Chapter 36 There's Nowhere to Run.
(General P.O.V)
"The damage to the compound is extensive but nothing your bottomless pocket can't handle."
Green Lantern joked, descending onto the group. Batman sat on a piece of broken concrete which used to be a part of the fountain in the middle of the courtyard.
Now the fountain was gone and a massive sink hole that revealed the system of caves under Wayne Manor was left behind. It acted as evidence of how a small temper tantrum could have devastating consequences.
Around him from the left was Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Superman, Aquaman, Black Canary and Green Lantern. They were the first of the Leaguers to respond after the Jamming signal went down.
The bat suit on the billionaire was mere strips of clothing, the hard plates and kevlar weave making up the midsection seemed to have been worn down with multiple slashes. The Detective also carried cuts on his body. His face was in his hands, looking down.
"We need to bring him in. We need to convince him to join the League. Somehow."
He told them, his gaze looking haunted. That kind of power, in the hands of anyone else...
It was the first statement in the 5 minutes after they had all arrived. The paramedics had taken in an injured Alfred and Dick and the dead...
Bruce clamped down on that thought.
"Can you rephrase that?"
Canary said as if she hadn't heard him right.
"I propose we induct Davian Mabuz into the Justice League."
Batman's formal words left everyone speechless.
Standing in the wreckage of the Wayne Manor, the 6 league members who had arrived stared at the Dark Knight as if he was insane.
"Bruce... you're standing in the ashes of your family home. Half of it is destroyed. And while no one can blame the boy for going as far as he did, proposing to bring him into our ranks is not a good idea. Someone... someone died Bruce."
Superman trailed off.
Batman inhaled, stopping himself from running a hand down his face. His hands were caked with blood.
"We need to find a way. Talia and the others, they saw what he could do."
He rubbed his head.
"They'll try to use him."
He looked up.
"If he joins her group and they train him properly, there will be very few people who can stop him."
The conviction on the face of Bruce Wayne, a face with over a dozen shallow cuts left them all speechless.
Batman on the other hand... couldn't shake the image he had briefly seen.
"...You will kill him again."
He mouthed the words to himself. Had the note been talking about Davian? If not then who?
The most terrifying thing was that if it came down to it...Bruce could see himself making that tough call.
(A half hour earlier)
(Davian's P.O.V)
"They call themselves Leviathan. The brunette seems to be the leader of this little group."
I explained, landing next to the Dark Knight as he faced off against Talia Al Ghul and the rest of her mercenaries.
"Whatever you're doing, stop it."
Batman growled.
I looked at him, askance.
"Bruh...you do understand they'll try to kill us if I let them go right?"
Batman turned to face me.
"How familiar are you with your powers?"
I blinked at the unexpected question.
"What do you mean?"
"You used to lose control and destroy everything before you. How do you expect me to take the risk that you won't go haywire once more and kill someone?"
His words made me grit my teeth.
He had a point. Still, I doubled down. Batman he may be but it didn't mean he as always right.
"Mmmh...he might be blinded by... compassion for the female."
Chase voiced out. He wasn't wrong but how the fuck did he know that? Could he see something I couldn't?
Oh wait, in the future Batman and Talia would have a kid right? Shit, I have her tied up like a common thug who's messed with Spiderman. Not to mention the Reiatsu that was up until now stopping them from talking or moving.
All they could do was glare. Beads of sweat matting their skins.
I narrowed my eyes at Batman, my thumb tapping on the handle of my sword. I hoped it would come down to a fight...I owed him payback for our last session.
And to think he can talk to me like that...
"Calm down. Remember who your enemy is. You'll handle your issues with the Man of Bats later on."
Chase voiced out.
"Don't worry." I assured the Dark Knight with a tight smile.
"I can control my powers now. Letting these guys go on the other hand, is a bad idea. It carries more of a risk than I do."
I looked at my prisoners.
"You can organize transport and take them to where you take other Villainous fiends."
I added with a chuckle. What I had thought was going to be a dog fight had turned out to be my easiest fight ever.
Maybe I had overestimated...
"Aaahhhhhhgggff!!!"
I sank to a knee as excruciating pain ripped through the center of my brain. The Spirit Pressure I had on Leviathan disappeared as I failed to keep it active.
A guttural scream of pain then escaped me and I felt more than saw the strings of Reiryoku fall off their forms.
No no no no...Fuck!
"Did you really think I came unprepared?"
I heard Talia's voice echo across the Batcave.
From the corner of my eyes, Batman was on his knees as well, clutching his head.
Killing intent that made my hair stand on it's ends filled the chamber. It's origin being...me. Or rather Chase.
"A telepath! You DARE intrude in my domain?!!"
I had never heard such fury from anyone before. The rage was potent to the point my own emotions were influenced. Reason escaped me, as the target of my anger appeared in my mind. A beautiful face, raven hair...Talia.
My jaw clenched. Wait...Chase... don't...
She took a step back, suddenly afraid at my rage filled eyes.
"Your pitiful lives are forfeit! Go to hell, or I promise to make you suffer a fate even worse!"
Chase' voice was layered with my own, followed by a blast of Reiryoku from my body, depleting half of my reserves as strings surged out, destroying the surroundings even more and throwing back my opponents.
I took care to exempt Batman from the wild attack. Kinda. A few strings made it through.
A small part of me protested Chase' tantrum. I didn't want to prove Batman right by losing control.
Immediately, cold logic fell upon me. An icy fury that filled my veins. These people had tried to kill me. Unprovoked. Without good enough reason. They had put Raven in harm's way.
And Talia had given the command. Ergo... she's the one responsible. She's the one who needs to pay.
"What is happening Psimon?!"
I heard Talia demand of the Cranium dude, whose body had gone slack, staring up at the ceiling. A trail of spittle ran down his chin. His mind had become useless. He had sent out the telepathic blast, only for Chesha Neko to answer by breaking his mind for entering my inner world.
'Damn, Chase is terrifying when he wants to be.' I thought.
Shunpo escape my heel. I was then immediately infront of Talia, having cleared the 10 meters between us instantly. Chesha Neko flashed, poised to split her into two.
My Zanpakuto rang out as it clashed with Deathstroke as he blocked the blow with a cross guard. The mercenary cried out, my superior strength driving the Zanpakuto right through his block, shattering his weapons and cutting into his shoulder while he stared up at me.
"You have a tell."
He chuckled.
"You bite your lip... before you move."
Oh, so that's how he could react to my moves.
I pulled back my leg and landed a kick smack dab on his chest.
Multiple ribs folded under the blow and his body was thrown back, colliding against the Flash or rather, it would have, if the fastest man alive hadn't phased through Deathstroke.
Breath escaped me as we collided, sending both of us careening off the edge of the inner premise of the Batcave. My earlier Reiryoku explosion having revealed more of the place. Strings appeared at my back, stabbing onto the walls and holding me up as the Flash fell off the edge, lightning disappearing into the depths.
A few short seconds later, bats screeched, surging up like a dark cloud from beneath.
Then a beckon of light grew from under, before a streak of red electric energy was launched from the bottom. I received the blow on the yarn of strings I formed around my body, blocking the blast before conducting the charge through the strings to fry any of the Leviathan group near my threads.
I gasped...the world freezing around us.
My reaction speed went through the roof. I blinked. Everything I was seeing moved in slow motion...yet, I wasn't seeing but more like sensing through my strings. Somehow, they seemed to have absorbed the speed force energy and adapted to it, changing color from a very light purple to red.
A 3D map of the Batcave appeared in my mind, read through the strings. Bronze Tiger was escaping through a hole on the ceiling that allowed moon light to stream right through.
Batman was mid jump towards Talia. Deathstroke was reaching out towards something that had fallen in the commotion and the Flash was running up the wall to come up from behind me.
"Aaahhhh!!"
Deathstroke and Talia seized up as lightning jumped from my threads to fry them.
One thing you should understand about Chesha Neko's Shikai was, I could form strings from any part of my body...or any part of an existing thread.
Chesha Neko's Shikai was not the sword. Instead...Chesha Neko was the zone around my body. This entire cave complex filled with millions upon millions of sharp thin threads that I could add on to.
It didn't matter how fast the Flash was, when I could cover the same distance simply by branching off more strings into however many directions I could, at an instant. Add the effect of the speed force to them, and I was effectively controlling the battlefield.
"There's nowhere to run now, Talia Al Ghul."
I whispered from beside her.
What the...that hadn't been a Shunpo...did I just travel through my strings?
Her eyes begun to slowly widen, her lips parting in slow motion. Is this how the Flash sees the world? A quiet scene. Like a moving picture before T.V broadcasts were a thing.
Chesha Neko flashed. Cranium Dude's head fell in slow motion as well, drops of blood just beginning to form from his severed neck.
In that same instant, the trap I had set for the Flash sprang. Threads that were stabbed onto the walls of my previous position collapsed around the speedster, containing him in yarn of threads with his own speed force aura gyrating around each individual string... draining him of his speed more and more.
"You can't hold in that much power, Davian."
Chase informed me.
I could feel it too...my Reiryoku reserves, with more than 90% spent...would run out before I completely drained him. My body was also not equipped to be a conduit for the dimension of energy called the speed force. It chose speedsters, I wasn't one.
All that energy needed to go somewhere.
So I aimed it at the ceiling.
Chapter 36 There's Nowhere to Run.
(General P.O.V)
"The damage to the compound is extensive but nothing your bottomless pocket can't handle."
Green Lantern joked, descending onto the group. Batman sat on a piece of broken concrete which used to be a part of the fountain in the middle of the courtyard.
Now the fountain was gone and a massive sink hole that revealed the system of caves under Wayne Manor was left behind. It acted as evidence of how a small temper tantrum could have devastating consequences.
Around him from the left was Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Superman, Aquaman, Black Canary and Green Lantern. They were the first of the Leaguers to respond after the Jamming signal went down.
The bat suit on the billionaire was mere strips of clothing, the hard plates and kevlar weave making up the midsection seemed to have been worn down with multiple slashes. The Detective also carried cuts on his body. His face was in his hands, looking down.
"We need to bring him in. We need to convince him to join the League. Somehow."
He told them, his gaze looking haunted. That kind of power, in the hands of anyone else...
It was the first statement in the 5 minutes after they had all arrived. The paramedics had taken in an injured Alfred and Dick and the dead...
Bruce clamped down on that thought.
"Can you rephrase that?"
Canary said as if she hadn't heard him right.
"I propose we induct Davian Mabuz into the Justice League."
Batman's formal words left everyone speechless.
Standing in the wreckage of the Wayne Manor, the 6 league members who had arrived stared at the Dark Knight as if he was insane.
"Bruce... you're standing in the ashes of your family home. Half of it is destroyed. And while no one can blame the boy for going as far as he did, proposing to bring him into our ranks is not a good idea. Someone... someone died Bruce."
Superman trailed off.
Batman inhaled, stopping himself from running a hand down his face. His hands were caked with blood.
"We need to find a way. Talia and the others, they saw what he could do."
He rubbed his head.
"They'll try to use him."
He looked up.
"If he joins her group and they train him properly, there will be very few people who can stop him."
The conviction on the face of Bruce Wayne, a face with over a dozen shallow cuts left them all speechless.
Batman on the other hand... couldn't shake the image he had briefly seen.
"...You will kill him again."
He mouthed the words to himself. Had the note been talking about Davian? If not then who?
The most terrifying thing was that if it came down to it...Bruce could see himself making that tough call.
(A half hour earlier)
(Davian's P.O.V)
"They call themselves Leviathan. The brunette seems to be the leader of this little group."
I explained, landing next to the Dark Knight as he faced off against Talia Al Ghul and the rest of her mercenaries.
"Whatever you're doing, stop it."
Batman growled.
I looked at him, askance.
"Bruh...you do understand they'll try to kill us if I let them go right?"
Batman turned to face me.
"How familiar are you with your powers?"
I blinked at the unexpected question.
"What do you mean?"
"You used to lose control and destroy everything before you. How do you expect me to take the risk that you won't go haywire once more and kill someone?"
His words made me grit my teeth.
He had a point. Still, I doubled down. Batman he may be but it didn't mean he as always right.
"Mmmh...he might be blinded by... compassion for the female."
Chase voiced out. He wasn't wrong but how the fuck did he know that? Could he see something I couldn't?
Oh wait, in the future Batman and Talia would have a kid right? Shit, I have her tied up like a common thug who's messed with Spiderman. Not to mention the Reiatsu that was up until now stopping them from talking or moving.
All they could do was glare. Beads of sweat matting their skins.
I narrowed my eyes at Batman, my thumb tapping on the handle of my sword. I hoped it would come down to a fight...I owed him payback for our last session.
And to think he can talk to me like that...
"Calm down. Remember who your enemy is. You'll handle your issues with the Man of Bats later on."
Chase voiced out.
"Don't worry." I assured the Dark Knight with a tight smile.
"I can control my powers now. Letting these guys go on the other hand, is a bad idea. It carries more of a risk than I do."
I looked at my prisoners.
"You can organize transport and take them to where you take other Villainous fiends."
I added with a chuckle. What I had thought was going to be a dog fight had turned out to be my easiest fight ever.
Maybe I had overestimated...
"Aaahhhhhhgggff!!!"
I sank to a knee as excruciating pain ripped through the center of my brain. The Spirit Pressure I had on Leviathan disappeared as I failed to keep it active.
A guttural scream of pain then escaped me and I felt more than saw the strings of Reiryoku fall off their forms.
No no no no...Fuck!
"Did you really think I came unprepared?"
I heard Talia's voice echo across the Batcave.
From the corner of my eyes, Batman was on his knees as well, clutching his head.
Killing intent that made my hair stand on it's ends filled the chamber. It's origin being...me. Or rather Chase.
"A telepath! You DARE intrude in my domain?!!"
I had never heard such fury from anyone before. The rage was potent to the point my own emotions were influenced. Reason escaped me, as the target of my anger appeared in my mind. A beautiful face, raven hair...Talia.
My jaw clenched. Wait...Chase... don't...
She took a step back, suddenly afraid at my rage filled eyes.
"Your pitiful lives are forfeit! Go to hell, or I promise to make you suffer a fate even worse!"
Chase' voice was layered with my own, followed by a blast of Reiryoku from my body, depleting half of my reserves as strings surged out, destroying the surroundings even more and throwing back my opponents.
I took care to exempt Batman from the wild attack. Kinda. A few strings made it through.
A small part of me protested Chase' tantrum. I didn't want to prove Batman right by losing control.
Immediately, cold logic fell upon me. An icy fury that filled my veins. These people had tried to kill me. Unprovoked. Without good enough reason. They had put Raven in harm's way.
And Talia had given the command. Ergo... she's the one responsible. She's the one who needs to pay.
"What is happening Psimon?!"
I heard Talia demand of the Cranium dude, whose body had gone slack, staring up at the ceiling. A trail of spittle ran down his chin. His mind had become useless. He had sent out the telepathic blast, only for Chesha Neko to answer by breaking his mind for entering my inner world.
'Damn, Chase is terrifying when he wants to be.' I thought.
Shunpo escape my heel. I was then immediately infront of Talia, having cleared the 10 meters between us instantly. Chesha Neko flashed, poised to split her into two.
My Zanpakuto rang out as it clashed with Deathstroke as he blocked the blow with a cross guard. The mercenary cried out, my superior strength driving the Zanpakuto right through his block, shattering his weapons and cutting into his shoulder while he stared up at me.
"You have a tell."
He chuckled.
"You bite your lip... before you move."
Oh, so that's how he could react to my moves.
I pulled back my leg and landed a kick smack dab on his chest.
Multiple ribs folded under the blow and his body was thrown back, colliding against the Flash or rather, it would have, if the fastest man alive hadn't phased through Deathstroke.
Breath escaped me as we collided, sending both of us careening off the edge of the inner premise of the Batcave. My earlier Reiryoku explosion having revealed more of the place. Strings appeared at my back, stabbing onto the walls and holding me up as the Flash fell off the edge, lightning disappearing into the depths.
A few short seconds later, bats screeched, surging up like a dark cloud from beneath.
Then a beckon of light grew from under, before a streak of red electric energy was launched from the bottom. I received the blow on the yarn of strings I formed around my body, blocking the blast before conducting the charge through the strings to fry any of the Leviathan group near my threads.
I gasped...the world freezing around us.
My reaction speed went through the roof. I blinked. Everything I was seeing moved in slow motion...yet, I wasn't seeing but more like sensing through my strings. Somehow, they seemed to have absorbed the speed force energy and adapted to it, changing color from a very light purple to red.
A 3D map of the Batcave appeared in my mind, read through the strings. Bronze Tiger was escaping through a hole on the ceiling that allowed moon light to stream right through.
Batman was mid jump towards Talia. Deathstroke was reaching out towards something that had fallen in the commotion and the Flash was running up the wall to come up from behind me.
"Aaahhhh!!"
Deathstroke and Talia seized up as lightning jumped from my threads to fry them.
One thing you should understand about Chesha Neko's Shikai was, I could form strings from any part of my body...or any part of an existing thread.
Chesha Neko's Shikai was not the sword. Instead...Chesha Neko was the zone around my body. This entire cave complex filled with millions upon millions of sharp thin threads that I could add on to.
It didn't matter how fast the Flash was, when I could cover the same distance simply by branching off more strings into however many directions I could, at an instant. Add the effect of the speed force to them, and I was effectively controlling the battlefield.
"There's nowhere to run now, Talia Al Ghul."
I whispered from beside her.
What the...that hadn't been a Shunpo...did I just travel through my strings?
Her eyes begun to slowly widen, her lips parting in slow motion. Is this how the Flash sees the world? A quiet scene. Like a moving picture before T.V broadcasts were a thing.
Chesha Neko flashed. Cranium Dude's head fell in slow motion as well, drops of blood just beginning to form from his severed neck.
In that same instant, the trap I had set for the Flash sprang. Threads that were stabbed onto the walls of my previous position collapsed around the speedster, containing him in yarn of threads with his own speed force aura gyrating around each individual string... draining him of his speed more and more.
"You can't hold in that much power, Davian."
Chase informed me.
I could feel it too...my Reiryoku reserves, with more than 90% spent...would run out before I completely drained him. My body was also not equipped to be a conduit for the dimension of energy called the speed force. It chose speedsters, I wasn't one.
All that energy needed to go somewhere.
So I aimed it at the ceiling.
