12 advance chapters in my Pat.reon.
Pat.reon.com/Saintbarbido.
I messed up the chapters guys, please check out the real chapter 14. It's already up.
::-------------------------------------------::
(General P.O.V)
"I guess...I don't know what to feel. Everything happened so fast."
Raven looked up at the wizened face of Kent Nelson.
"A lot of people died."
The older man hummed.
"A lot of people die all the time. Why was this any different?"
He asked, taking a sip of his own cup of coffee.
Raven blinked.
"I...that's a bad outlook, isn't it?"
The older man laughed.
"My dear, live to be as old as I am and you understand the value of speaking what's on your mind."
He pointed at Raven's untouched cookies and milk.
"I used my dear Izza's recipe for the cookies. They're mint. Go on, try them."
Raven reluctantly obliged, biting on a cookie before closing her eyes and moaning at just how good it was. Then she flushed and looked away.
"You haven't answered my question. Why was this different?"
Kent pushed.
Raven took a sip of her milk.
"Because... because I wish I could have done more. I wish I could have stopped Manchester from Killing Boomerang. I hoped that I could protect them. Instead I ended up being useless."
The old man leaned back on his seat, shaking his head slightly.
"Oh dear...Raven. There is responsibility and there is arrogance. You are a child, granted, one with incredible power and an unfathomable potential, but still a child."
Raven's grip on the cup tightened as Kent continued.
"It is not your job to be responsible for every single person you come across. You, better than most know how draining that can be. You have been fighting a one sided battle with your father's crazy cult while also looking for a way to get your mother back. That's too much pressure on young shoulders, my dear. You cannot add more. You will break under the strain."
Raven sighed.
"I...I have this...terrible power for a reason. What does it mean if I can't use it to defeat my opponent?"
She looked up, establishing contact with Kent's eyes.
"Terrible it may be but its how you chose to use it that defines you. The both of you should learn that."
Raven cocked her head to the side.
"The both of us?"
Kent smiled getting up.
"Your 'opponent' is up. I say we go meet our guest."
(Davian's P.O.V)
I finished munching on the cookies, pleasantly surprised at how good they were.
"These are actually really good."
I wiped the plate clean.
"Thanks."
I told the host of Nabu.
Feeling Raven's stare dig holes through my head, I turned to face her.
"Yes?"
"How can you calmly sit there and act as if nothing is wrong. After everything I've told you!"
I narrowed my eyes, not understanding why she was so worked up.
"Easy. That's the life I grew up on. Motherfuckers..."
Kent cleared his throat.
"Oh, sorry."
I apologized.
"What I meant to say was that people have tried to kill me many times before. This is not the first time nor the last. Waller will get what's coming to her. They all do in the end."
I shrugged.
Raven sucked in a breath.
"So what do you plan to do?"
The younger teen wondered.
"Go after her and kill her? Continue this cycle of death? As if that will bring back anything you've lost."
This girl... She was getting on my nerves.
"I only kill when it's necessary. And only those people who deserve it. I'm not a monster."
Our gazes crashed in mid air.
"Hey now, everybody calm down."
Kent tried to kill the tension.
"Killing is wrong. You cannot justify it."
Raven stood up to leave. Gah!
"Are you always this stubborn?"
Raven looked over her shoulder.
"Only when I'm right."
I rolled my eyes at her self righteous answer.
"Sorry Raven, but you're naive."
"And you're insufferable."
The door shut behind her and she was gone, leaving me alone with Kent. He was giving me a look.
"Fine. I'll apologize."
The old man nodded.
"Later when she has calmed down. She is similar to my late Izzah in that way. Both are firecrackers."
The two of us chuckled.
"Hey Mr.Nelson. Can I ask you for a favor?"
I finally worked up the courage. Recent events had shown me, simply having a bigger stick did not mean I knew how to use it. Raven was right about one thing, Waller would not give up. Not really. She sent the frigging Suicide Squad after me! That's some next level bullshit. Hell naw, I need power. The kind that would show her not to mess with me. Her and Batman. I had a bone to pick with that fucking bastard.
Kent straightened up in his seat. The lanterns on the wall cast a gloomy light on his visage.
"Go on."
"I need to know how to defend myself."
I leaned in.
"I'm used to guns or fists, but I realize that I'm playing on a different level."
"From what I heard, you can handle yourself pretty well."
He pointed out.
I shook my head at his comment.
"No, while I'm powerful in that form, it's not really me at the helm. I lose control and start destroying everything wantonly. I need to learn how to control it."
Kent hummed.
"And why do you think I can help you?"
"Oh come on." I gestured at our surroundings.
"The weird staircases, the flying books. You are a wizard."
"I have the ability to wield magic. I'm not a wizard."
He corrected.
"Sorry, I didn't know there was a difference."
He waved off my apology.
"Besides, magic and whatever you have at your disposal are two different things. Why are you certain I can teach you how to control your power?"
I couldn't disclose that I knew he was the most powerful Sorcerer on Earth now could I? I would die before I revealed my meta-knowledge. With the kinds of villains running around, my memories would basically fuck the world.
"Because I have no one else. I have no choice. Batman and the rest of the League think I killed Commissioner Gordon, I didn't. I have his soul stuck in this...space of being that is the source of my powers. The only way he's getting out is if I learn how to manipulate this energy."
As an example, I fell into my mantra of push and pull. My hand began glowing with purple energy, sparks of power flashing off my fingers.
"My word."
Kent leaned in, grabbing his walking stick and hovering the hand holding it above the roiling energy.
"So...pure. I have never sensed this kind of energy before."
He stiffened, eyes narrowing before he leaned back on his seat.
"That's a problem."
He scratched his chin, more serious than I'd seen him.
I cut off the Reiryoku.
"What is?"
Kent looked at me dead in the eyes.
"I don't know how to say this but... you reek of evil."
"Huh?"
(General P.O.V)
"We have been compromised."
Batman began, looking around at the gathered Leaguers.
The mood was somber. In part due to the new information disclosed by the Dark Knight. Inconsistencies that one might have ignored if it weren't for the frankly astonishing betrayal.
"The League begun as a way to save the world. 7 initial members. The founders. Then we inducted 7 more heroes. Or so we thought."
Batman concluded, clicking something on his wrist computer.
An image of a red colored android appeared above the table.
"This is Red Tornado. An android created by T.O. Morrow to infiltrate the Justice Society. He turned away from his original programming however and became a member, helping the Society save the world multiple times throughout the 70's 80's and 90's."
Green Arrow whistled.
"With a resume like that, let me be the first to vote yes on him joining the team."
But his mood turned solemn as he added,
"Especially with Barry's current condition."
His crest fallen look was shared by everyone present.
"The Flash is getting all the care he can from the Guardians. Green Lantern assured that he would be back in no time."
Superman said, trying to lift their spirits.
But Batman cut in.
"You misunderstood me, Arrow."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Green Arrow scratched his head in confusion.
"Red Tornado is not a candidate. Red Tornado is a Justice League member. Has been for the last year."
There was a brief silence as the news sunk in.
"How?!"
Hawkwoman and Zatara both wondered out loud.
"The same way I gave the go ahead on a mission to break out Davian Mabuz from a prison truck headed for Belle Reve. The same way the memories of the 5 deaths that occured after the Royal Flush Gang hit the transport were erased from both the Flash and my mind. Mental Tampering. The Martian."
He growled.
"J'onn..."
Superman muttered.
"I still can't believe he would do something like that."
Wonder Woman said with a shake of her head.
"No one did."
Batman added.
"That's why I believe he wasn't the real Martian Manhunter. D.N.A analysis from Star Labs indicate that while the genetic blueprint is from a Martian...it wasn't a green Martian. The melanin is lighter."
"A white Martian."
Hawkman figured.
"Exactly."
Batman said, pulling up a black and white image of a white Martian, a humanoid alien with long limbs and white skin.
"We have always kept minimal contact with our neighbors. This picture is from the era of the Justice Society. There are different castes and factions on Mars. As is the case with a sapient civilization filled with a free thinking and diverse people, racism is prevalent and The White Martians have faced the blunt of it for centuries."
"God."
Zatara rubbed his forehead.
"Wait, so let me get this right, our Martian Manhunter, the real one, was replaced by an imposter. Then somehow that imposter managed to wipe away all of our memories about Red Tornado as well as cover any discrepancies by even wiping the database clean?"
Green Arrow incredulously asked.
"I mean, guys, let alone the skill you would need to tamper with the mind of the Flash, who quite literally thinks at the speed of light, how would you go on about erasing Red Tornado from the minds of the public?"
The question was reasonable enough, but it wasn't something that the Batman hadn't asked himself as well.
"Zatara?"
The Dark Knight prompted.
The resident magician sighed.
"It's not... entirely impossible with magic."
He cast a serious look their way.
"But that would require tapping into a force that is not of mortal origin."
"Could it be divine?"
Wonder Woman asked.
"Because if so...I know of a few parties who wouldn't mind throwing in their lot with whoever our enemy is."
Batman grunted.
"Diana, pursue that angle. I have a feeling you might be right."
She nodded.
"We now know of the problem." Captain Atom spoke up.
"What is the solution?"
The Dark Knight was silent for a few seconds, fingers stapled together. The situation was not...ideal. Batman did not know if he could trust himself or his teammates after the Flash debacle. He needed to make some plans just in case.
"We need to begin a search on our missing members, Red Tornado and the real J'onn J'onzz. Then, we need to flush out our enemy."
He explained.
"And how exactly do we do that?"
Black Canary wondered, the same as everyone else in the room.
"We give them want they want. We give them...Davian Mabuz."
12 advance chapters in my Pat.reon.
Pat.reon.com/Saintbarbido.
I messed up the chapters guys, please check out the real chapter 14. It's already up.
::-------------------------------------------::
(General P.O.V)
"I guess...I don't know what to feel. Everything happened so fast."
Raven looked up at the wizened face of Kent Nelson.
"A lot of people died."
The older man hummed.
"A lot of people die all the time. Why was this any different?"
He asked, taking a sip of his own cup of coffee.
Raven blinked.
"I...that's a bad outlook, isn't it?"
The older man laughed.
"My dear, live to be as old as I am and you understand the value of speaking what's on your mind."
He pointed at Raven's untouched cookies and milk.
"I used my dear Izza's recipe for the cookies. They're mint. Go on, try them."
Raven reluctantly obliged, biting on a cookie before closing her eyes and moaning at just how good it was. Then she flushed and looked away.
"You haven't answered my question. Why was this different?"
Kent pushed.
Raven took a sip of her milk.
"Because... because I wish I could have done more. I wish I could have stopped Manchester from Killing Boomerang. I hoped that I could protect them. Instead I ended up being useless."
The old man leaned back on his seat, shaking his head slightly.
"Oh dear...Raven. There is responsibility and there is arrogance. You are a child, granted, one with incredible power and an unfathomable potential, but still a child."
Raven's grip on the cup tightened as Kent continued.
"It is not your job to be responsible for every single person you come across. You, better than most know how draining that can be. You have been fighting a one sided battle with your father's crazy cult while also looking for a way to get your mother back. That's too much pressure on young shoulders, my dear. You cannot add more. You will break under the strain."
Raven sighed.
"I...I have this...terrible power for a reason. What does it mean if I can't use it to defeat my opponent?"
She looked up, establishing contact with Kent's eyes.
"Terrible it may be but its how you chose to use it that defines you. The both of you should learn that."
Raven cocked her head to the side.
"The both of us?"
Kent smiled getting up.
"Your 'opponent' is up. I say we go meet our guest."
(Davian's P.O.V)
I finished munching on the cookies, pleasantly surprised at how good they were.
"These are actually really good."
I wiped the plate clean.
"Thanks."
I told the host of Nabu.
Feeling Raven's stare dig holes through my head, I turned to face her.
"Yes?"
"How can you calmly sit there and act as if nothing is wrong. After everything I've told you!"
I narrowed my eyes, not understanding why she was so worked up.
"Easy. That's the life I grew up on. Motherfuckers..."
Kent cleared his throat.
"Oh, sorry."
I apologized.
"What I meant to say was that people have tried to kill me many times before. This is not the first time nor the last. Waller will get what's coming to her. They all do in the end."
I shrugged.
Raven sucked in a breath.
"So what do you plan to do?"
The younger teen wondered.
"Go after her and kill her? Continue this cycle of death? As if that will bring back anything you've lost."
This girl... She was getting on my nerves.
"I only kill when it's necessary. And only those people who deserve it. I'm not a monster."
Our gazes crashed in mid air.
"Hey now, everybody calm down."
Kent tried to kill the tension.
"Killing is wrong. You cannot justify it."
Raven stood up to leave. Gah!
"Are you always this stubborn?"
Raven looked over her shoulder.
"Only when I'm right."
I rolled my eyes at her self righteous answer.
"Sorry Raven, but you're naive."
"And you're insufferable."
The door shut behind her and she was gone, leaving me alone with Kent. He was giving me a look.
"Fine. I'll apologize."
The old man nodded.
"Later when she has calmed down. She is similar to my late Izzah in that way. Both are firecrackers."
The two of us chuckled.
"Hey Mr.Nelson. Can I ask you for a favor?"
I finally worked up the courage. Recent events had shown me, simply having a bigger stick did not mean I knew how to use it. Raven was right about one thing, Waller would not give up. Not really. She sent the frigging Suicide Squad after me! That's some next level bullshit. Hell naw, I need power. The kind that would show her not to mess with me. Her and Batman. I had a bone to pick with that fucking bastard.
Kent straightened up in his seat. The lanterns on the wall cast a gloomy light on his visage.
"Go on."
"I need to know how to defend myself."
I leaned in.
"I'm used to guns or fists, but I realize that I'm playing on a different level."
"From what I heard, you can handle yourself pretty well."
He pointed out.
I shook my head at his comment.
"No, while I'm powerful in that form, it's not really me at the helm. I lose control and start destroying everything wantonly. I need to learn how to control it."
Kent hummed.
"And why do you think I can help you?"
"Oh come on." I gestured at our surroundings.
"The weird staircases, the flying books. You are a wizard."
"I have the ability to wield magic. I'm not a wizard."
He corrected.
"Sorry, I didn't know there was a difference."
He waved off my apology.
"Besides, magic and whatever you have at your disposal are two different things. Why are you certain I can teach you how to control your power?"
I couldn't disclose that I knew he was the most powerful Sorcerer on Earth now could I? I would die before I revealed my meta-knowledge. With the kinds of villains running around, my memories would basically fuck the world.
"Because I have no one else. I have no choice. Batman and the rest of the League think I killed Commissioner Gordon, I didn't. I have his soul stuck in this...space of being that is the source of my powers. The only way he's getting out is if I learn how to manipulate this energy."
As an example, I fell into my mantra of push and pull. My hand began glowing with purple energy, sparks of power flashing off my fingers.
"My word."
Kent leaned in, grabbing his walking stick and hovering the hand holding it above the roiling energy.
"So...pure. I have never sensed this kind of energy before."
He stiffened, eyes narrowing before he leaned back on his seat.
"That's a problem."
He scratched his chin, more serious than I'd seen him.
I cut off the Reiryoku.
"What is?"
Kent looked at me dead in the eyes.
"I don't know how to say this but... you reek of evil."
"Huh?"
(General P.O.V)
"We have been compromised."
Batman began, looking around at the gathered Leaguers.
The mood was somber. In part due to the new information disclosed by the Dark Knight. Inconsistencies that one might have ignored if it weren't for the frankly astonishing betrayal.
"The League begun as a way to save the world. 7 initial members. The founders. Then we inducted 7 more heroes. Or so we thought."
Batman concluded, clicking something on his wrist computer.
An image of a red colored android appeared above the table.
"This is Red Tornado. An android created by T.O. Morrow to infiltrate the Justice Society. He turned away from his original programming however and became a member, helping the Society save the world multiple times throughout the 70's 80's and 90's."
Green Arrow whistled.
"With a resume like that, let me be the first to vote yes on him joining the team."
But his mood turned solemn as he added,
"Especially with Barry's current condition."
His crest fallen look was shared by everyone present.
"The Flash is getting all the care he can from the Guardians. Green Lantern assured that he would be back in no time."
Superman said, trying to lift their spirits.
But Batman cut in.
"You misunderstood me, Arrow."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Green Arrow scratched his head in confusion.
"Red Tornado is not a candidate. Red Tornado is a Justice League member. Has been for the last year."
There was a brief silence as the news sunk in.
"How?!"
Hawkwoman and Zatara both wondered out loud.
"The same way I gave the go ahead on a mission to break out Davian Mabuz from a prison truck headed for Belle Reve. The same way the memories of the 5 deaths that occured after the Royal Flush Gang hit the transport were erased from both the Flash and my mind. Mental Tampering. The Martian."
He growled.
"J'onn..."
Superman muttered.
"I still can't believe he would do something like that."
Wonder Woman said with a shake of her head.
"No one did."
Batman added.
"That's why I believe he wasn't the real Martian Manhunter. D.N.A analysis from Star Labs indicate that while the genetic blueprint is from a Martian...it wasn't a green Martian. The melanin is lighter."
"A white Martian."
Hawkman figured.
"Exactly."
Batman said, pulling up a black and white image of a white Martian, a humanoid alien with long limbs and white skin.
"We have always kept minimal contact with our neighbors. This picture is from the era of the Justice Society. There are different castes and factions on Mars. As is the case with a sapient civilization filled with a free thinking and diverse people, racism is prevalent and The White Martians have faced the blunt of it for centuries."
"God."
Zatara rubbed his forehead.
"Wait, so let me get this right, our Martian Manhunter, the real one, was replaced by an imposter. Then somehow that imposter managed to wipe away all of our memories about Red Tornado as well as cover any discrepancies by even wiping the database clean?"
Green Arrow incredulously asked.
"I mean, guys, let alone the skill you would need to tamper with the mind of the Flash, who quite literally thinks at the speed of light, how would you go on about erasing Red Tornado from the minds of the public?"
The question was reasonable enough, but it wasn't something that the Batman hadn't asked himself as well.
"Zatara?"
The Dark Knight prompted.
The resident magician sighed.
"It's not... entirely impossible with magic."
He cast a serious look their way.
"But that would require tapping into a force that is not of mortal origin."
"Could it be divine?"
Wonder Woman asked.
"Because if so...I know of a few parties who wouldn't mind throwing in their lot with whoever our enemy is."
Batman grunted.
"Diana, pursue that angle. I have a feeling you might be right."
She nodded.
"We now know of the problem." Captain Atom spoke up.
"What is the solution?"
The Dark Knight was silent for a few seconds, fingers stapled together. The situation was not...ideal. Batman did not know if he could trust himself or his teammates after the Flash debacle. He needed to make some plans just in case.
"We need to begin a search on our missing members, Red Tornado and the real J'onn J'onzz. Then, we need to flush out our enemy."
He explained.
"And how exactly do we do that?"
Black Canary wondered, the same as everyone else in the room.
"We give them want they want. We give them...Davian Mabuz."
