be an even bigger threat than Superman had ever been or could''ve been. Unlike Superman, ck Boltcked real weaknesses, and that inbination with his staggeringly dangerous powers made his power unchallenged and unquestioned. During his battle with Superman, it became clear that the only way to quell such a threat was by outsmarting him. He proved he was far beyond our reach, far beyond Superman''s reach, meaning brute force alone would do nothing against him. By all ounts, he seemed invincible, at least from a head-on approach, so I had to n his defeat carefully. I knew I would only had one chance, if I failed, then all hope would be lost. "Perhaps it would be best to let them take him to their universe," Dr. Fate said, interrupting my thoughts. I looked over at him, his visage illuminating the empty hall we were taking. "And risk himing back? No, we need to ensure he won''t hurt anyone else, again." "As much as I agree, the way he dealt with the regime was brutal," Dinah said, pausing for a second. "I feel we are making a mistake by doing this. As of now, he isn''t our enemy, at least not actively, and if we follow through with this, we are making him a threat, a threat he isn''t right now." I looked at her, her blue eyes burning with doubt. "We are not making him a threat, he already is one," I said, my voice firm and resolute. "I can''t help but agree with Dinah," Dr. Fate sighed. "Perhaps, this is a situation best left to others." "We can''t let him roam free, not after what he did," I replied, my voice unyielding. "No matter what, he must be stopped." "Even if that''s the case, we don''t have the power to aplish that," Dr. Fate replied. "Nabu doesn''t want to help, meaning my power is very limited as it is, and even if Nabu wanted to help us, we have no guarantee Lucifer wouldn''t help him, making all of our efforts pointless." "Exactly," The voice of Lucifer echoed through the hall. "If you want my personal opinion, I say you are in way over your heads." Following his voice, I looked up to see him standing on the other side of the hall, leaning against the wall, his face illuminated by a faint light that seemed to surround him like a halo, but at the same time seemed to burn him like mes. "You will stop us?" I asked. Lucifer smiled, his expression almost mocking. "If I wish to, yes," he said, nodding slowly. "But I don''t want that, at least not now." "Why is the devil so interested in him?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Lucifer walked towards us, his eyes burning with amusement. "Well, you see," he said, pausing for a second. "That''s none of your business." "Don''t antagonize him, Bruce," Dr. Fate said, his voice almost a whisper. "Lucifer is not someone you wish to have as your enemy. He''s far beyond what weprehend, he''s a primordial force, a fundamental being older than creation itself, one that can do as he pleases. His power is so that even the lords of Chaos and Order fear him and bow to him. No n, no amount of research will ever work against him, his power is beyond all." Chapter 201: Day off. Chapter 201: Day off. I''m taking the day off. Well, kind of, I''m writing and restocking my chapters. But I won''t be posting today. Chapter 202: Chapter 202: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [Unknown POV] Lucifer strolled into Darkseid''s castle with a wide, mischievous smile on his face. His confident steps oozed with arrogance as he inspected the castle with a devious glint in his eyes, and for some reason, no one seemed to notice him. Then upon reaching David''s quarters, he opened the door like it was his home, and with a sly grin across his face as he dropped down into a chair in front of the confused David. "Who are you?" David asked, his voice showing just how confused he was. Lucifer couldn''t help but chuckle at David''s question. He slowly leaned forward, and in a low, yful tone, proimed: "I am the one and only, Lucifer Morningstar." David blinked, before hastily collecting himself. "Like... the devil?" he questioned cautiously. "Indeed," Lucifer winked. David remained silent for a moment, studying the man in front of him that imed to be Lucifer with a scrutinizing look. After a few moments, where Lucifer remained smiling in his trademark confident smile, he seemed toe to a conclusion, and with a sigh, he asked in a hesitant manner. "What do you want with me then, if I might ask?" "Nothing really" Lucifer began with a smooth voice. "I just came here to tell you, Raven is here, your Raven." Having said that, Lucifer watched David''s eyes widen in terror as he continued: "She knows everything you have done in this world." David closed his eyes, unable to contain his emotions. "And where does she stand on it all?" he whispered in a broken voice, the ring showcasing how fragile he felt right now. Lucifer couldn''t help but chuckle as he ced a hand on David''s shoulder, "If you''re asking whether or not she hates you, don''t worry, she still loves you." David remained silent for a moment, before asking with a sigh. "How did shee here?" "Oh well, she opened a portal and stuff, well... she almost opened the portal, but then I interrupted her, and well, ended up opening the portal myself," Lucifer replied, recounting the events leading to Raven reaching this universe. "Is that all?" David asked his gaze on Lucifer. His eyes looked tired, but at the same time, they seemed to burn with determination. "I find it hard to believe you woulde here out of the goodness of your heart. So, what''s your angle?" Lucifer gave a wide grin before he rose from his seat and said "Sir, you insult me with those usations! But yes, I''m mostly doing this to kill my boredom. Nevertheless, I assure you, my good sir, that my intentions are nothing but pure.... mostly pure... somewhat pure... they aren''t evil." David stared at him for a few moments before nodding in an almost defeated manner. "Not like I can stop you, so I will take your word for it." Lucifer chuckled. "That''s one way to see it. Anywho, if you need to talk, just say my name three times, and like a terrible scripted horror movie, I will appear." With that said, Lucifer vanished into thin air just as easily as he hade, leaving no traces of his visit, but the memories on David''s head, and the concerns his news had brought to David''s heart. ----------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Raven was here. She knew what I had done. And yet, despite it all... she still cared about me? I didn''t deserve her. But that was a matter for another day, right now, I had to decide whether or not I still wanted to fight this war. With Raven here, I had a way back home, a way out of this ursed universe, a way out of all of this. But... leaving now would ensure Earth''s... no, the universe''s demise. My actions so far had ensured an uphill battle for this universe, and while these were actions that I didn''t regret, I wasn''t so blind as to not see they had had consequences, as it was more than clear that I had taken some of the strongest defenses this universe had to offer against threats like Darkseid and Brainiac. I had upset the bnce. If I left now, it was only a matter of time before either Brainiac or Darkseid destroyed everything. In a way, my presence at the table right now worked as a nuclear deterrent, keeping both sides in check, or the closest thing possible. "Kitty help?" Dex-Starr asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Don''t worry Dex-Starr, I''ll find a way to solve this," I replied, petting my strangepanion, who purred in satisfaction. ----------------------------------------------------------- [Rachel Roth - Raven / POV] [Injustice World.] I turned to see Lucifer walking into my room at the tower of fate as if he owned it. With each step, he made sure to cast his presence with an air of confidence and power one could only have if nothing could hurt you. He was annoying. Like a big kid who doesn''t miss a chance to brag about his toys. "What are you doing here?" I asked calmly. "Just wanted to tell you, your boy is safe and sound, I went to visit him, and he was a-okay," Lucifer replied, and for a moment I almost choked on pure air. "You visited him?" I asked, unable to keep the surprise from my voice. "Yup sure did," Lucifer said with a wide grin, "And I must say he''s quite the catch. On a scale of 1 to Lucifer, I would say he''s a 10, which is nowhere near the Lucifer rank but is still good!" Ignoring his antics, I asked in exasperation. "Why didn''t you bring him with you, we could''ve left this ce right away!" Lucifer hummed for a moment, before replying. "Well, because he''s still thinking about whether or not he should leave. Which is understandable seeing how if he leaves, this universe goes bye-bye." "What do you mean?" I asked. "Well... he kind of killed some of the strongest warriors the universe had to offer... leaving just... well, the most fragile ones," Lucifer exined, before giving me a pointed look. "So yeah, if he leaves, there''s nothing stopping the two overly generic evildoers from turning this universe... into... well, nothing." Chapter 203: Chapter 203: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] As Darkseid prepared his army to destroy Brainiac, I was left alone to n how to deal with the entire situation, and by that, I truly meant how to kill them both. Both Brainiac and Darkseid were threats of immeasurable strength, threats that this universe wasn''t ready to face, not by a long shot. Especially not after my war with Superman, that while short-lived, had removed many of the big guns this universe had to offer. The point was that both Brainiac and Darkseid had the universe in their grasp. Darkseid specifically. Brainiac was a threat, sure. But Darkseid, well, he was a different story altogether. His power, the real length of his reach went beyond simple words. He couldn''t be killed. Not permanently, at least. Brainiac could, you just need the right tools and a good n. In Darkseid''s case, what made him dangerous was that you weren''t fighting the real him, but an avatar with but a fraction of his power. In a battle of might alone against his avatar, I wasn''t entirely sure what the oue would be. Darkseid''s avatar was strong, very strong, not only he had superhuman strength and stamina rtively simr to mine, but on top of that, he had a regeneration factor stronger than mine, ording to scans I have done with my rings, so,bined with his nigh invulnerability, well, it all makes him practically immortal. That still didn''t mean I was outmatched, just that going against him as I did against Superman, wouldn''t be the wisest of ideas. In fact, If I could have it my way; I would honestly prefer it if I could avoid direct confrontation with him. Not all fights had to be dealt with personally, or directly. But, regardless of my preferences, I had to prepare. Just like I had to prepare against Brainiac. I had two problems, two enemies, each one requiring a different approach. "Kitty help?" Dex-Starr asked, hovering next to me. His ck tail swished from side to side. I smiled before extending my hand to pet him, eliciting a purr on his part. "Don''t worry, kitty will help when the timees." I honestly had no idea how to approach my situation, it was... hard to think of a reasonable solution as both problems seemed out of my reach. Perhaps I wasn''t giving it enough thought, I mean, it was hard to think of anything right now. I suppose the fact that Raven was here was to me for how troubled I was. That, and the fact that Lucifer was somehow invested in all of this, someone who I had no hope of defeating, or getting rid of. My best bet was to bore him. Though to be fair, Lucifer barely upied any space in my mind. It was Raven who bewitched my every thought, her presence always there, like knowledge refusing to be forgotten. And how could she not invade my every thought? Now that I knew she was here, I wanted to talk to her, and tell her how sorry I was for everything, even though I considered what I did to be right. I wanted to hug her. To feel at home for the first time... in a long time. But, I begrudgingly admit I was afraid to face her, to discover her eyes didn''t look at me the same, I was afraid to see if my time here had changed our friendship. I honestly didn''t understand my own feelings right now. I wholeheartedly believed that what I had done was right, yet, I was ashamed to face her. It made no sense. "Friend anxious?" Dex-Starr asked, tilting his head to the right as his earsy t on his head. "That''s... very urate," I replied with a nod. "Any advice?" Dex-Starr purred, rubbing against my hand before sitting on myp. "No need to worry, friend not alone. I good kitty, good kitty help you." I smiled at his answer and nodded my head in agreement as I extended my hand to scratch behind his ears. "In that case, I can''t be anxious can I?" Dex-Starr purred even louder as he closed his eyes in contentment, "I help, I purr." I suppose there was no other way to deal with this than the old-fashioned way, ripping the bandaid off and seeing what''s what. I had to face Raven eventually, and dying our meeting would solve nothing. I just hope what Lucifer said was right, otherwise... I shook my head to drive away those dark thoughts and stood up from my chair. "Let''s go to earth, Dex-Starr." ----------------------------------------------------------- Without any dy, I took the course to Earth at full speed, with Dex-Starr following close by my side. My heart was heavy, and my emotions were a mess. I didn''t want to go back to Earth, not fully at least. I was afraid of... well, losing Raven, but regardless of how I felt, I had to deal with this... now. For better or for worse, I had to see where I stood. I sighed, closing my eyes. No sense in giving all of this too much thought. Without another thought, I continued flying through the abyss that was space, each second bringing my destination closer. Thes around me shone in the darkness, beautiful and distant like a forbidden dream. Immune to the vastness and magnitude of that which surrounded me, I silently streaked towards my goal, unfazed by whaty ahead. Within moments, the earthly atmosphere began to embrace me and I readied for my arrival with no time for hesitation. With a deep breath, I steeled myself as I descended toward Earth. "Friend is okay," Dex-Starr said, his voiceforting and reassuring. "Good kitty here, good kitty help." His innocent words relieved my anxiety somewhat and allowed me to keep going despite the emotions that threatened to consume me in their unforgiving embrace. With a newfound sense of courage and determination, I continued my descent until I was near enough to put my feet on the ground. Well, time to find Raven. However, before I could take a single step, the air switched around me. And without any time to react, I was taken aback as a very familiar portal opened right in front of me, shimmering in the early morning sun. Watching the portal open felt like an eternity, my heart pounding in anticipation of whaty beyond that hazy opening. Through it, the one I was looking for came Raven, her violet-blue hair cascading around her face like a river of stars, glowing brighter than the sun that I had seen moments before. Her presence alone froze me in ce, as I found myself unable to react in any way. My heart hammered against my chest in a turmoil of emotions, I was scared so very scared, and excited all at once. More than anything, I wanted to run up to her and hug her tightly. But would she return my hug? I could hardly process any rational thoughts as I remainedpletely paralyzed in ce until without a warning the warmth of her embrace slowly lulled me into a state of peacefulness. I could hardly believe my eyes without realizing it, she had pulled me into a warm embrace. Her touch felt like the warmth of the sun after a long, unforgiving winter. "Why did it take you so long to get here?" Raven muttered between breaths, her face buried in my chest as she held me tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks into my body. I said nothing, simply hugging her back and gently stroking her hair, my own eyes filled with tears I hadn''t even noticed were there until they started dropping on her head. "You really thought I would hate you?" Raven asked, stepping back to look me in the eye. I nodded weakly, unable to reply in any other form as I tried to swallow a lump of emotions that had been stuck in my throat. "Good to know you''re still stupid," Raven replied, her voice still trembling between the tears but with a hint ofughter in it. "I''m afraid to inform you that I could never hate you." ~Good to know,~ I signed with a weak smile on my face. "Now let me burn my sappy feelings away in silence," Raven said, wiping her tears before embracing once more. Chapter 204: Chapter 204: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] After what felt like an hour and a minute at the same time, our embrace came to an end as I slowly unsped my hands from around Raven''s waist, allowing her to wipe a few stray tears from her cheeks. "What''s on your mind?" Raven asked softly. ~Nothing you should worry about,~ I replied. "We are a team, no matter what," Raven said with a small smirk, yfully nudging me to the side. ~Don''t worry about it, really,~ I replied with a strained smile, not wanting to burden her with my current situation. If anything not involving her would give me peace of mind. Raven stared at me, her violet-blue eyes intense and searching, before letting out a sigh. "Not telling me won''t change the fact I will do my best to help you. I don''t know what this world has made you believe, but you''re not alone, not when I''m around." "Friend not alone, friend has good kitty," Dex-Starr interjected, twirling his tail around my legs. "I... who''s the cat?" Raven asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. ~This is Dex-Starr,~ I replied, petting the cat''s head. ~He''s a friend of mine. He came to earth with me.~ "He did?" Raven muttered. "I didn''t even notice his presence." "Friend of friend, friend of kitty," Dex-Starr said looking at Raven, purring as I ruffled his fur. Raven smiled, reaching out to pet Dex-Starr and scratching behind his ears. "In that case, it''s nice to meet you." ~Rae... I know you want to help me, but believe me, when I say, this situation is well out of your range,~ I signed, taking a deep breath as I met her eyes. "You''ve been gone for a year David," Raven said, her voice heavy with sadness. "I''m not gonna let you do this alone, not without putting up a fight." ~You don''t know what I''m up against,~ I signed, looking away as tears started to form in my eyes. I was so happy. So happy nothing had changed. She still cared for me. I was so happy. But in order to protect that happiness, I had to keep her away from this. Raven nodded, cing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "I don''t, but I will, with or without your consent. I won''t change my mind, David, so you either let me fight this battle alongside you or I will fight it for you to the best of my ability." My heart sank and swelled at her words and before I knew it my lips curved into a smile, despite the tears running down my cheeks, and with a heavy sigh, I nodded. ~I guess you''re still stubborn as a mule.~ "Not the animal I would use to describe, but yes," Raven said, her voice lightening up as she smiled. "I lost you once David, I failed to protect you, and you were forced to change, I won''t let that happen again, from now on, no matter what the situation might be, we''ll take it together and we''ll try to make the best out of whateveres our way." "Now, kiss," Lucifer said, appearing from out of nowhere. "If I could kill him, I would," Raven muttered, her face turning red.. maybe from rage, I could rte, Lucifer seemed infuriating. "What are you doing here Lucifer?" I asked. "What am I doing here? I... I thought it was pretty obvious, I came to watch you two smooch, kiss, and peck at each other," Lucifer replied with an arrogant smirk before winking at Raven. .... What? I shook my head. "Ain''t happening, so you can leave." "Are you sure? Isn''t that what your heart truly desires?" Lucifer replied, his tone sounding somewhat different than before, it was almost... hypnotizing. From the moment Iid eyes on him, I felt a strange pull - my heart skipped a beat and soon rational thought was reced by an intense desire to say something. "There''s nothing I want more," Without realizing it, I found myself responding to his query without consciously willing it. Something in his voice had bewitched me, wrapping around my soul and reaching into the deepest recesses of my heart. .... I can''t believe I just said that... God, if you''re up there, kill me, and while you''re at it, kill Lucifer. Preferably first, so that I can see him die. "Ahh, young love," Lucifer said with a chuckle. "Well with that confession out of the way, I''ll take my leave and let you two be," he added before vanishing into thin air. .... ..... "So... where were we? Right! I''m helping you," Raven said, her voice a little shaky. "Uh, yeah," I nodded, unable to look at her, and how could I? I mean... My heart was beating so fast, I thought it might burst out of my ribcage. "If it makes you feel any better, he did the same thing to me," Raven whispered, coughing awkwardly. "Good to know," I nodded. "And my reaction was pretty much the same," Raven added, her voice still shaking. "Awesome, good to know, lovely discovery... but we should probably get going," I said, trying to change the subject in order to avoid further embarrassment. I mean, I didn''t even know I had a... thing for her, for fucks sake those desires were a secret to me as well! And now that I SAID what I said, I can''t stop thinking about it. Raven nodded, a small smile appearing on her lips. "Let''s go then." With that said, she grabbed my hand in hers and softly pulled me into a portal she was opening. The grabbing of hands is not helping at all. At FUCKING ALL. "Friend okay?" Dex-Starr asked, standing on my right shoulder. "Never better," I replied. I have no idea how, but Lucifer will pay for this. ----------------------------------------------------------- [Lucifer Morningstar POV] [The one and only.] [The sexiest.] [The irresis you get the gist of it.] The poor thing thought I was going to pay for what I did. Spoiler alert, I won''t. I won''t pay for anything. Save their first date. I can barely contain my excitement. "You had to do that?" Death asked, disappointment clear in her voice. "I regret nothing," I replied, crossing my arms. "Those two are as awkward as theye, they need a friendly push... with two gigatons of force. Had I let them move at their own pace, they would''ve held hands in a decade." ".... Lucifer," Death sighed. "What?! It''s true! That''s what happens when two shut-ins like each other, is like watching grass grow, unbearably boring, I HAD to intervene, if not for our amusement, FOR THE VIEWERS! FOR THE POOR VIEWERS, who more than anything, crave this, and things that will most likely put their soul in my care," I replied, with a nod. I had done good, I had done very good, now it was time to see how things grew from here. Chapter 205: Chapter 205: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! -------------- [David Lance POV] I sighed and nervously looked at Raven, my apprehension growing in the presence of her unwavering gaze. I wanted to keep her out of this, but that wasn''t an option anymore. I knew I had to tell her about the situation, but I was unsure how. It seemed to me that every time I wanted to tell her something, my hands would fail me as if my mind was too overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation. Especially now that she was here, because with her here, I had everything on the line. ~Raven... I...~ I signed, but a short sigh from Raven stopped me. Gazing at her, I noticed Raven smile ever so slightly at me, a smallforting gesture that seemed to ease my struggling mind. Her violet-blue eyes were full of understanding andpassion, and without a warning, she ced her hand on my cheek, and as if magic, it felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders just for that moment. "You''re not alone David, not anymore," Raven spoke, her voice a gentle whisper. Locking my eyes with hers, our hands intertwined, and with a deep breath, I allowed myself to beforted by her presence, by the weing warmth of her very being. Then, with a deep exhale, I pushed through the doubts that were circting within my mind. ~In my quest for vengeance, I allowed the universe to be left open and undefended,~ I signed, my mind shing with images of Darkseid and Brainiac. Raven opened her mouth but closed it again as if reconsidering what she wanted to say. ~I won''t lie and say I regret what I did, because I don''t,~ I sighed, taking a step back from Raven and looking away in shame. ~But that doesn''t make all of this any less my responsibility.~ "Then... Why don''t we prepare the universe to fight? Instead of fighting this yourself alone?" Raven asked. I smiled ever so slightly at her reply, slowly raising my eyes to meet hers. ~I guess I never thought of that. If we take that path, we would need to restore the bnce of power Superman, and I broke. Meaning, thenterns need to return, Shazam needs to return, andst but not least, the Justice League needs to return.~ "If we take this path, how much time do we have?" Raven asked calmly. ~A month at best, a week if we are realistic,~ I replied. "Then let''s get started," Raven said. "I good kitty, I help," Dex-Starr, who had been quiet all this time, made his presence clear, affirming that he would help as well. I smiled at Dext-Starr before reaching down to pet him, which in turn made the powerful mighty cat purr in contentment. Then, as my four-leggedpanion purred away, I turned to Raven, nodding my head in agreement. ~First of all, we should contact Batman. There''s no one better than him to reform the Justice League.~ Raven tensed for a moment, then let out a small sigh, as if she had made up her mind about something. It seems I might have to look into Batman''s behavior if Raven''s reaction was anything to go by. "I can open a portal to where he is right now," Raven said. I nodded, giving Raven all she needed to proceed. Immediately after this, the air around me seemed to shift and ripple, as if it was being pulled towards Raven''s fingertips which were slowly starting to glow with a bluish-purple hue. A few secondster, a portal opened up in front of us, revealing an ancient-looking tower and the silhouette of a man waiting. The Tower of Fate. Here goes nothing. ----------------------------------------------------------- [At the Tower of Fate.] Wasting no time, I stepped through the portal with Raven and Dex-Starr by my side, feeling a strange sensation as I crossed through it. Calmly, I nced around, taking in the old stone walls and intricate details that adorned them. This Tower was different from the one I knew, that much I could tell. I felt off in this ce. Perhaps it was because I had walked into a literal lion''s den, giving Batman and Dr. Fate the territorial advantage. Pushing those thoughts aside, I followed Raven who guided me through the ce, until eventually, we reached the center of the tower, where a figure d in a golden robe stood with his arms crossed. "You brought him here?" Dr. Fate asked in a cold tone. "I did," Raven replied. "Lucifer isn''t here to protect him," Dr. Fate said dangerously. Nor do I need him to, I am more than perfectly capable of defending myself. "You strike me as a wise person, Dr. Fate, don''t prove me wrong," Raven replied calmly. "I have nothing more to say to you, Raven," Dr. Fate said quietly. "Not to break your conversation, but I''m here to socialize, I''m here to warn you all about an imminent threat, one that forces me to seek mutual coboration," I said abruptly. "So, let''s save ourselves some valuable time and start talking about it, shall we?" Dr. Fate''s eyes narrowed as he looked at me skeptically. "Very well." "Now, where''s Batman? As much as I enjoy your golden glow, he''s the one I need to talk to," I said, looking around for the caped crusader. "As you wish," Dr. Fate replied, turning towards the side and gesturing for someone toe forth. And just like that, Batman appeared from the shadows. "Give me one reason why I shouldn''t cage you right now," Batman said in a low, menacing tone. "You can''t," I replied, crossing my arms. "That aside, let''s talk business, shall we?" Batman stared at me for a few seconds, seemingly trying to make up his mind about something. Then, after a few moments of silence, he nodded. "Very well, let''s hear it." "A universal war is about to break in, and whoever wins will destroy it all," I began, going straight to the point. "Unfortunately, this means we all need to team up if we want to avoid certain doom and save everything." The room fell silent, with not even a drop of noise filling it. "I assume Darkseid is part of this war, you speak of," Batman said eventually, breaking the silence. I nodded. Batman narrowed his eyes. "And what happened? Weren''t you friends with him? Or is it perhaps that the conqueror doesn''t you anymore?" "Well if you must know Batsy, my allegiance with Darkseid was purely one out of business. We both wanted Superman dead, so we worked on a deal that suited that particr interest. Now that''s out of the table, I have no reason not to try and stop him," I replied. It wasn''t a lie, but it wasn''t the entire truth either. As of now, Darkseid wasn''t my enemy, but he would soon be. Batman was silent for a few more moments. "Who''s the other?" "Brainiac, an AI whose entire objective is to absorb all knowledge, and then destroy it," I replied. "Look, I''ll get to the point, I don''t care how much you hate me, but I need you to do something." Batman''s eyes narrowed again. "And what would that be?" He asked in a suspicious tone. "I need you to reform the Justice League, Earth needs to be ready to face what is toe," I replied. Batman paused, seemingly taken back by what I had said, however, he eventually nodded in a begrudging manner. "Very well." Chapter 206: Chapter 206: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] With an unsteady alliance set with Batman, I began to y my next steps to deal with the situation I had created. Even though Batman had given me his word, I had no assurance things would y out the way I wanted them to, meaning I had to tread lightly and watch my every step. Beyond that. There was still much to do, much to resolve, and little time to do. In fact, there was so little time in my table that it was impossible to deal with the situation by myself. I had the Lanterns to recruit, or what was left of them, and the Shazam situation. Ideally, if I had the time I would invest myself in dealing with each situation, but that wasn''t the case, meaning I had no choice but to break this task with Raven. I would deal with the Lanterns, and she would deal with the Shazam situation. While I honestly didn''t want to break my path from Raven''s so soon, I knew it was the only way to solve this situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. As much as I hated it, I needed to be pragmatic. Now more than ever, I had to stay focused and in control of my emotions, especially the ones that wanted me to just be by her side. I knew very well that any misstep could mean disaster for not just myself, but everyone involved. I owed this universe that much. And in order for me to pay that debt, I had to stay one step ahead of everything. This was the path ahead of me, however perilous it may be. ~Raven, as much as I don''t want to say this, we need to split up,~ I signed, my hands weaving through it all as I sighed. ~With how little time we have, we have no choice but to do this.~ Raven snorted, rolling her eyes as she nodded before tackling me into a hug. "As much as I don''t want to say this? Look who became a softy," she whispered into my ear before pulling away. ~You''ve been back in my life for two hours, and you''re already trying to bully me?~ I asked with a yful smile. "Someone has to keep you on your toes," Raven said with a smirk before turning away for some reason. "So, what''s my part of this..." Deciding not to push into whatever was happening, I began to exin. "Seeing you''re better suited to deal with the Shazam situation, because well, you''re a magic user yourself, you are to find the wizard and convince him to appoint a new Shazam." At this, Raven turned. "That means you''re left to deal with the Lanterns, correct?" I nodded, patting her on the head. "Smart girl, want a cookie?" "I will bite you," Raven threatened. "Kinky," The unmistakable voice of Lucifer startled us both, as we both jumped to our feet. "I leave you guys be for one hour and fifty-two minutes, and you''re already this kinky? I''m starting to think I didn''t need to intervene at all." "It''s friendly conversation, nothing more," Raven said calmly, or as calmly as she could pretend to be. "Hm, yeah, no, let''s quote yourself shall we?" Lucifer smirked, summoning a book named, the quotes of a lovely Raven. "Oh dear David, someone has to keep you up your toes, curled toes. Wink wink." "I NEVER SAID THAT!" Raven barked at him, sting at the all-powerful being known as Lucifer with a beam of pure magic. "And shooting at me sure says you didn''t, a very American approach," Lucifer chuckled, closing the book before dusting himself off from Raven''s attack. "On another note, do you have any idea how hard it is to clean an Armani suit from magical residue? Next time throw me a meteor or something less magical." Taking a deep breath, I took a step forward and asked. "What are you doing here, Lucifer?" "Well, I''m here to help of course!" Lucifer winked at us, snapping his fingers in order to summon a name tag to his suit, one that had his name. "So, what''s my mission Captain?" .. .... Oh God, he''s being serious. "I don''t have a choice do I?" I asked. "Smart boy, want a cookie?" Lucifer smirked. If I ever meet God, I will ask for the power to bitch p Lucifer. "Fine, if you want to help, help Raven solve the Shazam situation," I said, giving Lucifer a tired look. "Aye ay nope, I thought I could use that phrase but it sounds wrong," Lucifer chuckled before turning his gaze back on me. "Don''t worry, I will see it through or my name isn''t Lucifer Morningstar." I suppose that''s reassuring, after he doesn''t lie. "Thanks," I nodded, only to notice Raven stare at me with a piercing look. "...What?" Oh I had sent Lucifer with her I feel I wille to regret this at ater date, but that''s a problem for future me, present me does not give enough fucks to deal with Lucifer for more than it absolutely required. "I read your thoughts right now, and I must say, I am DEEPLY offended and horny, thest one ispletely unrted to your thoughts, that''s just me being a little rascal," Lucifer said, summoning a drink to his hand. "You will pay for this," Raven muttered. Future me will, not present me. "Anywho, let''s get moving, Windows 30 and Dark Tomato cutter are threats we need to take care of, and time is of the essence!" Lucifer said, grabbing Raven by the arm. "Besides, Raven, we need to start talking about your lingerie arrangements, you really don''t want your boyfriend seeing your everyday underwear unless he''s into depression, and then again maybe he is but that''s a topic for another time!" "David I will KILL YOU FOR THI-" And before Raven could finish her sentence, Lucifer teleported away with her, leaving me to wonder how much future me would suffer for this little mistake. Oh well, no time to ponder. I have a mission toplete. Chapter 207: Author note. Chapter 207: Author note. I won''t be home all day today, so I won''t post. I will howeverpensate chapter tomorrow, as to why I''m not home. I''m helping my aunt deal with some post funeral things. Chapter 208: Chapter 208: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I will post two chapters thising Sunday. ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Goal in mind, I used my rings to try and locate all thenterns in the known universe, but as hard as I tried, nothing came. Meaning I was either being blocked from getting that information, or there were nonterns left. Thetter of the two seemed very unlikely so that only left option A, thenterns were hiding from me. Which was a very reasonable decision on their part, considering that thest time we ever saw each other I had no qualms about tearing them apart. In any case, thisplicated things a little bit. After all, if I couldn''t find the Lanterns then how in hell would I recruit them for this? It''s not like I had a way to locate them without the rings. I didn''t but I knew someone who did. Wioska. Her ability to sense Ki meant she could locate individuals with ease across the universe. "I guess I''m recruiting Wioska into this." I have a feeling this won''t be fun for me, at all. I foresee a lot of pain in my very near future. ---------------------------------------------------------- [One Hour Later.] Within an hour of flying or so, I arrived at Wioska''s, and just as I had foreseen, pain was on my table. See, the moment I arrived at the, Wioskaunched an all-out assault on me, sending blows raining down on top of me like a cmitous storm. I tried my best to fight her off, or at the very least defend myself. s, she once again proved how outssed I was, meaning I was like before left defenseless. Trying to endure, I took on a defensive stance, but even then, every hit shended, which was every hit she threw, felt like a jolt of painful electricity going through my body as the fight dragged on mercilessly. "I am deeply disappointed, I expected more from you," Wioska said, finallying to a stop. "Maybe I ought to train you again, this time until you can defeat me." "I missed you too," I replied, making no attempt to disguise my sarcastic tone. "Why are you here, David?" Wioska inquired, leaning forward. "I need your help," I replied, feeling my sore body cry for help. Thankfully I had the Blue Lantern ring, meaning I could heal myself. "Narrow it down more, I''m very skillful, so that doesn''t answer a thing," Wioska said, taking a seat on the ground, her legs crossed. "I''ll get to the point. I''m preparing to fight Darkseid and Brainiac. Unfortunately for me, I can''t fight them both alone, at least not with their vast armies supporting them, so I need you in order to find some people, people that are hiding from me," I exined. Wioska thought for a few moments before giving me her answer. "I see, so you came for my help, seeing I can sense others, not a bad reasoning. Very well, I''ll help you, but I won''t do it for free." Never expected her to, even so... I can''t imagine what her price will be. I mean, no matter how much I try, I can''t think of a thing she could want that she couldn''t get herself. "A fight," Wioska said, still smiling. "A fight?" I asked. "Yes, when the time is right, that''s what I want, a fight. You and I, one-on-one until one of us dies," Wioska said. "That will be my price for helping you." "I''m sorry, but I can''t see your angle here... I can''t defeat you or even offer you a decent fight," I said, and then it hit me. When the time is right, she wanted me toe if I ever reached her level to fight her. "So, do we have a deal?" Wioska asked, not missing a beat. "Yes," I nodded. "Can I ask you something, why a fight to the death?" "That''s something you''ll have to figure out on your own and believe me, you will figure it out, eventually," Wioska said, giving me aforting smile. "Now, let''s get started." I had no idea what she meant by that, but I had no time to question her motives or goals, I had a war to win and little time to make with. ---------------------------------------------------------- [Raven/Rachel Roth - POV] Lucifer had transported us to a ce within a mountain, and upon entering, it was almost overwhelming how much manay in front of me. It was different than anything I had ever felt. Runes were inscribed into the walls, reflecting an archaguage; enchantments seemed to sparkle in the air, flooding the atmosphere with life. "What brings you two here?" A voice spoke, getting my attention. "Obviously not the decor," Lucifer replied. Ignoring Lucifer, I turned to the one who had spoken one, it was an old man, weathered by time but with a glint in his eyes that revealed a knowledge far beyond what I could perceive. Instinctively, I knew he was not native to this realm, his attunement to the arcane was impossible to achieve as a mortal. This strange being sat upon a chair as if he were holding court amongst us; behind him were two statues made of stone that appeared to fiercely guard him, whether they were real or just illusions I couldn''t tell. "Are you the wizard Shazam?" I asked. "No, he''s just an ordinary old man living inside of a cave without an entrance or an exit Of course he is Shazam," Lucifer sighed, rolling his eyes a bit as he took a step forward. "The name is Lucifer Morningstar, the pleasure is all yours." The old man chuckled. "Excuse this old man, but aren''t you a bit too qualified for whatever is happening?" "Thank you for noticing, it''s nice to be acknowledged, seeing as someone can''t ept my lingerie expertise help!" Lucifer replied, giving me a side look. "I ok, so, what brings you here youngdy?" Shazam asked, seeming a bit confused now. "The world needs Shazam, now more than ever," I replied. Chapter 209: Chapter 209: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I will post two chapters thising Sunday. ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Having sessfully recruited Wioska to aid in my mission, I followed her lead, and within short moments we managed to locate thest remaining Guardian of the Universe. Sayd. Sayd was one of the few female Guardians of the order of Oa, a powerful guardian that shared the same views as Ganthet, but perhaps was a bit more gentle than thetter. "What do you seek with me," Sayd asked, her eyes burning with an emotion I quite couldn''t understand. It wasn''t hate what her eyes spoke, but it sure wasn''t something good, that much I could tell. "You know very well why I''m here, but if you want me to say it, I will. The fate of the Universe hangs in a thin thread, and I need your help to save it," I replied. At my words, Sayd''s tiny figure stood tall; her blue skin reflecting the light of stars across the empty sky of the she had been hiding at, her eyes burning into mine. "Tell me one thing, human, why should I trust you? I remember well what you''ve done, I remember well the pain and suffering you''ve caused to thousands of innocent souls simply because of your hate," Sayd said calmly. "You killed thousands of innocents, innocents that had been there to aid your in the first ce, and all because you were too blind to see anything but the object of your hate." At her words, I looked away for a moment, searching for words that wouldn''te out. I knew well, very well that the usations she was throwing at me were true, as much as they pained me. I didn''t regret killing Superman, but I regret the path I took to achieve my goal. "I can''t deny what I have done, and all the pain that hase from it," I said slowly. "I deserve your hate, your ire, I deserve it all a thousand times. But don''t make the same mistake I made, don''t let your hate for me stop you from seeing the bigger picture." Sayd looked at me for a while, her eyes searching for an answer that perhaps wasn''t there. "You have changed a lot." "I merely gained a new perspective of things," I replied, remembering the reason I had been sent to this universe in the first ce. Perspective. "Without the aid of thenterns, all thenterns, this universe will sumb to Darkseid or Brainiac," Wioska interjected, taking a step forward. "Does he deserve your trust? No, but ask yourself, are his words true? You don''t have to believe him if you know the truth yourself. So, what are you going to do, Guardian, are you gonna protect this universe, or let it rot like many before have?" Sayd looked at Wioska, then at me. She didn''t answer right away, which I supposed was a good sign. Instead, she sighed and spoke her words carefully. "We share amon enemy, and amon goal it seems," Sayd said slowly. "I don''t have much of a choice, so I will help you. However, know that once the universe is saved, I will see that you answer to your crimes." I nodded solemnly, understanding that was the best I could get from her. "Of course." "Onest thing," Sayd said, her voice stern and icy. "What?" I asked. "You say you seek to save the universe, well... I want to see if you have the will to do so," Sayd said, her eyes fixed on mine. Then, after a moment or two, Sayd slowly opened the palm of her hand, revealing a Green Lantern ring. "This is the first Green Lantern ring I made, I forged it eons ago in order to protect this universe. Prove you have the will to use it." I looked at the ring in Sayd''s hand and asked. "Why are you offering me a weapon? If you don''t trust me this isn''t the best way to approach it, you''re just giving me more power." Sayd smiled, her eyes softening for the first time since she appeared. "You''re right, I don''t trust you and I never will. So don''t mistake this test I''m giving you for apse in my judgment, this power I''m offering you is only yours for as long as I will it so." Fair enough. "As you wish," I said, as I slowly and carefully took the ring from Sayd''s hand. "Defeat me and my warriors using only the power within that ring, and the Green Lanterns will stand by your side," Sayd said, her eyes burning into mine. "Show me the strength of your will." As I put on the ring, multiple Lanterns began to appear, one by one standing behind Sayd, their eyes fixed on me. Some with hate, others with anger. "Do remember what I taught you, and end this quickly," Wioska said, her voice low. Having said that, she walked away with Dex-Starr, leaving me to face the Lanterns and thest Guardian. "Remember, you can only use the ring I gave you for this fight," Sayd said, her eyes glowing green. I nodded and focused on the ring, feeling the power coursing through me as I focused on turning the other rings off or as inactive as possible. Having done that, I took a deep breath and willed the greenntern ring into action. Seeing my aura change colors, Sayd rushed to the attack with a massive torrent of pure willpower, which I deflected to the side with the back of my hand remaining in ce. This power was easier to use than I imagined. At least easier than using hope. "Attack," Sayd ordered her warriors. Taking Wioska''s advice to end this quickly to heart, I zoom past Sayd, defeating two of her warriors with one blow each. Seeing this, one of the warriors moves forward and with all her power tries to attack me. However, as her attacks were about to connect with me, I weaved through them all at thest moment, dodging her every strike before smashing her into the ground head-first, and out of the fight. "Enough!" One of the remaining Lanterns shouts as the power of his ring envelops me in chains. Looking at the chains around my body, and how incredibly fragile they felt, I simply turned around as if the chains weren''t even there to begin with, and delivered a powerful st at the Lantern, taking him out of the fight, much too Sayd''s surprise. I had already taken most of her warriors, there was just one remaining. One that was currently sneaking behind me, ready tounch an ambush. So I waited, my eyes burning into Sayd''s, and when the attack came, I spun around, grabbing the remaining warrior by the throat before throwing him against the ground, knocking him out. "So it seems you have the will to use our ring," Sayd said, her voice low. "Is the test over?" I asked. "It is," Sayd nodded. "That took far too long," Wioska said, her eyes fixed on me. "You should''ve taken them all out before they had the chance to realize their mistake." I defeated them in less than a minute. I''m proud of that time, I didn''t waste time. "The Green Lanterns will stand by you in this war," Sayd said, interrupting my thoughts. "Remember my words, human, once the war ends, our alliance ends." I nodded. Chapter 210: Chapter 210: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I will post two chapters thising Sunday. ---------------------------------------------------------------- [Raven/ Rachel Roth - POV] Just as soon the words hade out of my mouth, the Wizard had agreed to help, however, there was one condition to do so, he would only help if I defeated the spirit of an old witch, proving my heart and will to see this through. All I had to do to get his help was defeat the phantom of Morgana. "It''s been a long time since youst summoned me, old man," said Morgana, looking around. And when her eyes met mine, she breathed in delight, "Ah, I see. How delightful." Even from her phantom, I could feel how rotten this person was, or had been when alive. It was startling. "So, I''ve been summoned to test this girl. You must have a lot of faith in her abilities," Morgana chuckled, before raising her hands and sending a jet of green light at me, a powerful curse meant to strike me down as painfully as possible. However, before the curse could reach me; I entered my astral form, and with a quick teletransportation spell reappeared behind the phantom, sting her away. "Azarath metrion zinthos!" I muttered, sending another st behind the Phantom. Laughing, the phantom turned around, and seeing my st about to reach her, she was forced to conjure a magic shield out of thin air to deflect it. "Not bad girl, but is that all?" called Morgana from within her shield, her scarlet eyes narrowed at me. "So much for being the daughter of a demon, so far this has been utterly disappointing." "I don''t care about your opinion, so do yourself a favor and save it," I said calmly. "Cocky little brat," snarled Morgana. "Very well, let me show you why I was feared in my time!" "Your time? You must have been pretty mediocre, I haven''t heard of you at all, miss nobody," I replied, my eyes glowing white. I hade too far to fail David. I would do my part, no matter the cost. "I will enjoy tearing you apart," Morgana spat, sending another curse at me, and then another, however, I had already seen her spell, and the essence behind them, so with each curse she threw at me, I met head-on, with a spell of my own. "Not bad, but is that all?" I taunted. "I had enough!" Morgana shouted, her eyes glowing green as she charged her most powerful curse yet. Seeing this, I quickly raised my hands, ready to defend myself against Morgana''s curse. I could feel the power of her spell and knew that it was powerful enough to tear me apart if I didn''t dodge it or block it correctly. "Azarath metrion zinthos!" I shouted loudly, conjuring a powerful shield of energy around me. Then, Morgana shot her curse, and the green light of Morgana''s curse collided with my shield, causing sparks to fly in all directions. I could feel the immense pressure of her spell pushing against my barrier, but it held steady. Seeing this, Morgana stared at me in disbelief and anger as she realized that her attack, her best attack had failed. She roared in fury and sent another st at me, but once again I blocked it with my shield. "Give up, you can''t win," I dered as the air around us seemed to shimmer. "I won''t be bested by a child," Morgana hissed, and without any more words, her ghostly form began to expand until she became a giant spectral figure looming over me. Here, I realized what she was doing, she was summoning all her power for onest attack. Clenching my fists tightly, I focused all my energy on her essence, the center of her soul as I readied myself for one final spell, one I had learned in the Tower of Fate. "Sumerian Vri!" A blinding white light erupted from my hands and engulfed Morgana''s ghostly form, purifying her core and banishing her back to the darkness from whence she came. The room fell silent as thest echoes of my spell faded away. "Well, that was wonderful!" Lucifer said, finally breaking the silence. "I recorded the entire thing for David." "You passed the test," Shazam said, walking off his throne-like chair towards me. "What was the point of all that?" I asked, still confused as to why he had made me fight Morgana. "You reminded me of Morgana," Shazam said softly. "So I wanted to see if you were different from her, and you are." "How so?" I asked. "Well, Morgana was darkness within the light," Shazam replied, his eyes fixed on mine. "You are light within the darkness, now I know that." I see. A test to see if I would end up like her. "Also there''s the fact there''s another Raven in this world, and... well, she''s just like Morgana, she wasn''t like that before, but she is now," Shazam said sadly. "I wanted to see if I would turn like her, or be different." Another me If I had to take any guesses, I would say the me of here had allowed Trigon to corrupt us. But, why? Why would any version of me allow that monster anything? "How did that fight give you all those answers," I asked. "It didn''t, but it allowed me to see you were fighting for something other than yourself," Shazam replied. "This is why I don''t invite wizards to parties, always with their tests," Lucifer said, walking into the scene with a smile. "So, are we done here, or?" "We are, now it''s just a matter of finding the next Shazam," Shazam answered with a small chuckle. "I just realized, you name your champions after yourself, that''s quite egotistic," Lucifer muttered. It is. But I won''t insult the wizard I was asked to recruit. "Let him be," I said, looking at Lucifer. "Just making ament," Lucifer raised his hands. "So, any suggestions? After thest one I haven''t really looked for a recement," Shazam admitted with a sad tone. Chapter 211: Chapter 211: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I will post two chapters thising Sunday. ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] I had sessfully recruited the remaining Green Lanterns into my side, all after having defeated their best warriors on a test made by the leader, Sayd. Now, all that was left for me to do was to recruit the remaining Lantern corps. At least the ones that I knew I could convince to help. Fear, Rage, and Hope. If I yed my cards right, I could probably convince them to work together. None of them were evil, I mean, aure they methods differed a lot, but they goal was essentially the same, fighting criminals. Even Atrocitus, who after revenge for what the Green Lanterns had done to him, would still dedicate some of his time to hunting criminals. "Wioska can you locate the leaders of the other corps like you did with Sayd?" I asked Wioska, who until now had been meditating, with Dex-Starr by her side. "I can," Wioska nodded, her eyes still closed. "It''s not difficult really, once you know what you''re looking for, we''ll, it''s all a matter of focusing. I found Sayd by focusing on finding willpower alone, not that hers was the strongest one around, but it was around what I expected from the likes of an Oan." Considering I defeated Sayd and her warriors with ease, it made sense Sayd wasn''t the strongest source of willpower. I knew for a fact that Wioska probably had more willpower than me, at least that much I considered, so with that being the case it was more than likely that others with stronger wills existed. There''s always a bigger fish in the sea. "Who''s the closest one?" I asked. "Rage," Wioska answered, opening her eyes for the first time. "He''s actuallying this way, how convenient." How convenient indeed. "Should I prepare myself forbat?" I asked, looking at the sky. "Prepare? You should always be ready forbat, no matter the situation," Wioska replied with a sigh. "It seems that I failed as a teacher with you in many aspects." I rolled my eyes at her. "Need I remind you we only trained for a damn week? Heck, the fact that I survived you that long is a win in my book." "You struggled to survive my training because you were weak, and still are, just less weak than before," Wioska shot back without missing a beat. I really hated this olddy. Well, not really, but yeah, I hated her. "Bolt! I havee for your head!" The unmistakable roar of Atrocitus filled the air around us, shaking the very core of our environment. "I suppose you don''t need me to announce that, has arrived, right?" Wioska said, giving me a slight smirk. "And please, do hurry with this guy, while I''m sure you enjoy wasting your time, I didn''t sign up to see you y with your food. It''s unbing of a warrior seeing you y like that." "You can always fight him yourself," I shot back. "You know what they say, if you want something done right, do it yourself." A proposition I knew Wioska wouldn''t take. "Very well," Wioska chuckled. Say what now? "Loud thing, it seems I am to be your opponent," Wioska announced, walking towards Atrocitus. "Leave, and you may liv-" That was all Atrocitus had managed to say before Wioska delivered an earth shattering p on him, defeating him in one strike. "And that''s how you deal with inferior warriors, as quickly and efficient as possible," Wioska said, walking back to her meditation spot. [Batman POV.] [Injustice.] ck Bolt was a threat, an enemy I wanted to deal with as soon as it was possible, but he wasn''t the only one. Dealing with Darkseid and Brainiac, were priorities in the scale of things. ck Bolt could wait. Concessions had to be made. For now. Eventually I would get back on his case. Right now however, that was out of the table. "Batsy, what are we doing here?" Harley asked, tapping her fingers on the window of the batcar. "Waiting." With Superman and his regime gone at the hands of Bolt, many had returned to their ces of origin, looking to hide from the world. One of them was Aquaman. He had sided with the regime when it was still in ce, and just like Bolt he had crimes to answer for, nevertheless, his strength was needed and because of it, I wanted to recruit him into the war against Darkseid. I knew Aquaman wasn''t exactly a fan of my person right now, so I was also aware he wouldn''t be an easy recruitment. But if there''s one thing that can make him join this cause, if the looming threat Darkseid represents to his kingdom. "Uggh, but waiting for what? Santa?" Harley whined. "We''re here to recruit Aquaman," I said, my voice steady and unwavering. Harley gave me a surprised look, her lips slightly parted in shock. "And here I thought I was the crazy one. Are you sure you wanna do that? He hates you right now." "I am aware, just as I am aware he loves his people more than anything else. Which is exactly what we need to tap into if we want to get him on board with us," I responded without hesitation. "I''m sure once he hears what we have to say he''lle around." I could feel Harley looking at me like she wanted to know more about the n, but she didn''t push it. "Okay Batsy, I''m with you. I just hope he''s willing to listen, drowning isn''t exactly fun," She said with a sigh, before turning around. And here hees. "It isn''t. It seems you are wiser than Batman, Harley," Arthur said, slowlying out of the water, one step at a time, trident at hand. "You think? Aww shucks! Thanks!" Harley giggled. Chapter 212: Chapter 212: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I will post two chapters thising Sunday. ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] After Wioska defeated Atrocitus, I waited for him to wake up, and when he did, I had a talk with him. In that talk, I exined the situation in detail, and needless to say, he wasn''t all that eager to help me at first. But after a lot of talking and yelling from his part, he epted to join this war, stating that he would be my ally, temporarily, and that one day he would im my life. I nodded at his threat. Death would have me when it earned me, and Atrocitus wasn''t going to be the one to deliver such. With Atrocitus out of the way, two corps remained. The Yellow Lanterns, and the Blue Lanterns. "Where next?" I asked Wioska. "This is your war, so it''s your call," Wioska replied. My war. I suppose in a way it was. "Yellow it is then," I sighed. ----------------------------------------------------------- With the help of Wioska, I flew towards the location of the remaining Yellow Lanterns were hiding at, hoping that they would listen to reason and help us in the uing battle. Politics wasn''t my thing, but I had to adapt if I wanted to increase my odds. As we reached the the remaining yellow corps were hiding at, I was met with a barrage of yellow energy bolts. Seeing this, I created an energy shield to block their attack. I knew I wasn''t liked by them, but for them to be more aggressive than Atrocitus, it was unexpected. From within my shield, I could see the piercing yellow lights of the rings zing from their hands. "It seems you have a bit of work ahead of you," Wioska chuckled before disappearing out of sight. I sighed, my shield fading as their attack came to stop. I was being surrounded by hundreds, no... thousands. It seems a peaceful approach is not an option. With each passing second, the yellownterns continued to close in around me, each and every single one of them brandishing their weapons, their constructs. Then, without any further dy, or in-between, the silent atmosphere of space was filled with shrieks of rage and battle cries as all of them attacked me at once. "For Sinestro!" Taking a deep breath, I remained still waiting for their strikes toe, and when they did, I moved deftly through them all, dodging and weaving with remarkable precision. With every shift of my body, I was like a ghost slipping between their blows, leaving thenterns frustrated and bewildered in my wake. "I didn''te for a fight," I dered, as I continued to evade them. Yet no matter how much I tried to remain peaceful in my endeavor, my words didn''t reach them, if anything Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, feeling the warm energy flowing through my body. As I opened them again, I was greeted with the sight of thousands of yellow lights surrounding me. Sighing, I spread my arms out and let out a whisper that echoed throughout the entire area, consuming everything on its path. The yellownterns were caught off guard as they were engulfed in this zing inferno of energy I had unleashed with a single whisper, their fear powerless to stop it. In a matter of seconds, all of the yellownterns had been knocked down, leaving thousands of bodies to aimlessly float around the whims of space. "I take it we won''t recruit them," Wioskamented. "No," I nodded, using my rings to take one of the yellow rings from one of the unconsciousnterns. Confirming first the alien I was stealing from was able to survive the vacuum of space without the ring. "Collecting the rings?" Wioska asked, looking at the rings with a hint of dislike. "In time they will be useless trinkets for you, I hope you know that." "I will use them until I no longer need them," I replied without missing a beat. Every ring represented something I didn''t want to remember from this ursed world, my rage, myck of hope, my fear, and my tained will. I didn''t want them, as useful as they had been, I hated them, nevertheless I would keep them. As reminders. "Let''s go," I said. Wioska smiled. "Where next?" "To earth, I will leave recruiting the Blue Lanterns to Sayd, I''m done with this," I replied. "Besides, I still have my army to recover." "The one Darkseid gave you," Wioska replied. "You wouldn''t be the first one to fight him with an army of his own creation, I wonder if you''ll be the first one to defeat him." "I intend to be," I replied, clenching my fists. "Good," Wioska said. ---------------------------------------------------------- [Unknown POV.] [Apokolips.] In the halls of Darkseid''s castle, two figures walked down a hall, one of them tall and imposing, the other looking like a harmless olddy, they were Darkseid and Granny Goodness. "My lord, it seems that little red is nning to betray you," Granny Goodness said, as she calmly walked beside Darkseid. "What do we do? Should I send the furies after him?" "No, let him be." Darkseid''s eyes glinted dangerously. "I am quite content to let him y his little games, for now." Granny Goodness nodded, her expression grim and resolute. "As always, Lord Darkseid," she said solemnly. "We all serve your will." Darkseid nodded thinly at her words. "Indeed you do," he said, as he gazed off into the distance for a moment before turning back to his servant with a thoughtful look on his face. "Let us see how far the young god''s ambition will carry him. I am intrigued to see how his ns develop. In the meantime, prepare the armies to face Brainiac, that one will die before the week ends, Imand it." Granny Goodness gave a tight-lipped smile. "Very well, my lord," she said with a slight bow, before turning and walking away, eager to carry out Darkseid''s orders. Darkseid watched her go, his expression unreadable. Evil vs Destruction. He smiled thinly as the thought of it crossed his mind, and then continued walking in silence. Chapter 213: Chapter 213: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Enjoy! I will post two chapters thising Sunday. ---------------------------------------------------------------- There was once a man, a being, known as Olethros. Olethros abandoned his realm and his responsibilities hundreds of years ago. The reason for this was the onset of the age of reason, a dark time that culminated in the invention of the atomic bomb. Olethros, disgusted by this, was unwilling to remain, to be responsible for the destruction this would cause, and therefore left his post forever. There are few who remember him now, but the tale of his existence still lingers. It is a tale of sorrow and regret. Eventually, however, just as the tale of Olethros was almost forgotten, a new being emerged, an anomaly, a being blessed with unnatural power and strength, The day of his birth was like no other. From the very moment he opened his eyes, it was clear that he possessed something different, something unheard of in the realm. Unbeknownst to him, to everyone but a selected few, he was connected to something greater than himself, a source of immense power that resonated within him at all times. ----------------------------------------------------- [Unknown POV] A pale girl with ck hair made her way through a field of wildflowers, in the sky the sun shining brightly and casting a hue of yellow over the flora. The breeze blew softly, ying in her hair, she smiled. The sweet smell of the flowers wafting up to her nose being almost too much to bear; they were like delicate little stars that filled her with an indescribable sense of peace. As she continued down the path, weaving between each perfect flower, she caught sight of a man standing on the other side. He was tall and broad-shouldered, yet gentle and inviting in his posture. His hair was dark brown and he wore simple clothes that fit him perfectly. Even from this distance, she could feel his gaze on her, he had been waiting for her arrival all along. She made her way closer to him, marveling at each step as if they were taking ce in slow motion. "Long time no see, Death." The girl smiled. "Please, we are family Destruction, there''s no reason not to call me your sister." Destruction smiled back, and without another word, the two embraced. "It has been too long. Fifty years since youst visited." He said softly, a warm smile still on his face. Death nodded, breaking the embrace. "How have you been?" "Good. I''ve been busytely, so it''s not too bad," he said with a chuckle. "What about you? How have you been faring?" Death smiled sadly. "My job is not a fun one." Destruction nodded in understanding. "I can rte, and if it''s any constion, I understand what you mean sister," he said softly. "He''s growing strong," Death said, breaking the silence that had entered their conversation. Destruction nodded solemnly, his gaze troubled for a moment before he returned it to her. "Yes, I can feel it." The two fell silent for a few moments, both lost in their own thoughts and memories as they took in the beauty of the wildflowers around them. "Are you scared, brother?" Death asked gently. Destruction smiled. "No, why would I? You''ll be there at myst stop, won''t you?" Death brushed a hand across her hair. "I will." "Good," Destruction sighed, his eyes still fixed on the flowers. "Samael sends his regards by the way," Death added before taking a seat beside Destruction. "Doesn''t he hate that name?" Destruction chuckled, giving his sister, Death a side look. "He does," Death winked at him. ---------------------------------------------------------- [Brainiac POV.] [Injustice.] Defeat was an impossibility. I had developed hundreds of countermeasures to fight against the Anomaly, and Darkseid. For this very purpose I had created the ultimate body, the ultimate vessel, designed to cybeically evolve to fight any threat in the most efficient way possible. Now it was all a matter of letting those intellectually inferior creatures attack first. "Soon, all in creation will be mine." ---------------------------------------------------------- [Raven - Rachel Roth / POV.] After having convinced the wizard Shazam to help us, we regrouped with Batman, leaving the old wizard alone to find the new Shazam. Batman had summoned us to the tower of fate, to tell us about his ns. Once in the tower of fate, we found Batman with Aquaman, Dr. Fate, and... Harley Quinn. Wasn''t she supposed to be a viin? "Oh hey!" Harley Quinn said with a wide smile on her face. "How was your mission sugars!" "What is she doing here?" I asked. "She''s with us," Batman replied. Wow. If he hadn''t said that, I would''ve never figured it out. "So... Batsy any idea where Boltsy is?" Harley asked. "No," Batman replied. B... Boltsy? "What is your rtionship with Bolt," I asked, confused. Harley Quinn turned to me, beaming I had asked her a question, "Oh oh is this girl talking? Yeih! Well, girlfriend, let''s just say I''m a special kind of friend to him." Special kind of friend... "They are fucking," Lucifer interjected with augh. "Oh, this is a gift that keeps on giving." "I see," I replied calmly, when all of a sudden something exploded near me, what an odd urrence. "Did did the floor spontaneouslybust?" Harley asked, narrowing her eyes. "And since when are explosions ck and bird shaped?" "Since you fucked his yet to be boyfriend," Luciferughed. "Ohhhhhhh," Harley chuckled. "Well, if it''s any constion girl, he''s very proficient in bed, mama Harley taught him some stuff." "The swimming donkey?" Lucifer inquired, as another explosion came out of nowhere. What a second odd urrence. "And, the Dirty Harley," Harley nodded with a beaming smile. "Good, good," Lucifer nodded, before turning to face me. "Isn''t this great? We have real reviews saying you didn''t pick a mediocre partner." "I won''t humor you any longer," I replied, walking towards Batman to see what he had in store, as another explosion came, once again, odd. "Enough, I don''t care what''s happening, but it has to stop," Batman growled out. "Let her be furry, she''s just having a jealous moment," Lucifer replied. "Furry?" Harley asked between giggles. "He''s dressed like a bat," Lucifer nodded. "HAhahahAHAhahAHahAHA!" Chapter 214: READ PLEASE. Chapter 214: READ PLEASE. I know many will find this perhaps not easy to take. But I''m taking today off, and tomorrow, I need a break, a mental health weekend I am writing, and I will write while I take these days off. But I need to write without the pressure of the update, especially now that im starting the sequel to the novel I promised I would make a sequel of. Avatar. I had a rough monthst month, and not so good first week in Jan, I even got food poisoning. The point is, I want to write for two days without any thoughts of posting here, or how many chapters behind I am from my schedule. For those that now me, I''ve been doing this for a long time already, and I suppose I was bound to tire my mind eventually. Worry not, most of this is just me being super stressed, not only with my writing, but with the things that have happened in my family, like the death of my uncle. I will be back on Sunday, with two chapters. I just need two days to breathe from the expectations and slowly stack up my chapters. As for the Avatar sequel, it''sing. When, around March, the first chapter will debut today at night in Patren. I thank you all for yourprehension. Love you all. Corn. Chapter 215: Chapter 215: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] As Wioska, Dex-Starr and I flew back to Earth, I could not help but dwell on the bleak future that awaited me, that awaited everyone. I knew it was only a matter of time before Darkseid and Brainiac unleashed his forces against the universe, both trying to destroy each other, and I trying to destroy them. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt a cold dread in the pit of my stomach at the thought. Even then, amongst all my worries and fears, I could not help but marvel at the beauty of our universe as we soared through its depths. There was something about being up in the stars that brought a sense of peace with it, if only for a short while. I guess now that Raven was here, things didn''t seem so bad. "Worrying won''t solve a thing, you know?" Wioska said, interrupting my thoughts. "I know," I replied. "You know, but what do you intend to do about it?" Wioska said, a faint smile adorning her wearied face. "I intend to win," I answered, closing my eyes, exhausted from the long intergctic voyage, and the worries that haunted my mind. "I have a question, why are you fighting this war?" Wioska asked. "You have no responsibility with this universe, no chains holding you back. You could leave, and let them fend for themselves, so enlighten this old woman, and tell me why are you fighting?" "It is not why I fight for, it''s who I fight for," I replied without missing a beat. "I see," Wioska chuckled, understanding my answer. "I suppose that''s as good as any reason." I was determined to win this war, not for me, not even because I owed this universe that. I was determined to win for Raven, to keep intact the image she has on me. Perhaps it was foolish. But when has the heart ever been wise? Lucifer was right. I loved her. I always have. And I always will. I don''t know how I didn''t see it sooner, but it was my truth, I loved Rachel, and it was liberating to admit that to myself. Perhaps it was the fact I was risking my life, and the threat this represented made this clear, putting my life into perspective. So, for her, I can be a hero, onest time. I will save this reality, and live to tell the tale, that much I vow to do. "Good reason or not, it is the wind beneath my sails," I replied, clenching my fists as we flew through the vacuum of space, ready to take on whateverid ahead of me. ------------------------------------------------------- [Two hourster.] As I descended to earth from my long out of space journey, I noticed Raven waiting for me at mynding spot. My eyes locked with hers, as I pondered about my feelings, and I looked into her, she looked into me, smiling in a way only she could, barely noticeable, showing there was some kind of connection between us that transcended physical boundaries between us. Her beauty left me speechless; her presence was breathtaking, so strong, yet so delicate. Death''s embrace does put things into perspective, I ought to thank herter, if I ever see her again. "How was your mission?" Raven asked calmly. "Good," I replied. "Kind of I managed to recruit the Green Lanterns, and the Red Lanterns. The Yellow Lanterns attacked me, and the blue ones, well, they have no reason to help me." Raven frowned. "No reason? And what do you call saving their universe?" I cracked a smile at her. "You''d be surprised how blind some people can be." "Well, two corps are better than none," Raven sighed, before a smile took over her face. "I seeded in my mission, I managed to get the wizard Shazam to help us, he even said he would make more than one Shazam, something about changing the way things work." Multiple Shazams, I wonder how that will work. As Raven continued to talk about how her mission had gone, the warmth tone melted away my apprehension; her presence wasforting and filled me with a sense of belonging. Love truly is a confounding emotion and when it strikes it is hard to ignore and even harder to control. "Rae, if you died today, would you regret anything?" I asked, cutting her short. "You''re not dying," Raven shot back, clearly not pleased with my question. "I don''t n to, but please humor me for a second, would you regret anything, at all?" I asked once again. "A few," Raven said after a while. "What about you?" Before she could say another word, my arms were around her, brushing her hair with one of my hands, letting it slide beneath my fingers. "I would regret not doing this," I said, and before she could withdraw her shocked mind from its far ces, I bent back her head across my arms and kissed her, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made her cling to me as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world. It felt like an eternity, our lips connecting in a way that felt like nothing else mattered. For a few brief moments, the air around us hung heavy. Then the moment was gone, our kiss havinge to an end. For a single second our eyes locked together and then we both looked away, suddenly embarrassed by what had happened between us. We had broken the kiss and so much more, destroying everything we had known about us so far. "So I guess that''s out of your list, right?" Raven asked, a heavy blush on her pale face. "Of the things you would have regretted?" "Yes, but I would regret not doing it again," I replied, my voice shaky, even thought it wasing from my ring. I guess the ring was reading my emotions and acting ordingly. "Then don''t die," Raven replied, turning around. Chapter 216: Chapter 216: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [Lucifer Morningstar POV] .. "Don''t be a baby Lucifer," Death chuckled, a cocky smile on her face. "I won the bet, so pay up." I She "Fine" I muttered, arms crossed as Death brought the clothes she wanted me to wear for a week. Clothes bought in Hot Topic, oh Presence just KILL ME! "It''s just for a week, you don''t have to pout that much," Death giggled. "Easy for you to say, you dress up like you gave up on life," I huffed. "Well that''s just mean," Death sighed. "I dress for sess, with ss, with sexyness in mind!" I dered, for I, Lucifer Morningstar, was the best dressed creature in all of creation! AND if you don''t believe me, ask the readers, they know I''m the best. Go on, ask them, I''ll wait. ... .... Did you ask them already? Was I right? Of course I was right, that was a stupid question. "It''s either you let me dress you for a week, or you let me burn your favorite suit," Death smirked, reminding me of the terms of our bet. "Fine, let''s get this over with," I sighed, snapping my clothes away, letting Death have her naked canvas to ruin. "That''s one way to get your clothes off," Death whistled. "For your information, I am a master of undressing, I could take your bra off without you even knowing," I nodded, crossing my arms proudly. "Please don''t," Death replied, taking a step back. "Don''t tter yourself, my pale friend, not only you''re not my type, but you''re like a cousin to me a little sister I would even say, and this handsome devil isn''t from bama," I replied, rolling my eyes at her. "An incest joke," Death said, giving me a look that said, really? "Please, I''m hrious, and humans will quote everything I say," I grinned at her, giving her a small wink. "Maybe, but that joke is factually inurate," Death replied, crossing her arms. "I mean, if you are to make an incest joke about a state in the us, wouldn''t Kentucky be better than bama, I mean, their incest rate is higher ording to research." "First of all, Death, if you have to use scientific research for a joke, it makes the joke terrible, and second of all, why in the name of me, do you know that?" I asked, taking a step back from Death. "That seems like a rather strange bit of knowledge to carry." Death deadpanned at me. "Lucy, we are basically omniscient, you more than me, so we know it all, for the most part, even the parts we would rather not know." Yeah. Being all powerful it''s not always funny. Especially not when you know how many furries exist at any given time, in any given reality. I have seen things, I will never NEVER unsee. "Oh well, get to dressing me," I sighed, giving Death a smirk. "As promised, I''ll be your terribly dressed doll. Worry not though, there''s nothing I can''t pull off." "d to know your ego is still intact," Death chuckled, bringing up the Hot Topic clothes. "So, do you think the kid will win?" I asked, as Death began to do my makeover, no, makeunder, yeah that''s better. "Sure, why wouldn''t he?" Death replied. ---------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] After things had cooled down, I talked with Raven about my feelings, asking her out on an official date when all of this was over. She epted. With that out of the way, we moved to meet with Batman in the Tower of Fate. Once there, we went over our ideas with us, pushing our differences aside for the moment as we provided rmendations and insight based on what we knew. To his credit, he remained calm, through it all, showing that at the very least he was determined to see this through before trying to do anything against me. If I could have any other way though, I would have left Batman out of the picture, but as much as I hated him. This version of him at least, he was a genius. One I needed, no one this universe needed. nning tactical warfare requires a certain finesse, an attention to detail he excelled at. If anyone was through with his ns it was him, even if his idiocy didn''t let him see beyond his set imposed rules. I was certain he was one of the very few that would look at our situation from every angle. "You said the Yellow Lanterns attacked you, but what about the Blue Lanterns?" Batman inquired. "I didn''t try with them, seeing as they don''t have any reason to believe my words," I replied. "I will send Dr. Fate to speak with them," Batman replied. "He should be able to convince them to join us in this fight." As we continued discussing about our ns, I was struck by how hard this would be; at least for everyone else. I would y the role of Superman in this war, the heavy hitter of the team, but for the rest of the team. The amount of focus and precision they needed to maintain reminded me why waging war can be such a difficult undertaking, where even the smallest miscalction can result in drastic consequences. "Batman, there''s something approaching earth," Dr. Fate announced, at the same time my rings were alerting me of the same. A single ship. A shuttle. Intrigued by this, I asked the rings to borate and the answer shocked me. "A kryptonian shuttle," I announced, getting everyone''s attention. "Depending on who''s inside, this can either be bad news or good news. I wonder which one it will be" Batman narrowed his eyes on me. "Take a picture, it willst longer," I replied, standing up from my chair. "Raven, please open a portal to ska. There''s a Kryptonian we need to catch before it kills someone." Raven nodded, and before Batman could say another word, we left. I wonder if the person inside this shuttle is Supergirl, or someone else. I also wonder how the Kryptonian girl will react once she learns what I did to her cousin. Chapter 217: Chapter 217: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Update schedule: Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Marvel: Monday, and Friday. I''m slowing down updates because I''m about to start a new novel. By the end of Jan. But unlike doing what I did with Marvel, I intend to keep updates going just at a slower rate. Why starting a new novel? Well, it''s not really new new, it''s something I''ve been working on, on Patren, like I already have like 20 chaps ready. DC will remain with constant updates both here and Patren. But seeing as I''m reaching thest arc, I need more time to write the chapters and can''t sustain a daily update schedule. Thest arc of DC will be back in the young justice universe, and will cover the second seasons 2-3-4. And in order for me to deliver the ending I want, I need the time to work with the chapters. So, yeah, I need to stop the daily release. But I know you guys want something to read daily, so I might as well go for one of the projects I already have and can sustain with daily chapters. I will also update Marvel two times a week, so all and all, I will be both updating more and less. It makes sense to me, I know it''s weird. ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] I moved with Raven to intercept the Kryptonian shuttle, wondering how things would y out. If the person within the shuttle was who I thought it was, I had no doubts in my mind that Batman would use the fact I had killed Superman, to manipte Supergirl into his agenda. Not that she needed much to side with him, I had, after all, killed her only living rtive. If anything Batman would simply push things into the fasterne, so to speak. I wasn''t worried though. Supergirl was weaker than Superman, and I had taken care of Superman with rtive ease. Sure, I was weaker now, seeing as my rage had dwindled considerably with the object of my hate being gone, but I was still stronger than both Kryptonians. I would''ve probably had problems dealing with both at the same time as I am now, but individually I had no doubts I could take her on. "You know who''s inside," Ravenmented, as we waited for the shuttle to enter Earth''s orbit. "I have a good idea of who we are dealing with," I nodded. "I missed your mysterious bits of knowledge," Raven smiled. I smiled back, my eyes fixed on the sky. "What are we now, Rae?" "What do you mean?" Raven asked calmly. I paused, taking a deep breath. "We kissed, and that pretty much says what I feel about you, so My question is, what are we now?" Raven tilted her head, a thoughtful expression clear on her face. "I don''t know, this is new to me. I never thought I would have a friend, so obviously a boyfriend was out of the range of possibilities." I can rte to that. With my powers, with the burdens I had been given, I never thought I would have a rtionship. "I suppose we will see whates next, together, I mean, you did agree to go on a date with me," I replied. Raven chuckled briefly. "I did, I wonder what I was thinking when I said yes." "That I was unimaginably handsome?" I shot back with a yful smirk. "I won''t dignify that with an answer," Raven rolled her eyes. "But you didn''t deny it, so I''ll take it as a win," I beamed at her, patting on the head. Then, as I continued teasing Raven with pats on the head, the shuttle entered the Earth''s atmosphere with a loud boom. "Shouldn''t we catch that?" Raven asked as the shuttle descended toward the ground. I shook my head. "Nah, Kryptonians are tough nuts, let her crash." "Ok," Raven shrugged. Secondster, the shuttle crashed into the ground, sending a plume of smoke and dust into the air. "Let''s go and see who this is then," I said as we flew toward the site of impact. Now to see, Supergirl or not. This would be interesting to say the least. As we approached the crash site, I started to hear clear groans, female by the sound of it. Taking a few steps in, I inspected the broken shuttle, confirming without a shred of doubt that the person inside was Supergirl. Kara Zor-El. Surprisingly, she seemed to be injured, which exined why her groans were full of pain. Anding such as this shouldn''t have injured her. Unless her powers were still dormant due to herck of exposure to a yellow sun. If that was the case, I should''ve caught her. A Kryptonian without a Yellow Sun, is like any other human, fragile and easy to crush. In fact, if that was the case, it was a marvel she wasn''t in a worse state. She seemed to be unconscious now, which was for the best. Having her awake and in this state would only worsen the situation. I nced at Raven, who nodded in confirmation of my suspicions. "Let''s get her out of here then," I said as I crouched down next to Supergirl''s body. "We need to treat her wounds." Raven nodded in agreement, as I carefully lifted Supergirl off the ground and flew off with her to Lucifer''s bar. There I would treat her wounds, and once she was in a good state, I would exin the situation myself, telling her what I had done from my own words. "We are flying towards Lucifer''s bar, why?" Raven asked, a small frown on her face. "It''s the only ce Nabu wouldn''t dare to teleport Batman to," I replied; as much as Lucifer annoyed me sometimes, he was a valuable friend to have. If not the only friend worth having, after all, him backing you up meant certain victory. There were maybe two beings that could go against him, at least that I knew of, those being Gabriel, and the Presence. Gabriel being his equal, and the Presence the only one above him. Other than that. He was unmatched, by lengths no one but a few could truly grasp. "I suppose that makes sense, should I open a portal there?" Raven offered. That''s a good idea, I must have been spacing out, I don''t know why I didn''t ask for that before. "Yes," I nodded. - Upon arriving at Lucifer''s nightclub, Lux, which was located in Los Angeles, we were met with an image we didn''t quite expect to see. Lucifer dressed like a Gothic stereotype. "Why, hello there," Lucifer greeted us, as we both stared at him in disbelief. "I know I''m devilishly handsome, but do try not to stare too much. Who am I kidding, I can''t deny you both the pleasure of looking at me." I blinked, slowly moving Supergirl to an empty couch in the corner. "Ok, I have to ask, why are you dressed like a Hot Topic advertisement?" Raven asked, her eyes fixed on Lucifer, a question which made Lucifer twitch. "Well, if you must know, I lost the bet I made, your boyfriend over there was the one to initiate the kiss, so, here I am," Lucifer crumbled under his breath, before breaking into a big smile. "But this is but a small price to see this love rise from the embers of friendship!" "Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "But of course, this is a small price to pay, be that as it may, if you two tell anybody you saw me like this, I will erase you both from existence," Lucifer smiled, a cold detached smile. "Charming," I replied. Chapter 218: Chapter 218: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Next chapter on Sunday ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Pushing aside Lucifer''s outfit, I carried Kara to an empty table to inspect her wounds. Her heart was beating fast, and her breathing wasbored. I carefullyid her out on the table, cautious to avoid agitating her further. Once she was all set up, I took her pulse and monitored her breathing to confirm my previous findings, then began the process of cleaning and bandaging the wounds. After that was done, I cleaned out the cuts on her arms and legs as best as I could, trying to avoid causing any further harm. Using my ring to scan her more thoroughly, I discovered without surprise that she had broken several bones and suffered from numerous contusions. Luckily, none of the injuries seemed life-threatening, at least not anymore. A few moments ago, her injuries would''ve been lethal for her. But it seemed like her anatomy was reacting to the sun faster than expected, having already begun the healing process at an rming pace. Seeing she would recover perfectly without much intervention, I administered some painkillers to ease this process and applied ice packs to minimize any possible swelling. "How long before she wakes up?" Raven asked. "Not long," I answered, watching with my ring how her cells began to repair themselves, faster and faster with each passing second. I was genuinely impressed by her physiology and the amount of power it revealed. "She''ll be back on her feet soon." "So, how are the ns for the uing war?" Lucifer asked, breaking the silence. I looked up to meet his gaze. I honestly couldn''t tell what he was thinking, he was hard to read, hard to deal with, like a Lion waiting for a reason to snap. "As good as anyone can hope." Lucifer nodded, a satisfied smile ying on his lips. "Fancy a drink?" A drink. That actually sounds quite nice. "Sure, why not," I nodded. "I''ll keep an eye on her, go," Raven said, probably making sure I wouldn''t feel guilty for leaving her side. "Thanks," I said and began to walk away with Lucifer. Lucifer smiled at this, pulling out two sses from beneath the bar and filling them with whisky. Making sure to add two cubes of ice to each ss, before cing them on the white marble countertop. He pushed one towards me and raised his own in a toast. "To the future," he said. "To the future," I echoed with a smile, clinking my ss against his. We both took a sip of our drinks and, for a moment, we just stood there, in silence. "So, any idea what you will do once all of this is over?" Lucifer asked after a while. "I haven''t really thought about it," I said, taking another sip from my ss. It was hard to picture anything other than the now when life grows inplications. "I get it, sometimes it is hard to see beyond the present. So, let''s talk about the now then," Lucifer said, leaning in closer. "Ready to go back to your heroic deeds when all of this is over?" "Can we not talk about this now?" I said, hoping to escape the conversation. "You know what they say," Lucifer answered, his voice low and yful. "The future belongs to those who prepare for it today." I sighed. "I know, but let me figure that out the hard way, can you?" "Of course," heughed. "I''m just making friendly conversation, Lance. Besides, it''s not like the answer matters, after all, I trust you will make your future a quite interesting one." Done with my drink and the conversation, I moved away from the bar and towards Raven, leaving Lucifer to his own thoughts. "Everything going okay?" I asked as I approached her. "You left for one minute," Raven deadpanned. I smiled awkwardly. "Right, sorry about that. Just trying to keep my head upied." "It''s okay," Raven said and nodded toward the slumbering girl on the table in front of us. "I have a question though, how do you n on telling her you killed her cousin?" I sighed and looked away. Like many things as ofte, I hadn''t given that much thought yet, and who could me me, my mind was preupied with the uing war. "I suppose I''ll cross that bridge when I get to it," I said, cing a hand on Raven''s shoulder. "On that matter, any idea how to teach her English, immediately? I sincerely doubt she will speak in anynguage we can understand." Raven shook her head, before getting up and moving closer to Kara. "No idea, but I suppose I could make a spell to fix that ." "Good," I nodded. As much as my rings could be used as universal trantors, it was best if Kara knew how tomunicate, even if that could result in her trying to kill me for what I had done to her cousin. "Whatever her reaction is, you won''t face this alone, she will face us both," Raven said, noticing the look on my face. I sighed, grateful for her support, it really meant a lot. "Don''t worry, Rae, I''m much stronger than her." "I know," Raven smiled. "Be that as it may, I will be there for you when the timees." "Thank you," I replied, giving her a hug. It was good to feel like this, with Raven by my side, I felt at home. As we hugged, sharing a moment of peace, Kara woke up abruptly, gasping and clutching her chest as if she had been startled by a dream. Her wild eyes darted around the room before they settled on me, and I could already feel anger coursing through her veins. Kara jumped from the table, rage written across her face. Her fists were clenched, and she charged at me with surprising speed, not enough to be worthy of a Kryptonian, but enough to be considered superhuman. Taking a step forward I readied to knock her out. But before I could do anything, Raven had already used her magic to lift Kara up in the air and pin her against the wall with a wave of her hand. "She''s scared, and... angry," Raven said calmly. I can''t me her. This can''t be easy to grasp, I would know. Chapter 219: Chapter 219: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz Back on daily schedule for this one, at least for this week. If we keep the spot around top 10 or som. Marvel will be updated tomorrow. ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] It took us a while to calm Kara down, and all things considered, it was understandable it had, but with the help of Raven, and my rings to trante, I managed toe to an understanding with Kara, making clear we weren''t her enemies. Needless to say, I had left out the fact I had killed her cousin. Not because I wanted to keep her on the blind, but because I wanted her to be in a better state of mind to process that before telling her. "How are you feeling, Kara?" I asked her. "Okay, I guess," She replied in her native tongue. Her eyes zed over with a mix of emotions, but none that showed any sort of joy orfort; just sorrow and despair. "Good," I nodded, scanning her body to make sure her wounds were healing nicely. "Do you have any questions for us?" She shook her head but then paused. There was a grip of uncertainty surrounding her, and I could see she wanted to say something, so after a few short moments of indecisiveness, she spoke. "Where am I?" I had already told her that. Was she perhaps having some sort of amnesia due to the crash? Oh... wait, I just realized she must not know what I meant by Earth when I was exining her situation. "I have no idea what your people called this, but natives call it Earth, as far as where we are on the, well, we are currently in the United States of America, in the state of LA," I answered. "I know none of those things mean a thing to you, but I''ll get you a book once Raven figures out how to teach you English in a day." Kara smiled at my answer or at least attempted to, but it seemed like there was still a lot weighing on her mind as she nced around the room. "I feel stronger than I have ever felt, is this something normal to Earth?" I shook my head. "No, it isn''t. You are special, in a manner of speaking. To make it simple, your Kryptonian physiology allows you to absorb, store, and use sr radiation, at least that whiches from a Yellow Sun. How this happens, well, I''m not sure. But I reckon it has a lot to do with your biological makeup, which includes a number of organs thatck parallel in humans and whose functions are unknown. My guess is that those organs process this radiation, like a nt so to speak, allowing your body to be strengthened by it." Kara nodded slowly, her eyes still a bit confused. I could tell she was still processing the news, so I decided to give her some room. Perhaps I had gone too scientific with my exnation. "You should rest now," I said, patting her arm and giving her a small smile. "We can continue this conversation another time." Kara nodded again, closing her eyes and finally embracing the sleep that had been eluding her. "Getting into the field of gics?" Raven asked. "Maybe," I replied with a smile. "I would like to go to college when all of this is over, have some normality back in my life. I crave boring endeavors, I really do." Raven nodded. "You''re an admirable man, David, even now you can see some light at the end of the tunnel." "I don''t know about that," I said, shaking my head. I wasn''t admirable, and I was certainly not positive, I was just being honest, I craved a moment of mundanity like someone craves water in the desert. "Even now you can''t take apliment, can you?" Raven sighed, rolling her eyes at me. "It''s called being modest, you should try it sometime," I shot back. "Why would I? I''m awesome, and I see no need in pretending I''m not," Raven replied. "I agree, you go, girl," Lucifer grinned from his corner, taking a sip of the drink he was holding in his hand. "Worry not dear David, you can continue being modest, while Raven and I continue being awesome, me more than her, of course." ----------------------------------------------------------- [Brainiac POV] I watched as the massive fleets of ships began to assemble in formation, ready to strike my enemies when they least expect it. I had been nning this attack carefully, analyzing each possible scenario, each oue, and unlikely possibility, and it was finally time to put my n into action. I would send my drones to keep Darkseid''s armies upied, while I focused on the main task; capturing the anomaly. He was the key to unlocking the secrets of the multiverse, the key to infinite knowledge, and I was determined to do whatever it took to make him mine. He had escaped me once, but not anymore. I had evolved past my primitive understanding of his capabilities, and I now knew exactly how to capture him. I had created a body, a unique vessel to carry my being into battle, one crafted to evolve in order to match my opponent. It had its downsides, as I would have to iste my entire being into this body, but it would grant me the power to match him, and Darkseid, separately. "Initiating project Apex." With that said, I began to upload my consciousness into my vessel, watching as the nanites moved through my current being to the newest one, integrating every particle of myself into this new form. The process was quick and effective, and in mere seconds, I had be one with this new form, now having acquired capabilities far beyond what any other organic being could ever hope to possess. With this body, my strength was unparalleled, and with this power, soon, I would acquire knowledge far beyond what any other being could ever hope to understand orprehend. I ought to thank the anomaly for pushing me in the right direction, for in this new state of existence, I was effectively unstoppable. His escape and the events that had soon followed, had forced me to transcend my previous limits. "Everything will be mine," I spoke to the universe. "The Apex hase." And with that said, I surged forward, faster than light itself alongside my armies, towards my ultimate goal; knowledge beyondprehension. Chapter 220: Chapter 220: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz I''m not ded, I''ve been fixing some shit. And I''m done with that. Expect more chaps starting FEB. - [David Lance POV] I walked out of Lucifer''s bar, leaving Raven in charge of Kara, as I took some time to think things out. I needed to start nning for the uing war, and I had no idea where to start, with Superman time had been on my side. This time, however, fortune wasn''t so kind as to smile at me. At least this time I wasn''t fighting alone. As I pondered about my situation, I felt a chill in the air alerting my senses. Something had changed in the atmosphere, bringing a feeling that each second grew and tightened until I felt like I could reach out and touch it. I don''t know how I knew it, but I knew something was approaching earth, and it wasing for me. And it had to be Brainiac. I knew Darkseid, better than Brainiac at least, and if wanted to kill me, he would not resort to a surprise attack, not with me. As darkness descended over this feeling of inevitability, I ordered my troops, the ones I had acquired at Apokolips to get into formation to face the oing threat, giving them clear orders through my rings. "What happened?" Raven asked, appearing through a portal with an rmed expression, one that clearly implied she had felt my sudden switch of emotions. "Brainiac, he''sing," I replied, giving Raven a small nce before turning my attention to the sky. "We are severely underprepared, you must find Batman, and start evacuating people to shelters." "I won''t let you fight him alone," Raven shot back, understanding what I was intending to do without needing me to tell her. I smiled at her. "Last time, Brainiac captured me because he had caught me off guard, at the time I hadn''t been aware of his existence or his intentions with me. Now I am, so don''t worry, I will disassemble that over-glorified toaster." Raven frowned, feeling the lies and the truths between my words mix. The truth was, I wasn''t entirely sure how I would fare against Brainiac, but that didn''t matter. I would win. Regardless of the cost. I refused to lose when I was so close to finally go back home, to finally break out of this hell that little bastard had sent me. I wanted to see my sister. Oliver. I wanted to have the normality that had been taken from me. "You die on me, and I will kill you," Raven threatened in a way that really had no bite, but that showed how much she cared, how much I meant to her. I smiled once again. "A good luck kiss?" "Ask meter," Raven replied with a faint, yet yful smirk, before teleporting to do what I had asked her to do. I sighed, so much for Knight''s blessing from a maiden''s kiss. Oh well, I guess that''s alright. I''m no knight, no hero, no viin, just a guy who wants to go fucking home. Shaking my head, and pushing my thoughts aside, I cleared my mind readying for battle, and once my head was empty, I took off to face Brainiac. -------------------------------------------------------- I flew into space, reaching my army within moments, and waited. "Good kitty here, good kitty sent by mate, mate scary," Dex-Starr said, hovering around my legs for a moment before brushing against them. "You mean Raven sent you?" I asked, holding a smile from taking over my face. Dex-Starr nodded. "Scary mate sent me, good kitty here, good kitty ready to kill." I cracked a smile at that, petting the little rascal for a few moments before turning my attention back to the horizon, after all, Brainiac was finally here. "Unexpected," Brainiac spoke, his voice breaking through the emptiness of space like a hot knife through butter, as his seemingly endless armada came into full view, showing I was heavily outnumbered. "It was not within calction for you to be waiting for me. No matter, the result will still be the same." "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I shouted, sting everything in front of me, destroying in the process millions of his soldiers. At times like this, I was really d I had these powers. "A futile endeavor," Brainiac said through the debris, shooting at me with some sort of projectiles that moved faster than light itself, however, before they reached me, I destroyed them by sending a wave from my Rage ring. "Impressive, those projectiles were specifically made to counter the emotional spectrum of the rings, and their energy, yet it seems that you still managed to overload their circuits with your ring," Brainiac praised, his eyes scanning over me, literally, I could see his pupils change colors, and my rings confirming he was inspecting me. On another note, I just now realized something, Brainiac was perfectly fine, he had tanked my earlier scream, and his body was showing no signs of damage, at all. This didn''t bode well. "Three rings, rage, will, and hope," Brainiac said, his tone cold and detached. "Subject reveals an energy output of 291% over normal capacity, adapting data." "Kill them all Dex-Starr," I said, before charging at Brainiac, however, just as I''m about to hit Brainiac, he moves to intercept me, stopping my iing punch with his hand. "Resistance is futile but is highly educative, so I will allow it," Brainiac said, staring into my eyes. I give him no reply and move behind him, punching him, into Jupiter, where I had just now decided we would battle. On that note, punching him had felt like punching a wall of steel, but as a human. I might have to use something more than brawn to win this fight. "Any type of physical force has no effect on me," Brainiac said, showing once again my attack had done nothing. "Your rings won''t work on me, and your powercks the focus to work on me as well, be that as it may. Show me the limits of your existence, an anomaly." I cracked my neck, side to side. "Don''t you tire of hearing yourself? Honest to God, you''re annoying." Once again, my powers prove to be useless against him, but like before he''s giving me more than he should have because now I have something to work with. "Don''t worry, you won''t be hearing my voice once I start to dissect you," Brainiac replied, taking a step forward. Chapter 221: Chapter 221: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz All the problems keeping from writing are gone. Expect between 3-5 chapters a week, maybe even more going back to daily schedule. Just this past two I have written over 10 chapters in Patren, so I''m back on track. Be sure to check them out if this tickles your fancy. - [David Lance POV] I had no intention of losing. Brainiac had the upper hand, but I would figure it out, it was simply a matter of adapting. Now it was time to test things out, and see what I have to work with. "Last time we saw each other, you had two rings in your possession," Brainiac started, walking towards me as if taking a stroll. "My radar is getting some readings you have one more. Feel free to use it." So he knows about the fear ring, so much for the element of surprise, that''s not good. But I will y around it. "I don''t need that to defeat you," I replied, taunting the robot with a smile on my face, earning a pause from the robot. Then, as expected, Brainiac took the bait I hadid out for him and rushed right over to me. Despite his new body size and bulk, his speed was quite impressive, on par with mine. Concentrating on his movements, I moved. I shifted to the side at thest second, avoiding his first attack, and easily dodging the second with a quick dash to the skies, where I sted him with a beam from all of my rings. Tanking the attack, Brainiac darted toward me without any dy, trying to grapple me. But with a swift motion, I once again dodged him and used the opportunity tounch my own attack on him with an onught of hail from my power rings. The energy from my rings couldn''t harm him, but that didn''t mean the other phenomena around him wouldn''t affect him, so as predicted the force of my attack while unable to harm him, had been great enough to knock Brainiac out of bnce, momentarily, sending him crashing into the ground. Taking this window of opportunity I rushed at him. But... as I was about to reach the android, something shifted in the air, putting my danger sense on high alert, leaving something very clear to me. Something wasing, and if I was hit by it, I would die. Following my instincts, I took my distance, analyzing the situation, and as I did, several missiles fired from within the debris I had sent Brainiac crashing to. They were fast, fast enough to get me if I made a single mistake, so quickly calcting their trajectories and free gaps between them, I weaved through them all, but, just as I dodged them, the missiles were back on me. A homing device. I continued dodging the projectiles, finding it rather easypared to what Wioska had put me through. But as easy as it was, dodging would solve nothing. Time to test if Brainiac''s attacks are as sturdy as he is. Dodging for onest time to position my targets where I wanted them, I powered my rings up, and with a single wave of his arm, I created a shockwave that exploded all the missiles into nothing butrge clouds of smoke after a deafening noise. It seems his attacks can be affected by powers. Good. I will take that into ount, but I won''t trust on it blindly, Brainiac is very crafty, and the fact he didn''t attack me while I was dodging could very well mean he''s manipting me right into a trap. On another note, the explosions the missiles had generated were small but very powerful and concentrated. A single hit from them would''ve damaged me severely. "It seems you have evolved past your own limits as well, you are quite cautious now," remarked Brainiac as the smoke cleared. "d you noticed," I replied. "I wonder how far caution will take you?" Brainiac added, aiming his right arm toward me as a thin beam shot off toward me, faster than anything I had ever seen. I dodged it, but only because I had instinctively moved before Brainiac had shot, if I hadn''t that beam would''ve pierced me. I guess I will have to rely on danger sense for the time being. "Impressive, but can you replicate that result again?" Brainiac asked, pointing at me, this time with both of his arms. I jumped, trying to avoid the attack, but this time I had been toote, Brainiac had hit me, right in the leg. I jumped back and looked at my injured leg to see intense burn marks, depicting the immense power of Brainiac''s attack. Not only it had broken through the ring''s defenses, but it had pierced and hurt my body a lot. Pushing my pain aside, I rushed forward at light speed, my power rings propelling me faster and faster as I flew straight for Brainiac. Surprised by my change of action, Brainiac tried to fire a beam at me once again, but this time I was ready for him and moved before the beam could activate. Then, once I had closed up the distance between us, I threw a hard hook at his face, sending Brainiac flying and crashing against a nearby mountain. "I have nothing else to learn from this fight, you fulfilled your purpose," Brainiac spoke, flying off the mountain I had sent him to, his arms shaping into energy des. "Time to be dissected." Having said that, Brainiac gave his des a quick wave upwards, and then toward me from where he was standing. Suddenly arge wind was emitted from the bottom of the des moving rapidly toward me, I dodged the first current of winds, but the second hit me, though, for some reason, I felt no pain. "Don''t worry, I will reattach your limb once I analyze your body, you won''t be alive to see it through though," Brainiac said, looking at the ground. I followed his gaze and saw that one of my legs had been cut off from me. I cracked a smile. God, I was so fucking lucky, had he aimed for the head, I would''ve probably died without realizing what he had done, now I know, I ought to be thankful the greatest idiots are those who are too smart for their own good. "Don''t bother," I smiled, levitating the recently amputated leg from where it was, and putting it back in ce with the blue ring. "I can''t mend my wounds just fine." Healing wounds with the blue ring was simple, if you had enough power, and had a greenntern ring. For some reason, both rings empowered each other. "Impressive. But will it help you mend the wounds I will inflict on the girl known as Raven?" Brainiac replied, his lifeless eyes staring into mine. I froze. "Choose your next words carefully," I warned, ring at him with rage and hate I hadn''t felt since Superman. "I will kill you, and her, and then everybody else," Brainiac replied. ------------------------------------------------------ [Lucifer THE SEXIEST POV] Huh, well I guess that''s that for Alexa. He had to bring the girl. I wonder when the viin will learn to have ss, and a functioning brain. Oh well, time to have some televised fun. Chapter 222: Chapter 222: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [Lucifer TV POV] Hearing Brainiac''s words, the threats he was throwing at the one person in this reality David saw to be his, something snapped within him. Something that had been dormant since Superman''s demise, something that never truly awoken, but now is roaring, ready to tear anything and anyone apart. And honestly, gals and pals of the audience, what was Brainiac thinking it would happen? That David would surrender? Beg on his knees? Intellect level 12th my ass. Anyway, back to the fight. Sorry for thementary my Angered by Brainiac''s threat, the battle soon reignited with David unexpectedly appearing before Brainiac, rage clear in his eyes. Brainiac, seeing this, moves his des to cut David, but thetter kicks his arms out of their trajectory, unbncing the android, before punching him with enough force the entire of Jupiter shook. Taken back by David''s newfound strength, the android tries to counterattack but David creates a de with his rings and cuts one of Brainiac''s arms. "Emotions can only carry you so far," Brainiac spat, reattaching his arm, before trying to say something else, but David pays him no attention, and simply cuts off his newly reattached arm. "Shut the hell up," David growled, the energies of his rings growing in power. The hope to destroy him, the will to see it through, and the rage to fuel it all. "This is not going ording to the data Further analysis is required," Brainiac muttered, taking some distance from David. "You are empowering your attacks without the use of the emotional spectrum. You''re channeling all your energy into a singr spot before attacking, creating a masterful blow. Impressive, you developed a new power, one capable of going through my defenses. It doesn''t-" At that moment, Brainiac is suddenly struck from behind by David, who had been tired of Brainiac''s monologue. Giving the android no time to process, the enraged David was back on him instantly with a barrage of powerful fists and kicks each set even stronger than thest. *---* "Wait, howe the kid is now pushing Toaster back now?" Mazikeen asked, tilting her head in inquiry to me. "A few moments ago the kid was struggling, and now he''s well, kicking that tin can''s ass." "Unlike before, he isn''t thinking," Wioska replied before I could. "He''s just acting, sure, he''s angry, and that''s making him stronger, but his anger is not dictating his actions. He''s just acting, instantly, no thoughts, nothing, just instincts and skills working together without a middle man." "Huh," Mazikeen hummed. "So that''s what makes the kid tick." "He loves her, and rage blooming in order to protect love, is quite strong," I added, with a chuckle. "He''s not questioning the limit of his power, or whether or not his attacks will affect him, he''s just striking Brainiac without a doubt, and his power is reacting to that, providing results." "Reaching that state takes more than a lifetime to most warriors," Wioska continued, taking the drink I was offering her. "And most never perfect that state. In my case, it took me three hundred years to first reach it, and another two hundred to master it. The fact he reached this state of focus so young, and while dealing with his rage is nothing short of impressive." "Well, but of course, no friend of mine can be mediocre," I nodded, winking at Maz who was rolling her eyes at me. "Perhaps," Wioska chuckled softly. "I doubt he''s even aware of it, to be honest. But at the end of the day, it doesn''t matter if he''s aware of it, or not. The result of the fight became clear the moment Brainiac decided to y, instead of finishing things up." "Alright, everybody shush I want to see how David finishes things up," I ordered, turning my attention back to the fight. *---* David rushed forward, grabbing Brainiac by the throat before mming him down, hard. The force of the m was enough to make Brainiac''s body form a crater, and David still wasn''t done with him. Eyes lost in rage, David reared his arm back, energy coursing through it as he prepared to deliver his most powerful strike yet. "I had enough of this," Brainiac growled, sting David off him with a powerful energy beam, making David stumble back. Ignoring the android''s attack, David skidded to a stop, and just as Brainiac was preparing himself for another assault, David was already back on him. With each punch, with each step, the android took another step back, losing ground as David moved in for yet another attack. "This can''t be happening," Brainiac growled, cutting one of David''s arms with his des, in an attempt to slow him down. But just as he had cut it, David reattached it and was back to attacking in a blink of an eye, as if it hadn''t happened in the first ce. There was no doubt in Brainiac''s head anymore, he was losing. Whatever had changed within David, whatever his taunts, that were supposed to make him act sloppier, had actually made him stronger, faster, and impossible to deal with, at least not with the current set. An update was required. ------------------------------------- [Darkseid POV] Red was dealing with Brainiac in an efficient manner, overpowering the little machine, showing him that power can''t beputed, or calcted. Power, true power is something very few creatures wield. "Granny Goodness, order our troops to retreat back to Apokolips," I ordered, my voice reverberating through the Throne Room, making Granny Goodness snap to attention and nod quickly. "It seems there is no longer a need for me to kill Brainiac." "What about little red?" Granny Goodness asked as she inputted the coordinates to make the boom tube. "Another day," I replied, walking towards the portal that was opening. "I intend to eliminate him, at his best. Anything less would be an insult to Darkseid." Granny Goodness smiled. "As youmand it, it shall be done." Chapter 223: Chapter 223: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- As we continued shing, Brainiac began to adapt, and within little time he had recovered his ground. "I can''t understand you. No matter what I do, how much I prepare, you still manage to surmount my expectations," began Brainiac as he took some space from me, "How do you do it?" I cracked my neck, my legs parting slightly for better support as I waited for Brainiac to make his next move. "For someone who seeks infinite knowledge, you''re pretty dumb." Brainiac said nothing, ring at me without a hint of emotion, before sting towards me, swinging his de in a circr motion. Seeing through his attack, I parried his advance easily with one hand and attacked with the other. Brainiac dodged the attack in turn by jumping back. Then, Brainiac moved forward, grabbing my hand before sending me into the air. Taking hold of my situation, I maneuvered out of the air easily, stopping a few meters away, just in time to see Brainiac pounce on me again. Getting back into a fighting stance, I weaved away without difficulty, avoiding several punches and kicks before being surprised by a missile at point-nk range. The missile collided with me, leaving me no time to dodge, creating an explosion of massive proportions. "How interesting..." I muttered, as the smoke of the explosion cleared out, revealing I was unharmed. I had used the rings at thest moment to iste the explosion, receiving only minimal damage. "If you had started this fight, fighting like this, you might have stood a chance." Brainiac frowned. Lighting my rings up, I moved, this time it was my turn to attack, so I pressed forward, raining on Brainiac with everything I had. Brainiac parried and slipped for a long time to the best of his ability, before getting an elbow in the stomach, which made him spit. "Between us, that seems like a design w, I mean, why would you make yourself be able to feel pain? And if you had to, why would you make yourself emte the response?" Brainiac said nothing, instead, he gasped for a short time, ring at me for a moment before he attacked with one of his des. I dodged, breaking the base of his cybeic des, before kicking Brainiac away. Then, as Brainiac tried to recover, I moved forward. Face-to-face, fast and powerful blows were exchanged at breakneck speed, as the shock waves of our sh were felt throughout the. Finally, after several moments, where seemingly neither of us had no advantage over the other, we separated. "This battle has gone for long enough," Brainiac said, his eyes narrowing a bit. "Time to show you the full extent of my power. You were right, if I had taken this seriously from the start, we wouldn''t be here." I said nothing, taking on another defensive stance. And without another word, Brainiac attacked, with a sense of confidence so big that it was almost palpable. I waited for Brainiac to reach me and then began to avoid his first strike by grabbing his neck with my right hand and mming him into the ground. "You''re not living up to your own hype, Brainiac," I said, arms crossed as the android began to stand up. "Resistance is futile, I will win, and I will im the universe and everything outside it," Brainiac boasted, his body crackling with electricity. All of a sudden, he felt more dangerous. I smiled, uncrossing his arms. "Of one thing you were right, this battle has gone on for long enough." Having said that, I pressed forward at full speed. Brainiac moved to meet me midway, attempting to cut my head off with his des but failed to do so, instead receiving a knee that hit him in the stomach. Brainiac recovered quickly and counterattacked with a broad and precise movement, sting me away into the''s surface with a violent crash. The android pushed forward, intending to press his advance, I would give him no chance. "Back!" I shouted, sting him away as I recovered my ground. Brainiac, having lost his momentum, growled before releasing a ball of energy at me. I pped it away. I was getting used to his weapons, and how I had to use mine to be effective against him. "Time to die," Brainiac then suddenly muttered, appearing behind me, and sting me with a point-nk beam of energy. Brainiacughed in victory. I chuckled, cutting his victoriousugh short revealing I was standing, still in perfect condition, amid the dust that was quickly dissipating. Holding a small shield of energy from my rings behind my back, the shield being lightly burned and scorched, smoking because of the attack. "You really thought that would work?" I asked with a smile, not even looking back. "It''s like you''re not even trying anymore." Brainiac took a step back, and for the first time since I had known him, I saw fear in his eyes. "Thanks to you, and your preparations. I learned to control the energies of my rings to the point I can ignore your defenses, so do try your best to dodge these," I said, turning around. Then, before Brainiac could fully grasp what I had meant, a multitude of beams sprung from my fingers: a rainbow of red, green, and blue. Each beam was narrow, and very fast, zooming straight to Brainiac. Brainiac began to dodge, not without difficulty, having multiple beams scratch him as he weaved through my assault. Then, as he was about to be cornered, he disappeared out of sight. Just like before. He had moved out of sight. And knowing him, he will appear behind me. I grinned, I might as well use this to my advantage. As predicted, Brainiac appeared behind me, summoning one of his all-cutting des. Then, in a clean, precise movement, he cut through me, from my right shoulder down to my waist. However, before he could retract his arm, I grabbed it with my remaining arm. Brainiac tried to escape, but no matter how much he tried, I did not allow any motion to be made. "That hurt," I said, using my blue ring to reattach and heal the parts of my body he had cut, leaving only his de and arm inside of my abdomen, by holding his arm tight. "But it made easier whates next." Before Brainiac could ponder on that thought, I pierced his chest with my right arm. "This this can''t be." Brainiac muttered. "I would say go to hell, but we both know you don''t have a soul," I replied, sting Brainiac from the inside out, destroying his entire body in a ming explosion. I coughed, dropping to the ground out of exhaustion. To think Brainiac could have won that if he had yed to his strengths, using his vast resources to tire me, and eventually kill me. I guess I''m lucky he wasn''t all that smart. Or perhaps he was smart, just not wise. Who cares anyway? "Bravo, that was outstanding!" That voice Lucifer. "You enjoyed the show?" I asked, dropping to the ground on my back. "I most certainly did, you went from getting your buttock kicked to kicking whatever he had instead of an ass," Lucifer pped, a proud smile on his face. "Buttock? That has to be the most British shit you have ever said to me," I rolled my eyes, breathing like I had run a marathon, without superpowers. "So, ready to go back to the bar? And you know, get the pretty girl," Lucifer teased, but I didn''t care. I did in fact want to go back to the bar to get the pretty girl. "I do," I replied with a tired nod. Chapter 224: Chapter 224: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- I wake up to quiet and warmth. Stretching away, I blinked away the lingering haze of sleep and groggily sat up, looking around the ce. It seemed like I was in a room of some kind, it looked luxurious, full of artifacts and other things that looked like they belonged to a museum. I didn''t need much after seeing that toe to the conclusion this had to be one of Lucifer''s rooms at his bar. The window in the room was open, revealing a rather sunny day. I sighed. I owed Lucifer one for bringing me here. Pushing myself off the bed, I get up and find my clothes, folded neatly above the nightstand, realizing just now I was naked. Had Lucifer undressed me? Shaking my head, I put aside my questions for the moment and started to dress, and as I did so, my eyes were drawn to a chair that rested near my bed. The chair was an arm''s length from the bed, and had a book, a novel, resting above it. Raven. I was almost certain that chair was there because of Raven, hopefully, she had been the one to undress me, I really don''t want to deal with Lucifer''s shenanigans. I sighed, just now realizing my rings were gone. Normally I would have some concerns about this, but considering the one that could have stolen them was Lucifer, I wasn''t all that concerned. I mean. The guy had no use for them and could have taken them from me at any given moment if he so desired. So my best guess was that he was simply trolling me for the sake of it. At least he had the decency of healing my body before taking them. After all, I''m not entirely sure I can survive without a heart. Maybe I can regenerate it, but I doubt I was in a condition to do so when he picked me up. To defeat Brainiac I had to force myself into a state of perfect focus, and let''s just say each move I made, hurt me rtively more than it hurt Brainiac. Pushing those thoughts aside, I made my way down to the club. As expected, Lucifer was standing behind the bar, serving himself a drink, as Mazikeen bothered him. Now, where''s Raven? "David!" Raven said, announcing her presence from behind, before leaping into my arms and giving me a fierce hug. "You promised me you wouldn''t push yourself too much, and you did." I blink. ~I mean, I don''t think I pushed myself a lot. Sure, I exhausted my body to the very bone, but not to a point you should worry.~ "You slept for over a week," Lucifer said, setting his drink aside. "You pushed your body to the limit and forced your rings to produce more energy than they were designed to mold. Between you and I, you''re lucky you survived, David." I know, jackass. But you didn''t have to fuck me with that in front of Raven, who is prone to over-worry. "You were saying?" Raven said, her eyes piercing into mine in a cold demeanor. ~You''re beautiful?~ I smiled awkwardly. Raven raised one of her brows. "That''s your move? Telling me I''m beautiful?" I nod in a tentative manner. "I mean, you''re right. But, I don''t see how that has anything to do with the fact you almost died in the most stupid way anyone can, by overexerting one''s body!" Raven sighed, rubbing her temples. ~I won, and learned a few things along the way. And most importantly, I survived, so let''s not worry about it, shall we?~ I signed, patting Raven on the head only for her to push my hand away with a pulse of magic. "You don''t get to pat me, after almost dying," Raven said, though in a lighter mood. "You two are getting frisky, me likey," Lucifer chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes at him. ~By the way, where are my rings?~ "In the washing machine," Lucifer said as if it was the most normal thing to say to my question. I blinked, clearly confused as to why he would wash my rings. ~Why?~ "They stank," Lucifer replied without missing a beat. "When was thest time you took a shower?" I Oh god, I can''t remember. At least I think it has been a year, maybe more since Ist took a real shower. "That''s what I thought, the fact you have trinkets that can clean your body, and dispose of waste, doesn''t mean you have to behave like an uncultured beast," Lucifer sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Could you imagine if you had had your first sexual encounter with your almost girlfriend in that state?" I almost choked at that part. Though to my surprise Raven seemedpletely unfaced by Lucifer''sment. "I had to deal with Lucifer for over a week, I have grown desensitized to his behavior," Raven interjected with a neutral expression. "Was that why you undressed him, you little minx?" Lucifer grinned, from ear to ear like a bastard having fun. Raven blushed a little, which was noticeable with her paleplexion. "It was either me, or your demon friend. Who I do not trust." "You are right not to trust me, I would''ve fucked the kid, he''s packing serious heat down there," Mazikeen grinned from her chair. Well, that''s both ttering, and concerning. Mostly concerning. "Mazikeen!" Lucifer gasped, pretending to be shocked. "What can I say, a girl has needs, and mute boy over there, he has the pole to scratch my itch," Mazikeen winked at me. "Interested pretty boy? I might even teach you a thing or two about torture." ~No thanks,~ I replied as quickly as she asked the question. My limit in crazy was Harley, I would go deeper into that abyss of craziness with Mazikeen, besides, I wanted to start something with Raven, and in order to do that I needed to keep it in my pants. "Are we done talking about his penis?" Raven said, his blush bigger than before. "Penis? Girl, call it how it is, a dick," Mazikeen grinned. "I mean, you will be riding it in many ways, so you might as well learn its proper name." ~Even though this conversation includes me, I feel like I... should be somewhere else, Lucifer would you like to apany me on a walk?~ I said, looking between Raven and Mazikeen. "And miss this? Not a chance, go and walk alone," Lucifer replied. Chapter 225: Chapter 225: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] I walked outside Lucifer''s bar to breathe some fresh air, leaning against the door as it closed. Defeating Brainiac had felt underwhelming. Perhaps it was the fact that Brainiac had no fighting experience, he had the knowledge of a million fights, but no real experience to call his own. Now, all that was left was the lord of Apokolips, Darkseid. Darkseid would surely prove to be an entirely different manner. He had everything Brainiked, making him an impossiblyrger threat as a whole. If I had anything on my side was the fact I didn''t intend to fight him alone, not for a moment. I was confident in my skills, but with Darkseid, it was best not to risk it. "You seemed troubled?" Wioska asked, her voiceing from above. I looked up, finding Wioska sitting on a widow right above me. ~A little bit.~ I admitted with a nod. ~What are you doing up there? Enjoying the view?~ Wioska chuckled softly. "Hardly, as colorful as Earth is, it''s not my kind of. I preferred the ones with a rougher exterior." In hindsight that makes sense, considering how Apokolips looks. ~Fair enough,~ I shrugged, as Wioska jumped down the windownding beside me without a sound. "So, what''s troubling you?" Wioska inquired calmly. I paused for a brief moment, considering the answers to that question. As stupid as it sounded, her question had many answers, though most leaned to the same cause, Darkseid. ~You know why,~ I replied, giving her a side look. Wioska smiled for a moment before turning to look at me. "I still don''t understand why you remain here. For all intents and purposes, you already paid your debt to this universe." ~I don''t know, call it myst heroic deed,~ I smiled, winking at her. Wioska chuckled. "You are much more pleasant to deal with without those pesky rings. No sudden burst of emotions, no killing intent, no overwhelming hate." Hmm, I guess I do feel calmer and more collected without the rings. No rage, no fear, no hope, no will, at least not in massive amounts. Right now, I just felt tired exhausted. Like I want to sleep for a year, and let the world burn while I do so. ~I don''t wear them because I like them, well, maybe I like the blue one, it helps a lot when ites to healing, but as for the rest, I despise them with all my heart,~ I said, taking a deep breath. ~The only reason I still use them is because I need them to fill the gap in power between me and some of my enemies. Once that need is no longer there, I will destroy them, or throw them away.~ Wioska chuckled once again. "Throwing them away you say? I find that rather amusing, especially considering they are some of the most powerful weapons in creation. Allegedly." I shrugged. ~What can I say, I hate them. Their existence reminds me of every bad moment I have endured here, it''s a constant reminder of my suffering, so why would I keep them? Unlike most people seem to think, I don''t enjoy pain.~ I hated the rings and everything they represented. Though I was honestly considering keeping the blue one, its healing capabilities were remarkably good, outstanding in every aspect. But for the rest, I hated them all. Especially the red one. "Don''t mistake my previousment for ack of approval," Wioska replied, putting her hand on my shoulder. "To be entirely honest, I approve of your choice wholeheartedly. After all, a warrior that needs trinkets to fight is no warrior at all. If you keep them, you will grow dependent on them, and eventually, that will only hinder your growth, stagnating you as a mediocre failure." I honestly didn''t care if they hindered my growth or not, I just didn''t want them. Benefits or cons be damned. ------------------- [Granny Goodness POV] War had been called off. As to why the war had been called off, we didn''t know yet. Only that it had to do with little Red defeating Brainiac. It was very unlike our lord to cancel a call for war, but who were we to question his wisdom, his power? A good servant does as he or she is told, without hesitation. And I was a good servant, no Granny was the best there was. "Granny Goodness," Darkseid said, his voice echoing through the lovingly haunting halls of his castle. "To the war room, immediately." Hearing his orders, I moved to the war room to find my God waiting for me. "My life is yours tomand," I kneeled. "Prepare a boom tube to earth, I wish to speak with Red," Darkseid ordered. A most curious order, one worded in a most curious way. He wishes to speak with red, not kill him how odd. "As you wish." "Next time you hesitate, it will be yourst breath," Darkseid added, clearly seeing through my concerns. I nodded, as pain like never before invaded my body. I deserved this, our god was right, who was I to question his motives, I was only here to see his will be made a reality. --------------- [David Lance POV] I continued talking with Wioska until she decided to go out and explore, leaving me to roam the streets of the city alone. Well, almost alone. Someone was tailing me. ~Batman, don''t you have something better to do?~ I asked, knowing very well that from wherever he was hiding he could see me sign. "You defeated Brainiac," Batman replied,ing out of the shadows. ~I did, though my question still stands. What are you doing here? Darkseid is still a threat, one bigger than me by arger margin, so piss off, you have a Justice League to rebuild,~ I replied. Batman at this narrowed his eyes. "You are no better than Superman ever was. You im you''re a hero, but all you do is for your own gain, you kill, you sacrifice, and you don''t care about anything after you''re done." I smiled at him. ~You think I im to be a hero? That''s adorable, I was a hero. At one point in my life, not anymore, I''m just a guy, tired of this game you heroes and viins y.~ Batman frowned. ~There was a time, I was content with ying the game like everyone else. Not anymore, so zip it with your self-righteous shit, I''m not interested in what you think, so save it for the next Robin,~ I replied, turning around only to see a few more figures appear. sh. Harley. Aquaman. Catwoman. And ck Canary. I turned around. ~Oh I see. You n to capture me! That''s just sweet. Let me guess, you saw me without the rings, and said, this is the time.~ Batman tensed, as did everyone else. ~I won''t lie, this might be your best shot at capturing me. Though be warned that although this might be your best shot, you still have no chance whatsoever,~ I continued, readying myself for a fight. ~But don''t let my words discourage you. Try your best.~ Chapter 226: Chapter 226: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Batman and his little entourage began to close in. Nevertheless I remained calm. It was true that without the rings I was considerably weaker. But be that as it may, I wasn''t so weak as to not be able to deal with this situation. Batman and Harley were hardly a challenge, and Aquaman while strong in his own right, hecked the power to finish me off. The only one in their team that posed a threat to me, was the sh, his speed would be extremely difficult to deal with without the rings, but I would manage. ~You know, I never pictured you as a stupid guy, Batman,~ I said, making sure Batman saw me sign. ~Unwise, totally, but not stupid. I mean, sure I don''t like you, but I always thought you were pretty darn smart. After all, the smarter you are the better you are at rationalizing bad choices.~ Batman narrowed his eyes. "It''s there a point you''re trying to get at?~ Jumpy aren''t we? I smiled. ~There is. And the point is, have you forgotten what my real power is, and what it could do to a popted area like this one?~ Batman tensed at this, visibly. ~The Joker needed a nuclear bomb, all I need is a whisper,~ I continued, staring at the group with cold detachment. ~So go ahead, test my patience. Test how far I have fallen.~ Harley groaned at this, facepalming herself. "Why do I always like the crazy ones! Even the silent one has a crazy bone! Is this my punishment for shoplifting as a teen God?!" For a moment Batman stared at me silently, as if trying to discern whether I would actually do what I was threatening to do, or not. I wouldn''t, not in a lifetime, but he didn''t know that, and that alone was more than enough to force him into thinking. "You wouldn''t do that," Dinah said. ~I wouldn''t? Then by all means, go ahead and test that theory,~ I challenged. "Let''s go, we are leaving," Batman said after a few moments. "I didn''te here to capture, not really. I just wanted to see the man I was dealing with, now I know." Another moral dilemma where he jacks his ego from a podium of his own making. Fuck you Batman, fuck you and everyone dumb enough to follow you. ~You know, I had it with you all. I saved this world from destruction, not once, but twice, and all you can see it''s how my methods to achieve that go against your moronic code of honor,~ I replied, my eyes burning into his with a re carrying nothing but pure rage. ~You think you''re above everyone because you let others make the hard choices. You let the government make the call whether or not the viins live, you let everyone but yourself see the truth of this ursed world. Well, guess what? There isn''t a single country in the world with a court that would convict me!~ Batman remained silent. ~Sure, I killed people I didn''t have to. But, even so, they wouldn''t convict me. They would honor me, why? Because I gave them back their power!~ I grinned, pointing all around. ~The US Government is back on the horse, thanks to me. Every government is back on their own horse thanks to me, and because of that, instead of a viin, I would be marketed as a hero.~ Batman narrowed his eyes. "You make a lot of presumptions about what would happen. Eager to find out?" I rolled my eyes at him again. ~Remember well, Batman, the world congratted Superman for killing the Joker, what do you think they will do for me? Sure, some will fear me, hate me even. But those in power, those with the "ability" to decide my destiny should you capture me, well, they would love me.~ Perhaps Wioska was right. Perhaps I had done enough for this universe. Having said my peace I turned around and started walking towards the bar, when all of a sudden a boom tube opened in the middle of the street just a few feet away from where I was standing. I jumped back, taking some distance from the portal opening. I didn''t need much to know who wasing. Darkseid. Leave it to my luck to have the biggest challenge I have left here toe when I''m at my weakest. "We meet again, Red," Darkseid spoke, walking through the tube into the middle of the street. Fuck fuck fuck FUCK! I can''t fight Darkseid without the rings, at least not without destroying the fucking earth in the process, which would beat the point of fighting him to begin with. Seeing Darkseid in the middle of the street, and my reaction, Batman adjusted his priorities, changing his bodynguage in a way that left clear I was no longer his target. "I didn''te here for a battle. Fighting you as you are now is beneath me," Darkseid said, his voice as cold and dark as I remembered it to be. "Then why did youe?" Batman pressed. "To congratte Red," Darkseid replied. "You destroyed not one, but two of my enemies. A reward is due. Even if you are to die at my hands at ater time, Darkseid rewardspetence." He came to earth to reward me? "Mother Box, create a kic field of energy around Red and I," Darkseid ordered, and as soon as those words left his mouth, we were covered in a reddish dome of energy, leaving everyone outside, except of course, Darkseid and I. "I''ve been told you can''t speak without the rings. And that you don''t do so out of the feeble fear of destroying your surroundings. I don''t share your concerns, but for the sake of a conversation. This dome will allow you to speak." A dome of energy capable of redistributing the power generated by my voice. He works fast. He did his homework about my powers. "Now, let us talk." Normally that would be a poor choice of words for anyone, but Darkseid, he''s one of the few I could probably have a conversation with without hurting him. Chapter 227: Chapter 227: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] I looked at Darkseid, who was just a few meters away from me, unmoving, with his arms crossed behind his back. This was bad, very bad, if a fight broke out, I would lose. I knew the limits of my strength better than anyone, and right now I was well out of my range. Without the rings, fighting Darkseid would ultimately result in my demise. I had to be careful. Sure, he had said he wanted to talk, but even then, even when I knew he wasn''t lying, but even then. Any misstep in this conversation he wanted could lead to an oue I couldn''t afford to pay as things were. "Don''t waste my time," Darkseid said, his eyes glowing red. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice shattering the terrain within the force field with massive destructive power. Yet Darkseid remained unfazed as if my whispers were nothing more than a summer breeze. "I don''t like to repeat myself," Darkseid growled. "You''ve taken out two enemies of mine, I owe you one. Blood for blood. Darkseid always pays his debts." Maybe I could take advantage of this. "And what are you willing to pay, King of Apokolips," I asked. Darkseid smiled slightly at this. "We are enemies. I know what you wish, you seek to save this pathetic excuse of a, from me. A deal like that can be made if you are willing to listen, that is." Nothing is ever easy, is it? "I don''t suppose you''d leave this part of the gxy alone, just because I killed two of your enemies, would you?" I asked, knowing very well the answer to that question. Darkseid smiled again. "No. But I am open to negotiate. If you want to save this, and your gxy, so badly." I don''t know what he''s nning with this conversation, but seeing as I have no other choice at the moment, I''ll continue this to see where we get to. "I''m all ears," I replied. "I know you know more than you should, which is why I know you know that this is not my true body, but one of many avatars under my control," Darkseid replied, his eyes fixed on mine. "That being clear, I''ll get to the point. I will spare this, and nearby gxies, if you join the game." If I join the game? What the fuck? "The game?" I asked. "In your home universe, the human known as Vandal Savage, and I have an agreement. A promise so to speak, to have a war like no other, and I want you to be a part of that war," Darkseid replied. Savage... and... Of course, I remember that... Before I could ponder on that bit of information any further, pain like no other invaded my head, as memories I didn''t have before invaded my head one by one like a tidal wave. I remembered it all. Everything. Every episode I had ever seen, was now clear as if I had just seen them. "You want me to join your little game with Savage?" I chuckled, the pain I had just suffered slowly fading away. Darkseid remained silent for a moment before smiling once again. Three smiles in a day, from Darkseid himself. What a terrifying sight. "Exactly, if you agree to this. I will spare this pathetic world and the surrounding worlds," Darkseid replied. "All you have to do is make my conquest of your homeworld harder." So, I was basically trading my fight with him here, for a fight with him in my universe. "My avatar there won''t know a thing about your visit to this universe, so you will have time to make things interesting in your own way," Darkseid continued, his words making me pause. "You will withhold information from your avatar in my universe?" I asked, confused as to why he would do such a thing. Darkseidughed at this1, a booming, dark, terrifyingugh. "I have existed for billions of years. Each universe has a different origin from the one known as Darkseid, but in the end, all remains the same. I am entropy, I am death, I am Darkseid. If I wanted to conquer the multiverse without a challenge, I would''ve done so eons ago. My goal goes beyond conquering everything, so in each universe, I limit myself to thews of the Presence, and add a few handicaps myself to make things more interesting for each one of my avatars." As he spoke, I could feel the malice leaking out of his body, the power, the true power of the one behind the avatars. It was like staring at the sea, wondering how deep it was, knowing very well that any guess would be wrong. "So that''s what you want?" I chuckled. "You want to add another handicap for your avatar in my universe. And I happen to be a good option for that, right?" Darkseid chuckled back. "Yes. So, do we have a deal?" Even though he worded that as a question, I knew I didn''t have much of a choice. I could tell by the way he had allowed me to feel part of his true power, to see whaty behind the curtains of his avatar. He was telling me that I either epted the deal or faced the consequences. Not that I needed a threat to ept. This deal was saving me the fight now, for doing something I would''ve done anyway in my world. "We do," I nodded, extending my hand. "You will leave this part of the gxy alone, forever, and will not seek to harm it in any way. And I will join your little game with Vandal, right?" Darkseid took my hand and shook it. "We have a deal. Good luck." Having said that, Darkseid snapped his fingers, and the kic field that surrounded us started to dissipate as a boom tube opened in its ce. "I expect a lot from you, don''t disappoint," Darkseid added, before stepping into the boom tube, and leaving Earth. Chapter 228: Chapter 228: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] I remained in ce after Darkseid had left, ignoring Batman and the rest of his group, who had once again begun to circle me. I couldn''t pay them any of my attention, I had just made a deal with the darkest being in all of the DC multiverse, or one of the darkest beings anyway. The funny thing was, with or without the deal, I would have been forced to deal with the Darkseid in my universe. "You made another deal with him," Batman said, and I could tell by the tone of his voice that he disapproved of my choice. I smiled, giving the Dark Knight a tired look. ~Goodbye Batman, if luck is on our side, we will never see each other again.~ Having said that, I turned around and started to make my way back to the bar. Batman, seeing this, moved, perhaps in an attempt to stop me, or question me about my deal with Darkseid. However, before Batman could take another step, he was pushed into the ground violently, his body pressed by an invisible force. ~Raven, there was really no need,~ I smiled, looking above to see my Rae Rae, looking at Batman with a murderous gaze. God that was fucking hot. "I disagree," Raven replied calmly. "You''re hurting him!" sh shouted, before darting towards Raven to stop her from crushing Batman. I moved, intercepting the speedster before he could reach Raven, by tackling him to the ground, destroying part of the street. Then, before he could get up, I broke one of his knees with an elbow strike. I honestly had nothing against him, but I wasn''t about to let him hit Raven. "Aghhh!!" sh screamed in pain. Serves him right, not only he had tried to attack Raven, but he had done so at a level of speed I could intercept, I mean, if he had wanted to he could''ve blitzed past me. Speedsters don''t really have a weakness, other than the limitations they set for themselves, if sh wanted he could make fighting him really hard for me right now. In fact, if he used his powers correctly he could very well defeat me, as long as I didn''t have the rings, and wasn''t willing to destroy the with a shout. "Batsy, weren''t we leaving?" Harley asked with a nervous chuckle, as Aquaman stared at me. "I''m leaving, I joined this alliance for the sake of my people, to defend them from Darkseid. That threat is no more, all thanks to the one Batman said we needed to capture," The King of the Seas sighed. "I know we won''t see each other again, but know the seas of Antis will remember what you did, you freed up from Superman, and from the threat of Darkseid, and for that, we will always wee you. And for what it''s worth, I apologize." Unexpected. I turned to look at Raven. ~Raven, let Batman go. We have to go.~ Raven reluctantly did as I asked, releasing Batman from her hold. "You will never clean your hands from the blood that stains them," Batman growled out. I didn''t reply, I just turned around and walked. He was right. I would never clean my hands, but neither would he. Our hands were stained, forever. His with the blood of innocents he could have saved, and mine with the lives I had to take. The difference between Batman and I was that I didn''t care anymore. I just wanted to go home. --------------- [At Lucifer''s Bar] I sat at one of the tables at the bar with a drink in hand, looking at the power rings in front of me. Lucifer had just finished cleaning them. As I stared at them in a turmoil of emotions, I couldn''t help but wonder if he had taken the rings from me on purpose. Without the rings, I had been forced to approach the problem that Darkseid represented in a different manner. If I had had the rings with me, I would have probably engaged Darkseid inbat. "So, ready to go home?" Lucifer asked, snapping me out of my long reverie. I nodded. "Friend going home?" Dex-Starr said, his tail showing his discontent. "I good kitty, good kitty always with friend!" I looked at my felinepanion for a moment before reaching to him and scratching behind his ears. I had really not ounted for the fact of getting attached to him. "You can take him with you," Lucifer said. I blinked. I could? "Yes you can, and before you ask, I can read your mind," Lucifer replied to my inner thoughts, and before I could think of another thought, he added. "And before you worry, I''m only reading the surface of your mind, I respect the privacy of others, even if I have the power to vite it easily." Hm that was very ominous. But it''s the truth, I mean, there isn''t much I can do to stop him from reading my mind. "Good kitty, no alone, not again," Dex-Starr said, the voice his ring was using sounding immensely sad at the prospect of being alone. I smiled, carrying the little killer matching into my arms as I put one of the rings on, the blue one. "Well seeing you leave me no choice, you''reing with me. But we need a new name for you, I mean, there''s another Dex in my universe, probably" Lucifer nodded. "There is." Dex-Starr frowned. "New name?" "You could call him Dex, I mean there are at least 1 million cats with that name on your earth," Lucifer suggested. "That way he gets to keep his name and avoid people questioning the existence of your cat." I guess that works. Thanks, Lucifer. "The pleasure is all yours," Lucifer winked. "Talking about pleasure, can you do me a favor Lucifer?" I asked. "Yes, there''s no need to ask. I will teach you how to please a woman, sses start tomorrow at 8 am," Lucifer nodded. I what? "No, I wasn''t going to ask for that, not even remotely close," I replied, trying not to picture how the hell he would teach that kind of ss. "Hm, poor girl then," Lucifer sighed. "So, what is it that you want?" "What I was going to ask was if you could destroy these rings?" I said, pointing at the rings on the table. "I no longer need them and don''t want others to use them." Lucifer chuckled. "Normally people ask me for sess, money, or sex or all three. So, why not. I''ll destroy them, but what about your little pet?" Right. Dex has a Red power ring "You can always give him the blue ring, it would be hrious if he''s the first dualntern in your universe," Lucifer snickered. Not a bad idea. "I know, I''m fabulous therefore all of my ideas are excellent," Lucifer winked. "In fact, seeing I''m feeling helpful today. I will even fix some of the problems you could have by taking those rings home." "borate," I asked. "All rings, all throughout the multiverse operate simrly, so the moment those rings enter your universe they will connect to the power ring database of the corps they belong to, and well, you know the rest," Lucifer chuckled. "The point is, I will disconnect them from that, so to speak. Free of charge." "I know you''re getting something out of this, maybe it''s augh, or something else, but I thank you Lucifer, without your help, none of this would have happened," I replied, thanking Lucifer from the bottom of my heart. He had brought Raven here. He had saved me from dying after my fight with Brainiac. Even if he had ulterior motives, which I wasn''t certain he had, I owed him a lot. "The pleasure is all yours, indeed," Lucifer winked. Chapter 229: Chapter 229: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] As I was getting ready to leave this damn ce, this damn universe, I saw Kara pass by my room on her way to her bedroom. I hadn''t seen her in a while. I still hadn''t told her what I had done. The way I saw things, I had two choices right now. Tell her I had killed her cousin, or leave this ursed ce without telling her. I sighed. She didn''t deserve such cowardice from me, so far she was innocent and deserved the truth. Taking a deep breath, I walked out of my room and made my way to her room. "Kara," I called out to her from outside the room, seeing as I still had the blue ring in my possession to facilitate conversation. A few moments after I had called out her name, she opened the door. She was still wearing the same clothes she had worn thest time I had seen her. Her hair was matted and she looked like she hadn''t slept in days. "What is it?" she asked me with a tired look. "Is there something you need? I thought you were leaving." "I''m leaving, but before that I needed to tell you something," I replied, trying to find the right words to tell her about how her cousin had turned into a dictator. "Tell me what?" she asked with a hint of impatience in her voice. I sighed. "I needed to talk with you about your cousin. About Kal-El." Kara''s eyes widened in shock as she took in my words. "What about him?" I hesitated for a moment before continuing. "It''s difficult to exin, but if experience serves me right, things like this are better cut short, so I''ll get down to the point." "What?" Kara asked, her voice softening. "Your cousin conquered Earth after going crazy, and I killed him," I replied. Kara stared at me for a few moments before her eyes filled with tears of rage and sorrow as she lunged at me, screaming. "How dare you!" she shouted as she hit me, punching me out of the building with a sonic boom, the punch had done little to no damage. "I don''t believe you, he couldn''t have done that, he was my family, an El! and you killed him!" I allowed her to vent her rage on me, without fighting back. She was strong, but unskilled, meaning I had the luxury of letting her do as she pleased. "You don''t have to believe me, you can ask anyone about Superman, and they will tell you all about him," I replied, as she continued to hit me. Eventually, after she was panting after hitting me so much, and the streets were empty of civilians, who had run in fright to hide, she looked up at me with a broken expression. "Why?" she asked me, her voice barely audible. "Why did you kill him?" "I did it out of revenge. But regardless of my reason, he had iting. In the sorrow of his loss, he allowed himself to be a tyrant and a dictator," I said, cleaning the blood that was running down my broken nose. "To make it short, I didn''t do what I did out of a noble sense of heroism. Though in the end, what I did, even if it was for the wrong reasons, helped the world, more than it did for me." Kara looked at me, tears streaming down her face. "I don''t want to believe you. But it doesn''t matter what I want, does it?" At this, her gaze turned to something behind me, a billboard that had Superman promoting the regime. "That the symbol of House El, it means hope. How ironic isn''t it?" I nodded slowly. "For what it''s worth, I''m sorry. I don''t regret killing him, but I do regret hurting you, you''re innocent." Kara wiped away her tears and looked straight into my eyes. "I can''t forgive you for this. But I understand why you did it," she said quietly. "If I were in your situation, I don''t know if I could do the same thing. But at least I can understand." "I am not asking for your forgiveness," I replied, giving Kara a look. "You are free to hate me, as I was free to hate your cousin. I suppose it helps when we won''t see each other again. Before I leave, a piece of advice, don''t trust Batman, out of all the heroes of this world, he''s the one that less deserves your trust." Kara nodded, before stepping away from me and returning to Lucifer''s bar in silence, leaving me alone in the street with my thoughts. "That went well," Lucifer muttered, walking out of nowhere. "It did, all things considered, it did," I nodded. Sure, she had broken my nose and bruised me a little, but that would heal in a few hours. "Did you help me there, you know making her ept the reality of things faster?" Lucifer smiled. "Who knows? Maybe I did, maybe I didn''t. All I can say is that I am d the street where my bar is located isn''t too damaged." "Sorry about your bar," I apologized, after all, Kara had punched me out of the bar, so a few walls were now broken. "Already fixed," Lucifer replied with a wave of his hand. "So, are you ready to leave this universe?" I nodded. "I am. I have been ready to do so since the day I came here." "In that case, let''s get your girl and your cat ready. But before that, onest drink?" Lucifer offered, summoning a whisky in the rocks to his right hand. "Last drink? You talk like we won''t see each other again," I replied, taking the drink. "We will, but not as often. I met an interestingdy in a distant universe, a cop," Lucifer chuckled, summoning a drink for himself. "I pity the poor woman," I replied, taking a sip of my drink. "Pity? She would be lucky!" Lucifer chuckled. Chapter 230: Chapter 230: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] After our drink, Lucifer opened the portal to our universe. And with Raven and Dex by my side, I stepped through the threshold into my universe. The portal connected to a park, inside Gotham City. I knew it, I hade with Robin here before. I sighed, closing my eyes tightly. Finally, after so much, after so much pain, I was back. "Do you want to take some time?" Raven asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. ~Not really,~ I replied. ~I don''t even know how long it''s been since I left. Lucifer had told me that time doesn''t stay the same between universes, that sometimes a week can be a year or an hour, and that everything changes daily. Raven sighed. "When we met again you were already gone for over a year." ~Use your magic to summon a newspaper,~ I suggested. Raven nodded, summoning a newspaper. And as she read it, I noticed her face go into shock. ~How bad is it? I asked. "It''s been almost three years since you left," Raven replied. Three years. I can deal with that. Now to deal with the one watching me from the shadows. ~Batman, aren''t you going to say hello? It''s quite rude to gossip, and rather unbing of you,~ I smiled, sensing the Dark Knight''s presence within the darkness of the forest. "Bolt, I.. never lost hope you woulde back," Batman said, emerging from the shadows. ~d to know you missed me,~ I smiled. He nodded his head in acknowledgment. "I did, we all did. Are you okay?" I looked at him and smiled. ~I''ve been better.~ Batman showing concern, this really is a different universe. Batman remained silent, and I could tell he was fighting against his primal need of interrogating me about where I had been, and what I had seen. It was in Batman''s nature the need to know everything, unfortunately for him, this adventure of mine would be something I would keep shut. ~So, who''s your partner?~ I asked, letting Batman know I knew he hadn''te alone. "It''s me," A voice replied as a man stepped out of the shadows. Nightwing. ~Oh, new suit. Definitely an improvement,~ I smiled, and it was the truth. Anything was better than the Robin outfit. "Thanks. Talking about outfits, what happened to yours, it''s... in a terrible state," Nightwing asked, his tone of worry evident in his voice. ~It''s a long story,~ I replied with a shrug. ~One I rather not tell.~ Nightwing nodded, before taking a step forward. "I know this might not be the best time, but seeing what happenedst time, is now or never." ~Don''t, I know you feel bad for the Joker thing, apology epted, water under the bridge,~ I said, knowing where he was going. Honestly, after my time in that ursed universe, the Joker incident was something I could even learn to remember fondly. "Still, I would like to apologize," Nightwing sighed. "I''m sorry, for everything." ~I already forgave you. Though if you still want to do something for me, how about you pay for my dinner tonight? I haven''t eaten anything good in a while,~ I replied with a smile. Nightwing chuckled. "Sure, hotdogs sound good?" I nodded, which made Raven shake her head with a smile. "Bolt, I would like to speak with you alone," Batman interjected. I suppose he resisted his urge to butt in as long as he could, credit where it''s due. ~Sure.~ At this, Dex began to yowl at Batman, keeping his rings hidden, but threatening to use them if needed. But before he could jump and tear the poor Dark Knight apart, I reached down and petted my furrypanion, letting him know everything would be okay. Once Dex calmed down and Raven took him off my arms. I walked with Batman to a secluded spot. ~I''ll save you some time, I don''t want to talk about my time out of here, now or ever,~ I signed, giving Batman a look that said I won''t budge. "If you don''t want to talk it out with me, it''s fine. But you need to open up to someone," Batman replied, and to his credit, he actually sounded concerned. ~I will if I ever feel like it. Was that all?~ I replied, tilting my head to the side. Batman sighed after a few moments. "For the time being, and until proven you are in the right space of mind, you are suspended from any missions." ~Oh, about that. I quit,~ I replied with a smile. It was almost adorable he thought I wanted to take on missions, if anything my bodynguage should''ve told him otherwise. Batman paused, his eyes and bodynguage showing a vast array of emotions, with the most predominant one being his shock. "You quit?" I nodded, keeping my smile in ce. ~I had a lot of time to think about this, about what I wanted to do. And, well, I came to the realization I''m done with this life. You once told me this life was one of suffering, and you were right. The point is, I''m done.~ Batman paused once again. "If that''s what you want, I will respect your choice. I can''t say I understand why you came to this decision, but I can see whatever you lived through was enough to push you into this corner." I was done ying the role of a hero. Heroes, viins. I was done ying that game, that never-ending war of stupidity. I was tired. I had my fill in the Injustice Universe. The reality of everything was that nothing ever goes as nned. Wherever there was light, there would always be shadows to be found as well. A simple concept, a simple thing that stated that long as this broken system remained, nothing would change. My time in that ursed world had shown me that if I kept ying this game by the rules given to me, all would remain in the same state it was. Change was needed if I was to sever this idiotic cycle. Chapter 231: Chapter 231: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] My reunion with Dinah was as emotional as anyone would''ve thought it would be. For the first time, in so long, I cried silently to the point I could not breathe or even think coherently. All the feelings I had been bottling up, just came out, flooding me without restraint. I was finally back home. After what felt like hours of crying in silence, and they might have just been, I shared with Dinah my decision. Oliver questioned if that was what I really wanted, not really pushing the subject but wanting to make sure I was certain, I reassured him, and my sister that was the case. I was tired, so very tired of the game. It was here when they asked me what I wanted to do then. For a few moments I didn''t answer, eventually however I answered that I wanted to study, to be a better version of myself, that I wanted to fulfill my potential. A lie, partly at least. It was true that I wanted to study, but beneath it all, I had other ns, other projects I wanted no one to know about. Not even Raven. I wasn''t certain my goals wouldn''t drag me deeper into an abyss I wasn''t ready to face. And I loved Raven, and my family too much to drag them into this. When things started to fall down, I wanted to be the sole focus of everyone''s attention. But that was for another time. Not yet. I still had time to enjoy before starting to n, before needing to act. "Hiding something again?" Raven asked calmly, floating into my room before settling in the bed. I nodded. ~I am indeed. Curious? I might tell you if you ask.~ Raven smiled. "Everyone is entitled to their secrets. Besides, a bit of mystery makes you more attractive." If she had asked, I don''t think I would held it together. I blinked, slowly turning to face her as I pushed my thoughts aside. ~Are you flirting with me?~ "I am," Raven admitted. Would you look at that, it seems I''m a sucker for that kind of flirting. ~Consider me wooed then,~ I winked, wiggling my eyebrows. Raven chuckled. "So, what now? If we are not heroes, what will we do?" ~I''m the one that''s quitting Rae,~ I replied, a small frown on my face. ~Don''t quit just because I am.~ "David, I" Raven began but found herself without words. ~Rae Rae, I know we usually do everything together, but not everything has to be like that. If you''re gonna quit doing it, do it because it''s something you want, not because it''s something I did,~ I smiled, patting her gently on the head. ~I will still be here. I''m just not gonna be ck Bolt anymore.~ Raven sighed, her eyes looking down. "I don''t see the point of continuing without you." ~Do you still want to help others?~ I asked. Raven paused for a moment, considering my words. I could understand why she was hesitating so much; it was hard to begin something you started with someone alone. Eventually, however, she nodded her head. "Yes, I still want to help others. It''s just the idea of being a hero without you, feels strange. You''ve been with me all this journey, so" ~I know, it''s hard to start something or continue something without a part you always had,~ I smiled softly. ~But don''t worry, you don''t need me to be a hero. You can fly solo and still make a difference in people''s lives.~ Raven smiled, her eyes twinkling with determination. She hugged me tightly and whispered, "Thank you for existing." ~You''re wee,~ I replied, a small smirk ying on my lips. We stared at each other for a while, neither of us moving. After a while, Raven broke the silence. "I want to kiss you. I don''t know if I should be worried, or excited?" I what? Before I could do anything or process what she had said, Raven pulled me down, her lips against mine. My eyes widened in surprise, but the shock quickly melted into the kiss. I was scared. Excited. It was weird. We were in uncharted territory here. I didn''t want to mess it up, and I wasn''t sure what Raven was expecting from me in whatever was blossoming between us. I was slowly introducing myself to her physical side, but I was unsure how far I could go. Biting her lip gently, Raven pulled away from me, watching me, sizing me up. ~I didn''t quite get that,~ I signed. ~Care to borate again?~ Raven smiled, leaning in and kissing me again. "Sounds good to me." This was certainly something I never expected Raven to do, but I wasn''t going toin. ------------------------------------------------------------ [Lucifer Morningstar POV] I suddenly feel proud. Could it be could it be that the girl followed my advice when I told her men like it when women take charge. "Lucifer you''re staring into a wall, are youing or not?" "Detective, don''t be hasty. Good things make themselves wait," I replied, getting my head back where it needed to be, with Detective Decker. This woman was a walking enigma, and I dare say I was enthralled by her. It was only a matter of time before she was with me. Anywho. Time to investigate a murder! Like a normal guy, meaning without omnipotent powers! This is gonna be so fun! "Lucifer you''re doing it again" Detective Decker sighed, rolling her eyes. -------------- [David Lance POV] Time went by quickly after my return, and a lot of things happened in a very short period of time. To name a few, the team came to visit me, making my identity known to them. With my permission, of course. The meeting was somewhat bittersweet. I was fond of each of them, especially Superboy, who asked me why I was quitting, and; by the tone he was using, I could tell he was somewhat sad about my decision. My answer to that question was because I was, which he didn''t seem to like. In the end, after a short reunion where we talked, they all epted my decision without saying much. After that, I started studying. And soon enough, I managed to enroll in an Ivy University, the most prestigious university when it came to science. I suppose it helped that Oliver gave a big donation to the university and that my GPA was perfect. With my admission to the university, and eager to start. Oliver bought me a ten-million-dor penthouse in Ivy Town where Ivy University was located, giving me alongside the apartment a credit card for any expenses. Telling me to dedicate myself to studying without worrying about anything else. I would start this new chapter of my life by earning a bachelor''s degree in biology, and gics. Specializing in metahuman studies. With that, I would have the necessary skills to start a path to replicate the 5-U-93-R pill. I had brought several with me, all I needed was the skills to replicate them. "Ivy Town, I read they have some of the best libraries in the world," Ravenmented, snapping me out of my long reverie. ~If that''s the case I see a lot of dates ahead of us in our quest for the perfect library,~ I replied with a beaming smile. "You were right, the team epted me back without much fuss," Raven sighed. That had been a rough situation, one I had managed to control by talking to each member separately. It helped that they still held me in such high regard. The only one still on the fence was Kid sh, not out of something for me, but because of how Raven had left, regardless of that however, he agreed to let bygones be bygones. ~I told you they would,~ I replied with a nod. "I know you had something to do about that, so thanks," Raven replied. I feigned ignorance to that statement. ~I did not. But you''re wee.~ Raven chuckled, shaking her head. "Ready to see your new apartment. Oliver had it decorated apparently." I frowned. That sounded like something bad waiting to happen, I mean Oliver in his college years was a fuck boy, and I still haven''t told him or my sister I am dating Raven. I feel my apartment will be a vaginal enchantment trap for gold diggers. "How much do you wanna bet your bed is heart-shaped?" Raven asked. I frowned. ~Why would I bet on that? We both know it probably is.~ Chapter 232: Chapter 232: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] And like the wind in a summer breeze, time passed. It has already been a few years since I came back to my earth, and things have been going well. To name one of the few things that have happened, I got the telepathic speaker J''onn J''onzz had been working on, which allows me to speak and appear normal thanks to a symbiotic rtionship with something I had to install in my throat. I also finished my bachelor''s degree in two years thanks to online elerated degree programs, transfer credits, and other degreepletion methods. As of right now, I''m working on my specialization in metahuman studies. On another note, I''ve been dating Raven for a little over two years, officially speaking. Even though we see each other very little thanks to ourplicated schedules, we make it work. But despite all the positive changes in my life, there were still signs of trouble on the horizon, as I still had to y a part in the uing war. And I intended to break the stupid game all heroes and viins y. The signs of the war nobody seemed to notice had been increasingtely, I could tell by the way the pieces were moving across the board. Meaning the stakes were getting higher as well, and the risks greater. So, in my free time, I began to research every single thing I could find about metahumans, from public records to secret archives that had been hidden from the world for as long as they have been there. But as I kept digging, I started to uncover more questions than answers, proving my knowledge of the future wasn''t entirely urate. It seemed like there was an even deeper darkness hiding beneath the surface of what I thought I knew, something that threatened to rip apart everything. I had to admit, Vandal was a genius. Most of the things I had uncovered had been there for decades, meaning he had been nning this before most of the current heroes even existed. Unfortunately for him, I knew enough about his ns, and in time, I would know it all. "How was school today?" Raven asked, snapping me out of my long reverie as she entered my apartment with a portal. I smiled at her, pushing all of the thoughts I had to the back of my mind, and said, "It was great, I''ve been making a lot of progress with my research project. What about you?" Raven smiled, leaning forward for a kiss. Her lips were warm and soft, like a poem set aze. They fit together perfectly, with a sacred geometry that gave form to some greater and more perfect thing. I smiled, kissing her back, taking in the scenting from her cloak, which I found very pleasant, like a wafting of cinnamon and warm vani. "Any ns for today?" Raven asked, to which I sadly nodded. "I actually have two ssester today, one of which starts in an hour," I replied. "But hopefully, I''ll be able to wrap up my research project soon. After that, it won''t be long before I''m done with my metahuman studies specialization." Raven sighed sadly, but with understanding. And instead of giving me the puppy eyes in order to get me to stay, she gave me another kiss and said, "We can do something another day then." I smiled back at her and nodded in agreement before grabbing my backpack and heading out the door. "Feel free to stay if you''re free for the day though. I''ll be back before dinner time." "I would but I have a few reports to fill, sometimes I have Nightwing, and by sometimes, I mean... all the time," Raven replied as I left. --------------------------------------------- [Later at the school cafe.] "Thanks again for helping me out with my research, Mr. Donaldson," I said, stepping into the private room of the privately owned cafe that Ivy University had. The room had a view of the city, while also being hidden from sight, which I found interesting. Mr. Donaldson chuckled, smiling at me, and said, "Always happy to help a diligent student. Especially if they have a perfect record like yours, Mr. Lance." Iughed, ordering a pot of tea for both of us, which arrived only a few minutester. "Do you know much about metahumans?" Mr. Donaldson asked. I shook my head, taking a sip from my cup, "I could say yes, and I suppose I dopared to most people, but the truth is, I don''t know as much as I would like, which is why I keep researching." He chuckled again, "That''s good. Very good. That''s exactly the answer I wanted." I raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?" He leaned forward, taking a sip from his cup, and said, "You see. You''re not the only one looking for help, I''m also looking for just the right person to help me with a project." I sat back, "You mean an intern, right?" "Indeed, normally I don''t hire students unless they graduated in their specialization, but you have shown promise" he replied, causing me to smirk slightly. "And before you worry, the internship is paid." Not that I need the money, but it''s good to be offered. "So, what would I be doing exactly?" I asked. He beamed at my question and said, "I want to create my own metahuman database, with everything about all known metahumans. My work is still in its infancy, but I have no doubts together we can make it work. I mean, not to get you an ego, but your research about Metahuman Variants is simply brilliant!" The metahuman variant, wow, I hadn''t given that research much thought for about a year, "Well I have to say I''m ttered. So what kind of data are we looking for exactly?" "Biometric data, special abilities and weaknesses, family ties and affiliations, anything and everything you can find on them. If we can collect enough data we could predict metahuman abilities before they even begin to appear!" I raised an eyebrow at this. This sounded like a terrible project if someone with less than good intentions found it, "Aren''t you concerned about possible leaks, and what it could do to the metahumans in question?" "I have thought about that, which is why this project is being funded and protected not only by the university but by S.T.A.R. Labs as well." I suppose that''s as secure as it gets. And now I have a reason to actually participate in this project. "Well, in that case, count me in." Mr. Donaldson smiled at me and said, "Excellent. I look forward to working with you. Now, what were your questions, you know the ones you wanted to ask?" --------------------------------------------- [Back home.] I entered my apartment, finding a note from Raven that said she had been called on a mission to help and stop yface, and that she could call me once it was all over. I smiled, putting the note inside one of my pockets before turning around saying. "I know you''re here de,e out." Soon after I had said that de stepped out from the shadows, wearing a long trench coat, his face shrouded by a dark hood. "What made you think I was here?" "The window, you didn''t cover your tracks there, on purpose I assume," I said, gesturing to the one near the kitchen. "Ah, so you noticed." He said, fully stepping out of the shadows, "Not bad kid, you''re getting better. Much better. I expect nothing less from my boss." "Any updates on the whereabouts of project Mach?" I asked. de nodded, "I have narrowed its location down to the east coast. It''s only a matter of time before I find it." I nodded, that was good news, "And what about the other projects, are they all moving along?" Again de nodded, "Yes, though some of them will take longer than others. They require more resources, and that takes time." "I see, so when do you expect to have everything in order?" de thought for a moment before answering, "I''d say we should have everything ready by the end of the year, depending on how much information you can get from S.T.A.R. Labs." I nodded, that worked. "Good, I''ll admit it was pure luck that Mr. Donaldson recruited me, it saved me months in my timeline and the tedious process of applying for a job in S.T.A.R. Labs. Anything else I should know?" de shook his head, "No that''ll be all for now. I''ll be in touch if anything elsees up. Oh, and by the way, Rose sends her regards." With that, de vanished back into the shadows, leaving me alone in my apartment. Rose Wilson, the girl who took it as a challenge to woo me after I had said I wasn''t interested. Chapter 233: Chapter 233: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [de Wilson - Deathstroke POV.] [shback.] When I got notice David had returned from his long trip, I took in my hands to see what he had been doing, and with the help of my daughter, Rose, we ambushed him. I was sure the battle would be on our side, and that I would get the answers I sought from him, however. In the blink of an eye, we were both defeated by David, easily. I remember the shock, the feeling of my blood dripping down my skin and onto my suit. I remember trying to stand up, but finding no strength to do so, I remember my body shutting down from the shock of my injuries, I remember my sword feeling colder than ever, but somehow being the only source of heat I had against the frigid air that now surrounded me. This wasn''t the same kid I had once faced, this was an entirely different person. His eyes looked like those of a killer, a monster. I remember how he stood in front of me, his lips twitching in a smile that made me shudder. I remember feeling pathetic. I couldn''t remember thest time anyone has made me shudder. But he was making me shudder, me, the Terminator, fearing a child. Utterly pathetic. I remember Rose''s body lying on the ground, her eyes nk. I remember dragging my body, pushing through my pain, to kneel beside her, I remember feeling relieved she was still alive, just as well as I remembered her skin being cold, and how she bled from her chest where David had kicked her. "She will survive," David said, slowly walking towards me. As he neared, I could feel a chill in my bones, an impending force ever approaching. It might have been the concussion I had, but I could feel it in the air. "You''ve changed," I replied, coughing blood. "A lot." He smiled a twisted smirk that hid a tired undertone. "I have." He said. "But that''s neither here nor there." I chuckled, my body feeling limp and weak. "So now what? We die?" David shook his head. "Not everything has to end," David said, his voice cold, his eyes burning with an emotion I found indescribable. "You will live, as will your daughter." I coughed up blood. "I see." "Don''t sound so surprised, I used to be a hero you know?" David replied. I remember snorting at that. He used to be, at least he was using the correct tense to describe his position now. I remember trying to reply, but being unable to as my body began to forcibly shut down. "We will meet each other again, de," David said before turning around. "Until then, take care." ------------------------------------------------- [1 monthter - shback.] Being right to his word, he found us. But instead of attacking us, he made a proposition that I couldn''t help butugh at. "I need people like you de," He said, taking a seat. "Help me destroy the game." He exined in detail how he wanted to destroy both heroes and viins by using their own rules. He wanted to break each faction by beating them at their own game. "Why would I help you?" I asked. And his answer was as deranged and hrious as his proposition. "Why not? You will get paid." Iughed. He had changed alright. "Very well," So intrigued by his change and n. I happily joined his crusade. This path he was taking promised an interesting future, and that was something I wanted to see through. ----------------------------------------------- [Deathstroke POV - Present.] I sat above a building, hiding in its shadows as my daughter surveyed the area. "de." "Kid, you have your orders, why are you here?" I said, turning to face Red Hood. Red Hood scoffed. "Worry about your assignment, and let me worry about mine." "What do you want, brat?" I replied, ring at him with annoyance. "Need I remind you I don''t share Batman''s patience for annoyances?" Red Hood growled. "Don''t bring that bastard into this. As for why I''m here, I have something I need you to give the boss." At this, he gave me a USB drive. "What is this?" I asked, grabbing the USB. "That''s none of your fucking business," Red Hood replied, crossing his arms. "Boys, do I need to remind you that the boss left it clear we had to get along?" Rose said as she came back from her patrol. "I don''t have a problem with you, I have it with your father," Red Hood replied. "Be d you are worth more alive than dead," I replied with a challenging smirk. "Dad, shut it," Rose sighed. "Give that to the boss, I have work to do," Red Hood said, before turning around and leaving. I looked towards Rose, the USB in hand. "What do you think?" Rose shrugged. "Don''t know, don''t care. It''s like you say, we don''t get paid to ask questions." On that, I couldn''t agree more. -------------------------------------------------- [At the team''s headquarters in Mount Justice.] Nightwing sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "It''s been a long day." He said, rubbing his temples tiredly. "Tell me about it," Superboy replied, cracking his knuckles. "At least we managed to get the mission done without many problems." "True." Nightwing nodded before his eyes focused on the USB drive sitting on the desk. "But I still don''t know what the USB that the assassin stole contains." Superboy raised an eyebrow. "Do we know the guy that stole it?" Dick shook his head. "No, he''s new. Or at least he hasn''t been caught before." "Do you think we should try to hunt him down?" "No," Nightwing replied firmly. "I believe it best if we remain in the shadows for now, if we start chasing him we could scare whoever is behind the curtains. For the moment, all we can do is keep an eye on them, and act when the opportunity arises." Chapter 234: Chapter 234: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] The world was rotten, heroes, viins, politicians, and businessmen. All ying an endless game, and meaningless game. The game, the structure that kept the wheel turning and turning, was impossible to break, I knew that much, it pained me to admit it. But, in a world where having powers is about asmon as it gets, shattering the status quo was simply impossible to do. Nevertheless, it was possible to change it. To alter what''s already there, to move it into a path of progression. In my time in the Injustice world, or Earth 22, I learned a lot of things. Most of which I would rather forget, but if there was something I was grateful for, it was that this world had shown me how futile all of this was. An endless cycle that led to nowhere. Not a single group had the entire fault for this. Every part of the structure was as guilty as thest, the heroes, the viins, the businessmen, and politicians. They all benefited from this broken system, after all, without it, they wouldn''t know what to do. Heroes needed viins to exist, and vice versa, politicians needed viins and heroes to push their ideas, their campaigns for power, and the businessmen, well, they would reap gains out of it all. As much as it sickened me to admit it, this system worked wlessly for the ones that collected the gains. It was a well oiled machine that had been calibrated to do what it was meant to do perfectly. Well, it was time to calibrate it again. When I came back to my universe, I had time to think. To ponder on the situation of the world, and what I wanted to do about it. I no longer wanted to be a hero. But I couldn''t let the world burn as I watched. This thought burned my mind constantly, until eventually I decided to take matters into my own hands. If no one wanted to fix the situation, I would. This, however, wasn''t something I couldn''t do alone. As strong as I was, there were limits to what one single person could achieve, and I was well aware of that. I had strength to face any kind of threat this world had to offer, but that alone meant nothing. If overwhelming strength was all one needed to change the world, Superman would have seeded a long time ago. I needed a team, one that wasn''t afraid to get their hands dirty, one that wasn''t afraid of being hated by everyone. That reason alone disqualified the one I trusted the most, Raven. I loved her. With all my heart, I loved her. Which is why I couldn''t let her be by my side in this, because when everything came crumbling down, I didn''t want her to be there. Besides, I was certain she would have tried to talk me out of this, and I''ll admit, she would have seeded. With Raven out of the way, I set my aims into other horizons. de Wilson. de Wilson, better known by his codename, Deathstroke, was an elite mercenary, a war hero, and super soldier, considered to be the world''s greatest and deadliest assassin. His skills gave him more merits in the army than most could count. However, the experiments they had put him through revealed in time a list of side effects, like his paranoia and his increased bloodlust. Sure, he had be stronger, faster, more agile, and had as well gained the capacity to use up to 90% of his higher brain functions, making him a tactical genius, but what had given him all of that, was also, slowly but surely destroying it. In short, what had made him the perfect soldier had also destroyed him. He was perfect for what I intended to do. So, I waited for him toe to me, just like I knew he would. And when he did, I made him an offer he couldn''t decline, I offered him a solution to his problem. deughed at my offer and n. He didn''t believe I could achieve either, but nevertheless joined, perhaps it had been the fact that I had beaten him as if he was nothing, or that I hadn''t lied when I was talking to him, but something had pushed him to join me, and whatever that was, I was d. With de came his daughter, Rose Wilson, or Ravager, who joined my cause with her father, though I wasn''t sure if she had joined to follow her father or out of her crush on me. As for de and Rose doubting my words, I didn''t mind it at all, after all, I was one to support proof over words. I would show them I was a man of my word, in time. With de and Ravager on my side, I set my aims for my next target, Red Hood. At first, I wasn''t sure if he existed in this universe or not, I knew for a fact Jason Todd existed, but that wasn''t a guarantee Red Hood would. But, I still searched for him. I had nothing to lose, but time. Luckily for me, the DC universe loved to repeat iterations and events across all realities, and I found him, in the first ce I had looked, in the League of Shadows. It wasn''t easy to convince him, it took some talking, but knowing what I did about it, it was easy to know what buttons to push. Next was Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. They were both viins, sure, but that wasn''t always the case, more than not in many universes they would end up joining the heroes, Harley more than Ivy. I knew that, just as well as I knew that I could manipte Ivy through Harley. I wasn''t exactly proud that I intended to use Harley''s infatuation in me to get what I wanted, but it had to be done. Be that as it may, things weren''t always so simple. Out of everyone I had recruited so far, those two... proved to be the most... difficult ones, so to speak. Ivy tried to kill me, and Harley, while happy to see me, was hesitant, thinking I had abandoned her. I took my time exining things to them as I dealt with Ivy, tying her up before putting a power-dampening cor on her. From there, it was all a matter of how I presented my idea to them, and my goals, as well as what they could both gain from it. I targeted Ivy''s insecurities about her ns, her goals, and how she knew that someone would always stop her, offering her an alternative, if she was open to hearing me out. Her face was one ofplete confusion, and I couldn''t me her, for her, until now I was a hero, yet here I was trying to talk her into joining me. At first, she assumed I was trying to make her a hero, to which sheughed at me. Iughed back, before going a bit into my goals. Her expression of mocking and defiance vanished as her face darkened. "That doesn''t sound like something a hero would do." Those were her exact words. "The world has enough heroes and viins as it is." That was my reply. Now willing to listen, if anything out of curiosity, Ivy remained silent as I continued to exin, answering her questions and more. My n benefited her, more than she would out loud admit, after all, destroying the status quo would open a window for her goal, saving the green of the. I could see the grinds on her head moving, as she weighed her options, and it wasn''t until Harley said she would join, that the stubborn Ivy decided to as well. Now, there was only onest target on my list. One, that I would have to ease into all of this, one step at a time. Amanda Waller. Finding her was easy enough if you knew where to look, and once I did, I visited her, in costume, my new costume, and had a heart-to-heart with her, leaving her with more questions than answers. Now, I simply had to wait... wait long enough for Waller''s paranoia to do its thing, and when it did, I would visit her again. But that could wait, Waller''s role wasn''t necessary right now, it would be when I started to actively act, but until then, my team wasplete. Chapter 235: Chapter 235: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] My little internship with Dr. Donaldson began the very next day we had our talk at the caf. Working with Dr. Donaldson proved to be enlightening, for as clueless as the Doctor was, he was a very brilliant man, with many useful connections. One of them was Dr. Serling Roquette, the brilliant scientist who invented the Fog. Making her the head of Nanotechnology advancement at the moment. During my internship with Dr. Donaldson, one of the many things I intended to do was learning as much as I could from Dr. Serling. I wanted to understand and master nanorobotics, and she was the best candidate to help do so. "Dr. Roquette! What a pleasure to have you here!" Dr. Donaldson greeted us as the young scientist entered ourb. Dr. Roquette rolled her eyes. "You called me here." Dr. Donaldson chuckled, waving Roquette''s attitude. "It''s still a pleasure, nevertheless." "It''s an honor to meet you, Dr. Serling," I said before Dr. Donaldson could say another word. "I have read a lot about your work, and I find it most enlightening." Dr. Serling smiled warmly at that, her eyes twinkling. "Thanks. I read your research about Metahuman Variants, and I find it fascinating. In a world where we don''t know enough about superpowers, your study was groundbreaking." I smiled. "Thanks, though I have to admit that If I keep gettingpliments from such renowned scientists every time I meet them, I might grow an ego." Dr. Donaldsonughed, a booming, loudugh. "Well, that''s good! A genius without an ego is no genius! I say!" Dr. Serling sighed, shaking her head. "Don''t pay attention to him, keep your head grounded, genius or not." "I will," I replied. "So, would you like a coffee or something? We don''t have much here in terms of beverages, but I''m sure I can whip something out." Dr. Serling shook her head. "No, but thanks. I already had my dose of coffee for the day." She sighed at this. "I''m afraid that any more coffee might be detrimental to my brain." I chuckled. "Understandable, I mean, I''m pretty sure the scientificmunity, every parent in the world, and college students trying to finish their homework keep the coffee industry strong." At this, both Dr. Serling and Dr. Donaldsonughed. "So, what brings you here, miss Serling?" I asked, walking back to my station. "Dr. Donaldson let S.T.A.Rbs know you were interested in using my research to aid yours," Dr. Serling replied. "Something about using the ability my nanobots have to collect information to help catalog metahumans and their powers." I nodded. "Oh, so that''s why you''re here today. I honestly didn''t expect much when Imented that to Dr. Donaldson." That was a lie, a tant one at that, I know very well how hard it is for Dr. Donaldson to keep his mouth shut, just as well as I knew that the ones behind funding his research would be interested in such an idea. Dr. Serling smiled. "Well, S.T.A.Rbs is very invested in your growth in the scientificmunity, they think, as I do, that you will make great things in time." I beamed at her. "Well, I''m about to blush." "Oh, is this flirting I see?" Dr. Donaldson gasped like a parent trying to embarrass their kid just for the heck of it. I rolled my eyes at him. "While there''s no doubt Dr. Serling is a very attractive woman, I have a girlfriend. Not only that, but it would be extremely inappropriate to pursue such a rtionship while working together." Dr. Serling nodded in approval with a small blush. "I''m d to know someone here understands the importance of such standards." I guess Dr. Serling finds me attractive. That might work to my advantage, after all, people are more open to those they find inyman''s terms, hot. I would however keep it professional. Even if I wanted to exploit my looks for my own gain, I didn''t want Raven castrating me. I like my bits where they belong, attached to me. "You two are no fun," Dr. Donaldson sighed with a pout, before turning back to his station. "Well, as I was saying, I got notice you were interested in my research, so here I am," Dr. Serling said, breaking the silence by clearing her throat. I nodded. "I''m not entirely sure how your nanobots work, I read your research and most of your published findings, but I stillck a fundamental understanding of how they work." I paused, making sure Dr. Serling was hooked so far. "But, I have read enough to understand the vast array of possibilities your nanobots provide as a whole." Dr. Serling nodded. "I understand you wish to see if it''s possible to make it so my nanobots collect bio information in controlled amounts, right?" I nodded. "I know it''s possible. Just not possible for me to do so, that would be more in your realm of expertise, but yeah, that''s basically what I want to do." Dr. Serling remained silent for a moment, contemting. "You''re right about it being possible. I would need to build an entirely new working model of my nanobots for that to work though, but I can do that. The problem is making it safe for people, a little mistake could mean the nanobots deciding to collect all organic matter instead of what was previously stated." I nodded, that was an understandable concern. "Which is why I wanted to speak with an expert in the subject. Thest thing we want is a swarm of flesh-eating nanobots." "Indeed," Dr. Serling replied, shuddering at the thought. "That would be catastrophic." "But if done right, we could help people before they... manifest their powers, creating contingencies to avoid the worst possible oues," I replied with a sigh. "Just a year ago, a teenager in Colombia got his powers, and identally ended up killing his family. He burned them alive without even knowing what was happening." Dr. Serling looked down in sadness. "I can''t imagine how that must feel." "Neither can I," I replied. "Which is why I want to find a way to help people in that kind of situation. Not only it helps the innocents, saving them from unnecessary suffering, but it would help prevent and identify crime more effectively." "I think I understand what you two wish to aplish now," Dr. Serling nodded. "I will let my superiors know I wish to be part of this research." I smiled. "Thanks, we would be most fortunate to have you on board." Good, all the pieces are falling into ce one by one. ----------------- [de Wilson POV] I ran through the shadows of the night, making no sound as I stalked my target. I had been tracking him for weeks now and I was finally ready to make my move. He had been avoiding me with his various tricks and gadgets, making my mission harder than it had to be, but I was confident that I had finally cornered him. My target was no other than Lex Luthor himself, who had been aware I was hunting him for a while now and had used his vast resources to stall the inevitable. Having taken care of his many guards, I entered his office, leaving Rose to take guard. Then, before he could use his silver-tongued mouth to try and say something, I grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around before pinning him into a wall. "Are you sure whatever you''re getting paid is worth it?" Luthor inquired cockily. I smiled under my mask. "Don''t worry that pretty little bald head of yours about that. I''m not here to kill you, not yet at least." Luthor sneered. "So you only came here to make an enemy out of me? Well, I''ll say that super soldier serum has seriously messed you up." "Maybe," I said confidently. "But that''s not the point of today''s visit." Luthor looked at me for a moment before saying. "Fine, what is that you want?" "I want Project Match," I replied. "I know it''s somewhere in this city, and I need you to guide me to it." Luthor raised an eyebrow. "So you are the one that has been looking for that. And pray tell, why would I help you with that?" I chuckled. "Wanna find out?" "We both know that if you kill me, you won''t leave this building alive," Luthor replied with a smile. "And in the... rare urrence you do, well, how long do you think you will be able to keep that head of yours in ce with every bounty hunter after it? You do know that if I die, arge sum of money will automatically be put on your head?" Right, one of the reasons very few attacked Luthor at all because if they did, his contingency n would activate, offering more money than anyone could hope to gain, in exchange for avenging him. "I know that. I know that you think that alone would be enough to take me down," I replied, dropping Luthor to the ground as I began to walk around his fancy office. "And I''ll be the first one to admit, it might have worked a year ago or so. But you see, my current boss is rather resourceful." Luthor said nothing, simply staring at me. "Go ahead, call your men, the beasts you have waiting for yourmand," I said, walking towards Luthor. "I''m waiting, Luthor." "If you insist," Luthor smiled, before pressing a button on his desk. One. Two. Three. Four. And nothing. "Right about now, you might be wondering, why has no onee," I grinned under my mask. "Look at your cameras, and see why." Luthor remained silent,plying with what I had said as he pressed another button on his desk to see the cameras. Each camera revealed what had happened to his many biological weapons on site, all of them butchered. "Project Match you said? Right?" Luthor said after a moment or two. "That can be easily arranged." Chapter 236: Chapter 236: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Project Match. Or this earth''s bizarro I suppose. de had managed to acquire Match, with a bit of help from Luthor. Obviously, I didn''t trust Luthor to give us Match without setting a trap or two to get back at us. That was never going to happen. It was in his nature to get thestugh. What he didn''t know was that whatever he was nning, I was ready for. One of the few good things my time in Earth 22 had provided, was my understanding of the technology in said universe, which was leagues above the one on this earth. I didn''t know enough to replicate everything I had seen in my time there, but I knew enough to work my way around things, besides, I didn''t need to. The ring''s Dex had, carried within them a vast database of information, information I could use and had used to improve my own gadgets. Thanks to that, I was more than prepared to deal with Luthor''s tactics. Like detecting the many tracking devices the pod Match was delivered to me had, as well as the many tracking devices within Match himself. "I can''t imagine Luthor gave this up without a fight," I said, looking at de who simply chuckled. "He didn''t have much of a choice," de replied, before giving me a look. "New suit?" I chuckled under my mask. "Yeah, call it prototype 1. I''ve been working around a few things, and this is the first of many results, so to speak." "I do have one question," de said, his attention fixed on the pod in front of us. "What use could you possibly have for this... deformed thing?" Deformed was... the correct adjective for Match right now, thanks to his gic makeup, which was as stable as a drug addict, he had be disfigured; getting paler. Not only that, but his left leg and the left side of his face had swollen in a perturbing manner, and his right arm had be oversized. All and all, Match was an abomination right now. "I could''ve understood this in the past if you had intended to use him for what he''s worth. Muscle power," de continued, eyeing Match like one would a piece of trash. "But the thing is that''s not really necessary anymore. So why?" Right. I see his point. He was saying that with 5-U-93-R, dumb muscle was no longer necessary. And he was right. While I had yet to crack the form to make the pills, it was only a matter of time before I did, so dumb muscle was no longer necessary. However, dumb muscle wasn''t the reason I wanted Match. He was... the closest thing to a perfect clone Superman had, and well, let''s say I needed a Kryptonian to enter Superman''s Fortress of Solitude. Beyond that, however, I had my reasons to have Match. One of them being it wasn''t bad to have a Kryptonian in your corner, and that I was almost certain that with him I would be able to crack the 5-U-93-R pill once and for all. "I don''t n to use him as dumb muscle, de," I replied, leaning towards the pod. "I have other ns for him." de looked at Match once again. "Good luck with that. So, what now, boss?" "I want you and Ivy to collect as much information as you can about the Kroloteans," I replied, giving Match onest look before turning to face de. "I know enough about them as a species, so what I want to know is exactly what they are doing." "Those little pests have been on my radar for a while now, though I never gave them much importance," de replied. "They hardly represent a threat to our ns," I replied. "If anything, their research in human gics would help us." "And might I know why you are sending Ivy with us?" de asked, he didn''t sound offended, but nheless wanted to know why I thought he needed more than himself and his daughter to aplish this mission. "Ivy''s ability to control nts will help you collect intel more easily, after all, she can hear and see what her nts see," I replied, taking a small pause. "Not only that, her intensive knowledge in biochemistry, and gics will prove useful when collecting data, saving you and as a whole us a lot of time." "I see, in that case, it will be a pleasure to work with her," de replied without emotion. "I do rmend you take some precautions. Ivy has a short temper, and while she obeys my orders more than not, one can never be too careful," I added with a mirthful chuckle. "If I didn''t know you any better, I would assume you were insulting me," de snorted. "I know very well what to expect from the likes of Ivy, and she''s not dumb enough to test my patience. So don''t worry, we will work just fine." Leave it to de to take any warning as an insult to his skills. Oh well, whatever works for him. "If you say so," I replied, my eyes back on Match. "I will let Ivy know about the mission." "Very well," de replied before starting to make his way out of the office, only to stop before reaching the door, and turning around. "Oh, I almost forgot. Little Red left you this." At this, de pulled a USB sh drive out of his suit, before tossing it at me. "He said it contains information you might find useful. He didn''t borate further." I looked at the USB drive and smiled under my mask. If this was what I thought it was, then my moves in the political area of things were about to begin. "Good luck fixing that mess," de added before walking out the door. "Mess, huh?" I muttered, looking at Match''s deformed body. What an urate way to describe him. "Don''t you worry, I will fix you up. At the very least I can say with certainty that I can''t fuck you up more than you already are, it is how they say. Once you are at your lowest you can only go up." It would take some time, and resources, but I was certain it was within my reach to fix this failed project, turning him into what they had originally intended him to be. Be that as it may, even I could admit this would be no easy project. He was broken both physically and mentally. I had my work cut out for me. "Hayley, please make the necessary arrangements for our guest over here," I said through thems on my suit. "On it pudding!" I sighed. "And you don''t have to call me by my fake name when we are alone. It feels weird." Hayley was simply a nickname I had given Harley to avoid being discovered in casemunications were ever in jeopardy. "We talked about the reason behind your name. Please, stick to it," I replied. "Fine." Harley was both a pleasant ally and an unpleasant one. When she was driven to do something, she would follow instructions perfectly, she would even act normal if the situation required her to act like she wasn''t crazy. Sadly, she wasn''t perfect all the time. "So, where do you want me to take the gue-- eugh! Holy fucking cock that''s ugly!" Harley said as she entered the room, her face contorting into one of shock and disgust at Match. "Are you sure you don''t want me to take that into the incineration room?" "No, I''m sure," I replied, finding her reaction somewhat amusing. "Well, you''re the boss," Harley replied walking towards Match''s Pod, only to stop a few inches from it. "Are... are you sure whatever that thing has isn''t contagious?" "I am," I replied. "Ok ok, just wanted to make sure," Harley nodded, before activating the pod''s movement system to follow her. "Be careful, that thing inside is only that calm when in stasis." Harley looked at me and then at Match, giving a brief nod. "Don''t you worry pudding, I will treat it like it is my own deformed child." ----------------- [Lex Luthor POV] Hundreds of millions of dors lost, and all in a single day. I was well aware of Deathstroke''s skills, and how frightening his reputation was. But even then, he shouldn''t have been able to kill all my gically engineered weapons with such ease. Some of them had physical enduranceparable to that of project Kr. Yet he had sliced through them one by one with his daughter like they were nothing. It didn''t add up. In the recordings, Deathstroke and his daughter moved and attacked, showing prowess that far surpassed what they should have had. That kind of power was leagues above the super soldier program he had been a part of, by a lot. I would know, I had researched that little thing a long time ago. Myputer blinked awake, showing an iing call I had been waiting for. "Luthor." "Savage, you took your time to call me back," I replied with a sigh. "Did you receive the information I sent over to you?" "Yes," Vandal replied after a long pause. "And what do you intend to do about it?" I asked. "For the moment, nothing," Vandal replied. "We know nothing about this new threat we have on our horizon. Moving against it without anything is a foolish endeavor." As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Whoever Deathstroke was working for, knew more about us than we did about him. "I suppose I already knew the answer to that," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "On the same note, did you see the videos I sent you?" "Yes." Was Vandal''s reply. "Whoever we are dealing with, enhanced Deathstroke and Ravager to a point very few could possibly hope to match," I stated. "It might be in our best interest to figure out how." "Perhaps it would," Vandal replied. "But for now, it''s best we focus on learning what this unknown wants. if we y our cards right, we might secure a new ally for the Light, otherwise, like everything standing in our way, it will be eliminated." I could see the benefits of making an ally out of this... mysterious threat. But it was too soon to tell if it would be worth it. "Very well," I replied, taking a deep breath. "I doubt we will see much of this threat in the foreseeable future. Deathstroke left it very clear that Match was his primary objective." "See what you can find about Project Match, and what could''ve made someone move to acquire it," Vandal replied after a moment. "It might be a long shot, but we might find what this unknown wants through that." A very long shot indeed. How could we hope to solve a problem, if we didn''t even know the question? That was our situation right now. We knew nothing of this threat, nothing at all, other than whoever we were dealing with wanted Project Match. "I''ll see what I can find, I don''t promise anything though," I replied, hanging up the call. I suppose if anything this unknown has given me a newfound interest in that failed project. I was for the first time in years, truly captivated. "Now, let''s see what Mr. Unknown finds so valuable about you, Match." Chapter 237: Chapter 237: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Today, some League''s strongest members, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Batman, Hawkwoman, and the Green Lantern John Stewart, had left Earth to try and resolve the inteary dispute they had peacefully, apanied by Hawkman and Icon. The reason for this was that under Savage''s control, they had attacked the aliens that were now invading earth, the Krolotonians. I had no doubt they would clear their names. Eventually. But in the meantime, I would make the most of this. Without the League at full power, some of the items on my agenda would prove easier to aplish, like collecting what I wanted from Superman''s Fortress of Solitude. I had long ago discovered where the Fortress was, the problemy in entering. The Fortress was made so that only Kryptonians could enter, or more specifically, only those of the House of El. Though I doubted Superman had set the security configurations to block any other Kryptonians, seeing as was under the assumption Superboy and him were the only ones remaining. I intended to exploit that belief today. Using Match, I had collected Superman''s DNA. It hadn''t been a simple matter to do though, Match''s gic makeup was so deteriorated that I had to reconstruct most of the samples I had collected to acquire something usable. It wasn''t a perfect fix, but it would be enough to enter the Fortress, as it would read as Superboy''s DNA, allowing me entrance under his permissions to the Fortress. So, with my DNA sample, I traveled to the Fortress. Once there I stepped up to the Fortress and inserted a small vial with a drop of Match''s DNA blood into the panel of my suit before nearing the door. The security system scanned me, for a moment before the light of the scanner turned blue, and the doors slowly opened. d it had worked, I stepped through the doors. Inside I was greeted by aputer AI, that identified me as Kon-El, before politely requesting me to state my purpose for this visit. "I''m here to collect all the data about Kryptonian DNA," I said, using a voice changer to sound exactly like Superboy. I wasn''t sure how advanced the AI was, so it was better to be careful. The AI remained silent for a moment before saying. "As you wish." I smiled at the response under my mask before essing the Fortress''puter, where I proceeded to download all the information I wanted with the assistance of the AI. As the information was downloaded into my storage unit, I looked in mild shock at how much data was being transferred. The amount of information I was downloading easily entered the realm of Zettabytes, meaning it was safe to assume the entirety of the Fortress data went leagues above that. Perhaps all the information this Fortress had to offer entered the realm of millions of Yottabytes. Such a waste. If Superman really wanted, he could probably solve most of the problems this has, and I''m not even talking about viin problems. From what I could gather by just going over some unrted files to my current mission, Superman had the tools to cure every disease if he truly wanted, at least on Earth. Granted, one could argue he was so stupid he wasn''t even aware he could do such a thing. I sighed. One problem at a time. "Downloadplete, is there anything I can assist you with, Kol-El?" The AI asked. "Erase today''s recordings and records of my visit," I replied, wondering if Superman had granted Superboy such permissions. "I''m afraid that''s out of your granted permissions. Without Kal-El''s authorization, I cannot do that." So he allows Superboy to ess all data, but touching his recordings is a no-go? What a weird set of rules he has. I chuckled. I suppose it was too wishful of me to think I would get all I wanted without leaving a trace, it doesn''t matter though, by the time they figure out someone came here, it will be already toote. "Duly noted," I replied, making my way to the door. ----------------------------------------------------------- In myb, I started to go over some of the data I had collected. It was easy to see why The Light''s attempts to close Superman had failed so miserably, the more I read the more it became evident that without Kryptonian technology cloning a Kryptonian was simply out of the realm of possibilities. The gic makeup was marvelouslyplex. It was fascinating, extremely so. Though to give the Light some credit, it was also out of current reach to perfect what they had failed to do. I had no doubts that eventually I would be able to fullyprehend Kryptonian biology, that however, didn''t mean I would be able to do something with that knowledge. To make use of this, I needed two things. One, knowledge; which I had acquired, and two the right technology to make use of that knowledge, technology that sadly I didn''t have at my disposal. Even with the power rings, making use of what I was learning to the fullest extent of what it could offer was simply not doable. I didn''t have the necessary means to solve that particr conundrum, in fact, not even the Fortress of Solitude had what I needed to make use of this, sure, it had a massive collection of knowledge, but not the technological tools I needed. I knew someone who did though. Metron. His inter-dimensional vault had a vast collection of artifacts that most thought were lost to time, his collection even extending to Kryptonian technology. The question was, how to get what I wanted from Metron? Making an alliance with him was inyman''s terms a stupid endeavor, the man''s sole interest was knowledge to the point everything for him was an experiment. Meaning that if I approached him, there were only two oues that woulde out of that. One, he outright disregards me. Or two, he would use what I sought as a path to experiment on me. And experimenting when it came to Metron went beyond strapping someone into a table. A testament to his character is how he had dealt with Razor. He had manipted him for four years, giving him false leads to his quest, in order to both calcte how long it would take for him to lose hope and to get the opportunity to study the power of both the red ring and the blue ring. His machinations to obtain knowledge were such that they had earned him quite a bad reputation among the New Gods to the point most of them don''t even need any exnation for an altercation once they hear he is involved. "I suppose I could y his game." The one thing Metron had never had to deal with, is someone experimenting on him the same way he had with others. So, if I yed my cards right, the New God might be taken by surprise. Chapter 238: Chapter 238: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Dr. Serling''s research and study in the area of Nanotechnology was extraordinary, it was very extensive and through even when it was clear she was barely scratching the surface this science had to offer. Though I was d we were in the stone age of Nanorobotics, thest thing we needed was an Amazo like the one that came to be in the Justice League Unlimited universe. I honestly doubted anyone but those who governed reality could stop such a being. But that was beyond the point. I neither intended to reach that level nor it was my goal to use Nanorobotics that way. My interest in Nanorobotics was another. What I intended to gain with them was the ability to disassemble and reassemble matter. If you asked the average person they would say. ''But isn''t that something they can already do?'' And the answer is yes, but not as you think they do it. Most people think Nanobots can make anything out of anything, and that''s fundamentally wrong. To borate on that. Nanotechnology can''t transform living tissue into materials that aren''t found in said tissue, you can program the nanobots to take what''s there and utilize it in a different manner, but you can''t make them turn the materials at hand into something entirely unrted to them. That same example applied to everything when it came to assembling and disassembling matter with them. Another misconception was that Nanobots can take over everything or impart limitless energy, without any source of power. That was simply not the case. Nevertheless, even if the usage of Nanotechnology was more limited than most would assume, it was still a very powerful tool. One that I intended to use. I had already memorized all of Dr. Serling''s data, some of which she wasn''t aware I had taken. In fact, I was already working on some prototypes, trying to recreate her work. So, I had managed to recreate her first experiments with little to no problems, not that I expected any. Her first experiments were as anyone would expect very rudimentary, basic in essence. The difficulty would only increase from that point on. But I had time to work things out. "You''ve been busy," Ivy said as she entered myb, her eyes fixed on my screens. "A busy mind is a productive mind," I replied, turning around to greet her. "I didn''t expect you here so early, is there anything wrong?" Ivy shook her head. "Not exactly." I remained silent waiting for her to continue. "While we were investigating the Kroloteans, we became aware of an ind they were inhabiting as their base," Ivy continued, taking a seat in one of my chairs. "de, his spawn, and I entered the ce unseen, and remained in the shadows gathering as much information as we could." "I feel a but,ing," I interjected. Ivy nodded. "In our time there, we discovered that The Light was founding the Kroloteans, with ck Manta and his little brat as their representatives." I was wondering when Aqud would make his debut as a fake viin. I knew he had been undercover for a while now, but to the eye of the heroes, he was simply missing. Though the timing of it all was off. If I remembered correctly this revtion should havee a bit earlier. I suppose alterations to the timeline as I know it; are to be expected, seeing the version of this universe I knew was one without me. I will keep that in mind from now on to avoid any surprises. "I suppose heroes are simply turning bad nowadays," Ivy chuckled, looking at me. "Adorable, but no," I replied. "Aqud is still a hero, he''s just deep undercover. I informed de of this, I would have expected him to tell you." Ivy rolled her eyes. "We don''t really talk unless it is absolutely necessary." "I know you don''t like him, or anyone outside Harley, but do try to get along," I replied with a sigh. "That''s not entirely true, I don''t hate you," Ivy replied. "Unlike most of the''s poption, you are tolerable." Well, that''s apliment, I suppose. "Thanks, I guess," I replied. "So, as I was saying, in our time there we discovered The Light was funding the Kroloteans," Ivy resumed, taking back her report where she had left it. eventually escapes. "And well, we weren''t the only ones to find our way to that ce. The team, as you call it, arrived. To summarize the rest, the team confronted Aqud, but he managed to escape, not before nting a bomb to obliterate the entire ce." That''s a shame. The information those little bastards had was quite useful, and I had wanted to collect it before this event happened. "That''s a shame," I sighed. "Ivy I''m d you managed to escape before the explosion turned you to dust," Ivy said, crossing her arms. "To congratte you on that would be to insult you, and everyone that went on that mission," I replied with a shrug. "Or you mean to tell me your life was really in danger?" "Fair enough," Ivy chuckled lightly. "Did you guys manage to collect any data in your time there?" I asked, not really keeping my hopes very high. "Some," Ivy nodded. "Though I seriously doubt it will push your research in any shape or way." Back to square one with the Kroloteans, it seems. "Well, there''s always another base waiting," I replied, already having a few ideas about where to send them to find the Kroloteans. I knew for a fact Queen Bee was working with them. "I suppose," Ivy replied, turning her attention to one of myputer screens on the wall. "How''s your deformed little pet doing?" Honestly, it was getting old the fact that everyone was disgusted by Match''s appearance. "Isn''t part of the feminist movement not to judge others based on their appearance?" I replied in an amused yet annoyed tone. "I find most meat-based life forms utterly disgusting," Ivy shrugged. "You are barking at the wrong tree here." Barking at the wrong tree? Was... was that a pun? "Was that a pun?" I asked. Ivy rolled her eyes. "I won''t dignify that with an answer." I chuckled. "So how is your pet doing?" Ivy asked again. "I haven''t done anything to him yet, so I''m keeping him in a stasis to slow further gic deterioration," I replied. The pod he was in, which I had modified to improve its performance, kept his body in the best state possible, slowing down the unavoidable side effects of the bad craftsmanship behind his creation. Sadly, as I had stated before all this did was slow down the aggressive deterioration of his cells. Which was something that would not stop until I found a way to fix him on a cellr level. I estimated that I had at most a year before the damage done to his body so far became irreversible, and around two years before fixing him became impossible. "Do you honestly believe you can fix him?" Ivy asked. "And I don''t mean this as an insult. I find your research brilliant as a scientist myself, but even then..." Twopliments from Ivy in a day, well that''s something I wasn''t prepared at all to receive. "I know what you''re trying to say, and the truth is... that even if I managed to be an expert in Kryptonian gics, the technology avable to us makes that knowledge useless," I replied with a chuckle. Ivy frowned. "Then what''s the point?" "One step at a time, Ivy," I replied. "First, I be an expert, then I tackle the next problem." Ivy sighed. "At this point, I don''t even know why I bother, you are a very stubborn individual." "The world wasn''t built bypliant people," I replied. "I suppose that''s right," Ivy conceded. "Anyway, I''ll leave you to do your research, I will go and see what Harley is doing." "I will be contacting you for your next mission soon, and before you ask, yes, de will be there so don''t bother trying to convince me otherwise," I replied as Ivy left my room with an annoyed expression at mystment. Oh well, back to my work. However, I froze, mid-keystroke, as my phone buzzed from the desk. Taking a deep breath, I nced down at the screen and saw a notification from my Raven. A text message. Smiling, I opened the text. [Do you want to watch a movie tonight?] Raven Goth Babe --- Chuckling at the name I had on my phone for her, one she wasn''t particrly happy about, I replied. [Sounds good, I''ll pick up the snacks on my way home. My apartment or yours?] Around five secondster. [Mine.] Raven Goth Babe --- [Very well then, I''ll be waiting for you in my apartment.] I replied. [Let me know once you''re there. Love you.] Raven Goth Babe --- I smiled, sending her a thumbs-up emoji before putting the phone down, and looking at my screens. I guess I will continue with this another day. Chapter 239: Chapter 239: If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz ---------------------------------------------------------------- [David Lance POV] Today, I was exhausted. The past few months, when I wasn''t focusing on my research or, in preparing for the inevitable, I had been training as much as I could to the point of exhaustion. I had my reasons to do this, even though I was already plenty strong, one of them being that I knew very well I had yet to really tap into my powers. My main abilityy in my power to harness the electrons around me in order to create devastating results. After some very intrusive tests, I have been able to discover and confirm a few interesting things about my body. For one, I had discovered that the speech center of my brain contained a unique organic mechanism that was able to generate an unknown particle that interacted with the electrons I absorbed to create the phenomena behind my voice. This meant that control, at least to a point was possible, but not without some sort of external aid. The original ck Bolt had a metallic, fork-shaped antenna on his head that allowed him to focus and channel his powers in more directed and less destructive ways. Based on that alone, I had theorized the antenna of his head was the one responsible for monitoring the speech center of his brain, allowing him to create a more controlled version of the phenomena behind his powers. I had also theorized that if such a thing was possible to aplish, other things such as enhancing my own physical strength beyond normal limits, and other attributes could be easily aplished using the same method of control and redistribution of power. I had been working on these theories for some time now, and while I had yet to reap any gains from it, I was making steady progress. My first prototype, S-0.1, short for Solution 0.1. Had demonstrated the ability to funnel my power into a more channeled result, though it was far from usable. Solution 0.1 required rest between uses, usually between six to eight hours, making the prototype useless for anything other than research. I wasn''t worried though, I was making progress, not as fast as I would want, but I was in the right direction. Besides trying to acquire a semnce of control of my powers, I was training because I knew I stillcked some powers the original ck Bolt had. Once whatever had clouded my memory had vanished, I had been able to remember multiple things about ck Bolt. I had never been a very big fan of ck Bolt as aic character, but even then I hade across multiple bits of knowledge about him in my past life. Some were questionable, but others had left a mark on my mind. Such as the following. On multiple asions throughout theics, ck Bolt had shown the ability to manipte matter and energy to an unknown degree. Some of the feats he had demonstrated while doing this, were things such as the ability to transmute water into ice, and creating multiple toys out of thin air. I could only theorize he had done such things by rearranging the molecr structure of already existing matter in order to obtain such results. Now, how exactly he had done that? Well, that was still something I was trying to figure out. Beyond that, ck Bolt had also shown the ability to fly, which I''ll admit had taken me a bit to figure out how exactly. Thanks to my research with Solution 0.1, and a few theories I was pretty sure weren''t theories anymore, I had concluded how such a thing was possible. ck Bolt was able to fly because he had harnessed the unknown particles his brain generated. From there it was easy to deduce that he was using said particles to create anti-gravitons which would easily enable him to defy gravity itself, ergo giving him the ability to fly. That, of course, only worked wlessly on paper, I wasn''t sure how to implement any of that into use, yet. I was certain the solution to these conundrums was within thepletion of Project Solution. Every theory I had, was based on that, the little thing that had given ck Bolt the ability to better control his powers. I estimated I wouldplete this project by the end of the year, give it or take. After all, I was upied with other projects as well, which were all just equally important as this project was for me. Having control of my powers was certainly something I craved very much, but it wasn''t something that would push me out of my current goals. I was plenty strong as I was right now, there was no rush to make that particr project my priority. As I was right now, there weren''t many individuals that posed a threat to my entire operation. And for the ones that did, having more raw power wouldn''t make much of a difference anyways. rion, for example, was on top of that list. The point being, I had no rush with any of my particr objectives as of now, personal or not. "You called?" de said, snapping me out of my long reverie. I turned to face the mercenary and smiled. "I have. I have a mission for you if you are ready." de rolled his head around slowly, his neck popping with a loud crack. His dark eyes glinted with an air of confidence as he raised an eyebrow in silent challenge. His lips curled into a smirk as he spoke in a deep, powerful voice. "When haven''t I before? What''s the objective?" "I need you to steal Ray Palmer''s research about Molecr Alteration," I replied. de raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, a sly smile curling up the corner of his lips. "You study in the same ce he works at," he said. "I do, which is why it''s best if I keep my distance from such missions, wouldn''t you agree?" I replied. Rule #1 of illegal activities, never hit a ce you have a strong connection with if you can avoid it. "Very well," de nodded. "I will have what you want by the end of the month." Having nothing more to add, I threw a thumb-sized USB drive with a flick of my wrist toward the Mercenary and de plucked it from the air before it could reach him. "Load the program within the USB," I said, pointing at the drive. "It''ll keep your digital footprints invisible. For as long as nobody really looks." de carefully grabbed the thumb drive, squeezing it tight in his palm. He nced around the room onest time, then spun on his heel and exited, not stopping until he was out of sight. de was many things, but inefficient wasn''t one of them. Chapter 240: Author note Chapter 240: Author note Just to let you guys know I''m not dead or anything. Just taking a small break, so to speak. I will return very soon. Like in a week. Chapter 241: Author Note: Important Information. Chapter 241: Author Note: Important Information. I have been writing for the past few days, during my break. Getting enough backup chapters for both DC: Don''t Utter A Word and Marvel: Gamer Path. But that''s not the only thing I have done this past few days. As I was working on DC and Marvel, an idea for a new project came to mind, one that I intended to push forter, s for those that enjoy writing it may note as a surprise that the longer I tried to ignore the idea, the more it fascinated, it got to the point I wrote over 27 chapters in less than a week. And I don''t mean... small chapters. I mean, big chunky chapters, between 2000-3000 words each. Surprisingly, working with that new idea pushed my head out of my creative block, which had been the reason I hadn''t been able to update as much, both for Marvel, and as oftely, DC. Just today I wrote five chapters for DC alone. Each one being around 2000 words. I now find myself writing bigger and bigger chapters, so that''s good for those that have always been looking forrger chapters. Now, the questions you might be asking. **Corn, if you are working on a third idea/project, what does that mean for the novels you are updating on and off? ------ Well, the answer to that is rather simple, andplicated at the same time so bear with me for a moment. Unlike Marvel, DC is almost ending, there''s one arc left after the one you guys currently are in, and after that, well, the novel will bepleted. Marvel on the other hand is farther away from the ending than that. I would say for Marvel we are at... 2 to 3 arcs away from reaching the finale. It''s leaning towards two arcs more than three seeing I might just integrate one of the arcs into another seeing both touch simr subjects and goals. Now, what does this mean as far as updates go? I pondered about that for a bit. And came to the following conclusion. I will wait all of March to... stack enough chapters for Marver: Gamer Math, in order to start a weekly schedule with that one, seeing I''m currently beginning to update the former on Paaaatreon once a week. As for DC: Don''t Utter A Word. I was considering on doing the same, but starting now with a weekly update that could grow into more based on public polls and how many chapters I had stacked. For example, if I had 40 chapters or more, I have no problem posting ten in a single day just to satiate your chapter thirst. I''m not near forty, but I feel I will reach that within the next month or the following. **But corn? Does that mean you will stop daily updates as a whole? ------ No, this is where my new project the one that basically healed me from the author''s block,es into view. While it''s true I''m no longer blocked by creative problems, my muse so to speak is the other project, being the one my mind is currently working on even when I don''t want to. I mean, as a testament to this I wrote 27 chapters, in less than a week, totaling a bit over 79,000 words. That''s how inspired I was by it. That being said, I don''t want to stop updating DC, or Marvel. Other projects are on hold sure, but those three are the ones I work with on a daily basis, more so with DC than Marvel, seeing DC is reaching its climax before the end, the inspiration isn''t really fading. As for the new project, I wish to start posting for it tomorrow. It has been approved by my Patreeeons, who so far had enjoyed it all. ---Fairy Tail: Shinigami.---- A normal human dies and reincarnates in the world of Fairy Tail, years before the story begins. The MC is around Laxus''s age, as for his powers, well he was gifted with the powers of a shinigami, including an Asauchi of his own. He isn''t aware of that at first butes to discover this as the story progresses. I n to start posting for it tomorrow, with a mass release of nine chapters for a total of 18,098 words. I will also post chapters for DC this week, so don''t worry. You can check my patreooon link, without the need to subscribe to see how many updates I have for DC just today, you might not be able to read them if you don''t subscribe, but you will see the titles and stuff, the point being, I am quite invested on both sides, just trying to take it easier with DC as it nears the end. Which is around 40 chapters, and this is a very close estimate of how many chapters we have left. I just finished this arc today, meaning I''m starting to work on thest arc, tomorrow. Anyway, leave yourments or questions in thement section. Chapter 242: Fairy Tail: Shinigami Chapter 242: Fairy Tail: Shinigami Novel up. Give it a read, and don''t forget to share your thoughts! DC will be updated this Saturday, with 2-4 chapters. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!